Riverbender 🕸

FLORISSANT, MO. - On July 12, 2022, Yvonne Campbell departed this life while doing something she loved, vacationing in Montego Bay, Jamaica, with her family. There was immediate support from the community , her friends and family, and beloved customers of her business My Just Desserts. All these people met to celebrate Campbell's life on Friday, August 5, at Shalom Church (City of Peace). Hundreds of people came to that church in Florissant to celebrate her life and show their support for Yvonne and her family. Visitation was held from 9 a.m. to the time of service at 11 a.m. Shalom Church's full choir kicked off the service with songs starting around 10:45 a.m. Shortly after ministers Terrence Clark and LaJuana Morris each gave a scripture reading. That was followed by minister Juanita Robinson leading the family and guests into prayer before another musical selection from the choir. After that Shalom Church gave their acknowledgments and condolences before the special tributes

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ALTON - The Annual Alton Fourth Ward Annual Book Bag Giveaway is from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 6, 2022, at Hellrung Park in Alton. There will be enough items for 300 children at the book-bag event on a first-come, first-serve basis. "As the Alderwoman of the Fourth Ward, I see the need to serve the youth in my ward who are seldom underserved," Brown said. "Giving them the tools necessary to have a quality education is of utmost importance. I, along with other concerned citizens are helping to make this happen." Brown said a speaker from the Alton Middle School and Ameren Illinois will engage the students on the importance of a good education. "Representatives from area businesses will be there to give our youth items to assist them in being successful in school," she said. "Food will be served. Everything is free." The event is sponsored by Brown, community sponsors, and Kennedy Smith.

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WOOD RIVER - The Wood River Police Department received notification that a male subject, identified as Vernon L. Law is considered a missing person as of July 27, 2022. Law was last seen at 2:40 p.m. on July 21, 2022, by a coworker, departing Economy Boat Store, 200 S. Amoco Road, Wood River. 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. Wood River Police Chief Brad Wells said Vernon L. Law was last seen wearing a blue t-shirt, blue jeans, and work boots. A check of his cellphone has been conducted. The last time his phone was active was on 2:40 p.m. July 21, 2022, in Wood River, Illinois. Investigators with the Wood River Police Department found a video of Vernon L. Law walking southbound on Illinois Route #3 in Hartford Illinois,

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ST. LOUIS — The American Red Cross shelter in East St. Louis closed at 10 a.m. today (Friday). The individuals staying at the shelter at Mason Clark Middle School 5510 State St. have found other places to stay. One individual stayed there last night. The shelter at St. Vincent Community Center, 7335 St. Charles Rock Road, St. Louis, MO, remains open. Twelve individuals stayed there last night. The American Red Cross provided a shelter for a total of 13 people, Thursday night, impacted by recent flooding in the St. Louis area. Since opening a shelter in the metro on Tuesday, July 26, the Red Cross has provided for a total of 217 overnight stays. Multi-Agency Resource Centers are available to anyone impacted by recent floods. These centers (MARCs) are “one-stop shops” for people needing assistance to recover from flooding. The Red Cross and partner agencies registered and assisted: 800 people representing 279 families at Tuesday’s MARC in Wentzville, MO

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ALTON – OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton will have one last celebration before school starts on August 6 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. This free event is open to the entire community. There will be a fire truck, MICU ambulance, UPS truck, K-9 unit, shark dissection, vaping danger education and many more fun activities. Hot dogs and snow cones will be available. School supplies including paper, pens, pencils and crayons will be available to the first 300 kids ages 4-12. OSF Saint Anthony’s is hosting this event to build up the community after a difficult couple of years. OSF Mission Partners (employees) hope to educate and provide services to kids in their community through fun games and family activities. Some competitions include a self-portrait contest and bean bag toss. The event is sponsored by Dwight and Cheryl Werts in partnership with: Alton Police Department Alton Fire Department ARCH Helicopter Boys and Girls Club of Alton Lakeside EM

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CHICAGO – It's been almost a week since a single Mega Millions ticket sold in Illinois won the third largest jackpot of all time, an incredible windfall of $1.337 billion. Everyone is wondering who the lucky winner is - and the Illinois Lottery is also still wondering, as the winner is yet to come forward. "For a prize of this magnitude, it's not unusual for the winner to take a while to claim," said Illinois Lottery Director, Harold Mays. "I'm sure they're going through a range of emotions." The Lottery has three key pieces of advice for the lucky winner on what to do next: Sign the back of the ticket and keep it somewhere safe Seek professional financial and legal advice Call the Lottery Player Hotline on 1-800-252-1775 to arrange a private appointment to claim the prize. For more information on what happens after a big win, the Lottery has provided a helpful Winner's Handbook, which is available for download on the Illinois Lottery website . Lottery winners of prizes

