Riverbender 🕸

EDWARDSVILLE – The Metro East Auto Theft Task Force filed 10 cases involving stolen vehicles last week, with suspects from around the Riverbend region and beyond. The following individuals were charged on June 16, 2025 in separate cases with Class 2 felony counts of offenses related to motor vehicles: Eugene A. Covington, 54, of Alton Anita S. Grizzle, 49, listed as homeless out of Alton Scott A. Kaufmann, 36, of Bethalto Adaam S. Agney, 36, of Cottage Hills Michael A. Proffer, 26, of Cottage Hills Jason T. Slaton, 46, of Granite City Everette L. Hines, 69, of Granite City Chad W. Vaughn, 40, of Marine, Ill. Brian H. Huff, 50, of Livingston, Ill. Travis R. Elliott, 34, of Greenwood Village, Colo. Covington, Agney, Proffer, and Hines were each accused of knowingly possessing the same stolen 2007 Dodge Dakota bearing an Illinois vehicle registration number on May 9, 2025. Grizzle was found in possession of a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse on May 4, 2025

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County Treasurer Mike Babcock wants property owners to know tax bills were mailed on June 16, and the first installment due date is July 23. The remaining due dates are September 23, October 8, and December 8. Babcock said although the Treasurer’s Office serves as the county’s tax collector, it’s important to remember that the office doesn’t determine the amount that is billed. “Property tax bills are determined by four factors — the assessment, the equalization factor or ‘multiplier,’ the tax rate, and any exemptions,” Babcock said. Each year, taxpayers receive a bill that outlines where their tax dollars are distributed, payment options and important due dates. Babcock said his office mailed tax bills on more than 132,000 parcels. Over the past four years, the real estate market has experienced rising property values, which can increase assessed values and, in turn, the amount taxing districts

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ALTON - On a recent episode of “You’re Beautiful” with Brian Trust , two coaches with the Wolves Soccer Club spoke about the club’s mission and their trust in God. Travis Steward and Adam Sheppard coach the Wolves Soccer Club . The club started in January 2025 and has “just kept going and going and going,” Sheppard said. The team of 10- and 11-year-old boys has become a close-knit family. “It’s amazing, these boys,” Steward said. “I think of them as my sons.” While the club is based out of Bethalto, they have players from across the Riverbend region. They offer both an indoor and outdoor season throughout the year. The coaches noted that their team works hard to succeed, but they also have a lot of fun. The kids enjoy playing soccer with each other, which is what the sport is all about. Steward and Sheppard encourage the boys to push during each game and practice, but they like seeing them enjoy it,

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CARLINVILLE - Macoupin County protesters experienced a “bizarre intimidation tactic,” organizers said. On Tuesday, June 24, 2025, protesters with Macoupin County IL 50501 & Indivisible, who primarily protest against Donald Trump’s policies, arrived at their usual spot at the Macoupin County Courthouse in Carlinville to find trailers full of manure. But rather than stopping the protest, Kelley Hatee, who organizes the protests, said the manure has fertilized their movement. “We’ve actually grown the movement overnight because of this, so total backfire on their part,” Hatee said. “Instead of showing up to mention issues or mention policies or try to persuade us to Trump’s agenda or to have signs or songs or speeches or anything that would make sense, the one thing that they chose, pardon my French, was bull****. That was what they chose to represent the Trump agenda, to represent their side of this equation. The symbolism of that,

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced legislation to ban the sale and manufacturing of products made from kangaroo skin, also known as “k-leather.” After years of the two lawmakers leading the charge on this issue, this week Mizuno and UMBRO joined cleat manufacturing giants—including Nike, Adidas, Puma and ASICS—in pledging to halt production of k-leather in their soccer cleats and other products. To help build on this momentum, reverse this inhumane trend and safeguard the kangaroo species from commercial exploitation, Senators Duckworth and Booker are introducing the Kangaroo Protection Act, which would help protect millions of wild kangaroos and their innocent babies who are needlessly killed every year for the use of their leather in commercial products. Additionally, this legislation would empower the Secretary of Commerce, in consultation with other agencies, to issue civil and criminal

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GLEN CARBON – Glen Carbon trustees on Tuesday approved an agreement to install new security cameras in currently uncovered areas throughout the village. The $42,500 agreement between the city and Flock Safety Inc. will see the installation of two license plate reader (LPR) cameras, one fixed-position solar video camera, and four pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) security cameras. At Tuesday’s meeting, Public Safety Administrative Supervisor Coleen Schaller said that of the seven total new cameras, the two LPRs are being included for free. She then described some of the areas these new cameras will cover. “The first areas that we’re focusing on are the walk-on path, footpath access to the bike trails in the subdivisions that previously uncovered by cameras,” Schaller said. “We’re trying to cover all those access points.” She estimated that two cameras will be installed in the Huntington subdivision, along with two cameras in Iron Mountain Lake an

