Riverbender 🕸

MONTGOMERY COUNTY – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a Litchfield, Illinois man was sentenced to 23 years in prison for disseminating child sexual abuse material. The case is part of Raoul’s ongoing work, in collaboration with federal law enforcement agencies and local law enforcement officials throughout Illinois, to apprehend offenders who download and trade child sexual abuse material online. Dean Beasley, 19, was sentenced today in Montgomery County Circuit Court after

GODFREY/ALTON - Two Riverbend staples are partnering to build up the next generation of nurses. Vitality Women’s Clinic regularly welcomes nursing students from CALC Institute of Technology to shadow nurses and learn more about patient care. Jackie Duty, Vitality’s executive director, highlighted the value of engaging with students and bringing these generations together to provide care for individuals experiencing unplanned pregnancies. “You can see that really cool collaboration

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced that drivers harmed by Grubhub’s deceptive earnings claims and consumers harmed by the company’s misleading and unlawful conduct will soon receive financial relief. Under a settlement obtained by Raoul, in partnership with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the FTC is sending payments totaling more than $23.8 million to drivers and consumers nationwide. “This settlement was the culmination of a multi-year investigation

ALTON - The Alton Marina will celebrate its 30th anniversary with a Miami Vice-themed party. From 6–10 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026, community members can stop by the marina to enjoy drink specials, giveaways, live music by The Klose Kuarters Band, and more. Manager Rob Honke looks forward to welcoming the community to learn more about the marina and celebrate their milestone year. “The marina is turning 30,” he said. “I’m hoping to see some pastel suits

COLLINSVILLE — Illinois State Police will conduct roadside safety checks in Madison and St. Clair counties during August, Troop 8 Commander Capt. Casey Faro announced, citing efforts to increase public awareness, enforce traffic laws and save lives. Officers working the details will watch for motorists who show signs of impaired driving, operate vehicles in an unsafe manner, drive with a suspended or revoked license, transport open alcoholic beverages, fail to use seatbelts or child restraints

BOND COUNTY - A rural Sorento, Illinois, man was arrested Aug. 11, 2026, by the Bond County Sheriff’s Department on two counts of Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child 13 Years of Age or Younger, authorities said. David A. Linville was arrested after an investigation involving allegations of crimes against children, the department said. Bond County Sheriff Josh Hill and the department commended the sergeant and detective who worked throughout the investigation, saying their efforts

Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is pushing back on the Trump administration’s unprecedented demand seeking 17 million driving records without legal justification or safeguards governing how the information would be shared or used. Illinois joined a coalition of states to challenge demands made by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for access to records exchanged through

CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker today signed Senate Bill 3925 into law, authorizing local home equity assurance programs to provide financial relief to eligible homeowners whose residences are damaged by flooding. The new law gives participating communities another tool to help families recover as the Trump administration retreats from its responsibility to provide critical relief to families impacted by natural disasters. “Last summer, severe storms and flooding hit communities acros

ROXANA - Roxana Community Unit School District No. 1 said on Friday, Aug. 14, 2026, that its Board of Education has posted its most recent teacher contract proposal and supporting documents on the district website after the Roxana Education Association declared an impasse in negotiations on Aug. 6, 2026, triggering a formal dispute resolution process with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board. The REA represents the majority of the district’s teachers and other licensed staff.

