Riverbender 🕸

GRANITE CITY - A local high school student has recently been awarded the GCS Credit Union Scholarship. The admirable recipient is Caylie McElroy from Granite City High School. GCS was looking for applicants who receive good grades, have an opinion on effective money habits, and who are actively involved in school and the community. Nicole R. Thorp, to whom the scholarship is dedicated, was a big believer in helping out where needed. Caylie is ranked number one in her class, played soccer, golf, and was in marching and concert band for GCHS. Caylie is very active in her church and volunteers for numerous community outreach events. Caylie will be attending Saint Louis University for nursing with a minor in Spanish. Caylie wishes to travel the country and aid in pediatric care in hospitals with children who may not be fluent in the English language. Candidates were also required to submit an essay on three principles they believe should guide a new college student’s money habits.

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - Madison Communications Technicians, Bryan Huffstutler, Daron Verbais, Greg Crabill, and Tanner Pieri attended the 2023 SCTE Gateway Chapter’s Cable -Tec Games located in St. Charles, MO on Thursday, May 18 th . The SCTE (Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers) is an international organization that is split up between 68 chapters. The four technicians did an outstanding job representing Madison Communications and the SCTE Gateway Chapter competing against 4 other teams consisting of technicians from Mediacom and Charter. Madison Communications took home the 1 st place team overall for the 11 th straight year along with technician, Bryan Huffstutler taking home the overall 1 st place solo award and Greg Crabill taking home the second-place solo award. Out of the 24 potential medals to be awarded at the contest, the Madison technicians took home 16 of them! The winning categories consisted of games that evaluated cable splicing, fiber splicing, meter reading,

Continue Reading

WEST ALTON - A new J-turn lane is now open on U.S. 67 in West Alton, marking the latest milestone in the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Route 67 Elevation Project. The new lane allows southbound drivers to make a J-turn to travel northbound; another J-turn lane will be constructed in the future going the opposite direction to allow drivers from Riverlands Way to make a J-turn to travel southbound on 67. In the original road design, drivers from Riverlands Way wishing to travel southbound on 67 had to cross over two lanes of busy northbound traffic before turning left on southbound 67. This new design will eliminate the need to cross over the highway, instead routing those drivers northbound temporarily to then merge into the leftmost lane, enter the J-turn lane and use it to turn and travel southbound. A video demonstration of a J-turn in action is available on the MoDOT website. The Route 67 Elevation Project aims to reduce the potential for collisions

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine and Edwardsville Police Chief Michael Fillback announced Wednesday that an assistant principal at Edwardsville High School has been charged with Criminal Sexual Assault. The two stated on Monday, May 22, the Edwardsville Police Department received information alleging that an assistant principal at the school had a sexual relationship with a juvenile who was younger than 18. The subsequent investigation led to a suspect, Erin L. Hamilton-Foley, 50, of Edwardsville, being taken into custody on Tuesday, May 23, 2023. On Wednesday, May 24, 2023, the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Hamilton-Foley with the following offenses: COUNT 1 – Criminal Sexual Assault, a class 1 felony COUNT 2 – Criminal Sexual Assault, a class 1 felony The charges allege that Hamilton-Foley “held a position of trust, authority or supervision” in relation to the 17-year-old victim, “being that

Continue Reading

EAST ST. LOUIS – The U.S. Attorney's Office on Monday released information about a federal indictment of Jim F. Lanier, 49, of Marissa, being charged with the unlawful possession of a destructive device. In a previously filed complaint, the Federal Bureau of Investigation alleged that Lanier admitted to making a homemade pipe bomb that he intended to use to blow up his wife’s vehicle, and further admitted to lighting and throwing the device at people who confronted him inside a trailer park in Marissa, Illinois on April 29, 2023. Lanier was ordered detained pending trial. The device did not detonate, according to the complaint. The complaint further alleged that a second suspicious device was found stored among Lanier’s belongings. The unlawful possession of an unregistered destructive device is punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonment. “Destructive devices can be exceptionally dangerous to life and limb. All suspected cases of the unlawful possession

