Host Jill Spears is joined by gardener Lance Swigart and Delta County Library staffer Sara Smith for a discussion about seed saving and the library's seed swap collection .

Host Jill Spears chats with gardener Lance Swigart and special guest Don Lareau of Zephyros Farm & Garden near Paonia. The episode's subject matter is GMOs - genetically modified organisms.

Host Jill Spears and gardening guru Lance Swigart welcome special guests, herbalists Pat Frazier and Alicia Michelsen of The Learning Council , for a discussion of the benefits of growing and consuming herbs of many types.

Host Jill Spears and gardening guru Lance Swigart chat about winter garden chores and take calls from listeners.

Host Jill Spears and gardening guru Lance Swigart chat about winter garden chores and take calls from listeners.

Host Jill Spears and gardener Lance Swigart discuss seasonal gardening subjects and take calls from listeners. Got a question? Email worm@kvnf.org or call during the show! 970-527-4868 or 1-866-KVNF-NOW, 6:30-7:00 pm every Tuesday!

Host Jill Spears and gardener Lance Swigart discuss seasonal gardening subjects and take calls from listeners. Got a question? Email worm@kvnf.org or call during the show! 970-527-4868 or 1-866-KVNF-NOW, 6:30-7:00 pm every Tuesday!

Host Jill Spears and gardener Lance Swigart, plus special guest Wind Clearwater, discuss seasonal gardening subjects and take calls from listeners. Got a question? Email worm@kvnf.org or call during the show! 970-527-4868 or 1-866-KVNF-NOW, 6:30-7:00 pm every Tuesday!

Guest host Amber Kleinman and gardener extraordinaire Lance Swigart discuss early spring gardening chores and take calls from listeners.

Host Jill Spears and gardener Lance Swigart are staying home & staying safe, and calling in for this special Pledge Drive Edition of As the Worm Turns. They're discussing spring gardening topics and taking questions via text message and email.

Host Jill Spears and gardeners Lance Swigart and Lulu Volckhausen are staying home & staying safe, and calling in for this edition of As the Worm Turns. They're discussing spring gardening topics and taking questions via text message and email.

Our intrepid gardening crew are once again calling in from their respective home gardens, ready to take your questions via email or text - worm@kvnf.org or 970-234-5863.

The coronavirus "safer at home" protocol is still in effect, so our gardeners are joining us once again via telephone. Host Jill Spears & gardening gurus Lulu Vockhausen & Lance Swigart are deep into spring garden preparation and planting.

The coronavirus "safer at home" protocol is still in effect, so our gardeners are joining us once again via telephone. Host Jill Spears & gardening gurus Lulu Vockhausen & Lance Swigart are deep into spring garden preparation and planting.

National Poetry Month is coming up in April and earlier this month Kishwaukee College held an interactive poetry workshop called, “So You Wanna Be a Slam Poet.” Some people may be familiar with spoken word poetry or may have attended a poetry reading. Bear Wolf is the adjunct professor of English at Kishwaukee College. He said there is a slight difference between spoken word and slam poetry. “The slam is the competitive part. You have a 3-minute time limit. You get two rounds. Your points are added up to see if you can get to the final round.” Wolf said these points are determined by random judges and they judge on a scale of one-to-10. Matt Weibel is the assistant professor of communication at the college. He said people should be authentic when they are performing slam poetry. “We don’t need another Taylor Mali; we don’t need another Bear Wolf. We need a you. We need you to be your own poet, to have your own style, your own flair.” Taylor Mali’s poem, “What Teachers Make” was one of

When Víkingur Ólafsson was about 5 years old, he already knew what he wanted to be. "It sounds crazy, but I always saw myself as a concert pianist," he says. "Even if I wasn't a good pianist." The Icelandic musician, who turned 36 last month, has become a very good pianist indeed. Whether playing baroque or contemporary music, Ólafsson's technique is formidable, but it's transparency combined with warmth that has defined his singular sound. He is sought after by the world's top orchestras and concert venues and has signed on with the swanky Deutsche Grammophon record label. After well-received albums of Philip Glass and J.S. Bach , his latest album, Debussy – Rameau , was released March 27. The recording unfolds almost like a classical mixtape, with Ólafsson juxtaposing tracks by two French composers, born almost two centuries apart, who both broke new ground in music. The pianist says he tried to create a conversation between Jean-Philippe Rameau , the baroque master who literally

