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EAST ALTON - Germania Brew Haus employees are in a state of mourning this week after one of its frequent patrons - area resident Steve Overlin - died. "Steve has frequented the Alton and East Alton stores for quite some time," the German Brew Haus management said in a Facebook release. "In East Alton, the team would see his truck pull in and excitedly chant his name. They didn’t even need to ask him about his order before making it. In Alton, he had the same special bond. "Sadly, we found out Steve passed away. Steve was delightful. He made our days brighter. He kept up to date with employees. He kept us in the loop with his life, too." "We all loved Steve so, so much. There are very few employees that don’t know of Steve’s warmth and kindness. His smile is something we will never forget." Alex Cole, an assistant manager at the Germania Brew Haus in East Alton, was a big fan of Steve, as were the other employees. "Steve was a regular that always came through,

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GRAFTON - The Illinois Department of Transportation announces intermittent daytime lane closures in both directions of IL 100, (the River Road) between Grafton and Lockhaven Rd. beginning on Monday, January 16, 2023, weather permitting. A minimum of one lane in each direction will remain open throughout all work on the project. This project is needed to do guardrail replacement and work at this location is scheduled to be completed by the end of April. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. The contractor on this project is Lovewell Fencing, Inc. of Davenport, IA. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on Twitter at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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SPRINGFIELD – Workers who participate in the Illinois Secure Choice retirement savings program have set aside more than $100 million of their own money for their retirement, Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs said today. The threshold signals a growing recognition that workers understand Social Security alone will not provide enough income after their working days are over and reflectsdata that shows workers are more likely to save for retirement if they can do so through workplace payroll deductions. “Secure Choice helps workers in Illinois retire with dignity and confidence,” Frerichs said. “The program is one way my office provides people the tools to achieve the American Dream.” Through Illinois Secure Choice, workers can save for retirement through Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) funded by payroll deductions facilitated by their employers. The default option for program participants is to enroll in a target-date Roth IRA with a 5 percent

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ALTON - Thirteen actors, seven crew members, two directors, and one wonderful choreographer create a magical musical, SHE LOVES ME, set in a European Perfumerie. With so many beautiful and humorous moments so the audience can watch more than a few twists and turns before discovering "True Love"! This Broadway Musical inspired two movies and inspired us all to cherish the tender and stellular partnership that launched the genre of " Rom-Com" even in the early 1930s. So yes, SHE LOVES ME is a sentimental and stylish, most beguiling story; and the performers travel from the entire region with their trained voices to fulfill their love of Broadway Musicals. Now, everyone can see SHE LOVES ME at Alton Little Theater ( ALT) - from January 20th - 29th, with eight evening performances and two Sunday matinees. Call 618-462-3205 for tickets or online at altonlittletheater.org . Get Tickets TODAY - Don't let "LOVE" fly away!

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JERSEYVILLE - Construction is now complete on Illinois American Water’s new 16,000-square-foot operations center, consolidating field operations, administrative, and operations support staff in a single location. The new center, located at 502 Mound Street in Jerseyville, was celebrated with a ribbon cutting to signify the grand opening. Joining on the momentous occasion was the Jersey County Business Association and the City of Jerseyville’s mayor, William Russell, who kicked off the ribbon cutting by welcoming Illinois American Water to the community and thanking attendees for participating in the day’s celebration. Ethan Steinacher, Sr. Manager of Operations for Illinois American Water’s Central Division, addressed the audience, saying, “Illinois American Water committed to building a new operations center in Jerseyville, not only as a sign of our commitment to the City Administration and our customers but also to be an integral part of economic development

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EDWARDSVILLE - Edwardsville Public Works Director Eric Williams confirmed there are currently no plans to open a Krispy Kreme at the former Annie’s Frozen Custard location on South Buchanan Street, saying it’s “just a rumor that’s going around.” Williams said there is technically work being done on the site, just not the construction of a Krispy Kreme. “I did get a site grading permit that came in on Friday to do soil remediation,” Williams said. “I guess there used to be a former gas station on site that they’re going to start remediating some soil, but as far as future improvement plans, we have not received anything.” White Castle was another chain rumored to be opening a new location at the site, but he said that is also “just a rumor.” “There’s been a Krispy Kreme/White Castle rumor going around for a little while now, but right now, it’s just a rumor,” he said. “The

