Riverbender 🕸

BETHALTO - The future looks bright for Civic Memorial sophomore cross country and track sensation Landon Kearbey. Kearbey showed constant improvement through the 2023 boys' cross-country season for the Eagles. He recorded a 16:41.9 in the Granite City Invite on Sept. 2, 2023, then continued to improve all season. He posted a 16:27.9 time for 3 miles in the Peoria High Invite on Sept. 30, 2023, and was fifth in the Madison County Invite with a time of 17:01.6 on Oct. 6, 2023. He was 15th in the Mississippi Valley Conference Championship on Oct. 12, 2023, with a time of 16:47.8. He qualified for the IHSA Regional and Sectional Meets to go to state for CM and, at state, recorded a PR for 3 miles of 16:13.5, a remarkable time for a sophomore. Kearbey continued to show his running talent on a cold morning, Nov. 25, 2023, right after Thanksgiving, with a 10th-place finish in the Great River Road Run at a time of 1:00.36 for 10 miles, another extraordinary performance. Landon is a Tom Lane

Continue Reading

JERSEYVILLE - An Alton man was charged with residential burglary and theft of a motor vehicle in Grafton, while a Missouri man was charged with stealing a camper shell from a Jerseyville car dealership, according to the past week’s Jersey County court filings. Bryan R. Hickam, 22, of Manchester, Mo., was charged with one count of theft and one count of criminal trespass to a vehicle. Court documents allege that on or about Nov. 5, 2023, Hickam stole property belonging to the Quality Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram car dealership in Jerseyville - specifically “a camper shell offered for sale on their lot,” valued at approximately $2,841.78. Hickam is facing a Class 3 felony for the theft charge and a misdemeanor for the criminal trespass to vehicle charge. Court documents indicate he met the pretrial release conditions of the Illinois Pretrial Fairness Act and was issued a summons to appear in court. Roger E. Pace Jr., 37, of Alton, was charged with residential burglary

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE – The Edwardsville Police Department once again will offer its Citizens Police Academy, an opportunity for participants to learn firsthand about law enforcement and many of the day-today activities of the City’s officers. The academy will be offered over 10 weekly sessions to be held from 6-9 p.m. on Thursdays beginning January 18, 2024. The Citizens Police Academy offers an “eye-opening, behind-the-scenes look at being a police officer,” said Edwardsville Police Sgt. Matt Evers, who leads the academy. Academy sessions will include tours, demonstrations, hands-on activities and a ride-along with officers. Some portions may require physical activity. The Police Department will work to make reasonable accommodations for individuals with special needs, but cannot guarantee participation in all activities. Among the topics and exercises planned for the sessions are: Law review Traffic/DUI enforcement Use of force, mental health/crisis intervention

Continue Reading

ALTON - Civic Memorial High School runner Jackson Collman won the race, while head coach Jake Peal and runner Lucas Naugle also finished in the top ten in the men's 10-mile race in the 64th annual Great River Road Run, held Saturday morning in Alton. The race, which dates back to 1959, is a November tradition in the Alton area and is sponsored by the Alton Road Runners Club and helps finance many of their year-round projects, such as the Summer Racing Series, and the annual banquet that honors the top high school cross country runners in the area, among others. Collman won the race with a time of 54:43.3, with Luke Padesky second at 54:54.5, Evan Rathgeb came in third at 55:09.8, fourth place went to Calvin Ranger, with a time of 56:59.6 and in fifth place was Max Weber at 57:10.4. Peal came in sixth place with a time of 57:19.5, in seventh place was Carsen Moon of Oklahoma City, Okla., with a time of 57:58.4, Jacob Cranford was eighth at 58:51.1, Alton High runner Noah Gallivan was

Continue Reading

ROXANA - Roxana’s girls basketball team has a pair of twins - Laynie and Abby Gehrs - who are providing what new head coach Addaya Moore said is “unbelievable energy” to the squad. Laynie and Abby are exceptional athletes and are keys so far to the Shells’ 3-0 overall mark. The girls recently captured the Dupo Tournament to open the season. Laynie had seven points in the Shells' 48-20 win in the final of the Dupo Cat Classic. Abby added four points in that encounter. Laynie and Abby are seniors on the squad. Both are also volleyball and soccer players. Both girls are strong on defense and always help move the ball in the Shells’ powerful offense so far in the 2023-2024 campaign. The two girls are Midwest Members Credit Union Athletes of the Month for the Shells. In a recent win over East Alton-Wood River, Coach Moore said the twin sisters finished off what the bench had started to seal the game when Roxana had some foul trouble and had to sit out some

