Rockton
GOVERNMENT
Rockton Chemtool neighbors in process of filing claims for part of $94.5M settlement
People who lived within three miles of Chemtool in 2021 when the industrial building caught fire and exploded, have until Sept. 12 to file a claim for a portion of a $94.5 million class action settlement reached with the company. Many neighbors, property owners and tenants were forced to evacuate...
PHOTOS: Sinkhole in Machesney Park causes Mitchell Road to close
MACHESNEY PARK, Ill. (WTVO) — Mitchell Road is closed between Vaughdale Drive and Timbelyne Way currently due to a sinkhole. The Village asked citizens to avoid the area and use alternative routes for safety. The village also said they expect the road to reopen later this evening.
Prove You’re from Rockford, Illinois by Answering These 12 Questions
If you want to know if someone is truly from Rockford, Illinois, ask them any of these 12 questions. If they can't answer most, they are not from the good 'ol Forest City. Those last two words in the above paragraph are a good place to start with the questions. Why is Rockford called the Forest City?
National nonprofit helps Janesville to recover following tornado
MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) - The City of Janesville is cleaning up their city after an EF2 tornado touched down two weekends ago. The city is teaming up with Team Rubicon, a national non-profit that deploys military veterans and first responders to disaster areas for emergency response and relief. Volunteers are also needed with clearing debris and other disaster response efforts.
Assessed damage from Janesville tornado surpasses $20 million
JANESVILLE — The estimate of structural damage the EF-2 tornado that struck the south side of the city on June 22 caused has surpassed $20 million, a city official said. Nick Faust, assistant to the city manager, said that estimate was as of Thursday with about 300 structures damaged. Both figures might change as the city continues to assess damages. Janesville was the site of one of eight tornadoes across southern Wisconsin on June 22. There were estimated wind speeds of 115 mph in the Janesville tornado. It was on the ground for 11 minutes from 7:42-7:53 p.m. The outbreak of tornadoes spanned from Grant County on the Iowa state line all the way to Kenosha County. Two additional twisters touched down in Walworth County, one that tracked from the town of Delavan to Williams Bay and another that tracked from just east of Fontana to over Lake Como.
$1 million awarded to repair 8th Avenue Bridge
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - Using $1 million in funding, the bridge that sits on 8th Avenue over Keith Creek will be replaced. Currently, vehicles over four tons cannot drive over the bridge, and nearby neighborhood residents aren’t able to walk on the sidewalks. Mayor Tom McNamara says local businesses will also be able to drive over the bridge and not take detours.
Rockford to replace 100-year-old bridge near Constance Lane Elementary
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — A community fundraising effort to keep school children safe has paid off with the award of $1 million to help replace an 8th Avenue bridge near Constance Lane Elementary. The 100-year-old bridge needs repairs and has been deemed unsafe to cross. Congressman Eric Sorenson (D) presented a check to the city […]
Janesville residents clean up one week after tornado
JANESVILLE, Wis. — Cleanup continued in Janesville on Saturday, one week after a tornado caused significant destruction on the south side of the city. Those terrifying moments still linger with resident Debbie Iverson. “I still shake and going forward, the thunderstorms are going to scare the heck out of...
RMTD expanding bus service for Boone County seniors
BELVIDERE, Ill. (WTVO) — Senior citizens who rely on public transit in Boone County will see an expansion of services thanks to a partnership with the Rockford Mass Transit District (RMTD). The Boone County Demand Response Service, which provides door-to-door service for seniors, is increasing its hours from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through […]
Northern Illinois Food Bank to help provide thousands of free meals to youth this summer
ROCKFORD — Northern Illinois Food Bank will help provide thousands of meals to children each day this summer to keep kids from going hungry while school is out. The food bank expects to provide meals and snacks to roughly 7,000 kids per day in the 13-county area it serves. That includes about 20 locations in Rockford run in partnership with the Rockford Park District.
2 of the World’s 17 Most Beautiful Skylines Are Close to Rockford
Remember when they proposed a space-needle observation deck for downtown Rockford more than 20 years ago? It likely would've been completed by now and made the Screw City skyline completely different than it is now. Not that I don't love the renovations being done to downtown buildings, upgrades at Davis...
Rockford’s 60th Fourth of July fireworks show will be its biggest ever
ROCKFORD — The nonprofit group that puts on the city’s annual Fourth of July fireworks display will celebrate its 60th year by putting on its biggest fireworks show in its six-decade history. The Rockford Fourth of July Civic Committee pumped an additional $15,000 into its pyrotechnics budget this...
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