Riverbender 🕸

Across the Riverbend area, more property owners are looking at pole barns and post-frame buildings for practical, long-lasting space. For some, that means a farm building or equipment storage. For others, it means a garage, workshop, hobby building, commercial-use structure, or a general-purpose storage building that fits their property better than a traditional build. Before getting too far into pricing or design ideas, it helps to take a step back and think through how the building will actually

SPRINGFIELD – Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced $56 million in funding is available for the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) for Public Infrastructure ($25 million), Housing Rehabilitation ($15 million), Community Revitalization ($13 million), and Emergency Assistance ($3 million). Grantees will be selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process. “Here in Illinois,

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) will distribute more than $796,000 over the next three years to expand access to fresh, locally grown produce and boost the competitiveness of the state’s specialty crop industry. This funding is made possible through the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. An application for grant funding will be available this week on the Illinois Department of Agriculture website and must be returned to the Department by noon

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) has recovered significant unpaid wages and assessed penalties against three employers found in violation of the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act (PWA), reinforcing the agency’s commitment to protecting workers and ensuring a level playing field for law-abiding contractors. In separate enforcement actions, IDOL recovered a combined total of more than $398,000 in back wages for 29 workers. General Energy Corp. Following an investigation

GODFREY – After a lengthy discussion, Godfrey village trustees unanimously approved an agreement for architectural services from AAIC for a Recreation Center at their May 5, 2026 meeting. Before the item came up for a vote, Recreational Center Committee member Mark Lorch said Godfrey has over 3,300 kids involved in outdoor recreational programs, but only about 440 in indoor programs. He advised trustees that it might “take a while to fill that Rec Center” with kids and others,

EDWARDSVILLE - An Edwardsville High School senior is leading a community art project to paint the EHS pedestrian tunnel. With just a few weeks left in her high school career, Jazmin Hayes decided she wanted to leave a legacy at the high school and beautify the tunnel for the students and staff members who use it every day. She approached art teacher Cassie Flynn, and they worked together to create a plan. Painting begins next week and Hayes couldn’t be more excited. “I feel

EDWARDSVILLE — For many first-time buyers, the biggest barrier to homeownership isn’t finding the right house — it’s coming up with the cash to get in the door. In Madison County, a local program aims to close that gap, offering financial assistance to help residents move from renting to homeownership. The Madison County HOMEbuyer Assistance Program provides eligible applicants up to $15,000 to assist with down payment and closing costs, easing one of the most significant

GRANITE CITY – The Rotary Club of Granite City recognized juniors Chaze Baiter and Tyler Nonn as Students of the Month for May. Students were nominated by teachers, and were chosen on the basis of academics, as well as scholastic, extracurricular and civic honors and awards, and organization membership and leadership. Each honoree received a framed certificate and a gift card, and was recognized at the Mayors’ Prayer Breakfast on March 24, 2026. CHAZE BAITER High Honor Roll

ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a former high school basketball coach to 90 months in prison for sending sexually explicit photos to students and engaging in sexually explicit conversations with them. Lee Anthony Bogan Jr., 29, was working at a St. Louis area high school at the time. Bogan, known as “Coach Teejay,” used a social media application to contact high school students beginning in the spring of 2024. Bogan sent photos of his

GODFREY — Lewis and Clark Community College student Abigail Johnes is building a future in architecture while balancing a full academic load, leadership roles and extensive community involvement in Calhoun County. A 2025 graduate and valedictorian of Brussels Community High School, Johnes is pursuing an associate degree in architecture at LC, with plans to graduate in 2027. She is an active member of the American Institute of Architecture Students (AIAS), where she serves as

GRANITE CITY - Granite City Community Unit School District #9 partnered with the Granite City Tree Advisory Board to mark Arbor Day on Monday, May 4, 2026, with tree-planting events at Frohardt Elementary School and Grigsby Elementary School in Granite City. The celebration, which had been scheduled for Friday, April 24, 2026, was postponed because of rain, according to the district. Activities began at 9:30 a.m. at Frohardt Elementary School, followed by a luncheon, and continued at Grigsby

GODFREY - Lewis and Clark Community College has started a Unified Special Olympics team. Coach Niki and College For Life students Mary and Justin shared more about the Special Olympics team, called Trailblazers Unified. Students compete in sports like soccer, basketball, flag football, volleyball, cornhole and more. “We get to create a more inclusive environment here at Lewis and Clark, and that’s really important to us,” Niki said. “It’s just creating

EAST ST. LOUIS — East St. Louis School District 189 has been named a Grand Prize winner in the 31st annual MAGNA Awards, a national recognition program sponsored by the National School Boards Association (NSBA) and the Go Green Initiative. The East St. Louis School District is one of only three school systems nationwide to receive this prestigious honor, alongside districts in Washington and Maryland. The MAGNA Awards, presented by the American School Board Journal , recognize exemplary

GODFREY - The damp weather couldn't stop the Village of Godfrey Parks and Recreation Department from hosting their beloved Big Truck Day. On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, kids and families filled Glazebrook Park for the annual event. Kids could climb on and explore ambulances, fire trucks, helicopters, construction equipment and other big trucks. “We just try to make it bigger and better every year,” said Jordan Gintz, recreation supervisor. “You go home with a headache, but

JERSEYVILLE – Allen Snyder has seen his students turn their spark into success using skills he learned and passed along to future generations. Snyder is getting ready to retire this year after 32 years of teaching for Jersey Community Unit School District 100. For Teacher Appreciation Week, Snyder reflected on his teaching career spanning over three decades. As an Industrial Orientation Teacher for Jersey Community High School grades 8-12, Snyder said he “fell into” becoming

JERSEY COUNTY - A Jerseyville man who died late Sunday, May 3, 2026, after a one-car crash on Delhi Road near Hill Drive in Jersey County has been identified by the Jersey County Coroner's Office. Jersey County Coroner Kevin Ayres identified the victim as Ronald L. Barnett, 56, of Jerseyville. The Jersey County Sheriff’s Office received the accident call at 11:38 a.m. Sunday, May 3, 2026. Barnett was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:57 a.m., Ayres said. Coroner Ayres said Barnett’s

JERSEYVILLE – For Carrie Snyders, teaching is about much more than giving grades and assignments – it’s about helping students reach their full potential. After 30 years of dedicated service to Jersey Community Unit School District 100, Snyders is preparing for retirement this year. This Teacher Appreciation Week, she reflected on her career as a second grade teacher at Jerseyville East Elementary. Snyders said she first became a teacher because she “wanted to make

ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office has issued a statement following a fatal stabbing of a 27-year-old third-party contractor around 2:40 a.m. on Monday, May 4, 2026. The stabbing occurred just outside Busch Stadium in the 700 block of Clark Avenue in St. Louis and involved two third-party contractors working at the stadium overnight. St. Louis Metropolitan Police said Arrin Jones, 27, died at the scene. A 65-year-old who stabbed Jones remained at the scene and was initially

ALTON – For the fifth consecutive time OSF Saint Anthony’s Health Center has earned an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from The Leapfrog Group, an independent national nonprofit watchdog focused on patient safety. Leapfrog assigns an “A”, “B”, “C”, “D” or “F” grade to general hospitals across the country using evidence-based measures of patient safety focused exclusively on errors, accidents, injuries and infections.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) in leading 12 of their Democratic Senate colleagues in pressing Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) Chair Andrea Lucas on the Commission’s efforts to weaken a rule affirming employment protections for workers undergoing fertility treatments, including in-vitro fertilization (IVF). By law, the Pregnant Workers Fairness