Riverbender 🕸

ALTON — The USS LST-325, a World War II-era landing ship turned floating museum, will be docked at the port of Alton from Sept. 18 to 22, 2025, offering daily tours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Commissioned in 1943, the USS LST-325 played a significant role in the European theater of World War II, participating in key invasions including Sicily and Normandy. Designed to carry tanks, vehicles, and troops directly onto hostile beaches during assaults, the vessel was vital to the success of Allied operations despite its modest top speed of about 11 miles per hour. Often referred to as the "last ship there" or "large slow target," the LST-325’s importance lay in its ability to deliver essential equipment and personnel during amphibious assaults rather than speed. Visitors to the ship can purchase tours for $20 per adult and $10 for children aged 6 to 17. Children 5 and under may tour for free. The museum aims to educate the public about the ship’s service not only in World

Continue Reading

CHICAGO - This week, Governor JB Pritzker joined a coalition of 17 other state governors, issuing a joint letter urging House Speaker Mike Johnson, Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Leader John Thune, and Leader Chuck Schumer to extend the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) enhanced premium tax credits (ePTCs). With the tax credits set to expire at the end of the year and insurers already beginning to set 2026 rates, this united front of state leaders represents an effort to lock in lower premiums for working families. Without Congressional action, the effects of premium surges will be felt nationwide for years. “For many hardworking families across Illinois, these tax credits keep affordable healthcare within reach,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Families shouldn’t have to choose between having healthcare and putting food on the table. Republicans in Congress had no issue cutting taxes for billionaires, so they should have no issue extending tax relief for their own constituents

Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As Donald Trump continues threatening to deploy the National Guard into Chicago, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) in introducing legislation to enhance oversight and accountability of the President’s domestic deployment of the National Guard. The Safeguarding the Use of the National Guard (SUN) Act would require the President to submit a comprehensive report to Congress within 15 days of deploying the National Guard for civilian law enforcement support, except in the case of a natural disaster. “Donald Trump seems determined to deploy our military to police American cities with absolutely zero regard for the lasting impact this will have on readiness, public trust and our national security,” said Duckworth. “Our servicemembers did not sign up to intimidate and police their fellow Americans across the country, and Congress has a responsibility

Continue Reading

CAHOKIA HEIGHTS - Cahokia Heights Police Department announced promotions for three officers this week, marking the first departmental advancements in more than two years. Chief Thomas L. Trice promoted Sgt. Derek Ruberstell to Master Sergeant, recognizing his nearly three decades of service with the agency, including previous experience as a Cahokia Police Sergeant. Master Sgt. Ruberstell will take on the role of department policy expert and oversee several administrative duties aimed at advancing the department’s mission. Additionally, Officer Jonathan Williams and Officer William Catanzaro were promoted to detective and assigned to the Criminal Investigation Division. Both officers have more than 10 years of law enforcement experience and have been commended for their performance as patrol officers. Their new roles are expected to strengthen the department’s investigative capabilities. “Join me in celebrating all of these dedicated officers who bring it every

Continue Reading

JERSEYVILLE – The Jerseyville City Council passed a series of several items on Tuesday related to this year’s Downtown Country Christmas Festival, set for Nov. 29 to Dec. 31, 2025. The following items were unanimously approved: A $7,000 tourism grant submitted by Downtown Country Christmas Festival Inc. for marketing of the 2025 festival events. Approval of the usage of City Center Plaza on Saturday, Nov. 29 from 4 a.m. to 12 p.m. for the festival. A motion to waive the rental fee for Downtown Country Christmas Festival Inc. to use City Center Plaza. The approval of certain road closures during the festival: Jefferson Street from East Arch to East Pearl Street; Pearl Street from State Street to Jefferson Street; alley connecting East Pearl and East Arch Street; each to be closed from 12 to 6 p.m. during the festival. The south end of the alley connecting East Spruce and East Pearl Streets, as well as city parking lots C and D, will also be closed from

Continue Reading

BELLEVILLE - The Belleville Daughters of the American Revolution rang bells outside of the Belleville Courthouse to commemorate Constitution Day. At 4 p.m. EST on Sept. 17, 2025, across the country, DAR chapters rang bells and held signs encouraging people to celebrate the U.S. Constitution. In Belleville, DAR Constitution Week Chairperson Becky Juelfs was eager to join her sisters. “Just knowing that it was a national moment that others were participating in was very special,” she said. Juelfs and the DAR regent Debbie Belter read speeches and welcomed DAR members to the bell-ringing ceremony. A few members made signs so passing cars knew they were commemorating Constitution Day. Anita Gajewski, who serves as the principal at Legacy Christian Academy in Fairview Heights, brought her class to the bell-ringing. The kids answered questions about the Constitution and its amendments. “The kids were well-prepared,” Juelfs said. “They knew a lot of

Continue Reading

EAST ST. LOUIS — A double stabbing early Thursday morning, Sept. 18, 2025, in East St. Louis left one man dead and another injured, authorities said. The incident occurred around 3:15 a.m. Thursday inside a vacant building at the Orr-Weathers Apartment Complex, located at Missouri Avenue and North 14th Street, according to East St. Louis Police. East St. Louis Police said the stabbing involved two men. Officers responding to the scene found one man stabbed across the street from the vacant building. He was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment. Police later located a second man inside the vacant building, possibly on the eighth floor, who had also been stabbed. That man was pronounced dead at the scene. The circumstances surrounding the stabbings remain under investigation.

