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 - The Alton High School boys' basketball team has struggled the last two seasons, going 4-23 in 2021-22 and 6-26 in 2022-23. Now, there is renewed confidence and optimism around the Redbirds as they use their summer season to prepare for the upcoming 2023-24 season. Alton lost a close...
EDWARDSVILLE - Hunter Heck of St. Paul, Minn., won his second straight open singles championship, earning a wild card berth in next month's Edwardsville Futures tournament, while Dave Snider of Collinsville took his third consecutive 18-and-over singles title and Ollie Okonkwo of Iowa City, Ia....
EDWARDSVILLE - Kyra McCandless of Lexington, Mass., who went into the tournament as the second seed, won the Open Singles championship, while Emily Kantrovitz of St, Louis and Abigail Thurmer of Chesterfield, Mo. won the open doubles and St. Louis veteran player Laurie Burke won the 18-and-over single...
EDWARDSVILLE - Top-seeded Hunter Heck of St, Paul, Minn. and second seed Ollie Okonkwo of Iowa City, Ia. won their opening round matches, while local women's singles players advanced to the quarterfinals on the first day of the 2023 Edwardsville Open tennis tournament Friday at the Edwardsville Tenni...
WOOD RIVER - Multiple people were injured in a serious traffic crash at the intersection of Illinois Route 143 and Route 3 in Wood River late Saturday night. Two were airlifted to St. Louis hospitals after the accident. Wood River Police Chief Brad Wells said Routes 3 and 143 in Wood River were...
EAST ALTON - Madison County Coroner Steve Nonn has reported the identity of the victim of a fatal truck explosion that occurred Thursday afternoon at the Olin/Winchester facility in East Alton as Oscar "Zeke" Bettorf, 60, of Bunker Hill. "The deceased family has been notified," Coroner Nonn said....
GLEN CARBON - Father McGivney standout student-athlete Lilly Gilbertson recently completed an outstanding sophomore season for the Griffins' girls track and field team. Lilly is a Byron Carlson Petri & Kalb Father McGivney Catholic Female Athlete of the Month. Gilbertson placed fourth in the IHSA...
GODFREY - Firefighters battled an intense fire at Burns Wild Game Meat Processing and Smoke House in Godfrey on Thursday night on Winter Lane. Fire officials reported considerable damage at the scene. The fire call to Godfrey Fire Protection District came at 7:30 p.m. and when they arrived flames...
EAST ALTON - Multiple fire agencies responded to what was described as "a serious explosion" at the Winchester Ammunition Plant at 600 Powder Mill Road near the 4 p.m. range on Thursday. It has been reported by authorities that one person was killed when a truck exploded at Winchester Ammunitions...
COLLINSVILLE – On June 20, 2023, the Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) was requested by the Collinsville Police Department to investigate an officer-involved shooting that occurred in the 1100 block of St. Clair Avenue, Collinsville. The preliminary investigation...
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