Riverbender 🕸

PONTOON BEACH - Fuel prices are on the rise - the highest since 2008 - prompting thousands of area residents to seek alternatives to driving alone. With Express service to Downtown St. Louis, high-frequency bus service throughout Madison County, and carpool and vanpool options through RideFinders, Madison County Transit (MCT) offers commuters a number of affordable and efficient transportation options that will save residents hundreds of dollars each month. A recent AAA survey found that 59% of American commuters “said they would make changes to their driving habits or lifestyle if the cost of gas rose to $4 per gallon. If gas were to reach $5.00, which it has in the western part of the country, three-quarters said they would need to adjust their lifestyle to offset the spike at the pump.” With the state average now at $4.57 per gallon, more commuters are seeking relief and finding that transit and ridesharing provide an ideal solution. Every weekday, MCT Express buse

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BELLEVILLE – Illinois American Water is dropping helpful tips to customers during the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Fix a Leak Week. Fix a Leak Week will be observed this week, March 14-22. The national campaign held by the EPA raises awareness about leaks and other water issues that contribute to water waste within homes and businesses. “For Illinois American Water, this week is a way to encourage our customers to use water wisely. We focus on conservation and reducing water waste every day but want our customers to see conservation can not only save money, but also help preserve water, a precious resource,” said Beth Matthews, vice president of operations for Illinois American Water. According to the EPA, the average residence in the U.S. loses 10,000 gallons of water per year thanks to seemingly minor leaks. With more than 110 million households in the U.S., this equates to more than one trillion gallons of water lost every year due to leaks

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ALTON - The Alton Community Service League, a nonprofit group focused on volunteerism, is proud to announce the Volunteer of the Month for November, December, and January. To receive this honor, the ACSL member must have volunteered the most hours during that month than any other member. Pictured in the middle is Janet Hansen, Placement Chairman, presenting to Marge Ferguson, December Volunteer of the Month, and Pat Cooper, January Volunteer of the Month. Not pictured is Diane Foster who received the distinction as being the Volunteer of the Month in November. The ACSL is having its final fundraising by selling Geraniums from the Market Basket. Prices: 5.5 inch Red, Pink, and Salmon Geraniums are 7$ each, and 10 inch Pink, Red, and Salmon Geraniums will be $30 each. They can be ordered from any ACSL member or by calling 618-971-9191. Members wish to thank the Riverbend Community for supporting the fundraisers through the years. Anyone who would like to donate to the ACSL may do so

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ALTON – Centerstone, a national leader in behavioral health care, will host a free, virtual Savvy Caregiver training to be held on Wednesdays from 10 a.m. – noon from April 6 – May 11. The training will share valuable information and tools for people caring for individuals 60 years old or older, including those experiencing dementia or memory loss. The Savvy Caregiver provides instruction in caregiver self-care, decision making, and navigating family issues that may come up while being a caregiver. The training also addresses the need to keep the care receiver involved in daily tasks and activities to keep them active and content throughout the day. “Savvy Caregiver affords many the opportunity to hear from other caregivers and know that they are not alone in this journey of caregiving,” said Laura Kunz, Centerstone Senior Services Clinician. The training was created using a curriculum developed by the University of Minnesota and is funded by AgeSmart

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GLEN CARBON – March is Brain Injury Awareness Month, and Dr. Julie Steinhauer, OD, FCOVD, says a vision therapy program can, in most cases, help individuals regain normal functionality of their vision following a traumatic brain injury. According to the Brain Injury Association of America (BIA), more than 5.3 million in the U.S. are living with a permanent brain injury disability. Many who suffer a brain injury are misdiagnosed or misunderstood. Dr. Steinhauer, the owner of Vision For Life and Success, and one of a select group of functional vision doctors in the nation, said brain injuries are classified differently as to their origin, either as a traumatic brain injury (TBI) or an acquired brain injury. Those who suffer from a TBI experience an alteration in brain function caused by an external force or trauma. Non-traumatic or acquired brain injuries can result from a stroke, tumor, surgery, or infectious disease. A TBI can occur from a concussion stemming from a blow t

