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CHICAGO – Join the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), Prevent Child Abuse Illinois, Hospital Sisters Health System, the Poshard Foundation for Abused Children, elected officials, child welfare stakeholders and more for a month-long observance to share child abuse and neglect prevention awareness messages and promote prevention efforts during Child Abuse Prevention Month in April. This year’s theme, Powered by Hope, Strengthened by Prevention , is a call to action to commit to a future where every child grows up safe, loved and full of hope. “This year’s theme goes hand-in-hand with our department’s vision: for every child and youth to grow and thrive in a family,” said Illinois DCFS Director Heidi E. Mueller. “We know that when parents are supported, their families are stronger and safer – and we also know that children do better when they are able to remain at home safely. In 2024 we served 4,034 families

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CHICAGO - The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved its annual five-year Crossing Safety Improvement Program (FY 2026-2030) to implement life-saving safety upgrades at highway-rail crossings across Illinois. Over $400 million from the Grade Crossing Protection Fund (GCPF) and Rebuild Illinois (RBI) will help local communities pay for much-needed improvements at over 900 crossing locations . “Illinois’ rail system is made up of more than 10,000 public crossings. The ICC’s Crossing Safety Improvement Plan is an essential tool for improving our state’s rail infrastructure and reducing the risk of collisions,” said ICC Commissioner Michael T. Carrigan . In 2024, preliminary Federal Railroad Administration data indicates there were 80 collisions at public crossings in Illinois, down from 89 in 2023. State funding from the GCPF and RBI provide Illinois communities the ability to address longstanding safety concerns and increasing project costs.

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ST. LOUIS - A tornado watch is in effect until 4 p.m. for the Metro East area, National Weather Service in St. Louis meteorologist Chris Kimble said on Wednesday morning, April 2, 2025. He said the tornado watch means the region is under the threat of severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes, and the watch covers the entire Metro East region. "The conditions Wednesday afternoon are conducive to the development of severe weather," Kimble added. The National Weather Service advises residents to remain vigilant and be prepared to receive warnings. Kimble advised in the event of severe weather, individuals are encouraged to seek shelter in a basement or a sturdy room, away from external walls or windows, until the threat has passed. The most significant threat is expected between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. In addition to the tornado watch, forecasts indicate that heavy rain and thunderstorms are likely to persist from Thursday through the weekend, raising concerns about potential flas

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ALTON - The thrill of powerboat racing on the mighty Mississippi River powers up the Alton Riverfront July 18-20 with the return of Alton Midwest Nationals Powerboat Championships. Tickets are on sale now for this high-speed river racing event. General admission and VIP tickets are available. Parking is free. Purchase tickets here: https://www.tixr.com/groups/f1powerboat/events/f1-powerboat-alton-midwest-nationals-138471 The Alton Midwest Nationals features F1 Powerboats competing in a series of heat laps on a course created on the Mississippi River. This is the second year in a row the event has been held in Alton. The race will return to Alton again in 2026 and 2027 thanks to a partnership between the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau, the City of Alton and the F1 Powerboat Championships. “We can’t wait to host this event again in Alton,” Cory Jobe, President/CEO of the Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Bureau noted. “Last year we welcomed ove

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Did you know that holding onto grudges can be as harmful to your health as smoking? According to research published in the "Journal of Behavioral Medicine," chronic resentment can lead to increased stress levels, which in turn can contribute to heart disease and other health issues. This startling statistic highlights the powerful impact that forgiveness—or the lack thereof—can have not just on our emotional well-being, but also on our physical health. Forgiveness is not just a noble act; it is a crucial skill that can mend damaged relationships and restore inner peace. Understanding Forgiveness Forgiveness is often misunderstood. Many people equate it with excusing bad behavior or dismissing the pain caused by others. However, true forgiveness involves acknowledging the hurt and choosing to release the negative emotions associated with it. It is a conscious decision to let go of the desire for retribution, which can lead to deeper connections and a healthier emotional

