SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement after the Supreme Court limited federal judges’ discretion under the compassionate release provisions of the First Step Act in rulings in Fernandez v. United States and Rutherford v. United States today: “The Supreme Court just significantly weakened a landmark, bipartisan criminal justice reform law in defiance of Congressional
High Honor Roll Graduation Year: 2026 Savannah E. Buerke Elijah L. Cox Ava G. Custer Carson R. Flowers Julia A. Heil Hannah C. Lake Tessa F. Price Eli M. Rhoades Mabry J. Robeen Alex W. Vandersand Graduation Year: 2027 Lillian G. Bauer Lily B. Clough Shannen J. Holmes Alexis P. Martin Hayden R. Mcmurtrie Carter L. Osterman Wyatt J. Ross Jayce D. Steinkuehler Graduation Year: 2028 Nolan M. Baumgartner Aubrey R. Crocker Maggie F. Custer Chloe E. Mcadams
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - A 6-year-old boy who was critically injured in an accidental shooting earlier this week in north St. Louis County has died, and a 19-year-old man previously was charged in connection with the case, according to St. Louis County police and prosecutors. St. Louis County police said Antone Little, of the 400 block of Midlothian Road in St. Louis, died at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday, May 28, 2026. Police identified him as the child injured in the shooting in the 400 block o
BELLEVILLE — A 35-year-old man’s body was discovered Thursday morning, May 28, 2026, near a bike trail in the 900 block of North Illinois Street, close to the Richland Creek Greenway Trail, according to Belleville Police. Police said the man was found around 11:30 a.m. Thursday. Belleville police investigated the situation and said there were no signs of foul play. No suspects are being pursued in the case.
ALTON – If you missed Alton High School’s 2026 graduation ceremony, Riverbender.com offers multiple ways to watch the full event anytime, on demand . Here’s an inside look at the community members who have been there to cultivate and capture the moment, from our staff to the Alton School District. Ryan Schlueter, a photographer and videographer for Riverbender.com , has played a major role in running the livestream production of the AHS graduation, though it hasn’t
ILLINOIS - Hundreds of people will travel on Route 66 this weekend for a casual cruise organized by a St. Louis man. Aaron Koehler has always been “a big Route 66 fan.” As the U.S. celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Mother Road this year, he decided to spend Sunday, May 31, 2026, cruising the route from Chain of Rocks Bridge to Springfield. He invited a few friends to join him, who invited their friends, and then it “kind of just exploded.” “Let’s
ST. CLAIR COUNTY - The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department announced on Friday morning, May 29, 2026, it is conducting a search and rescue operation in the Signal Hill area with assistance from the Signal Hill Fire Department, St. Clair County Special Emergency Services, and the S.A.R. K9 group. The department said numerous fire department personnel and officers with K-9 units are walking in the area and using UTVs as part of the operation. The Signal Hill Fire Department
BETHALTO - The Bethalto Community Unit School District #8 Board of Education approved the Consolidated District Plan for Fiscal Year 2027. During the Board’s regular meeting on Thursday, May 28, 2026, the Board approved several items, including the 2026–2027 Bethalto Employee Handbook and student handbooks for Trimpe Middle School, Civic Memorial High School, and pre-k–5 students. They also unanimously approved the Consolidated District Plan, a strategic plan required by
On May 29, one of the most significant events in world history took place in 1453, when Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Empire. After a long siege, the city that had served for centuries as the capital of the Byzantine Empire was captured by the forces of Sultan Mehmed II. At the time, the fall of Constantinople marked the end of the last major remnant of the Roman Empire. It also shifted the balance of power in the eastern Mediterranean and changed trade, diplomacy, and military strategy
BELLEVILLE – A Belleville resident accused of fleeing from Madison County deputies at over 100 mph while on pretrial release from custody faces a new set of felony charges. Michael C. Ault, 41, of Belleville, was charged on May 21, 2026 with a Class 3 felony count of unlawful possession of methamphetamine and two Class 4 felony counts of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer. Ault allegedly knowingly attempted to flee from a Madison County Sheriff’s Deputy
