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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Robin Kelly (IL-02) and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) introduced the Wear Orange Resolution , which supports the designation of June 2 nd , 2023, as “National Gun Violence Awareness Day” and June 2023 as “National Gun Violence Awareness Month.” The resolution has over 100 original cosponsors in the House of Representatives. Each year, more than 43,000 people in the United States are killed, and 76,000 are injured by gun violence. June 2 nd is the birthday of Chicago teen Hadiya Pendleton, who was shot and killed in a Chicago park in 2013, just days after performing in the parade for President Obama’s second inauguration. This tragic event has moved us to designate the first Friday in June as a time to recognize Hadiya nationally. This resolution marks June 2 nd , 2023, as National Gun Violence Awareness Day in her honor.

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CARROLLTON - Commander Jon Baker and eleven of his fellow American Legionnaires from Eldred Post 1135, were busy making Memorial Day memories on May 29, 2023. The eleven other veterans were Mike Brannan, Jon Davis, Bob Lake, Michael Lake, David Lehr, John McClintock, Rod Portwood, Jim Rabe, Gary Ruyle, Bob Shannon and Steve Talley. Their day started at 9 AM in the Eldred Memorial Gardens Cemetery with presentation of colors, a 21-gun salute and an address about the meaning of Memorial Day by Pastor Don Carpenter of the Eldred Baptist Church. The ceremony ended with the playing of Taps and dismissal. The group then boarded their Honor Guard bus and headed for Carrollton, where they set up at 10 AM with a review on the Public Library yard, presented another 21-gun salute, and placed a Memorial Day wreath in front of a number of American Flags on the lawn. Following this presentation and dismissal, eight members crossed the road and made their way to the Veterans Freedom Walkway, a projec

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ALTON - Several around the Alton community were wearing orange on National Gun Violence Day on Friday, June 2, 2023. National Gun Violence Day was marked throughout the United States and there was a strong effort made this year in Alton to recognize the day. Alton Mayor David Goins said he believes National Gun Violence Awareness Month is very important, especially with some of the recent shootings in the city. The mayor’s wife, Shelia, has also been very supportive of his efforts in regard to gun violence awareness. Mayor Goins pointed out the month began after Hadiya Pendleton was killed at age 15 after marching in President Obama’s second inaugural parade. Hadiya would have been 26 this past June 2. “It has deep meaning, we are working on some other things that are coming up in regards to addressing gun violence,” he said. “Stay tuned we will be reaching out for other things we are doing in the community. We are not taking this lightly. We don’t

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police Crimes Against Persons detectives are investigating a homicide that occurred in the 1700 block of Woodstream Court which resulted in the death of an adult male. On June 5, 2023, at 6:28 AM, St. Louis County police officers from the North County Precinct responded to a call for service for a domestic disturbance in the 1700 block of Woodstream Court. Arriving officers located an unresponsive adult male inside a residence. The adult male was pronounced deceased at the scene. Preliminary investigation has revealed this incident occurred between two individuals known to one another inside the residence. The investigation is ongoing. Additional information will be disseminated as it becomes available. Please contact the St. Louis County Police Department at 636-529-8210 to speak with investigators if you have any information regarding this incident. To remain anonymous or potentially receive a reward, please contact CrimeStoppers at 1-866-371-TIPS

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ALTON - Mike Weller with AP Cigar Co. discussed his new line of cold brew coffee products, all things cigars, and the community of cigar enthusiasts in downtown Alton and beyond on a recent episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com . He described the lineup as a “barrel series for coffee.” The coffee beans are hand-picked, sifted, and dried in Brazil. They then get shipped to the US, where they are stored in barrels that previously held wine and bourbon, absorbing the aromas from those barrels for three and a half weeks. The new cold brew comes in liquid form (“Wilhelm Cold Brew”) or ground and whole beans (“Table 36”). Both are available at AP Cigar Co. in Alton, and Mac's Convenience Store carries the liquid cold brew. State Street Market is also offering a couple of cocktails using the cold brew, and CJ’s juicery is making a boba tea with it. “The biggest compliment ever is when you have coffee guys that go, ‘That’s

