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CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, pressed Attorney General Pam Bondi to recuse herself from any Justice Department (DOJ)-related work that could benefit her former lobbying client, the GEO Group, a major private prison contractor whose largest source of revenue is from contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). In a letter to Attorney General Bondi, Durbin raises serious ethical concerns due to her past representation of the GEO Group and her current role in overseeing DOJ’s immigration enforcement efforts, given DOJ’s central role in advancing the Trump Administration’s immigration agenda. He also seeks clarification on whether appropriate recusals and ethical safeguards have been implemented, considering Bondi’s prior lobbying for the GEO Group and recent actions undermining internal ethics oversight. Durbin began with a specific call for recusal, writing:

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ST. LOUIS - May is National Mediterranean Diet Month — a time to celebrate the foods of this healthful eating pattern, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish, nuts and healthy oils. Dairy foods also play a crucial role in the Mediterranean diet. Dairy provides essential nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin D, protein, B vitamins, phosphorus and potassium. By pairing dairy with other food groups like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, this eating pattern provides fiber as well. This combination of fresh, flavorful and nutrient dense foods makes the Mediterranean diet a tasty, sustainable option for many individuals. Milk, feta cheese and Greek yogurt add unique flavors to many Mediterranean-style dishes. Greek salad topped with feta cheese offers a fresh flavorful side for any meal. Serving grilled chicken with a Greek yogurt tzatziki sauce, a tangy herb-filled topping, adds a refreshing touch to a classic Mediterranean meal. Enjoying a glass of

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ALTON – Alton Parks and Recreation is excited to announce the 2025 Summer Day Camp, an 8-week adventure of learning, laughter, and fun for children entering 1st grade through 5th grade. The camp runs from June 2 through July 25, 2025, at the Muenstermann Pavilion, located within Gordon Moore Park, at 4550 College Ave, Alton, IL, 62002. This structured, safe, and engaging camp program will operate Monday through Friday with flexible scheduling options between the regular camp hours of 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. They will also offer before and after care for those who will need to drop kids off earlier and pick up later than regular camp hours. Before care will be from 7:30 a.m .– 9:00 a.m. After care will be from 3 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. The dedicated and qualified staff members bring strong experience, education, and a genuine love for working with kids, ensuring a safe and enriching environment. They will keep a 10:1 camper-to-staff ratio. Campers should wear comfortable clothin

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CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) sent the following statement after President Donald Trump signed an executive order seeking to prohibit federal funding for National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB): “The ruthless cuts and attacks on our federal government was not enough for President Trump—now he is going after public broadcasting, which has been providing unbiased, informative, and breaking news for years, especially for our nation’s rural communities. As a democracy, we pride ourselves on having a strong freedom of the press. With President Trump’s executive order, we will only backslide. This is dangerous and I implore my Republican colleagues to act to reverse the President’s course—our democracy depends on it.” Through the government funding bill passed earlier this year, CPB will receive $535 million in advanced appropriations

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GLEN CARBON – Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois presented the Thanks Badge and Honor Pin to outstanding volunteers at the annual Recognition of Excellence awards ceremony. Mary Armes from West Frankfort, Jodie Herbstritt from Belleville, and Debbie Parker from Robinson were awarded the Thanks Badge while Amy Huller from Belleville was awarded the Honor Pin. The Thanks Badge honors an individual whose ongoing commitment, leadership, and service has had an exceptional, measurable impact on meeting the mission-delivery goals and priorities of the entire council or the entire Girl Scout Movement. The Honor Pin recognizes an individual’s exemplary service in support of delivering the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, which has had a measurable impact on two or more service units within the council and contributes to the mission-delivery goals of the council. Thanks Badge Mary Armes – West Frankfort, Illinois Mary Armes has been part of Girl Scouts for 34 years.

