Rockford, Winnebago County | featured news

ROCKFORD — Pope Francis has people talking. Since the pontiff’s interview published last week in 16 Jesuit journals worldwide, Catholics have engaged in discussion of his comments on abortion, marriage and contraception.

ROCKFORD — Now there’s an option for watching movies and TV shows from a smartphone, tablet or computer. For free.

INSIDE: Some of what you'll find, how to sign up

ROCKFORD — The feds are helping Rockford hire or rehire five police officers.

ROCKFORD — About 550 middle school students got to be some of the first young people in the country to participate in an Internet-safety seminar by Google.

INSIDE: What you need to know

Volunteers spruced up the grounds of Fairview Early Childhood Center, 512 S. Fairview Ave., on Friday. New signs, plants and a rain barrel were added to the school campus.

ROCKFORD — A South Beloit mother accused of starving her infant son Jaxon Betts to death and not obtaining medical care for him could get a trial in January or February.

ROCKFORD — A man accused of slaying his mother in a heinous shooting attack May 22, 2009 returned to court Friday.

Yamiko Key, 6, of Rockford, has been identified as the boy killed Thursday afternoon when his mother accidentally backed her vehicle over the child in the family's driveway.

CHERRY VALLEY  — A Belvidere man was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after he rear-ended an unoccupied school bus Friday morning.

ROCKFORD — Two men charged as codefendants are pinning the blame on each other for a four-day crime spree targeting Broadway businesses earlier this year.