WOOD RIVER – Midwest Members Credit Union is proud to sponsor the “Oiler of the Month” program at EAWR High School. A Senior student is selected each month by members of EAWR faculty. Each student is awarded a certificate and a Subway gift card. The Seniors selected each month will have the opportunity to compete for a $1,000 “Oiler of the Year” scholarship at the end of the school year. April has two winners: Hailey Handler & Adyson Bunt. Hailey is a Senior at
On April 23, 1564, William Shakespeare was baptized in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, a small record that has come to stand in for the arrival of one of the most influential writers in world history. Baptism dates were often recorded more reliably than birth dates in the 1500s, so April 23 is widely associated with Shakespeare’s birth. At the time, it mattered mainly to a local parish and a growing market town. Over the centuries, it came to matter to readers, performers, and audiences acros
ALTON - The Alton Police Department responded to the 2200 block of Locust Avenue on Wednesday night following a reported shooting. When officers arrived at the scene, the victim had already been transported by private vehicle to Alton Memorial Hospital for treatment. Several evidence markers were visible in the front yard of the home as investigators processed the scene. Locust Avenue was closed to traffic and surrounded by crime scene tape while officers searched for additional evidence.
ALTON – Alton officials are holding off on buying and installing 25 planters along Broadway as calls grow for the city to invest beyond downtown. City Council members voted 5-2 to postpone an agenda item to purchase Earth Planter containers for Broadway in Alton using $11,814 in Food and Beverage Tax funds. The item is set to be reconsidered at the next council meeting on May 13, 2026. The proposal calls for 25 planters to be placed along Broadway from Ridge Street to Market Street
JERSEY COUNTY — Gary Krueger, the chairman of the Jersey County Board, died Tuesday morning, April 21, 2026, at his home, Jersey County Clerk Pam Warford confirmed Wednesday, April 22, 2026. He was 75. Warford said Mark Wagner, the board’s vice chair, will assume the position. “It is quite a shock to the community. He has been a great asset to the county,” Warford said. “He will be greatly missed both professionally and personally.” Warford described a
ALTON - Local artists can compete in a plein air art competition while supporting local recreation areas. From May 1–31, 2026, artists over age 16 are encouraged to draw or paint the scenery in person at up to eight featured Rivers Project recreation areas. You can then pay a $25 submission fee to be entered for the chance to win several prizes. All submissions will be displayed in an art exhibit at the National Great Rivers Museum through August. “We definitely want to capitaliz
GODFREY – Plans to build a recreation center in Godfrey are temporarily on hold after a trustee requested more time to review key details. Village Board members voted unanimously on April 21, 2026 to delay an agreement for architectural services from AAIC, the firm selected last month to provide a proposal for the rec center . Trustee Rick Lauschke said given the significant time spent working out the final details of an updated gaming ordinance , he has not yet had time to review
ALTON - Students at East Elementary School in Alton were starstruck during a special portable planetarium presentation. On Wednesday, April 22, 2026, students loaded into SIUE’s StarLab, a mobile planetarium that travels to different schools for presentations. Students could stargaze and learn about different planets, all from their gymnasium. Rene Hart, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services in the Alton Community Unit School District #11, noted that students “loved”
ALTON - If you have old athletic shoes to get rid of, Alton High School junior Allison Pruitt and some friends are organizing a major one-day shoe drive on May 2, 2026, at Alton High School to collect paired tennis shoes for a fundraiser benefiting vision and hearing programs and services while keeping sneakers out of landfills. Other key volunteers at the event will be some of Pruitt's close friends - Lydia Schrumpf, Caroline Cannon, and McKenna Dondanville. The drive i
ALTON – An outdoor shopping center in Alton home to Panera Bread, Dollar Tree, and more recently sold for over $9 million. Oakwood Plaza, located at 1837 Homer M. Adams Parkway in Alton, was sold last week for a total of $9.3 million, according to real estate brokerage firm Marcus & Millichap. The 45,400 square foot Class A retail space was built in 2005 on 8.96 acres just off Homer M. Adams Parkway and contains 16 suites for a mix of retail and restaurant tenants. Marcus & Millichap announce