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Fire Department on Friday issued this information about potential scams in the area and recommendations on how people handle those situations. This was Edwardsville's information release: "Let’s talk about scams. There are many different kinds but they all have one thing in common: to separate you from your hard-earned money. Most common are imposter scams, where a person falsely claims to be someone you may know, a government entity or a business. Please take steps to educate yourself and your family members about these dangers to protect from loss: • No real business or government agency will insist you pay with a gift card or wire transfer. • Call the company back at a trusted number – preferably one you find on your bill or on other official correspondence or a company site. • If the person calling claims to be in trouble, verify that with other family members or a trusted friend. • Scammers often

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ALTON - Pride Month 2023 has officially arrived with events in Alton and Jerseyville to celebrate throughout the month of June, and more Pride events later this summer and fall. Throughout the month of June, Alton Pride supporters will be “flocking” the lawns of their friends and family with pink plastic flamingos as part of the organization’s “Flocking For Pride” fundraiser. Flamingo flocks will stay up for 48 hours and proceeds will support the Piasa Youth Alliance. More information is available on the Alton Pride Facebook page . On Saturday, June 10 at 2 p.m., the second annual “Love Wins in Jerseyville” pride event will be held in Jerseyville. Further details, including an exact location, are still forthcoming. See the event on Facebook for updates as they become available. Alton Pride is hosting an all-ages Drag BBQ at Bubby & Sissy’s in Alton on Sunday, June 11 from 1 to 5 p.m. The event will feature a drag show, food,

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GRANITE CITY/JERSEYVILLE - In honor of National Donut Day today (June 2), Duke Bakery in Granite City and Big Boy’s Donuts in Jerseyville are giving away free items including donuts, t-shirts, can koozies, and more. Duke Bakery is offering a free glazed donut to everyone who stops by today, they announced on their Facebook page . The store is located at 3202 Nameoki Road in Granite City and will be open until tonight at 7 p.m. Big Boy’s Donuts in Jerseyville is giving away a shirt, can koozie, and window decal sticker. Those interested in participating are asked to like Big Boy’s Donuts on Facebook, like and share the giveaway announcement post , and tag a friend in the comments section. The winner will be chosen at random and announced on Saturday on their Facebook page . Duke Bakery also hosted a couple giveaways today, including two “Glazed and Confused” t-shirts, a Duke Bakery Coffee cup, and a free dozen glazed donuts. Winners

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ALTON - Prestige Design & Renovations offers a wide range of construction and renovation services in the Riverbend area, and Lead Carpenter Eddie Rappel said they’re aiming to be the #1 general contractor in the area with a focus on customer satisfaction. “We put our heart and soul into every project,” Rappel said. “We’re not just there for a paycheck, we’re there to do a custom project, and the gratification factor that we receive is from the customers’ expressions, the customers that we just ‘wow!’” Prestige’s services include renovations, home additions, residential remodeling, commercial renovations, roofing services, and more. They serve the areas of Alton, Brighton, Collinsville, Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Maryville, Hamel, Marine, and Fairview Heights. Rappel has 25 years of experience as a carpenter and said the company is a tight-knit crew of just three employees, himself included. “At the end o

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ALTON - The 18th Annual Miles Davis Festival will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Post Commons, located at 300 Alby St. in Alton, on Saturday, June 3. Jared Hennings of Lewis & Clark will serve as master of ceremony, and the headliner for entertainment will be Porch Cafe, with NGK Band as the opening act. One of the big highlights of the Miles Davis Festival is to present $500 college scholarships to chosen area students. "Over the years, the jazz festival has provided an excellent showcase highlighting the area's local jazz talent to the delight of Riverbend jazz enthusiasts, while supporting future musicians on their way to college," Event Organizer Abe Lee Barham said. Scholarship winners are Marquette's Paige Masterson, Alton High's Aniayah Collins, and Alton High's Victor Humphrey. Profiles are to come on the scholarship winners. "We are honored to award the college-bound students with $500 college scholarships at the event," Barham said. Tickets for the event are $30 per

