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EAST ST. LOUIS – The Illinois State Police arrested 67-year-old Debra Hamilton-Tidwell of East St. Louis for Election Interference (Class B Misdemeanor). On February 6, 2023, the Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation Special Investigations Unit, initiated an investigation into an allegation of Election Fraud committed by the East St. Louis City Clerk, Debra Hamilton-Tidwell. After a thorough investigation, the ISP SIU determined Hamilton-Tidwell used her East St. Louis Official Title and signature along with the East St. Louis letterhead during an ad campaign to promote her re-election as the East St. Louis City Clerk. On March 15, 2023, the St. Clair County State’s Attorney’s Office approved one count of Election Interference. On March 16, 2023, Hamilton-Tidwell surrendered herself to St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office and was released after posting bond. This is an open and ongoing investigation. No further information will be disseminated

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EDWARDSVILLE - A few Madison County residents demanded the Madison County Board take action on roadside litter from Roxana landfill trucks during the Public Comment portion of the latest County Board meeting on March 15. “This is actually historic, because the trash has never been this bad in the history of Madison County - and this board, it sits firmly on your shoulders, so I want to see about getting something done about it,” Russ Wheat said. “And it insults me that I have to come and talk to you people about this, because you drive down the same road, you see everything that I see, yet nothing gets done. “These trucks, if they are not going to adhere to our wishes and they’re going to violate and pollute our neighborhoods, we need to restrict their permits. Pull those permits, revoke them. You start putting the squeeze on those permits, and they can’t drive the trucks out here - believe me, that’ll stop a lot of the trash and stuff

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ALTON - Deb Farris is known around the Alton area as an excellent chef, but what she may be most known for is her corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s Day at Johnson’s Corner. Deb has had a busy past few weeks and has worked on corned beef and cabbage preparation each day during that period. “I have been cooking for about 52 years,” she said. “I started at a nursing home at age 16. I started at Johnson’s Coroner in August 1999.” Deb remembers in her first year, Johnson’s Corner had a flood of people on St. Pat’s Day wanting some of her corned beef and cabbage. She said she was well-known at the nursing home she worked at and several turned out, and the crowd kept coming. In her second year, she remembers coming into Johnson’s Corner and seeing a line formed outside for corned beef and cabbage, a tradition that continues to this day. “Cooking is my passion,” she said. “I love cooking, period, but we

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Raoul today announced criminal charges against a St. Clair County man over the alleged possession, purchase and sale of purported stolen retail merchandise including tools, electronics and lawn equipment in the estimated amount of $243,000.00. The charges are the result of a multi-jurisdictional investigation facilitated by Raoul’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force. Raoul’s office charged Garrett R. Bass, 22, of Cahokia Heights, Illinois, with Class 2 felony organized retail crime, punishable by up to 7 years in prison, two counts of Class 1 felony theft, each punishable by up to 15 years in prions, three counts of Class 2 felony theft, each punishable by up to 7 years in prison, and Class 1 felony money laundering, punishable by up to 15 years in prison. “The effects of organized retail crime are not limited to any one region of Illinois, particularly when the sales of stolen merchandise often fund additional criminal activity.

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ALTON - Several descendants of historic Alton architect Lucas Pfieffenberger will travel from all over the country to Alton for a family reunion and a private, custom tour of 20 homes throughout the city that were designed by him. The tour will be led by Alton Odyssey Tours on March 18, and Managing Partner Caleb Lewis said there are plans to bring some elements of it to the public during their future Alton Architecture Tours. “We’re visiting 22 locations throughout downtown Alton … it is a private, custom tour; we actually custom-wrote this script with communication with the family,” Lewis said. “The script is going to highlight Pfieffenberger’s architecture, but we’re going to put these ideas into a broader portfolio for when we build out an Alton-focused Architecture Tour, which will include other architects that were significant to the City of Alton.” Pfeiffenberger practiced architecture from 1857 until his passing in 1918, an