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ALTON - The holiday transformation of Rock Spring Park in Alton will begin in early September, and new Christmas Wonderland volunteers are always needed to help put together displays to ensure the holidays sparkle in 2022. An informational meeting for volunteers is planned for 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, Aug. 9 at Meunstermann Pavilion in Gordon Moore Park, Alton. The Grandpa Gang, which coordinates the annual Christmas event, is looking for volunteers to help with tasks like setting up wooden displays and hanging lights throughout the park. Volunteers are able to work any time between 8 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday and work continues through the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Volunteers are not required to work each day of set up. Set up in the park is expected to begin Monday, Sept. 12 at 8 a.m. If interested in volunteering but unable to attend the August 9 meeting, volunteers should contact Dick Alford at 618-781-2482 or Dave Davis at 618-419-1969. “We always look forward

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JERSEYVILLE - Active work continues on Illinois American Water's new Jerseyville Distribution Center. Above and below are photos of the steel erection and the start of interior construction. Illinois American Water previously announced the construction of a new operations and distribution facility in Jerseyville. Karen Cotton, a spokesperson for Illinois American Water, said the new facility will be located at 501 Mound Street in Jerseyville. She added that this is an additional investment in the region of approximately $8 million. "Construction is underway for the new facility which will support improved operational efficiencies and excellent customer service," she said. "The 16,000-square-foot facility will include a customer payment window, maintenance garage with six garage bays, storage of tools and equipment, and dedicated operations and maintenance areas."

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ALTON - Ameren Illinois spokesperson Brian Bretsch once again praised the linemen and field personnel for their dedicated work to restore power Wednesday and into Thursday after a serious storm left thousands in the dark. "I can never say enough about them," Bretsch said of the linemen and field personnel. "When Mother Nature throws a curve ball with rain and wind, I think our group always does their best work for family and neighbors. They take great pride in restoring power as safely and efficiently as possible." Ameren Ilinois spokesperson Brian Bretsch said the areas of Brighton and Bunker Hill had about 1,600 customers out Wednesday for 25 minutes after a breaker inside a substation tripped, but they were able to close it and those customers were back on. Bretsch said the Wednesday outage impacted 2,000 customers around Alton (Alton (1,700) Cottage Hills (50) and Godfrey (235). East Alton had about 930 without power and there were an estimated 70 in Wood River. Storms knocked

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ALTON - Alton Police officers responded to the Clark Bridge for a call from a passing motorist about a man in distress and after a quick response, they talked the man out of the dangerous situation. The call to Alton Police came in around 5:15 p.m. Thursday. Deputy Police Chief Jarrett Ford said the Alton officers did a great job of remaining calm and talking to the man. “They had a good conversation and convinced him that mental health treatment was his best option,” Ford said. “I am very proud of the officers and they arranged for him to have transportation for mental health treatment.” The Suicide Prevention Lifeline number is 988.

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ALTON - Executive Director Al Womack, Jr., describes the Boys & Girls Club of Alton Great Futures Golf Classic as an "always top-notch" charity event. The legendary tournament is scheduled for August 12 at Spencer T. Olin Golf Course, at 4701 College Avenue in Alton. Check-in on the Spencer T. Olin Driving Range is at 10 a.m. with an 11 a.m. shotgun start. Womack says the golf event is one of the top fund-raisers for his club, which benefits Alton area children with many after-school programs and much more. Womack says the Boys & Girls Club of Alton's mission is simple but so needed in this area: "To inspire all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens." If one thinks about it, aren't those three words what all parents and families likely want for their children? Womack the long-serving director of the club, has meant a considerable amount to children of the Alton area and has shepherded the organization

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JERSEYVILLE - Josselyn Allen, a 14-year-old axe-thrower from Jerseyville, will compete in the World Axe Throwing League’s 2022 Commissioner’s Cup Tournament, “The Ocho," which will be streamed live on ESPN2 at 8 a.m. Friday. Allen will be competing in the Big Axe - Youth tournament on the Red Team and will face against the Blue Team for the Commissioner’s Cup. While Allen said she was “very nervous” about the competition tomorrow, she added big axes are one of her favorite things to throw. She started throwing axes two years ago at 12 years old in the Riverbend Axe Throwing League along with her father and grandfather. After competing in some other tournaments in Springfield, she was invited to join this invitation-only competition. Allen’s grandfather, Jim Nanney, said this competition is different than a usual tournament and will be perfect to highlight Allen’s axe-throwing talents. “It’s more of an exhibition

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EDWARDSVILLE - A new commander for the Cross River Crime Task Force was named Wednesday in the lobby of the Madison County Administration Building in Edwardsville. Major Jeff Connor has led the Cross-River Crime Task Force comprised of law enforcement officials from federal, state, county, and local agencies for the past year. As he steps into the role of Madison County Sheriff, a new commander was unanimously chosen to lead the task force with the goal of combining resources and manpower to protect Madison County from criminals who cross state lines to commit violent crimes. Granite City Police Department's Assistant Chief Nick Novacich was announced on Wednesday as the new Commander of the Cross River Task Force. Novacich's deputy commanders will be Madison County Sheriff's Office Capt. Brian Koberna and Alton Police Department Capt. John Franke. On a steering committee for the Cross River Crime Task Force will be Pontoon Beach Police Chief Chris Modrusic, Alton Deputy Police

