Winnebago County News

A candidates’ forum for candidates running for Winnebago County Forest Preserve District Board commissioner will be at 2 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 9, at Klehm Arboretum and Botanic Garden, 3715 S. Main St., Rockford. The forum is free and open to the public and is moderated by Natural Land Institute Executive Director Jerry Paulson. READ THE ARTICLE AT: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/09/05/forest-preserve-district-candidates%E2%80%99-forum-sept-9-at-klehm/

Dr. Louis and Violet Rubin, formerly of Rockford, have made a bequest of $15 million to the northern Illinois regional community. The endowed bequest of $15 million will be administered by the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois. According to the donors’ wishes, the bequest will support the regional community (Boone, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties) in the areas of human services, general education, medical education and medical research. READ THE ARTICLE AT: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/09/05/couple-bequests-15-million-to-northern-illinois-area/

Former Senator from Wisconsin Russ Feingold is the keynote speaker at this year’s Rockford College Business Luncheon to be held Wednesday, Sept. 12, and will also speak as part of the College’s Forum Series later that day. Feingold’s remarks will focus on both leadership and his views outlined in his book, While America Sleeps: A Wake up Call for the Post 9/11 Era. Both events will take place on the Rockford College campus, 5050 E. State St., Rockford. READ THE ARTICLE AT: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/09/05/former-wisconsin-sen-russ-feingold-to-speak-at-rc-events/

Voters do have a choice in the 16th District Congressional race. When Adam Kinzinger defeated Don Manzullo in the primary, the assumption was that he would be this young, one-term congressman, a signer of the Grover Norquist pledge, and would automatically become our Congressman. This assumption did not become a fact. During a People’s Primary created by a group of unhappy voters through Facebook, Wanda Rohl stepped up and was chosen by vote of the 100 or so people present. Supporters gathered 1,800 signatures to get her on the November ballot... Read the entire article at: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/08/22/voters-have-a-choice-in-16th-district-race/ .

There’s much coverage in the press these days about gun rights, abortion rights and freedom of religion, but also much union bashing. Seems some people feel unions are to blame for our local and state budget crises. That is simply not true. First and foremost, unions are an extension of your rights to free speech and freedom to assemble. You may not like unions, you may love them, or you may be indifferent to them. However, if you allow others to restrict your rights to organize, you’re giving up your fundamental rights little by little, whether you belong to a union or not. I say you must defend these rights, whether you agree 100 percent with union policies or not. Read the entire article at: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/08/01/meet-john-doe-unions-are-an-extension-of-your-rights-of-free-speech-freedom-to-assemble/ .

First and foremost, our concern regarding the Roscoe Sports Complex has been for the Roscoe Township to create a separate entrance to the park to alleviate heavy traffic concerns and maintain the integrity and safety of the neighborhood. As we sat through the Roscoe Township Board of Trustees’ meeting Aug. 8, we listened to the businesslike, rather disinterested tone of voices as the trustees and supervisor discussed the various items on the agenda. It was not until the update on the Old Stone Bridge that their voices became warm and took on an interested tone. Trustee Tom Hawes gave an emotion-tinged account of the work being done to restore the bridge... Read the entire commentary at: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/08/15/guest-column-real-problems-and-real-solutions-for-the-roscoe-sports-complex/ .

The landfill isn’t the only thing stinking up the place lately. Former State Rep. Dave Winters (R) recently resigned from his office just in time to have John Cabello (R), candidate for that office this fall, appointed to fill his vacancy. All this while Cabello is running a close race with Carl Wasco (D), a Rockford alderman for the very same state representative seat... Visit http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/08/15/meet-john-doe-wasco-stiffed-by-old-school-politics/ to read the entire article.

