Machesney Park, IL Events and More

Colony Brands to shutter Janesville packaging facility

Hello, Rock County! Here are your top Wednesday headlines: As the warm season begins to shift to a chillier time, board members of the BID say that the downtown's Designated Outdoor Refreshment area, or DORA, was successful. The business improvement district looks to submit the outdoor cocktail pilot program it started this year for a permanent ordinance. Just outside the Kohl's store at Uptown Janesville mall, you'll find a tortoise and a hare. You'll find a glowing frozen lake. And you'll find an animatronic dragon "melting" a glasslike section of carpet with his flaming breath. It's your job to putt a neon-colored golf ball through all those obstacles en route to breaking par. Colony Brands plans to permanently close its Janesville operations facility by next March, consolidating its food gift packing operations at an existing facility in Sun Prairie. The Monroe-based company disclosed the planned closure of its facility at 200 W. Venture Dr., in an Oct. 30 notice filed with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. Milton High School will debut its fall musical "Mary Poppins," based on the Disney classic, this Friday at 7 p.m. at the Jon Platts Performing Arts Center. There are subsequent showings planned for

Janesville, WI · 2d

MyStateline.com WTVO WQRF

YMCA of Rock River Valley names two new executive directors

The YMCA of Rock River Valley has appointed Kerek Jenkins and Antonio Ramirez Jr. as new executive directors to lead its branches and early learning programs.

rockrivercurrent.com

River District Association to revive First Fridays in downtown Rockford

ROCKFORD — The River District Association is reviving a monthly event designed to draw people to shop and dine downtown. Participating businesses will offer special pop-up experiences, activities and other events on the first Friday of each month to encourage people to take part of downtown’s nightlife. The options will change each month, ranging from dining to live entertainment, art and other activities.

GazetteXtra

partner publisher · 14.4K followers

Norovirus closes Consolidated Elementary doors until at least Nov. 16

JANESVILLE — The Milton School District closed one of its elementary schools for the rest of the week because of a norovirus outbreak. Norovirus is more commonly known as the stomach flu. Late Wednesday, the district announced the closure of Consolidated Elementary because “more than 35%” of its student population had been sickened by norovirus. The District decided on this course of action after consultation with District Nurse Melissa Forrett and the Rock County Health Department. No other schools have been affected yet, according to the district. The district plans to open the school Monday. Superintendent Jeremy Bilhorn said that at the start of Wednesday, there were 30 students who were absent from the illness. Throughout the day, that number continued to climb as more students were sickened with the norovirus and were sent home. Bilhorn could not confirm the exact total at the end of the school day. “We noticed the numbers rose pretty high today,” Bilhorn said. The district will monitor reported absences at other schools and any ahead of Monday at Consolidated. “The idea is to take in account student safety, and best practice and guidance from our county health department,” Bilhorn said. Consolidated Elementary, the district’s

Janesville, WI · 1d

967 The Eagle

Dairyhäus Is Bringing Back Its 12 Scoops of Christmas

My sweet tooth is already in trouble! Dairyhäus is bringing back its Twelve Scoops of Christmas advent calendar, and the flavors sound absolutely delicious.

Rockton, IL · 2d

rockrivercurrent.com

Taste the Town | Get Thanksgiving ready with Kauffman’s Country Store in Beloit

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and if you’re starting to plan your holiday menu there’s one local stop you’ll want to add to your shopping list: Kauffman’s Country Store in Beloit, Wisconsin. Kauffman’s, 9550 W. State Road 81, is celebrating 29 years in business. Founded...

Beloit, WI · 1d

MyStateline.com WTVO WQRF

Rockford Jefferson’s Janardie Turner will be taking his talents to Madison

Track and Field standouts as talented as Janardie Turner is don't come around often. That's why the Wisconsin Badgers want him, and that's where Turner wants to be.

rooferscoffeeshop.com

ABC Supply announces Midwest region leadership transition

Joe Small to retire following accomplished career; Brad Messer named Midwest Region vice president. ABC Supply Co., Inc., the largest wholesale distributor of roofing, select exterior and interior building products and outdoor solutions in North America, has announced that Joe Small, Midwest Region vice president, will retire at the end of the year following a career spanning nearly 40 years in the building materials industry. Brad Messer has been appointed Midwest Region vice president and will assume the role on January 1, 2027.

Beloit, WI · 17h

MyStateline.com WTVO WQRF

Byron and IC Catholic could be headed for another epic playoff battle

It has felt like the football teams at Byron and IC Catholic have been on a collision course all season. Well, that collision will happen this Saturday afternoon in Byron in the IHSA Class 3A playoff quarterfinals. These are the top two ranked teams in the state in 3A.

Byron, IL · 1d

MyStateline.com WTVO WQRF

partner publisher · 14.4K followers

South Beloit looks to continue playoff run against Meridian Hawks

South Beloit's football team is one win away from the I8FA state championship. This is the furthest the team has ever been since joining the I8FA, but they know the road only gets tougher.

