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Alton to Host Food Truck Festival

Riverbender 🕸
2 months 2 weeks ago
ALTON - Alton’s famous Food Truck Festival returns this weekend at the Alton Amphitheater. From 4–8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025, community members can come out, enjoy live music by Almost Famous, and sample 16 food trucks. Dan Herkert, the amphitheater commission chair, noted his excitement to share the day with the community on the riverfront. “The Food Truck Festival has become one of our most popular events over the years at the amphitheater,” he said. “It’s a great feeling for all of us volunteers on the amphitheater commission to be able to put something together like this, where families and the community can come together and have a positive experience. We see enough stuff on the news and in the world today that’s negative. This is a chance for us to come together as a community and bring people from outside our local community to Alton so they can really see what we have to offer.” Hosted by the amphitheater and Sauce

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As Democrats fight ‘fire with fire,’ gerrymandering opponents seek a path forward

MoInd 📰
2 months 2 weeks ago
When California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his plan to retaliate if Republican-led Texas redrew its congressional districts to favor the GOP, he affirmed his support for less partisan maps — and then promised to “meet fire with fire.” “We’re doing it mindful that we want to model better behavior,” Newsom told reporters in Los […]
Jonathan Shorman

Wood River Woman Charged After High-Speed Police Chase In Stolen Vehicle

Riverbender 🕸
2 months 2 weeks ago
WOOD RIVER – A Wood River woman accused of leading police on a high-speed chase in a stolen vehicle and jumping into the Mississippi River faces felony charges in her latest case of fleeing police. Elizabeth A. Scarborough, 24, of Wood River, was charged on Aug. 15, 2025 with a Class 2 felony count of offenses related to motor vehicles and a Class 3 felony count of aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer. On July 22, 2025, Scarborough allegedly possessed a knowingly stolen 2008 Nissan Titan bearing an Illinois registration number and fled from a police officer signaling her to stop at more than 21 miles per hour above the area’s legal speed limit. The state’s petition to deny Scarborough’s pretrial release from custody states that on July 22, 2025, an Alton Police sergeant and Madison County Sheriff's deputy initiated a traffic stop on a 2008 Nissan Titan that was traveling on Homer Adams Parkway at 90 mph in a 45 mph zone. The vehicle had

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Local Bodybuilder Shares Balanced Approach to Fitness

Riverbender 🕸
2 months 2 weeks ago
HIGHLAND - A local bodybuilder and personal trainer helps her clients find balance in their fitness journeys. Ashley Wilson loves the discipline behind bodybuilding, but her daily life focuses more on leveling healthy food and fitness with treats and rest. Workouts and meal plans are just one aspect of her coaching. She tries to help her clients — mostly women of all ages — develop positive relationships with food, their bodies, and their fitness. “We can still be healthy and fit. It doesn't have to be extreme. It’s all about balance,” Wilson said. “I help women figure that out, so then they’re able to create a lifestyle and just feel good about themselves.” Wilson started working out in 2016. She shared that she had a history of eating disorders and would previously find herself in a cycle of restricting and then falling off her workouts. It was important to her to find an equilibrium between healthy eating, fitness and mental

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O'Fallon Officer Allyson Biehl Returns After Police Academy Graduation

Riverbender 🕸
2 months 2 weeks ago
O'FALLON, Ill. — The O'Fallon Police Department welcomed Officer Allyson Biehl back to the force after her graduation from the Sauk Valley Community College Police Academy, the department announced Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025. Biehl completed the 16-week basic law enforcement training program, which provides recruits with foundational skills in policing, including proactive strategies, officer survival tactics, and procedural justice. The academy, held quarterly, is designed for individuals hired by authorized municipal law enforcement agencies or county sheriff’s offices recognized by the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board. “We’re excited to have her back at OPD to begin field training,” the O'Fallon Police Department said in a statement. “Congratulations Allyson!” The SVCC Police Academy emphasizes adult learning and practical scenarios such as traffic stops, building searches, and court testimony. The curriculum also

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Gov. Pritzker Announces Launch of Legal Hotline and Resource Hub for LGBTQIA+ Community

Riverbender 🕸
2 months 2 weeks ago
CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker announced yesterday the launch of IL Pride Connect, a new statewide resource hub and first of its kind legal hotline that expands access to legal information and support for LGBTQIA+ individuals across Illinois. The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS), in collaboration with community partners, will lead the initiative. Governor Pritzker made the announcement at an event Thursday evening hosted by the Legal Council for Health Justice. “In Illinois, we are fighting ignorance with information and cruelty with compassion, said Governor JB Pritzker. “Thanks to our state, philanthropic, and community partners, IL Pride Connect will inform individuals of their rights and connect them to health and social services support – making us the only state in the nation to provide free legal advice and advocacy tools to protect the LGBTQ community.” Supported by a $250,000 investment from the State of Illinois and $100,000 in philanthropi

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First Mid Bank & Trust Sounding Alarm About New Social Engineering Scams

Riverbender 🕸
2 months 2 weeks ago
ST. LOUIS – As fraudulent scams grow more sophisticated, First Mid Bank & Trust (First Mid) is sounding the alarm about a new type of social engineering fraud that is gaining traction and causing people to unwittingly give scammers access to their bank accounts. Social engineering fraud is when criminals impersonate trusted sources, like a bank or vendor, to convince people to share sensitive information and login credentials. Unlike malware-based hacks, these attacks rely on phone calls, emails, and text messages designed to gain a victim’s trust, often using urgent language and personal details to appear legitimate. “These fraudsters are professionals targeting the human side of banking,” said Alyssa Newmister, Director of Treasury & Digital Solutions at First Mid. “They know what information to ask for, how systems work, and how to sound credible. They’re using urgency and false authority, dropping case numbers or personal details, to pressure

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Giannoulias Hosts First Driving Change Town Hall With Over 250 Community Residents

Riverbender 🕸
2 months 2 weeks ago
SPRINGFIELD – More than 250 South Side residents took part in Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ first virtual Town Hall Wednesday evening to discuss the skyrocketing cost of auto insurance. South Side residents shared, either on video or in the chat, their first-hand accounts of auto insurance rates increasing due to a recent move, a poor credit score or advanced age – reasons that have nothing to do with their driving record. This was the first of a series of virtual Town Hall meetings that the Secretary of State’s office is conducting over the next several weeks to gather feedback from Illinoisans to help inform state legislation for members of the General Assembly to consider. “As Secretary of State, I strongly believe that an individual’s driving record should serve as the primary factor that’s analyzed when setting auto insurance rates,” Giannoulias said. “Insurance companies need to implement a ratemaking

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