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CHICAGO - Attorney General Kwame Raoul led a coalition of 18 attorneys general supporting a New York law to hold the firearms industry accountable. In an amicus brief , Raoul and the coalition argue that New York has the authority to protect residents and public safety. New York enacted its statute to hold gun industry members accountable for the irresponsible sale and marketing of firearms when that conduct results in harm to the public. Under the law, public officials or private citizens can file a lawsuit against a gun industry member when they knowingly or recklessly endanger the safety or health of the public in New York state through the unlawful or unreasonable sale, manufacturing, importing, or marketing of firearms. Gun industry members can also be held liable when they fail to use reasonable controls and procedures to prevent firearms from being unlawfully used or sold in New York state. “Attorneys general play a key role in protecting residents from unlawful industry

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BELLEVILLE - Caritas Family Solutions is celebrating its 75th anniversary by hosting its 10th annual Heart & Soul Gala on February 4 at The Regency in O’Fallon, Illinois. The nonprofit currently serves more than 7,000 people annually including 1,700 foster children throughout Southern Illinois and the Metro East region. Caritas Family Solutions services include foster care, pregnancy care for women experiencing homelessness, adoption, counseling, and independent living for adults with disabilities among other service lines. “Our gala will be the perfect opportunity to celebrate our 75th anniversary, which means so much to us in a variety of ways,” said Caritas Family Solutions CEO Gary Huelsmann. “It speaks to our history of caring for people all across Southern Illinois and in all our communities. It means that we have thousands of people throughout our communities that have been impacted by Caritas in such positive ways over the years that really changed th

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EDWARDSVILLE – Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Yun Lu, PhD, professor in the Department of Chemistry in the College of Arts and Sciences, has recently been awarded a $433,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for his biomolecular reaction mechanism study project entitled, “Temperature Dependence of Hydride Kinetic Isotope Effects in Solution to Test the Proposed Role of Protein Dynamics in Enzyme Catalysis”. "The search for the origin of the enormous catalytic power of enzymes has a long history and has led to many proposals,” said Lu. “In this project, we will design enzyme model reactions and use the same methodologies that enzymologists recently use to replicate the observations in enzymes in an attempt to provide insight into the questionable physical origin of enzyme catalysis. Our results are expected to help develop theories for enzyme catalysis that can guide future efforts at design of efficient drugs and biocatalysts.”

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ALTON - The ongoing sewer separation in and around Downtown Alton continues. Below is information regarding some more road closures in the area. Piasa Valley Area: 9 th Street remains closed to thru traffic from Alton Street east to George Street. Pavement restoration is ongoing and should be completed in the coming weeks. Belle Street sewer work has moved north of the intersection of 7 th Street. 7 th Street east of Belle Street is partially restored, with some restoration work to continue in the coming weeks. The area between 8 th Street and 9 th Street on Belle Street has had a large amount of work completed which will be wrapped up in the next two to three weeks. Please use caution in work zones and where final pavement restorations have not been completed. The next stretch of the work area will progress north to the intersection of 9 th Street and Belle Street. New sanitary sewer, storm sewer and water mains will be installed in this intersection, with work starting

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ALTON - St. Mary's Middle School would like to announce the students who made High Honor Roll or Honor Roll for the 2nd Quarter. 6th Grade High Honor Roll Avery Conrad Elaina Cowan James Fischer Katherine Fitzgerald Tucker Hamilton Eli Heischmidt Joseph Henesey Parker Hough Caleb Kasten Kainan Kelly Colette Manns Lucia Pulido Jenna Redman Caden Roth Caden Shewmake Olivia Smith Elizabeth Strickland William Waters Brendan White Brock Woodward 7 th Grade High Honor Roll Alivia Beaber Brooke Boston Clara Brass Alayna Graham Isabella Greenberg Gianna Grossheim Emily Hough Sophia Jacobs Jensen Janek Ryan Joehl Cameron Jones Chase Jones Samuel Jun Allison Nash Natalie Novak Gianna Pulido Nora Ringering Jocelyn Thomas Mason Widman 8 th Grade High Honor Roll Ellen Anderson Reese Bechtold Vyla Berkenbile Izabelle Brunaugh Jacob Campbell Ella Curry Chase DeRocchi James Elmendorf Grace Fischer Liilian Hannigan Patrick Henesey