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ALTON – Two Riverbend residents are accused of burglarizing the construction site of the Sunnybrook Apartments in Alton. Henry R. Lakin, 37, of Alton, and David L. Miller, 50, of Granite City, were both charged on April 30, 2025 with Class 2 felony counts of burglary. On March 7, 2025, the two allegedly unlawfully entered a building on the Sunnybrook Apartments construction site, located in the 700 block of Washington Avenue in Alton, with the intent to commit therein a theft. Both were arrested by the Alton Police Department and have been granted pretrial release from custody. Miller was previously charged in a separate case of burglary out of Granite City. More details on that and a string of other Granite City burglaries are available in this story on Riverbender.com . All individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of la w.

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GRANITE CITY – A man from St. Louis faces first degree murder charges and more after fatally shooting someone in Granite City. DeWayne Franklin, 41, of St. Louis, was charged on April 28, 2025 with two counts of first degree murder, both Class M felonies. He was also charged with a Class 3 felony count of possession of a weapon by a felon, as well as a Class 4 felony count of aggravated unlawful possession of weapons. On April 20, 2025, Franklin allegedly shot 58-year-old St. Louis resident Kenneth Whitehorn in the head, causing his death. Whitehorn was found deceased on Alton Street near Pontoon Road in Granite City. The weapon Franklin used in the killing, a 9mm handgun, was unlawful for him to possess as a felon previously convicted of possession of a controlled substance. He also had no valid Firearm Owner’s Identification (FOID) card or Concealed Carry License at the time of the offense. A petition was filed to deny Franklin’s pretrial release from custody,

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EAST ALTON - East Alton’s Eastwood Elementary School has a special program for its young men. The Boyz 2 Men Mentorship Program allows fourth and fifth graders to engage with male role models as they complete community service projects. Male volunteers and teachers meet with this group of students once a month. The adults noted the students have grown a lot since the program’s inception. “I’m really proud of these kids,” said Eric Hensley, a fifth grade teacher at Eastwood. “A lot of schools could use it, but we definitely saw the need here. I liked the idea of it because some of these kids, they’re not always the most successful in the classroom, but you see so much potential. So it was nice to have some sort of outlet for them to do, to be able to show off what they can do. I feel like they have a little bit more freedom and self-confidence in this group, which is good for them to practice and use.” Angela Gray, East Alton Schoo

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WOOD RIVER - Riverbend residents are invited to Wood River for their annual Summer Kickoff festival. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, 2025, the City of Wood River will offer live music, food, craft vendors, games, a dunk tank and more to celebrate the summer season. Community members of all ages are invited downtown to the corner of Wood River Avenue and Ferguson for a fun day of festivities. “There is a lot going on,” said Kristen Burns, executive director of Wood River Main Street, which organized the event. “I love the Summer Kickoff. I mean, all of the events are favorites. But I really, really like the Summer Kickoff.” In addition to the downtown shops and restaurants, which will be open and ready for business during the event, there will be over 30 vendors downtown that day. Wood River has also arranged for several food trucks to come out and provide food and drinks. “We always get a lot of vendors for these,” Burns said

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O’FALLON, Ill. — HSHS Home Care invites community members to join them for butterfly release ceremonies at locations throughout southern Illinois at these Hospital Sisters Health System hospitals: HSHS Holy Family Hospital, Greenville Wednesday, May 14 at 4 p.m. in the fountain area (front of the hospital). HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, O’Fallon Wednesday, May 21 at 5:30 p.m. at the main entrance by the statue. HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital, Highland Tuesday, June 3 at 5:30 p.m. in the Healing Garden. HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital, Breese Wednesday, June 4 at 5:30 p.m. in the Healing Garden/Gazebo Area Family and friends are invited to celebrate and remember the life of a loved one who has passed. The ceremonies will include the reading of the names of those being honored in addition to the butterfly release. Valerie Engelbart, Bereavement Services Supervisor for HSHS Home Care, said, “These butterfly release

