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ALTON - Riverbend region residents can be healthier by getting their steps in with the OSF Mall Walker Program. Join in with OSF Physical Therapy to walk each month at 8:00 am at the upper level of the Alton Square Mall on the following dates: April 11 May 9 June 14 Those who join in can earn rewards for their participation. Registration forms and walking logs are available at the OSF Rehabilitation Services office at the Alton Square Mall. If any potential participants attend as part of starting a new exercise program, he/she should obtain clearance from his/her healthcare provider. Interested individuals should direct questions or requests for additional information to OSF Saint Anthony’s Rehabilitation Services via email at frances.a.young@osfhealthcare.org or calling (618) 463-5346. About OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center A 49-bed Rural Health designated acute care hospital in Alton, Illinois, OSF Saint Anthony’s serves the residents

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ALTON - Alton Little Theater is ending the 89th Season at the Showplace with an exclamation of comedy. The Theater group has waited six years to produce the French Farce, DING DONG aka "My Just Desserts" and now the show will be presented in all its glamour & calamity for eight performances from May 5th through the 14th -- and yes, there will be special tributes to "moms" on the Final Sunday Matinee on May 14th! The play was translated for American stages by Marc Camoletti and Tudor Gates and premiered at the Community Theater in Naples, Florida where it was held for over three months in 2017. The production values, costs, and change of publishing houses during 2020-21, prevented ALT from going forward with production -- until now! ALT's Executive Director, Lee Cox will direct the production which features two other Season Directors, two regional, very-popular actors, and two brand new talents who had "acting at ALT" on their bucket list! Kevin Frakes, Gail Drillinger, Josh Sarver

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ST. LOUIS - The following students have been named to the dean's list for the fall 2022 semester at Washington University in St. Louis. Edwardsville, IL Dev Mathur Dhruv Mathur Both are enrolled in the university's McKelvey School of Engineering. To qualify for the Dean's List in the McKelvey School of Engineering, students must earn a semester grade point average of 3.6 or above and be enrolled in at least 12 graded units.

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ST. CLAIR COUNTY – Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) were joined Thursday, April 6, by local officials and community leaders to celebrate a $5.4 million investment in several airfield improvements at the St. Louis Downtown Airport that improve safety, reliability, and efficiency while boosting airport business and global competitiveness. The improvements are made possible by the Governor’s historic, bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital program that’s fueling record levels of investment in the state’s airports and projects throughout the Metro East. “I’m proud to announce that construction is well underway on a brand-new engine run-up ramp equipped with taxiway access, including a noise mitigation barrier and compass calibration pad,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “These facilities will not only improve cost effectiveness, but they will also enhance St. Louis Downtown Airport’s capacity to serve

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TROY – The Triad Knights’ baseball team defeated the Granite City Warriors 6-1 Saturday afternoon and were helped along the way by a two-run homer to left field from senior McGrady Noyes. “I mean I’ve kind of been struggling a little bit recently, but I got in the box with a guy that I’ve seen the ball well in my first at-bat,” he said. “Coach gave me the hit-and-run sign; just kind of cleared my mind. I knew I was swinging no matter what and it helped me. Wasn’t really thinking about anything, just saw the ball well and put a good swing on it.” For the big hit, McGrady is an Axes Physical Therapy Athlete of the Month for Triad. The hit came in the game’s third inning and made it a 4-0 ball game over the Warriors. The win followed up a 6-5 loss the night before at Wesclin. “It was good to get out here early this morning and get a bounce-back win,” McGrady said. McGrady’s batting a .281 average with a .36

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EDWARDSVILLE - Serdar Celik, PhD, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, published a new book entitled Sustainable Energy: Engineering Fundamentals and Applications. "This textbookpresents an engineering approach enriched with applications, economic analyses, and projections of global energy needs and new technologies,” said Celik. “The book is an outcome of several years of teaching energy and thermal/fluid science courses and conducting research in these fields." Celik’s delivery style of the content in the textbook is expected to enhance student learning, specifically for the younger generation’s minds. “The book was designed to follow a different approach for the learners,” Celik added. “This approach was influenced by Fink’s taxonomy of significant learning , which unlike the other taxonomies is not hierarchical, but instead interactive .” The

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JERSEYVILLE - The City of Jerseyville has had quite a resurgence that past couple of years, and more plans are in the works. The City embarked on a capital improvement planning process in 2020, taking a comprehensive and systematic approach to long-term City-wide upgrades covering downtown re-development, parks and recreation, infrastructure, and building improvements, just to name a few. At the same time, the City began applying for state/federal grant funding to help their local dollars go further, and those efforts have been successful. Several large capital projects have been accomplished – new parking lots and event space for the downtown businesses and residents in multiple locations along with sidewalk/ADA ramp upgrades, pedestrian lighting, security cameras, and EV charging stations; rehab work at Donor Pool and the City Park pavilions and ball fields; the addition of the City’s first outdoor pickleball courts and fitness court at Lion’s Club Park, along with