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ALTON - Lifestyle/creativity coach and self-described “mind mechanic” Michael Gebben recently appeared on an episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com to discuss the results of a recent brain scan and the possible ways ADHD can impact one’s approach to their career. In 2010 and 2011, Gebben had been very successful in the video production industry - he was featured in magazines, traveled, and earned over six figures in video production business two years out of high school at 20 years old. But when COVID hit in March of 2020, he had to rethink his business strategy and transitioned into coaching full-time, which led to a bit of self-discovery. “I noticed there were certain things that were happening with me that were interesting, and some stuff came up about ADHD,” Gebben said. “I’ve had people say with my energy, some things about ADHD here and there … some stuff started to come up and I dug into it really hardcore,

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ALTON - Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis CEO and President Michael P. McMillan was the keynote speaker with the theme; “Injustice Anywhere Is A Threat To Justice Anywhere” in the Annual NAACP Martin Luther King Jr. Day festivities Sunday at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Alton. McMillan’s delivery was well-received by the capacity crowd at the church. Alton Branch NAACP 2nd Vice President/Alderwoman Rosetta Brown, Alton Branch NAACP President Michael Holliday Sr., Alton NAACP 1st Vice President Leon Smallwood-Bey, and Alton Mayor David Goins were also key parts to Sunday’s ceremony, along with McMillan. Brown said this Dr. King ceremony was one of the best in recent years. The program for Sunday's event was as follows: Alton Branch NAACP 2nd Vice President Alderwoman Rosetta Brown, Expeditor Invocation – Elder Marcus Harrison, Deliverance Temple Lift Every Voice and Sing Presentation of Dr. King Wreath – Executive Committee Members, Alton Branch

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ALTON - Alton Police are investigating damage to a tombstone in Oakwood Cemetery over the weekend. Dianca Lacey, the mother of deceased De’Andre Shauntez Brewster, Sr., said her son’s headstone was overturned. “I received a devastating phone call at 3:52 a.m., telling me my son’s headstone had been overturned in Oakwood Cemetery,” she said. “I am still grieving the loss of my only child, who was senselessly killed and taken away from his eight young children. At this point, I would like to be able to grieve and for my son to rest in peace.” A shooting occurred around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday, May 2, 2021, in the 200 block of East Elm Street in Alton that claimed Brewster’s life. Brewster and another person were wounded, but Brewster was pronounced dead at Alton Memorial Hospital. Brewster’s mother made this statement this morning about the damage to her son’s grave: “This is totally unacceptable. The lack of respect i

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SPRINGFIELD – An Illinois Conservation Police investigation into the illegal use of bait while hunting deer and turkey in St. Clair County resulted in the arrests of eight individuals for numerous hunting-related violations. Citations, warnings and court dates were issued to: • Seth E. Speiser, 58, of Freeburg – Unlawfully hunting deer with bait, unlawfully placing corn in an area where deer are present, failure to wear blaze orange while hunting, unlawfully transporting an uncased shotgun, failure to have deer permits in possession while hunting, and unlawful take of a whitetail deer with the aid of bait. • Danny B. Cox, 63, of Freeburg – Unlawfully hunting with the aid of bait, unlawful placement of bait, unlawful take of an 8-point buck and a 10-point buck with the aid of bait, unlawful use of an archery deer permit issued to another person, failure to wear blaze orange while hunting, and unlawful possession of a road sign. • Kamdan B. Cox, 27, o

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BUNKER HILL - The Bunker Hill Fire Protection District was joined by several other agencies in a destructive house fire that occurred overnight around midnight. Bunker Hill Fire Protection District Chief William Sloan said the large home was vacant and it will be “a total loss” because of the raging fire. Bunker Hill paged Dorsey, Brighton, Gillespie, Benld, and Dorchester to assist in the fire battle. “When we got there, about 100-foot diameter around the house was already burned,” he said. “Right now we don’t know the exact cause of a fire. It had been burning for at least an hour before we arrived.” Sloan said he appreciated the cooperation they receive from neighboring fire agencies in mutual aid blazes like this one.