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EDWARDSVILLE – The first steps in the creation of a shared-use path along Illinois Route 159 south of downtown got underway Friday, March 17. When it’s finished this summer, the 10-foot-wide off-road path will connect Magnolia Street to Madison County Transit’s Goshen Trail. The City has brought on Stutz Excavating, which has begun clearing the area where the 2,700-foot path will be constructed. Efforts will be made to preserve and later replace trees and plantings between the path and Route 159, also known as Plum Street in that area. While some sections of the completed path will run close to the street, other portions will meander up to 30 feet west of the road to ensure a natural growth buffer. The shared use path is expected to open by the end of July. The City was awarded $150,000 from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, $240,000 from the Metro East Park and Recreation District, and $100,000 from the Agency for Community Transit, which in total, will

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ALTON - Marquette Catholic High School added to its impressive list of college signings the past couple of weeks. Four more athletes committed to continuing their academic and athletic careers at the next level. All are Tucker's Automotive Repair & Tire Athletes of the Month for Marquette. The four student-athletes are: Dre Davis - Lewis and Clark Community College - Soccer Dre, a three-sport athlete for the Explorers plays soccer, basketball, and tennis. Dre has been a Riverbender.com Athlete of the Month three times already, twice for soccer and once for basketball. He was a captain on the soccer team in his junior and senior years and also voted all-conference both those seasons. He was voted all-sectional his junior year and was an honorable mention his senior year. Dre said that Marquette is a really great place and that he's loved his time there. He wanted to thank all his teachers and coaches that invested in him. He chose LCCC because he wanted to stay local and

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SPRINGFIELD – An Alton pre-k teacher Amber Sims is a 2023 Illinois Education Association (IEA) RA winner. The state’s largest union, the Illinois Education Association (IEA), today honored those with an outstanding commitment to their schools, their students, their communities, and to public education. The awards were presented during the IEA Representative Assembly (RA). The RA is the legislative body of the IEA and helps the union set its agenda for the year. There are 1,200 IEA delegates, guests, and state dignitaries who attend the RA. The IEA award recipients were nominated and chosen for their awards by their peers. This was the nomination for Sims: Bob Haisman Teacher of the Year Award – Amber Sims (Alton) "Prior to becoming a pre-k teacher, Amber Sims was a paraprofessional in a classroom for students with autism. Amber enhances the image of a 'new teacher' by showing us that the title is not solely reserved for 22-year-olds. Anyone can become a new educator

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) will host employment screening events in St. Charles and Alton next week. IDJJ has positions available at the five Illinois Youth Center locations in Chicago, Warrenville, St. Charles, Alton, and Harrisburg. Juvenile Justice Specialist positions have a starting salary of $54,648. Candidates must be an Illinois resident, at least 21 years of age, have a valid driver’s license and bachelor’s degree, and must be eligible to work in the United States. Interested applicants must attend a required screening event to be considered. March screening event details are listed below: Illinois Youth Center- 3825 Campton Hills Rd., St. Charles, IL March 21, 2023 Alton Mental Health Center, Auditorium, 4500 College Ave., Alton, IL March 23, 2023 All screenings begin at 8 a.m. and last four to six hours. Applicants should wear comfortable attire for physical agility testing and must complete an onlin

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today urged service members to be on the lookout for scammers pretending to be working for the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), and misleading individuals into sharing personal or financial information. Raoul said reported scams include imposter DFAS workers contacting service members and claiming there is an issue with the service members’ pay. The imposter DFAS worker demands confirmation of the service member’s personal information including name, rank and confirmation of their payroll deposit on www.myPay.dfas.mil, which is DFAS’s pay management website. The imposter then tells the service member they must return, by wire, gift card, or cryptocurrency, an incorrect payment the service member has received, which will immediately initiate a direct deposit of the correct amount. “Service members have worked hard for the pay and benefits they have received, while risking their lives for our country. The las