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Letter to the Editor: Flood Wall? At a recent meeting of the Alton Riverfront Committee (March 20, 2023), a committee member suggested that the group divide into four smaller groups to discuss issues, including the flood wall. The woman sitting next to me said, “I thought that the flood wall had been voted down.” In spite of the lack of public input, and the question of whether this wall is the best solution for Alton’s flooding problems, the wall is happening. Engineers are developing a plan for a permanent, five-foot-tall concrete flood wall along Sugar Alley, just feet from Broadway/ Highway 67 between Piasa and William streets. It is my understanding that the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) completed a study of Alton flooding and suggested a number of alternatives for flood mitigation with a flood wall as the most expensive option. Why was the wall option selected and Broadway deemed the best place to put a wall? Will the planned structure accommodate

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ALTON - Alton Police investigated a call at 7:43 a.m. on Thursday, April 6, 2023, after a report of a domestic disturbance in the 300 block of Tara Ave., Alton, Illinois. Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford said officers arrived and determined that a verbal argument had escalated into a physical altercation between a male and female at the residence. "During the altercation, the male subject was injured," Chief Ford said. "He was transported to a local hospital for treatment and later released with non-life-threatening injuries. The investigation is still ongoing at this time."

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EDWARDSVILLE - The City’s Historic Preservation Commission will host a rededication of the Edwardsville Clock Tower - 25 years after it was built to help an iconic piece of City history stand the test of time. The Clock Tower Rededication also will celebrate a more momentous milestone: the 100th anniversary since the historic Edwardsville National Bank Clock, which hangs at the tower, was first erected in the City. The event will take place at noon on Saturday, May 13, at the site of the Clock Tower, in front of the public parking lot in the 200 block of North Main Street. A time capsule that was embedded in the tower when it was built in 1998 will be opened and the contents revealed during the event, which coincides with National Preservation Month. For Joe Hutton, a Historic Preservation Commission member now and 25 years ago when the Clock Tower was conceived and created, it’s important to be able to save and share elements of a City’s bygone years. “That

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering (SOE) hosted the 2023 American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Illinois-Indiana Section Conference on Saturday, April 1. Students and faculty from over 20 universities convened in SIUE’s Engineering Building for six paper sessions, a poster session and two workshops. “The conference drew a fascinating glimpse into the future of engineering education,” noted conference chair Chris Gordon, PhD, associate dean and professor in the SOE. “I am grateful for the efforts of our engineering education community and in particular our conference technical committee to bring focus to the innovative initiatives in our region at the forefront of engineering education.” Conference technical committee members from the SOE guided the development of the conference program and led paper and poster sessions on topics of diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM education and outreach,

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ALTON - The 2023 Relay For Life Survivor Dinner saw 62 cancer survivors attend on Tuesday night at the Vera Lee Meeting and Event Venue in Alton. Event Lead Volunteer Sherri Carroll said the turnout at this year’s event was double the attendance from last year. “Last year, we had about 30 survivors at our dinner, and this year we’ve doubled it,” Carroll said. Each survivor wore a purple ribbon and was able to bring one guest with them to the dinner. One of those survivors, Jackie Ridgley, was also the guest speaker for the evening. “She spoke about her breast cancer treatments, and her thing was ‘Goodbye Felicia’ when her cancer was gone,” Carroll said of Ridgley’s speech. Carroll said the overall goal of the event was “to celebrate the win of each cancer survivor.” “I just said, ‘Congratulations to all of you. Each new day is a day of surviving.’ Everybody was in good spirits last night,”

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EDWARDSVILLE - When Southern Illinois University Edwardsville alumnus Luke D. Lack enrolled into the business administration program in the School of Business, he had no idea how far his career would take him. Starting off as a police officer for the Illinois Secretary of State Police following his undergraduate education, Lack now serves as a special agent at Secret Service Headquarters in the Global Investigative Operations Center (GIOC) after earning a master’s in public administration from the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) in the spring of 2017. “I never thought as a young business student that I would land in a career in law enforcement, let alone at one of the most prestigious federal law enforcement agencies, but I have enjoyed the path that landed me here,” said Lack. Luke was able to utilize his previously mastered analytical skills from the business world and apply them to the public sector, where he plays a critical role as part of the GIOC in

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ALTON - The YWCA Southwestern Illinois Board of Directors recently announced the addition of its three newest Board Members for Alton: Desira Caffey, Dr. Dorothy Mosby, and Kidada Miller. All three women have connections to Alton, and YWCA of Alton Executive Director Dorothy Hummel said they bring a diverse set of professional backgrounds to the board. “These women bring a wealth of professional experience and knowledge to the YWCA Board of Directors,” YWCA of Alton Executive Director Dorothy Hummel said. “Being long-term area residents and active community volunteers for many years, these women know our community well and truly are poised to assist YWCA in furthering our goals of eliminating racism and empowering women.” Desira Caffey is a graduate of Alton High School and has been an advocate for the disabled for over 25 years. She received her bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University, her master’s degree from Fontbonne University,