Continue Reading

PIASA - The Southwestern High School boys basketball team finds itself sitting at 2-2 after the 2023 Roxana Hoopsgiving Classic. The Piasa Birds have won their last two games over Jerseyville and Staunton. A large part of that is junior Ian Brantley. The three-sport athlete also plays football and baseball for the Piasa Birds but is so far having a breakout season on the hard court. Last season, the Piasa Birds broke even, finishing with a 16-16 record. Brantley averaged 9.9 points per game and 6.6 rebounds. Just four games into this season and he is nearly averaging a double-double. Brantley has scored 85 points so far, averaging 21.3 PPG and 8.8 rebounds per contest. For his efforts so far this basketball season, Ian Brantley is an Altonized Community Federal Credit Union Athlete of the Month for Southwestern High School. Brantley earned a spot on the 2023 Hoopsgiving Classic All-Tournament team as the Piasa Birds finished in ninth place overall.

Continue Reading

SPRINGFIELD - Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) has donated 129 hospital beds to Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach as they standardize their beds across the health system. By the time the first project phase is finished, 190 beds taken out of service will be donated from five hospitals in Illinois and Wisconsin, including HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital in Green Bay; HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield; HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital in Breese; HSHS Holy Family Hospital in Greenville; and HSHS St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield. This is an unprecedented influx of a highly needed item for Mission Outreach’s international partners. Erica Smith, Executive Director of Mission Outreach, says hospital beds are the number one requested item, and they are already being shipped out to hospitals in other countries such as Tanzania, Nigeria, and Lebanon, with more to go. “I recently was in Uganda, and I saw a hospital where the pediatric ward the children were on th

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - The Edwardsville Municipal Band is ready to jingle all the way into the holiday season with some festive tunes at its free winter concert at 4 p.m. on Sunday, December 3, at Edwardsville American Legion Post 199, 58 South State Route 157. The Municipal Band's annual holiday performance is a tradition going back at least 20 years. This year's concert will mix in some fun new features, including a few dozen student performers from the Edwardsville School District and area parochial school bands. "It's going to be much more upbeat," said Steve Wehling, the Municipal Band Board chairman and a musician with the band. "We thought this would be something fun that we could do to really involve the community. We'd love to see everyone come out and enjoy the show." In addition to the guest performers, Wehling said the concert will include a sing-along on several tunes, and the American Legion is working to have Santa Claus attend. The concert is expected to run for about

Continue Reading

COLLINSVILLE – The Illinois Department of Transportation will hold an in-person public hearing on the Illinois 3 Connector project within Madison, Fairmont City, and East St. Louis in Madison and St. Clair counties. The hearing will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 28 from 4-7 p.m. at the Clyde C. Jordan Senior Citizens Center located at 6755 State St., East St. Louis. IDOT, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, is conducting a Preliminary Engineering and Environmental Study for the Illinois 3 Connector. The project involves improving the transportation flow and connectivity between Illinois 203 and Illinois 3 as well as from Collinsville Road to Illinois 3/North First Street. The purpose of the hearing is to present the preferred design for the improvements and obtain public input. Handouts and display boards (in both English and Spanish) will be available for review, as will information regarding engineering, land acquisition and environmental issues. Representatives

Continue Reading

ALTON - OSF Medical Group – Primary Care (Godfrey) is pleased to announce a new board-certified family medicine physician has been added to its staff to better serve the primary care needs of Riverbend region residents. Susan Reynolds, MD, is accepting new patients at OSF Medical Group – Primary Care, located at 6702 Godfrey Road, in Godfrey. Dr. Reynolds will see patients Monday-Wednesday, and Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Dr. Reynolds’ family medicine interests include (but are not limited to) Primary care Women’s Health Smoking cessation High blood pressure Diabetes Pulmonary disease (i.e. asthma, hay fever) Depression Anxiety As a current board-certified practitioner through the American Board of Family Medicine, Dr. Reynolds has accumulated more than 38 years of medical practice with experience in telemedicine, urgent care, and family medicine; additionally, she possesses full unrestricted medical licenses in Texas, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois,