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EDWARDSVILLE – Freshman forward Ellah Anslem wasted no time getting on the score sheet for Marquette. In her first high school match, she scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over Springfield High School in the season-opener. It only took her seven minutes to find the back of the net to take the early 1-0 lead. Springfield eventually tied it back up in the 29 th minute, but it didn’t slow her down. In the 39 th minute, she scored the eventual game-winning goal to make it 2-1 lead. No one scored in the second half and that’s how the game would end, with her two goals being the difference. “I was so nervous, but I was lucky to have my teammates beside me,” Anslem said after the win. For Anselm's opening performance, she is one of the Tucker Automotive and Repair Female Athletes of the Month for Marquette Catholic High School. Even though she netted both goals she stayed very humble to her team. “They were good goals. My teammates gave me good assists

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ST. LOUIS COUNTY: On Thursday, March 10, 2022, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office issued “At Large” warrants on suspect Johnny Lewis, 23 years of age, of the 800 block of Canaan Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri, 63147, for Resisting Arrest by Fleeing – Creating a Substantial Risk of Serious Injury/Death. Lewis was arrested by Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department on Friday, March 11, 2022. Once Lewis is extradited to St. Louis County, he will be held on a $50,000 cash only, no 10 percent, bond. The probable cause statement for Lewis reads: Police received a call for a suspicious vehicle and recognized the vehicle from a wanted poster from a homicide that occurred earlier that morning. Police attempted to stop the vehicle but the driver fled in a dangerous manner by operating the vehicle at speeds in excess of 100 mph and driving into oncoming traffic. Lewis was the fourth suspect wanted in relation to the incident below. "We are currently

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Photos from this article, (or gallery), may be purchased at https://www.randymanning. com/Alton-St-Pats-Pub-Crawl ALTON - The O’Faoláin Academy Irish dancers posted another memorable performance at Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day Pub Crawl in Downtown Alton. The O’Faoláin Academy offers Irish Dance lessons for children and adults interested in competitive or recreational Irish Dance. Technique, self-esteem, physical fitness, and work ethics are developed in a nurturing, yet structured environment. The internationally known Ofalolin Dancers started in 2007 and has a strong presence in St. Louis, Metro East, Illinois, Nashville, Tenn., Huntsville, Ala., and more. The dancers started the day with participation in the Downtown St. Louis St. Patrick’s Day Parade, then ventured over to Alton for a late afternoon performance. Jennifer Bartley, the owner of the O’Faolin Academy of Irish Dance, said she and the other dancers were

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EDWARDSVILLE - Marathon Pipeline has some updates on the oil spill situation near Edwardsville both from this morning and Sunday night. Monday morning the media relations team had these details of the operation which is underway: “Crews are continuing their work removing crude oil from the Cahokia diversion channel today. Boom remains in place at several locations along the channel to contain the crude. Boats are now being deployed on the channel to assist in the retrieval of oil from the water. “As of Monday, March 14, at 10 a.m. Central Time, approximately 5,900 barrels of water and oil mixture has been recovered from the Cahokia diversion channel. Approximately 150 cubic yards of oily soil has been removed for proper disposal. “Repair on the line is underway. “There have been reports of odors near areas affected by the release, and air monitoring resources continue to be deployed in the area as a precaution. Air monitoring has detected no hazardous

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MARYVILLE - Linda Andreas, Republican Candidate has cleared the first hurdle in her run for Madison County Clerk in filing the election packet on Monday. Andreas, with support from conservative groups, friends, and neighbors and face-to-face door knocking, met and exceeded the requirement to be placed on the primary ballot. Andreas announced her candidacy in December. She is passionate about civic responsibility and duty, as well as our rights and liberties, and hopes that she will set an example of citizen involvement for all levels of city and county government. Andreas says she is not politician but seeks to serve the public by protecting the policies and procedures in place that protect our vote. Andreas plans to use her diverse background in education, business administration, management, and leadership to bring more transparency and accessibility making information easier to access both in person and online. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing from Goldfarb and Bachelor’

