By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara, on Monday, announced that he is taking the first step to outfit city police officers with body cameras. "I signed the Mayoral Pledge from the My Brother’s Keeper…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - Mayor Tom McNamara, in his role as City of Rockford liquor commissioner, is temporarily allowing all bars and restaurants to sell packaged beer and wine during the COVID-19 shutdown. Beer and wine will be…

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois appeals court has dismissed an appeal of a judge's ruling that invalidated Gov. J.B. Pritzker's requirement that masks be worn in schools to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The ruling late Thursday…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter CHICAGO - Illinois officials announced the state's largest daily count of COVID-19 cases Wednesday. There were 2,049 new infections statewide, a mark Gov. J.B. Pritzker says is largely the result of more…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - Rockford Ald. John Beck has died. The 12th Ward Republican died Sunday at Van Matre Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital. He was 57. Beck had been ill and was absent from recent meetings of the Rockford…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - Local officials confirmed Tuesday that a man in his 60s has died in Winnebago County from complications of COVID-19. The man is believed to be the 100th person to have succumbed to the viral…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - Local leaders continue to remind citizens that staying home is key to slowing the spread of COVID-19. As of Saturday, there are 11 confirmed cases of the disease in Winnebago County, a total of 24…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - Joined by members of the local banking industry Wednesday morning, Rockford Mayor McNamara announced the creation of the COVID-19 Small Business Emergency Loan Fund. The fund, established by the Northern…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - The 2020 St. Patrick's Day parade scheduled for Saturday downtown Rockford has been cancelled because of the COVID-19 situation. The announcement was made Thursday as Mayor Tom McNamara joined leaders from…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - Mayor Tom McNamara, on Thursday, announced that he has appointed Anqunette Parham as executive director of the city's Human Service Department Parham is an attorney with more than a decade of health care and…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - City staff has put its stamp of approval on a proposal to build a Hard Rock Casino in Rockford, Mayor Tom McNamara announced Monday. The Hard Rock proposal, which calls for a casino at the site of…

Staff Report ROCKFORD – Visitor spending totaled $392 million in the Rockford and Winnebago County communities last year, tourism officials reported. The mark is a 2.1-percent increase from 2017's total of $384 million. That spending…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - A longtime Rockford funeral director, on Monday, was sworn in as the new alderman of the city's Second Ward.  Tony Gasparini, owner of Tony Gasparini Funerals, will sit in for Jonathan Logemann,…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - Second Ward Ald. Jonathan Logemann will officially step away from the Rockford City Council Monday night.  Logemann made the announcement in a letter to Mayor Tom McNamara this morning, saying he…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - Mayor Tom McNamara on Monday announced that he is appointing Water Division Superintendent Kyle Saunders as the city's director of public works. An employee of the city since 2011, Saunders takes over for Mark…