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ALTON/EAST ALTON - Kevin Mogensen has been awarded a verdict of $3,310,000 by a Madison County jury after he was exposed to unsafe working conditions which aggravated his pre-existing asthma. After two hours and fifteen minutes of deliberation, the jury awarded Mogensen $60,000 in lost earnings, $2.75 million dollars for past and future pain and suffering as well as $500,000 for past and future loss of a normal life. Mogensen was represented by Benjamin Tobin and Zachary Tobin of Pratt & Tobin, P.C., located in East Alton, Illinois. Joseph Hoefert of Joseph E. Hoefert Attorney at Law, located in Alton, also served as co-counsel but was unable to participate in the trial due to a recent surgery. Mogensen worked as a towboat deckhand for the towboat company SCF Lewis and Clark LLC. The lawsuit alleged that the company “negligently ordered” Mogensen to be aboard a barge while terminal and dock crews were cleaning excess Corn Gluten Fertilizer off of the barge - which,

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ALTON - Marquette Catholic had three bowlers - Max Cogan, Hayden Sherman, and Nicholas Trefny - advance Saturday from the Columbia IHSA Boys Regional Bowling Tournament. The three boys will perform this Saturday in the sectional at Collinsville. Cogan was the leading individual qualifier with a 1,311 series. Sherman went through with a score of 1,233, and Trefny was next with a 1,225 . Marquette saw Andrew Roth have a 1,086 score and Corbon Barnard had a 1,019, while beside the two qualifiers for the Eagles, Brady Geisler had a 1,110 score, Jordan Teems tossed a 1,024 score, Ryne Breyer had a 524 set and Brayden Prott had a 507. Led by the trio Cogan, Sherman, and Trefny the Explorers team are Tucker’s Automotive Repair & Tire Inc. Male Athletes of the Month. Marquette Catholic head boys bowling coach Mark Jones said his fantastic trio have been members of the squad since their freshmen year. “We strive to get a team through, and I am just proud we have three boys going

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ST. LOUIS - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed deeply that equality began with the fight against hunger and poverty. His entire life was devoted to the fight for justice and equality starting with the right of every person to be free from hunger. Sadly, today, nearly 40 million people in America go to bed each night hungry with no idea how they will feed themselves or their children. The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and The St. Louis Area Foodbank are teaming up to celebrate Dr. King and continue his work of ending poverty and hunger with a special MLK community food distribution event on January 16, 2023. The drive-through-only event will run from 12 pm to 3 pm at the Urban League’s Regional Headquarters at 1408 North Kingshighway. Staging for cars is on Page Boulevard starting at Aubert and going east. A short presentation will be held at 11:15 A.M. featuring remarks from event partners. There will also be a special presentation by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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DEKALB, IL. - Over 1,100 students received their degrees from Northern Illinois University in December. Included among the graduates were the following students from your area: Granite City, IL Nicholas Haddock, Bachelor of Music, Music - Education Nicholas Haddock, Bachelor of Music, Music - Performance About NIU Northern Illinois University is a student-centered, nationally recognized public research university, with expertise that benefits its region and spans the globe in a wide variety of fields, including the sciences, humanities, arts, business, engineering, education, health and law. Through its main campus in DeKalb, Illinois, and education centers for students and working professionals in Chicago, Hoffman Estates, Naperville, Oregon and Rockford, NIU offers more than 100 courses of study while serving a diverse and international student body of about 19,000. The 17 NIU Huskie athletic teams compete in the Mid-American Conference at the highest NCAA Division

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