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April 17th marks a day filled with events that have significantly shaped the course of history across various continents and cultures. Traveling back in time, April 17, 1492, saw Christopher Columbus receive official royal approval from Spain’s Catholic Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, to embark on his historic voyage across the Atlantic. This authorization set the stage for Columbus’s expedition later that year, which would lead to the European discovery of the Americas. While celebrated as a milestone in global exploration, the consequences of this encounter were complex and far-reaching, reshaping the world's demographic, cultural, and political landscapes in ways that continue to be discussed and debated today. In the realm of science and technology, April 17, 1961, marked a significant yet tragic moment during the Cold War when the Bay of Pigs Invasion began. This was a failed military invasion of Cuba undertaken by a CIA-sponsored paramilitary group of Cuban

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JERSEYVILLE – Jersey County has a new acting treasurer while an investigation concerning missing taxpayer funds continues into the county’s former treasurer. Jersey County Board members this month officially announced a vacancy in the Treasurer’s office after accepting the resignation of former treasurer Katie Abbey at last month’s board meeting. In Abbey’s absence, Chief Deputy Treasurer Becca Strang has been appointed to fill the vacancy and serve as acting treasurer. Strang has already been carrying out the office’s duties for months after Abbey took a “personal” leave of absence starting in October of 2024. Strang has been running the office with the help of former Treasurer Gilbert Ashlock, who now serves as a consultant. Strang’s appointment was recommended to the County Board by the Jersey County Republican Central Committee. Strang will serve as County Treasurer for the remainder of Abbey’s term, which expires

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ALTON - This weekend, Old Bakery Beer Company will host the 14th annual Riverbend Earth Day event, complete with vendors, live music, environmental education and more. From 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 19, 2025, community members can stop by Old Bakery Beer Company in Alton for a day full of sustainable, environmental fun. Lauren with Old Bakery Beer Company expressed her excitement to welcome the community in. “It’s free to come. Enjoy the live music. See the environmental organizations,” Lauren said. “Of course, we’ll have beer and food and all that jazz available for purchase that day, as well.” Lauren explained that OBB previously served as the rainout location for the Riverbend Earth Day event. After hosting for several years in a row, they eventually took on the duties of sponsoring the event, too. On April 19, Beth Bombarra will provide live music from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., followed by Universal Groove Society

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PONTOON BEACH – Two area men face the same set of charges after damaging and stealing money from a gaming machine in Pontoon Beach. Deontae T. Spates, 24, of Cottage Hills and Christopher F. DeBoise, 25, of East St. Louis, were each charged on April 9, 2025 with Class 3 felony counts of theft and misdemeanor counts of criminal property damage. On Jan. 30, 2025, the two allegedly caused damage to a gaming machine and stole between $500-$10,000 from the device. The machine was property of Accel Entertainment and located at a Conoco gas station and convenience store at 4086 Pontoon Road in Pontoon Beach. The Pontoon Beach Police Department presented both cases against Spates and DeBoise, both of whom were granted pretrial release from custody. All individuals charged are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

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EAST ALTON – Chris Stotts, owner of Advanced Wiring Solutions in East Alton, stopped by Our Daily Show! On Riverbender.com to share how he and the region’s business community came together in support of the Alton Boys & Girls Club after their facility was broken into earlier this month . Stotts said the break-in led to thousands of dollars in replacement costs for a window that was shattered during the incident. Shortly after the burglary unfolded, Stotts helped provide police with surveillance footage from the site, aiding the investigation. While the perpetrator stole an Xbox gaming console from the Boys & Girls Club, Stotts said another local business owner has since stepped in to replace the Xbox. This continues a tradition of local business support for the club after Hit-and-Run owners Dwight and Teresa Fowler donated some updated security cameras to the club in 2019, which were then installed for free by Stotts. However, Stotts said about 14 cameras on the

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ALTON – A man from Alton faces four domestic battery charges after strangling a witness who tried to stop him from strangling another victim. Aryion E. Sanders, 26, of Alton, was charged with two Class 2 felony counts of aggravated domestic battery and two Class 4 felony counts of domestic battery. Sanders allegedly strangled two household or family members on April 5, 2025. Among several prior charges of battery and more, he had previously been convicted of violating an Order of Protection in a Madison County case from 2024. A petition filed to deny his pretrial release states Sanders got into an altercation with the first victim, during which he strangled and threatened to kill them. When another household or family member witnessed the incident and attempted to intervene, Sanders ceased attacking the first victim and began strangling the second victim “before brandishing a knife.” The petition notes Sanders has repeatedly failed to appear in court, deeming hi