ALTON — Riverbender.com “Our Daily Show!” host C.J. Nasello and Jacquelyn Buettner are getting married Saturday, April 25, 2026, with an open house-style reception planned at Mac’s in downtown Alton. The reception is scheduled from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., Nasello said. “We'll arrive just after 5:30 p.m. and take part in the traditional moments like our first dances and cake cutting over the first hour to two or so. After that, the floor opens back up for everyone to
ALTON – The Alton Police Department gained a new member this week who Chief Jarrett Ford says is already making a positive impact on officers. At the April 20, 2026 Committee of the Whole meeting, Father Garron Daniels was officially sworn in as the department’s newest police chaplain. Daniels currently serves as rector of The Episcopal Parish of Alton. As chaplain, Ford said Daniels will provide Alton officers, department staff and families, and community members with guidance,
GRAFTON - Grafton’s Music in the Park returns for another season of free live concerts in the middle of town. Peg Brooks stopped by “Our Daily Show!” with C.J. Nasello to talk through this year’s schedule. She pointed out that this year’s 18-week season is the longest it’s ever been. Concerts start at 7 p.m. every Thursday night from May 28 through September 24, 2026, at Grove Memorial Park in Grafton. “I have a problem. I develop relationships
JERSEYVILLE – Jerseyville authorities are investigating the recently reported stabbing of a juvenile victim pending felony charges against a suspect now in custody. Police were dispatched to a Jerseyville residence on Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at approximately 1:35 p.m. in response to a report of a juvenile stabbing victim, according to preliminary information provided by the Jerseyville Police Department. “During the course of the initial investigation, officers gathered information
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - A 16-year-old St. Louis County juvenile accused of fatally stabbing a man in 2025 has been certified to stand trial as an adult and charged with second-degree murder and armed criminal action, authorities said. The St. Louis County Family Court on April 21, 2026, certified Dakota Merit, 16, of the 200 block of Carrington Lane in St. Louis, Missouri, as an adult. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued the charges the same day. Merit is being held on
MADISON COUNTY – The Illinois Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting to discuss a study for the proposed improvements on Illinois 203 from Maverick Drive to Eagle Park Road in Madison County. The meeting will be held: Thursday, April 23 4-7 p.m. The Mill Events 1311 20th St., Granite City IDOT, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, has initiated the preliminary engineering and environmental study of Illinois 203. This section of Illinois 20
WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Earth Day today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and U.S. Representatives Summer Lee (D-PA-12), Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ-07) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-12)—Co-Chairs of the Senate and House Environmental Justice Caucuses—unveiled a bicameral report card underscoring how the Trump Administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” mantra is yet another broken promise to the American people. The
WOOD RIVER – Midwest Members Credit Union is proud to sponsor the “Oiler of the Month” program at EAWR High School. A Senior student is selected each month by members of EAWR faculty. Each student is awarded a certificate and a Subway gift card. The Seniors selected each month will have the opportunity to compete for a $1,000 “Oiler of the Year” scholarship at the end of the school year. February's winner is Julie Pitts. Julie is a Senior at EAWR and is involved
ROXANA – A local woman accused of stealing from a Roxana-based company joins five people charged with stealing gold and silver coins in facing felony theft charges in Madison County. Tiffani R. Jones, 38, of Cottage Hills, was charged on April 16, 2026 with two counts of theft of property over $100,000, both Class 1 felonies. From Dec. 2, 2024 to Feb. 21, 2026, Jones allegedly knowingly committed a series of acts to obtain $598,275.31 from Banner Fire Equipment, Inc. based in Roxana,
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) delivered remarks on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives honoring the life and legacy of former Illinois State Representative Barbara Flynn Currie. A trailblazer in state politics, Currie was the first woman to serve as Illinois House Majority Leader and went on to become the longest-serving woman in the history of the General Assembly. WATCH: Budzinski Honors Life of Illinois Icon Barbara Flynn Currie Budzinski’s
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