Riverbender 🕸

ALTON - West Elementary School Principal Dr. Brian Saenz and the rest of the administrative team, teachers, and support staff embraced a bunch of students today with smiles on their faces on the first official day of school in the district. Dr. Saenz said it was "a great day" to finally have the students back in school without masks after the long battle with the COVID-19 Pandemic. "To be able to see their faces and interact with them without a mask was like another new beginning," he said. "Everything is new to them from their clothes, supplies and they were ready to get started. "To see them coming back from last spring, many of them have grown so much and they look very different. It is amazing how fast they grow. Seeing their smiling faces and excitement to come back to school is why we do what we do." Dr. Saenz said when an educator sees the students on down the line after they leave West and graduate from high school, they can see they are making a difference in the world.

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WOOD RIVER - The Wood River Police Department Police Chief Brad Wells is leading a search today of an area near Illinois Route 3 close to where Vernon L. Law, missing since July 21, 2022, was last seen. Those involved in the search with dogs were seen close to the Colman’s Country Campers area at 2 Fun Lane, Hartford, and that vicinity. On July 27th, 2022 , the Wood River Police Department received notification that a male subject, identified as Vernon L. Law, was last seen on July 21, 2022, at 2:40 p.m., by a coworker, departing Economy Boat Store, 200 S. Amoco Road, Wood River. Vernon L. Law worked as a deckhand on the riverboat "Kevin Michael.” Law left property on the boat. His wallet and identification were not left behind. He possibly left with these items in his possession. Vernon is from Chester, Illinois, with associates in Columbia, Illinois, and O’Fallon, Missouri. Vernon L. Law was last seen wearing a blue t-shirt, blue jeans, and work boots.

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EAST ST. LOUIS - Annually the Illinois State Board of Education recognizes the outstanding contributions of school teams and personnel. This year, ISBE is recognizing two individuals and two teams from the East St. Louis School District. Many of these awardees were recognized at the Those Who Excel Awards Banquet in Bloomington-Normal on August 6, 2022. Administrator Category: Dr. Brittany Green received the Meritorious Service Award in the Administrator Category for being a purpose-driven leader. She has made transformative growth within her school community while serving as principal of Bush Elementary and now with the Younge School of Excellence. Student Support Services Category : Catrice Johnson, Social Worker at Bush Alternative Center, received the highest honor in the Student Support Personnel Category - the Award of Excellence. For years she has led a team of students, staff, and administrators who serve the local community through the Flyers Feeding Families monthly

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GODFREY - Godfrey officials advising residents that Union Pacific Railroad will be temporarily closing the North Alby Street crossing next Monday, August 22 nd for routine maintenance and repairs. Mayor Mike McCormick is advising residents and motorists to prepare and pre-plan for temporary detours next weeknight due to the fact Union Pacific Railroad will be temporarily closing the Alby Street railroad crossing overnight for routine maintenance/repair work. Work shall begin Monday night, August 22nd starting at 7:00 PM, and will re-open 48 hours later on Wednesday evening, August 24 th around 7:00 PM, due to the length of the detour route no signage will be placed, motorists should use Tolle Lane or Humbert as an alternative route. Godfrey Public Safety Administrator Chris Sichra states that local first responders and mutual aid agencies (Fire, Police, EMS), as well as local utility companies, school bus companies, and MCT, have already also been notified of the upcoming temporary

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ALTON - State Representative Amy Elik (R-Fosterburg) was among forty emerging public policy leaders from across Illinois that took part in the 10th annual Edgar Fellows Program held in Champaign August 7-11. The Edgar Fellows Program is an initiative designed by former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar to inspire respectful and collaborative leadership to address the state’s major challenges. “This was a wonderful opportunity to meet leaders from different parts of the state and both sides of the aisle,” said Rep. Elik. “The Edgar Fellows Program fosters a spirit of bipartisanship. It was an honor to be selected from a large pool of leaders nominated throughout Illinois.” The 40 participants selected this year (listed below) were chosen from a field of nearly 160 nominees and reflect Illinois’ political, racial, ethnic and geographic diversity. They include elected and appointed officials from all levels of government, leaders of non-profit organizations

