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Disco Chicken offers late-night eats, rooftops views in downtown Rockford
ROCKFORD — A new restaurant with electronic music vibes, late-night hours and rooftop views has opened in downtown. Disco Chicken, 212 E. State St., is the latest venture from chef and restaurateur Paul Sletten. He also owns Abreo and Social Charcuterie Bar & Cocktails in downtown as well as the Bad Humor ice cream truck, VeeDubs mobile cocktail bar and the food truck version of Disco Chicken that launched five years ago.
WIFR rolls out new look, name change
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - As WIFR-TV approaches 60 years of news excellence, 23 WIFR will now be known as just WIFR. This new brand is a nod to the past and a look to the future - showcasing the WIFR team’s commitment to being your #1 choice for local news in the stateline.
Ottawa Agrees to Coordinate Grant with NCICG, Approves More Surveillance Cameras
At Thursday's special meeting of the Ottawa City Council, an agreement was approved to partner with North Central Illinois Council of Governments to administer and coordinate services regarding a Community Development Block Grant. The grant will allow for necessary rehab and upgrades to qualifying homes in the downtown and West side areas, from Chestnut to Route 6. Ten or more homes will be chosen from applicants in the designated area. An estimated $650,000 is available to divide up into those properties.
Platteville Airport petitioning for funding
Platteville Municipal Airport is seeking state and federal funds to pursue future projects. Potential improvements include repairing and extending runways, as well as fixing and constructing equipment buildings and t-hangars. However, not all of the projects are likely to occur. To be eligible for funding, the city needs to petition Wisconsin Secretary of Transportation Craig Thompson. The petition was discussed this week at the Common Council meeting and will be voted on Aug. 13. Per state law, the document needs to list all potential projects that funding would be used for, even if they have a “remote” possibility of occurring. If the airport received funding, they would prioritize constructing a building to house snow removal equipment and repairing the runways to ensure their markings are fresh and visible to pilots landing at night. The airport is used for flight training, recreational flying and as a base for crop-dusting planes, among other uses. It also leases nearby land to farmers and hosts events.
Knox County property transfers for July 18-24, 2024. See a list of home and other sales
The Knox County Assessment Office submits the following Illinois real estate transfer declaration transactions recorded in Knox County the week of July 18-24, 2024. Only the primary name as listed on the submitted sales report is published. Additional owners’ names that would be on the full deed may not appear in this list.
DNR: Kraft Heinz didn’t monitor wastewater pollution for years in Muscatine
The Kraft Heinz Foods Company location in Muscatine makes ketchup and other condiments. (Photo courtesy of Google Earth) A large eastern Iowa facility that makes ketchup and other condiments failed for more than two years to monitor contaminants in the more than 1 million gallons of untreated wastewater it discharged into a creek each day, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Daugherty recognized with academic staff award
The University of Wisconsin-Platteville will recognize Justin Daugherty, animal care manager at Pioneer Farm, with the 2024 Academic Staff Award for Excellence. “Receiving the Academic Staff Award is such an honor,” said Daugherty. “To be nominated by your peers for doing a job you love is amazing.”. The...
Caterpillar confirms temporary employee layoff in East Peoria
PEORIA (25News Now) - A Caterpillar spokesperson said the business implemented a one-week layoff for employees at the “East Peoria facility.”. The company spokesperson said the reasoning aligns with customer demand. The spokesperson said the company implemented a one-day factory shutdown and a temporary layoff on July 5. During...
GROSS! Illinois Will Experience A “Bug Boom” This Summer
With warmer-than-average weather sweeping across Illinois, residents are noticing a surge in bug and insect activity. The unseasonable temperatures have created an ideal environment for these critters to thrive, leading to an unexpected influx in homes and gardens. In Illinois, in addition, to the warmer temperatures, we've also experienced more...
Important News for Illinois Low Income Families Receiving TANF Payments
Illinois has set a precedent now that all child support payments collected for families receiving or having received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) will now be directly passed on to them without state deductions. Child Support Changes in Illinois Now in Effect. This landmark policy was effective as of...
Fast-Growing National Burger Chain Coming to Eastern Iowa
One of the fastest-growing burger restaurant chains in the nation will be coming to Eastern Iowa!. KCRG reports that Atlanta-based cheeseburger chain Smalls Sliders is planning multiple locations in Eastern Iowa, prioritizing the cities of Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Davenport, Dubuque, Waterloo, and Burlington. While the company won't say which city will get the first Iowa location, you can expect the first Iowa location of Smalls Sliders to open in 2025.
Illinois Duo Sentenced for Multi-Million Dollar Bank Fraud Scheme and Money Laundering
Two Illinois men, Erik Richard Jones and Mitchell Allen Melega, were sentenced to prison after being convicted of bank fraud and money laundering. They were also ordered to pay nearly $4.84 million in restitution for defrauding First Midwest Bank and misappropriating loaned funds. The sentences were handed down in Rock Island, following their guilty pleas to multiple charges. On July 23, 2024, Erik Jones, of Colona, was sentenced to 54 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Mitchell Melega, formerly of Orion, was sentenced to 75 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. They were both ordered to pay $4,840,944.63 in restitution.
Illinois quick hits: More layoffs announced; suspects sentenced for stealing mail
More layoffs announced Manufacturers Caterpillar and John Deere are laying off workers. Moline-based John Deere laid off 170 employees this week, following hundreds more layoffs in the Quad Cities area the past few months. Caterpillar officials confirmed that the company implemented a one-week layoff for employees in East Peoria. According to Industrial Technology Research, U.S....
Most Illinois jails restrain people in chairs. This county ‘violently shocked’ them, too.
CHARLESTON, Ill. – Brice Fritz was naked, strapped down to a chair in a jail cell when a staff member monitoring her via video delivered 80,000 volts of electricity through the stun cuff on her leg. “I felt like I was being electrocuted,” Fritz told the Illinois Answers Project,...
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