Riverbender 🕸

Call me a hippie, but I’m scared of climate change. Not only am I scared of climate change, but I’m also on the lookout for ways to solve it. I know this is a little ambitious — yes, me, a 23-year-old journalist with no scientific background and the lowest-effort recycling pile possible, will fix an age-old problem single-handedly. Well, no, probably not. But I can at least try to minimize my impact. Whether you’re worried about climate change or not, we can all agree that it’s a good idea to take care of the Earth as much as we can. So over the past several months, I’ve tried to be more intentional with my consumption and look for sustainable options where possible: my project to Save the World™, to varying degrees of success thus far. First, I want to acknowledge that sustainability is expensive and often requires space, time and money that not everyone has. I’m lucky that I have access to space, a little bit of extra time,

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ALTON – The Salvation Army Tree of Lights campaign will kick off at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 17, 2023, during the Alton Main Street Tree Lighting ceremony. The event takes place at Lincoln Douglas Square and includes free trolley rides, a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus, caroling, hot cocoa and cookies. A new addition to the festivities will be the Red Kettle bounce house. For those unable to attend the Tree Lighting in person, portions of the event will be streaming live in a cooperative effort between Riverbender.com and WBGZ Radio. Mike Roberts and C.J. Nasello of Our Daily Show! will host the broadcast. Salvation Army Madison County Corps Advisory Council Chairman Kevin Botterbush announced earlier this year that local Meteorologist Mike Roberts and his wife Karen will chair this year’s campaign. “Our goal is to raise $217,000 through the red kettle campaign,” the Roberts said. “We are humbly asking for gifts - the gift of time and the gift of financial

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ALTON - Rosetta "Rosie" Brown is back at it again with her annual Socks For Tots Community Socks Drive. The campaign has made such a difference in children's lives to keep children's feet warm as winter moves forward in the region. Brown is the alderman for the Fourth Ward of Alton. The Socks for Tots Drive will begin in November and last through December 2023. "It’s time to replenish the socks inventory for our youth," Brown said. "My mission is to 'Heat the Feet' of our school-age children. Last year with the help of our community I was able to provide over 6,000 pairs of socks to schools, daycares, the Oasis Women's Center, Boys and Girls Club and Catholic Children’s Home. Let’s really make an impact on the lives of our children by collectively donating toward this initiative. My goal this year is 10,000 pairs of socks." How and Where to Support The Campaign Boxes will be placed in several venues in our community including the Alton-Godfrey and Wood River

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is announcing the latest recipient of a grant for projects funded through the Wildlife Preservation Fund grant program. The Wildlife Preservation Fund provides grants under the Illinois Non-Game Wildlife Protection Act. Five percent of non-federal dollars deposited into the Illinois Wildlife Preservation Fund are committed to grants through this program. The Act provides for a voluntary check-off designation on state income tax return forms, allowing individual taxpayers to make charitable donations to the fund. These contributions provide grants to help with maintenance of existing Illinois wildlife rehabilitation facilities that care for threatened and endangered species. Eligible uses of grant funds are limited to structural repair and maintenance of existing buildings, pens, cages, and appurtenant facilities used to take care of threatened or endangered wildlife species. IDNR has awarded the following

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SPRINGFIELD – Seven snowmobile trail projects in Illinois have been awarded $392,150 for the development, rehabilitation, and maintenance the trails. The grants come from the Illinois Snowmobile Grant program (SNOW) and the Snowmobile Trail Establishment Fund Grant program (STEF). SNOW grant recipients are: Freeport Park District – $39,150 for rehabilitation and maintenance of the trail for snowmobile use. Freeport Park District – $120,000 for purchase of a tractor to groom snowmobile trails. Lake County Forest Preserve District – $29,000 for replacement of snowmobiles and trailer for park rangers so they can perform routine patrols. McHenry County Conservation District – $30,000 for rental of a tractor for maintenance, operation expenses, and trail signage. Rockford Park District – $40,000 for operational and maintenance expenses, rental tractors, and snowmobile trail equipment STEF grant recipients are: Illinois Association of Snowmobile

