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EDWARDSVILLE - Some may not realize this, but Madison County Circuit Clerk Tom McRae and Collinsville basketball legend Kevin Stallings have been best of friends for most of their respective lives. Kevin and Tom are almost exactly the same age. Tom turned 63 in April 2023 and Kevin will hit the mark in October 2023. Kevin said, “I am pretty sure we knew each other by 4 years old. He is my oldest friend. We were very fortunate we both had older brothers about the same age and we came from big families. “I played some summer ball with Tom and a lot of sandlot football games. I remember the first time we got to play I got kicked in the ear by one of Tom’s cousins. We have been friends since 1964. We were both born in 1960 and we have remained fast friends since we met.” Recently, Kevin and Tom attended a St. Louis Cardinals’ baseball game in St. Louis and Jacob Stallings of the Miami Marlins slammed a pair of hits. It was a proud night for both Tom and

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SPRINGFIELD - In a 4-3 ruling on Friday, the Illinois State Supreme Court issued a ruling that the state weapons ban was "constitutional." The ban was enacted after a deadly mass shooting in the Highland Park suburb of Chicago where seven people died and dozens were injured. Governor JB Pritzker signed an assault weapons ban earlier this year. This was what the Illinois Supreme Court found: "First, we hold the circuit court erroneously entered summary judgment for plaintiffs on their equal protection and special legislation claims. Plaintiffs are not similarly situated to the trained professionals. To the extent plaintiffs claim they possess restricted items, they are not treated differently from the grandfathered individuals. "To the extent plaintiffs claim they do not possess restricted items, they are dissimilar to the grandfathered individuals, who have a reliance interest in retaining them. Second, we hold that plaintiffs waived any second amendment challenge to the restrictions,

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EDWARDSVILLE - Thursday was an emotional day for Madison County Sheriff's Office members and Captain Kristopher M. Tharp as he spent his last day in uniform. Capt. Tharp, DSN 307, signed off for the last time with the Madison County Sheriff's Office Thursday afternoon. The emotion felt by Capt. Tharp and those who signed off with him through all the years with the sheriff's office was obvious. Capt. Tharp is a Wood River native. The sheriff's office issued this statement: "Congratulations to Captain Kristopher M. Tharp, DSN 307 on his retirement. Captain Tharp started at the Sheriff's Office in 1999 after serving as a police officer in Missouri for two years. Over the past 24 years, Captain Tharp has served as a patrol deputy, detective, patrol sergeant, Investigations lieutenant, and captain as jail administrator. "Captain Tharp has been a member of the Major Case Squad since 2004, ILEAS Crisis Negotiator, founder and president of Madison County TRIAD, Graduate of FBI National Academy

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MOUNT OLIVE - After nearly 80 years, Army Sgt. John W. Radanovich, who died at age 23 in the battle of Hurtgen Forest in Germany in December 1944, will be laid to rest Saturday in a family plot at a Mount Olive Cemetery. For anyone wishing to attend a visitation and service for Radanovich, it will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Becker & Son Funeral Home in Mount Olive. A series of battles occurred over 50 square miles on the German-Belgian border in 1944 to 1945 and Radanovich's rifle platoon encountered what was described as a "fierce counterattack" with the German soldiers on Dec. 1, 1944. That was the last time the Mount Oliver soldier was seen alive. Radanovich was a White City native and star Mount Olive athlete. He enlisted in the U.S. Army from Michigan in November 1942. Radanovich had been reported as a prisoner of war by the Germans, but his regiment was not able to do a thorough search for him because of ongoing combat. A Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency historian determined

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CARLINVILLE - Carlinville Police Chief Derek Graham provided a report about a robbery at gunpoint early Friday in the city. “At 5:05 a.m. on August 11, 2023, the Carlinville Police Department received a call that an employee from Casey’s located at 425 West Main Street, Carlinville, had been robbed at gunpoint by a white male wearing a mask, black hoodie, and dark pants, last seen headed west. Police arrived on scene and a K-9 unit was able to locate the weapon and mask in the area around the scene. “During the investigation, CPD was able to retrieve surveillance video of the suspect. The suspect is a white male, approximately 5-foot-10 to 6 feet tall and medium build. The suspect appears to have a tattoo on his right hand. The images of the suspect are included here.” Chief Graham closed by saying anyone with any information is encouraged to contact the Carlinville Police Department at (217) 854-3221 or info@carlinvillepolice.com or Macoupin and Montgomery