Rockford is getting not just one, but two poets laureate -- an adult and a youth. The adult poet laureate position will be a two-year position, and probably one year long for the youth. Rockford Area Arts Council (RAAC) Executive Director Mary McNamara Bernsten said the committee is still working that out. But, she said, people may start nominating poets next week. To be qualified for the positions, candidates must have lived in Rockford for at least one year. Adult candidates must be at least 18 years old by Oct. 23, 2020. Youth candidates must be aged 13-17 by that same date. McNamara Bernsten said the poets laureate will appear at public functions. She gave examples like Stroll on State, high school and college graduations, and the swearing in of officers in the police and fire departments. "You may be reading poems at ceremonial events," McNamara Bernsten said. "You could at the unveiling of a new building or bridge. You could be at city council meetings or other public meetings."

Ean Miles Kessler is a Chicago playwright. He's originally from Hamden, Connecticut, but has also lived and worked in New York City and Miami. In 2018, he "made the leap" and moved to the Edgewater neighborhood in Chicago. "It's a great neighborhood in a great city," he said. Usually for State Of The Artist, I follow artists to the places that inspire them. I interview and photograph them in the locations that are meaningful to them. Because of the quarantine, instead of interviewing Ean in Edgewater or the theaters where he works in Chicago, I had to interview him over the phone. Not only that, in order to get the best possible audio, I had to ask him to sit for 40 minutes under a hot blanket to absorb echoes and other ambient room sounds on a day the temperatures soared into the 70s. Several minutes into the interview, Ean said, "Can I just hop out from under this blanket for a second?" He laughed and said, "Because I'm going to have a small heatstroke." It was such a funny moment,

April is National Poetry Month. Aurora’s poet laureate Karen Fullett-Christensen and the City’s deputy poet laureates talked about the power of poetry and how this pandemic is influencing their writing. The conversation took place Monday on Facebook live. Fermina Ponce is one of Aurora’s deputy poet laureates. She said she can’t avoid writing about COVID-19. “I’m not unaware and my creation and my muse is not getting detached or free from what we are living,” Ponce said. Anthony Stanford, another poet laureate, isn’t writing much poetry these days. He said the pandemic has inspired him to write short stories about how things will look in 10, 15 or 25 years. “Because this will be with us. If not this, then something else. This has forced us to change in all manner of things,” he said. Quentin Johnson is the third deputy poet laureate. He said even though we are inundated with daily updates about COVID-19, he wants to take a different approach when he writes. “It’s been my mission to

Rochelle has leveraged its location, and resources like its municipal railroad, to spur a lot of business activity in its corner of Ogle County . Now it’s set to move into neighboring Lee County in a big way. You don’t have to go far anywhere in Rochelle to hear the sound of a train. Tracks belonging to the country’s two largest railroads, BNSF and Union Pacific, intersect here. Union Pacific also has an intermodal facility in Rochelle to move cargo between trains and trucks, taking advantage of the city’s proximity to Interstates 88 and 39. Moving around Rochelle’s business parks, there’s another sound you might hear: a switch engine, a small locomotive used in railyards, releasing cars loaded with material for use in one of the many businesses served by the city’s municipal railroad . That city line links those companies with the big railroads, providing a direct connection to and from markets across North America, and eventually the world. Jason Anderson is Rochelle’s Economic

Tronc. Comedian John Oliver once said that was the sound of a stack of newspapers being thrown into a dumpster. Now, the Chicago Tribune reports its parent company, Tronc, is changing its name back to Tribune Publishing. The Chicago-based company made the announcement Thursday. That ends a two-year run for the often-mocked corporate moniker. The name change becomes official next Tuesday. The company didn’t say what was behind the name change, but recently, its second-largest shareholder said he hoped to convince others to change the name back because “Tronc was a silly name.” The Tribune also says the name change comes at a time when there are potential buyers showing interest in the storied media company. “tronc,” by the way, was intended to be written in all lower-case letters and stood for “Tribune Online Content.”

