Pecatonica
Pecatonica, IL · Lifestyle
MyStateline.com WTVO WQRF
Toys R Us returns to CherryVale Mall with new storefront
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Nostalgic toy store brand Toys R Us has returned to Rockford with a new store inside the CherryVale Mall. Mall management announced the opening of Toys R Us “just in time for the holidays!” on Monday. According to the official store listing, “The Toys R Us shop brings the joy of […]
takingthekids.com
Old-School Charm Still Serves Up Classic Italian Dinners With Salad And Ice Cream At This Illinois Restaurant
A leaning tower stands inside the dining room, and nobody seems worried about it toppling onto the lasagna. The whole space is dressed up like an old Italian village, right here in northern Illinois. Then the dinners arrive with a salad up front and a small scoop of ice cream...
hoodline.com
Beef-A-Roo's New Website Teases Five Rockford-Area Reopenings
Beef-A-Roo has a new website, and it is doing more than just promoting pumpkin squares. The site, 815beefaroo.com, indicates that five planned Rockford-area locations are expected to reopen as the local effort to revive the shuttered burger-and-roast-beef chain moves forward. According to MyStateline, the five locations listed as opening soon...
ajot.com
Challenge Group opens twice-weekly Chicago Rockford Airport service
Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) has announced that Challenge Group (Challenge) will launch twice-weekly Boeing 777 freighter flights to the airport, beginning 4 November 2026. The new service will originate at Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMI), India, connecting through Liège Airport (LGG), Belgium, before arriving at RFD. The service...
GazetteXtra
Triple H Ranch filling gap in therapeutic horsemanship
MILTON — Stephanie Bishop, a volunteer instructor at Triple H Ranch, says she enjoys the moments at the therapeutic ranch when the growth shows, including when reserved students open up for the first time. Bishop remembers an experience with a parent, asking her about their child because the child wouldn’t get on a horse and wouldn’t talk. “I said, ‘Is he like this at home too?’ And, she just started crying. I’m like, ‘yes, we can’t get him to open up,’” Bishop said. “By the end of the first session that he had, he’s the one who was talking and on the horse. The transformation was unbelievable.” Triple H is in the countryside of Rock County in between Milton and Janesville. It is complete with 10 horses, seven of which are in its therapeutic horsemanship program. Founded by Sheila Martin, Triple H opened in 2022 as a nonprofit. Four years later, there’s a 9-month to 12-month wait list. She has 10 horses on the property, seven of which are in the therapy program. When Martin opened Triple H, there were no centers like it in the county. In fact, aside from S.M.I.L.E.S (Special Methods in Learning Equine Skills) in Darien
The Journal Standard
Students learn about nature at Oakdale preserve
More than 300 students explored conservation, ecology and Native American cultural traditions during the annual Keepers of the Land Conservation Day at Freeport's Oakdale Nature Preserve on Sept. 29. The event brought together students for a full day of outdoor learning, according to a community announcement. Students rotated through five educational presentations led by conservation professionals, educators and volunteers, covering topics ranging from tree identification and watersheds to prairie ecology and vermicomposting. Students participated in hands-on activities focused on tree identification, nature hikes, watersheds and the water cycle, prairie and soil ecology, Illinois raptors, aquatic animals, seed science and vermicomposting. A featured part of the program included presentations from three Native American speakers, who shared cultural knowledge through discussions about a Native American lodge, storytelling and music. Organizers said the presentations helped students learn about connections between culture, people and the natural environment. Additional activities were provided by the Illinois Conservation Police and the University of Illinois Traveling Science Center, giving students opportunities to engage with conservation and environmental science through demonstrations and interactive exhibits. Community partnership supports conservation education Keepers of the Land Conservation Day is coordinated through a partnership among University of Illinois Extension, Stephenson County Farm Bureau
The Journal Standard
Local shop gives away flowers to boost community mood
A Freeport floral shop distributed bouquets across the community on Oct. 14 as part of a national effort designed to encourage kindness and highlight research on the emotional benefits of flowers. The initiative, organized by Deininger’s Floral Shop in partnership with the Society of American Florists, provided residents with bouquets and an extra arrangement to share with someone else, according to a community announcement. The program, known as “Petal It Forward,” was created in response to survey data and university research that found flowers can positively affect mood and happiness. According to the announcement, recipients were encouraged to pass along the additional bouquet to a loved one, co-worker or stranger to continue the chain of kindness. “We see the positive impact day in and day out when we make our flower deliveries,” said Craig Deininger of Deininger’s Floral Shop. “People love to get flowers ‘just because’ so we wanted to create random smiles today and give people a chance to do the same for someone else.” Research cited in the announcement included studies from Rutgers University, Harvard University and Texas A&M University that found flowers can have both immediate and long-term emotional benefits. Survey highlights A survey conducted by the
indiangaming.com
Novomatic Games Debut at Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit
BELOIT, WI – Ho-Chunk Gaming Beloit celebrated its grand opening Oct. 23, welcoming guests to the Ho-Chunk Nation’s newest gaming and entertainment destination in Wisconsin. The new casino floor includes 48 Novomatic gaming machines installed through Skyline Unlimited, Novomatic Americas’ distribution partner. The casino opened to guests at 2 p.m. following festivities celebrating the Ho-Chunk Nation’s heritage, community and vision for the future.