EDWARDSVILLE - Metro East Lutheran’s Jack Shank delivered one of the top performances in the IHSA Class 1A Boys state track and field preliminaries Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Charleston, running a personal-record 4 minutes, 26.41 seconds in the 1,600 meters to advance to the finals in fourth place. Shank, who entered with a previous best of 4:36.81 from the IHSA Gillespie Sectional, cut more than 10 seconds from that mark in the state prelims. Shank was excited about his time and said,
ATLON - Rosetta Brown and Tammy Perry will launch their Youth Summer Road Trip program on Friday, May 29, 2026, in Alton with a trip to see the St. Louis football Battlehawks play the Dallas Renegades at the Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis. The annual program is intended to provide safe, engaging, and memorable summer experiences for local youth. Organizers selected the UFL game as the opening event, with participants set to experience the Battlehawks’ home crowd atmosphere
EAST ST. LOUIS - East St. Louis School District 189 says a state grant aimed at easing Illinois’ teacher shortage has helped the district sharply reduce vacancies, improve retention, and recruit 23 international teachers to fill hard-to-staff classrooms. East St. Louis School District 189 Superintendent Arthur R. Culver said the Illinois State Board of Education’s Teacher Vacancy Grant has been “transformational” for the district, where shortages in areas including
Troy-Maryville-St. Jacob-Marine Chamber Of Commerce Upcoming Events June & July June 2nd - Creating Business Connections at Tri-Township Park, Pavilion 10, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM Join us for our summer kick-off featuring yard games & attendance prizes! Register yourself and a guest (or two!) — each invited guest who attends earns you an extra chance to win a prize! Menu: Wing Zone $15 Preregister or $18 At the Door Click Here to Register! June 10th - Culinary
JERSEYVILLE - “Rock the Block” is returning to Jerseyville. The City of Jerseyville will host “Rock the Block” free concerts this summer at City Center Plaza, located between Germania and Dairy Queen. On Friday, May 29, 2026, the Nashville artist Jake Maurer and his band will take the stage from 7–10 p.m. for a rocking country night to kick off the season. Community members are encouraged to come out and join in the fun. The Knights of Columbus will serve food
CHARLESTON — Father McGivney Catholic’s boys 4x800-meter relay team advanced to the IHSA Class 1A State Track and Field finals after placing 11th in the preliminaries Thursday, May 28, 2026, in Charleston, with the team saying its main objective was to qualify for Saturday’s final. The Thursday McGivney relay team of Gus Range, Connor Schmidt, Eric Rybak, and Will Rakers posted a time of 8:17.98 to earn a spot in the finals. Range opened the race with a 2:03.77 split in the
GRAFTON - The Two Rivers Family Fishing Fair promises a fun day for fishing enthusiasts and newbies of all ages. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 6, 2026, Pere Marquette State Park will host the 37th annual free fishing fair. Organizer Scott Isringhausen with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources promises a fun day with plenty to do. “We’re going to have a good crowd, lots of people, and a lot of fun,” he said. “It’s really special.”
ALTON – Two residents and a local organization are the latest recipients of refunded garbage collection fees from the City of Alton. Alton’s latest set of bills and expenditures, listed in the May 26, 2026 Comptroller’s Report, show three refunds that were paid out of the city’s General Fund regarding garbage collection fees. The largest of the three refunds totals $5,668.84 and was paid out to the Alton Volunteer Emergency Corps, a volunteer nonprofit search and rescue
JERSEYVILLE – Felony and misdemeanor charges have been filed in Jersey County against residents of Kane, Brussels, Granite City, and Missouri in separate revoked/suspended license cases. Heath E. Blaine, 53, of Kane, was charged on May 18, 2026 with one count each of felon in possession of a weapon (a Super Class 3 felony) and driving on a revoked license (a Class A misdemeanor). Two days prior on May 16, Blaine was allegedly in possession of 47 rounds of .22 long rifle firearm ammunition,
EAST ALTON - A fire in the 400 block of Whitelaw in East Alton on Wednesday night, May 27, 2026, displaced duplex residents after flames were reported behind a refrigerator in one kitchen and spread quickly, East Alton Fire Chief Jeremy Dively said. The first report came in at 9:42 p.m. on Wednesday, and the response was wrapped up around midnight, Dively said. Agencies responding to a box alarm included Wood River, Roxana, Rosewood Heights, and Alton. Dively said a caller reported seeing flames
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