The Mayors of DeKalb and Rockford responded to the statewide minimum wage hike that was signed into law last week. The measure will raise the state's minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025. DeKalb Mayor Jerry Smith worries about the effect this may have on small businesses. Smith says he would have preferred that the increase be done more incrementally. "I would have liked to have seen something that was written into law that mandated perhaps a one or two year step, and then let's take a look at it," he said. "You know, economies change." But he says the law taking effect means businesses know what to expect. "If you know that you're going to be paying nine and a quarter next year and ten the following year, or whatever the case may be, the smart businesses -- small or large -- are going to make those adjustments that are necessary so the bottom line is still black," he said. Smith says the City of DeKalb already pays its employees at a level where the wage hike's effect on city

People are doing what they can to stay healthy, but what about their pets? Dr. Phyllis Sill is a veterinarian at Roscoe Veterinary Clinic. She says if you want to keep your dogs safe, there are certain things you shouldn't do: " Don’t let your dog suddenly go on a long run or a long walk if it hasn’t been conditioned to do so," she said. "They are probably going to end up with lameness issues or injuries." She continued, "Don’t get a group of dogs together, they might fight." Sill said it is important to think about things your dog can eat or swallow, like chocolate or the sugar substitute xylitol. "Try to keep them up and away," she warned, "because if dogs get into sugar-free gum, it can kill them." The Roscoe Veterinary Clinic is considered an essential business; therefore it remains open amid Governor J.B. Pritzker's "stay-at-home" order. But, Sill said, even though they are open, they are only admitting patients with serious conditions. "We are looking at patients who have growths

Last Thursday during XPN’s Non-COMMvention, the Tupelo, Mississippi brothers and sister trio, the Homemade Jamz Blues Band, performed in concert with Super Chikan for the final Mississippi Blues Porject concert series. The band performed songs from its new album, Mississippi […]

Award winning Blues guitarist and singer Super Chikan and the Fighting Cocks made the trip from his home in Clarksdale, Mississippi to Philadelphia last Thursday, May 16 in a double header Mississippi Blues Project concert as part of WXPN’s Non-COMMvention […]

The legendary James Cotton is playing a free show at the TLA on South Street in Philadelphia on Friday, September 6. It’s the finale concert of the year long Mississippi Blues Project and will be hosted by Jonny Meister, host […]

The legendary James Cotton played the TLA on Friday, September 6th for the final concert of XPN’s Mississippi Blues Project. The 78 year old blues man performed with the energy of a twenty-something to a sold out crowd, playing songs […]

An Illinois church is appealing a decision that upholds Governor J.B. Pritzker's stay-at-home order for religious gatherings. Pastor Stephen Cassell with the Beloved Church of Lena sought a temporary restraining order so it could hold in-person services. Over the weekend, a judge ruled the governor’s order is constitutional in order to prevent mass infections and death. Senior Counsel Peter Breen is with the Thomas More Society, which is representing the church. He said the current limit on attendees in the coronavirus executive order violates religious freedom. “There’s no other essential business or operation in the state that has to follow a 10-person hard cap," he said. "We want to have that reversed so that Pastor Steve and the Beloved Church are able to have their services unmolested by local law enforcement or state law enforcement.” Breen said he also has qualms about the governor's recent comments. “Governor Pritzker in his most recent press conferences is saying that people

