Riverbender 🕸

GODFREY – Fran Scheurer, President, introduced Ginger Woodman and her therapy dog, Koda as Godfrey Women’s Club 2026 recipient of the Golden Leaf Award. "Ginger and Koda are well known in the Riverbend area," Scheurer said. "They have logged many hours visiting area senior living homes, memory care homes, hospitals, cancer centers, schools and churches, several times per week. "It is an honor to present one of our past members with our Golden Leaf Award. Thank you for your continued

ALTON – An Alton man accused of fleeing police at high speeds in a residential neighborhood and nearly striking an officer’s car has been detained on felony and misdemeanor charges. Kenneth E. Douglas, 37, of Alton, was charged on May 19, 2026 with two Class 4 felony counts of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer, one Class 4 felony count of aggravated assault of a peace officer, and one count each of resisting a peace officer and driving while license is revoked,

ALTON - The Old Bakery Beer Company has a special deal for community members who want to use their event space, plus plenty of fun events and specials coming up in the next few weeks. From now until June 15, 2026, anyone who rents the event space for a 2026 event will not pay the typical room fee. Owner Lauren Pattan hopes this deal allows more people to utilize the space. “I think people who like the general vibe of our restaurant will enjoy the vibe of the space as well. We’ve

ALTON - A local Alton High School student is making waves at Alton Little Theater as their youngest cast member for the past two productions. Ella Beauchamp, 16, enjoyed performing at ALT as a member of the ensemble of “Godspell.” She was also recently cast in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” As Beauchamp prepares for her junior year, she hopes to continue performing in community theater as well as with AHS’s theater department. “I feel

COLLINSVILLE – Illinois State Police (ISP) Troop 8 Commander, Captain Casey Faro, announces the ISP will conduct Alcohol Countermeasure Enforcement (ACE) patrols in Madison and St. Clair counties during June. ACE patrols allow the ISP to focus on preventing, detecting, and taking enforcement action in response to violations associated with impaired driving and illegal transportation or consumption of alcohol or drugs. The ISP has zero tolerance for impaired driving in Illinois. Officers

GODFREY - Vitality Women’s Clinic is a faith-based, pro-life pregnancy center in Godfrey. Representatives from the clinic shared more about their work in the community. Vitality provides free pregnancy and STI testing and ultrasounds. They also offer parenting classes and resources. They do not provide or refer for abortions. Executive Director Jackie Duty believes the center is a great support for new and expecting parents. “Women walking into our clinic know that they’re

ALTON - YWCA is proud to host “A Day in the Life,” a powerful devised theater production presented by 3 Purple Coats Productions on Wednesday, June 24 at Hatheway Hall on the campus of Lewis and Clark Community College (5800 Godfrey Rd., Godfrey, IL). Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the performance beginning at 7:00 p.m. 3 Purple Coats Productions, under the direction of playwright and creative director LJ Becoat, partners with everyday community members to create powerful devised theate

ALTON – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that intermittent daytime lane closures will take place at the intersection of Illinois 100 and U.S. 67 in Madison County on Monday, June 1, and Tuesday, June 2, weather permitting. The lane closures are necessary for the evaluation of pavement conditions. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling

ST. LOUIS – As Americans head to lakes and rivers for the 2026 recreation season, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is reminding everyone to make water safety part of every outdoor adventure. USACE manages more than 400 lake and river projects nationwide and welcomes millions of visitors each year. While those visits create opportunities for recreation and family memories, preventable tragedies still occur on public waters annually, many involving people not wearing life jackets. Statistics

On May 30, 1431, Joan of Arc was executed in Rouen, a moment that became one of the most remembered events of the late Middle Ages. Captured during the Hundred Years’ War and tried for heresy by a court aligned with English authority, she was burned at the stake at about 19 years old. At the time, her death was meant to weaken French resistance and discredit the young woman who had helped change the course of the war. Instead, her story endured. She remained a symbol of conviction, national