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EAST ALTON — A collision involving two cars occurred at the intersection of Berkshire Boulevard and Wood River Avenue in East Alton around 3:03 p.m. on Thursday, May 1, 2025, authorities reported. "The crash was the result of a semi-road rage situation on Wood River Avenue," East Alton Police Chief Scott Golike said. "In an effort to get away from the other, one of the vehicles decided to run the red light and it caused the collision." Golike described the impact of the accident as somewhat unusual for the location. He also said injuries were minor in the accident, with one occupant of the offending vehicle being transported by ambulance to a hospital, while another was transported home from the scene and not taken for additional medical evaluation. The East Alton chief said the incident was handled with a traffic citation.

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ALTON — Jami Jones has emerged as one of the region’s top shot put competitors during the 2025 girls' track and field season. Jones, who competes in both shot put and discus, recorded personal bests of 33 feet, 11 inches in the shot put and 62 feet, 8.5 inches in the discus. On April 28, 2025, she won the Small Schools Madison County championship in the shot put with a throw of 31 feet, 9.5 inches. Two days later, on April 30, 2025, Jones took first place in the shot put at the Jacksonville Senior Night competition with a toss of 31 feet, 3.75 inches. She also posted a victory at the Roxana Co-Ed Meet, where she achieved her season-best throw of 33 feet, 11.25 inches. Jones has been recognized as the Tucker’s Automotive Repair & Tire Female Athlete of the Month for her performances. In addition to track and field, Jones is a member of the Marquette girls' basketball team. Marquette coach Billy Sprague praised her dedication and athleticism. “She joined us

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COLLINSVILLE - Collinsville Police are seeking the public’s help in locating Kenneth Winfield, who has an active felony warrant for aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer. This is information released in the Collinsville Police Department's Fugitive Friday series. The Collinsville Police said the warrant for Winfield stems from an incident where he fled from officers during a traffic stop. Officers have made several attempts to find Winfield but have not been successful. Authorities are urging anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact the Collinsville Police Department at 618-344-2131, extension 5209. Callers can remain anonymous. In a message directed to Winfield, police encouraged him to turn himself in at any police department in Illinois or neighboring states, and said, “We would love to help you take care of this matter.” The charges against Winfield are based on probable cause, and he is presumed innocent unless proven

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WOOD RIVER - The City of Wood River invites the community to come out for their Spring Clean Up this weekend. From 8–11 a.m. on Saturday, May 3, 2025, community members can pick up litter and beautify Wood River. Kristen Burns, the executive director of Wood River Main Street, encourages people to come out and make a difference. “It’s going to be super easy,” she said. “Just come help us. Help clean up our neighborhoods.” Wood River Main Street will provide trash bags, gloves, grabbers and donuts for volunteers to enjoy. Participants can stop at Central Park next to the Roundhouse, the Wood River Main Street office at 61 E. Ferguson, or Bushy Grove Park to pick up supplies on Saturday. Volunteers are encouraged to pick up trash anywhere in Wood River. Burns asks that people tell the organization where they will be going when they come to pick up supplies, so Wood River Main Street can send a truck to pick up the garbage bags and dispose

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BELLEVILLE - The Belleville Police Department is investigating the death of a 22-year-old man who was fatally shot following an altercation inside an apartment complex Sunday night, April 20, 2025. Officers responded around 11 p.m. April 20 to a report of a gunshot victim in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 200 block of Freedom Drive in Belleville. Upon arrival, they found Keshawn D. Kent unresponsive with a single gunshot wound to the upper torso. Despite immediate life-saving efforts by officers and emergency personnel, Kent was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the St. Clair County Coroner’s office. An investigation revealed that Kent had unlawfully entered an apartment at the complex by climbing through a side window. The apartment was occupied by a 22-year-old woman with whom Kent shared children. Inside the apartment, an altercation took place involving Kent, the female resident, and a 24-year-old man who was also present. Authorities said Kent allegedly