GRAFTON - Got Faith? has partnered with Raging Rivers WaterPark to host their annual 500 Men Breakfast. At 8 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, community members can enjoy a free breakfast at Raging Rivers sponsored by Got Faith?. There will be live music by local band Common Ground and performer Tim Ezell. Steve Pegram, founder of Got Faith?, can’t wait to share the experience with the community. The goal, he explained, is to simply bring people together. Anyone is welcome to

BELLEVILLE — A 23-year-old man wanted in Dallas County, Texas, on active felony arrest warrants in two separate murder cases was arrested on Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, at his residence in Belleville by the U.S. Marshals Service Southern District of Illinois Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force. Eric Wayne Hubert was taken into custody without incident and transported to the St. Clair County Jail for booking, pending extradition to Texas, officials said. The warrants stem from two shooting

ALTON - The Marquette Catholic High School athletic department announced on Friday afternoon that it had canceled Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, activities, and several schools also canceled Friday night, Aug. 14, 2026, football scrimmages in the St. Louis region. The National Weather Service in St. Louis forecast heat index values as high as 105 degrees on Friday afternoon and 106 degrees on Saturday afternoon. MCHS said it canceled all events due to extreme heat on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026, including

GODFREY — The Alton Fire Department responded Friday afternoon, Aug. 14, 2026, to a structure fire in the 4400 block of Delta Queen Lane in Godfrey. Firefighters arrived to find a fire that started in the kitchen area of a house that was for sale. The fire had burned through the floor and extended into the second floor. It appeared no one was inside the home at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported. Firefighters had to stretch a significant amount of hose to establish

JERSEYVILLE - A conference title capped the season for the Jersey Panthers Trap Team, which Jersey Community Unit School District No. 100 brought home first place in the USA Clay Conference along with individual awards and wins at the USA Clay State Shoot. The post did not provide dates or locations for the events. The Jersey trap squad is Sparklight Male and Female Athletes of the Month. At the USA Clay State Shoot, Morgan Fritz earned second place in skeet and High Lady in sporting clays. Louis

JERSEYVILLE - A local mother is asking the community for help after an alleged “attack” that targeted her daughter. Anna Willis explained that her 18-year-old daughter Kenzi was driving in Jerseyville when her car broke down and three teenage boys approached. According to Willis, Kenzi was beaten, hit with a belt, sprayed with urine from a water gun, “and humiliated and forced to apologize while the attack continued.” “She was trapped, scared and unable to

GODFREY - Walmart in Godfrey will soon offer drone delivery services. Walmart has partnered with Wing, a drone delivery business, to bring this service to an additional 150 stores in 2026. Godfrey Walmart is the latest addition to their roster. Though the timeframe for the drone delivery service has not yet been released, the parking lot at Walmart now has a drone delivery section, pictured above. “The question is no longer if Wing and Walmart will deliver to your city, it’s

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS — Fairview Heights officers arrested a suspect at gunpoint Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026, after Chase Bank in the 6600 block of North Illinois Street was robbed by a person who passed employees a note stating “it was a robbery” and that he had a firearm, authorities said. The bank took appropriate action, and the Fairview Heights Police Department was notified quickly, according to Fairview Heights Police Chief Steve Johnson. He said officers arrived and

GRANITE CITY – A Granite City resident accused of stealing over $500 in copper and other items from a local business faces felony charges in Madison County. Travis R. Griffith, 37, of Granite City, was charged on Aug. 5, 2026 with one count each of theft (a Class 3 felony) and possession of burglary tools (a Class 4 felony). On April 14, 2026, Griffith allegedly knowingly stole “copper, computer parts, and air conditioning” components valued at over $500. Charging documents

ALTON – Alton residents are set for another year of exclusive trash collection under a newly extended contract with Republic Services. City Council members voted 6-1 on Aug. 12, 2026 to extend the contract between the City of Alton and Republic Services to provide municipal waste services from on Oct. 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027. The resolution states Republic has agreed to extend the contract “with no changes to service or rates.” Alderman Chris Bohn cast the sole vot

EDWARDSVILLE — Cars, trucks and motorcycles will be on display from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, at Edwardsville High School, 6161 Center Grove Road, for the Edwardsville D.A.R.E. Car-Truck-Motorcycle Show, a fundraiser for the D.A.R.E. program. The event is free for spectators. Vehicle owners who want to display a vehicle will pay $10, while those competing for car show honors will pay $15. Vehicle registration will run from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Spectators and participant