Riverbender 🕸

EDWARDSVILLE – Former Chief of Staff to Illinois Senate President and the Illinois Senate Caucus, Jake Butcher, has recently joined The Gori Law Firm as of counsel. Butcher brings with him several years of experience practicing in the areas of municipal law, state government solutions and regulatory law. As part of his work with the Edwardsville-based firm, he will advocate for and provide strategic insights to the clients it serves. In his previous role, Butcher managed the operations of the Senate President’s office and offered guidance to members of the Senate Democratic Caucus on bills and budget priorities. He also spent several years as an attorney in private practice, representing clients in agriculture, energy, gaming, healthcare, higher education and more. Butcher provides legal counsel on legislative proposals, litigation strategy, state and federal law effects and associated rulemaking. “We’re thrilled to welcome Jake as a member of the Gori

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GRANITE CITY - A man from Granite City has been charged with six felony counts including an "armed habitual criminal" charge and more after police caught him selling narcotics out of his residence. He was also found to be in possession of multiple firearms, including one that was stolen, and reportedly had an extensive criminal history. Anthony M. Taylor, 55, of Granite City, was charged with the following six counts: Armed Violence (Class X felony) Armed Habitual Criminal (Class X felony) Possession with intent or delivery of a controlled substance (Class X felony) Unlawful possession of weapons by a felon (Class 2 felony) Unlawful possession of weapons by a felon (Class 2 felony) Unlawful possession of a stolen firearm (Class 2 felony) A petition to deny Taylor’s pretrial release states that law enforcement officers received information Taylor was selling narcotics out of his Granite City residence when they discovered firearms and more. “Officers

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Letter To The Editor: Today County Treasurer Chris Slusser released records showing that County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler repeatedly broke a 2016 campaign pledge to refuse to accept political donations from anyone doing business with the county. Screenshots from 2016 show that Prenzler wrote the following on Facebook: “My opponent has taken well over $100,000 in campaign contributions from county vendors. I think that is wrong. As county chairman I will refuse to accept political donations from anyone doing business with the county. Ethics matter.” Then in a separate post, Prenzler wrote: “unlike my opponent, I don’t accept donations from county vendors.”But according to official records from the State Board of Elections website, Prenzler has accepted 150 donations from county vendors totaling more than $82,000 since being elected Chairman in 2016. Prenzler started accepting such donations within months of taking office. Official records show in

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JERSEYVILLE - The Imo’s Pizza location in Jerseyville is reportedly shutting down permanently after the owners cited an unstable economy in a recent announcement. The restaurant will offer its beloved community members and customers one last “dinner rush” from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024. Co-Owners Jenna and Brandon Taylor shared the unfortunate news on Facebook Thursday afternoon. “Hang in with me here guys, this is a gut-wrenching announcement,” Taylor wrote. “Today at 8 p.m. after we close our dinner shift, Jerseyville Imo’s will be permanently shut down. “This was not an easy decision. Our current economy is not stable enough for a small business to thrive and it is no longer worth the fight. I am physically and emotionally exhausted. I have fought hard for three years and can no longer fight.” She closed by apologizing to the community, adding that “the love and support over the years have not gon

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ST. LOUIS/CHICAGO - Michelle Del Bosque has organized a GoFundMe for a mother and daughter killed when they were exiting a recent Drake concert in St. Louis, Mo. Unfortunately upon exiting the Drake concert in Downtown St. Louis, their lives came to a tragic end when they were struck by a driver. "The family is currently trying to bring them home and give them the best funeral service possible with hopes to lay them to rest amongst other family members," Del Bosque said. "The family is extremely devastated by this horrific tragedy." Del Bosque continued and said: "Laticha 'Lety' Bracero and Alyssa Cordova come from a close, strong family in Chicago. Lety was a hard-working supervisor at Wintrust Bank and a dedicated mother, loving sister, niece/cousin. Her only child, Alyssa, was going to college and working part-time for Starbucks. Alyssa loved music concerts and although was old enough to travel to concerts on her own, her mom would always escort her. The two were inseparable

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EDWARDSVILLE – State Senator Erica Harriss (56 th -Glen Carbon) spent Valentines Day hand-delivering homemade cards as a part of her first annual Valentines for Seniors Card Drive. “It’s truly humbling to see so many church groups, local organizations, and schools, create homemade cards for us to deliver to area seniors across the 56 th District,” said Senator Harriss. “On a day focused on love, it was great to see so many smiles on the faces of residents as we personally delivered valentines cards to each facility.” Senator Harriss’ Valentines for Seniors Card Drive was created to allow members of the community a chance to donate their time and creativity in making cards to be delivered to nursing homes, assisted-living facilities and other long-term care facilities across the 56 th Senate District. This year Senator Harriss’ office collected more than 2,000 cards and delivered them to 36 facilities across the district during the

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WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12) announced today that Perry County will receive a $818,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Development program to construct a storage facility for a fleet of dump trucks, a wash bay, and salt equipment. “In rural communities, grants like these go a long way,” said Bost. “This investment in Perry County will help maintain equipment that is especially important to for local residents and commuters during these winter months.