With the onset of COVID-19, social media platforms show their virtues and vices once again. Millions are finding connection, entertainment, and solace, a lifeline of virtual community during a truly twisted time. Connection with friends is a blast, until someone begins posting conspiracy theories like big pharma, the World Health Organization, and the Centers for Disease Control are a cabal secretly making the world sick for profits, or opining on highly technical epidemiological research, calling into question both findings and researchers’ assumed unethical motives. COVID-19 is a new phenomenon and it takes time for researchers -- experts -- to understand it, and how to effectively and safely deal with it. Public questioning is important, but when a supermajority of experts form an informed opinion you don’t like, developing conspiracies is not a healthy path. Now, I truly believe in free speech. After all, I’m on radio. I’m just leery of the effect of unfettered, ill-informed

Coronavirus has highlighted the digital divide among low-income as well as rural students. Schools that don’t send students home with laptops rushed them equipment so they could do their homework online. School administrators say some parents claim to have internet access, but it may only be through a phone plan. Districts have distributed hot spots for families without a plan or where service is undependable. Particularly in rural communities like Montmorency, reliable internet connectivity is a major hurdle. Montmorency is a K-8 district in Whiteside County with around 230 students. Alex Moore is the superintendent. “On a good day, I get four megabytes per second download speed, so I knew that was going to be an issue. About half of our families probably have decent internet,” said Moore. Even that “good day” download speed doesn’t meet the FCC’s minimum recommendation for e-learning. For many younger students, remote learning has to be pencil and paper. Schools like Somonauk set up

The coronavirus crisis has changed the way we congregate but it hasn’t changed the way we come together. The DeKalb community is supporting nonprofits that provide much needed services to the community. The Give DeKalb County campaign, a 24-hour fundraiser, takes place May 7. Ben Bingle is the director of the DeKalb County nonprofit partnership. He said they’ve had to cancel their walk-in donation option due to COVID-19. This option was replaced with a mail-in one. Bingle said this change hasn’t impacted the generosity of the community. “We’ve seen a really strong response so far through the mail,” he said. “And so, we believe we’re going to have a very strong turnout.” Bingle said donors can also support by using the Give DeKalb County website or their mobile phones. He said the website will include profiles for each organization. Bingle suggested that the community may not even know what services are out there for them and the profiles allow them to see what’s available. “It’s

Running is more than exercise, it’s therapy. That’s what Jonah Garcia says. So he’s training now harder than ever. Garcia’s a senior distance runner on Auburn High School’s track & field team in Rockford. Like so many spring athletes, Jonah had his final high school season stolen by the COVID-19 pandemic. He says he was feeling good about the season and had personal records he figured he could easily break. “I was hoping to go Division-1 and maybe try and get a scholarship based off of my times this year,” he said. But, luckily, this isn’t the end for Garcia. He’ll be running at Iowa Central Community College next year. And running and talking to his coaches and teammates has been a salve, he says, as his high school journey winds down in the most unpredictable way possible. “Basically, people are saying just something along the lines of control that which you can control,” said Garcia. Many spring athletes aren’t continuing to the collegiate level. They took their last swings and

We left Studio A for this week's episode and headed to Severson Dells Nature Center in Rockford, where we caught a set from Baltimore husband and wife duo, The Honey Dewdrops. The Honey Dewdrops performing "Silver Lining" live at Severson Dells Nature Center Performing Americana and bluegrass music, The Honey Dewdrops' suck you into their songwriting with visual lyrics and soaring vocal harmonies. Listen to their performance at Severson Dells and check out some behind-the-scenes footage right here! The Honey Dewdrops performing "Horses" live at Severson Dells Nature Center Find more music from The Honey Dewdrops at their website and keep up with them on social media . The Honey Dewdrops peforming "More Than You Should Know" live at Severson Dells Nature Center

Around 60% of DeKalb students qualify as low-income, according to the Illinois Report Card . That means they also qualify for reduced or free meals. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, schools scrambled to keep providing food for students who rely on their district for much more than education. Pansy Oderio is DeKalb’s food services director. Her team serves around 700 meals a day. They have 10 locations either at schools or mobile sites in the community. She says it’s mostly a combination of fruit, cereal, sandwiches and milk, but they try to offer more variety when they can. The program is also largely run by dozens of volunteers. “It's community members. It's teachers, our administration, they all can sign up and pick time slots to help distribute the meals,” she said. Soon they’ll also be offering boxes with a week’s worth of meals at DeKalb High School. Oderio says that’ll double the number of meals they give out. They’re also exploring ways to get more pre-cooked options for