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EDWARDSVILLE – Town and Country Bank is excited to partner with the SIUE School of Business and the SIUE Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to provide a free seminar on Advantage Illinois. The event aims to educate business owners in the Metro East on how Advantage Illinois and FAME can help fund minority, women, disabled, and veteran-owned small businesses. The event will begin at noon on September 29, 2022, in the International Room on the 2 nd floor of the Morris University Center. The presentation will feature guest speakers Rob Pickerell, VP, Commercial Banking Officer at Town and Country Bank, and Jo Ann Di Maggio, Director of the SIUE Small Business Development Center. Advantage Illinois aims to help entrepreneurs and small businesses start up, expand, and create new jobs at a faster rate. "Advantage Illinois is a program that provides small business owners another source of funding for loans they may not have otherwise qualified," says Rob. "We want to shar

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WASHINGTON DC - Bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and John Cornyn (R-TX) to honor the public service of police officers, firefighters and emergency responders by supporting the families of public safety officers who are lost to trauma-linked suicides was signed into law by President Biden today. The Public Safety Officer Support Act passed the Senate earlier this month and the House companion passed the U.S. House of Representatives in May. “With this important legislation now the law of the land, we’re finally taking meaningful action to honor and support surviving family members of police officers, firefighters and emergency responders that tragically died by suicide after experiencing work-related trauma or exposure to traumatic events while serving their communities,” said Duckworth. “I’m so proud to have worked with Senator Cornyn and advocates to get this done so these families can receive the support their

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GLEN CARBON - The summer months are a time when people most commonly start to see sun damage on their skin. Kristen M. Jacobs, MD, aesthetic physician, best-selling author, and owner of Ooh La La Spa, Anti-Aging & Wellness wants people to know that although the sun can have harmful long-lasting effects, there are ways to help reverse sun damage. “Even when we take extra precautions to protect our skin, it can be impossible to avoid sun damage,” said Dr. Jacobs. “Ultraviolet rays from the sun can trigger your skin cells to produce more melanin which can lead to dark sunspots. There are various products and treatments out there that can help reduce the appearance of these spots.” Sun damage can appear in many different forms. Brown spots, uneven skin tone, and melasma are all signs of sun damage. Melasma is a condition where brown and brownish-gray spots show up on the skin, most often on the face. Premature wrinkling and sun damage can also be known as

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ST. LOUIS - “Doubting Tom” was filmed entirely in the St. Louis area, based on U City resident Vanessa Roman’s love of dart league and Oscar Wilde. Roman regularly played competitive darts at Blueberry Hill. In the league, she found friendship and eventually love, connecting with her husband while playing darts. As she was writing the screenplay, she found herself unable to resist crafting an update of “The Importance of Being Earnest” and setting it at the beloved restaurant she grew up only blocks away from. Releasing August 26th on Amazon, Itunes, and Google play, this romantic comedy follows the breakup of Tom and Gwen, uncovering secrets, lies, and the hijinks that ensue at Blueberry Hill. The ensemble cast includes St. Louis area natives Amy Holland Pennell, Greg Sporleder, Julie Piekarski, and Julia Crump as well as Los Angeles talents Brandon Davis and Bryan Daniel Porter. After a simple white lie in a bar spirals into a full-on alternate identity

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced the U.S. Department of Education has approved the discharge of all remaining federal student loan debt owed by borrowers who attended the now-defunct ITT Technical Institute (ITT), forgiving approximately $100 million in debt owed by more than 5,000 Illinois borrowers. “I appreciate the Department of Education’s approval of the borrower defense application I submitted along with dozens of attorneys general across the country. Discharging this remaining student loan debt will allow thousands of former ITT students to move on with their lives after being defrauded and unfairly burdened with overwhelming debt,” Raoul said. “My office will continue to hold institutions accountable for using predatory methods to trap students into taking out large amounts of debt while leaving them without degrees that will lead to post-graduate employment.” The Department of Education will erase all remaining