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GODFREY – The Nature Institute’s (TNI) hiking trails, located at 2213 South Levis Lane in Godfrey, Ill, are quiet for now with the end of summer camp, but will soon be teeming with activity. TNI’s fall programs are plentiful and registration is now open. The newest program added to the calendar is the Bigs and Littles Hiking Club. Director of Education, Lauren, wants to invite families to join her family for a hike on the preserve. A carrier or sling is recommended for little legs, as strollers are not recommended on our trails. Bigs and Littles Hiking Club will be monthly starting September 2 with a new trail being explored each month. These hikes are free and open to the public and registration is preferred. Another relatively new program returning this fall is Tiny Trekkers. This drop off program is for young children (age 3 - 5) on each Tuesday from 9 - 11 a.m. Tiny Trekkers is the perfect complement to part time preschool or a way to get a young child ready for

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O’FALLON – Are your kids prepared for the new school year? Are you? While children need to prepare emotionally and mentally for getting into the back-to-school routine, parents need to get ready on many fronts too. HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and HSHS Medical Group offer this handy checklist of preparations to tackle before school starts. HEALTH PREP To help make sure your child stays healthy during the school year: Update vaccinations. Dr. Saba Bajwa, HSHS Medical Group pediatrician, shared, “Immunizations are crucial for protecting children from serious diseases by boosting the body's natural immunity.” The best way to protect your child is to follow the recommended vaccine schedule from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules . It lists immunizations that children of various ages need, including: Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). Chickenpox (varicella). Tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis

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HARDIN - A man faces multiple charges after the Calhoun Sheriff's Office performed what they described as a "high-risk" stop. The charges are for Timothy W. Bricker, 39, of Beardstown. The Calhoun Sheriff's Office said he used an alias of his brother, Benjamin Bricker. An identification card belonging to Benjamin Bricker was located during the arrest. A passenger also identified the driver as Benjamin Bricker. As a result of the investigation, the driver, Timothy W. Bricker, will face the following charges: Driving While Revoked, Fleeing / Attempt to Elude a Peace Officer, Obstructing Justice, Unlawful Possession of Methamphetamine, Unlawful Possession of Hypodermic Syringes, Unlawful Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and; Resisting Arrest. The incident occurred at 12:42 a.m. on June 20, 2023. Sergeant Zach Hardin with the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop at the intersection of Route 100 and Hamburg-Michael Road, Michael, Calhoun County, Illinois.

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ALTON - A backpack and school supplies drive-thru at Alton High School helped prepare students for the coming school year. The Alton Community Unit School District 11 (ACUSD11) partnered with the Boys and Girls Club of Alton and Argosy Cares to provide school supplies to K-12 students in the district. All kids who were registered for school qualified for supplies. Volunteers and teachers began passing out supplies at 4 p.m. on Aug. 10 until they ran out. “It is an outstanding turnout, even better than we expected,” ACUSD11 Superintendent Dr. Kristie Baumgartner said. “We're very thankful to partner with the Boys and Girls Club to produce this event. As you can see by the turnout, being able to provide this many students with school supplies to start the school year off is a wonderful opportunity, and we are so thankful to our sponsors who make this possible.” The Boys and Girls Club coordinated donations from Simmons Hanly Conroy , Colman’s

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GLEN CARBON - Glen Carbon Mayor Bob Marcus made several announcements about various things going on around the village at the Village Board meeting earlier this week, including everything from debris dumpsters to new boat parking regulations, online surveys, and an upcoming car show. The Village Board also moved forward a shared use path project, playgrounds resurfacing project, and more. Mayor Marcus said there are now leaf & limb debris dumpsters added to the Public Works garage for residents that need additional yard waste removed from recent storms. The garage is located at 153 N. Main St. behind Village Hall, and the dumpster will remain there until further notice. Call 618-288-1200 for further information. Survey submissions are still being accepted for the Glen Carbon Comprehensive Plan. The mayor encouraged residents to fill out the survey online on the Village of Glen Carbon website . He also urged residents to complete water service line material surveys required