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April 2nd has been a significant date throughout history, marked by a variety of impactful events across the globe. Today, we take a journey through time to highlight some of the most notable occurrences on this day, from groundbreaking treaties to cultural milestones. One of the most momentous events in modern history took place on April 2, 1945, when the United States launched Operation Iceberg, the invasion of Okinawa during World War II. This operation marked the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater, involving over 180,000 American troops. The battle lasted until June 22, 1945, and was one of the bloodiest of the entire war, with significant casualties on both sides. The strategic importance of Okinawa was immense, serving as a staging area for a potential invasion of the Japanese mainland. The fierce fighting during this campaign ultimately contributed to Japan's surrender later that year and highlighted the brutal nature of the conflict. Fast forward to April 2,

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HARDIN – With no contests at the local level this election cycle, Calhoun County voters saw candidates compete in a few school board races for the April 1, 2025 elections. Pikeland Community Unit School District 10 Uncontested for Township 5S Range 4W, Kendra Jo Conkright secured her bid for School Board , as did Megan Vose for Township 5S Range 2W. R esults for Township 5S Range 3W, also known as Newburg Township, have not yet been posted. Stay tuned to Riverbender.com for updates to this story as results are released. John Wood Community College District 539 Four candidates ran for two open trustee positions for John Wood Community College District 539. R. Kent Snider and Andrew Sprague were elected to the college board, earning 42.11% and 36.84 % of the vote respectively. Losing their bids were Elizabeth Weas Cash with 15.79 % and Christopher Adam Holtschlag with 5.26 % of the

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MADISON COUNTY — Voters across Madison County made significant decisions in local elections on Tuesday, shaping the leadership in several municipalities and school boards. In Godfrey, Mayor Mike McCormick secured re-election, garnering 2,219 votes against challengers Craig Lombardi, who received 1,104 votes, and Beth Johnes, who received 420 votes. McCormick will serve another four-year term. The Godfrey clerk race saw Jacquelyn Clayton defeat Susan Robbins, receiving 1,790 votes to Robbins' 1,555. In the trustee race, Sarah Woodman emerged as the top vote-getter with 2,324 votes, followed by Richard Lauschke with 1,770 votes, and Gerard Fischer with 1,710 votes. Ryan Mouser and Nathan Schrumpf trailed with 1,569 and 1,453 votes, respectively. The top three candidates were elected. In East Alton, Mayor Darren Carlton also secured another four-year term, winning 488 votes against David Kuehnel's 371. The East Alton trustee race concluded with Kelli Fletcher in the lead with

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GRANITE CITY - Incumbent mayor Mike Parkinson was overwhelmingly re-elected by voters in Granite City’s municipal elections, held on Tuesday. With 100 percent of the precincts reporting, Parkinson won a second term as Granite’s mayor with 86.85 percent of the vote, or 2,266 votes of all ballots cast. Write-in candidate Kim Benda 343 votes, or 13,15 percent of the vote. In addition to Parkinson, many city incumbents were also re-elected to their offices, including City Clark Jenna DeYong, who ran unopposed. However, no candidate filed for the office of City Treasurer, and that office will remain vacant for the time being. In the races for the Board of Aldermen, Gregory Garcia won a close victory for Ward One Alderman, winning over Angelia D. Gower by seven votes, with Garcia picking up 145 votes (47.70 percent, to Gower’s 138 votes (45.39 percent), Earl Hogan finished in a distant third with 21 votes (6.91 percent. In Ward Two, incumbent Jason M. Smith won his campaig

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CARLINVILLE – With unofficial election results rolling in from across the region, here’s a first look at how contested races are settling in Macoupin County, including several mayoral contests and more. City of Carlinville Carlinville residents have elected a new mayor in the city’s only contested race. Doug Downey won his mayoral bid with 64.54% of the vote, defeating challengers Randall Link and James Spoon, who earned 27.89% and 7.57% of the vote respectively. Downey will replace current Mayor Sarah Oswald, who did not seek re-election. City of Bunker Hill Bunker Hill saw contested races for Mayor and Ward 1 Alderperson. Incumbent Mayor John Chapman won his re-election bid against challenger Alan Mize. Chapman earned 56.46% of the vote, while Mize totaled 43.54% of the vote. The city’s first ward saw three candidates compete for two open aldermanic positions. Securing victory were Incumbent Alderman Rick Girth and Betty Phelps with 41.42% and 34.73

