Winnebago
LATEST NEWS
Illinois Blood Bank Urgently Needs Donors NOW to Save Lives
The Rock River Valley Blood Center in Rockford, Illinois is in dire need of your help. Are you willing to answer the call?. Summer is typically a tough season for blood banks across Illinois. People are just too busy to think about donating lifesaving blood, but with the holiday weekend ahead, low donation numbers could have dire consequences.
Hard Rock Casino Rockford opening raises concerns for potential rise in gambling addiction
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - A local singer strums Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” inside downtown Rockford’s Inscape Collective. A few miles down the road, Hard Rock Casino Rockford held its grand opening – bringing Governor J.B. Pritzker, Mayor Tom McNamara, Cheap Trick’s Rick Neilsen and others to the spectacle.
Food Chain with 10 Illinois Places Suddenly Declares Bankruptcy
It's hard to remember a year where more restaurant chains have gone through financial struggles than 2024. Another Chicago-based company with 10 Illinois locations is now suddenly in bankruptcy court, too. Nation's Restaurant News has shared the word that Roti Modern Mediterranean has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Their story...
Free Museum Days In Illinois During September
If you're looking for some family fun but are on a tight budget, there are opportunities available for free days at some Illinois museums. During September Some Illinois Museums Offer Free Days. I was pretty lucky growing up. My parents liked to do activities as a family so I got...
State EPA Interim Director Jennings announces $5 million grant opportunity for projects to improve Illinois water quality
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Interim Director James Jennings today announced a grant opportunity with $5 million in funding for projects that will improve water quality in Illinois. The Green Infrastructure Grant Opportunities (GIGO) Program has been made possible by Governor Pritzker’s bipartisan Rebuild Illinois capital plan. The program seeks...
AccuWeather provides life-saving advance notice ahead of EF2 tornado in Illinois
AccuWeather provided crucial life-saving advance notice, helping businesses and communities better prepare and seek shelter during EF2 tornado in Illinois. AccuWeather For Business provides a crucial 37 minutes of advance notice – before any other source – of a destructive EF2 tornado packing winds of 125 mph that hit near Pawnee, Illinois, on Aug. 6.
Illinois Teacher Goes Viral Asking Parents Not To Bring Kid’s Birthday Cupcakes
One teacher in Illinois has a back-to-school ask of parents. Ann Brackemyer, a kindergarten teacher in Morrison, is going viral as kiddos are going back to school with what she says is an "unpopular opinion". Parents love to bring cupcakes to school on the kid's birthday for the class. It's...
Illinois GOP Leader McCombie to Discuss Policy Agenda at SIU
Illinois House Republican leader Tony McCombie will speak at Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute on September 9. McCombie, who became the first woman to lead Illinois House Republicans in January 2023, will share her party's policy agenda and her views on the issues that will shape the November general elections. With Democrats holding a significant 78 to 40 supermajority in the Illinois House, McCombie's leadership is focused on narrowing that gap in the upcoming elections.
Oregon seniors want to leave a lasting legacy
OREGON, Ill. (WIFR) - The Oregon Hawks go into the 2024 season after the school’s best performance in eight years. In 2023, the Hawks went 5-4 in the Big Northern Conference and got their first look at what playoff football is like. Head coach Broc Kundert returns for his third season and a bunch of starters return to the line for their senior year.
The Late-August 1990 Tornado Disaster
A review of the deadly Planfield Tornado by the National Weather Service Between 3:15 p.m. and 3:45 p.m. CDT on August 28th, 1990, a violent F5 tornado ripped through Kendall and Will counties taking the lives of 29 people and injuring 350. The tornado left a 16.4 mile-long damage path which ranged from 600 yards […]
Durand holds off Winnebago in girls high school volleyball
WINNEBAGO, Ill. (WTVO/WQRF) — The high school volleyball season is in full swing. Most teams are opening up with non-conference matches. Tuesday night Winnebago of the Big Northern Conference hosted Durand of the NUIC. Durand won a tight two-set battle 25-21, 25-18. To view the highlights, watch the media player above.
A smashing good time: Hard Rock Casino Rockford opens with signature 'guitar smash'
Two dozen Rockford-area civic leaders, Hard Rock executives and Seminole Tribe of Florida leaders — owners of Hard Rock International — lifted guitars high above their heads and smashed them to pieces Thursday to celebrate the opening of Hard Rock Casino Rockford. Pyrotechnics showered the 1,600-seat Hard Rock Live stage in sparks as the invite-only crowd cheered. ...
Hononegah opens season with three-set thriller against Rockford Boylan
ROCKTON — As junior Lili Fox recounted the events of Hononegah's season opening game against NIC-10 foe Rockford Boylan, her croaky voice was little more than a whisper. The intense amount of cheering that comes from smashing the winning spike of a three-set victory will do that to you. "It felt great to contribute to my team and help us run through the finish line," Fox said with a smile. ...
Hononegah's Purple and Gold Festival kicks off fall sports
Hononegah Community High School kicked off all of their fall sports seasons with the 30th annual Purple and Gold Festival on Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. The event featured DairyHaus’s brand-new Purple & Gold ice cream, MadDog gourmet Cookies, Purple & Gold slushees, and a prime concessions selection from Main Street Meat Co. - all compliments of the Booster Club. Everyone’s favorite Spirit Shack also made its return for the 24-25 season. Additional contributions were made by the HFB Gridiron and Glitz & Go LLC.
Rockford social justice group to host concert, gambling addiction resource fair as casino opens
ROCKFORD — Rockford Urban Ministries will host a free community concert and gambling addiction resource fair on Thursday to provide an alternative to the opening of Hard Rock Casino Rockford. The event goes from noon to 1 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at The Schreiner...
West Middle School welcomes students, new principal back to school
ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - Staff await a flock of students back to the West Middle School early Wednesday morning. As K-12 schools across the Rockford Public School 205 district start the new school year, West Middle School holds a special opening day for its students. This first day is special for West students, families and Principal Tatierra Bivens. It’s her first year as the building principal at WMS.
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