Riverbender 🕸

WASHINGTON, D.C. - House Republicans are pressing Illinois Democrats to take up a package of proposals they say would lower costs for families before the General Assembly’s session ends, arguing that political disagreements should not delay action on affordability measures. State Reps. Bill Hauter, Mike Coffey and Brad Fritts held a Capitol news conference Thursday to renew what they described as House Republicans’ push for Democrats to consider “affordability plans” tha

ALTON - Church members and leaders from across Alton gathered for the Alton Area Church Women United organization’s May Friendship Day. On Thursday, May 14, 2026, community members met at Main Street Methodist Church in Alton for the program. Church Women United is a national movement that unites women of different churches and faith backgrounds to worship and serve the community together. Diane Foster and Sandra Revels shared information about the organization and its May Friendship

EDWARDSVILLE - The Glen-Ed Pantry will hold a ceremonial groundbreaking on May 20 for a new facility at its site in Edwardsville, as the nonprofit works to expand services for local families facing food insecurity. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at Glen-Ed Pantry, 125 5th Ave., Edwardsville, IL 62025. Representatives and leadership of the pantry are expected to attend, including Board President Libby Levin, past president Pam Harrison, and Executive Director Jane

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reminding Illinoisans that warmer weather means an increased potential for exposure to several illnesses that can be carried by animals or biting pests. While enjoying outdoor activities, people should take appropriate precautions to reduce their risk of contracting serious illness. “Spring and summer provide so many opportunities for outdoor fun all across Illinois,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “It

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced the bipartisan, bicameral Corrections Officer Blake Schwarz Suicide Prevention Act of 2026 to expand access to critical mental health care services and increase federal investments for supporting corrections officers, whose suicide rate is estimated to be seven times higher than that of the general population. Last year, U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-01) introduced the companion legislation of this

EDWARDSVILLE - Madelyn Moore has been selected to receive a 2026 Illinois Sheriff’s Association Scholarship, the Madison County Sheriff’s Office has announced. The Madison County Sheriff, Jeff Connor, said Moore was chosen as a scholarship recipient and cited her “hard work and dedication." Moore plans to pursue “a career in chiropractic medicine,” Connor said. “We are proud to announce that Madelyn Moore has been selected as a recipient of

BELLEVILLE - The Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce and PremierU are proud to co-host The M Factor 2: Before the Pause on Wednesday, May 28, at 6:30 PM at the historic Lincoln Theatre, bringing together women from across the community for an evening focused on education, empowerment, and honest conversations surrounding hormonal health, perimenopause, menopause, and overall wellness. This impactful event is designed to help women better understand the physical, emotional, and mental changes

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The U.S. Forest Service today announced an additional 2026 recreation fee-free day on June 6 in celebration of National Trails Day, providing no cost use of all standard amenity recreation sites on national forests and grasslands. National Trails Day was established by the American Hiking Society in 1993 and occurs annually on the first Saturday in June. It brings together federal land managers, partners, and volunteers to celebrate trails and accomplish trail stewardship

The strange thing about sacrifice is that people often praise it even when it looks like a loss. A parent skips a vacation to pay for a child’s classes. A friend drives across town at midnight. A worker stays late so the team doesn’t fail. No one celebrates the missed sleep or the empty wallet. They celebrate what the sacrifice means . Traditions honor sacrifice because it turns private cost into shared value. It signals commitment, builds trust, and makes groups feel real. When

On May 16, 1960, thousands of people in South Korea filled the streets in a turning-point moment of the April Revolution, pressing for honest government after a disputed election. The demonstrations helped bring down President Syngman Rhee’s administration and opened a new chapter in the country’s political life. At the time, it mattered because it showed how quickly public trust can collapse when elections are seen as unfair and when authorities respond with force. It still matters

ALTON - Community members have the opportunity to celebrate renowned jazz musician Miles Davis’s 100th birthday. On Friday, May 22, 2026, the community will gather for a free kickoff event at 6 p.m. at the Miles Davis statue on West 3rd Street. This will be followed by the main event, the Miles Davis Jazz Festival, on Saturday, May 23, at Post Commons. Both events aim to bring the community together to celebrate one of the greats. “He’s probably the best jazz musician,”