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Letter To The Editor: Discrimination is a reality in Alton. New recruits have joined the Alton Police Department and not one of them are black. How can that be? We elected Alton's first black mayor, who was also a police officer. The police chief apparently doesn't see the need for more black officers and now there are only two on the force in Alton. This illustrates how pervasive and embedded discrimination in Alton still is. Where is the Alton NAACP President, black pastors and leaders? I never really agreed with James Gray, the former NAACP President, but he would have been a one-man person against this. Underlying conditions that foster racism in the black community have existed for years. When we elected the first black mayor we wanted change, but we are still facing the same problems. This happened because of our so-called "leaders" are too worried about being appointed to ceremonial positions. I am beyond disgusted and appalled about the lack of hiring of any new black polic

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ALTON - Alton’s NCG Cinemas movie theater will have a special showing of “Rustin” from Feb. 16–23, 2024. The movie serves as a “prequel” for the Robert J. Ellison “Unfiltered Lens” photography exhibit at Jacoby Arts Center. Ralph “Bo” Jackson, Ellison’s cousin, explained that the movie will help “set the stage” for the photos shown in the exhibit. “Rustin” tells the story of Bayard Rustin, an advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr. who played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement and the 1963 March on Washington where King delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech. Ellison’s photos start with the March on Washington and continue through the Civil Rights Movement into the Vietnam War. “It’s just like a time machine going back to 1963,” Jackson said. “You’ll see about the injustices that are going on, the segregated bathrooms and water fountains,

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ALTON - Over 150 photos by Robert J. Ellison, a famous photographer during the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War, will be on display at Jacoby Arts Center. The Hayner Public Library District has partnered with Lewis and Clark Community College and Jacoby Arts Center to sponsor the exhibit, which will open at 11 a.m. on Feb. 17, 2024, and run through March 27. The exhibit will include several famous and “eye-opening” photographs from the 1960s. Those who have curated the exhibit agree that it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War up close. “It was hell on Earth, and Rob was out there taking photos of it,” said Bo Jackson, Ellison’s cousin who has been working on the display for decades. “It’s just very graphic photos that you don’t see in the old Hollywood movies-type stuff. People get killed. It’s eye-opening…That’s why ‘unfiltered’ is such a key word

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Letter to the Editor: Parents of young people in Edwardsville District 7 should be aware of plans to remove two traditional “single sex” bathrooms at Edwardsville High School – to be replaced with one “all gender” bathroom – to be used by both boys and girls – with 22 toilets, but no urinals. On Monday, as an Edwardsville taxpayer, I attended a school board “work session” at Liberty Middle School. An architect showed plans to the board and superintendent, with citizens able to listen and watch the discussion. The legislation that allows “multiple-occupancy, all-gender” bathrooms for schools was introduced by Rep. Katie Stuart (D – Edwardsville) and this legislation was signed into law by Gov. Pritzker in August 2023. Rep. Stuart is a math teacher by profession, and her husband, Dr. Steve Stuart, is the principal at Edwardsville High School. The presentation mentioned Loudoun County, Va. and St. Paul, Minn.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-IN) urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take swift action to update its enforcement tools to reflect the current social media platforms and tactics used to promote prescription drugs, and to prioritize the protection of children from harmful and inaccurate medical advice. With the dramatic rise in social media use—especially among youth—there has been an alarming proliferation of dangerous and misleading content promoting prescription drugs. The bipartisan pairing of Senators request answers from FDA on their actions to crack down on these targeted ads by March 27, 2024. The Senators wrote, “Studies show that patients are more likely to ask their provider for a particular medication and to receive a prescription if the patient has seen a direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisement for the drug. This can inflate demand for medications that may not be clinically

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ALTON - According to organizers, the inaugural Riverbend Wellness Festival is “for the Riverbend and by the Riverbend.” Scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 2, 2024, the festival will include over 30 vendors, 10 keynote speakers and several workshops that promote mental, physical and spiritual wellness. The festival, located at Milton Schoolhouse in Alton, encourages attendees to connect with local resources and learn about ways to take a holistic approach to wellness. “We really wanted people to be able to come and find their people, find their community,” Beth Ahlin said. “We tried to be as well-rounded as possible with the speakers and the vendors so people could shop and do some self-care that day as well as meet people that could help them on their wellness journey. And we wanted to appeal to everybody. Families, individuals, couples, it doesn’t matter. Everybody’s welcome.” Ahlin, who owns CE Ahlin Counseling

