Rockford
GOVERNMENT
New Dollar Store Experience Opens in Rockford, Illinois
Have you ever seen a sign for a DG Market and wondered how it differs from a normal Dollar General store? Rockford, Illinois shoppers can now find out first-hand. Do you find it strange that every small town or village throughout Illinois and beyond seems to have its own Dollar General store? Have you ever wondered how these stores stay open with such a small customer base to service? Well, I'm here to tell you it's all about convenience!
Lane reduction at Rockford roundabout creates new problems, community members say
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - After a lane-reduction at the roundabout at N. Main and Auburn streets, some people in Rockford believe more can be done to improve traffic. In early June, the City of Rockford and the Illinois Department of Transportation temporarily changed the roundabout from two-lanes, down to one; in an effort to prevent car accidents.
Open Letter To The Absolute Worst People in Rockford
I was out on a walk this weekend, enjoying my time in the sun. Getting some fresh air, and came across something that I see WAY too often in Rockford. We all have personal things that really make us mad: people who hog the left lane, people who don't let you merge when you're turning signal is on and they have room to move over, etc.
Rockford conducting ‘traffic safety’ survey, seeks public input
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The City of Rockford is asking residents to provide feedback on traffic safety, as part of a process to obtain Federal assistance to reduce roadway fatalities and injuries. Data gathered from the survey, funded by the US Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All program, will be used to […]
Rockford secures $4M loan to replace 960 lead water pipes
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The City of Rockford will replace 960 lead water pipes with a $4 million loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Lead is a toxic metal that can accumulate in the body over time and can enter drinking water as corrosion occurs. Homes built prior to 1990 may have used lead […]
Did You Know There’s a City in Illinois Where You Can Legally Drive UTVs on Streets?
It all started when I first saw a UTV driving around town. I couldn't believe it. I thought that it was an incredible boss move to be cruising the streets when I'm almost sure doing that is illegal. Then I saw another and one day I saw a UTV parked...
Rockford asks the community for help handling the ATV nuisance
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The City of Rockford is looking for the community’s help in trying to tackle its ATV issue. “These folks are riding them in Rockford. They have to drive home and at some point put their head on a bed,” said Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara. “And so we’re asking those residents specifically […]
Portion of Charles Street in Rockford to close for storm sewer repair
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - Drivers on a stretch of Charles Street will need to use an alternate route while workers repair a failing storm sewer near UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital, 1401 E. State St., Rockford. Starting Monday, July 29, westbound traffic on Charles Street will be closed between 11th and...
Rockford unemployment rate rises slightly as jobs decrease
ILLINOIS (WIFR) - New unemployment numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Illinois Department of Employment Security show the unemployment rate increasing in all of Illinois’ 14 metropolitan areas. Since June 2023, the Rockford-area unemployment rate increased by .5 percent from 6.2 to 6.7 percent. Data...
Illinois Fair Searching For Parent-Child Look-A-Like Contestants
If you think you look just like your mom or dad, you might want to enter this Look-A-Like contest at the Boone County Fair this August. I love these types of contests. I wish I could enter a Look-A-Like contest with my mom or dad, but I actually looked adopted - straight up don't resemble either of my parents. Okay, that's a lie. People say I look like my mom with my dad's complexion, but I couldn't pass as my mom's doppelgänger. That'd be cool, though!
Community responds to abandoned dogs in Belvidere
BELVIDERE, Ill. (WTVO) — Over 54 dogs were abandoned and rescued last week at Hammertime Unleashed Dog Park and community members stepped up to help those who are now responsible. After a local dog-walker mistook the dogs for foxes, Boone County Animal Services got a call from the Sheriff’s Department about the abandonment. It was […]
Merrill Community Center discontinuing all programs
BELOIT, Wis. -- Community Action, Inc. of Rock and Walworth Counties announced Tuesday it will no longer provide afterschool and summer programming for youth and regular programming for area seniors at the Merrill Community Center.
This mid-sized Midwestern town offers a perfect microcosm of municipal golf’s renaissance
ROCKFORD, Ill. — Golf wasn’t dying five years ago around this mid-sized Illinois city that sits about 90 minutes west of Chicago. But it was retreating fast. “2019 was the worst year we ever had,” said Jeff Hartman, the head golf pro and general manager of Park Hills, a 36-hole municipal facility in nearby Freeport. Golf had been in a steady and somewhat severe 10-year decline across the nation. Courses were hurting after a flurry of golf facilities had been built in the early 1990s to take advantage of the extra focus Tiger Woods brought to golf. Rockford-area 18-hole public courses almost...
Rockford NICU babies cheer on Team USA for the 2024 Summer Olympics
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - In honor of the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, staff at Javon Bea Hospital on Riverside dressed up some of the strongest and tiniest champs. The babies celebrated Team USA by dressing up for their own version of the opening ceremony.
102-year-old Veteran among 7 taking flight in WW2 era biplane
POPLAR GROVE, Ill. (WTVO) — A 102-year-old World War 2 veteran, along with seven other vets, took to the ski in a World War 2 era Boeing Stearman Biplane on Thursday. Eugene Kleindl was the first to take to the sky. At 102 years old, he is the oldest of the group of veterans. He […]
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