South Beloit, IL · 20h

967 The Eagle

Three Magical Christmas Light Displays to See in Rockford

From Sinnissippi Park to Anderson Japanese Gardens, discover three Rockford holiday light displays worth visiting this Christmas.

Rockford, IL · 2d

WROK 1440 AM / 96.1 FM

partner publisher · 37.3K followers

Coldest Rockford Nights of the Season Could Arrive This Weekend

Bundle up, Rockford. A cold weekend forecast calls for freezing nights, brisk afternoons and temperatures dipping into the 20s.

Rockford, IL · 17h

GazetteXtra

Rock County District Attorney's office launches court case database in statewide transparency initiative

JANESVILLE — The Rock County District Attorney’s office is now part of a statewide project to give the public data on court cases, a move that’s aimed at boosting transparency. District Attorney Jason Sanders introduced a new database Thursday that he believes serves transparency for the public. The database operates within the bounds of strict rules around prosecutors publicizing individual court cases before resolution. He also pointed out that balancing transparency with the privacy of victims can be difficult as well. “For example, I should not and will not, tell anyone that a particular case did not go to trial on the most severe charge because the victim begged us to resolve it so they did not have to testify and relive their trauma in open court,” he said. He said that’s where the data dashboard comes in handy because it allows information to be released about the number of cases, types of cases, and outcomes of cases within Rock County. He said this will help not only the public, but the county, learn about how cases are handled. “We want to use every tool available to us, including taking a comprehensive look at what the numbers show, to reach

Rock County, WI · 23h

statelinesportsnetwork.net

Eleven Years Later, Rockford Still Plays for Pat: Remembering Volleyball Coach Pat Meinert

Eleven years ago today — November 12, 2015 — Rockford lost its volleyball evangelist. Pat Meinert died that day after a long battle with cancer, closing a coaching career that spanned 40 years and touched just about every corner of the sport in the Rockford area. She was inducted into the Rock Valley College Athletics Hall of Fame that same year.

rockrivercurrent.com

Save A Lot in west Rockford kicks off annual holiday hunger relief initiative

ROCKFORD — Save A Lot on Thursday kicked off an annual holiday hunger relief initiative to support local families dealing with food insecurity. The grocery store, 1701 W. State St., kicked off its Bags for a Brighter Holiday campaign with 13th Ward Alderman Tamir Bell and two nonprofits that will benefit from this year’s drive: the Rock River Valley Food Pantry and the Boys & Girls Club of Rockford – Stenstrom Unit.

rockrivercurrent.com

partner publisher · 11.4K followers

2026 Excalibur and Excelsior award finalists announced

ROCKFORD — The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois announced on Wednesday the finalists for this year’s Excalibur and Excelsior awards, a 55-year tradition that recognizes people and organizations for their service to the region. The finalists for the Excalibur Award, which recognizes an individual who exemplifies excellence in...

Rockford, IL · 2d

Rockford Register Star

Everything you need to know on Stockton ahead of 2026 IHSA state volleyball tourney

Sixteen teams punched their ticket to the IHSA state volleyball tournament, including one from the Rockford area that is very familiar with how this all works. The Stockton girls volleyball team has reached the IHSA Class 1A state semifinals for the third year in a row, but they are hungry to get their first championship. More Rockford-area volleyball: Stockton KOs Rockford Christian, one step closer to 3rd straight state "It's hard not to think about," Stockton's Ireland Mensendike said of getting to state twice in a row, but not winning it yet. "But we're always just point by point, game by game, and we don't want to look ahead at all." Stockton took second the last two years after never making the state tournament before that. So, as it gets set to give it another try, let's break down everything you need to know about the Class 1A state volleyball tourney. What is it? It's the IHSA girls state volleyball tournament, with four classes, starting with the semifinals, and finishing with third-place matches and championship showdowns. When is it? 1A semifinal No. 1 at 9 a.m. Friday: Athens vs. Illini Bluffs 1A semifinal No. 2 at 10:30 a.m. Friday: Stockton

GazetteXtra

Rock County aims to ease nursing home subsidies by opening Rock Haven to residents outside county

JANESVILLE – Natalie Rolling-Edlebeck acknowledges that opening up Rock Haven to out-of-county nursing home residents could come at a cost, but she's not yet sure how much. Rolling-Edlebeck's reason behind a shift to accepting out-of-county and even out-of-state residents is to try to create maximum use Rock Haven's 120 beds. Right now, the nursing unit can staff for 112 beds, a formula based on available nurses and the needs of patients now at Rock Haven. But a low tide in residents creates a capacity and staffing cycle that limits the amount Rock Haven can get reimbursed for residents, how many nurses it can hire, and how it can offset operating costs — all factors that drive a subsidy that the county said in its last budget wound up being $750,000. That's down from Rock Haven being more than $2 million underwater in recent past years, in part because Medicaid reimbursements have increased in Wisconsin. But officials argue the ceiling for Rock Haven, which is county run, is low because of how it operates. Rock Haven is one of 10 skilled-care nursing homes in Rock County, but of those 10, Rock Haven is the only one that does not allow out-of-county

Rock County, WI · 2d

northernpublicradio.org