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ALTON - After learning about a local woman’s ritual of watching the sunset, I had to try it for myself. Jennifer Sillivan goes outside, takes off her shoes and grounds herself in the earth every night as the sun goes down. When we spoke, she told me that it was a peaceful experience, a chance to connect with herself and nature after a busy day. Well, who doesn’t need that? I was completely on board. So last night, I loaded up my lawn chair and trekked out to the abandoned bank near Alton Square Mall, where Sillivan usually sits. One thing to know about me: I am not a super organized person. (If you’re reading this, RiverBender owner John Hentrich, please stop reading right now. I’m telling on myself.) My desk is a mess. My purse is full of old wrappers. My planner is illegible, but hey, I can read it just fine. It’s chaos, but it’s a chaos I understand. All of that is to say that I didn’t check the weather beforehand. We’ve been under

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GODFREY - Today, State Representative Amy Elik announced she is seeking re-election for the 111th State Legislative District. Elik, a Certified Public Accountant first elected in 2020 and overwhelmingly re-elected in 2022, has quickly established herself as a fiscal watchdog in the General Assembly. She serves as the House Republican deputy budgeteer, pushing for a common sense, balanced budget and lower overall tax burden on working families, seniors and job creators. “Families throughout the Metro East are struggling to afford mortgages, gas, groceries, and childcare. In Springfield, I am fighting to lower taxes and make Illinois a safer and more affordable place to live,” said Elik. “Extreme democrats continue to try to force their agenda on us, but I am standing strong for life and the Second Amendment.” In her short time in the legislature, Representative Elik has distinguished herself as a well-respected leader who will work with anyone to pass policies

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SOUTH ROXANA - A young local couple recently brought strong concerns about speeding on their residential street in South Roxana to Mayor T.J. Callahan and Chief of Police Bob Coles. Now, Callahan and Coles have joined forces to address the concern. The couple, proud new parents to their first child, brought this concern to Mayor Callahan's attention after their child was born, worried about the child's future safety. Mayor Callahan consulted Chief Coles, who immediately crafted a sensible solution. "We all understand the rush of everyday life. But let's not allow our haste to create an issue, especially when it comes to our neighborhood's safety," Chief Coles said. "Before our officers start enforcing compliance with citations, we want to try and work with the people to bring attention to their driving habits and obtain voluntary compliance without resulting in fines." The plan is simple but promising: Increase awareness of the impact of driving habits on the neighborhood with a campaign

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EAST ALTON - A motorcycle rear-ended a pickup truck in the 100 block of Airline Drive in East Alton on Monday night. East Alton Police Chief Scott Golike said late Monday that the driver of the motorcycle was taken by helicopter to a St. Louis hospital. Golike said he had no other details about the accident that he could provide at the moment, but East Alton Police continue to investigate the crash. The chief added the motorcyclist was in "serious condition" at the last report.

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BETHALTO - Four days of fun are in store at the Bethalto Homecoming next weekend. From Sept. 1–4, families can enjoy carnival rides, games, live music and plenty of food and craft vendors at 213 N Prairie Street in Bethalto. Proceeds will go to the Bethalto Fire Department, who also organized the event. “We do take great pride in being able to provide something for the community where it’s safe to bring your family and just have a good time,” Chief Brian Buhs said. Buhs added that there will be a few new carnival rides this year. The Bethalto Homecoming kicks off at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 1; this is a “two-for-one night,” so two people can ride the carnival rides for the price of one. The carnival opens again at 1 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and it will run from noon to 6 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 4. Monday is “family bargain day,” so every ride costs one ticket. The Steve Ewing Band is set to play on Friday, followed by Infringement

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SPRINGFIELD – Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) officials announce the arrest of 19-year-old Aaron Hartline of Witt, IL., for Dissemination of Child Pornography, Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse, and Possession of Child Pornography. In February 2023, ISP DCI Zone 4 Agents initiated an investigation after learning a male subject was communicating with a minor, in which the suspect was discussing sexual acts and requesting child pornography. During the investigation, ISP Investigators assigned to the Office of the Illinois Attorney General Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) gathered digital evidence indicating that Aaron C. Hartline was possessing and disseminating child pornography from his residence in Witt, Illinois. Additionally, DCI Zone 4 agents located a minor victim who had been sexually abused by Hartline. On August 10, 2023 the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office charged Hartline with six counts

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GRAFTON - This doesn’t happen in the middle of the Village of Grafton often, but a woman had a serious crash on Friday night and had to be airlifted with multiple injuries from the scene to a St. Louis hospital. Grafton Police Chief Eric Spanton said a woman was alone in her vehicle and eastbound on Illinois Route 100 and initially struck a parked car in front of the Grafton Winery. “The woman bounced off hitting the car in front of the Grafton Winery and hit a parked car in front of the Grafton Pub, which also hit a car in front of them and veered off in front of the Grafton Pub. The woman was seriously injured and is now in critical condition at a St. Louis hospital.” The police chief said he was told some of the woman's injuries include a torn aorta, two collapsed lungs, seven or eight broken ribs, a broken pelvis and ankle injuries. The woman had undergone multiple surgeries, the chief said, and the latest he knew of she was still in critical condition. The chie