Continue Reading

MARYVILLE — Our Lord’s Lutheran Church will host Vacation Bible School this June from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday the 5th through Friday the 9th. Families are welcome to participate in a free family meal from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. before dropping children off to enjoy a journey through the Holy Land in this year’s Jerusalem Marketplace. Children from ages 3 to 10 can enjoy creating jewelry, pottery, and more while exploring the rich history of Jerusalem. This event is free for the community. There will be a limit of fifty spots available. Last day to register is Friday, June 2nd. Go to Our Lord Lutheran’s Church website at https://ourlords.org to sign up. To find out more information, call the church at 618-345-5692 or email Olivia Cross at love2haveu@ourlords.org . Our Lord’s Lutheran Church is a child safe environment and led by Pastor Darla Ann Kratzer. For more information on any of Our Lord’s worship services and upcoming events, visit ourlords.org

Continue Reading

GRAFTON - The 34th annual Two Rivers Family Fishing Fair will return to Pere Marquette State Park near Grafton on Saturday, June 10 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The free, family-friendly event will be jam-packed with outdoor activities, live music, food, drinks, prizes, and much more. Fishing poles, bait, and supplies are all provided at the fishing fair, and no fishing license is required to participate. Scott Isringhausen, urban fishing coordinator for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said the event is a great opportunity for some free family fun. “It’s such a wonderful thing, it’s all free, and if you’ve never been to it, bring your kids because I think people will be truly amazed,” Isringhausen said. This year’s Fishing Fair will see several favorite attractions return, including the catch-and-release Bluegill Pond where young anglers can have their photos taken with their catch, the One-Cast station where everyone wins a prize,

Continue Reading

GLEN CARBON - Glen Carbon Mayor Bob Marcus gave a few updates on the village’s growth and progress over the past year, including several new businesses that have opened and developments that are slated for completion in the near future. The mayor gave these and other updates during his “State of the Village” presentation during the Glen Carbon Village Board meeting on May 23. “Great things are happening in Glen Carbon,” Marcus said. “We’ve had significant growth and change in the village.” Olive Garden and Plaza Tire will open in the village’s Orchard Town Center by the holidays. Lavelle Drive, the road by Chick-Fil-A, is expected to open by July 1. Orchard Town Center will also have improved bike trail connectivity once OTC Park is completed on the southern end of the site. Preliminary design plans for the park also include a stage for live music and space for two restaurants with patio seating. The Meridian Plaza project

Continue Reading

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today filed a lawsuit , alongside 48 attorneys general, against Avid Telecom, its owner Michael Lansky and vice-president Stacey S. Reeves, for alleged violations of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the Telemarketing Sales Rule and other federal and state telemarketing and consumer laws. Avid Telecom allegedly initiated, facilitated, and transmitted more than 7.5 billion illegal robocalls to millions of people on the National Do Not Call Registry. Between December 2018 and January 2023, more than 290 million of those calls were to Illinois residents. Avid Telecom is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service provider that sells data, phone numbers and dialing software to help its customers make mass robocalls. It also serves as an intermediate provider and allegedly facilitated or helped route illegal robocalls across the country. “Robocalls violate consumers’ privacy and unnecessarily cost them time and money. Companie

Continue Reading

ST. LOUIS (May 23, 2023) — After weeks of anticipation, viewers watched live as Peregrine falcon chicks emerged from their eggs. For the 11th year, Ameren Missouri’s Falcon Cam has given people a unique glimpse into nature via a live feed, this year from a nesting box in Franklin County, where a pair of Peregrine falcons nest and raise their chicks each spring. "The excitement we feel when seeing the fluffy new chicks for the first time never gets old," said Julianne Randazzo , environmental scientist at Ameren Missouri. “We’re glad we can provide this space for the falcon family to nest. It’s one of the many ways Ameren is caring for our shared environment.” The live stream, a partnership with the World Bird Sanctuary and The Missouri Department of Conservation, is intended to give viewers the chance to witness the development of Peregrine chicks each year, while also promoting Peregrine falcon conservation efforts. “As a Peregrine enthusiast