Continue Reading

SPRINGFIELD - U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) filed for reelection this morning at the Illinois State Board of Elections in Springfield. Bost submitted 5,191 petitions signed by constituents in all 34 counties of the 12 th Congressional District, nearly five times the number of signatures required by law. “I am honored to have widespread support from Republicans in every county of the 12th District,” said Bost. “Conservative voters know we can’t afford to hand the keys over to failed politicians who are more interested in promoting themselves than protecting our values. Today is the first step in continuing to serve the land I love in a position I am blessed to hold.”

Continue Reading

CHICAGO - Ahead of Giving Tuesday, Attorney General Kwame Raoul cautioned potential donors today to make wise giving decisions this holiday season. Under Illinois law, fundraisers and charitable organizations are required to register each year with the Attorney General’s office. “I encourage potential donors to review my Charitable Trust Bureau’s tips before making donations today for Giving Tuesday and throughout the holiday season,” Raoul said. “I will continue to advocate to inform generous consumers who give charitable donations to ensure their donations are used for the intended purpose." Attorney General Raoul recommended donors consider the following tips prior to making charitable donations. Ask how much of your donation will go to the charity and how much will be used to pay fund-raising costs. Solicitors must give you this information if you ask. Pay close attention to the name of the charity. Some fraudulent charities use names that

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - Annual Donation of Thanksgiving baskets by Edwardsville Township to Four Local Schools Edwardsville, Illinois – November 22, 2023. The Edwardsville Township ensured several families in the area have a holiday meal this Thanksgiving. On Tuesday, November 21, 2023, Edwardsville Township Supervisor Kevin Hall and Community Outreach Director Christine Doty presented N.O. Nelson Elementary, Edwardsville Head Start, Glen Carbon Elementary, and Columbus Elementary School Thanksgiving baskets. Twenty baskets were donated, with five baskets presented to each organization, to help residents in need this holiday season. Each basket included a gift card for a turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, rolls, cranberry sauce, and gravy. During the Touch-A-Truck event on September 30th at Edwardsville Township Community Park received a record number of sponsorships which Edwardsville Township uses this support to make the Thanksgiving baskets possible. This is the

Continue Reading

EDWARDSVILLE - Southern Illinois University Edwardsville congratulates Chris Gordon, PhD, associate dean of the School of Engineering (SOE), on his recent induction into Scott Air Force Base (SAFB) 2025 Class of Honorary Commanders . Gordon is one of 24 St. Louis Metro Area community leaders chosen for this role by the 375th Air Mobility Wing, the host wing of SAFB. “We have an Educational Partnership Agreement with SAFB which we have used to foster collaboration with senior design teams,” said Gordon. “My objective in participating in this program is to continue to strengthen our connection with SAFB.” Gordon is paired with his assigned commander, Colonel James Clark. Clark serves as Commander, Detachment 9, Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Scott Air Force Base, Ill. Clark’s work in installation and mission support affects 70,000 personnel in 17 wings. As Team Scott’s Honorary Commander,

Continue Reading

JERSEYVILLE - A towering Christmas tree made of crocheted “granny squares” now on display near Germania Brew Haus in Jerseyville is an impressive and festive example of community collaboration. Erica Heitzig, who teaches Advanced Design at Jersey Community High School, oversaw the project which she credits several people with making a success. “My students started crocheting squares in early October. Our JCHS welding class constructed the base,” Heitzig said. “My students and I offered lessons at our local coffee shop on Sunday afternoons for those who wanted to learn.” The tree features granny squares from residents of Jersey, Calhoun, Greene, and Madison Counties - but it also features many squares from out-of-state contributors who heard about the tree project through social media. Some squares from Franklin, Virginia arrived in the mail earlier this month . “Word spread like wildfire with our granny square vision and with the

