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.
EDWARDSVILLE - A 13-14 girls 50-yard butterfly race at the SWISA Championships Meet took on added significance Sunday, July 19, 2026, when Annie Tucker, 13, matched a first-place family milestone by winning the event in 34.53 seconds, equaling a feat her mother achieved 26 years earlier. Annie, a...
HARDIN - Calhoun County Sheriff Zach Hardin said a mutual intergovernmental agreement signed July 1, 2026, will add a full-time deputy sheriff in exchange for 40 hours of weekly scheduled police protection and extra patrols in the Village of Hardin. Sheriff Hardin said he helped arrange the deal...
EDWARDSVILLE - Katie Woods is a standout tennis player from Edwardsville High School whose career was highlighted by a fifth-place finish in state doubles, multiple postseason titles, and a college commitment to McKendree University. Woods has been featured prominently on Riverbender.com and EdGlenToday.com...
TUESDAY, JULY 21 PLAY IT AGAIN SPORTS SCOREBOARD FRONTIER LEAGUE BASEBALL Gateway Grizzlies 8, Florence Y'Alls 7 PROSPECT LEAGUE BASEBALL O'Fallon Hoots 10, Alton River Dragons 0 MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL Los Angeles Angels 5, St. Louis Cardinals 1 Los Angeles Dodgers 2, Philadelphia Phillies...
BRIGHTON - Rail enthusiasts gathered at Bachman Road in Brighton, Illinois, as Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014 passed through during a coast-to-coast tour tied to the America 250 celebration. Among those watching was Anthony Ventimiglia, who said he and his father have been following trains...
WOOD RIVER - Ellie Beachum emerged as one of the top girls softball pitchers in the St. Louis region this past season, recording 225 strikeouts while also batting .390, according to East Alton-Wood River Athletic Director Mark Beatty. Beachum, who plays at EAWR, is on track to become one of Illinois’...
PIASA - Josie Hagen closed her senior softball season at Southwestern High School with a .467 batting average, 31 RBIs and a college commitment to Southwestern Illinois College, helping lead the Piasa Birds to 18 wins and a deep regional run in late May 2026. Hagen, a multi-sport athlete and infielder...
EDWARDSVILLE - The Madison County Sheriff’s Office said members of the agency, both active and retired, joined other police agencies from Madison County in the 2026 Cycle Across Illinois ride, a July 9-12, 2026, event held from Edwardsville to Chicago to honor fallen law enforcement...
ST. LOUIS - A man was seriously injured Monday night, July 20, 2026, in a crash in the Penrose neighborhood, where investigators said a Dodge Charger lost control during a turn, struck a curb, and overturned. The crash happened around 8:15 p.m. July 20, 2026, according to a preliminary investigation....
ST. LOUIS - The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Division is asking the public for help in a 1980 homicide in south St. Louis, saying investigators hope someone who remembers the case will come forward with information that could help bring justice and closure to the victim’s...
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