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EAST ALTON/WOOD RIVER - Emmanuel Kitchener, a 22-year-old area resident and former Special Olympics athlete, will celebrate his birthday with a party at 2 p.m. on July 26, 2025, at 215 Lincoln Avenue in East Alton. The event, themed around Power Rangers, aims to bring together friends and community members to support Emmanuel, who has faced some challenges since graduating from East Alton-Wood River High School three years ago. Emmanuel’s mother, Natasha Parker, said her son has struggled with loneliness after no longer participating in school activities and Special Olympics for the past year due to family health issues. “Because of disability, he doesn’t have a lot of friends, and also because he is not in school anymore and hasn't done Special Olympics,” Parker said. Emmanuel, who previously competed in basketball and bowling in Special Olympics, expressed excitement about the upcoming celebration. His mother said they are looking for future avenues for

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WEST ALTON – The US Army Corps of Engineers, Rivers Project Office, will temporarily close overnight access to Riverlands Way, Maple Island, Ellis Island, and Lincoln Shields Recreation Area in West Alton for the Fourth of July Weekend. Riverlands Way will be closed each of the following timeframes: July 3rd from 10:00pm through July 4th at 7:00am July 4th from 7:00pm through July 5th at 7:00am July 5th from 7:00pm through July 6th at 7:00am Maple Island Access and Boat Ramp will be closed each of the following timeframes: July 3rd from 6:00pm through July 4th at 7:00am July 4th from 6:00pm through July 5th at 7:00am July 5th from 6:00pm through July 6th at 7:00am Lincoln Shields Recreation Area and Ellis Island Trailhead Parking Lot will be closed each of the following timeframes: July 3rd from 6:00am through July 4th at 7:00am July 4th from 7:00pm through July 5th at 7:00am July 5th from 7:00pm through July 6th at 7:00am All areas will again remain

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ALTON — Auto Butler, a car wash located at 1706 Homer Adams Parkway in Alton, is closed the rest of Wednesday, June 25, 2025, due to a water morning main break in front of the business, but Illinois American Water expects the issue to be resolved Wednesday afternoon so the business can open at 8 a.m. on Thursday morning, June 26, 2025. The water leak, which occurred on the road where customers enter the business, has caused the water supply to Auto Butler to be shut off while crews dig up the road to make repairs. The Auto Butler manager said Illinois American Water estimated it will take four to six hours to fix the leak, repair the road, and then water service to Auto Butler will be restored. “They have shut the water off while they fix it and they have to dig up the road,” the manager said. “Basically we are shut down for the day from washing cars, but we will be back open tomorrow morning at 8 a.m.” The manager added that the company’s “best-case

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ALTON – Centerstone, in partnership with Birth to Five Illinois: Region 41, invites the public to a free Community Health and Resource Fair on Saturday, July 19, 2025, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the YWCA of Southwestern Illinois, located at 304 E 3rd Street, Alton, IL. The Healthy Communities: Community Health and Resource Fair will bring together local organizations to provide on-site access to resources in health care, education, employment, housing, finance, and legal services. Open to all ages, this event aims to connect our communities with valuable tools for personal and family wellness. Attendees will have the opportunity to: Access free medical and legal advocacy and counseling Receive assistance with SNAP and Medicaid applications Participate in health and wellness screenings Get tips on nutrition, fraud prevention, and credit building Apply for a library card Meet with local service providers Enjoy family-friendly activities “The goal

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WOOD RIVER - A local family is asking for help following a stage 3A colon cancer diagnosis. Carl and Kelly Streubel have been a part of the Riverbend community since they first met at Fast Eddie’s. They love music trivia and regularly attend fundraisers for families in the region. Now, they’re asking the community to rally behind them as Carl battles cancer and they plan a music trivia fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at the Wood River VFW. “We’re always trying to help out where we can, and now — well, we hate to do it, but it’s our turn to ask for help,” Kelly said. “We’re kind of struggling right now, and this would just be a big weight off of our shoulders if we could get a little bit of help here.” The music trivia night is “a little different than folks are probably used to,” she added. Carl, who is “a big musical encyclopedia,” has been coming up with the questions himself. They pla

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FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS - Ameren Illinois crews restored power to approximately 3,700 customers in and around Fairview Heights on Tuesday afternoon, June 24, 2025, working under extreme heat conditions, Brian Bretsch, a spokesperson for the utility company, said on Wednesday, June 25, 2025. "The crews focused on maintaining safety and efficiency while addressing the outage," he said. “They kept an eye on each other to make sure no one got overheated and did a great job." Bretsch and Ameren Illinois also urged residents to check on neighbors and individuals who are homebound during the continuing heatwave. Bretsch also recommended taking vulnerable individuals on a car ride in a cooled vehicle to a local restaurant for relief from the heat during the Tuesday outage. The Ameren Illinois spokesperson emphasized the importance of community support as the region faces several more days of extreme temperatures.