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JERSEYVILLE – A new Thai restaurant is coming to Jerseyville this summer with a Grand Opening set for June 6, 2025. Siam Thai announced Thursday night that they’re currently renovating a space in Jerseyville at 1600 S. State Street, Suite A, the former home of the Wok restaurant . Described as an “authentic Thai restaurant offering a fine dining experience,” Siam Thai plans to offer both dine-in and takeout options from its future Jerseyville location. Their business hours are currently listed on Google Maps as being open every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. This appears to be the restaurant’s first location in the Metro East, with the next-closest location in Chesterfield, Mo . Though menu items may vary between the two locations, a look through their Chesterfield menu offers a glance at the soups, salads, fried rice, stir-fry dishes, Thai E-San dishes, and more Siam Thai has to offer. Community members are already expressing excitement for the

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RED BUD — Fifteen-month-old Reece, born with arthrogryposis and gastroschisis, underwent an amputation recently above his right elbow following complications from surgeries intended to improve his arm function. The surgeries took place in March, and the complication was discovered during a cast removal appointment when Reece’s arm was found to have developed gangrene. Reece’s mother, Kayla McDaniel of Red Bud, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the mounting medical expenses and the cost of future prosthetics. The surgeries, which included a posterior elbow release with tricep plasty, wrist dorsal corrective osteotomy, and thumb thenar release with stiletto flap, were meant to straighten his wrist and thumb and allow his elbow to bend. “This surgery was essentially supposed to straighten his wrist and thumb and release his elbow so it could bend,” McDaniel said. “When we went in for his cast removal, we found his arm was black up to hi

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ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Development Corporation’s Board of Directors has voted to make Otis Williams interim president and executive director of SLDC. Williams brings significant experience to the position, having worked at SLDC for 22 years and served as president and executive director from 2013 to 2021. The City of St. Louis experienced key development successes during Williams’ first tenure at SLDC, including the development of Ballpark Village, Busch Stadium, and Cortex. He was instrumental in keeping the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency in St. Louis, leading to the construction of the federal agency’s new campus in North St. Louis. Williams has a distinguished military career, having served in the U.S. Army for nearly 30 years, reaching the rank of colonel and serving as chief of staff in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The SLDC Board and Neal Richardson, who has served as president and executive director since 2021, have reached a mutual agreement

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WHITE HALL – A man from White Hall faces multiple disturbing charges including production and possession of child pornography and criminal sexual abuse of a minor. Kaleb J. Washausen, 22, of White Hall, was charged with four counts of child pornography, including two Class X felony counts of production and two Class 1 felony counts of possession. He was additionally charged with two Class 2 felony counts of criminal sexual abuse. Washausen is accused of violating 720 ILCS 5/11-20.1(a)(1) , which states anyone who “films, videotapes, photographs, or otherwise depicts or portrays by means of any similar visual medium” a child under the age of 18 engaged in any form of sexual act or lewd exhibition has committed child pornography. He is also charged with violating 720 ILCS 5/11-20.1(a)(6) , which states someone also commits child pornography when they knowingly possess any visual reproduction or depiction of a child engaged in the previously described activity. Und

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Did you know that travelers who plan their trips at least six weeks in advance are 30% more likely to report a higher satisfaction rate with their vacation? Whether it’s the thrill of exploring new landscapes or the desire to unwind from daily stresses, a well-organized trip can transform a simple escape into a memorable experience. Yet, the secret to a perfect getaway lies not just in the destination but in the thoughtful planning that precedes it. Defining Your Ideal Getaway The first step in crafting the perfect spring getaway is understanding what you want to get out of the experience. Are you seeking adventure, relaxation, cultural enrichment, or a bit of everything? This self-assessment will influence every other decision, from location to itinerary. Consider the following questions: What activities bring you joy or relaxation? Are you traveling solo, as a couple, or with family? How much time can you realistically dedicate to your trip? What budget constraints d

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