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EAST ST. LOUIS – A U.S. District judge sentenced a man from Texas to 57 months in federal prison after he admitted to transporting a kilogram of cocaine to Illinois. In addition to the prison sentence, Henry Garcia-Blanco, 28, of Irving, Texas, will serve three years of supervised release. “Increased accessibility to illicit drugs creates significant health risks for communities in southern Illinois, and the individuals found responsible for transporting large quantities of dangerous narcotics across our state lines will face time in prison,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “I appreciate the efforts by the DEA to investigate and arrest offenders and help improve public safety.” In late 2021, DEA agents began an investigation after learning significant quantities of cocaine were being transported from Texas, through Illinois, and on to St. Louis, Missouri. On Dec. 10, 2021, a confidential source informed agents a drug courier was stuck in Effingham,

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ROXANA - Senior Ashton Noble stays busy these days. The three-sport athlete plays football and basketball, and most recently made a trip to the IHSA state track meet. At the state meet, Ashton has gotten used to success. That's why it was no surprise when he placed fourth in Class 2A in the discus with a toss of 162' 10.25". It was his third straight year reaching the podium in the event. In his junior season, he took second with his PR 167' 4.25" throw and in his sophomore season he finished third with a mark of 160' 4.75". For his continued success, Ashton is a Midwest Members Credit Union Athlete of the Month for the Shells. Ashton also competes in the shot put with a PR of 48' 8.25", a mark he set this season back on April 17th in the Roxana Relays. He will get to continue his track and field career at the college level when he attends Bellarmine University in the fall. In the winter, he's been a key part of the Shells' basketball team. Last season he racked up 215 points

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EDWARDSVILLE - After 18-year-old Edwardsville High School senior Anna Schmidt died from “a lethal amount of fentanyl,” a Facebook group was created in her honor, and a Facebook post was made to explain her story and warn others about the dangers of fentanyl. The Facebook group and page have since gathered lots of support, and a GoFundMe and merchandise page have been set up to support a scholarship fund in Anna’s memory. Anna’s mother, Aimee Covington, said the support she’s received from others moved by Anna’s story has resulted in a “whirlwind of emotions” for her. “It’s been a whirlwind of emotions,” Covington said. “Right now, I have 83 moms from all around that are reaching out to me and crying and calling and telling me how much we inspired them, because they didn’t know how to get their childrens’ story out because they were ashamed. “It hasn’t even been

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BETHALTO - In their last race together, senior Jackson Collman alongside junior teammates and best friends DJ Dutton, Justice Eldridge, and Lucas Naugle finished third place in the 4x800 meter race at the IHSA state track meet in Class 2A. For the surreal accomplishment, all four are Tom Lane State Farm Athletes of the Month for Civic Memorial High School. The meet last weekend held annually at Eastern Illinois University's blue track, saw the four Eagles run a time of 7:57.54 in the 4x800m, the first time the group has ever run under eight minutes. This achievement just goes to show how far these four have come. In the 2021 outdoor season, when Collman was a sophomore and Eldridge, Naugle, and Dutton were freshmen, the group ran a time of 8:45.42. Collman also qualified for the state meet in the two-mile, taking 14th with a time of 9:45.52. While Collman graduates and continues his running career into college at the University of Southern Indiana, the other three will return

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TROY - Junior Tashon Crockarell has been in the Triad High School track and field system but had a breakout season in 2022-23. He was able to qualify for the state track meet at Eastern Illinois University in three separate events. For his efforts, Tashon Crockarell is an Axes Physical Therapy Athlete of the Month for Triad High School. First, he took 10th at state in Class 2A in the high jump with a mark of 6' 0.75". His outdoor PR was 6' 2.75" which he recorded back on April 14th in the Mascoutah Military Classic. Crockarell was also a key part of both the 4x100 and 4x200 meter relays, running the second leg of each race. Both of those relays qualified for state. Alongside Tristan Darby, Cory Warren, and Louis Yohannes, the group finished fourth in the 4x100m (42.28) and second in the 4x200m (1:28.09). After this season's success, Crockarell is poised to have another stellar year as a senior.