Continue Reading

DECATUR – Illinois State Police (ISP) Director Brendan F. Kelly today announced ISP has received final accreditation for the new ISP Decatur Forensic Science Laboratory and it is now officially open for business. The new four-story facility located along U.S. Route 51 on the south side of Decatur houses12,200-square feet of laboratory space and will serve law enforcement agencies across the state. “This top-tier facility will increase capacity to significantly reduce turnaround time for DNA testing, produce rapid results, and further reduce the case backlog,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Since day one, my administration has been committed to delivering justice for every Illinoisan, and this new Decatur lab will ensure we can accomplish that.” The new lab will focus on high-throughput DNA testing, which comprises about 20% of all ISP forensic cases in the laboratory system. Forensic scientists at the laboratory will examine evidence collected from

Continue Reading

ALTON - The 156th annual Alton Memorial Day Parade is set for Monday, May 29, 2023 in Upper Alton. The parade starts at Alton Middle School at 10 a.m. on Monday. Jack Keller, a Naval veteran of the Korean War time period, will be honored this year as parade marshal. Keller once owned a service station in Alton and has been involved in many service capacities over the year. Steve Schwartz, the spokesperson for the parade for the main sponsor - East End Improvement Association - said Keller was “thrilled” at the decision to name his grand marshal and will be very proud to be featured in the event. East End Improvement Association said the parade organizers consider the Alton Memorial Parade “the oldest continuous Memorial Day Parade in the United States.” “We go all the way back to 1858 and have never missed a beat,” Schwartz said. “We have about 50-plus organizations that will participate this year and this ranges from voter groups, Boy Scouts

Continue Reading

KANE - The Illinois State Police has provided names of three individuals involved in a fatal three-vehicle traffic crash on U.S. 67, near SE 175 Avenue in Kane Township in Greene County at 10:36 a.m. on May 22, 2023. One of the drivers - Kenneth R. Crull, 64, of Carrollton, was pronounced deceased at the scene. He was driving what will be called Unit 3 in the preliminary report below by ISP. The vehicles were: Unit 1 – Silver 2012 Chevrolet Malibu Unit 2 – Red 2023 Chevrolet Blazer Unit 3 – Gray 2004 GMC Sierra DRIVERS: Unit 1 – Daniel J. Blair, a 37-year-old male from Elberon, IA – Airlifted to a regional hospital with serious injuries. Unit 2 – Julie A. Jackson, a 57-year-old female from White Hall – Transported by ambulance to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. PRELIMINARY: " Preliminary information indicates the following occurred: ISP Troop 8 responded to the location above for a report of a three-unit

Continue Reading

KANE - A three-vehicle crash reported Tuesday morning on U.S. Highway 67 near Kane resulted in one death and multiple injuries, according to information released by the Illinois State Police. The Greene County Sheriff’s Department, Greene County EMS, and Illinois State Police responded to the scene after the accident was reported at 10:36 a.m. on Monday. One driver was declared deceased at the scene, another driver was transported to a local hospital by helicopter with major injuries, while the third driver was transported by ambulance with minor injuries. Illinois State Police reported that one vehicle was traveling northbound on US 67 while another vehicle was traveling southbound, and a third vehicle was traveling directly behind the southbound vehicle. At one point, the northbound vehicle crossed over the center line and sideswiped the first southbound vehicle, spun sideways, and was hit by the second southbound vehicle. The driver of the second southbound vehicl

Continue Reading

ALTON - The Annual James Killion Day Ceremony on Saturday, May 27, 2023, has a solid lineup of activities and should be a first-class way to kick off the Memorial Day weekend. The event starts at 1 p.m. on Saturday at James Killion Park in Alton and will begin with a community lunch and a Meet and Greet with the Killion family. The Riverbend Community Gospel Choir will also perform. From 2:30 to 4 p.m. will be the ceremonial portion of the event. Alton Fourth Ward Alderwoman Rosetta Brown will be the emcee. There will be a presentation of colors and music, plus acknowledgment of sponsors and dignitaries. David Frye, Mary Hyndman, and Gene Baldwin, an author and family friend, will be the event’s keynote speaker. Baldwin is a playwright, essayist, journalist, poet and fiction writer. His play “Water Brought Us and Water’s Gonna Take Us Away,” about the Underground Railroad in Illinois and commissioned by the National Park Service, was produced at the Prop Theate

