ALTON – An Alton 18-year-old faces felony weapon charges after allegedly possessing a handgun modified to fire automatically. Donovin J. Moore, 18, of Alton was charged on July 20, 2026 with one count each of unlawful use of weapons – possession of a machine gun (a Class X felony) and aggravated unlawful possession of weapons (a Class 4 felony). Moore was allegedly knowingly in possession of a Glock 19 handgun which was “modified with a switch to make the weapon automatically
EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State's Attorney Tom Haine announced that a Granite City man convicted of felony sex offenses against a girl has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. Eli L. Winters, 26, received the sentence after pleading guilty Tuesday to Child Sexual Abuse Material (a Class X felony) and Criminal Sexual Abuse (a Class 4 felony). Winters pleaded guilty to filming himself engaged in a sex act with a minor girl in December 2024. “This predator’s conduct is unconscionable
GLEN CARBON – Glen Carbon may soon be the new home of a corporate headquarters in Meridian Plaza, though few details have been made public. A site plan for a three-story office building on Lot 6 of Meridian Plaza and a related amendment to the Meridian Plaza Planned Development Procedure (PDP) were both approved at the June 28, 2026 Glen Carbon Village Board meeting. Community Development Director Erika Heil said the new office building will be built on the corner of Illinois Route 157
GODFREY/ALTON - IBEW Local 649 offers resources for those in the electrical construction and maintenance fields, and Business Manager Ryan Mouser encourages more people to consider joining their ranks. Located in Godfrey, IBEW Local 649 has an apprenticeship program for budding electricians as well as support for those who have built careers in the field. Mouser noted that the organization is a great starting point for those who want to learn more. As a board member with the RiverBend Growth
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI) led 15 of their Democratic colleagues in the Senate in introducing the Women Add Resourcefulness and Resilience to Improve Operational Readiness (WARRIOR) Act, which would reinforce the principle that the U.S. military has always relied upon: standards must be based on the demands of the job, not gender. This legislation is critical for maintaining rigorous, gender-neutral
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and 11 colleagues sitting on the Congressional Armed Services Committees in opening a new investigation into reports that the Department of Defense (DoD) failed to provide adequate medical care to servicemembers injured in a March drone strike on a U.S. military post at Port Shuaiba in Kuwait. In a new letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the lawmakers asked him to provide
GRANITE CITY – A local man charged with stealing over $18,000 from a disabled victim is out on pretrial release from custody. Troy S. Kimbel, 24, of Granite City, was charged in Madison County court on July 23, 2026 with one count each of financial exploitation of an elderly person or person with a disability, theft of property by deception (both Class 2 felonies) and wire fraud (a Class 3 felony). From May 24 to Dec. 16, 2025, Kimbel allegedly knowingly obtained $18,258.38 by means of
COLLINSVILLE - Community members have a fun opportunity to help kids in the foster care system experience a great Christmas. On Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, Dream Home Charities will host their annual Glo Bingo night at Collinsville Fireman’s Hall. This bingo promises a fun time with raffles, a silent auction, cash prizes and more. All proceeds go to Dream Home Charities and their initiative to provide gifts and necessities for foster families during the holiday season. “People alway
On July 31, one of the most consequential events in modern world history took place in 1914, when the Russian Empire ordered a full military mobilization at the edge of Europe’s growing crisis. The move came after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and a chain of ultimatums and alliances that had already pushed the continent toward war. Mobilization did not itself start the fighting, but it sharply raised the stakes. Germany treated it as a direct threat, and within days the
GODFREY - Ameren Illinois said Thursday, July 30, 2026, that no second planned power outage is scheduled in Godfrey, after reports that some customers believed another outage was coming. Brian Bretsch, an Ameren Illinois spokesperson, said the only planned outage occurred Wednesday night, July 29, 2026, and that all affected customers were restored early Thursday morning, July 30, 2026. The outage was scheduled from 10 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, 2026, until about 5 a.m. Thursday, July 30, 2026,
GODFREY - Vitality Women’s Clinic is hoping to raise money for its operations, and they encourage the community to help them in this mission. Vitality is a Godfrey-based pregnancy center that offers free STI and pregnancy testing as well as free ultrasounds. The staff will talk through options with people experiencing unplanned pregnancies. They also offer parenting classes and a resource shop. As a pro-life, faith-based clinic, Vitality does not perform or refer for abortions. Executive
ALTON - Alton Mayor David Goins on Thursday, July 30, 2026, announced that the Madison County Circuit Court has issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) providing immediate relief in response to actions taken by the Alton City Council that are alleged to have violated Illinois law and the city’s governing procedures. Alton City Council members voted on Wednesday, July 22, 2026, to accept the reappointments of the vast majority of city officials appointed by the mayor, except for two.
