Riverbender 🕸

Couples names: Jacob and Christina Hall City: Godfrey Date met pr started dating: March 16, 2022 Date married: October 12, 2002 What makes your relationship special? We tried to get married after a month of dating. Our parents were not happy! (Having our own children now, we can understand why. Lol) We married on our 6 month anniversary and have been married for 20 years now. Share a memory you have made together: There are so many that it is hard to choose but one that sticks out would be hiking up Bell Mountain in Missouri on Easter weekend during Covid and listening to a sermon with our 3 kids at sunset on top of the mountain.

Continue Reading

Couples names: Josh and Rebecca Billingsley City: Alton Date met pr started dating: July 14, 2020 Date married: September 11, 2021 What makes your relationship special? We try and put each other first. If we get into an argument we apologize, talk it out, and learn from it. We keep christ in the center of our marriage. Share a memory you have made together: We have made a lot of memories in a short period of time like getting married, having a child but one of our favorites was going to Lambeau Stadium to see the Packers.

Continue Reading

Couples names: David and Carrie City: Saint Elmo Date met pr started dating: July 4, 2021 Date married: June 25, 2022 What makes your relationship special? David and I met through some of the same Friends we had on FB. He was extremely respectful and charming. We met and we hit it off right off the bat. He and I have so much in common and he is someone I am blessed to spend the rest of my life with him. Share a memory you have made together: We share many moments together and the best ones are going to concerts and just taking a break and getting away for some one-on-one time. Every moment is amazing with him.

Continue Reading

Couples names: Eric & Jennifer City: Wood River Date met pr started dating: November 1, 2009 Date married: May 1, 2012 What makes your relationship special? We had met as teens and been pen pals for quite some time. Life happens marriage, kids, divorce. Met up to chat about life and it has all been a roller coaster since then. Share a memory you have made together: We have made many memories with our blessed blended family. Favorites would be back yard barbecues with all the kids and grandkids.

Continue Reading

CARROLLTON - The 2023 Carrollton High School Career Fair will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., with setup beginning at 8 a.m. Several local businesses and organizations will have the chance to tell students more about their career opportunities and recruit potential employees. Lunch will also be provided during a lunch break from 11:04 a.m. to 11:34 a.m. Agriculture Teacher and FFA Advisor Blaine Hartwick said the event raises awareness of the opportunities CHS students have right in their own community. “My goal for the career fair is to show students the different opportunities that they have for career choices in our local area if they choose to stay home and raise a family here,” Hartwick said. “I think sometimes small communities like ours get bad reps for not having opportunities,” he added. “I feel like we are blessed in our area with a good variety of options and careers.” Local businesses, colleges, military

Continue Reading

Couples names: Mathew and Jessica Lister City: Jerseyville Date met pr started dating: February 25, 2011 Date married: February 27, 2021 What makes your relationship special? We met and fell in love in Italy. Share a memory you have made together: We moved to Seattle WA together after high school.

Continue Reading

Couples names: Tracey & Donna City: Brighton Date met pr started dating: November 30, 1993 Date married: November 10, 1994 What makes your relationship special? Understanding, appreciation, and a very rare love that not many people are blessed enough to find in their lifetime. Share a memory you have made together: We have welcomed a son into the world , we have welcomed grandchildren into the world there are so many years of love and laughter.

Continue Reading

Couples names: Jacob & Edith Miller City: Wood River Date met pr started dating: April 1, 1945 Date married: July 1, 1945 What makes your relationship special? Faith and love of each other and their family Share a memory you have made together: Being married 78 years in July. Having our three children, 7 grandkids, 18 great-grandkids (not including spouses), and 4 great great grandkids.

Continue Reading

Couples names: Josh, Kara City: East Alton Date met pr started dating: June 24, 2017 What makes your relationship special? This year we will have been together 6 years and I still miss Josh the minute he leaves. Watching him be a dad to Cam is my favorite thing in life! Share a memory you have made together: Last year we brought our son, Cam, into the world! The best thing we’ve ever done.