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), introduced the Reproductive Healthcare Accessibility Act to help ensure women with disabilities—who face discrimination and extra barriers when seeking care—can access reproductive services and get the informed care they need to have control over their own reproductive lives. “For too long, Americans with disabilities have faced persistent barriers to healthcare services, equipment and providers—and with right-wing efforts underway to go even further to undermine these rights in the wake of the overturning of Roe—many are rightfully worried about having an even harder time accessing the reproductive care they need,” said Duckworth. “Today, I’m proud to join Senator Murray and colleagues in introducing the Reproductive Healthcare Accessibility Act to

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CHICAGO –Today Governor Pritzker announced an increase in Medicaid reimbursement rates for abortion services and a new expansion of Title X funding through the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) for family planning and reproductive health service providers across the state. The 20% Medicaid reimbursement rate increase will give additional resources to providers facing new burdens in the wake of increased restrictions on reproductive care in surrounding states. The Governor also eliminated a requirement for providers to receive a Medicare denial before requesting Medicaid payment, expanding provider options for patients receiving both Medicare and Medicaid. “Illinois abortion providers have been working overtime since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “They need support as they take on this new burden on the frontlines of this fight. Supporting them with reimbursement increases allows them to focus on their important

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GRANITE CITY - Granite City Community Unit School District No. 9 is partnering with the Madison County Health Department to host a Back to School Physical and Vaccination Clinic on Thursday, August 11 from Noon-4 p.m. at the Granite City High School Gym Annex. This event will be held to help protect students and others by meeting vaccination and school physical requirements. All incoming kindergarteners, 6th graders, and high school freshmen are required to have a school physical and updated shot records. Schedule your appointment: https://form.jotform.com/221856470445156 INFORMATION: • Who is eligible: Preschool-12th graders • Appointments preferred, walk-ins welcome • Patient’s Insurance including public insurance (Medicaid) will be billed for service • No out-of-pocket fees for those who are eligible • If you do not have insurance, or have questions about vaccines please call Madison County Health Department at 618-692-8954, Ext. 2 WHAT

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ELSAH - The first Village of Elsah Festival in three years will be held Saturday, August 27 from 1-5 p.m. Live music, local vendors, food and drink, self-guided wetland trail tours and historic tours of the village will be available for anyone looking for the best chance to explore Elsah, which was voted the #1 Top Scenic Spot in Illinois by the Illinois Top 200 project. Connie Davis, Elsah tourism committee chair and co-owner of the Green Tree Inn with her husband Gary, said they started the festival as a way to put Elsah on more people's radar and the event has grown immensely since it began. “My husband and I started this several years ago, just ourselves. We were just trying to get the word out, because there are so many people who live in this area that have no idea that Elsah is even here - they drive up and down the River Road and they don’t know that we’re here,” Davis said. “So we started the festival just to kind of get the word out, have

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WOOD RIVER - Riverbend Family Ministries, a collective of local nonprofit organizations that helps area families in crisis, is asking the public for assistance after heavy rainfall caused severe flood damage to 14 rooms in the lower level of its newest building, displacing eight nonprofits and disrupting their Phase 2 building renovation plans. Executive Director Tammy Iskarous said she and other organization members walked in last Tuesday morning after heavy rainfall overnight Monday evening and found the entire first level completely flooded. Since Phase 2 of the construction plan was to renovate the upstairs level and move some organizations up there, all eight organizations were operating on the lower level when the flood occurred. While insurance covered a small number of sewage costs, the amount isn’t nearly enough for all the repairs needed, Iskarous said. “With all insurances, there’s a cap, and the cap was minimal. The damage that was done is going

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FENTON, MO. - The flash flooding issues continue across the river in Missouri. The weather station at Fenton Fire Station One received 3.26 inches of rain in a report late Wednesday, the Fenton Fire Protection District said. "Your Fenton firefighters and paramedics, as well as countless other first responders around the region, have been responding for persons trapped in their cars and flooded roadways," the Fire Protection District said Wednesday night. "Please be extra careful to not drive in the flooded areas." Saline Valley Fire Protection District said this morning: "Our crews will be out shortly visiting impacted flooded areas in our district to distribute clean-up kits. If we have missed you and are in need of a clean-up kit please message us." Saline Valley Fire Protection District off 141 in Fenton was the command center Thursday morning for flash flood responses. Flood waters engulfed the Covered Bridge RV Park near Highway 141 by Saline Creek Wednesday night. Flood waters

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GLEN CARBON - The Illinois Department of Transportation announces the planned closure of westbound Interstate 270. At 9 a.m. Friday, August 5, 2022, beginning at 9:00 a.m., ALL LANES OF WESTBOUND I-270 will be closed from I-55/70 to Illinois 157. The closure will also include the exit ramp from westbound Interstate 70 to northbound Interstate 55. This closure is required to allow for the replacement of a damaged bridge beam on the Meridian Road bridge structure over I-270 at Mile Marker 10.3. All lanes are expected to reopen by 5 a.m. Saturday morning. Motorists will need to utilize the marked detour route along westbound I-55/70 and northbound I-255 to circumvent the closure. The Department’s Day Labor Unit and the District’s Troy Yard will be performing this work. Traffic control devices and changeable message signing will be utilized during this closure to assist motorists in making their way through the detour. Travelers are advised to consider alternate routes and

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