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ALTON - Madison County Coroner Nicholas P. Novacich on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, identified a 56-year-old Waterford, Pennsylvania, man who died in an industrial accident on July 20, 2026, at Alton Steel Inc. in Alton. The man was identified as Andrew J. Bengel, according to the coroner’s office. The incident happened Monday morning, July 20, 2026, at Alton Steel Inc., 5 Cut Street, and the coroner said preliminary evidence indicates a lifting hook fractured, causing Bengel to be struck by

EDWARDSVILLE - An upcoming event invites community members to enjoy local breweries while supporting honor flights for veterans. Hops & Heroes will take place at the Edwardsville Moose Lodge from 12–4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026. With over 20 breweries represented and five bands on the schedule throughout the day, the event promises to be a ton of fun. All proceeds go toward honor flights for St. Louis area veterans through the Greater St. Louis Honor Flight organization. “They’re

EAST ALTON – An East Alton man with a history of fleeing police and other offenses remains detained after eluding an Alton officer at over 110 mph. Michael C. Ault, 42, of East Alton, was charged with a Class 4 felony count of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer on July 23, 2026. Ault allegedly knowingly fled from an Alton Police officer who had given him a signal to stop the vehicle he was driving on March 23, 2026. His flight from the officer reportedly reached speed

BRIGHTON - Community members can stop by Altonized Community Federal Credit Union in Brighton for a fun open house complete with a foam party, a petting zoo, free treats and more. From 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026, Altonized Community FCU hopes to welcome both members and nonmembers to the event at 200 North Main Street in Brighton. Attendees can learn more about the credit union and their mission to serve the community while enjoying a variety of fun activities. “We

ALTON – Halpin Music is helping band students and parents start the next school year with savings by offering a limited-time giveaway during “Early Bird” instrument rentals through Aug. 7, 2026. Mark Landon with Halpin Music Company stopped by Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com to highlight everything band students and parents should know about instrument rentals and more before school starts again. For decades, Halpin has made access to musical instruments more affordable

ST. CLAIR COUNTY - Bret Michaels has canceled his scheduled Friday, July 30, 2026, performance at Fair St. Clair in St. Clair County, Illinois, after doctors instructed him to take three to four weeks of post-operative recovery following surgery for a complicated obstructing kidney stone, according to a statement posted on Michaels’ Facebook page. Fair St. Clair announced the cancellation in a concert update, saying Michaels would not perform “due to medical reasons.”

EDWARDSVILLE - Summer construction projects are on track for the first day of school in Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7. During the regular Board of Education meeting on July 27, 2026, Superintendent Dr. Allen Duncan provided an update on the summer’s projects and noted that almost all of the projects are finished. The Edwardsville High School parking lot was repaved this summer. It is now striped and ready for students’ first day on Aug. 19, 2026. The Midway

CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker signed into law SB 2427, instituting a statewide cell phone and personal device framework to create distraction-free classrooms, encouraging students to connect more deeply with curriculum and each other, and allowing educators to focus on teaching. The law requires school districts to develop and implement a “bell-to-bell” policy, restricting access to cell phones between the hours of the first arrival bell to the final dismissal bell.

GODFREY — A lightning strike is believed to have caused a small rooftop fire at International Mulch on Tolle Lane on Monday, July 27, 2026, about an hour after multiple power lines went down in three locations after a storm hit with heavy winds, according to Ben Hamberg, assistant fire chief for the Godfrey Fire Protection District. Hamberg said the fire at International Mulch was believed to have been caused by a lightning strike. He said there was a very small fire and “little smoke&rdquo

EDWARDSVILLE - As Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 gears up for the 2026–2027 school year, Superintendent Dr. Allen Duncan can’t wait to jump into his new position. Duncan took on the role of acting superintendent in September 2025, then became the interim superintendent in January 2026. He was officially appointed the district’s superintendent in May 2026. He shared that the last year has been “great,” and he is excited to continue learning and

GILLESPIE - A Litchfield man was charged July 8, 2026, by the Macoupin County State’s Attorney’s Office with residential burglary, possession of a stolen vehicle, and attempted possession of a stolen vehicle in connection with an incident a day earlier in Gillespie, according to the Gillespie Police Department. David W. Hammann, 39, of Litchfield, was charged with one count of Residential Burglary (Class 1 Felony; Not Eligible for Probation), one count of Possession of

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul co-led a bipartisan coalition of 50 attorneys general in calling on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to strengthen its “Know Your Customer” (KYC) rules to help prevent scammers from using the U.S. communications network to make illegal robocalls. KYC rules require phone companies to know who is making calls through their networks and what kinds of business these customers are conducting. With that information, phone companies

CHICAGO – In 2024, Governor JB Pritzker signed a budget creating the first-ever child tax credit in the state of Illinois. In 2025, he signed a budget doubling it. Today, working families in Illinois are eligible for up to $600 in annual tax relief to help pay for groceries, clothes, school supplies, childcare, or other essentials needed to support their families. Gov. Pritzker knows that costs are too high for too many Illinois families, and he is committed to making the state a

GLEN CARBON - The Glen Carbon Police Department said it is aware of a social media video involving an arrest that occurred over the weekend and confirmed that one individual is in custody, Lt. Jeffrey Blind announced on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. Blind said the case remains an active and ongoing investigation and that no additional information can be released at this time. “We want to reassure the community that at no time was there a threat to public safety,” Lt. Blind said. The

WOOD RIVER - Captain Scott Crump, B-Shift commander for the Wood River Fire Department, marked 16 years on the job over the weekend, the department announced. Including his paid-on-call time, Crump has served the City of Wood River for 21 years, according to the post. The department congratulated Crump and wished him a happy anniversary.

PONTOON BEACH - Pontoon Beach Police Chief Chris Modrusic issued the following statements after the arrests in a recent homicide in the region. "On behalf of the Pontoon Beach Police Department, I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to everyone who assisted in the successful homicide investigation. "Thank you to the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis and all of its investigators for their professionalism, dedication, and tireless work throughout this investigation. Your expertise

PONTOON BEACH - Charges have been filed against four people in the July 26, 2026, homicide of Ceontae D. Matthews in Pontoon Beach, Illinois, after an investigation by the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis that included 45 leads, interviews, and evidence collection, authorities announced. The killing occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday, July 26, 2026, in the 4000 block of Pontoon Road in Pontoon Beach. After what authorities described as a thorough investigation, the Major Case Squa

MEADOWBROOK/BETHALTO – Family members, veterans, local officials, and community members gathered Saturday as State Representative Amy Elik (111th-Alton) and State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) officially dedicated the "Cpl. Tommy N. Miller Memorial Highway" along Illinois Route 140 through Meadowbrook, ensuring the sacrifice of a local Marine who gave his life in Vietnam will never be forgotten. "Today, we honored a young man who left home to serve his country and never had

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, announced the award recipients of the Local Food Infrastructure Grant Program, distributing nearly $4 million in fiscal year 2026 funding to support the continued expansion of Illinois’ local food system. Two Jersey recipients, one Greene County recipient and one Madison County recipient were announced. The four in the region were: Fritz Meat and Processing, Jersey County, $57,721.50. Three

VIRDEN – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced a Virden, Illinois man pleaded guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material. Jacob Monty, 29, pleaded guilty today in Macoupin County Circuit Court to two Class 2 counts of possessing child sexual abuse material involving a victim under the age of 13. Monty’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 28. “Individuals who possess child sexual abuse material are perpetuating the exploitation and abuse of children across the globe,&rdquo