Riverbender 🕸

EDWARDSVILLE - A $15 million construction agreement for Phase 2 of Plummer Family Park and new lighting at the park’s pickleball courts were recently approved by the Edwardsville City Council. Several Edwardsville residents and park visitors voiced their support for expanding the park with more pickleball courts, sand volleyball courts, and more at the last council meeting. One More Game (OMG) Pickleball Club member Jim Stout read a statement from Club Chair Dale Miller, who could not attend the meeting. While the Edwardsville pickleball scene and the club’s membership have both increased over the years, Miller said it’s actually getting “too popular,” as the club struggles to find available courts during prime-time pickleball hours. His proposed solution is to double the number of courts at the park, making it a “regional destination” and driving tourism revenue. “Adding 12 pickleball courts to Plummer Family Park will make

Continue Reading

ALTON - Chloe Miller is an Alton High junior with tremendous potential when it comes to both cross country and track and field. Miller, a middle to long-distance runner, was part of a team that broke the school record last year in the 4 x 800 and is also outstanding in the 800-meter run. She will be a force to be reckoned with for opponents this upcoming spring. Her cross country coach Tammy Talbert said she suffered an arm injury in the season and will miss the postseason, but said she has great potential for the future. “Chloe worked so hard and was running so well,” the coach said. “It is disappointing she wasn't able to do the postseason, but this is her first year of running cross country, and will be back.” Chloe, in an early season interview, said she felt good about her early season with times around the 20-minute mark for three miles. “I just joined cross country to help my 800 and help my 4 x 800 relay,” she said. “Cross country

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE – State Senator Erica Harriss (56 th -Glen Carbon) welcomed nearly 50 high school students from a dozen different schools for her Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Tuesday at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. “This event is always a great way to offer a glimpse of the state government process to area high school students interested in government,” said Senator Harriss. “We had a lot of robust conversations pertaining to legislation our students would like to see moving forward and students were able to hear from three incredible speakers who are leaders in our community about their career paths.” Speakers at this year’s YAC included SIUE Chancellor James T. Minor, Damian Jones, Executive Director of Student Athletes Leading Tomorrow (SALT), and Judge Sarah Smith, Circuit Judge in Madison County. Maryville Christian School student AJ Whitley said the discussion with Judge Smith was his favorite part, “I really liked how she

Continue Reading

BETHALTO - Senior Courtney Picklesimer, No. 7 for the Civic Memorial Eagles, has been a leader all season for the girls' volleyball team in both the kills and blocks areas. Picklesimer is also a definite leader for the girls' team this fall. Courtney is a Tom Lane State Farm Insurance Female Athlete of the Month for the Eagles. CM head girls volleyball coach Kristie Ochs said Courtney consistently finds a way to score for her squad. "She is a hard-working, quick hitter, who plays with a lot of heart," the coach said. Again, congrats to Courtney on her selection as a Tom Lane State Farm Insurance Female Athlete of the Month for CM.

Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—joined U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and other Senate colleagues in introducing a bipartisan resolution condemning Hamas’s brutal terrorist attack on Israel and demanding that Hamas release all hostages and allow for their safe return home. “No innocent civilian—not Israelis, not Palestinians, not Illinoisans, not anyone—deserves to suffer the violence, terrorism, hate and abject heartbreak that too many human souls have faced since last Saturday’s Hamas terrorist attacks,” said Senator Duckworth. “Our bipartisan resolution today sends a message to all hostages—and all families experiencing the agony of having to wonder about the safety and wellbeing of their loved ones—that the United States sees them and is with them. There is never any excuse for terrorism and Hamas

Continue Reading

GODFREY - The BJC Medical Group celebrated the opening of their new Godfrey Outpatient Center, which will provide convenient, primary and specialty care in the Riverbend region. “Where other folks have been kind of pulling back in the healthcare industry, we’re investing in the communities around us, and that includes right here in the Alton and Godfrey areas,” said Douglas Pogue, president of BJC Medical Group. “We’re trying to establish as much as we possibly can here in this center so the people have something nice that’s close to home.” The Godfrey Outpatient Center’s new location at 5213 Godfrey Road is a bigger and more accessible space than its previous building a few blocks down the street. Pogue explained that walk-in convenient care will be available 12 hours a day, seven days a week, and they plan to introduce primary care physicians in the next 30 to 60 days. BJC will relocate a few specialists to the Godfrey center,

Continue Reading

GRAFTON - Pere Marquette Park Urban Fishing Coordinator Scott Isringhausen has a program coming on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023, at Pere Marquette State Park Visitor’s Center that he has done for three decades - Fishing and Night Hike Owl Program. The event is free to the public and will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3, 2023. Following the educational program, youth can fish at the Blue Gill Pond which sits next to the visitor center at Pere Marquette. Isringhausen said the Fishing and Night Hike Owl Program is one of his favorite annual events as a park ranger. At 7:30 p.m. on the evening of Nov. 3, 2023, Isringhausen will present a program on owls and other creatures someone might hear at night when fishing, camping, hiking, etc., outdoors. “Following the program, the group will take a night hike to listen for owls and other night sounds,” Isringhausen said. “The hike will be about two miles long and a portion of it will be uphill. Join us for a hotdog and marshmallow