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EDWARDSVILLE - Ivy Hall Dispensary has a special plan to celebrate 4/20. On April 20, 2025 — the date commonly known as “4/20” in the cannabis community — Ivy Hall Dispensary at 6197 Old Alton Edwardsville Road in Edwardsville will offer deals, food and free Easter specials. Director of Marketing Jonny Boucher expressed his excitement for the event and encouraged everyone to come out and join in the fun. “4/20, the day of, is going to be bonkers,” Boucher said. “We are having some real fun.” Starting at 8 a.m. on Sunday, April 20, the first 100 customers will receive a golden Easter egg. Each egg has a prize inside, from a $500 Visa gift card to Six Flags season passes and plenty of gift certificates for local restaurants, tattoo parlors and more. At 1 p.m., 200 customers will receive a free frozen Lou Malnati's pizza with every purchase. Boucher noted that this is especially exciting because it combines Ivy Hall’s roots

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ALTON – The statistics surrounding the incidence rate of lung cancer – nationally, state-wide, and locally – can literally take your breath away. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI): The United States lung cancer rates are 53.1/100,000 people The Illinois state average is 58.3/100,000 people When looking at statistics on a more local level, four (4) counties in and around the Riverbend region can be found in the top 40 within the state: Green County ranks 13th highest out of 102 counties at 89.3/100,000 people Macoupin Ranks 18th highest at 86.6 cases/100,000 people Jersey County ranks 35th highest at 77.3/100,000 people Madison County ranks 39th highest at 76.8/100,000 people “These statistics alone indicate that residents of these four counties are located in areas with a significantly higher rate of lung cancer compared to the United States and state of Illinois averages,” says Angela Halliday, Director of Oncology Services,

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ST. LOUIS, MO – After a five-year pause, Community Development Week is back in the City of St. Louis! The City’s Community Development Administration (CDA) is excited to relaunch this award-winning celebration of neighborhood revitalization and public service. From Monday, April 21, to Friday, April 25, 2025, CDA and its partners will host a full slate of walking tours, networking events, public workshops, and more—highlighting the people and programs transforming St. Louis. “We’re so excited to bring Community Development Week back for the first time since 2018,” said Nahuel Fefer, Executive Director of CDA. “Our team has grown significantly in recent years to administer COVID relief funds, more than doubling disbursement of federal funds and tripling the City’s affordable housing production pipeline. After everything our city has worked through during COVID, it means so much to celebrate progress together again.” CDA is a past

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JERSEYVILLE - JCH HealthCare recently made a donation to CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) of Jersey & Greene Counties through generous employee contributions. This non-profit organization plays a vital role in advocating for the best interests of children in the foster care system, and JCH HealthCare is proud to support their important work in the community.

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EDWARDSVILLE - Ruth Slenczynska, the last surviving pupil of composer-pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff, will be honored by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville during the upcoming three-day Ruth Slenczynska Centennial Celebration . The weekend begins with a series of presentations about the renowned pianist's life, a piano master class and culminates with the celebration concert at Dunham Hall Theater. All events take place May 2–4, 2025. “Pianist Ruth Slenczynska has led an exceptional, accomplished musical life for 100 years,” shared Therese Dickman, Fine Arts Librarian and associate professor, Library and Information Services. “Notably, she performed public piano concerts between the ages of 4 to 96.” “She studied with some of the world’s most esteemed pianists and composers of the early 20th century. Among her many friends and acquaintances were world leaders (including five U.S. Presidents and the Empress of Japan), and she was a

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JERSEYVILLE – Jerseyville city officials held a “workshop” meeting on Tuesday, April 8, 2025 to discuss several ongoing and future capital improvement projects around the city – and possible ways to fund them. Mayor Kevin Stork said his intention with the meeting was to gather all department heads and form a mutual understanding on goals and plans to achieve them, including funding possibilities. No formal action was taken at the meeting, which was for discussion purposes only. T he City of Jerseyville has undertaken several capital improvement projects in recent years, with plans for several more over the next five to ten years. Among these are the recently remodeled City Hall, Police and Fire Department buildings , the construction of a splash pad and bathhouse at Wittman Park , ongoing and future street repairs, and several other ongoing and future park improvement projects around the city. To fund these projects,

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ALTON - After the death of Laura Kimbro’s son, she has written a book to share more about traumatic brain injuries and post-concussion syndrome depression. “Giving Light to Darkness” tells the story of Seth, Kimbro’s son, who experienced depression triggered by a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Seth ultimately died by suicide, and Kimbro is doing everything she can to inform people about post-concussion syndrome depression and how to heal. “I needed to be a voice for our son, and not only for our son, but for others who are going through it, for others that are in this unknown,” Kimbro explained. “I hope to share that you are not alone.” Following an accident, Seth had a long road of healing ahead of him. But Kimbro was pleased to see that he seemed to be on the right track. He was exercising, getting back to work, and making plans with his fiancé. But on the inside, he was struggling. He had good days and bad days,

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ALTON - The Alton High School Construction Trades class will resume its home-building program. In the next year, students in the AHS Construction Trades class will be building a house from the ground up. On Wednesday, April 16, 2025, community leaders gathered at 1 Woodland Hills Court in Alton, where the house will be located, for a groundbreaking ceremony. “I am just thrilled to be here with you to make an announcement and to celebrate the return of our Construction Trades home building,” said Superintendent Elaine Kane. “We’ve had Construction Trades at Alton High School over the past 20 years. It’s just that we modified the scope of the course, and this morning, we’re here to celebrate kicking off the return to building homes with our students. This community continually rallies around our school and our students, and this project is no exception.” Students will work with the Construction Trades teachers and Tycon Builders employees