Continue Reading

GODFREY - The Freer Auto Body Cookies and Cocoa For Community Christmas is on the horizon and is set for Dec. 7, 2023, at the Freer location at 4512 N. Alby, Godfrey. The Freer Cookies and Cocoa event marks its 15th anniversary in 2023. This year’s festivities are from 4 to 6 p.m. on Dec. 7, 2023. Margaret Freer, one of the Freer Auto Body owners, encouraged residents to pick up a gift on Black Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, or over the weekend of heavy holiday shopping time at a reduced price for the campaign. "We need people to come and bring toys and gifts," Margaret Freer said. "It is very critical time and there is such a need in the community now. The more we get in the more people we are able to help." Lily and Taylor Freer, above, came up with the idea to have the Cookies and Cocoa event when they were very young children and it has blossomed into a huge fundraiser for Community Christmas. "We did it the first year after my son, David was killed in a car crash on Sept. 11,

Continue Reading

ALTON - Kaitlyn Koroby has never been a traditional artist. That’s exactly why people love her work. “I was real big on drawing even before I hit high school,” Koroby remembered. “And then when I got in high school, I found out there were art classes, and I was like, ‘No way.’ Of course, I signed myself up for it, and I didn’t get as much as I was expecting out of those. I was kind of turned off by it. I think I kind of draw differently and paint differently than a lot of other people, and a lot of my art teachers didn’t like that.” Her teachers encouraged Koroby to focus on the techniques being taught in class, which Koroby said was “understandable.” But as a young artist, she became discouraged and took a step back from creating. It wasn’t until she found herself pregnant and bored that she decided to give art another shot, no rules allowed. Four years later, Koroby is the Milton Schoolhouse Artist of

Continue Reading

ALTON - The Alton Community Unit School District #11 cheerleading program will host a statewide invitational competition on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, at Alton High School. Starting at 10 a.m., teams from across Illinois will showcase their cheerleading, tumbling and dancing skills at the Illinois Cheerleading Coaches Association (ICCA) Invitational. Over 20 teams will compete for the chance to go to Springfield in January for the state competition. Megan Hodge, Alton High School’s cheerleading coach, invites community members to come out and support the local teams. “Not a lot of people know about the cheer world, but we’re trying to bring cheer to the community and make it more popular again,” Hodge said. “It’s really cool to watch. Typically, the only people who show up to these competitions are just the cheer community when really, we’d love everyone to come and see and witness how intense of a sport cheer really is, because it truly is

Continue Reading

ALTON - Emily Schrumpf of Alton High School was honored as a Student of the Month for November at a regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Alton-Godfrey at Gentelin’s on Broadway Restaurant. Emily is a senior at Alton High School. She is the daughter of Patrick and Keri Schrumpf. Inside of school, Emily has earned many academic accomplishments. She has a 4.632 GPA on the 4.0 scale and has been on the high honor roll every year. She has consistently taken and excelled in the most rigorous courses offered at Alton High, including several college-level classes. As it stands, she will graduate as a Platinum Alpha and Illinois Scholar with 35 dual credit hours through Lewis and Clark Community College. Emily’s college credits will place her at sophomore status when she starts college next year. While academics are extremely important to her, Emily’s extracurriculars are too. Outside of the classroom, she is heavily involved in the music program at Alton. She has

Continue Reading

ALTON - Alecia McCulley of Marquette Catholic High School was honored as a Student of the Month for November at a regular meeting of the Rotary Club of Alton-Godfrey at Gentelin’s on Broadway Restaurant. Alecia is a senior at Marquette Catholic High School. She is the daughter of proud parent Erica Spencer. Alecia has been part of the Marquette family since her junior year, as she transferred from Mannahouse Christian Academy in Oregon. Alecia has accomplished several academic achievements during her high school career, such as earning High Honor Roll, being elected as Student Council Class Representative, Vice President of National Honor Society, and President of the Spanish Club, and receiving recognition for demonstrating outstanding student leadership. Additionally, Alecia achieved an ACT score of 32, in which she obtained a 36 in Reading on the first and only administration of the exam. Currently, Alecia has a GPA of 4.19 and aspires to graduate with a 4.75. In addition

Continue Reading