Continue Reading

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) re-introduced legislation to ensure breast cancer patients and survivors who have experienced a mastectomy are able to access custom breast prosthetics under Medicare. The Breast Cancer Patient Equity Act would provide coverage for custom fabricated breast prostheses—which, unlike other prosthetic devices, are not currently covered by Medicare—to the more than 100,000 women who undergo mastectomies annually. “We can do so much more to help patients and survivors of breast cancer fully recover and achieve the best quality of life,” said Senator Duckworth. “It is absurd that the breast is the only human body part not currently covered by Medicare as a customized replacement, which is one of the reasons why I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation with Senator Murkowski to finally change that and help expand access and options for women who have already

Continue Reading

CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), along with U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Cory Booker (D-NJ), led 45 colleagues in urging President Biden to continue putting his full attention on the freeing of American hostages that were taken by Hamas during the terrorist organization’s October 7 th attacks on Israel and supporting Israel’s efforts to dismantle the threat of Hamas. In the letter, the lawmakers wrote, “We appreciate that you have sent the U.S. Deputy Special Envoy for Hostage Affairs to Israel to assist in the recovery of the hostages, and we urge you to do everything in your power to secure their safe release. Hamas has already killed 30 Americans and likely injured many more… The terrorists responsible for these atrocities hide behind human shields while they threaten to livestream the execution of hostages. Hamas has also reportedly demanded the mass release of prisoners in exchange for freeing

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - Three Edwardsville firemen were recently promoted and took their new Oaths of Office at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2023. Captain Robert “Bob” Morgan was promoted to Assistant Fire Chief, Lieutenant Edward Burnley was promoted to Fire Captain, and Firefighter/Paramedic Tanner Sweetman was promoted to Fire Lieutenant. Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford said Morgan has served as Captain since 2009 and has been unofficially acting as Fire Marshal for several years - this promotion will make those duties official, he said. Burnley started with the department in 2012 and has served as Lieutenant for just over a year, Chief Whiteford said. He added Burnley also leads the Technical Rescue activities training for the department and Madison County as a whole. Burnley’s promotion will fill Morgan’s former position as Captain. Sweetman’s promotion fills Burnley’s former position as Lieutenant. Chief Whiteford

Continue Reading

ALTON - For those who need a mid-week break, Café 111 has got you covered with the introduction of Wine Down Wednesdays. From 4–7 p.m. every Wednesday, you can stop by Café 111 for a signature cocktail and a relaxing night out. Jason Harrison, CEO of Lamays Catering, explained the goal of Wine Down Wednesdays is to bring people together, whether you like wine or not. “We will have a weekly signature cocktail with a mix of classic and creative options,” Harrison said. “For those who don’t drink alcohol but still would like to experience a great ambiance with board games and networking, we will also have a signature mocktail.” The café serves a variety of soups, wings and other light appetizers you can enjoy with your drink. Wine Down Wednesday kicks off on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. Check out the official Café 111 Facebook page and website for specials, or stop by their location at 111 E. 4th Street in Alton

Continue Reading

ALTON - A Barbecue and Fish Weekend will be hosted by Millennium Temple on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023, and Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at Mr. Everything at 211 E. Elm St. in Alton. The days festivities begin at 11 a.m each day. The festivities include a wide variety of dinners from the fish dinners, fish sandwich, pork steak dinners and pork steak sandwiches. To place your order contact (618) 410-3346 or visit the location on one of those two days.

Continue Reading

CARLINVILLE – Taylor Pensoneau is still amazed at the popularity of his books on Southern Illinois gangsters, Brothers Notorious: The Sheltons and Dapper & Deadly. “The response to my books on gangsters has been far beyond my expectations,” said Pensoneau, a former political writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch . “I will go to my grave still cherishing the overflow crowds at the early book signings for both of them. At the coming-out signing for Dapper & Deadly, we sold over 1,000 books.” Pensoneau will discuss his books on gangsters in a free program at the Carlinville Public Library at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday evening, Oct. 19. The Shelton brothers were among the most famous of bootleggers in southern Illinois during Prohibition, and were described by the Saturday Evening Post as “America’s Bloodiest Gang.” Dapper & Deadly covers the life of Charlie Harris, another of southern Illinois’ notable gangsters who was allegedly

Continue Reading

ALTON - For a man who has worked with countless celebrities, Stevon Houston is something of a celebrity himself as he prepares to join In Marilyn’s Care Beauty and Barber Salon in Alton. In Marilyn’s Care, located at 235 E. Delmar Road, opened in August to a huge response from Riverbend residents. Now, owner Marilyn Minor has joined forces with Houston, a longtime friend and popular stylist who has helped entertainers like MC Hammer, Eddie Fisher and En Vogue develop their signature style. “They were kind of introverted when they came to me. They really didn’t have a voice when it came to their look, because they had no idea how they should look,” Houston remembered. Houston started his career in California, where he quickly gained a reputation as someone who could help hopeful performers. He joked that MC Hammer looked “real nerdy” before Houston gave him the wave style that made him recognizable. As Houston’s work spread, he

