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GRAFTON - A new proposed mountain bike trail at Pere Marquette State Park will become a reality in the spring of 2024. Pere Marquette State Park Natural Resources Coordinator Lev Smolianski is an experienced mountain biker and he said he knows there is sincere interest in the trail expansion at Pere Marquette State Park. "We are excited about it," he said. "We will bring more people to Pere Marquette State Park and it will be a wonderful shared space. The mountain trails will be about 3 to 3.5 miles long. One of the sections still has to be cut. We are in essence following the existing trail path, but cutting some additional space." Smolianski said in his time in the region he has discovered a strong interest in mountain biking with many enthusiasts. Smolianski said the new planned trails are not open to mountain bikes at this time but an opening date will be announced. He also said as shown in this map in blue (above) the trail will be a mountain bike-only trail. "The trail

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Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Look no further! From book sales to live music, there's an event for everyone to enjoy. Whether you are into crafting, gaming, or learning, our community has a variety of events that promise to brighten your weekend. For a full event listing, be sure to visit riverbender.com/events . If you're feeling crafty, the Community Sewing Project invites teens to team up with X’s and Sews for a heartwarming sewing project. Whether you're skilled with a needle or just want to lend a helping hand, your efforts will provide comfort to those in need through handmade blankets, hats, gloves, and scarves. Ready for some toe-tapping music? The Harvest Drive Band LIVE @ Post 1308 is set to deliver an exhilarating performance full of Country Blues and Southern Rock vibes. Grab your friends and head to Alton VFW Post 1308 for a night of live music and dancing! Feeling lucky? Don't miss the Alton Area Mouse Races! Organized by the Alton Area

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ALTON - New Frontiers Home & Garden Furnishings Company will celebrate its 46th anniversary with a major sale starting Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024, and running through the month. Located at 101 W. 3rd Street in Alton, New Frontiers is a full-line furniture store that has had quite a history over the past 46 years. Owner Ed Benz said it feels good to celebrate this milestone, and he is proud of how the business has grown over the decades. “A lot of customers can’t believe that this is the same store, the same owners. It’s pretty rewarding when you talk to people and they bought stuff years and years ago,” Benz said. “We’ve got a loyal customer base. The anniversary sale is just our way of thanking everybody in the community because we could have never done it without them.” When New Frontiers started in 1978, it was an unfinished wood furniture store. They eventually broadened their offerings to finished pieces and soft goods like sofas. The

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COLLINSVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that all lanes of Illinois 157 from 0.2 miles north of Horseshoe Lake Road to the St. Clair County line will require intermittent daytime lane closures beginning, weather permitting, on Thursday, Feb. 1. The lane closures are necessary for the evaluation of pavement conditions. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOT District 8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Fire Department and Glen Carbon Fire Protection District will once again offer free CPR classes throughout the month of February to encourage as many people as possible to learn this life-saving technique. “Start With the Heart” will provide a series of weeknight and weekend opportunities to learn and practice basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques and other skills. Participants will attend one free two-hour session. The first classes will get underway on Saturday, February 3, and be offered again on Tuesdays and Saturdays through the end of February. The free series of classes debuted in February 2023, on the heels of a CPR success story in Edwardsville that led to commendations for members of the public and first responders. In 2022, both departments implemented an enhanced form of CPR intended to boost the speed and efficiency of their response to cardiac incidents. Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford said the enhanced

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GRANITE CITY – The Illinois Department of Transportation announced today that repairs on eastbound Interstate 270 between Illinois 3 and Riverview Drive in Missouri will require lane closures starting, weather permitting, at 9 p.m., Friday, Feb. 2. One lane will always remain open. All lanes will reopen by 5 a.m. Monday, Feb. 5. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this closure. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today, with 23 attorneys general, filed a brief in the U.S. Supreme Court to protect access to medication abortion nationwide. Raoul and the coalition filed the amicus brief supporting efforts undertaken by the U.S. Food and Drug and Administration (FDA) and Danco Laboratories LLC to reverse a ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit that reinstated certain restrictions on the medication known as mifepristone, after the FDA had determined those restrictions were medically unnecessary. Raoul and the coalition argue that the 5th Circuit’s ruling reinstating medically-unnecessary restrictions on the medication has dangerous consequences for reproductive health care outcomes, particularly for low-income and underserved communities. “For nearly 25 years, mifepristone has been safely utilized by millions of American patients, and restricting mifepristone only serves to block access to the most commonly used methods of abortion,&rdquo