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SOUTH ROXANA - A 28-year-old Maryville man died in a motorcycle-passenger vehicle traffic crash at 3:31 p.m. on June 1, at Illinois 111 and Lakefront Drive. The driver of the motorcycle - Charles Taylor - was pronounced dead at a local hospital. South Roxana Police Chief Bob Coles said the driver of the other vehicle fled the scene of the accident launching an investigation into the incident. "The outstanding work of Wood River Police Department Dispatcher, Mindee Pence, provided valuable investigative information that helped expedite the case," he said. "At around 1251 hours, the driver and vehicle were located, and the driver was taken into custody regarding the incident. The name of the other driver is being withheld until the application of formal charges is sought. "It took many individuals from various agencies to assist in bringing this case to a swift conclusion. The Edwardsville Police and Fire, I.S.P. Traffic Reconstructionist, Madison County Coroner, S.J. Morrison from Madiso

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EDWARDSVILLE/BERKELY, MO. - Berkeley, Mo., Police and SIUE Police are investigating an alleged kidnapping/sexual assault of a female victim. An e-Lert was issued early Saturday morning about the case. The kidnapping allegedly occurred late Friday on the SIUE campus. The e-Lert said a woman was taken from Cougar Village by a known acquaintance and driven to north St. Louis. The Berkeley Police later confirmed this information. SIUE's e-Lert system is a text messaging service used to quickly notify faculty, staff, and student cell phones when an urgent situation occurs. The e-Lert described the suspect as about 6-foot-1 inches tall and described as a “light-skinned black male” with short hair and a patchy beard. The suspect’s vehicle was described as a gray or silver Hyundai four-door sedan, possibly with mild front-end damage." The SIUE Communications Department on Thursday released the following information: "The SIUE campus police are working with the victim and

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CARROLLTON – June 1 – Twenty-three graduating seniors were awarded a total of 47 scholarship grants at the Carrollton High School graduation held May 19, 2023. The total awards amounted to $39,200. Grant recipients, the school they plan to attend and the name of their awards are: Julia Alexander – school selection pending – Donna Riechmann Scholarship and Mary E. Harland Scholarship. Bryson Baumgartner – Lewis & Clark Community College – Mike Kiger Memorial Scholarship. Matthew Beiermann – Western Illinois University – Thomas Hough Scholarship and Hawk Pride Scholarship. Morgan Blasa – Lewis & Clark CC – Sarah Jane Tapp Goodman Memorial Scholarship and Eldred American Legion Auxiliary Post 1135 Scholarship. Kaiden Breckon – Western Illinois University – Mary E. Harland Scholarship. Jaelynn Camden – SIU Edwardsville – Col. William Jr. and Jane Stendeback Memorial Scholarship, Mary E. Harland Scholarshi

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SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director John J. Kim is encouraging Illinois residents to use caution when outdoors as air quality conditions are expected to be in the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” category for Friday, June 2, according to the national Air Quality Index. The Illinois EPA has issued an air quality forecast of “Orange” or “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” for all of Illinois for June 2nd. Ground-level ozone is formed when emissions of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds from vehicles, power plants, and other industrial sources, react in the presence of sunlight. As a result of current ground-level ozone levels and anticipated weather conditions, the air quality is forecasted to be “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” in many regions today, and statewide tomorrow. These conditions pose a potential health hazard to sensitive populations, including individuals with respiratory or pulmonary

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CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has confirmed the first three batches of mosquitoes to test positive for West Nile virus in Illinois in 2023, both in Cook County. The North Shore Mosquito Abatement District collected a positive batch of mosquitoes in Evanston on May 30 and the Northwest Mosquito Abatement District collected two positive mosquito batches on May 31 in Park Ridge. The first positive mosquito pool in 2022 was reported on May 24th in Roselle in DuPage County. No human cases of West Nile virus have been reported so far this year. “The reports about the first batches of mosquitoes with West Nile virus is a good reminder that this is the time of year when Illinois residents should begin protecting themselves from vector-borne diseases,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “We urge everyone - and especially older people and those with weakened immune systems - to take precautions to protect themselves and their families from

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