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O'FALLON, IL. - BaconFest 2022 will be held on September 10th from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is located down W. 1st St. in O'Fallon. It is a fundraiser for the Relief Funds that help veterans and to help promote community businesses. The Relief Funds help local veterans with many needs. We have veterans come to the VFW Post 805 looking for help, needing money for utility bills to get a vehicle fixed for them to get to work. We are looking for individuals, organizations, and businesses that would like to be vendors and/or sponsors. Looking for: food vendors – to sell at least ONE menu item incorporating bacon. Nonfood vendors – who want to sell or advertise their items/business/organization. Sponsors - who want their name advertised, and want to help support our event; from music, games, etc. This is a family-friendly event. We love finding people willing to donate their time/business to make this happen. If you have a business such as bouncy houses, face painting,

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ALTON - Join Alton Little Theater in their 89th Season Opener and come see some of the new changes for yourself! Kathy Bredenkoetter and Joe Laffler take the lead in ALT’s SPREADING IT AROUND, as feisty seniors find new joy and even a little romance when they start a SIN FOUNDATION (an acronym for SPEND IT NOW). They find happiness and a new lease on life in this witty comedy at the ALT SHOWPLACE Sept 9th-18th. A new addition of a second Saturday matinee at 2 pm is just part of the changes and new ideas taking place at the oldest continuous running Community Theater in Illinois. Call 618-462-3205 for tickets or go online: Altonlittleltheater.org .

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HARTFORD - The Madison County Coroner's Office confirmed Tuesday evening that a tragic crash on Illinois Route 3 and Seventh Street in Hartford with two vehicles resulted in a fatality. The accident call went out around 4:20 p.m. on Tuesday. The coroner's office said additional information about the accident will be released in the morning once the family is notified about the fatality. Hartford Police, South Roxana Police, and Hartford Fire Department responded to the accident. The Illinois State Police Accident Reconstruction Unit was called to the scene once the others arrived. Motorists should avoid that area if at all possible. Police blocked part of Illinois Route 3 after they arrived on the scene to keep traffic away from the accident for reconstruction.

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GRAFTON - A flood exercise is planned at 9 a.m. on Thursday, November 3, at Grafton City Hall, located at 118 E. Main St. in Grafton. Grafton Mayor Mike Morrow said the goal of this flood exercise is to test the city’s flood preparedness and go over their updated emergency response plans with state and local officials, who will also be present at the exercise. “It’s going to be held in our big area where we do our meetings. We’re going to have city personnel there that typically operate in a flood, we’re going to have the county personnel here and there will be some state people here also,” Morrow said. “The Illinois Emergency Management Agency is going to be running the exercise.” Morrow said when he first took office, one of his top priorities was updating Grafton’s emergency management plans, as the portions of it that had been written down were spotty at best. Not only have they gotten the entire emergency plan in writing,

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ALTON - Dwight and Cheryl Werts are always generous to the Riverbend area, but one recent event featured something near and dear to both their hearts - making sure children return to school prepared with the right send-off from the community. OSF Saint Anthony's Health Center hosted a Community Fair recently in the parking lot of the hospital as a way for children and families to have appropriate back-to-school resources. Dwight Werts said OSF Saint Anthony's approached him about helping contribute and he talked to his wife and he said to her, "Why don't we just sponsor it?" Dwight knew OSF Saint Anthony's was going to have to raise money to put on the event they wanted to have, so he decided just to take care of it." Dwight and family own Werts Welding & Tank Service, Inc. He and his wife have always helped charitable and civic causes throughout the region. "It has been a rough couple of years with COVID, and we just wanted them to have a good send-off," he said. "We were