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ALTON - February is American Heart Month – a time when the nation spotlights heart disease, the No. 1 killer of Americans. February is chosen because it is a time when many people reflect on matters of the heart, including love and relationships. It’s a fitting opportunity to also emphasize the importance of heart health. Heart Month has a long history dating back to the 1960s when it was initiated by the American Heart Association (AHA) in the United States. Since then, it has grown into an international observance, with various countries and organizations participating in heart health awareness activities. February 2024 marks the 60 th anniversary of American Heart Month. President Lyndon B. Johnson, among the millions of people in the country who'd had heart attacks, issued the first proclamation in 1964. Since then, U.S. presidents have annually declared February American Heart Month. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. One in five death

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ROXANA - In 2023, Phillips 66 Wood River Refinery supported over 100 local organizations through monetary donations, company-sponsored service projects, and employee volunteer efforts. Combined with employee giving and Phillips 66 corporate grants, the company invested over $1.6 million in total support. Through the local charitable giving budget, the Refinery donated over $350,000 to support educational, environmental, safety and well-being, and social advancement organizations and projects. Major gift recipients include Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Edwardsville Children’s Museum, Lewis & Clark Community College Foundation, Friends of Pere Marquette State Park, Audubon Center at Riverlands, Safe Surroundings and Refuge, Madison County Child Advocacy Center, and South Roxana Fire Protection District. The total donation amount included over $80,000 to communities bordering the Refinery property – Wood River, Hartford, Roxana, and South Roxana. These donations

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ALTON - Alton Fire Department personnel responded quickly to a serious fire in a vacant home in the 1900 block of Central Avenue at 10:58 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024. Alton firefighters were able to get "a great hit" on the fire, Alton Fire Chief Jesse Jemison said, and had the fire under control in a quick fashion. However, the house did suffer serious damage. Chief Jemison said the Illinois State Fire Marshal's office has been called to investigate the blaze and he said he could not yet release a cause of the fire. "I was a little worried initially with the amount of dark, gray smoke coming out of it," the chief added. "The firefighters were able to push all the way upstairs to the attic space in trying to stop it. The house had been waiting for quite a while. We are waiting for Ameren because we don't know if there is power to it. The house has been vacant for a while." There were no occupants of the house from what firefighters could determine Wednesday morning, Chief

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EDWARDSVILLE - Two individuals, including one from Memphis, Tenn., are facing separate drug possession charges in addition to another individual facing a DUI charge in Madison County, according to county court documents. Janay D. Cole, 36, of Memphis, Tenn., was charged with possession of a controlled substance on Dec. 1, 2023 in a case presented by the Collinsville Police Department. Court documents allege Cole had in her possession an undisclosed amount of a substance containing cocaine. She faces a Class 4 felony and was released upon her signature of a Conditions of Pretrial Release Order. Ryan J. Grimaud, 30, of Saint Ann, Mo., was charged with aggravated driving while under the influence on Dec. 17, 2023. According to recently filed Madison County court documents, Grimaud allegedly drove a vehicle on Su Twan Drive in Worden, Ill. with a blood-alcohol concentration of .08 or above, and the vehicle he drove was reportedly not covered by any liability insurance policy. Grima

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EDWARDSVILLE - When Sherry Rosenberger was diagnosed with MALT lymphoma right as the COVID-19 pandemic began, she vowed to make something good out of the bad. A few years later, her 16-year-old daughter has decided to follow her mother’s example. Sherry is in remission and has raised $50,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) since 2020. Her daughter Whitney hopes to do the same thing in just seven short weeks through the LLS Student Visionaries of the Year program. “I feel like I’m going to cry again. I’ve literally been crying every day because I am just amazed at not only our community, but that Whitney actually came to me at the end of last fall saying that she wanted to do this,” Sherry said. “It was very difficult for us to go through my cancer journey, especially during a pandemic. And at the end of my battle, the one thing I wanted to do was turn the bad into good…To see my daughter turn it around herself, too, and be able

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GRAFTON - The Grafton Veteran’s Memorial Bronze Statutes have been officially ordered and it is described by those associated with the project as “a one-of-a-kind in the world.” The National Memorial of Military Ascent (NMMA) signed a contract with Carolina Bronze Sculpture of North Carolina for the creation and production of 12 life-size bronze statues in full World War II military gear. The statues will showcase soldiers with rifles, ladders, grappling hooks, radio backpacks, and stainless-steel ropes. The cost to secure the foundry’s production was $87,360.15. The foundry is scheduled to send its staff to Grafton for two weeks centered around the 80th Anniversary of D-Day on June 6, 2024, to develop the scans of the soldiers to make the bronze figures. The 2nd Ranger Battalion of St. Louis Reenactors will provide authentic World War II uniforms, equipment, and models for the scanning process to make the bronze figures. NMMA Project Engineer of Carlton