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CHICAGO – An Illinois iLottery player woke up this morning a newly-minted millionaire. The lucky online player matched all five numbers in last night’s Powerball drawing to score the million-dollar prize. The winning numbers were: 10-15-21-67-69. This is now the fifth Illinois Lottery player this year to snag a prize of $1 million or more playing Powerball. Just on Saturday, another lucky Powerball player won $1 million after matching all five numbers in the August 4 drawing. The winning ticket was purchased at Jewel-Osco on 11730 S. Marshfield Ave. in Chicago. The winner has not yet come forward to claim their prize. In total, nearly 22,000 winning tickets were sold in Wednesday’s Powerball drawing. The Illinois Lottery encourages all lucky winners to write their name on the back of their ticket and keep it in a safe place until they’re ready to claim their prize. Winners have one year from the date of the winning draw in which to claim their prize. The

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ALTON – The YWCA is pleased to announce that their Childhood Enrichment Program Registration is still accepting applications for the upcoming School Year program. The program serves the Alton, Wood River-Hartford, and Roxana School Districts and has enrichment sites at North Elementary School in Godfrey, YWCA in Alton, Lewis & Clark Elementary in Wood River, and the Former Roxana Village Hall in Roxana, and accepts CHASI and DCFS Funding. The Childhood Enrichment Program is a State of Illinois license-exempt program that provides before and after school care for students in kindergarten thru age 12. “As Child Enrichment Director, I am honored to oversee a program that values child development, diversity and inclusion. Every school year is a new chapter in the journey of growth and learning for our young minds. At YWCA, we're committed to creating a nurturing and welcoming environment that fosters curiosity, creativity, and self-confidence. Our school year program is designed

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WOOD RIVER - Wood River Police Chief Brad Wells discussed a rare homicide case in the city that occurred two weeks ago and thanked the City Council for their support throughout this investigation at their meeting on Monday. “Two weeks ago today something that we don’t have happen often in our city, but we did have a homicide,” Chief Wells said. “Within just a couple hours of the homicide happening, the men and women of the Wood River Police Department had that bad guy in custody, and he’s been in custody since that homicide happened.” Austin L. Mullins of Alton, 19, was charged with first-degree murder after he discharged a firearm, causing the death of Jacob Wall, age 23, on Monday, July 24, 2023, according to a previous story on Riverbender.com about the case submitted by the Wood River Police Department. Councilman Jeremy Plank asked the chief how the elimination of cash bail, effective Sept. 18, would affect this case. “It

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ALTON - Movie Night at the Park returns once again this Saturday evening (Aug. 12) at James Killion Park in Alton with the movie "Space Jam: A New Legacy." The event is sponsored by Carrollton Bank and DJ Kennedy. There will be free hotdogs, popcorn, cake pops and more. Sheila Goins, one of the coordinators, said the movie on Aug. 5 was "a great success." The movie this past Saturday was "Sonic The Hedgehog 2." "Around 200 gathered to enjoy the kick-off of the third season of Movie Nights on Saturday, August 5," she said. "We are excited to have Space Jam this Saturday. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs and enjoy the featured movie." The James Killion Beautification and Enhancement Committee is the group that coordinates various Movie Nights in Alton.

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BLOOMINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released the following statement regarding ProPublica reporting providing the fullest public account yet of Justice Clarence Thomas’ undisclosed gifts and troubling ethical conduct, to the tune of at least 38 destination vacations, 26 private jet flights, and numerous other luxury gifts: “The latest ProPublica revelation of unreported lavish gifts to Justice Clarence Thomas makes it clear: these are not merely ethical lapses. This is a shameless lifestyle underwritten for years by a gaggle of fawning billionaires. “Justices Thomas and Alito have made it clear that they are oblivious to the embarrassment they have visited on the highest court in the land. Now, it is up to Chief Justice Roberts and the other Justices to act on ethics reform to save their own reputations and the integrity of the Court. If the Court will not act, then Congress must continue