GRAFTON - Runners will take to rarely used trails at Pere Marquette State Park early Saturday, May 16, 2026, as the inaugural Piasa Trail Races bring endurance events to Grafton's river bluffs. The Piasa Trail Races are scheduled for Saturday, May 16, at Pere Marquette State Park, with races beginning as early as 6 a.m. and concluding at 2 p.m., according to Lev Smolianski, the park’s natural resource coordinator. The event will run through the park’s trail system, with the start an

ROXANA – A Roxana resident allegedly found in possession of thousands of files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) has been detained given the “vile and depraved threat” he poses to local children. Jordan S. King, 32, of Roxana, was charged on May 11, 2026 with 11 counts of child sexual abuse material, each Class 2 felonies. From March 1 to May 7, 2026, King allegedly knowingly possessed several video files depicting child pornography and adults sexually abusing

CHICAGO — Governor Pritzker announced that 1,500 new Illinois homebuyers have been offered $18 million in downpayment assistance through the newly created IHDAccess Home (Access Home) program – representing a 52 percent increase in the number of people served by all other IHDA loan programs compared to April 2025. This progress took place just nine weeks after the program was launched, which speaks to the need among first-time homebuyers as well as the effectiveness of th

A physician and artificial intelligence expert is telling health care leaders at Peoria, Illinois-based OSF HealthCare that AI is rapidly reshaping medicine and could dramatically improve early disease detection, patient care and diagnostic speed in the coming years. Harvey Castro, MD, known professionally as “Dr. GPT,” highlighted the growing role of artificial intelligence in health care during an OSF Innovation Showcase at Jump Trading Simulation & Education Center , emphasizing

ALTON - Alton High School’s Class of 2026 is prepared for their graduation this weekend. The commencement ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 16, 2026 and can be livestreamed here . On Thursday, May 14, 2026, graduating seniors stopped by the high school to pick up their caps and gowns. They could also register to vote. It was a busy, bittersweet day for the seniors and the high school staff members who were assisting. Students were eager to receive their caps

GODFREY - Widman Construction, working as a subcontractor for Brighton Water, is wrapping up a water main upgrade project on North Humbert Road and Straube Lane in Godfrey as of Friday, May 15, 2026, and will move next into the Tremont subdivision, where partial road and lane closures are expected during weekday work hours. The Village of Godfrey said Widman Construction updated officials on its progress on the ongoing water main “upgrade” project on North Humbert and Straube Lane.

SPRINGFIELD - Civic Memorial High School’s track and field team is sending several athletes to the state meet after a slate of qualifying performances led by a sectional title in the pole vault. The CM girls sectional competitors are Tom Lane State Farm Insurance Female Athletes Of The Month. Kaylee Shields was the sectional champion in the pole vault with a mark of 3.27 meters, and she is among Civic Memorial’s state qualifiers. Also qualifying for state were CM's Allie

SPRINGFIELD — Jersey Community Unit School District No. 100’s girls track and field team earned multiple medals and qualified two events for the IHSA state meet following the IHSA Sectional Meet at Springfield Southeast on Thursday, May 14, 2026, with Jersey finishing 12th overall with 28.5 points. Jersey's Morgan Allen qualified for state in the high jump with a mark of 1.54 meters. The 4x200 relay team of Madisyn Burch, Amelia Jumper, Allen, and Belle Peuterbaugh

GRAFTON - It’s a busy weekend in Grafton as the first phase of the National Memorial of Military Ascent is completed. Starting on Friday, May 15, 2026, crews were on the bluff preparing to install the 500-pound bronze statues that will be featured in the memorial. Mayor Mike Morrow, a veteran, said they will work throughout the weekend with the hope of having all 12 statues installed by Sunday night, May 17, 2026. “Everybody, when they see something, they go, ‘Oh, it’s