Riverbender 🕸

ALTON – The mother of an Alton Middle School student faces felony charges after threatening to blow up and burn down the school and physically harm students. The 32-year-old Alton woman was charged on May 21, 2026 with a Class 4 felony count of disorderly conduct and a Class A misdemeanor count of aggravated assault. The woman allegedly knowingly threatened an Alton Middle School employee by “threatening to blow up and burn the school to the ground” on April 16, 2026, according

CHARLESTON - Sarah Rider of Civic Memorial High School said competing in the 100-meter hurdles at state was an overwhelming but rewarding experience after qualifying with a personal record at the Triad Sectional and finishing 29th in the preliminaries. Rider, a junior at CM, ran 16.27 in the 100 hurdles prelims. She qualified for state by placing sixth at the Springfield Southeast Sectional in 16.14 after chasing a state berth throughout the season. Sarah is a Tom Lane State Farm Insurance Femal

CHARLESTON - Sarah Rider of Civic Memorial High School said competing in the 100-meter hurdles at state was an overwhelming but rewarding experience after qualifying with a personal record at the Triad Sectional and finishing 29th in the preliminaries. Rider, a junior at CM, ran 16.27 in the 100 hurdles prelims. She qualified for state by placing sixth at the Springfield Southeast Sectional in 16.14 after chasing a state berth throughout the season. Sarah is a Tom Lane State Farm Insurance Femal

CHARLESTON - Kaylee Shields returned to the IHSA 2A state track and field meet and tied for 13th in the preliminaries Friday, May 22, 2026, clearing 3.20 meters after missing the previous year, as the Tom Lane State Farm Insurance Female Athlete of the Month said she was focused on reaching the finals. “I am happy to be able to come to the state meet," she said. "I wanted to make it to state finals." Shields said returning to the meet after time away carried added significance. She als

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County prosecutors have charged two St. Louis men with first-degree murder and other felonies in the April 19 fatal shooting of a man closing his food truck in St. Louis County, authorities said Thursday. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said charges were issued May 21, 2026, against Daion Heartfield, 25, of the 1800 block of Exuma Drive in St. Louis, and Todd Weems, 32, of the 4200 block of Chippewa Street in St. Louis. Each is charged

ALTON - The City of Alton will host its 159th annual Memorial Day parade, and RiverBender.com will be onsite to stream it. The parade kicks off at 10 a.m. on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2026. The route runs up College Avenue and through Upper Alton. RiverBender’s CJ Nasello will host “Our Daily Show!” that morning from the parade route, showcasing the people who have made the parade so impressive since its inception in 1868. With over 70 entries in the parade,

ALTON - The James Killion Beautification & Enhancement Committee is inviting the public to James Killion Day 2026 on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at James Killion Park for a pre-Memorial Day celebration honoring the legacy of James Killion Jr. and highlighting this year’s youth-focused theme, “It’s All About the Children — Invest in Them Now!” The all-day event will feature an afternoon ceremony from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday and an evening community concert from 6 to 8 p.m.,

ALTON - Vintage Voices is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and you are invited to audition to be a part of the tours. Auditions will be held Saturday, June 6, 2026, at YWCA Southwestern Illinois, 304 E 3rd St, Alton, Illinois 62002. Actors interested in auditioning should reserve a time slot in advance. Auditions will take place from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m. Click here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0549AEA62AA7FCC25-62725093-vintage#/ . The 25th Anniversary tours will feature eight

MARYVILLE - The Village of Maryville will show off its new entertainment pavilion and celebrate America’s 250th anniversary at a Memorial Day event. On Saturday, May 23, 2026, community members from across the region are invited to Firemen’s Park in Maryville for a day of barbecue, games, live music and more. There will also be a ribbon-cutting at 5 p.m. to mark the installation of the new American Legion Entertainment Pavilion. Mayor Wayne White encourages people to come out an

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Mike Bost (IL-12) today applauds the passage of H.R. 1041, the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act. This legislation introduced by Bost prevents the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from stripping veterans of their Second Amendment rights solely because they require financial assistance in managing their benefits. “Tonight the House passed my Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act. No veteran should lose their Second Amendment rights simply because