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RIVERBEND - The Riverbend Chapter of Little Black Book: Women in Business is a space for women to network, give back to the community and, this September, dominate at trivia. The Riverbend Chapter will host a music trivia night on Sept. 22 with all proceeds benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association . Founding members Lisa Webb, Gail Akeman and Terri Schneider explained that this fundraiser is at the heart of what Little Black Book stands for: giving back to the communities where members live and work. “Something special is that we actually give back to the community in different ways,” said Schneider, who works as an independent financial advisor at Claywell Asset Management in Godfrey. “Being out in the community and connecting with our community, it’s just an additional way to get to know more people.” The music trivia night will take place at The Lodge at the Lovejoy on Sept. 22, with a silent auction, several raffle prizes an

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EDWARDSVILLE - At 3:14 a.m. Monday, the Edwardsville Fire Department was dispatched to a report of a basement fire in a residence on Gerber Woods Drive in Edwardsville. When fire crews arrived, they found a home evacuated by its residents and family dog. "The fire appeared to start on, or near, a battery-powered motorcycle stored in the basement," Edwardsville Fire Chief James Whiteford said. "Occupants reported they heard and felt an explosion followed by smoke detectors sounding, which woke them up and allowed them to escape. Pressure from the explosion broke several windows and blew two basement doors off the hinges, but no one was injured." Edwardsville Fire Department was able to quickly douse the flames with help from mutual aid fire departments from Glen Carbon, Collinsville and Troy. Chief Whiteford said the Fire Department has been training on the hazards of rechargeable battery fires. "They are challenging fires. If batteries overheat when charging, they can give off explosive

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EDWARDSVILLE - Senior wide receiver Joey DeMare has made quite a few clutch receptions in his stint with the Edwardsville High varsity football team, and Aug. 25 was no exception, as he hauled in Jake Curry's five-yard pass with 33.5 seconds left that proved to be the winner as the Tigers won over Jackson, Mo. 30-21 in the season opener at Tiger Stadium. Edwardsville sealed the win on the first play after the kickoff when a bad snap from center went into the end zone, where the Indians recovered the ball for a safety and the two points that clinched the game. It was DeMare's catch in the end zone in the final minute that put Edwardsville ahead and after the game, DeMare was very full of emotion. "A lot of emotions, honestly," DeMare said in his postgame interview. "Like, it feels just like last year, even better, because we did it twice. But man, it was like a great team win and I don't think I could describe it right now. I've got to sleep this off, but and describe it tomorrow," h

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ALTON - If there’s anything Marquette Catholic running back Alex McCloud could do differently about his game in the season opener against Civic Memorial, it’s play more. McCloud, a junior running back for Eric Dickerson’s Explorer ball club, made his presence felt offensively when he was on the field. But as was apparent at high school games all across the region, the unforgiving heat led to cramping for McCloud, who had to sit out some game time. “Big time,” Alex McCloud said, when asked if the heat played a factor in Friday’s game. “It was annoying when I was cramping,” said McCloud after the game, a 42-16 loss for his Explorers. “When I was cramping I couldn’t be in the game, but when I was in the game I had a blast.” While not an ideal result for Marquette, Alex McCloud scored a late rushing touchdown to bring the score a bit closer. A 16-yard rush where McCloud broke tackles and made CM defenders miss on his

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced the resolution of a multistate federal lawsuit resulting from the final adoption of a robust Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule to protect worker safety. The new rule, which strengthens public reporting of workplace health and safety information, will go into effect in January 2024. As a result, Raoul and the states have asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to dismiss the case. “Having sound data on workplace injuries allows employers to improve safety, which benefits everyone,” Raoul said. “Employees deserve safe working environments. Having better information about potential hazards could also reduce employers’ costs in defending against workers’ compensation claims and potentially prevent costs from being passed on to consumers.” On-the-job injuries and illnesses remain unacceptably high, with American workers experiencing more than 3 million serious

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EDWARDSVILLE - Celebrate the Grand Finale: Edwardsville Municipal Band Concludes Summer Season with "Encore" Concert on Thursday night. The Edwardsville Municipal Band is set to dazzle audiences with their final Thursday evening performance at the Cleaon Etzkorn bandstand in City Park on Thursday, August 31 at 8 p.m. (rescheduled due to excessive heat last week). Under the baton of co-conductor, Dr. Rubén Darío Gómez, the Edwardsville Municipal Band will present its theme, fittingly entitled "Encore." Programming concerts is one of the most challenging tasks for conductors and usually, in groups like the EMB and other symphonic ensembles, it is almost exclusively the conductor's job. However, for this program, the players of the EMB were asked to suggest pieces they would like to perform. The band will play favorites such as “Bugler’s Holiday,” “Shenandoah,” “The Wizard of Oz,” and the always popular “Stars and Stripe