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GRANITE CITY – The Granite City Sports Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2025, which will be inducted in a ceremony on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 at the Granite City High School Performing Arts Center (PAC). The reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by induction ceremonies at 7 p.m. The Class of 2025 features 12 former student-athletes, two special recognition honorees, and three teams: Individuals - Kevin Atkins – 2000 – XC, Track - Tasha (Dittamore) Dailey – 2006 – Basketball, Soccer - Tessa (Gavilsky) Florio – 2007 – Tennis, Basketball, Soccer - Laura Gabriel – 1980 – Tennis - Erika (Todd) Hackmann – 2000 - Tennis, Basketball, Soccer - Jason Maxfield – 1993 – Soccer, Baseball - Stephen McArther – 1986 – Martial Arts - Dean Perkins – 1981 – Wrestling - Larry Schleicher – 1976 – Football, Basketball, Track, Baseball - Tony Segobiano – 1983 &ndash

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AMES, Iowa - More than 11,300 Iowa State University students have been recognized for outstanding academic achievement by being named to the 2025 spring semester Dean's List, including the following Riverbend area students: Edwardsville Mitchell Henry Steinkuehler, Mechanical Engineering, B.S. Taryn Leigh Trauernicht, Industrial Engineering, B.S. Hamel William Reese Kirk, Mechanical Engineering, B.S. Jerseyville Kendal Marie Lacy, Industrial Design Undergraduate Pre-Major Students named to the Dean's List must earn a grade point average of at least 3.50 on a 4.00 scale while carrying a minimum of 12 credit hours of graded course work.

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ALTON - The Alton Municipal Band continues its 135th consecutive season of concerts in the parks with “Blast Off,” featuring the music of faraway planets and distant stars. Selections pay tribute to the Apollo program, and paint pictures of distant galaxies and bright stars. Directed this week by Bradley Eston, the band will also feature selections from the Star Wars franchise. The Jewel Ice Cream Company will be present for the Sunday program, offering out-of-this-world delicious treats for purchase. Alton Municipal Band concerts are free to all in the community. The Thursday evening concert, located at Riverview Park, begins at 7:30 PM. The Sunday concert, at picturesque Haskell Park, begins at 7:00 PM. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs and enjoy the long summer evening. For more information about the Alton Municipal Band, search for “Alton Municipal Band” on Facebook, or visit the City of Alton website at www.cityofaltonil.gov.

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 21 attorneys general, today filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its unlawful attempts to invoke a single provision buried in federal regulations to strip away billions of dollars in critical federal funding for states and other grantees. The lawsuit Raoul and the coalition filed seeks to limit the Trump administration’s use of this regulation to illegally terminate critical funding used for multiple initiatives such as combating violent crime, educating students, protecting clean drinking water, and conducting lifesaving medical and scientific research that safeguards public health and addresses food insecurity. “The Trump Administration continues to indiscriminately terminate federal funding authorized by Congress to be awarded to states to use for grants that support a wide range of often life-saving programs,” Raoul said. “I will continue to stand beside my colleagues

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the third anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade , U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Patty Murray (D-WA) in introducing the Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025 , legislation to guarantee access to abortion everywhere across the country and restore the right to comprehensive reproductive health care for millions of Americans. The bill’s introduction comes as the Trump Administration further attacks a woman’s right to choose and Congressional Republicans barrel ahead with a bill that defunds Planned Parenthood. Put together, Trump and Congressional Republicans’ assault on Americans’ reproductive rights is a backdoor national abortion ban, ripping away millions of women’s access to abortion care and right to control their bodies. “In the three years since the Supreme

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CHICAGO – On the three-year anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a coalition of 22 attorneys general, sent a letter to the American Hospital Association reaffirming hospitals’ legal requirement under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) to provide emergency health care, including abortion, to patients. The letter responds to the Trump administration’s recent decision to revoke prior guidance that underscored the obligation of covered hospitals to provide emergency abortion care under EMTALA. “No pregnant patient experiencing an emergency health condition should be denied care or be forced to travel long distances for life-saving treatment,” Raoul said. “EMTALA and Illinois law require hospitals to provide treatment, including emergency abortion care, to any person who comes to an emergency room in crisis. Refusal to provide emergency abortion care has caused

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STEELVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that the planned closure of Illinois 4 north of the Illinois 150 intersection in Randolph County has been postponed. The closure, originally scheduled to begin June 3 for intersection reconstruction, will not start until sometime after the July 4 holiday due to delays caused by wet spring weather. There is no change to the current traffic pattern at this time. IDOT is completing advance work to maintain two lanes of traffic on Illinois 150 during the closure of Illinois 4. An update with the revised schedule will be issued when available. 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

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today participated in a spotlight forum entitled “Scamming Our Schools: Robbing Our Students’ Futures to Line Their Pockets.” During the forum, which was hosted by U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Durbin focused on how the Republican budget reconciliation bill would create a national school voucher program that would further drain resources and funding from public schools. Durbin began by reflecting on the school voucher program created for Washington, D.C., called the “Opportunity Scholarship Program,” which was suggested by former U.S. Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH). “I asked some basic questions when this opportunity program was created. Basic questions like, who’s going to decide the quality of the teachers in these schools’ situations? What kind of curriculum will be offered? What kind of measurement of success or failure will there be? Will the student be better off a

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