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EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine announced today that his office has released its annual report for Fiscal Year 2021. This report details budgetary information, outreach activities, prosecution statistics, and an updated staff directory. “Transparency is crucial for any government agency,” Haine said. “Now the residents of Madison County can better view the details on how their justice system is operating.” “This report illustrates how our office is working to fairly and expeditiously prosecute cases and ensure the rule of law is being enforced in Madison County, all while being efficient and protecting taxpayers,” Haine continued. “It also shows our commitment to outreach. Our criminal justice system is misunderstood these days, and we plan to continue to reach out and engage citizens throughout the county, explaining the benefits of a safe and law-abiding society for all.” Among the highlights

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville-area residents near the Watershed Nature Trail should keep an eye out for any wildlife covered in oil or injured following a large oil spill in Edwardsville on Friday . If you spot an injured or oily animal, contact TreeHouse Wildlife Center at 618-466-2990 from 9 a.m-7 p.m. Do not email them or message through Facebook, as the animals need immediate care and those accounts are not monitored 24/7, according to their website. Their website also says you should not attempt to handle or offer care to the animal yourself without proper guidance, as doing so poses a risk to yourself and the animal. To learn more, visit treehousewildlifecenter.com/i-found-an-animal . Joe Gannon, crisis communications specialist with Marathon Petroleum Corporation, which operates the pipeline that leaked on Friday, said the company is taking a number of steps to address the impact on local wildlife. “We take any impact to wildlife as a result of this crude

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ALTON - Excavation on the McDonald's location rebuild at 717 East Broadway in Alton started on Monday morning. The McDonald's rebuild has been highly anticipated by those in the downtown Alton area and their previous employees. Dick Bold and his family, the owners of McDonald's on Broadway, have always been good citizens in their locations and communities. Bold repositioned each and every employee from the burned-out McDonald's location to other closeby locations during the time in between the fire to today so they could retain their income and benefits. The McDonald's fire occurred on June 17, 2021. The Bold family had to wait on insurance and McDonald's corporate approval to begin the new project. SS Haulin & Excavating, Inc., of Caseyville, is contracted to begin the project with the excavation of the old site. Sam Shafer, the owner of SS Haulin & Excavating Inc., said the excavation part of the rebuild will take "about a week or so." "We are removing the slab and pavement

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GODFREY - Governor Pritzker today joined leaders from Lewis and Clark Community College to announce upcoming renovations to five historic buildings located on the school’s campus. The project includes a complete renovation of the Main Complex, which includes 5 historic buildings (Baldwin, Caldwell, Wade, Fobes, and Reid) at approximately 170,000 square feet. The renovations are partially funded by a $37.5 million investment through Rebuild Illinois, Governor Pritzker's bipartisan capital plan and the first in nearly a decade, as well as an additional $12.5 million local match from the school. “Throughout my governorship, I’ve been proud to increase state support for Lewis and Clark and all our community colleges, and to make college more attractive and more affordable for students,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Serving 15,000 students, Lewis and Clark is exactly the kind of institution we should be investing in to fuel economic opportunity in this region

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ALTON - Picture This & More, a professional custom framing business in Alton, is marking the one-year anniversary of their location on Broadway. Owner Quint Long said the new location has brought in more foot traffic and helped the company become part of a business community. Picture This & More was previously located at the Piasa Shopping Center on Delmar Avenue and has served the Alton community for over 30 years. Long bought the business from a retired couple eight years ago and moved to 17 East Broadway last year to contribute to the downtown Alton revitalization effort. “We were just wanting to jump on board with the revitalization of the downtown-Broadway corridor,” Long said. “John Simmons had a plan to bring more art-related, tourist-related businesses to downtown, and they kind of courted Picture This & More, and here we are.” Long said business has been booming since moving to Broadway. “The first year has been very exciting,” Lon

