Choose your location
LATEST NEWS
Tragic Incident at Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve in Illinois
An urgent response unfolded at the Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve on Thursday night (8/8), according to a press release from the Winnebago County Sheriff's Office. Emergency Response at Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve. At approximately 6:30 p.m., a coordinated effort from Winnebago County Sheriff’s Deputies, Cherry Valley Police Officers, Rockford Park...
Register now to hear possible plans for roadwork on Route 2 between Byron and Rockford
DIXON – If you want to know what the Illinois Department of Transportation could be planning for Route 2 between Byron and Rockford, mark Thursday on your calendar and wait for a call. IDOT is hosting a telephone town hall meeting at 6 p.m. Aug. 15 to discuss proposed...
Coroner’s office identifies man, determines cause of death in Blackhawk Springs forest preserve incident
WINNEBAGO COUNTY, Ill. (WTVO) — Authorities said Aung Zin, 22, is dead and a 16-year-old girl is in critical condition after being found “unresponsive” in a car in a Winnebago County forest preserve. Winnebago County Sheriff’s Deputies, Cherry Valley Police, Cherry Valley Fire, and Rockford Park District police were called to the Blackhawk Springs Forest […]
1 dead after 2 found unresponsive in vehicle at Winnebago Co. forest preserve
WINNEBAGO COUNTY, Ill. (WIFR) - A 22-year-old man is dead and a 16-year-old is in the hospital after they were found unresponsive in a vehicle at a forest preserve in Cherry Valley, the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office said Friday. Detectives say no foul play is suspected and there is...
More Rockford-area families get help with energy bills in 2024
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - A record number of households in the Rockford area received help with their energy bills in the 2024 program year, according to the city’s Health and Human Services department. More than 12,800 households in Winnebago and Boone counties - between Oct. 1, 2023, and July...
Sheriff: Two found unresponsive in Winnebago County forest preserve
Two people — a 22-year-old man and a 16-year-old girl — were found unresponsive Thursday evening in a vehicle in Blackhawk Springs Forest Preserve. Winnebago County sheriff’s deputies, Cherry Valley Police Department officers, Rockford Park District officers, and Cherry Valley Fire Protection District paramedics responded to the park about 6:30 p.m. Thursday. The man...
Winnebago County nonprofits await fate of ‘empowering’ mental health sales tax
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - In Winnebago County, voters will see a familiar question on their November ballot concerning a half-cent sales tax for “mental health purposes.”. The referendum first appeared in 2020, when more than 62% approved the effort funding mental health services. A sunset clause requires an extension ratified by a public vote. Before the general election, however, the county board must decide to allow the ballot question.
Winnebago board members discuss sales tax extension that helps people with mental health
WINNEBAGO COUNTY, Ill. (WTVO) — Board members in Winnebago County are trying to figure out whether to extend a sales tax that helps people with mental illness. In 2020, county voters passed a proposition allowing a half-cent sales tax and it expires in June 2026. Board members will decide if the question should be on […]
12 companies submit bids to demolish South Beloit hotel
SOUTH BELOIT - A dozen companies submitted bids for the demolition of the Garden Hotel, which was condemned by the Winnebago County Health Department in September 2019. Bids for asbestos abatement and demolition of the hotel building at the corner of Highway 51 and Gardner Street were read Friday morning at South Beloit City Hall.
19 Illinois Counties Named Among Healthiest Counties In America
Looking into the station snack vending machine this morning and realizing that pork rinds and beef sticks have been completely sold out made me realize pretty quickly that Winnebago County probably isn't on the list of the healthiest counties in Illinois. Shockingly, I was right. Winnebago County is no where...
News Briefs: Aug. 8, 2024
School is almost ready to start for the fall. South Beloit has voted to approve 15 residents to have backyard chickens. The villages of Roscoe and Rockton allow hens as well. In Roscoe, the zoning board has to approve the chicken coop design. In Rockton, chickens are treated like any other pet -just don't hoard them. Meanwhile, in other parts of Winnebago County, GoFundMe and Change.org campaigns have been launched to collect signatures and to raise $400 to introduce a citizen ordinance to allow backyard chickens in the unincorporated areas of Winnebago County. Organizers will have tables at the Winnebago County Fair with more information.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.