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City Police have resolved a report of a missing juvenile and charged a California, Mo., man with multiple aggravated criminal sexual abuse counts. On Tuesday, Aug. 8, 2023, the Granite City Police Department received a report of a missing juvenile. Also on Aug. 8, the Granite City Police Department received additional information and through an investigation, detectives were able to identify a suspect involved in the juvenile’s disappearance and their possible location. Detectives contacted the California, Mo., Police Department and the suspect was taken into custody. The juvenile was recovered and later returned to their family. Detectives from the Granite City Police Department then responded to the Moniteau County Sheriff’s Department, where the suspect was being held. An interview was conducted and a request was made to hold the suspect pending investigation and charges. The suspect has been identified as Naresh Bass-Ocasio, 22, of California,

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EDWARDSVILLE - Civic Memorial softball player Bryleigh Ward emerged as a key part of the Eagles' girls' softball lineup this past spring, being described as a second leadoff hitter who can reach base and hits the ball hard, putting it in play at key moments. One highlight was early in the season when Ward smashed a game-tying two-run homer in the top of the fifth in CM's win at Edwardsville 6-4 on April 3, which is a signature win for the program over one of the best teams in both the Metro-East and St. Louis area. Ward is also an honors student at Civic Memorial. For her efforts both on and off the field, Ward has been named a CM Tom Lane State Farm Female Athlete of the Month. Ward said the Eagles' team came a long way in 2023, especially from 2022, and she thinks the whole team worked hard since November of 2022 for the success this past spring. "We got off to a really early start and I'm just really proud of the team," she said. Ward had a great feeling when she saw her game-tying

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WOOD RIVER - Mayor Tom Stalcup made several announcements at the Wood River City Council meeting on Monday, including congratulations he gave to two local businesses, an upcoming event from the Wood River Public Library, and repairs that have been made to state highways in the city with the help of State Representative Amy Elik. Mayor Stalcup congratulated Atomic Pinball Arcade for their grand opening last Saturday, Aug. 5, which featured over 100 pinball machines, video games, shuffleboard, skeeball, and more. “Good luck to Chuck and John , who made major renovations to this very nice facility,” Mayor Stalcup said. Sanderson said in a previous story on Riverbender.com that they spent $650,000 in total transforming the building into a pinball arcade. Stalcup also congratulated Missy Bell-Yates, founder of Rustic Roots in Wood River, for being chosen as the Business of the Year by the Rotary Club. Stalcup said the Bell-Yates family has “been a business

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SPRINGFIELD - Land of Lincoln Honor Flight (LLHF) Mission #68 takes off on Tuesday, August 22, 2023 with 2 Korean-era veterans and 91 Vietnam era veterans. These veterans will report to Springfield Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport from 54 Illinois towns of Assumption, Beardstown, Belleville, Bloomington, Bunker Hill, Canton, Cantrall, Carlyle, Champaign, Chatham, Decatur, Divernon, Franklin, Freeburg, Gifford, Godfrey, Grafton, Greenup, Harvel, Havana, Hillsboro, Hoopeston, Jerseyville, Kansas, Kenney, Lincoln, Lovington, Marine, Mascoutah, Morrisonville, Mt. Zion, Neoga, Niantic, Nilwood, Normal, Oakley, Petersburg Pleasant Plains, Pontiac, Rantoul, Raymond, Rochester, Rushville, Sherman, Shipman, Sigel, Sparta, Springfield, Stonington, Taylorville, Urbana, Varna, Waterloo as well as Springfield, MO and Florissant, MO. These 93 veterans and their 86 Guardians arrive at the airport Tuesday morning at 4:00 AM to travel to Washington DC on a chartered Sun Country 737 aircraft to visit

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ALTON - The Alton High School Class of 1968 is planning its 55th class reunion in September, where they will catch up with each other and reflect on their high school years during the Civil Rights Movement and Vietnam War. On Saturday, Sept. 23, class members are invited to Alton Sports Tap to enjoy food, drinks and music from the 60s. Earline Hopkins, a member of the planning committee, explained that she has known her classmates for so long that she considers them family. “The class has always been very close,” Hopkins said. “They’re like brothers and sisters. They really are. I mean, I can recall every house they lived in, their old phone numbers…I remember their parents because we were in and out of their houses so often. It’s family. It’s like having extended brothers and sisters.” Over 600 people graduated from Alton High School in 1968. While many of them have spread out across the country, there are still classmates who

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