Dan Brannan is Content Director of RiverBender and EdGlenToday.com. Dan started at Riverbender.com/Edglentoday.com in December 2014. He is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL with degrees in Journalism and Psychology. Having previously served as the Executive Editor of The Telegraph in Alton, his 17-year tenure led the paper to over 350 awards including several General Excellence awards in the Illinois Press Association, Illinois Associated Press, Freedom Communications, Southern Illinois Editorial Association and Journal Register Company contests. Brannan was chosen to lead Freedom Communications' national pilot on social media.
He is the author of eight nonfiction books including: "The Courage to Live," a biography about Donna Gustavel, a young woman with multiple disabilities; "Everyday Angels," an inspirational book of moving human interest stories; "Live Life to the Fullest: Stories of People Coping With Diabetes" which is endorsed by the American Diabetes Association; "Boy Giant: The Story of Robert Wadlow The World's Tallest Man;" "Damn Cold and Starving" written with Sgt. Marion Ray; "You Can't Kill the Dream" co-written with fellow journalist Ande Yakstis; and "A Life in Parts," the story of Loretta Goebel and endorsed by Beatle Paul McCartney.
Dan, an avid exercise enthusiast, is a member of the American Diabetes Association and lives in Maryville. Dan has two children in college - Savannah and Sierra.
GRANITE CITY - The Granite City Police Department is investigating a shooting that left a woman injured near the intersection of Veteran’s Parkway and Cleveland Boulevard on Friday morning, Aug. 29, 2025. At approximately 10:20 a.m. on Aug. 29, 2025, officers responded to Gateway Regional...
SPRINGFIELD, IL.— Gabriel P. Calixto, 27, who has ties to the Metro East, was wanted in connection with the stabbing death of his girlfriend in Springfield, IL., and was captured in Mexico and will be returned to the United States to stand trial, federal authorities announced. Calixto faces...
EAST ST. LOUIS — A house fire in East St. Louis early Friday morning, Aug. 29, 2025, has claimed the lives of three people, officials said. The fire broke out just before 7 a.m. Friday in the 3300 block of Bond Avenue, according to St. Clair County authorities. Emergency crews from the East...
FRANKLIN COUNTY, IL. — The U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Friday announced that Timothy Brandon Parsons, the former manager of the MC#1 Mine in Franklin County, Illinois, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring to defraud the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration in connection with a...
GLEN CARBON - Drew Kleinheider was part of the "heart and soul" of the Father McGivney Catholic boys baseball team this past season. He has played the past three years as the starting shortstop and was one of the captains for his high school baseball team. McGivney was 38-4 overall during last year's...
ALHAMBRA - Alex Odom and two others are organizing a fundraiser to support the Legendary Mustang Sanctuary after a recent fire damaged the sanctuary’s home. The Legendary Mustang Sanctuary, which rescues and rehabilitates wild mustang horses and burros, suffered fire damage to one room and smok...
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28 PLAY IT AGAIN SPORTS SCOREBOARD FOOTBALL Oradell, N.J. Bergen Catholic 22, East St. Louis 21 BOYS SOCCER Waterloo 5, Breese Mater Dei Catholic 0 Father McGivney Catholic 9, Trenton Wesclin 0 Maryville Christian 7, Breese Central 0 Jersey 10, Roxana 2 Carlyle 6, East...
MINNEAPOLIS — Community members gathered Tuesday at a memorial outside Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis to honor the victims of a shooting that occurred the previous day during a Catholic school Mass, authorities said. The attack left two children dead and 18 others injured. The...
COLUMBIA, IL. — Jared M. Franke, 26, of Columbia, was charged Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, following a standoff with law enforcement after allegedly stealing a firearm from his family’s home early Wednesday morning. At approximately 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 27, 2025, deputies from the Monroe Count...
ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police have identified the man fatally shot in Jennings last weekend as 21-year-old Eric Baker of St. Louis. Officers responded shortly before midnight on Sunday, Aug. 24, to a ShotSpotter alert in the 2100 block of Fairhaven Drive in the City of Jennings, where...
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