Continue Reading

ALTON - St. Mary’s Middle School fourth quarter high honor roll and honor roll is below. 6th Grade High Honor Roll Elaina Cowan James Fischer Katherine Fitzgerald Tucker Hamilton Eli Heischmidt Joseph Henesey Parker Hough Caleb Kasten Kainan Kelly Colette Manns Kaelyn Page Clyde Phillips Lucia Pulido Jenna Redman Caden Roth William Roth Caden Shewmake Olivia Smith Elizabeth Strickland William Waters Brendan White Brock Woodward Zoey Zeller 6 th Grade Honor Roll Avery Conrad Sam Johnson 7 th Grade High Honor Roll Alivia Beaber Clara Brass Connor Cochran Alayna Graham Isabella Greenberg Gianna Grossheim Emily Hough Sophia Jacobs Jensen Janek Cameron Jones Chase Jones Sam Jun Allison Nash Natalie Novak Gianna Pulido Nora Ringering Mason Widman 7 th Grade Honor Roll Brooke Boston Baylee Dunse Jackson Ellis-Gable Ryan Joehl Lucas Joyce Kayleigh Pollock Jocelyn Thomas 8 th Grade High Honor Roll Ellen Anderson

Continue Reading

GLEN CARBON – Distinguished volunteer Rita Schaefer from Belleville has been honored with the annual Heart of Gold Award by Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois. This prestigious award recognizes the tremendous long-term impact a volunteer has had on girls and adults in his or her community through Girl Scouts, and it is the highest award a Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois adult volunteer can earn. Rita is a shining example of a lifelong Girl Scout. She has spent 50 years with the organization, more than 30 of which have been in a volunteer capacity. “She is the first person to step up and say, ‘Adults do not age out of this program; I’m still here!’” said Donna Aaron, a fellow Girl Scout volunteer who nominated Rita for this award. Rita has proven this to be true. From being a troop leader for all five of her daughters’ troops, to a day camp volunteer, to a recruiter, Rita has held numerous volunteer roles over the years and shares her love for

Continue Reading

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Fair announced today that singer-songwriter-musician Alanis Morissette will headline the grandstand on Sunday, August 13 . Since 1995, Alanis Morissette has been one of the most influential singer-songwriter-musicians in contemporary music. Her deeply expressive music and performances have earned vast critical praise, 14 Canadian Juno Awards, 7 Grammy® Awards, two Golden Globe nominations, a BRIT Award, and sales of over 75 million albums worldwide. Her debut album JAGGED LITTLE PILL was followed by nine more eclectic and critically acclaimed albums, all of which continue to influence and inspire fans and fellow artists alike. Her artistic impact can also be seen via “Jagged Little Pill, the Musical,” which made its Broadway debut in December 2019. The show was nominated for 15 Tony Awards with two wins and continues to tour globally. In 2021, her 25 years of Jagged Little Pill tour became the number one female-fronted tour

Continue Reading

BETHALTO – Rural broadband is more than making an Internet connection, it’s about connecting people and giving back to our local communities. This year marks the 18 th year that Madison Communications has sponsored the Teacher of the Year Awards contest! Madison has proudly contributed over $27,000 to local area schools through this program. The Teacher of the Year program annually presents an award to three teachers. Teachers employed at school districts within Madison’s service areas are eligible to be nominated for this award. The contest takes place from March 1 st - May 1 st and is divided into the nomination and voting phase. During the month of March Madison received a total of 210 nominations and during the month of April, they received over 20,000 votes. This was a big jump from receiving 140 nominations and 12,000 votes in the 2022 contest. The three teachers who received the highest number of votes were announced May 1 st on social media platforms

Continue Reading

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today released a comprehensive report detailing decades of child sex abuse by members of the Catholic clergy in Illinois. The report concludes a multi-year investigation into child sex abuse by members of the clergy in all six Catholic dioceses in Illinois. Attorney General Raoul’s report reveals names and detailed information of 451 Catholic clerics and religious brothers who abused at least 1,997 children across all of the dioceses in Illinois. The Attorney General’s Report on Catholic Clergy Child Sex Abuse in Illinois – released this morning during a press conference in Chicago – represents the state of Illinois’ first comprehensive accounting of child sex abuse by members of the Catholic clergy in the six dioceses across Illinois. The nearly 700-page report features detailed narrative accounts of child sex abuse committed by Catholic clerics. Many of the narratives were written in consultation with

Continue Reading