GRANITE CITY – A Granite City man accused of impregnating a 16-year-old and possessing child sexual abuse material of the same victim currently remains in custody. Eli L. Winters, 26, of Granite City, was charged May 19, 2026, with one count of aggravated criminal sexual assault (a Class X felony), one count of criminal sexual assault (a Class 1 felony), and three counts of child sexual abuse material, including two Class X felonies and one Class 1 felony. From Dec. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024,

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced ramp and lane closures at the Interstate 64 and Illinois 159 interchange in St. Clair County for ramp maintenance work. Starting at 9 a.m. Tuesday, May 26, the following ramps will close: Southbound Illinois 159 to westbound I-64 Northbound Illinois 159 to westbound I-64 Westbound I-64 to Illinois 159 At the same time, northbound Illinois 159 will be reduced to one lane at I-64. Two northbound lanes are

EDWARDSVILLE/MITCHELL/PONTOON BEACH - With conversations about a possible sale of Special Service Area No. 1 to Illinois American Water, the Madison County Board heard from several residents, and Chairman Chris Slusser addressed “false information” surrounding the potential sale. Illinois American Water has offered $35 million for SSA #1, which serves customers in the Mitchell and Pontoon Beach areas. During the Madison County Board’s regular meeting on Wednesday, May 20,

Growth is one of the few things people almost never leave unmarked. A toddler’s first step gets applause. A teenager’s graduation brings speeches and photos. A company that hits a major goal throws a party. Even a person who quietly sticks to a new habit may reward themselves with a special meal or a day off. We do not just grow. We notice it, name it, and celebrate it. That instinct says something important about human life. Growth can be slow, uneven, and hard to see while it i

On May 22, one of the most consequential events in modern world history is the 1960 earthquake in Chile, the strongest ever instrumentally recorded. Known as the Great Chilean Earthquake, it measured 9.5 in magnitude and struck near Valdivia, causing widespread destruction across southern Chile. Entire communities were damaged or swept away, thousands of people were killed or injured, and the disaster triggered tsunamis that crossed the Pacific and caused deaths as far away as Hawaii, Japan,

GODFREY – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced the closure of Cook Street between Greenwood Lane and the midpoint of the main entrance to the Evangelical United Church of Christ beginning Tuesday, May 26, weather permitting, for road reconstruction. During the closure, access to the Evangelical United Church of Christ will be maintained from Pierce Lane using the west portion of Cook Street. The east portion will be closed to traffic. Work is expected to be completed

ALTON/JERSEY – A Jerseyville man charged with fleeing from police and a Brighton man accused of assaulting someone with a vehicle face felonies in separate cases. Cody L. Wells, 33, of Jerseyville, was charged with a Class 4 felony count of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer on May 13, 2026. Wells allegedly knowingly attempted to elude an Alton Police officer who had signaled for Wells to stop the vehicle he was driving on March 26, 2026. His attempted flight from

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County prosecutors have charged two teenagers in connection with a shooting that damaged multiple homes and vehicles, authorities said Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said May 20, 2026, that Malachi Lane, 19, of the 8400 block of Concord Place in St. Louis, and Courtenay Rogers, 18, of the 11000 block of Sugar Pines Court in Florissant, Mo., were each charged with unlawful use of a weapon, subsection 9 —

GRANITE CITY – A Madison man who allegedly shot at an occupied vehicle with an illegally possessed handgun is currently in custody. Montez L. Fuller, 43, of Madison, Ill., was charged with two Class 1 felony counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm and one Class 2 felony count of felon in possession of a weapon on May 14, 2026. Two days earlier, on May 12, Fuller allegedly knowingly discharged a firearm in the direction of a vehicle that he knew or should have known was occupied by

ALTON - As Alton Middle School’s eighth graders completed their final day of school, the community gathered to congratulate them. On Thursday, May 21, 2026, families and community members lined the sidewalks of Alton Middle School to honor the Class of 2030 as they prepare to transition to Alton High School. Principal Dr. Brian Saenz noted that it was “emotional,” with some “anxiety” about next year, but also a lot of excitement. “All the tears that yo