Riverbender 🕸

FULTON, MO. - Kaleb Hinkle-Pruett from East Alton, IL, was named to the Fall 2022 Dean's List for exemplary academic performance at Westminster College. Hinkle-Pruett is a Sophomore at Westminster. The Dean's List recognizes Westminster students who have shown high academic performance during the past semester. To be included on the Dean's List, a student must achieve a 3.60-semester grade point average with at least 12 hours completed that semester. The list of 227 students includes 51 freshmen, 53 sophomores, 69 juniors and 54 seniors. Class rank is based on course hours completed before the fall semester. President and Chief Transformation Officer Donald P. Lofe, Jr., recently commended the students for their exemplary academic performance. "These students have worked hard and achieved an honor we take seriously at Westminster," Lofe said. "On behalf of the entire college community, I want to congratulate each one of them on this outstanding accomplishment." Founded in

Continue Reading

GODFREY – In recognition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday in the lead-up to Black History Month, Lewis and Clark Community College held a celebration Jan. 26, featuring keynote speaker Rev. Shelia Goins. Goins, who spoke to the group about the importance of financial literacy, is a retired bank manager and was the first African American woman to be hired as a branch manager in the Riverbend area. Among Goins’ accomplishments, she has served on the Alton Parks and Recreation Board of Directors, St. Anthony’s Hospital Foundations Board, Arms of Love/Options Now board chair, and Riverbend Growth Association ambassador, where she was named Ambassador of the Year in 2012 and 2013. She became an ordained reverend with Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church in 2008. Currently, Goins is vice-chairman of the Alton Memorial Hospital Board of Directors, a member of the James Killion Park Beautification and Enhancement Committee, and a member of the Wood River

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE – The Gori Law Firm recently announced it has earned the 2023 Top Workplaces USA designation. The annual list was published on February 1. This year marks the third consecutive year the firm has been recognized both regionally and nationally as a Top Workplace. Selection of Top Workplaces is based solely on employee feedback. Each year, thousands of surveys are issued to employees of nominated workplaces across the country by Energage, a Philadelphia-based workplace survey and performance Certified B Corporation. More than 1,270 organizations, including the Edwardsville, Ill., based firm, were recognized as 2023 Top Workplaces USA recipients. “We are incredibly honored and excited to once again be recognized as a Top Workplace,” said Sara Salger, managing partner of The Gori Law Firm. “We strive to create an exceptional work environment for our employees and are thankful for their feedback. Without them, this award would not be possible.”

Continue Reading

ALTON - Air Force Veteran Brendan Henrion and his wife, Tiffany, are planning to bring a Vietnam Memorial Wall to Alton with a project named “Remembering Vietnam.” After meeting with Alton Mayor David Goins, they’re now in the process of raising donations and finding a location for the wall. Henrion served for four years in the Air Force and said the inspiration for the wall came from Tiffany’s grandfather, a Vietnam veteran named Edward Buckshot. “My wife’s grandfather is a marine, he served two tours in Vietnam … years ago, he came up with the origins of the whole project dedicating a memorial wall for Vietnam,” Brendan said. “He experienced that when everybody came home, they had all been drafted to go serve, then they all came home and they got spat on and not really welcomed with open arms. There’s a lot of us who feel like Vietnam veterans weren’t appreciated at that point.” He said the wall

Continue Reading

CARLINVILLE - On Thursday, Carlinville High School captured first in the 700 division of the Academic Challenge (ACES) Regional Competition. The event was co-hosted by CHS and Blackburn College. The 700 division consists of schools with enrollment between 300 and 700 students. Roxana finished in second place, and East Alton-Wood River finished in third place. In the picture above are the Carlinville High team members: Front Row: Clara Gray, Melanie Murphy, Madalynn Bloome, and Kayla Quarton Back Row: Tomas Cottingham, Charlie Wilson, Zander Poe, Alex Scott, and Hayden Truax. Not pictured is Giampaulo Pascarella. The coaches are Jason Crowell, Darrin DeNeve, Chad Easterday, Ethan Klaffer, and Charlie Taylor. The ACES contest is an academic contest based on students’ abilities in the areas of Mathematics, Computer Science, Biology, English, Physics, Engineering Graphics, and Chemistry. Each student chooses two subjects to focus on. Individual honors earned by Carlinville

Continue Reading

MADISON COUNTY - Amanda Wilson, owner and founder of her new business The Essentials House Cleaning, said she comes from “a long line of entrepreneurs,” including her mother who used to run a house-cleaning business of her own. She’s now continuing her family’s entrepreneurial tradition with her new house-cleaning business, and she said feedback has been positive so far. “I come from a long line of entrepreneurs,” Wilson said. “My mom, she had her own house-cleaning business for about eight years until she kind of hurt herself. I decided to take on the family roots and start my own business.” She said the name - The Essentials House Cleaning - speaks to keeping one’s “essential” space clean. “Your home is like your ‘essential’ place of living,” she said. “Who doesn’t want to be in a clean space?” Wilson said she offers commercial and residential cleaning services in the

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Rotary Club has chosen to honor Edwardsville High School student Brooke Young with the Student of the Month Award for the month of January. Brooke Young was nominated by Honors Chemistry teacher Melissa Barnett at Edwardsville High School. Brooke is the daughter of Stephanie and Edward Young and is an exemplary student at Edwardsville High. Brooke is an Illinois State Scholar and a member of National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, and Mu Alpha Theta, the Math Honor Society. Brooke has a passion for science and hopes to continue pursuing a career in STEM by going to college for a major in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering. Alongside her academic interests, Brooke also enjoys swimming, reading, traveling, and peer-to-peer tutoring. The Edwardsville Rotary Club recognizes a student each month September through April. Each May, Edwardsville High School staff chooses one of the monthly winners to receive the $1,500 Edwardsville EHS Rotary Scholarship.

