Winnebago County News

Winnebago County Retired Teachers Association (WCRTA) has announced the 2012 Blanche J. Martin Scholarship winners. These scholarships go to promising elementary education teachers. The scholarships went to  Amy Wieting  ($2,000), with  Kalah Polsean ,  Allison Ford ,  Samantha Hoffman and  Christopher Davis  each receiving $1,000. .. READ THE STORY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/06/20/blanche-martin-scholarship-winners-announced/

Rockford Rescue Mission has announced it will consolidate its two Mission Mart locations into a single larger facility in the former Bob's Ace Hardware building at 2710 20th St. The Mission will renovate the building and anticipates a grand opening early fall. According to Executive Director Sherry Pitney, the Mission seized the opportunity to purchase the property — which was offered below market value because of the many benefits it will afford the Mission and the community. .. READ THE STORY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/06/27/mission-marts-to-consolidate-into-former-bob 's-ace-hardware-on-20th-street/

The New York theater scene has featured a great many revivals in the past several years; revivals of some of Broadway's biggest hits and favorites; some successful, others not so much.. READ THE STORY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/06/27/theater-review- 'working-the-musical'-proves-a-worthy-revival-at-timber-lake/

June 30 at the Tebala Shrine Auditorium, Matthew Cichella and Never Submit Entertainment will present their first joint feature film release, Poetic, for an intimate world premiere screening in Cichella's hometown of Rockford. Two short films, Travis Legge's Taxidermy and Myke Wilson'sInvitation, will be shown prior to the main screening... READ THE STORY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/06/27/local-entertainment-groups-premiere-feature-film-june-30/

KIRKLAND, Ill. — The Kirkland Lions Club will hold its 64th consecutive Fourth of July Celebration Saturday, June 30, through Wednesday, July 4. This is the oldest continuous Fourth of July celebration in Illinois. All proceeds from this event will go to the Lions' charitable work throughout the year... READ THE STORY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/06/27/kirkland-lions-club-to-hold-fourth-of-july-celebration/

DURAND, Ill. — Durand's Second Annual Fireworks 5K Run and Walk Saturday, June 30, kicks off the town's three-day Fourth of July Festival with activities for the whole family... READ THE STORY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/06/27/durand-kicks-off-fourth-of-july-festivities-june-30/

Rockford Park District will host the Seventh Annual Green Bear Disability Resource Fair from 4 to 9 p.m., Friday, June 29, at Magic Waters Waterpark, 7820 CherryVale Blvd. N, Cherry Valley, Ill. The annual event provides the opportunity for families to explore resources and activities for more enjoyable living, explore the waterpark's many accessible and disability friendly features, and visit with companies and organizations that support people with disabilities... READ THE STORY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/06/27/disability-resource-fair-june-29-at-magic-waters-waterpark/

• Parade begins at 5 p.m. at Seventh Street and Sixth Avenue, fireworks begin at 9:30 p.m., July 4 Staff Report Rockford will celebrate the 236th anniversary of the July 4, 1776, adoption of the Declaration of Independence with a series of events running June 28-July 4... READ THE STORY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/06/27/rockford-celebrates-independence-day-june-28-july-4/

Rain is Gone.....Game on Tonight at 7pm, Gates Open at 6pm Even though it rained this morning, the game is still on for tonight. The skys are now clear at historic Marinelli Field. The Rockford Foresters take on the DeKalb County Liners at 7pm tonight with the gates opening up at 6pm. Come out and enjoy a cheeseburger, a Miller Lite, or one of many other items on the menu. Need tickets? There are plenty of great seats still available for tonight's game. Feel free to walk up and purchase a reserved seat ($8) or a Vitner's Family Seat ($6) tonight at the gate. Fans who enter the stadium will get a raffle card, which could be your winning ticket for a game worn jersey! Every weekend game a winner is pulled. For those who don't know the stadium address, its 101 15th Ave in Rockford. New Merchandise Now IN! New merchandise is now in the store on the stadium grounds. We just got in a new shipment of Rockford Foresters main logo t-shirts in multiple colors including

A Medicaid revamp isn't the only piece of law Illinois Governor Pat Quinn put his mark on this week. The governor stops in Rockford at the Illinois Association of Letter Carriers Convention to sign a bill protecting those who deliver our mail... SEE THE VIDEO AND STORY: http://www.wrex.com/story/18802914/quinn-visits-rockford-to-sign-letter-carrier-bill

Lunch or meeting options will soon include the chance to enjoy an affordable meal while cruising the Rock River. The Grab 'N' Go Lunch Cruise on the Forest City Queen takes place every Friday through Sept. 28 (no Grab 'N' Go available Aug. 31)... READ THE STORY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/06/13/cruise-the-rock-river-over-lunch-on-the- 'forest-city-queen'/

Postal customers across the country want to keep rural Post Offices open. The Postal Service developed a solution to do that by modifying retail window hours while still achieving cost savings. Here's the plan. Access to the lobby and P.O. boxes remains the same, and a community retains its ZIP Code. The hours the office is open depend on the level of activity. The plan enables the Postal Service to achieve over a half-a-billion dollars in annual cost savings in an effort to regain a stronger financial footing... READ THE STORY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/06/13/postal-service-releases-plan-to-preserve-post-offices-in-rural-america/

FREEPORT, Ill. — Malcolm Eaton Enterprises' 13th Annual Golf 'N' Games fund-raiser is rapidly approaching, which means Chicken Little Drop raffle tickets are on sale and Golf 'N' Games Open registrations are open. The fund-raiser is set for June 30 at a new venue — the Freeport Country Club, 1614 S. Park Blvd., Freeport, Ill... READ THE STORY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/06/13/golf-malcolm-eaton's-golf-'n'-games-fund-raiser-june-30/

Love Your River Day to Celebrate the Kishwaukee River – June 9th The public is invited to Baumann Park, on the banks of the Kishwaukee River in Cherry Valley, IL, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday June 9th for Love Your River Day. The festival will feature live music by Empty Pockets and Louis and the Hunt, prize drawings, giveaways, river safety demonstrations, wildlife exhibits, environmental education activities and free four-color Kishwaukee River wildlife posters. Admission is free. Love Your River Day is a kick-off celebration for a summer-long campaign sponsored by Friends of the Kishwaukee River, the Winnebago County Forest Preserve District, and the Illinois Smallmouth Alliance. The purpose of the Love Your River campaign is to raise public awareness of the ecological and recreational value of the Kishwaukee River and to educate and advocate for its protection and safe and respectful use. At 1:00 pm on June 9th, the Friends of the Kishwaukee River will unveil new sig