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GREENVILLE - A group of Greenville University students met with legislators, learned how to advocate for education policy, and more at a spring summit last month. Project L.E.A.D. (Leaders in Education Advocating for Diversity) is a task force of Greenville University education students who participate as student ambassadors, meeting monthly to discuss critical issues in diversity and equity in the field of education. Key events include two student summits in the fall and spring. Those summits bring students and faculty from multiple institutions across Illinois together to share ideas about diverse recruitment and scholarship, culturally responsive teaching and learning practices, and taking collective action toward social justice issues. During the 2022-23 school year, the Project L.E.A.D. group focused on learning how to be an education policy advocate, specifically receiving training on how to tell their story and meet with legislators to advocate for specific policies. This

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ALTON - People who have cardiac arrests may benefit from CPR, yet many people who witness cardiac arrest do not perform CPR. That’s why OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center (1 St. Anthony’s Way, Alton) is hosting an upcoming first aid and CPR training class so Riverbend area residents are prepared to take action if necessary. The first aid and CPR training class will be held on Thursday, March 30, 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. in the hospital’s Perpetual Help Center and led by a certified instructor. Space is limited and the deadline to register is Monday, March 27. The cost is $65.00/person. Registration can be completed by calling (618) 920-6816 or by email at susiesweetman22@gmail.com. “Knowing CPR and first aid can help save lives,” says Dennis E. Sands, MD, Chief Medical Officer, OSF Saint Anthony’s. “If your child or loved one isn't breathing, knowing how to do CPR could mean the difference between life and death. Emergencies can strik

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ST. LOUIS - Schnuck Markets, Inc. and the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis (ULSTL) today announced that Schnucks customers and the company donated a total of $120,000 to support the Urban League through the third annual “Round Up at the Register” campaign that celebrated Black History Month in February. Customers donated $112,766 and Schnucks provided an additional $7,234. The campaign ran Wednesday, February 1 - Tuesday, February 14. Schnucks customers had the option at checkout to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar with 100 percent of donations in the St. Louis area supporting the non-profit organization’s Save Our Sons program, and round ups at Schnucks stores in other markets supporting the Urban League chapter in each respective area or the National Urban League. “We were honored to once again celebrate Black History Month with our decades-long partners at the Urban League,” said Todd Schnuck, Schnucks Chairman and CEO and pas

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced his office charged an Illinois Department of the Lottery employee on Wednesday for allegedly stealing books of instant lottery tickets and redeeming winning tickets for cash. A co-defendant is also accused of participating in the scheme by redeeming additional stolen tickets for cash. Attorney General Raoul charged Illinois Lottery employee Dean F. Derrick, 57, of Springfield, Illinois, with four counts of theft of governmental property greater than $500 but less than $10,000, Class 2 felonies punishable by three to seven years in prison; seven counts of official misconduct, Class 3 felonies punishable by two to five years in prison; and three counts of wire fraud, Class 3 felonies punishable by two to five years in prison. Derrick surrendered to the Sangamon County Jail on Wednesday after an arrest warrant was issued by the court. His bond was set at $15,000, and his next court date is scheduled for March 30. Raoul also charged Frazier

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FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS – The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Illinois announced Thursday the seizure of cryptocurrency valued at approximately $24,000 from an account believed to be involved in a fraud scheme against an O’Fallon resident. “Many of us are still learning the facts about buying and trading cryptocurrency, and as in many cases, scammers are targeting the vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I appreciate the collaboration between the O’Fallon Police Department and the U.S. Secret Service for their efforts to recover the victim’s funds.” “The U.S. Secret Service is dedicated to safeguarding the integrity of U.S. financial systems and preventing the public from losing their hard-earned money to these types of scams,” said Stephen S. Webster, Resident Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Springfield Office. “Unfortunately, new technology has made it easier for individuals