Continue Reading

GODFREY - Great-horned owls and barred owls are the two common owls in Illinois. During the winter these owls build nests, find mates, and defend their territory. Since owls are active and vocal when defending their territories, it gives us a chance to consistently hear them in the wild. The Nature Institute will host two Owl Prowl events to give the public a chance to learn more about owls and hear them in the preserve. Treehouse Wildlife Center will bring several owl species to The Nature Institute on two occasions this winter. The Valentine’s Day Owl Prowl on February 14 is designed for adults. This program will be a unique event with learning, appetizers, and wine for groups of friends and couples to enjoy together. The Treehouse program will start indoors with the live owls and snacks, then we will head outside to call and listen for wild owls. On February 18, Treehouse will return for a family-oriented program. Families will learn about owls, meet the owl ambassadors then

Continue Reading

ALTON - Michael “Doc” Holliday Sr. Of Alton has a long history of community service in the Alton area. He has taken that service to another level at this point as he is the newly elected president of the Alton Branch of the NAACP. He is succeeding Andy Hightower, who choose not to run for re-election. Michael Sr. has been married to his wife, Priscilla, for 45 years. They have two children Michael Jr. and Erica. Michael Sr. was previously 1st Vice President of the Alton Branch of the NAACP. Michael is a Navy veteran. He also has retired from Olin Corporation after 39 years. He became a Precinct Committeeman in 1984, He twice held the Presidency of The Alton, Illinois, Chapter of The 100 Black Men of America, Board Member of The American Cancer Society, Chairman of the Deacon Board of Union Baptist Church (The Oldest Baptist Church in Illinois), he was elected to the Madison County Board in 1998 and still serving. He is currently President of The Illinois Association of Count

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE – SIUE researcher Shivendu Pratap Singh, PhD, assistant professor in the School of Business’ Department of Computer Management & Information Systems (CMIS), has a published article in the December 2022 edition of Service Business by Pan-Pacific Business Association. The article is entitled “Overcoming bias against funding of female-led entrepreneurial initiatives: the democratizing influence of online crowdlending platforms.” Singh started off working in New Zealand where his interest in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) was sparked, along with the concept of crowdlending which is when individuals lend small amounts of money to companies in exchange for a financial return that is specified in a loan agreement. Singh reports that the article is meant to convey the message that “female entrepreneurs should not be discouraged by any bias they experience in traditional financing environment” and that “our support for crowdlending

Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and U.S. Representative Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) today introduced bicameral legislation aimed at reducing gun violence by preventing the theft of firearms from federally-licensed gun dealers (FFLs). The Safety Enhancements for Communities Using Reasonable and Effective (SECURE) Firearm Storage Act would address the problem of “smash and grab” gun store burglaries by requiring all firearms to be securely stored when a federally-licensed gun dealer is not open for business. Additionally, the bill would authorize the Attorney General to review and put forth additional security measures to reduce the risk of theft, and requires a new section on the FFL application for an applicant to describe security plans before a license can be approved. Gun thefts from FFLs are a significant problem across the country. In 2020 and 2021, FFLs reported a combined 769 burglaries t

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE — The Edwardsville Arts Center (EAC) Board of Directors has appointed Beth Browne as the new Executive Director of the EAC. Browne’s five years’ experience on the EAC Board of Directors, combined with 21 years of various involvement in the community art scene, will undoubtedly help further the organization’s mission of enriching the lives and creative spirits of community members. "We are so glad to welcome Beth to our team,” comments EAC Director of Programs, Carolyn Tidball. “During Beth’s time as a board member, she has shown herself to be committed to the arts, a very hard worker, and has a collaborative mindset. As an artist herself, she truly understands the importance of our mission to make art accessible to everyone in our community." As Executive Director, Browne will be responsible for day-to-day operations of the EAC, ensuring ongoing local programming excellence, continual community outreach and networking, and developing

Continue Reading

ALTON - At just five-foot-four-inches, many coaches told Marquette Catholic senior Haley Rodgers that she wasn't going to make it out on the basketball court. She wanted to prove them all wrong and that's exactly what she did. After being in talks with a college coach for about a year she made the decision to continue her basketball career at Greenville University. She signed her letter of intent Wednesday afternoon fulfilling a dream that she's had for many years now. "I went to a college game with my dad, it was actually a Lewis and Clark game, and it's just been my dream ever since to play in college," Rodgers said. She certainly wasn't going to let her size get in her way. "I started basketball in sixth grade, I've always been small," Rodgers said. "I've had a few coaches tell me that I can't do it because of my height and size but I'm happy to say I've made my dream come true." For overcoming the odds, Haley Rodgers is a Tucker's Automotive Repair & Tire Female Athlete