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GODFREY – Lewis and Clark Community College sophomore Madeline Bouillon took top prize in this year’s “You Have A Voice!” humanities speech competition, held March 28, in the Hatheway Cultural Center’s Ann Whitney Olin Theatre. She is also a former Madison County Fair queen. The contest, which is held annually by Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society and hosted by PTK Sponsor and Speech Professor Elizabeth Grant, provides students the means through which they can share their thoughts and experiences on what it means to be human. “We pause to celebrate the power of the human voice to prevail over life’s circumstances,” Grant said. “When we listen to the news, we can get down. That’s a great reason to lean on one another through the staring of our stories. This year was one of our best and I wish we had prizes for all. We do this every March, so be watching for your next opportunity to join in.” This year’s

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PINCKNEYVILLE – Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) announce the arrests of 21-year-old Logan Hutchings and 21-year-old Sophia Kelly, both of Pinckneyville, for First Degree Murder (Class M Felony). On June 12, 2022, ISP DCI was requested by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the Pinckneyville Police Department to investigate serious injuries sustained to a 3-month-old male infant. The infant had been admitted to a hospital in St. Louis, Missouri and was discovered to have a skull fracture, along with multiple rib fractures. Prior to the arrival at the hospital, the infant had been in the care of Hutchings and Kelly, the infant’s parents, in Pinckneyville. On June 14, 2022, the infant was pronounced deceased at the hospital as a result of these injuries. On April 4, 2023, the States Attorney's Appellate Prosecutors office charged both parents with three counts each of First-Degree Murder. Both Hutchings

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - The St. Louis County Police Department has sent out a request seeking assistance in identifying the suspect seen in this video . St. Louis County Police said the video shows the suspect with brown hair. He shaved his head after he was recorded in this video. The suspect is wanted in connection to the incidents below. St. Louis County Police provided this information about the crime: "At 8:41 PM, on April 1, 2023, St. Louis County police officers from the City of Fenton Precinct responded to a call for service for a robbery at the Phillips 66, located in the 900 block of S. Highway Drive. Responding officers located the store clerk, a 35-year-old woman, suffering from a head injury. Preliminary investigation has revealed that a white male struck the employee in the head and stole lottery tickets from the convenience store. The victim was transported to an area hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. At 7:45 PM, on April 5, 2023, St. Louis County

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JERSEYVILLE - Jersey baseball hurler junior Easton Heafner had a day this week he will never forget when he pitched a no-hitter and was one play away from a perfect game. He faced a minimum amount of batters - 35 pitches - and his team won 12-0 over Hillsboro in a shortened five-inning game. Heafner said it was the first no-hitter of his career and described it as "a really cool experience." "All my teammates and coaches were cheering me on, the defense behind me," he said. "No-hitter that was my first time was a big part of it. Just going out there and having the confidence we could win the game was the key. I couldn't ask for more support from the coaches and the team." Jersey baseball has been on a hot streak lately with five straight wins. The Panthers baseball team is now 6-5 overall on the season. Heafner is a Jersey Community High School Male Athlete of the Month. Heafner said he definitely found a groove in the Hillsboro game Tuesday after a few innings. "I like to keep

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ALTON - Brown Bag Bistro recently celebrated five years of being in business. The restaurant, which specializes in sandwiches, soups, salads and more, has become an Alton community staple over the years. To celebrate this milestone, they’re offering discounts on gift cards and encourage readers to “stock up” as there’s no limit - $50 gift cards are available for $40 or $25 gift cards are available for $20. Chris and Erin Velloff, co-owners of the Brown Bag Bistro, recently appeared on an episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com to discuss the restaurant’s success so far and how they got to this point. “I’ve always loved to cook and I thought, ‘You know what? When and if this building next door becomes available, let’s start a restaurant,’” Chris said. “So that’s what we did, with absolutely no experience except Erin working at Loading Dock - other than that, I had never stepped foot in a

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - On Wednesday, April 5, 2023, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued charges on suspects Daryl Powell Jr., 31 years of age, of the 1000 block of Oran Drive in St. Louis, Missouri 63137; Javon Crawford, 30 years of age, of the 5200 block of Louisiana Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri 63111; and Adrianna Evans, 28 years of age, of the 1600 block of McLaran Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri 63147; for Robbery First Degree, Assault Second Degree, and two counts of Armed Criminal Action. A booking photo of Crawford is attached. Booking photos are not available for Powell or Evans. Crawford and Powell are each being held on $250,000 cash only, no 10%, bond. Evans is being held on $100,000 cash only, no 10%, bond. Please note, charges are merely an accusation and Defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law. The probable cause statement for Powell reads: The defendant drove co-defendants Javon Crawford and Adrianna Evans

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