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CHICAGO – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) today released the following statement regarding the decision by the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to permanently convert United States Penitentiary (USP) Thomson into a low-security prison while ensuring that all current Thomson employees will be retained: “We welcome today’s announcement by BOP Director Peters that USP Thomson will be permanently converted to a low-security facility. This change is a decisive effort to address the many challenges the institution has faced in recent years, while relieving some of the overpopulation pressures BOP is experiencing in low-security facilities nationwide. “While we’re disappointed that this conversion will lead to a reduction in the number of full-time staff positions, we’re relieved that the facility will retain all o

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DOW - This weekend, the Tri-County Antique Club’s 32nd annual “Olden Days” festival celebrated local agriculture with tractor pulls, a car show and more. The festival was set for Aug. 26 and 27, but was canceled on Saturday due to inclement weather. Sunday, Aug. 27 went on as planned with vendors, fair food and music by Jim On The Keyboard. Antique cars were lined up alongside antique tractors. The festival was an homage to the club’s mission statement, including their goal “to promote the appreciation of agricultural history, through the restoration and preservation of antique, vintage and classic automobiles, gasoline and oil engines, gas and steam tractors, farm machinery and other equipment of historical value.” To that end, they encouraged people to sign up for the car show or to display their vintage tractors. One man brought out his 1955 Ford 860 tractor, and he noted that it runs as well as ever with a rebuilt carburetor and looks eve

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ALTON - The rain didn’t stop community members from enjoying a day of food and music at the Alton Food Truck Festival this weekend. Attendees flooded the Alton Amphitheater to try 18 different food trucks on Saturday, Aug. 26. This year marked the ninth year of the Food Truck Festival, and people were excited to check out old favorites and try new meals. Dan Herkert, the chair of the Alton Amphitheater Commission, said the festival is a fun night for the City of Alton and usually draws 5,000 people to the riverfront. “This event’s fun just to see all the people, the melting pot of people from our community and the surrounding area, having a good time,” Herkert said. “There’s a whole lot of division in the world today, but seeing people having fun, making new friends, enjoying good music and good food, is always a bonus.” The food truck owners echoed this sentiment, noting that they enjoy catching up with other trucks and sharing thei

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Letter To The Editor: “White supremacist violence is never the product of a ‘lone shooter’. The white man who murdered AJ Laguerre Jr., Jerrald De'Shaun Gallon, and Angela Michelle Carr in Jacksonville this weekend acted as part of white supremacist culture and white nationalist networks that are further emboldened by anti-Black rhetoric and policies like those pushed by Governor Ron DeSantis in Florida. "White people have a responsibility to actively engage other white people where they’re at and invite them into other ways of being together besides racism. We must do this before they are organized by violent, racist networks to harm our Black and brown neighbors. That means, to end white supremacist violence in this country, we need millions more white people to join us in organizing white people away from racism and into multiracial fights for justice.” — Erin Heaney, Executive Director, Showing Up for Racial Justice

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ALTON - Nancy Robeen, a recent Mission Partner of the Month Award recipient and a physical therapy assistant for OSF Rehabilitation Services in Alton, gave some insight into the daily life of her career on an episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com . Robeen said her typical day doesn’t include much downtime - after a cup of coffee, she quickly makes preparations for her patients, and then “it’s go time.” “We get ready for our patients, we peruse through the chart, and then it’s go time - we don’t have a lot of downtime,” Robeen said. “I like to just start with a nice smile, a ‘hello,’ and getting to know the patient - what’s going well for you today and maybe what’s not going well for you? “Let’s sit down and let’s see what we can do, and just help these people find some comfort in whatever they’re going through.” Robeen said it’s important to truly

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GODFREY - A photo exhibit at Lewis & Clark Community College in Godfrey showcases 100 photographs taken by award-winning photographer Robert J. Ellison, who captured several important moments from the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War. “Unfiltered Lens” will run until Aug. 31 in the Hatheway Cultural Center Gallery on the Lewis & Clark campus. A commemoration event with local historians and more will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26 in the Ann Whitney Olin Theatre on campus. The exhibit hours are on weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 to 2 p.m., with the commemoration event immediately following. Both the commemoration event and exhibit are free and open to the public. Lacy McDonald, genealogy & local history library manager for the Hayner Public Library District, joined Jared Hennings, student activities coordinator for Lewis & Clark Community College, to discuss the photo exhibit on an episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City High School's football team appears primed for an outstanding season in 2023 after an excellent summer of training. The Warriors are loaded with talent on both the offensive and defensive sides of the field and have an excellent place kicker in Abby Knight. The Warriors suffered a tough opening loss on Saturday at O'Fallon, but should rebound and have an outstanding season under second-year head coach Kindle Lyons. Lyons has inspired the Warriors in both the weight room and on the field and he expects big things from his kids this fall. The Warriors football boys are Stillwater Senior Living Male Athletes Of The Month for their superior efforts over the summer. Granite is coming off a 1-8 season last year, the only win coming against Madison 51-34 on Sept. 17, 2022, at Memorial Stadium/Kevin Greene Field. The Warriors were shut out in five of their games last season, including the last four consecutive, but all the signs of a big turnaround are evident

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