Continue Reading

CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is currently accepting applications for the 2023 DCFS Scholarship Program. Through the program, a minimum of 53 academic scholarships will be awarded to current and former youth in care for the upcoming school year, with four awards reserved for the children of veterans. Scholarship recipients receive up to five consecutive years of tuition and academic fee waivers to be used at participating Illinois state community colleges and public universities, a monthly grant of $1,506 to offset other expenses and a medical card. On average, the department receives 200 application packets each year, and has awarded over 1,500 scholarships since the program began in 1971. “Students who have been involved in the foster care system face a unique set of challenges from a young age that often set them at a disadvantage when it comes to funding their education,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “The DCFS Scholarship

Continue Reading

WASHINGTON—U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today introduced the Protecting Student Athletes from Concussions Act to strengthen elementary and secondary school procedures for preventing, identifying, and treating student-athletes who sustain concussions. While athletics are important to helping students learn team-building skills and connect with their peers, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic, participating in school sports is not without risk. The National Federation of State High School Associations estimates that about 140,000 students playing high school sports suffer concussions every year, though many go unreported. Despite potential long-term impacts, concussions are not always easily diagnosed, and symptoms do not always manifest themselves immediately. Durbin’s bill requires states to adopt a “when in doubt, sit it out” policy, which prevents student athletes suspected of having sustained a concussion from returning to play

Continue Reading

ALTON - The month of February is National Children’s Dental Health Month. Riverbend Head Start & Family Services (RHSFS) is committed to educating and offering free dental services to the children and their parents who participate in our program(s). The scope of this ongoing project is to provide oral health services to the more than 750 at-risk children under the age of five who live in Madison County, IL and attend one of our Head Start centers. We also provide oral health education for kids and their parents or caregivers. The children in our program receive dental screenings, treatments, and surgeries thanks to our community partners like Delta Dental. RHSFS covers the cost of treatments and surgeries performed by Associated Pediatric Dentistry and Riverbend Pediatric Dentistry because our families cannot afford to pay for them. Our staff can also help transport the child and their parents or caregiver to dental appointments. “Poor dental health can contribute to

Continue Reading

Among the New Year’s resolutions worldwide, many people have pledged to find and stick with a healthy diet. But there’s a lot more to it than just grabbing every “reduced fat” item off the grocery store shelf. Karen Whitehorn, MD , an OSF HealthCare internal medicine physician, hears questions all the time about diets. Her first question back is usually: what do you want out of your diet? Do you want to be healthy? Lose weight? Manage a medical condition? Sort through the details, and you’ll find the best option.Exploring the popular optionsU.S. News and World Report recently consulted a panel of medical and nutrition experts to rank the best diets . The Mediterranean diet topped the list. Dr. Whitehorn says this diet is based on the eating habits of people who live near the Mediterranean Sea. It’s a plant-based diet, incorporating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, brown rice and seafood.“The Mediterranean diet is actually pretty easy to

Continue Reading

ST. LOUIS - St. Louis-based law firm Lewis Rice has promoted Kelly M. Gorman and Justin M. Ladendorf to members of the firm. Gorman joined Lewis Rice as a summer associate in 2014 shortly before graduating from the University of Missouri School of Law. She practices in Lewis Rice’s Pension & Employee Benefits , Health Care and Corporate departments. Her peers have selected her for inclusion in Best Lawyers ’ “Ones to Watch” for the last three years. Ladendorf practices in the firm’s Commercial Litigation , Labor & Employment , and Bankruptcy, Restructuring & Workouts departments. He also started his career with Lewis Rice as a summer associate in 2013 and 2014 before graduating from Saint Louis University School of Law. Active in his community, Ladendorf serves on Aim High St. Louis’ Board of Directors.

Continue Reading

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) spoke on the Senate floor highlighting the dangers of cryptocurrency and emphasizing his continued skepticism. During his speech, Durbin outlined the collapse of various crypto firms such as FTX, which imploded and led to the resignation of CEO Sam Bankman-Fried a few months ago. “It’s been called ‘new money,’ ‘digital cash,’ and even the way of the future. I have another name for it: reckless, predatory, foolish, dangerous. I’m referring, of course, to cryptocurrency. The latest scam to rip off millions of hardworking Americans to the tune of billions of dollars. In under a decade, this industry skyrocketed in popularity—and raked in big bucks for its leading speculators—before exploding into dust for all the world to see,” said Durbin. In 2022, Bitcoin cratered—losing more than 60 percent of its value in one year. If you purchased one Bitcoin

Continue Reading

Couples names: David and Theresa City: Mt Olive Date met pr started dating: October 9, 1997 Date married: May 22, 1999 What makes your relationship special? Love to spend time together Share a memory you have made together: Grandchildren

Continue Reading