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GODFREY - Keith Sherman and Kerry Doyle, historical rail enthusiasts, with Close to the Steam Division headquarters of Alton, will host the 2022 Annual Meeting for the Illinois Traction Society on Saturday, August 20. The event will be another excursion to exploring the history of the Illinois Terminal. The annual evening informal dinner will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, August 19, at Tony's Ranch House, 3300 Godfrey Road, Godfrey. The members will pay for the meal served at that time. On Saturday, registration for the day begins at 8 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 1713 Stamper Lane in Godfrey. From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., the day's event begins with a railroad memorabilia swap meet where items will be offered for sale or trade, appealing to both collector and modeler. At 1 p.m. Saturday, a question-and-answer clinic will be held as Dale Jenkins and Gene Carpenter offer insight on how articles, are conceptualized, researched, drafted, and finalized for publication. Following

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SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today released the following statement after the Department of Education announced the widespread discharge of all remaining federal student loans, totaling $3.9 billion in relief, for those who attended ITT Technical Institute (ITT Tech) from January 2005 through the for-profit college’s closure in September 2016: “It’s been almost six years since the disastrous collapse of the infamous for-profit college chain, ITT Tech. When the ITT Tech house of cards fell in a cloud of scandal, students and taxpayers were the ones left holding the bag. After years of urging the Department of Education to act, I’m relieved to see that these students are finally receiving the relief they are owed after being conned by ITT Tech’s exploitive marketing tactics and faulty degrees.” As a result of today’s announcement, 208,000 borrowers will receive $3.9 billion in full loan discharges, including

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ST. LOUIS – School bells will be calling students back to the classroom soon and the American Red Cross of Greater St. Louis has steps everyone can take to help kids remain safe as they head back to school. As parents get ready for the start of a new school year, it’s a good time to think about emergencies, such as weather-related disasters, and draw up an emergency plan for their household. Know what the emergency plan is at your child’s school and develop a family emergency plan so everyone will know who to contact and where to go if something happens during the school day. Details are available at redcross.org/prepare . “There are a lot of things to think about for the start of a busy new school year, but don’t forget to include safety,” said Beth Elders, Executive Director, Red Cross of Greater St. Louis. “We ask parents and guardians to consider familiarizing their children with these measures to help keep them safe as they head back

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CARROLLTON - A detailed history of Abraham Lincoln’s experiences and connections in Greene County is scheduled for release this fall. Acclaimed writer Tom Emery of Carlinville is releasing Lincoln in Greene County, Illinois, which features a wide variety of stories on the sCarrixteenth President in Greene County, many of which have never been covered. The book is slated for release and distribution in September. This fast-moving, illustrated, documented work analyzes the ties of Lincoln to some of the earliest names of Greene County history, including friendships with Jacob Fry, Edward Baker, C.M. Smith, and David Woodson, as well as political relationships with prosecutor Josiah Lamborn and members of the Carlin family. Lincoln’s speaking appearances in Carrollton are also discussed, as are voting records and the county’s reaction to his assassination. The role of Greene County in Lincoln’s near-duel at Alton in 1842 is examined, as are his court cases in th

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WACO, Texas – More than 3,000 Baylor University graduates – including nearly 90 graduates who completed their degree requirements in 2020 and 2021 – received their degrees during four commencement ceremonies May 13-14 in the Ferrell Center. One of those students was Jerseyville's very own Faith N. Frank. She graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration, Economics, Summa Cum Laude, Hankamer School of Business. On top of that, she also earned her spot on Dean's List. The Dean's Academic Honor List recognizes Baylor undergraduates for their outstanding academic work during each semester. Students honored on the Dean’s List earned a minimum semester grade-point average of 3.70 with no grade lower than a "C" while enrolled in at least 12 graded semester hours.

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