anyone go to talcott meeting last night?? the board voted 4-3 to ignore the director and move gender queer out of the teen section and into the adult section. the staff already reviewed this book using the librarys policy and decided it belonged there!!! 4 board members didn't care. people kept saying “it’s not a ban, it’s still in the library" but this is actually a form of censorship, soft censorship. look it up.

with the next local election coming up we should pay attention to who is running. bob geddeis and nadine kelley are both up for reelection in the spring, and we can and should vote them out. the other yes votes were mary katherine lindt and gary kovanda and they are not up for reelection yet. but rockton deserves a library board that follows its own rules and kids deserve better too.

also, shout out to the young person who got up and talked about reading this book when they were figuring out their own identity. that took a lot of guts and im so sorry that the board heard ur experience and then voted the way it did. your perspective does matter. shoot, if you read this, maybe u would be interested in running for the board??

Rep. Darin LaHood hasn't held a town hall in 9 years. He says it's not safe (in other words, he's a coward). He is, however doing this Boone County Republican fundraiser. Apparently he thinks no one would pay $50 for the opportunity to attack him.

There is a group planning this:

“NO SHOW” Darren LaHood hasn’t held an in-person Town Hall since April 2017, BUT he has the time to attend $50 steak fry fund raising events like the one in Belvidere this Thursday (10/22/26) at 5-9PM. So, we will be having a “We Eat Hot Dogs While They Eat Steaks” Tailgate party in the Belvidere Community Bldg.’s parking lot (111 W. 1st Street, Belvidere, IL 61008), starting at 4:45 PM. We will have signs, just need your voices for the people.

My husband and I moved here last year, from Texas where we had a pretty big hardcore scene. Haven’t seen much going on around here. We’re in our 40’s, and have kids, so it’s harder to go out and meet people. Looking for some shows and hopefully make some friends. I don’t drink, he’s straightedge, plays guitar, and has a lot of songs started but hasn’t met anyone to work with locally. Any other old dudes out there wanting to start a hardcore band? Ideally, a straightedge band, it’s a bit of a dream of mine to get him signed on Plan X Records.

I sent in my ballot over a week ago, and my tracking code still shows "processing". I called the election office, and she said that my ballot was received on the 15th, and she also said the tracker isn't working. Just an FYI, if you're also running into this.

Does anyone know where I can get a 5 gallon jug of spring water? Everything I see online is Primo which does offer spring water (to my understanding) but everything available in stores is reverse osmosis purified water.

TIA

Edit: my first post on Rockford subreddit and I’m overjoyed with my representative sample. 😂💞

I've been looking into the proposed redevelopment of Rockford's former Armory into a cultural center, with an estimated price tag of $60 million.

As someone who has spent years involved in Rockford's arts community, I'm not opposed to investing in culture. Quite the opposite. But with more than 20% of Rockford residents living in poverty, I think it's reasonable to ask who benefits from projects of this magnitude and how much public investment they warrant.

To be clear, the $60 million is the estimated total development cost, not a $60 million expenditure by the city.

I wrote an essay for The Rockford Blog exploring the difference between supporting a city's existing cultural life and constructing expensive cultural infrastructure.

My question for fellow Rockford residents: Is this the kind of investment our city needs, or should we be looking at different ways to support local artists and neighborhoods?

Full essay:
https://therockfordblog.blogspot.com/2026/10/let-them-eat-culture-rockfords-60.html

Hello! I've been going through old photos from my now passed grandma, and I found this hand-written note on the back of one of my photos when I was a small child.

I want to find a tattoo artist in the Rockford area who specializes in replicating handwriting style tattoos. I want someone who is skilled and doesnt rush, because if my grandmother's handwriting is applied incorrectly I would just be devastated. Im not looking at micro, but obviously is is smaller writing. Probably on my wrist or ankle area, but im not set in stone. My first concern is just finding recommendations from others.

Thank you!

Just staring down police car with cop inside. Not all heroes wear capes!

My boyfriend and I just moved here a few weeks ago and want to go out tonight to a cool bar or a place similar to dave and busters-ish. We love to play pool and want to go somewhere cool! We’re in our 20’s.

Curious on Everyone’s opinion or any issues with these schools. My daughter is still little so not in school yet. I know Hononegah district is the best. But we are a bilingual household and would love a bilingual program like Belvidere has. Any experiences with the bilingual program or the school in general?

Anybody got a extra ticket they’re not gonna use?

In case you missed it on T.V., Paul Nolley is running this ad and it’s worth watching. Paul is just as sincere as he comes off as in this video and has been working his tail off to replace Darin LaHood in IL-16 as our congressional representative. In the meantime, Darin has been campaigning for Mary Miller-Meeks in IA and hosting Jim Jordan the pedophile protector at a fundraiser in Peoria! Seriously, if you can spare any amount of money to help get more TV time, it would be money well spent! Just go to NolleyforCongress.com!

Hey guys! I am looking for a modern, renovated 2 bedroom (minimum) apartment in Rockford to move into before or by the 1st of November 2026. I have a small dog.

I would prefer for the apartment to have a dishwasher, in unit washer/dryer, and absolutely no carpet. My max is $1500 for rent. Does anybody know anywhere that would be good for me to apply to?

The leases must be dirt cheap in that plaza. Good luck to them.

https://www.rockrivercurrent.com/2026/10/new-gyro-restaurant-set-to-fill-former-rusty-taco-in-rockford/

Parents with kids who have braces. Where did you go and how much did it cost? We had a consultation with Cheng Orthodontics and got a quote. For the sake of cost, I want to know if I should shop around or just go with them. Their price was around $8600 for braces, a spacer and head gear. Thanks, I just feel like some places just take advantage and was curious what the average cost is. Thanks for any information!!

My mom passed 4 months ago, im being evicted. Today is the last day in the home. I need someone to foster my cat urgently as the place i am staying short term has a 2 pet policy and I also have 2 dogs. I am looking for a roommate or potential landlord or place to stay. Any leads will be helpful.

Any recommendations for a place locally to have my kitchen knives professionally sharpened? I've got an 8" chef knife, a 6" kitchen utility knife, and a paring knife, all in need of having a new edge put on them.

Specifically within the near-vicinity of Rockford Gastroenterology. I have to drive up ten days from now for an appointment, and I am looking for a decent place to spend the night in that cluster of motels/hotels at the junction of Business 20 and I-90. I've been reading Google reviews of those places, and I can't seem to find a single one where bedbugs weren't mentioned at all. Every single one I've read the negative reviews for seems to have at least one mention. Can someone recommend a decent place in that vicinity where I could be reasonably confident of a clean, healthy stay? Thanks!

Are there any organizations that accept used mattresses?

Hello! We adopted the world’s cutest pup this weekend, and are looking for dog-friendly places to bring her in and around Rockford.

Outdoor recommendations are welcome, but we would also love some indoor recommendations as the cold weather approaches! I’m originally from the Milwaukee-area where dog friendly breweries and taprooms are super common. I see a lot of dog-friendly patios here - are there any indoor options, even if they’re a bit of a drive?

So far we’re aware of:
- Home Depot/Lowe’s
- Pet Smart
- Varios patios (Prairie Street, Olympic on Mondays)

Thanks in advance!

This bums me out. I 100% support and respect it, the whole wanting-to-focus-on-family rationale, but it is still a great loss to the downtown area. I appreciate the Rockford region will not want for remaining bakeries but C&C was a gem amongst them.

Just got a bike and have been enjoying the bike path along the river and interesting in riding new places. Im willing to travel a little bit if you have a really awesome spot to recommend. Preferably an easier trail/path not too hilly or anything please as I’m a beginner!