Good morning, Rockford.

American Airlines will end its motorcoach service in Rockford on Oct.

4, ending nearly a year of connections to 150 O’Hare destinations; Coach USA Van Gelder is adding four new trips daily starting Aug. 18 + offering free tickets to help the 1,100 affected riders as a new flight replaces the service in South Bend.

Six Flags Great America will transform its Yukon Territory into Camp Timber Trail in 2027, adding attractions such as Sky Hawk (the Midwest's longest, tallest and fastest suspended family coaster) as part of a multi-year park investment.

Smooth Rogers performed live in Studio A at WNIJ on Monday, Aug.

6 to play songs from their new album, Call It What You Want + the band showcased its signature dreamy synth-pop sound led by multi-instrumentalist Zac Bron.

The Female Energy Festival returns downtown on Saturday, Aug.

8 at the Sports Factory (305 S. Madison St.), where women-owned businesses will offer interactive shopping and a VIP cash bar. General admission is $5, with free entry for health care workers.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity awarded $8.9M to four area agencies to fund industrial development, including $3.68M for Rockford to extend water and sewer to a 316-acre site at South Main Street and U.S. Route 20, ahead of future job-creating projects.

Rockford Public Schools will host an event on Aug.

10 for families of elementary and middle school students to meet bus drivers and review route details at their students' schools. Families should arrive at the designated bus drop-off time (to ask questions) to ease the transition before classes start.

Three Winnebago County firms were inspected by the FDA in Q2 2026 as Curran’s Orchard on April 23 and Northern Illinois Blood Bank on May 19 showed no action indicated while Rockford Acquisition Company on April 29 received voluntary action indicated, covering the food and cosmetic, biologics & devices sectors.

A new senior living community, The Courtyard at Loves Park, opened yesterday at 4502 McFarland Road behind Peak Sports Club, featuring a ribbon-cutting ceremony with city officials and live music.

The facility offers independent and assisted living, memory care, and full-service amenities and is now leasing.

An 8-year-old named Maverick pulled a one-of-a-kind Lionel Messi trading card while shopping with his dad in Winnebago; the card was later auctioned at Northside Collectibles in Loves Park on June 28, 2026 & sold for $31,200 after 51 bids.

Rockford longtime sportswriter David Shultz—renowned for his encyclopedic knowledge of baseball, figure skating and local teams—died on Aug.

4. He spent 52 years mentoring reporters and covering community teams while leaving a lasting mark on local news.