Hospitals, nursing homes, and doctors' offices take care of us and our loved ones, but who is taking care of them? Melissa Butts has one answer. She is the co-chair of the grassroots organization Taking Care of Our Caretakers - DeKalb County. TCOCDKC has provided meals, treats, and random acts of kindess throughout the community since March. Butts says many people are involved and though she is humbled by the response, she is not surprised. "Growing up here, I know what the community can do when it pulls together," Butts said, "and I've never been more 'proudly DeKalb' in my life." Butts talked about the impact her organization has made in less than two months. "We have fed 5,300 meals or treats. We have raised $28,350." She added, "We've already spent $26,000 of that, which is awesome -- it just went back into the community." Butts says they have supported 40 restaurants and bakeries and that all of them are in DeKalb County. Butts says after they raise funds from the community, they

FORMER X Factor star Nicholas McDonald has announced he is covering Mariah Carey's hit hero with other singers to raise money for the NHS Covid-19 appeal.

ONE of Glasgow's biggest music venues has announced that all shows will be postponed until May 7 but insist they will do their best to reschedule performances.

KVNF News spoke with The Colorado Sun reporter John Frank in this edition of The Purple State Update, our weekly interview on the Friday KVNF Regional Newscast focusing on statewide and Western Slope political issues throughout the election season. In this episode we talk about the growing homeless population in tourist towns on the Western Slope, and about the growing number of out-of-state political groups pouring money into the Governor's Race.

ONE of the biggest sporting scandals of all time was just about to erupt in the USA 100 years ago this month. It was in the spring of 1920 that a persistent rumour engulfed the Chicago White Sox baseball team.

ONE of the first things you notice about the Jacobs brothers is that they finish each other’s sentences.

THEY are both strikers, share the same surname, and are expected to have key roles in the Macron Scottish Junior Cup quarter-finals, but that is where the similarities end for Darvel’s Allan Mackenzie and Hurlford United’s Marc McKenzie.

I was devastated when I saw the notification ping onto my phone that Nanika were taking away some of their noodle dishes.

Three Republicans made their cases for why they deserve their party's nomination for the 17th Congressional District this March.

There are many opinions on how to broadcast a presidential impeachment trial. To be sure, the stakes are high when the highest office in the land is given this level of scrutiny. How should it sound on your radio? There are often factors that are out of our control. For example, sometimes the coverage is scheduled with a start time of 11:00 a.m. Sometimes, it’s been noon. Sometimes, the proceedings are scheduled for the weekend. They can last a few hours or go deep into the night. That means your favorite program may be preempted during times we’re in “special coverage.” Faced with these moving parts, the WNIJ news team is committed to the public service of carrying balanced coverage. That means perspectives from both sides of the aisle and the White House are given airtime. We also believe in addition to live testimony, daily analysis is a vital component of understanding the day’s proceedings. That’s why we'll continue to carry live testimony as it begins each day, and conclude live

President Trump is delivering the 2020 State of the Union address, which comes under the shadow of his impeachment trial. Watch his remarks live and follow a live annotation of his remarks, including fact checks and analysis from NPR reporters. Loading...

As the Illinois primary election draws closer, college students are preparing to cast their votes. Some for the first time. As part of our series, "You're the Boss," we asked several NIU voters at campus voter registration events about their most important issues in the election, and what questions they would ask candidates and current officeholders directly if they had the chance. Here's what they had to say: Salvador Meza, electrical and computer engineering major, Chicago “Well, on a national level, there seems to be a lot of division within the country. It would be nice to have a candidate that can united on both sides, see both sides of the matter. That would be the primary thing. Definitely immigration. Right now immigration is a big thing for me at least. On the state level, definitely taxes. Taxes need to get a little bit sorted on what’s going on, but what’s new in Illinois, right?” “I’d definitely ask them what would be their plan for immigration for not only the DACA