Continue Reading

ALTON - Angie Rand Schweppe was a prominent Altonian, animal lover, women’s suffrage activist, and much more. She was recently portrayed by Debbie Maneke for this year’s Vintage Voices Tour at the Alton Cemetery. “I’m Angie, and I do love animals - I love all creatures, really,” Maneke said as Schweppe. “My dear friend Sophia Duluth and I founded the Alton Chapter of the National Humane Society.” Schweppe then recalled a tale about a high school biology teacher who had been practicing “feline dissection” in his classes. After learning about this, she rounded up the school board and State’s Attorney, who helped write a new law against feline dissection practices. The biology teacher not only stopped the dissections, but suffered a cut to his salary - Schweppe passed copies of the new law around the school district to ensure such an incident would not happen again. While she was originally from Maine, Schweppe settled

Continue Reading

ALTON – Today, the city of Alton is proud to announce its commitment toward becoming a UNICEF Child Friendly City in partnership with UNICEF USA. Alton will set forth on an ambitious, multi-year process to increase youth inclusion and well-being and joins just a handful of pioneering cities and municipalities in the U.S. working to obtain and uphold this important designation. The UNICEF Child Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) is a framework through which communities prioritize the needs of children and young people, combat discrimination, and elevate child and youth voices in local governance and decision making. This recognition is a comprehensive process that involves local, civic and government leaders, volunteers and residents working closely with the city’s youth to determine the specific needs of children in the Alton community. “I am excited about the city of Alton partnering with UNICEF USA to become a Child Friendly City,” said City of Alton Mayor,

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - Alton High boys soccer forward Dillan Cowan concluded his season on Tuesday night against Edwardsville and he ended up being the Redbirds leading scorer for the season. Cowan was forced to sit out the Redbirds' 3-0 loss to Edwardsville in the IHSA Class 3A regional semifinals on Oct. 17, 2023, at Tiger Stadium in Edwardsville, due to an ankle injury he suffered during the pregame warmups. It was a big blow to the team, as they had lost their leading goal scorer, who scored 14 during the regular season. After a slow start this season, Cowan helped lead the Redbirds to a great second half, which saw Alton win five of their final eight regular season games, which was their goal, and end the season 6-13-0. It was a great accomplishment for the Redbirds and serves them well in the 2024 campaign and beyond. "We didn't start out how we wanted," Cowan said during a post-match interview, "but we still came out every night and competed and competed. And then, our goal was five

Continue Reading

BETHALTO - The Cross-River Crime Task Force recently completed a deployment in the Bethalto area. On Oct. 12, members of the task force, working with the Madison County Sheriff’s Enforcement Team (SET) and Bethalto Police Department, conducted a deployment in the Bethalto, Cottage Hills and Meadowbrook areas. The deployment was conducted from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. During the enforcement detail, officers: • Conducted 76 traffic stops • Made five warrant arrests • Made one arrest for unlawful use of a weapon • Seized approximately 20 grams of suspected methamphetamine and a small amount of suspected heroin/fentanyl capsules. The Cross-River Crime Task Force, comprised of officers from police agencies across the county, uses realtime data from Automated License Plate Readers in conjunction with saturation patrols to stem the flow of crime into Madison County from across the Mississippi River. Since its inception in early 2021, the unit has completed multiple deployment

Continue Reading

BELLEVILLE – Thanks to advocacy from state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, $580,000 in state grants through the Rebuild Illinois capital program have been issued for local projects – including support for St. Clair Associated Vocational Enterprises (SAVE), building improvements for the Swansea Police Department, infrastructure reconstruction at Belleville’s Bicentennial Park and highway equipment to support local services in St. Clair Township. “This funding is going to help community assets in their mission of serving resident needs,” Hoffman said. “I appreciate the work put in by local leaders to successfully receive these grants, and I look forward to the positive impact they will have.” Funding released by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) includes: - $200,000 to the City of Belleville for Bicentennial Park’s spillway reconstruction to prevent erosion and better handle major storms, - $180,000 to

Continue Reading

GLEN CARBON – Two Girl Scouts from Southern Illinois – Megan Roseman from Collinsville and Elizabeth Back from Anna – got to take their Girl Scout adventures to exciting new heights this summer. Girl Scout Destinations are the ultimate adventure for Girl Scouts in grades 6-12. Destinations are designed to push girls past their comfort zones by applying for trips on their own and making friends from all over the country as they travel with new Girl Scout friends. Destinations prove to be unique, life-changing experiences for girls who choose to go on these adventures. Megan’s Girl Scout Destination took her to the great state of Texas for “Biomedical Engineering Immersion” at Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas’s STEM Center of Excellence. At this Destination, girls explored careers in biomedical engineering through hands-on experimental learning, while also experiencing the adventure of high ropes, archery, and traditional Girl Scout camping

Continue Reading