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JERSEYVILLE – As Election Night wraps up on April 1, 2025, here’s a look at the few contested races that took place across Jersey County. School Board Races Five candidates competed for four open spots on the Board of Education for Jersey Community Unit School District (CUSD) #100, each carrying a four-year term expiring in 2029. Four candidates competed for three open seats for Township 8N Range 11W. The three victors are Pamela J. Heitzig, Peggy Perdun, and Darcy L. Graham, who secured 22%, 21%, and 18% of the vote respectively. DeWayne Lott lost his School Board bid with 17% of the vote. Jeffrey C. Goetten also secured his bid as the only candidate who ran for Township 8N Range 12W on the Jersey CUSD #100 School Board. Elsah Township One of Jersey County’s few contested races saw two candidates compete for Elsah Township Highway Commissioner. Democrat Billy Greding defeated Republican Russell Wittman, securing his victory with 78.01% of the vote

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ALTON - Incumbent David Goins prevailed in the competitive Alton Mayor race, with 1,656 votes for 39.39 percent of all votes cast on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Alderman Ray Strebel was second with 1,348 votes or 32.06 percent of the vote and Brant Walker finished with 1,200 votes or 28.54 percent of the vote. In another contested race, Lauren Wilson emerged with a victory in the Alton City Clerk's race with 2,093 votes or 54.70 percent of the vote to Cheryl Ingle's 1,733 votes or 45.30 percent of the overall vote.

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ST. CLAIR COUNTY – Voters from across St. Clair County cast their votes in the April 1, 2025 consolidated elections. Here’s a first look at the unofficial Election Night results: Collinsville Sees City Council Contest The race for Collinsville City Council saw four candidates compete for two open council seats. Councilman Donna Green won her re-election bid with 45% of the vote. This marks Green’s second consecutive re-election victory after being first elected to the council in 2017 and re-elected in 2021. She will serve another four-year term which expires in 2029. Three other candidates faced off for the vacancy left by Councilman David Jerome, who did not seek re-election. David Seaton Jr. won a seat on the council with 35% of the vote, defeating challengers Eric M. Nagel and Alonzo J. Skipper III, who earned 27% and 19% of the vote respectively. O’Fallon Re-Elects Treasurer O’Fallon voters saw a couple of contested races, one for City Treasurer

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GODFREY - Mike McCormick emerged victorious in the Village of Godfrey mayoral race, securing 2,219 votes, or 59.28 percent of the total, in the election held on Tuesday, April 1, 2025. Craig Lombardi received 1,104 votes for Godfrey mayor, accounting for 29.50 percent of the vote tally, while Beth Johnes garnered 420 votes, or 11.22 percent. Following the announcement of the results, McCormick expressed his gratitude for the turnout at the Sportsman’s Club. "I am very, very happy and overwhelmed," he said. He credited his campaign manager, Deb Detmers, and his wife, Linda, for their unwavering support throughout the campaign. "They helped me along a long campaign time," McCormick noted. Reflecting on his plans for the next four years, McCormick emphasized the importance of completing a bike path and continuing efforts to maintain local roads, particularly through Jim Lewis's chip-sealing process. He also highlighted the goal of keeping taxes down as a priority for his administration.

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BELLEVILLE – As unofficial results roll in from election night on April 1, 2025, it appears Belleville voters have elected a new mayor. The City of Belleville saw multiple contested races this spring, including those for Mayor, City Clerk, and Second and Fifth Ward Alderpersons. Incumbent Mayor Patricia A. Gregory lost her re-election bid against challenger Jennifer “Jenny” Gain Meyer. Meyer secured 46 % of the vote, while Gregory earned 28 % of the vote, with all 38 precincts reporting. As the current City Clerk, M e yer chose not to run for re-election, aiming instead for the mayoral bid. She will become the City of Belleville’s second-ever female mayor, preceded only by Gregory. Two candidates ran to replace Meyer as City Clerk, with Michelle “Shelly” Schaefer securing the victory. Schaefer tallied 49 % of the vote on Tuesday night while Irma G. Golliday totaled 23 % of the vote, with all precincts reporting. Aldermani