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GODFREY - Test your knowledge of history, pop culture, nature and more all while helping The Nature Institute (TNI) in their mission of education, restoration and preservation. This Trivia Night fundraiser at Godfrey KC Hall., located at 1713 Stamper Lane in Godfrey, Ill, will be held on Saturday, March 9. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and questions begin at 6:00 p.m. Tables that register and pay ahead of time cost $120 per table ($15 per person) tables that pay at the door cost $130 per table ($16.25 per person). “We are excited to host this trivia night fundraiser again this year. Working as teams to answer fun questions is a great way to spend time with family and friends all while supporting our community.” says Ramona Pollard, Director of Outreach at The Nature Institute. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top two winning teams. Guests can also win silent auction gifts. Teams are required to reserve a table up to the day of the event. Tables can be reserved at TheNatureInstitute.org

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WASHINGTON, D.C. –Today, Congresswomen Robin L. Kelly (D-IL), Yvette D. Clarke (D-NY), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), Co-Chairs of the Caucus on Black Women and Girls, and Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) introduced the bipartisan Protect Black Women and Girls Act. This bill would establish an Interagency Task Force to examine the conditions and experiences of Black women and girls in education, economic development, healthcare, labor and employment, housing, justice, and civil rights, to promote community-based methods for mitigating and addressing harm and ensuring accountability and to study societal effects on Black women and girls. The Protect Black Women and Girls Act was introduced by Rep. Kelly, Clarke, Watson Coleman, and Fitzpatrick in 2021 . “Simply acknowledging our country’s history of targeted discrimination, harassment and violence against Black women and girls will not correct years of systemic racism and sexism. We must leverage the full weight

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) announced two new cosponsors to their Credit Card Competition Act : U.S. Senators Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Jack Reed (D-RI). The bipartisan pair joins U.S. Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and J.D. Vance (R-OH ) in support of the Durbin-Marshall legislation that would enhance competition and choice in the credit card network market, which is currently dominated by the Visa-Mastercard duopoly. The bill has support from a wide range of small businesses and consumer groups, as well as key unions including the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). “The momentum for common sense credit card market reforms continues to grow, and I’m glad Senators Hawley and Reed are joining in their support of our bipartisan legislation. Visa and Mastercard are pushing back hard against our efforts to

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation is hosting the 33rd "Today's Challenge, Tomorrow's Reward" conference on Feb. 21 and 22 at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield. Hosted by IDOT’s Office of Business and Workforce Diversity, the conference provides female- and minority-owned businesses with opportunities to make connections and develop skills to grow and succeed. “‘Today’s Challenge, Tomorrow’s Reward’ can open doors that lead to new, exciting paths to grow your business and positively impact your community while helping IDOT make projects more diverse and inclusive,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Omer Osman. “Under Gov. Pritzker and the historic Rebuild Illinois capital program, Illinois is seeing record levels of investment in transportation. Please join us in shaping and modernizing infrastructure for future generations.” “Today’s Challenge, Tomorrow’s Reward” offers workshops

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), a member of both the U.S. Senate Armed Services and Foreign Relations Committees, and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff (D-GA) and 24 of their Senate colleagues in expressing urgent support for the Administration’s ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure the release of Israeli hostages in tandem with the restoration of a mutual ceasefire agreement in Gaza. “Since the October 7th Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, in which Hamas abducted more than 200 civilians — including babies, young children, and the elderly — the United States has played a vital leading role in efforts to secure the release of Americans and Israelis held in Gaza,” the Senators wrote. “On November 24th, an agreement brokered with your leadership by the United States, Qatar, and Egypt secured the release of 105 hostages — all women and children

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SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today applauded the Biden Administration’s decision to authorize Deferred Enforced Departure (DED) for Palestinians present in the United States. This authorization offers temporary relief from removal for eighteen months from today for eligible foreign nationals already in the United States who are unable to return safely to their home country. There is no application required for DED, but Palestinians may apply for work authorization if desired. In November, Durbin, along with U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09), led 103 of their colleagues in a letter to President Biden calling on his Administration to designate the Palestinian territories for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and/or authorize DED for Palestinians present in the United States. “Today’s welcome announcement by the Biden Administration reaffirms American

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It's a good idea to keep an eye on your heart's health. Everyone. All the time. But Ash Al-Dadah, MD , an interventional cardiologist at OSF HealthCare, estimates that more than half of the patients with advanced heart disease who come through his door also have diabetes, which puts them at greater risk for heart disease and related issues. His bottom-line advice: listen to your body. Risks, symptoms Dr. Al-Dadah says people with diabetes are at a higher risk for blocked arteries, which can lead to heart attack and stroke. Blood circulation can even be impaired down into your legs. This can impair wound healing, leading to ulcers. It can also cause pain while walking. Dr. Al-Dadah says a hallmark symptom in people with diabetes is shortness of breath when doing any activity that requires effort. Chest pain is also seen. “There’s a decline in the functional capacity,” Dr. Al-Dadah explains. “You’re doing less than what you did a few months ag

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