BELLEVILLE - A 22-year-old woman has been charged with aggravated robbery after authorities said a seller trying to complete a Facebook puppy sale in unincorporated Belleville was allegedly threatened at gunpoint and had the dog taken. The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department said its emergency communications center received a call at 9:41 p.m. July 23, 2026, reporting an armed robbery in the 7700 block of Myrtlewood Drive. According to the sheriff’s department, the victim said
GODFREY - A serious fire at a home in the 300 block of Gladys Avenue in Godfrey was reported at 11:10 a.m. Thursday, July 30, 2026, prompting a response from the Godfrey Fire Protection District, with assistance from the Alton Fire Department, Fosterburg Fire, and an Alton Memorial Hospital ambulance. “It was reported as a working structure fire with a possible trapped victim,” Assistant Godfrey Fire Chief Chris Dennison said. Dennison said crews arrived within five minutes and foun
GODFREY – A local resident accused of throwing an unknown liquid on another person and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident faces felony and misdemeanor charges. 39-year-old Nicholas R. Yates of Bethalto faces a Class 3 felony count of aggravated battery and a Class A misdemeanor count of leaving the scene of an accident stemming from an incident on July 23, 2026. Yates allegedly “forcefully threw an unknown liquid substance” on another individual while at Tony’s
EDWARDSVILLE - Matt Baumgartner has been named assistant principal at Liberty Middle School. The Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 Board of Education approved his appointment during its meeting on Monday, July 27. Baumgartner comes to District 7 from Highland Middle School where he spent the last seven years as an assistant principal. During his tenure, he provided leadership in student discipline, school safety, staff evaluation, Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), and initiatives
EDWARDSVILLE — Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 will host Open Interviews on Thursday, Aug. 6 , from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the District 7 Central Office, 6148 Center Grove Road in Edwardsville. The district is currently hiring for a variety of positions, including food service, custodial, maintenance, teaching assistants, and monitors. Individuals interested in joining the District 7 team are invited to attend and interview on-site. Applicants are encouraged to bring a resume
ALTON - There’s a new face at the RiverBender.com office. Grace Schwarte is excited to build up the community that built her. Grace is the new Customer Success Manager who handles marketing and sales at RiverBender.com . She can’t wait to get to know the area from a new perspective, and she loves working with her fellow Riverbend residents to create a positive community for all. “I consider myself a lifelong Alton resident,” Grace said. “I love connecting
ROXANA - Roxana head baseball coach Jerry Wheaton said Max Autery, a four-year starter for the Shells, will be difficult to replace because of his leadership at catcher and his ability to manage the game, after a season in which Autery earned All-Cahokia Conference Mississippi Division honors and prepared to continue his baseball career at Quincy University. Autery had a .398 batting average this past season with 39 hits and 40 RBI, 12 doubles, five triples and four home runs. He hit .325 as
ROXANA - Roxana Community Unit School District #1 families were greeted by picketing educators as they entered registration. On Thursday, July 30, 2026, families registered their students at Roxana High School as teachers stood outside and conducted an informational picket. Roxana Education Association Union President Kim Jones explained that the union has been negotiating with the Board of Education since January to approve a new contract for the 2026–2027 school year, and they have
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