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EDWARDSVILLE - Three individuals have been charged with various forms of battery, including one individual additionally charged with robbery, in cities across Madison County according to recently filed court documents. Martina L. Thomas, 42, of Madison, was charged with two counts of aggravated battery by the Pontoon Beach Police Department. On Dec. 27, 2023, Thomas allegedly used a “deadly weapon, a knife, in that said defendant stabbed the victim about the chest and abdomen.” According to court documents, the attack caused great bodily harm to the victim, including “vital organ impairment requiring critical care.” A petition to deny Thomas’s pretrial release describes her as the individual who was “identified as the person who repeatedly stabbed the victim, causing internal injuries.” Thomas faces two Class 2 felonies, and court documents indicate she was remanded to jail until her initial court appearance. Joshua A. Warren, 28,

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EDWARDSVILLE - One man has been charged with burglary in an attempted storage unit theft which joins a list of various other thefts from businesses and individuals across Madison County in recent months, according to Madison County court documents. Mysti A. Maronie, 40, of Brighton, was charged with one count of retail theft over $300 on Jan. 3, 2024. Maronie allegedly stole over $300 worth of various merchandise from the Walmart on Godfrey Road in Godfrey, according to court documents. Maronie faces a Class 3 felony and was released upon her signature of a Conditions of Pretrial Release Order. Jason J. Thebeau, 49, of Granite City, was charged with burglary on Jan. 3, 2024 in a case presented by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Court documents indicate Thebeau knowingly and without authority entered a storage unit located in the 3100 block of W. Chain of Rocks Road in Granite City with the intent to commit a theft. He faces a Class 2 felony and was released upon his

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EDWARDSVILLE - On Jan. 30, 2024, Leclaire Elementary kindergarten students celebrated the 100th day of school with crafts, games and a special visitor. Kylee Kuba’s kindergarten class dressed up in special “100” hats and posed for a picture with Kuba’s grandmother, who celebrated her 100th birthday on Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024. Kuba’s grandma smiled with her granddaughter’s class and wished them a happy 100th day of school.

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ALTON - The Hayner Public Library District wants you to know they offer a lot more than books. The library has several services available for community members, most of which are free with a library card. Mary Cordes, the library’s executive director, explained that many people don’t realize the amount of resources available at the library. From notary services to free TV streaming, all of this can be found at Hayner. “We have all these services,” Cordes said. “They seem small, but once you start talking about them, it’s, ‘Oh my gosh, I didn’t know the library offered all of this.’” The library provides several resources via their online databases . Cordes enjoys Creativebug , a database that provides high-quality instructional videos for everything from knitting to cooking. Biblio+ offers unlimited ad-free streaming of movies and TV shows. The Legal Information Reference Center has legal texts and

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SPRINGFIELD - As Illinoisans turn up their thermostats to stay warm the rest of this winter the risk of a home heating fire or Carbon Monoxide incident increases. This is why the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) encourages residents to have their furnaces checked, change furnace filters, and make sure carbon monoxide (CO) and smoke alarms are functioning properly. Unlike smoke, carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas only detectable by special devices and CO alarms. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), heating equipment is one of the leading causes of home fire deaths. Fire departments responded to an estimated average of 44,210 fires involving heating equipment per year from 2016-2020, accounting for 13% of all reported home fires during this time, and these fires resulted in annual losses of 480 civilian deaths. Space heaters were the type of heating equipment responsible for the largest shares of losses in home heating equipment fires

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WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Senate confirmed Joshua Kolar to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding Judge Kolar’s confirmation: “Judge Kolar is a dedicated public servant and an accomplished litigator who will be an asset to the Seventh Circuit. Among other things, his resume and service as a U.S. Magistrate Judge earned him bipartisan support, including from Indiana Senators Young and Braun. As a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Judge Kolar knows what it means to serve his country honorably – and he will continue to live up to that mission on the federal bench. “I congratulate Judge Kolar on becoming the fortieth Circuit Court judge confirmed under President Biden, and the latest example of the Senate Judiciary Committee advancing highly qualified nominees following good-faith collaboration between

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $2,869,784 to help businesses in rural Illinois transition to solar power. This funding, through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), will help selectees purchase and install solar arrays to help power their businesses while saving recipients money on power costs, conserving energy and creating good-paying jobs. “Transitioning to solar power will help lead Illinois into a future of clean, renewable energy use while creating economic growth and job creation in our state,” said Duckworth. “With this federal support that was made possible by the Inflation Reduction Act , we’re investing in our farmers and rural businesses to help them save more of their hard-earned dollars by reducing their electric bills while also conserving energy.” “These REAP projects are funded by the Biden Administration using par

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