Continue Reading

GODFREY – An attempt to override Godfrey Mayor Mike McCormick’s veto of a village-wide 1% grocery tax was ultimately unsuccessful on Tuesday night after much discussion and debate. An item to reconsider the mayor’s veto of the grocery tax received a 3-3 vote, which fell short of the two-thirds supermajority needed for it to pass. Voting to uphold the veto were Trustees Karen MacAtee, Sarah Woodman, and Gerard Fischer, while Trustees Rick Lauschke, Mike Fisher, and Craig Lombardi voted to override the mayor’s veto. Godfrey differs from most local communities which have voted to implement locally collected 1% sales taxes on groceries to offset major revenue losses once a state-level grocery tax expires in 2026. Instead, trustees voted in July to approve a 0.75% general sales tax increase in an effort to more fairly split the tax burden between village residents and visitors. Village Board members then voted on Sept. 2, 2025 to pass a 1% grocery tax

Continue Reading

ALTON - The Alton Area Landmarks Association will host their 53rd annual Historic Building Tour, allowing community members to tour historic homes in Alton. From 12–5 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, you can tour over 20 homes in Alton, from the McPike Mansion to Pfeiffenberger houses. This self-guided tour takes you through the historic district and allows you to visit the homes and learn from their owners. “The house tours are a way of getting people into Alton and getting into the streets and neighborhoods that maybe they haven’t been on before to see historic homes,” explained Terry with the Alton Area Landmarks Association. “One of the basic tenets is that the way to save houses in Alton is to get people to come and buy them and move here and live here. So that’s the big push of the house tours, to get people to come and enjoy the house tour.” Tickets to the Historic Building Tour cost $10 for AALA members and $15 for the general

Continue Reading

Did you know that the average office worker spends up to 6 weeks a year just searching for misplaced items? This staggering statistic highlights a hidden drain on workplace efficiency that many overlook. Beyond the obvious distractions, the physical environment where you work plays a crucial role in shaping your productivity levels. An organized workspace isn’t just about aesthetics—it directly impacts focus, stress levels, and the quality of output. The Psychology Behind an Organized Workspace Our brains are wired to respond to order and clarity. Cluttered environments often lead to cognitive overload, where the brain struggles to filter out irrelevant stimuli. This overload can reduce attention span, increase stress hormones, and impair decision-making abilities. Studies in environmental psychology show that workers in tidy, well-organized spaces tend to complete tasks faster and with fewer errors. One illustrative example comes from a study conducted at Princeton University

Continue Reading

September 18 has witnessed a remarkable array of events throughout history, spanning continents, cultures, and fields of human endeavor. Let's journey through time and explore some of the most impactful events that occurred on September 18. One of the most globally significant events on September 18 occurred in 1931, when the Mukden Incident ignited the conflict that would lead to the Japanese invasion of Manchuria, marking a critical escalation in the lead-up to World War II. On this day, Japanese military personnel staged an explosion on a railway line near Mukden (now Shenyang, China), which they falsely blamed on Chinese dissidents. This pretext allowed Japan to launch a full-scale invasion of Manchuria, establishing the puppet state of Manchukuo and setting the stage for broader hostilities in East Asia. The international response was complex and contributed to tensions that would later engulf the world in war. Moving back in time, on September 18, 1793, the cornerstone of th

Continue Reading

GRANITE CITY – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that repairs on eastbound Interstate 270 between Illinois 3 and Riverview Drive in Missouri will require lane closures starting, weather permitting, at 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19. One lane will remain open. All lanes are expected to reopen by 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this lane closure. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on the social media platform X at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - During their regular meeting on Sept. 17, 2025, the Madison County Board voted 17–6 to have a day of remembrance in honor of Charlie Kirk. The resolution, brought forth by Dalton Gray and the Executive Committee, named Kirk as “one of the nation’s strongest defenders of freedom of speech” and “a martyr for the cause of faith, freedom and free speech.” In Madison County, Oct. 14, 2025 — Kirk’s 32nd birthday — will be recognized as a day of remembrance. Several public comments and comments from Board members addressed the resolution before the vote. As the public comment portion concluded, Chairman Chris Slusser thanked all speakers for their time. “Charlie Kirk would have wanted everyone to get a chance to speak tonight whether he agreed with them or not, so we let everyone speak,” Slusser said. During the public comment portion of the meeting, six speakers spoke against the day of remembrance