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ALTON — Bubby and Sissy's, a long-standing establishment in Alton, is undergoing a transition in ownership as Michael Paynic steps back after 23.5 years of running the business. The new owners, Mike Klasner and his wife Mikey, who are cousins of Paynic, have acquired the restaurant located at 602 Belle St. with partners Barry Church and Joe Miragliotta. For many years, Michael owned the establishment with his sister, Debbie Paynic. She died on Jan. 3, 2025. The transition comes as Paynic expressed his gratitude for the new ownership. "I am glad they stepped up to the plate for me," he said about the new owners. Mike Klasner and Mikey, along with partners Barry Church and Joe Miragliotta, have plans to give the popular bar a facelift and make improvements during the closure this week. Paynic indicated that the establishment aims to reopen as Bubby’s and Sissy’s by this Saturday, pending construction progress, but it should be reopened by sometime next week. Paynic

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CARROLLTON – Greene County voters saw a series of mayoral and aldermanic contests on their local ballots, as unofficial results have been announced for the April 1, 2025 elections. City of Greenfield While the county seat of Carrollton didn’t see any contested races this election cycle, the City of Greenfield saw a contest for Mayor after current Mayor Nicholas Bishop did not seek re-election. Brock Andrew Meyer was elected Greenfield’s new mayor, securing his victory over challengers John E. “Jr.” Hardwick and David K. Bishop. Meyer secured 44.73% of the vote, while Bishop earned 33.09% and Hardwick totaled 22.18%. Greenfield also saw two candidates compete for Ward 1 Alderperson. Kory M. Chapman won their re-election bid against challenger Robert K. Ives, with Chapman tallying 52.59% of the vote to Ives’s 47.41%. City of Roodhouse Roodhouse saw a three-person race for Mayor in which incumbent Charles Huffines was defeated by challenger

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ALTON - YWCA Southwestern Illinois is honored to be the recipient of the Freezing for Funds 2025 fundraiser. At the YWCA Board of Directors meeting on Tuesday, March 25, Executive Director Dorothy Hummel accepted a generous $5,100 donation from the Freezing for Funds organization. Representing Freezing for Funds were Shane Calhoon, Cami (Beaber) Giertz, Mark Haynes, Tawnya Hooper, Craig Lombardi, and Trisha Perks. The initiative, launched in 2022 by the Alton High School Class of 1986, raises funds for local nonprofits through an annual polar plunge event at Glazebrook Park in Godfrey. Since its first event in 2023, Freezing for Funds has grown in community support and impact. “We are thrilled by the overwhelming support we received this year,” said Cami (Beaber) Giertz, co-founder of Freezing for Funds. “It’s incredible to see our donations grow each year, and we’re proud to support such a great organization like YWCA.” Tawnya Hooper, fellow

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SPRINGFIELD – A monument in Alton dedicated to noted abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy has received a much-needed facelift thanks to efforts by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and local supporters. The 110-foot-tall Lovejoy monument was in dire need of repair and restoration. IDNR completed lower elevation masonry repairs in the fall, including cleaning, tuckpointing, and caulking seams and cracks to stop further weathering and damage to the granite and limestone. The department initially invested $42,944 into the project and expects to invest more than $50,000 total after the initial condition assessment and graffiti removal. In addition, an outside retaining wall and steps leading up to the monument had been defaced by vandals. IDNR is partnering with the City of Alton, Alton Area Landmarks Association , and volunteer Brandon Hall to remove the graffiti from the retaining wall leading up to the memorial. “Lovejoy became a martyr to the abolitionists’

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BELLEVILLE - Five art students from Belleville East High School were selected to showcase their work at the 2025 Regional High School Juried Art Exhibition at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE). This annual event, organized by the Department of Art and Design, invites junior and senior students from high schools within a 50-mile radius of Edwardsville to submit their artwork for consideration. The selected Belleville East students and their respective pieces were: Aubrey Heins with “Hope Persists,” a colored pencil work; Aleah Ingram, who created “Sleeping Like He The One Who Gave Birth” using acrylic on fabric; Ramiya Fowler, who submitted “Be Sweet,” also in colored pencil; Gabby Patterson with her digital photography piece “Rainbow Glass”; and Liam Collins, whose work “Without Bees, Humans Couldn’t Survive” is a digitally manipulated photograph. This year’s exhibition continues a tradition

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