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Police (ISP) Clandestine Lab Team (CLT) recently hosted a Basic 40-hour Clandestine Lab Safety School and two 16-hour Clandestine Micro-Lab recertification courses to combat the increase in unknown drugs found on the street and the rise of labs used to make illicit drugs. “ISP is committed to combating illegal drugs across the state, including the labs where they are made,” said ISP Director Brendan F. Kelly. “We want to ensure our people have the necessary training to safely handle clandestine labs as we continue providing these services to law enforcement agencies across the state.” The Basic 40-hour Clandestine Lab Safety School was provided by the Midwest Counterdrug Training Center and was conducted to increase the number of certified clandestine lab team operators. A total of 19 ISP Division of Criminal Investigation agents from across the state attended the school and were certified as CLT members. CLT is based

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) led nearly every member of the Illinois Congressional Delegation in sending a letter to President Biden urging the White House to grant Governor JB Pritzker’s request for federal assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help Cook County recover from storm damage. In September, severe storms passed through Cook County producing nine inches of rainfall and flash flooding. “We write in support of Illinois Governor JB Pritzker’s request for federal assistance for the State of Illinois, to help Cook County recover from storm damage that occurred in September,” wrote the lawmakers. “Governor Pritzker has indicated that this incident is of such severity and magnitude that an effective response is beyond the capabilities of the State and local governments. He requests Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Individual Assistance

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Name: Michael Mulrean Hometown: Brighton Years of Service: 1979-1983 KIA: No DOD: June 27, 2022 Branch: United States Marines Rank: Lance Corporal Message: My husband was a very proud Marine. He served his country with pride. 3 years ago we found out he had tonsil cancer from drinking the water at Camp lejune. He suffered a lot, he never complained, never gave up and never lost his faith. Our family lost a great man. He left behind his wife Georgia, his son Michael and his wife Heather, a daughter Lisa and her husband Jeremy and a precious grandaughter Stella who worshipped her paw paw. We know there are many families going through this same thing. We pray for all the families and all the Marines facing these sicknesses that are taking Marines from their families. I miss and love you Mike. Submitter's Name: Georgia Mulrean

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JERSEYVILLE - In an effort to maintain public safety, the Jerseyville City Council passed ordinance 1792, 7-11-2023 updating the required “Fire Code” to the 2018 edition of the International Fire Code and requiring the inspection and maintenance of private hydrants to be performed annually. A “private hydrant” is a hydrant that has been installed for the purpose of fire suppression only for the premises on which it is located, e.g., a commercial building, school, hospital, residential care facility, etc. City Code section 10-6-5B2 states “It shall be the duty of the owner, lessee, or occupant of any property requiring fire hydrants, if those fire hydrants are not owned by Illinois-American Water Company, to have each such hydrant annually inspected and maintained by a licensed plumber to verify and insure its proper operation...” It then states the minimum inspection criteria. Most fire hydrants in our community are owned, operated, and maintained

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 (ECUSD7) Board of Education discussed chronic absenteeism and dropping test scores during a special Board of Education meeting on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023. Superintendent Dr. Patrick Shelton and Curriculum/Instruction Director Tara Fox presented data from Illinois Report Card — a program that breaks down how each school in a district is performing on an academic and social level — to the Board. ECUSD7 had 12 schools designated as “commendable” and one, Woodland Elementary School, as “targeted.” “There weren’t any internal surprises, because we know our achievement has kind of been stagnant, not moving in the right direction, for quite some time,” Shelton said. The school report cards can show how students and teachers are performing compared to other districts in Illinois. Shelton pointed out that chronic absenteeism has been a major issue in the district since

