Staff Report ROCKFORD - The Winnebago County Forest Preserve will open its gates on May 1 for limited daytime activities. Forest preserve properties, including its three golf courses, will be open from 7 a.m. until a half-hour after…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - A Winnebago County Jail inmate with COVID-19 is in isolation and precautions to stop the spread of the disease are being taken, Sheriff Gary Caruana said Sunday. The detainee is a man in his 40s…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - The drive-through COVID-19 testing site the UIC Health Sciences Campus fell short of its capacity Friday, but managed to conduct more than 350 tests. "Today, at the UIC site, we tested 364…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter LOVES PARK- The City of Loves Park is halting a project to reconstruct a portion of River Lane and suspending its annual residential road resurfacing plan because of coronavirus shutdowns. "The pandemic has put…

Staff Report ROCKTON - The 2020 Old Settlers Days festival will not happen, the Rockton Lions Club announced Friday. "COVID-19 has impacted all our lives significantly," the Lions said in a statement. "As a result, we are saddened to…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - The Community Action Agency of Winnebago and Boone Counties, in partnership with YMCA of Rock River Valley; Rockford Housing Authority; Rockford Park District; and Lifescape Community Services, will continue to…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden will offer a drive-through tree giveaway in celebration of Arbor Day  Friday, April 24. Trees will be available to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Klehm grounds,  2715…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker continue to address cries to reopen nonessential businesses as the state trudges through the outbreak of COVID-19, the respiratory disease…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter CHICAGO - Three Boone County residents are among the state's latest COVID-19 fatalities, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported Tuesday. Officials say the Boone County deaths include a man in his…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara on Monday announced that he is assembling working groups to help him wade through the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic. McNamara said the 10 groups of local experts…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - The Rockford Mass Transit District is reducing its daily service after four more drivers test positive for COVID-19. Beginning Monday April 20, RMTD's weekday schedule will mirror its current Sunday…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - Five Winnebago County mayors have written a joint letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, asking him to roll out a regional approach to opening small businesses after the April 30 shelter-in-place deadline…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - There are now 163 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Winnebago County. Friday's total represents a 19-case increase from Thursday. It also includes another fatality. Nine people in Winnebago County have now died…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - A Winnebago County corrections officer has tested positive for COVID-19, the sheriff's office confirmed Friday, April 17. The officer has been off duty since March 5 and tested positive after that date. The…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - There are now 144 positive cases of COVID-19 in Winnebago County, officials reported Thursday. A total of 1,960 people have been tested locally. Of those, 1,144 have been negative while 672 tests are…