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ROLLA, Mo. - Lee Coyle, a senior in engineering management from Granite City, Illinois, will be the First Guard in the 115th Celebration of St. Pat's at Missouri S&T. Andrew Winingar, a senior in engineering management from Independence, Missouri, will portray St. Patrick during the 115th celebration of St. Pat's at Missouri S&T. St. Pat and the court officially arrived on campus at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 15. Following a procession to the Jack Carney Puck and Plaza on the S&T campus, the court presided over the final day of Follies. The court will also participate in formal coronation ceremonies at 9 p.m. Friday, March 17, at Leach Theatre in Castleman Hall, located at 10th and Main streets in Rolla. Attendance is free and open to the public. At the event, the 2023 Queen of Love and Beauty will be crowned, and the Queen's Court will have titles bestowed. The 2023 celebration continues at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 18, with the St. Pat's Parade in downtown Rolla.

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SHIPMAN - The sister of Thomas Kelley, who was seriously injured in a car accident, has established a GoFundMe for him and his family members to assist with medical bills and other bills. Thomas owns a landscaping business and has been unable to work since the wreck. Thomas' sister, Sydney Hansen said: "Thomas is out of the hospital and doing much better, but he is still recovering from the injuries. He suffered a very bad brain bleed, plus other injuries." Hansen added: “It was a sudden tragedy and they need help for medical bills and she has also had to miss a lot of work, too. “They need help with house and car payments and more. Anything is appreciated, especially prayers and kind words to the family. “He will have quite a few months of physical therapy in his recovery. “We thank everyone for the prayers and encouragement they have provided the family so far.” Sydney describes her brother as “a very kind and very generous type. If anyone

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ALTON - David Eichen lived a life of service for nearly 30 years with the Alton Fire Department where he retired in November as a battalion chief, and he walked away with many memories of his days in uniform. Right after he retired, he said he hated to walk away and that it was very difficult, but he was ready for the next chapter of his life. David is also known for his ability to grow giant pumpkins and has been featured in multiple stories over the years with his late father, Howard. There is a photo that still circulates of a 200-pound whopper pumpkin the pair grew in 2013. He always gives away free pumpkins in his Alton neighborhood each year, again one of his many acts of service. He said since he retired, he made himself more available for his mother, who is in her 90s, and for friends. On David’s last day with the Alton Fire Department, Hit 'n Run had a serious fire in Alton, so he didn’t have any breaks before he closed his career on Nov. 21, 2022. Now, David

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EDWARDSVILLE - Doug Weber, vice president of Holland Construction Services, is the recipient of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s 2023 Construction Leadership Institute (CLI) Alumni Leadership Award. The CLI Alumni Leadership Award recognizes an outstanding graduate who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and service to the St. Louis area building community. “CLI’s mission is to produce accomplished leaders who will improve the processes and outcomes in the construction industry,” said Chris Gordon, associate dean and professor in the Department of Construction and co-director of the Construction Leadership Institute. “We are delighted to present the CLI Alumni Leadership Award to Doug to recognize his outstanding record of industry leadership and active community engagement which exemplifies this mission.” Doug Weber was a member of the CLI’s 2009 class. Doug Weber has established himself as a prominent figure in the construction

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CARROLLTON - Several individuals have been arrested on charges including criminal sexual abuse, domestic battery, and more in Greene County since the beginning of March, according to the latest Jail Booking Report from the Greene County Sheriff’s Office. Harley D. Angel, 19, of Carrollton, was charged with criminal sexual abuse by use of force, and he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest out of Greene County. He was arrested by the Greene County Sheriff’s Department on March 1 and has since been released on bond. Devin D. Fair, 38, of Beardstown, was charged with unlawful possession of firearms and ammo, title and registration offenses, and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. He was arrested by the Greene County Sheriff’s Department on March 11 and remains in custody. Patricia A. Kellington, 48, of Greenfield, was arrested by the Greene County Sheriff’s Department for battery and resisting a police officer. She was arrested on March 2 and has since

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