The Herald

February Tree of the Month: Eastern White Pine

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHRISTOPHER REISETTER The Herald
The Eastern White Pine at Phillips Cemetery in Rockton is considered the largest of its kind in Illinois and will be listed on the Illinois Big Tree Register. This one is NIL’s Tree of the Month for February 2025.

In January of 2024, the Natural Land Institute (NLI) launched their Legacy Tree Program’s Tree of the Month recognition and is pleased to continue this program for 2025 to highlight trees of historic significance with interesting stories, in addition to finding very large trees that qualify for the Illinois Big […]

 
 

Spirit of sisterhood, friendship, and ladies celebrating ladies evident at Rockton Galentine’s Day party

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARDE GANN AND BETTY KENDALL The Gazette
	2025 Mr. PHS Josh Frank (center) with attendant Brooklyn Connell (to his left), 2024 Mr. PHS Drew Lapp (far right), and co-chairs Teagan Kasper (far left) and Anna McLevige (to Frank’s right). Josh also received the Best Answer Award and Mr. Congeniality. Key Club members and co-chairs Teagan and Anna are both juniors this year and have been involved with Mr. PHS for all three of their years of high school so far.

By Marianne Mueller REPORTER   Three hours of fun were spent celebrating the spirit of sisterhood, friendship, and ladies celebrating ladies was found at a Galentine’s Day party in downtown Rockton on Thursday, Feb. 13 where up to 16 places opened doors to fun. The first Galentine’s Day party was […]

 
 

Rockton Yeti Fest drew thousands of visitors from different locations

COURTESY PHOTO The Herald
	Vikings In Black created a perfectly sculpted Blackbeard.

By Marianne Mueller REPORTER Thousands of visitors discovered pure winter fun at Rockton’s Yeti Fest. Four days of pure winter fun started on Wednesday, Feb. 5 and ran until Saturday, Feb. 8. Yeti Fest is billed as “A festival where the abominable snow people of Rockton and their friends come […]

 
 

Hononegah grad show Valentine’s Day film at AMC 16

SUBMITTED PHOTO The Journal
	The 44th Annual Rockford Home Show is back from Feb. 21-23, bigger and better than ever. Cost is $7 for adults and kids under 12 are free.

Luke Passmore, son of retired local teachers William and Bel Passmore of the Rockton-Roscoe area, was joined by just a couple hundred of his closest friends for a Hollywood like premier of his newest major movie that he scripted, “Love Hurts” that was shown at AMC 16 in Rockford Friday […]

 
 

10th annual Rockton Yeti Fest bringing back winter fun

ROCKTON YETI FEST PHOTO The Herald
	This year’s Rockton Yeti Fest will take place Feb. 5-8.

By Marianne Mueller REPORTER Yeti Fest is billed as “A festival where the abominable snow people of Rockton and their friends come out to enjoy a mixture of winter related activities and is a celebration of all things winter and of course it all revolves around Yeti’s.” Walk, play, or […]

 
 

Firefighters battle blaze while enduring frigid temperatures

JEFF TABER PHOTO The Herald
	Area firefighters responded to a house fire on Roscoe Road on Jan. 21.

Rockton Firefighters responded to the 3000 block of Roscoe road on Jan. 21 for a reported residential fire. The call was received at 3:25 p.m. and first arriving units reported smoke showing with a working fire. Automatic aid from our neighboring departments were already responding and a MABAS alarm was […]

 
 

Students, staff recognized for creating true sense of community at Hononegah High School

MARIANNE MUELLER PHOTO The Herald
	Members of the Honongah Key Club helped during Roscoe's Hometown Holiday and Merry Market Celebration in 2024.

By Marianne Mueller REPORTER Students and staff at Hononegah Community High School created a true sense of community through positive actions, both currently and since the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year. The first group to be recognized at the Jan. 15 HCHS Board of Education meeting were students from […]

 
 

Inspiring through the gift of beautiful music at Rockton studio

By Marianne Mueller REPORTER   Studio 3 owner Jenny Maragia firmly believes that music is a gift to be shared. When Jenny Maragia was four years old she climbed up on the piano bench in her family home tapping out the first measure of an old hymn she had heard […]

 
 

Hononegah Woman’s Club making plans for the future, celebrating more than 60 years

By Marianne Mueller REPORTER   Hononegah Woman’s Club is making plans for the future while celebrating more than 60 years in the community. Hononegah Woman’s Club was organized in February 1964. The club was federated on May 3, 1965. Becoming federated was what most Women’s Clubs in those days joined […]

 
 

Rockton Lions spread joy to local families  through Wimpy’s Fund

COURTESY PHOTO The Herald
	Volunteers prepared gifts to be given to local families and children.

By Marianne Mueller REPORTER Rockton Lions Club members were joined by volunteers who spread joy to 140 families on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 21, where special deliveries were made through the Wimpy’s Fund. Smiles came to the faces of 360 children who were recipients of this caring act of […]

 
 
 
 
 
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