Continue Reading

Couples names: Kim & Kraig Daniels City: Hartford Date met pr started dating: August 30, 2014 Date married: October 14, 2017 What makes your relationship special? We’re best friends?? Life can be rough and stressful at times but at the end of the day, we always know who to turn to, to make each other smile and feel secure. Share a memory you have made together: One of our best memories outside of having kids was experiencing our first vacation together. I planned a surprise trip to Eugene Oregon, that will be a forever memory we look back on and smile.

Continue Reading

GODFREY – The RiverBend Growth Association added four more members to its organization to kick off its new year. New members included Zonta Club of Alton-Wood River, Final Touch Salon and Boutique, CJ’s Juicery, and Just Right Organizing. Founded in 1949, the Zonta Club of Alton-Wood River is one of about 1,200 clubs in 63 countries. The original Zonta Club was formed in 1919. The organization was begun to advocate for and assist aspiring female business professionals. The Zonta Club also works to increase awareness about the negative impact of child marriage and advocates for legislation throughout the United States to prevent the marriage of anyone under 18 years of age. The local group supports the Oasis Women’s Center and also awards scholarships to women pursuing advanced education at Lewis and Clark Community College. To become a member of the Zonta Club, one must be a female employed as a professional or a businesswoman. For more information about Zonta

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE – The intersection of North Buchanan Street and Hillsboro Avenue will be closed on Friday, February 3, for ongoing work as part of a water main replacement project. Only the intersection will be closed on Friday. Motorists will have access to the rest of North Buchanan Street and Hillsboro Avenue. North Fillmore Street, North Kansas Street, and other nearby roads can be used to bypass the intersection. It will reopen as soon as the work can be completed. The closure is needed to continue upgrading businesses and residents along North Buchanan to a new, larger water main. It is part of a project to move all of the businesses and homes on North Buchanan between Union Street and East Vandalia Street from a century-old 4-inch cast iron main to a new 12-inch water main. The City of Edwardsville appreciates the cooperation and patience of all residents and businesses during this closure. Please contact Public Works at (618) 692-7535 with any questions.

Continue Reading

ALTON - The Overnight Warming Center in Alton will be activating Wednesday evening, Feb. 1, 2023. The center opens at 5 p.m. at Deliverance Temple 1125 E. 6th St. in Alton.

Continue Reading

GODFREY - Godfrey’s Bethany Bohn has spent her adult life serving and assisting others. She began her tenure as the Village of Godfrey deputy clerk in 2012 and in 2020 she was elected to the village’s clerk position. Bethany has battled cancer since January 2019 and has accumulated a staggering amount of medical bills during that time. Her family is now in need of help because of the financial strain of treatment for her condition. A GoFundMe has been established for her to help lessen her medical debt to eliminate stress in the future for her three children Jake, Madison, and Piper, and husband, John. Some will remember Bethany as a Realtor for Landmark Realty in Godfrey before her work with the village. “Please consider donating to this fund so that Bethany can achieve peace of mind for the future of her family,” organizers of the GoFundMe said. Over the years, Bethany has served her community in many ways in numerous charities. She volunteers and has donate

Continue Reading

ST. LOUIS - The legendary “Beatle Bob” Robert Matonis recently ended his concert streak around the St. Louis area that started on Christmas Day, 1996. Matonis has always been visible at the side of the stage dancing at concert venues across the St. Louis region. If “Beatle Bob” attended a concert, a band knew they were on the right track and in some ways, had made it. Beatle Bob’s streak continued for 9,439 days, which does not include 85 days during the COVID-19 Pandemic when concerts were not happening in town. The feat, when one thinks about it, is beyond remarkable. Matonis is a huge part of the St. Louis entertainment culture and folklore. Bob is now 70 years old and announced recently he had to spend a few days at Barnes-Jewish Hospital for treatment, which sidelined his concert streak. He also said he has been diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease in February 2021 and has not been able to dance at some of the recent concerts he attended. A