Continue Reading

ALTON - At the 19th annual Mississippi Earthtones Festival on Saturday, September 120, Sierra Club Illinois’ Three Rivers Project , Alton Main Street , and the Jacoby Arts Center will award three local activists with the 2025 Confluence Conservation Leadership Award. The festival organizers have recognized community members who have made significant contributions to environmental conservation in the Riverbend region since 2007. This year’s Confluence Conservation Leadership awardees include: Amy Cloud and the Three Rivers Community Farm, Jo Anna Pollock of Simmons Hanly Conroy Law Firm, and Elise Ratcliff with the National Great Rivers Museum in Alton, IL. “All three award recipients have made significant contributions to sustainable and regenerative agriculture, healthy rivers, and environmental justice and conservation in the Riverbend and are unsung heroes in our region,” said Christine Favilla, Coordinator of the Three Rivers Project of Sierra

Continue Reading

ALTON – OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center has received its first-ever Magnet® Recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Most importantly, this recognition comes "with distinction," making OSF Saint Anthony’s the 46th hospital in the United States to be recognized with this award. Magnet with Distinction™ recognizes hospitals based on quality patient care and nursing excellence. Fewer than eight (8) percent of hospitals in the U.S. have earned Magnet with Distinction status. Additionally, the Magnet with Distinction™ program was created as a special designation to "celebrate hospitals and health care organizations that exceed scoring thresholds required to earn Magnet designation." Receiving the “Magnet with Distinction” honor is even more impressive in the following ways: OSF Saint Anthony’s is one of only 47 hospitals internationally to have earned the "Magnet with Distinction"

Continue Reading

EAST ST. LOUIS – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that lane closures on eastbound Interstate 64 between 15th and 25th streets in St. Clair County will begin, weather permitting, at 9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, for bridge deck patching. Traffic will be reduced to one lane. All lanes are scheduled to reopen by 6 a.m. Monday, Sept. 22. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this closure. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on the social media platform X at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

Continue Reading

ALTON - September is National Recovery Month, and OSF St. Anthony’s has several options to help those who are struggling with substance use disorders. Charlotte, Staci and Shannon with OSF St. Anthony’s noted the importance of marking National Recovery Month and providing top-notch care to their patients. They offer counseling and compassionate nursing as well as withdrawal management. “It’s a month that we celebrate people who have taken those steps towards recovery, maybe know people who are in addiction, looking for that to kind of heighten awareness around what it is that we offer and how we’re here to help,” explained Charlotte. “Many of us have been touched by addiction in our experiences personally and professionally.” OSF St. Anthony’s partners with New Visions, located at the health center, to provide medically-supervised withdrawal management. Individuals who are experiencing mild to moderate withdrawal symptoms

Continue Reading

ALTON/MADISON COUNTY - The Madison County Sheriff's Office and Alton Police Department recently received a donation from MustacheMarch4PD, a volunteer-based organization that supports law enforcement and collaborates with several area police departments to foster positive community interactions. The contribution will be used to fund the addition of a third K9 unit for the sheriff’s office, officials said. "This volunteer-based organization supports law enforcement and frequently collaborates with several area Police Departments to help create positive community interactions," the sheriff's office said. "We are extremely thankful for their contribution." “We also know this wouldn’t be possible without the generous donations from the individuals, families, and businesses in our communities,” the Alton Police Department said in a statement. “We are grateful for their dedication, hard work, and commitment to making a positive impact. Partnerships lik

Continue Reading

ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Metropolitan Police lost two police officers on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, one to illness and another in a fatal car accident in East St. Louis, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has announced. District 4 Officer Malik Baker was killed in a car accident on Interstate 55 in Illinois while driving to work. The crash occurred shortly before 4:30 p.m. Tuesday on southbound I-55 in East St. Louis, according to the Illinois State Police. ISP said Baker was driving a Toyota SUV and was traveling behind a Ford van carrying a trailer when he collided with the back of the van. Baker was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver of the van was taken to a nearby hospital with injuries. Officer Baker had served the City of St. Louis for nearly four years. The police department described both officers as having served the community with honor and commitment. District 2 Sergeant James Sanders, a 31-year veteran, died after a prolonged battle with cancer. Despite

Continue Reading

OTTERVILLE – The 42nd annual Hamilton Primary School Festival is returning soon to the historical grounds of America’s first-ever integrated school. This year’s festival will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27 from 11 a.m to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025 from 12 to 5 p.m. The event will welcome visitors to the historic schoolhouse grounds at 107 E. Main St. in Otterville for a weekend of fun with games, food, live music, and more – with no cost for admission. 2025 also marks the 26th year of the festival’s famous Bake-Off and Auction on Saturday, Sept. 27. Participants are encouraged to bake their best cookies, pastries, pie, cake, or bread for a chance to win one of three cash prizes: $30 for first place, $20 for second place, and $15 for third place. Bake-Off contestants should only prepare one item per entry, unless they’re submitting cookies or pastries, in which case they should prepare a dozen of either item. All entries must be brought

Continue Reading