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Trucking company fires second driver in three years for not wearing “buzz cut”
An Illinois trucking company fired a driver for his hair style for the second time in three years last month. 26-year-old Drew Harbey was fired from TMC Transportation in Des-Moines, Iowa on June 23rd during his training after refusing to wear a “buzz cut” hairstyle. “I was one...
Rockford man drowns in floodwater, loved ones celebrate his life
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Dean Gulbranson was trapped inside a pickup truck and pronounced dead after being swept into Keith Creek, and his loved ones are struggling with the loss. Gulbranson, 76, as described by those close to him, was a kind-hearted man who wore a smile on his face at all times. As a […]
Alderman: Vacant Rockford armory building hurts neighborhood, city
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) – A Rockford alderman hopes someone will redevelop one of the city’s vacant national landmarks. “It’s getting more damaged,” said 11th Ward Ald. Isidro Barrios of the Illinois National Guard Armory Building at 605 N. Main St. Barrios said the 70,000 square-foot building is becoming an eyesore, bringing down property values while […]
Byron, Freeport clean up debris after severe storms
FREEPORT, Ill. (WTVO) — Communities in Freeport and Byron are cleaning up debris from last night’s severe storms all along Route 2. There have also been reports of damage along Route 72 from Davis Junction to Rockford. In Freeport, parts of roads had to be closed due to downed trees and power lines. Officials are […]
Chic Communications shares how to manage online presence
Rockford, Ill. (WTVO) — Our GDS Social Media expert Hope Linker Jobes from Chic Communications is back with us tonight to share how businesses can best manage their online presence. She says that search optimization is becoming huge, and businesses can leverage that to help them, adding that the...
Sen. Rose leads measure against proposed stricter OSHA firefighting requirements
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Could volunteer fire departments across the state face the risk of losing those who keep you safe? One Central Illinois lawmaker wants to make sure that doesn’t happen. A proposal from OSHA looks to expand protections for first responders including firefighters, but it focuses on increasing training requirements, medical screenings for […]
Cherry Valley to pick up fallen branches from storms
CHERRY VALLEY, Ill. (WIFR) - Following multiple days of severe weather, the Village of Cherry Valley says its Public Works Department will start picking up fallen tree branches. Pick-up begins at 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 17 and continues through 3:30 p.m. Thursday, July 18. City officials say the service is...
Byron unveils ‘Remain in Light’ mural
BYRON, Ill. (WTVO) — The City of Bryon unveiled its latest art project, the “Remain in Light” mural on Tuesday. The new mural can be seen on the front of Bryon’s City Hall. This is the third painting commissioned by the city. It took a month to design and a week to paint. The mural […]
All 40 abandoned dogs at a Belvidere dog park have transferred to rescue shelters
BELVIDERE, Ill. (WTVO) — All 40 abandoned dogs left at Hammertime Dog Park have been saved and transferred to rescue shelters. Wagging Hearts, North Central Maltese Rescues, Cause For Paws Rescue and Illinois & Boneifide Rescue have taken in the animals. Authorities are still working to discover who abandoned the 40 dogs on Monday morning. […]
Northwest Community Center to host Thrive Fest Saturday
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - A dynamic and free community health and wellness extravaganza is heading to the Northwest Community Center, with specially designed workouts for seniors and kids. The Northwest Community Center, 1325 N Johnston Ave., announces the first Thrive Fest event. Attendees can look forward to an energetic day...
Retired Cherry Valley Police K9 Stormy passes away
CHERRY VALLEY, Ill. (WTVO) — Stormy, a beloved, Retired, Cherry Valley Police K9 has passed away. Stormy’s role in the force was to help relieve stress for officers and the community. Officials said she became known around the community for her gentle demeanor and compassionate spirit. Stormy joined the department in the fall of 2022 […]
Trees uprooted, roofs torn off in Rockford neighborhoods hit hard by storm
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Tonya Prine heard a loud bang on the back of her house as a tree, uprooted in Monday night’s storms, fell against her house. “I thought, ‘I probably lost my porch,'” she recalled. She did, it turned out. Her neighbors lost their roof. Prine said she was in the basement with […]
YWCA Northwestern Illinois awarded $100K grant
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - The YWCA Northwestern Illinois receives a $100,000 grant to create more opportunities for people in the Information Technology field. Northern Illinois Community Initiatives presented the grant on July 16 to support YWCA’s TechLab program. The TechLab is meant to increase access to digital skills for...
USA BMX Midwest Nationals to come to Rockford
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - BMX bike riders come to Rockford for the upcoming USA BMX Midwest Nationals this week. The competition takes place every day from Friday to Sunday at Rockford BMX, 4950 Safford Road, Rockford. Professional and amateur BMX riders will participate. The races begin 1:30 p.m. Friday; 9...
Find out how the Rockford Raptors soccer club finished up nationally, and internationally
Three of the Rockford Raptors boys soccer teams recently hit the road for big tournaments — two of them traveled internationally, and one just saw its bid for a national championship come to a close. That closes out another powerful season for the local soccer club. More Raptors soccer: Rockford Raptors U15 boys...
Rockford man accused of strangling a woman after argument
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford Police arrested Leonardo Mendoza-Malpica, 35, for allegedly punching and strangling a woman. On July 15, around 8 a.m., police responded to the 400 block of Kent Street for a domestic battery call. The victim told officials she woke up to Mendoza-Malpica wanting to argue with her. The suspect proceeded to […]
Illinois tries to expand automatic voter registration as SAVE Act passes U.S. House
(The Center Square) – Illinois voter integrity groups warn non-citizens that registering to vote in federal elections is a felony. The warning comes after U.S. House Republicans passed the SAVE Act to increase protections. President Joe Biden has vowed to veto the measure if it passes the Senate and reaches his desk. House Republicans passed the SAVE act, which seeks to require proof of citizenship when a voter casts a ballot in a federal election. Currently it is illegal for a non-citizen to vote in...
Rockford area residents cope with loss, cleanup after flooding, storms
Hundreds of Rockford area homes and businesses flooded after the weekend's heavy rains, but for Cynthia Lumzy it was both. The 14th Street resident and hairstylist awoke to a shock Sunday morning. The basement of her home where she has her hair studio had two and a half feet of standing water. The damage, she said, including loss of products, is thousands of dollars. ...
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