Continue Reading

JERSEYVILLE/CARLINVILLE - Melissa Dandino, fundraising coordinator at the Unified Child Advocacy Network, recently appeared on an episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com to discuss the work the organization does for local child victims of abuse, as well as their upcoming fundraiser at Reno's Pizza in Carlinville. “We’re a nonprofit organization representing Calhoun, Greene, Jersey, Macoupin, and Montgomery counties," Dandino said. "We help children tell their stories in a child-friendly environment - from there, we help them to seek out medical doctors and counseling, and we also help the families receive and find services that will help them all move on with their healing.” She said the organization has a Child Advocate who works with families and children to get them medical attention and counseling and make sure the counselors are “doing what they should do to help the child.” They also have a forensic interviewer named Holly who conducts

Continue Reading

GODFREY - Tami Berkel, a local dog rescuer, has a favorite phrase about the process involved in saving the lives of dogs who need immediate compassion and assistance for survival: "it takes a village," she says. Tami's latest rescue dog is Gretchen, who appears to be a lab-hound and blue healer breed. An area rescue group - Lost Paws Trapping - found Gretchen after she was hit by a truck in Belleville, and thanks to some kind area individuals and contributors, is on her way to living a happy life. Despite her serious injury, she still has a long journey to go. Recently, Gretchen had a successful Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO) surgery. Lisa Lewis and Found A Hound Rescue took interest in Gretchen and one of their volunteers - Tami Berkel - decided to foster Gretchen. Gretchen was struck by the truck nearly two weeks ago and left for dead with severe breaks and a shifted pelvis. Local animal hospitals felt the surgery was too complicated and encouraged the rescuers to contact

Continue Reading

ALTON/GLEN CARBON - Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Catholic Diocese of Springfield in Illinois will pay a visit to both Marquette Catholic High School and Father McGivney Catholic High School on Thursday. Bishop Paprocki will visit with both students and staff as part of the weeklong celebration of National Catholic Schools Week (Jan. 29-Feb. 4). The bishop will visit Father McGivney first at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7190 Bouse Road in Glen Carbon, then celebrate with a Mass at Marquette Catholic at 1:30 p.m. at 219 E. Fourth St. in Alton. The Diocese of Springfield serves 124,000 Catholics in 28 counties in Central Illinois. There are 43 Catholic schools in the diocese (36 elementary, and 7 high schools).

Continue Reading

WATERLOO - Sam Houston walked away a millionaire after finding the Queen of Hearts card during the final drawing of the long-running Waterloo Queen of Hearts drawing on Tuesday night, Jan. 31, 2023. The total jackpot amount was $1,886,536. With just three cards left - #28, #49, or #53 - Houston picked card #28, which was revealed to be the Queen of Hearts. The crowd surrounding Outsider Pub in Waterloo erupted in cheers and applause. A total of 20% of the funds raised from this drawing will benefit the Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School in Waterloo . Music and Band Teacher Chad Minier revealed the winning card and made the announcement. “Number 28 is … Queen of Hearts! Queen of Hearts, congratulations,” Minier said. “We have a winner!” He went on to say that due to safety concerns, a cash prize would not be given out to the winners of the Queen of Hearts and 50/50 drawings that night, but a check would be written to the winners on Feb.

Continue Reading

Couples names: Jeff and Jody City: Bethalto Date met pr started dating: August 25, 1983 Date married: June 25, 1988 What makes your relationship special? We met in high school and immediately fell in love. We have been through so much together and have made many wonderful memories. We still face challenges- I am battling cancer and he is recovering from a stroke- but we are facing it together and growing closer in our relationship every day. Share a memory you have made together: Our favorite memory is the birth of our beautiful daughter 26 years ago. After several unsuccessful attempts, she is our miracle.

Continue Reading