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 (ECUSD7) Board of Education has unanimously approved a resolution authorizing up to $13,000,000 to install solar panels at ten district buildings. The Board voted during a special meeting on Monday, Nov. 14, 2023. The $13M will be provided through Debt Certificates, which the district will pay off in annual installments using the energy savings they accrue through the solar panels. Solar panels will be installed at Worden Elementary School, Jon Davis Wrestling Center, Success Academy, Edwardsville High School, Hamel Elementary School, Leclaire Elementary School, Glen Carbon Elementary School, Albert Cassens Elementary School, Goshen Elementary School and Liberty Middle School. Board member Bob Paty said he had been "going back and forth" all night about how he would vote on this resolution. He asked why the solar panels could not be paid with Health Life Safety Bonds or General Obligation School Bonds, Series 2023D

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ALTON – John Simmons, President and CEO of AltonWorks today announced the start of a hotel feasibility study for a proposed new hotel in downtown Alton. The study will be conducted by HVS, a leading hotel consulting firm with offices in St. Louis and around the United States. The study will assess the demand for a new hotel in the downtown area of Alton, as well as the feasibility of developing and operating such a hotel. The study will consider a variety of factors, including Alton's economic development plans, the competitive landscape, and the availability of land and financing. HVS last completed an Alton area hotel feasibility study in 2014. This current study will build on the results of the previous study. “We are excited to move forward with this hotel feasibility study,” said John Simmons. “We believe there is strong demand for a new hotel in downtown Alton. To realize the long-term vision of downtown Alton, we need a variety of accommodations to attract

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EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Distinguished Research Professor Riza Demirer , PhD, is among the list of the Top 2 Percent of Global Scientists. The recognition, which involves input from Stanford University, is based on metrics surrounding Demirer’s published research. “I am humbled and appreciative of being recognized for my work by Stanford University and Elsevier,” said Demirer, of the School of Business’ Department of Economics and Finance. “This recognition is very motivating for me. It is a testament to the impact of my research globally, as it shows that my scholarship has an impact that goes well beyond SIUE. Research requires a lot of dedication, sacrifice and self-motivation, and being listed among the top global scientists in a large list of researchers from all fields of science is something that validates my efforts and hard work.” Research areas for Demirer, include investments, asset pricing,

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EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Police Department is seeking organizations willing to volunteer for the City’s long-running Adopt-A-Highway program, a public service campaign to help keep area roadsides clean. The City has 13 routes of approximately a mile each that are in the Adopt-A-Highway program. The program is governed by an Illinois law that allows adoption of only those sections of road that are deemed safe for public litter pickup. Several of the City’s routes have been adopted, but Officer Jason Hunter, who oversees the program for Edwardsville, said at least five routes remain available. Any group that wants to do volunteer work is eligible, but all individuals must be at least 18 to participate. Over the years, the effort has included church groups, college organizations, businesses and nonprofit groups. Hunter said participation dropped off in the years since the coronavirus pandemic, but he’s hoping to revitalize the program. “This is an

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ALTON - Tucker Gehrig has created his own path during his career at Alton High but has also followed in the footsteps in carrying on a family legacy as a Redbird. Tucker is the Art Fahrner-Edward Jones Remarkable Redbird of the Month. While taking all honors classes and carrying a 4.75 GPA, Tucker is also extremely proud to be leading the Alton High Scholar Bowl team this year. He is a three-year captain of the team. As a sophomore, Tucker led his team to a regional championship. During his junior year, Tucker moved the needle even higher as he not only led the Redbirds to another regional championship but also was recognized as an All-State performer. This award is given out to 20 students per year and there are currently 500 high schools in the state that participate in Scholar Bowl in the Illinois High School Association. The season is still young as the Scholar Bowl team has only had 1 match at the time of this writing, but Tucker shares that team coach, Dr. David Hurley, has encouraged

