Boone County voters face referendum to dissolve Manchester Rural Fire Protection District Five
Local authorities say the consolidation is necessary to maintain the financial viability of local fire services.
Park Lawn Corporation Acquires Honquest Family Funeral Homes in Illinois
On Oct. 19, Park Lawn Corp. announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of Honquest Family Funeral Homes, which operates two funeral homes in Loves Park and Roscoe, Illinois. The acquisition strengthens Park Lawn’s presence in Illinois. Timothy Honquest, former owner of Honquest, said, “After building...
FBI investigates ‘suspicious envelope’ delivered to Eric Sorensen’s Rockford office
“We cannot allow political violence or intimidation—of any kind—in our country,” Sorensen’s message said. Sorensen faces Republican Dillan Vancil in the race for Illinois’ 17th Congressional District in the Nov. 3 midterm election. Vancil shared the following statement regarding the situation. I was disturbed to...
Rockford man sentenced after purchasing guns for street gang members
A Rockford man has been sentenced after purchasing 10 firearms on behalf of individuals associated with a street gang.
Rockford Roasting Co. opens new location on South Alpine in Rockford
ROCKFORD — Rockford Roasting Co. is expanding outside of downtown with a second location at the Forest City Church complex on South Alpine Road. The locally owned cafe has moved into 1292 S. Alpine Road. It fills the space about a month after the closure of Velvet Robot Coffee Lab, which had operated there for five years. Longtime Rockford residents will know the site as part of the former Colonial Village Mall.
UW-Whitewater safety report reveals shifts in campus crime trends
Just weeks after a Threat to Life warning prompted UW-Whitewater students to “RUN, HIDE, FIGHT,” the UW-W Police Department released its annual Security & Fire Safety Report (ASFR). The report provides a closer look at long-term safety trends across both the Whitewater and Rock County campuses. Containing information from 2025, as well as 2024 and 2023 for comparison, the charts detail a wide variety of crime statistics ranging from sexual assault and liquor violations to motor vehicle theft.
In Wisconsin’s 1st District, after easy wins, Steil faces a challenge on his record
In front of a friendly crowd at a small-town community center last week, Democratic 1st Congressional District candidate Mitchell Berman launched into the pitch he’s made countless times in the last several months. “Growing up in rural Wisconsin, I never saw running for Congress on my bingo card,” Berman told the room full of supporters […]
New matching funds aim to keep wealth in Illinois towns
A new regional initiative aims to keep more wealth in northwest Illinois by helping communities create permanent endowment funds that can support local projects and nonprofits for generations. The Foundation for Northwest Illinois announced the creation of the Northwest Illinois Rural Vitality Coalition, according to a community announcement. The effort establishes permanently endowed community funds in 16 towns and geographic areas across Stephenson, Jo Daviess and Carroll counties while positi
Bring a Friend: Free Rockton Program Covers Scams, and Health Insurance
Come join Fifty North on Tuesday, October 20th, from 1-3 pm and listen to speakers on scams and health insurance. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Department will speak to the group about scams that target seniors and those that are prevalent in our area. After they finish, we will have Jesse Schwartz from Associated Advisors Group talk to us about health insurance changes during open enrollment period for seniors. Both of these speakers will have a lot of information and insights to keep everyone
Rockford man charged with attempted murder after allegedly attacking woman
A Rockford man has been charged with attempted murder following two domestic violence-related incidents at the same residence, according to the Rockford Police Department.