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GLEN CARBON – Ameren Illinois is currently constructing a new distribution power line into its Main Street substation in Glen Carbon to enhance energy service reliability, flexibility and load capacity. This additional electric capacity will support the ongoing economic development in Meridan Plaza. The new, 2.4-mile distribution power line will extend from the Main Street substation down to and along Illinois Route 157, just to the northeast of the intersection of South University Drive and Chain of Rocks Road. The added capacity is similar to expanding a two-lane highway to a four-lane highway. Nearly 1,500 customers will benefit from these enhancements. "Substations do not get a lot of fanfare but they are critical elements in a reliable, resilient energy grid," said Langston Rose, Director of West Region Electric Operations, Ameren Illinois. "With these enhancements, Ameren Illinois is taking proactive steps to prepare for the future needs of our electric customers.

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ALTON - The Alton Police Department has named Captain Kurtis McCray its Officer of the Month for February 2025 in recognition of his efforts to reduce gun violence in two troubled neighborhoods. Capt. McCray's efforts have made a huge difference in Alton. For more than a year, the 800 block of Pearl Street and the 1200 block of Central Avenue in Alton experienced persistent gun violence that disrupted the lives of residents. Despite numerous arrests and firearm recoveries by police, the violence continued. Alton Police Chief Jarrett Ford said Captain McCray responded by going beyond traditional enforcement methods. He worked closely with the property owner in the 800 block of Pearl Street to facilitate an eviction order and the sale of the property, a process that involved complex negotiations and cooperation among multiple parties. In addition, he collaborated with the Madison County Housing Authority to assist in relocating a family residing on the 1200 block of Central Avenue,

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ALTON — Crisis Food Center and Midwest Members Credit Union will distribute free Easter hams and side items to families from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 19, 2025, at 21 East 6th Street in Alton. This marks the sixth year the two organizations have partnered for the Easter Ham Giveaway, with each contributing equally to the purchase of hams and side dishes. Derrick D. Richardson, a board member of Crisis Food Center and former board member of Midwest Members Credit Union, emphasized the importance of supporting the community during the holiday. “Together, we are able to purchase a lot of hams for families in need this Easter,” Richardson said. “Teaming up together makes a good partnership. We believe that feeding our community is important and want to make sure that families in our community are able to celebrate Easter with a nice Easter meal. We want to give back in a way that would definitely impact the families in the community.” Tiffany James o

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CARLINVILLE – Blackburn College has announced that Jared Jones, a 2016 graduate and director of team travel and logistics for Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians, will be the keynote speaker at the College’s 2025 commencement ceremony. The event will take place Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 10:30 a.m. on the Hudson Quad. Jones brings an inspiring perspective to this year’s graduating class, shaped by their shared experiences in Blackburn's student-managed Work Program—the only student-managed program in the country. The Work Program offers students a way to gain valuable, hands-on experience in roles that directly support the College's daily operations. Students who participate in the Program develop essential skills, build a resume, and reduce the cost of their education, all while earning a four-year degree. Jones's journey from a student worker on campus to a leadership role in the Major Leagues highlights the impact of Blackburn’s nationally

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ALTON - Ameren Illinois' new carbon-free assessment program aimed at helping public schools in the state reduce energy costs and improve sustainability has been very successful, Michael Pittman, manager of new clean energy programs, said. The program, which began in the first quarter of 2024, offers comprehensive energy assessments to public school districts within Ameren Illinois’ service territory. The assessments evaluate both the interior and exterior of school buildings and provide a strategic roadmap to increase energy efficiency, including opportunities to update HVAC systems, improve insulation, and consider solar facilities. “Energy costs are one of the largest expenses of operating a school,” Pittman said. “We look at the facility comprehensively to identify opportunities such as updating HVAC schedules, installing smart thermostats, fixing windows and doors, and making other capital improvements that can lead to significant savings.” Since

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SPRINGFIELD - Recognizing Financial Literacy Month, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is celebrating a generous donation of books that teach children about the value of financial literacy, which every Illinois public library received. As part of its charitable endeavors, Walmart donated 1,500 copies of Mellody Hobson’s ‘Priceless Facts about Money’ to over 750 public library branches across Illinois. An Illinois native, Hobson is the Co-CEO & President of Ariel Investments, a global value-oriented asset management firm founded in 1983 in Chicago. Hobson is a leader in corporate boardrooms, as former chairman of Starbucks Corporation and a current director of JPMorgan Chase. She was listed among Forbes Magazine’s 100 most powerful women in the world. Written for children, Hobson’s book illustrates with entertaining stories and facts how money works and introduces readers to fundamental principles of financial literacy and money management

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