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ROLLA, Mo. - The Student Knights of St. Patrick have been selected to represent Missouri University of Science and Technology's student organizations during the 114th St. Pat's celebration in Rolla, Missouri. The students will be knighted during a coronation ceremony at 9 p.m. Friday, March 18, in Leach Theater of Castleman Hall, located on the Missouri S&T campus at 400 W. 10th St. in Rolla. Honorary Knights and the Queen of Love and Beauty will also be honored during the coronation. The practice of knighting students every spring can be traced back to the beginning of the 20th century, when Missouri S&T engineering students declared St. Patrick the patron saint of engineers. The 2022 student Knights of St. Patrick from the area is as follows: Edwardsville's Luke Goeckner, senior, computer science, Miner Theatre Guild

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MADISON – With less than 100 days until the green flag waves at the start of the inaugural NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway (WWTR) on June 5, Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) announce the race’s official name: Enjoy Illinois 300, sponsored by the Illinois Office of Tourism. “The Enjoy Illinois 300 establishes Illinois’ own World Wide Technology Raceway as the country’s standout track for stock car, open-wheel, and drag racing alike,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “I promised to be our state’s best Chief Marketing Officer, and with the return of NASCAR to Illinois, visitors from around the nation have yet another reason to come explore all that Metro East has to offer. This is an incredible opportunity to showcase Illinois and we look forward to welcoming NASCAR fans to our great state.” The NASCAR Cup Series is enjoyed by millions of viewers across the

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Department of Corrections (IDOC) today announced legionella bacteria was detected during routine water testing at the Stateville and Joliet Treatment Center facilities this week. IDOC conducts quarterly legionella testing at all locations to detect the bacteria early and prevent further spread. Currently, no inmates or staff at either facility are exhibiting symptoms of the disease and all potentially affected individuals in custody have been notified. “Protecting the health and safety of the individuals entrusted to our care is the department’s top priority, which is why we routinely test for bacteria like legionella,” said IDOC Director Rob Jeffreys. “In partnership with IDPH, the department will continue to closely monitor inmates and will conduct rigorous water cleansing and follow up testing to ensure the bacteria is eradicated.” “Thanks to regularly scheduled testing, the

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ALTON - We often get excited about new efforts in our city, but we also know they are difficult to sustain. City Shapers is a two-year training process that is careful to listen to every voice in our city. Over the two years, we will focus on three phases: assessment, alignment, and activation. We are currently in the ASSESSMENT phase. This is requiring us to move much slower than many of us usually do. Instead of assuming we know what everyone wants or needs in Alton, we're taking our time to humbly listen to as many voices as we can. It takes time to build trust and develop friendships with people we don't always know. We believe it's worth it. So, step up to the mic! We want to hear your voice. The Alton City Shapers movement is inviting Altonians to share their voices through local gatherings called, "Listening Sessions." During the month of March, we have identified locations across Alton in an effort to bring us all together. We want to hear your thoughts about Alton. No

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EDWARDSVILLE — Metro East Humane Society (MEHS) has announced a $45,000 gift from the late Jerry and Harlene Gammill of Maryville, Ill. The gift will be utilized to launch a Spay/Neuter Voucher Program to provide fee waived spay/neuter services and rabies vaccines to targeted areas throughout Madison County in partnership with Madison County Animal Care and Control. Anne Schmidt, MEHS Executive Director, said, “The generous gift from the late Jerry & Harlene Gammill will serve two purposes: we're addressing overpopulation concerns; and, we are providing surgeries to clients who cannot otherwise afford them. We're extremely appreciative of this gift and the hundreds of animals it will help.” Katherine Conder, Directory of Madison County Animal Care and Control, stated, “Madison County Animal Care and Control is excited to be part of a spay and neuter program with MEHS. This program will target Granite City, Alton and Madison. All three of these areas are hig

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