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EDWARDSVILLE - Bella Milano celebrated two decades of business in Edwardsville with a 20th anniversary party on Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 at the Lewis & Clark N.O. Nelson Campus in Edwardsville. The event capped off months of promotions celebrating this milestone and featured live music from the Robert Parry Band, several longtime employees and customers, and much more. Tom Guarino, director of Sales and Hospitality for Bella Milano, said at the event that there were 200 people in attendance, including long-time customers and employees who were “having a wonderful time” celebrating and reminiscing on the past 20 years. “200 people … want to come and spend their time and money to celebrate our anniversary with us, and I just can’t tell you want an amazing feeling that is - to have people love Bella Milano as much as we do and want to celebrate it with us,” Tom said. He added that it “couldn’t be done” without Bella Milano’s

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EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Community Unit School District #7 (ECUSD7) will hold a Special Board of Education Meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 13, 2023, at Liberty Middle School in Edwardsville. The Board meets once a month for a regular meeting but has scheduled a special meeting, including an hour-long closed session. They will discuss the middle school language arts program, the tax levy and school achievement/school report card findings. They will also talk about a GIS spatial analysis of ECUSD7. Several action items are up for consideration, including the approval of resignations, retirements and employments. The board will also vote whether or not to approve a resolution that will provide approximately $6,196,573 of funding to several schools in ECUSD7, including $1,793,355.50 to Edwardsville High School for a new roof. Another resolution on the agenda will, if voted for, authorize and provide approximately $13,000,000 to “complete solar panel installations”

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ALTON - The speakers at the VFW Post 1308 Veterans Day Program, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, at the Alby Street location each have a legacy of service, and that was felt during their presentations. Jake Lloyd, a corpsman in the United State Navy, was the keynote speaker. Alton Mayor David Goins read a moving proclamation during the service. The two then handed the baton to Dave Stout, an Air Force veteran and past state commander of the VFW to conclude the event before the 21-Gun Salute and playing of Taps outside. Some key points made by the trio: Lloyd was a corpsman in both Iraq and Afghanistan during those wars. Lloyd expressed that he was honored to make a presentation as the keynote speaker at the Vets Day ceremony and “it means a lot everyone takes part in this.” Lloyd said he grew up as a third-generation Navy brat and emphasized the Marine Corps doesn’t have combat medics, so he took on that role after intense prior training. He spoke of his swearing-in

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COLLINSVILLE - Ameren journeyman Jake Dukett recently spoke to a homeowner who had been living with a gas leak for over two weeks. Believe it or not, this story is not uncommon. The homeowner had smelled that signature rotten egg stench, but they didn’t call 911 or Ameren because they didn’t want to inconvenience anyone or get stuck with a huge service bill. To prevent this from happening again, Ameren Illinois has launched a “Smell Gas, Act Fast” campaign to spread awareness about gas leaks and how Ameren will fix a gas leak immediately, completely free of charge. “When in doubt, make that phone call,” Dukett said. “We don’t charge you to come out. We are a 24/7/365 service. That’s what we’re here for, to keep our community safe.” Dukett is also a volunteer assistant fire chief, and he knows firsthand how dangerous unchecked gas leaks can be. While natural gas is nontoxic to breathe, it’s highly flammable.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, is a day that Ron Swaim and his wife, Joy, will never forget. Swaim, a former Legion district commander and a key component of the Edwardsville Post 199 Legion, was the Edwardsville Veterans Day Parade grand marshal. Swaim has committed much of his life to fulfilling the four pillars of the American Legion - Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation, National Security, Americanism, and Children and Youth. He is a past veteran and he is so proud of the work of the Legion and his country. When Swaim was a Legion district commander, he scored a 103.98, which tied for top in the state. The score is based on retaining membership, and they had added 3.98 additional members during his tenure. Swaim is heavily involved in the Edwardsville American Legion Post and has served as district Legion commander and ranked at the top of those involved in the state. Swaim was very thankful his wife could share this special moment with him and ride with him in the

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