 "Under the proposed law, concealed handgun licenses would be acceptable forms of photo ID, but student IDs would not," Eric Holder said. "Many of those without IDs would have to travel great distances to get them, and some would struggle to pay for the documents they might need to obtain them. We call those poll taxes." I wanted to know how much validity could be attributed to the claims that requiring a person to have ID to vote is related to their ability to vote in the post-Obama election era and was tantamount to a poll tax... READ THE COMMENTARY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/08/29/guest-column-the-new-poll-tax-in-the-united-states/

Unless I am missing it, the City of Rockford doesn't have an official Facebook page … if I am wrong, please share the following open letter with Mayor Lawrence J. Morrissey. Mayor, I lived in Rockford for 45 years. I left 10 years ago. Most of my family still lives there. Every time I go back, I want to cry... READ THE COMMENTARY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/08/29/guest-column-an-open-letter-to-mayor-morrissey/

 What a drag democracy is for the 1 percent and their Republican accomplices. Their guy Mitt Romney couldn't campaign his way out of a wet paper bag without zillions of dollars to perpetuate his lies, and his running mate Paul Ryan's. Congress couldn't produce one jobs bill, yet his budget plan calls for closing down the people's Medicare and turning it into a voucher program to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy... READ THE COMMENTARY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/08/29/guest-column-money-lies-and-voter-suppression/

 Back in early January, there was a town hall meeting about the potential closing of the Post Office facility on Harrison Avenue in Rockford. I was appalled by the seeming lack of respect the hosts seemed to have for the intelligence of the citizens in attendance and the whole of our community. The presentation appears now to have been a whitewash of reality as to what ails one of our greatest American institutions, the U.S. Postal Service. That reality is H.R. 6407: "The Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act" of 2006... READ THE COMMENTARY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/08/29/guest-column-support-postal-service-any-and-every-chance-you-get/

Local resident and business owner Martin Maggio is challenging the Winnebago County Board's decision to approve the expansion of the Winnebago Landfill. Maggio's challenge was filed Aug. 15. The Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) agreed to accept Maggio's petition for a hearing Aug. 23... READ THE COMMENTARY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/08/29/meet-john-doe-pollution-control-board-agrees-to-hear-landfill-expansion-challenge/

LOVES PARK, Ill. — The Rockford RiverHawks set season highs in runs and hits Thursday, Aug. 30, and beat the Road Warriors 17-9 to earn the series sweep in their home finale at RiverHawks Stadium. Rockford tallied a season-high 21 hits, with seven batters recording mult-hit games. "They've been hitting the ball hard and having good at-bats all season," RiverHawks Manager Rich Austin said... READ THE STORY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/08/31/riverhawks-outslug-road-warriors-17-9-earn-sweep/

 The Rockford Region will host the 2012 Puma Labor Day Cup Invitational this weekend, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 1-2. More than 100 teams from around the Midwest are expected to participate. The annual event brings 8,500 soccer players, coaches, families and fans to the region. The tournament produces approximately $202,500 for the local economy... READ THE STORY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/08/31/rockford-region-hosts-2012-puma-labor-day-cup-at-sportscore-two-sept-1-2/

Rockford City Market will be open Friday, Aug. 31, and continues until Oct. 12. However, this is the last Friday the market will stay open until 8 p.m. The market will close at 7 p.m. starting next Friday, Sept. 7. If you're heading to Rockford City Market today, here's what you can expect: READ THE STORY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/08/31/aug-31-rockford-city-market-features-music-by-one-less-tenor-activities-by-severson-dells-and-zumba-demonstrations/

 As former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney accepted the Republican Party's nomination for president Thursday, Aug. 30, a group of workers facing outsourcing at Freeport's Sensata Technologies plant rallied against what they called a "Romney economy.".. READ THE STORY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/08/31/sensata-workers-rally-against- 'romney-economy'-romney-defends-bain-capital-in-acceptance-speech/

Members of the Rockford Police Department's Narcotics Unit received information that a subject who lived at 948 S. Third St. was selling heroin and crack cocaine. During the investigation, detectives identified the subject as 28-year-old... READ THE STORY: http://rockrivertimes.com/2012/08/31/rockford-man-arrested-on-heroin-crack-cocaine-charges/