fastfoodclub.com
Fish Fries Pack These 7 Illinois Taverns With Hungry Regulars
Friday night in Illinois has its own rhythm, and a lot of it runs on fried fish. From lakefront bars to small-town taverns, people line up for crispy cod, catfish, and crappie with all the classic sides. This list covers seven spots where the fish fry is more than a...
rockrivercurrent.com
Hotworx celebrates grand opening on Spring Creek in Rockford
ROCKFORD — A 24-hour fitness studio that features virtually guided workouts inside an infrared-heated sauna celebrated its grand opening Saturday on Spring Creek Road. Hotworx, 6830 Spring Creek Road, is a growing fitness chain with more than 900 locations across the country. It was brought here by franchise owners Amy and James Davis of Loves Park, who remodeled the former Canna Cafe near Salt in a business strip owned by First Midwest Group. The fitness studio opened this summer before this weekend’s grand opening celebration. It’s managed by Jessie Tenley.
MyStateline.com WTVO WQRF
12th annual Rockford Record Crawl draws crowds to local shops
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — An annual event is helping support local businesses while celebrating a shared love of music. The 12th annual Rockford Record Crawl took place Saturday, bringing together three local record stores and encouraging customers to explore each shop. Toad Hall Books & Records, CD Source and Culture Shock participated in the crawl. […]
unearththevoyage.com
Kids Climb Into Real Fire Trucks And Vintage Rail Cars At This Union, Illinois Museum
Some of the best Illinois road trips end at places you almost drove past without a second look. Out past the cornfields, a quiet gravel lot gives way to barn after barn packed with giant engines, rumbling trolleys, and old cars kids can actually step inside. I went in curious...
northernstar.info
Liam Teague brings the spirit of Trinidad and Tobago to NIU
The national instrument of Trinidad and Tobago, the steel pan, is taught at NIU by an award-winning musician who has played the instrument from a young age. Liam Teague, a professor of music and director of steelpan studies, brings years of experience to NIU. Teague has played the steel pan...
replaymag.com
Town & Country Lanes Celebrates 70 Years
Al and Sandy Nordman, who have owned Town & Country Lanes in Mount Morris, Illinois, for more than a quarter-century, are ushering the bowling alley into its 70th year. They bought the 12-lane alley in July 2000 following a bankruptcy. Many repairs were needed before it reopened that October, Sauk Valley Living reported. Modern synthetic lanes replaced the deteriorating original wood in 2001.
National Audubon Society
In Illinois, Students Piece Together a Conservation Message Through Bird Mosaics
In Rockford, Illinois, a group of students has brought a colorful aviary of bird art to life—piece by tiny piece. Each year, artist Susan Burton leads SPARK! Mosaic, a free summer program for local students to learn art skills and create their own mosaic works. “My favorite part is always watching kids who say, ‘I’m not an artist,’ slowly forget they ever believed that,” Burton says.
northernstar.info
Latino Resource Center celebrate Día de los Muertos with flower making event
The Latino Resource Center hosted a flower making event from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Monday in the Founder’s Memorial Library as a celebration for Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead. The flowers are to be part of altars, which can be found in the Latino Resource Center.