BERKELEY, MO. - One person was killed, and three others were injured, on Thursday evening, May 28, 2026, in a shooting at a birthday gathering at Ramona-Mathison Lake Park in Berkeley, Mo., where authorities said a family dispute over children playing too close to the lake triggered the gunfire. The victim was identified as Lamonte Keys. Authorities said four people were shot in the incident, which developed around 5:20 p.m. Thursday at Ramona Lake in Berkeley. On Friday, May 29, 2026, Devion

EDWARDSVILLE — Edwardsville’s boys volleyball season ended Thursday night, May 28, 2026, with a loss to O’Fallon in the IHSA Regional Final at Lucco-Jackson Gym, but coach Doug Allen said the Tigers’ 24-14 finish and returning experience point to a promising 2027 campaign. The Tigers fought hard against a top-notch O’Fallon boys volleyball team on May 28, 2026, closing a season that Coach Allen said surpassed what many expected from a roster that returned one varsity

ALTON – Alton Mayor David Goins recently warned ongoing efforts to require more transparent billing practices from a city attorney may be unconstitutional and lead to a potential lawsuit. At the May 27, 2026 City Council meeting, Goins presented his research findings on the subject, which he said were confirmed by the Illinois Municipal League. He and the IML said imposing billing requirements on the city attorney may amount to an “unconstitutional” alteration of his contract

WOOD RIVER - The Wood River Police Department executed a drug-related search warrant in the 500 block of Park Lane on the afternoon of Thursday, May 28, 2026, as part of an investigation that began with an aggravated battery reported early May 27, according to the department. Wood River Police said the search warrant was tied to an ongoing investigation into the aggravated battery. During that investigation, officers developed information regarding the suspected illegal use of narcotic

ALTON – OSF HealthCare has named Lisa Schepers, DNP, as the next permanent president of OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton, Illinois. Schepers has been interim president since February 2026, when Zach Yoder departed to lead three other hospitals in the OSF Western Region. As president, Schepers will oversee all operations at OSF Saint Anthony’s, with a focus on strengthening hospital performance, elevating patient experience and ensuring delivery of high-quality,

GLEN CARBON – Glen Carbon residents are set to pay more for their water service starting next year as the village builds a nearly $16.5 million water treatment plant. Trustees unanimously approved an ordinance amending the village’s water rates for Fiscal Years 2027 and 2028 at their May 26, 2026 meeting. The change reflects a 12% annual increase for both the service and usage charges for village-supplied water effective Jan. 1, 2027, with an additional 12% increase effective Jan.

LITCHFIELD/GRANITE CITY - Over 300 Jeeps will cruise Route 66 before coming together at Granite City’s Route 66 Centennial Grand Finale Celebration. On Saturday, June 6, 2026, Jeep owners are invited to join the Jeep run and travel the last 100 miles of Route 66 in Illinois. The run starts at 9 a.m. at Skyview Drive-In in Litchfield and travels through the countryside to Granite City. Jeeps are expected to arrive in Granite City in time for their Route 66 celebration from 4–10

ALTON - The Alton Police Department said it will increase enforcement of several city park ordinances after receiving concerns and complaints from neighbors and Park Commission members about activity in city parks. The Police Department announced the stepped-up enforcement in a public notice from Alton, saying the effort is intended to help keep parks “safe, clean, and enjoyable for everyone.” The notice did not specify when the increased enforcement would begin. According

CHARLESTON - Senior track and field star Tullio Zamperi is no stranger to statewide competitions, as he has represented the Eagles in both state track and field and cross country events. On Friday, May 29, 2026, Zamperi delivered a dazzling performance in the 800-meter prelims, posting a sixth-place time of 1:55.22. Zamperi will join CM junior Glenn Collins in Saturday's finals race. Collins was the second-place qualifier in the prelims. Zamperi is a Tom Lane State Farm Insurance Male Athlete

CHARLESTON — Civic Memorial junior Glenn Collins advanced to the boys' 800-meter final Friday, May 29, 2026, after finishing second in the prelims at the IHSA Class 2A State Track and Field Meet in Charleston with a time of 1 minute, 54.35 seconds. Collins trailed only Waterloo’s Luke Smith, who posted the top prelims time of 1:54.07, setting up what could be a close race in Saturday’s final. “My thinking was to get to the finals in the 800 meters,” Collins said.