We have a unique episode of Sessions from Studio A this week. Like so many others, the current pandemic has put our normal work on hiatus. Join us for a special "quarantined" edition of the show featuring ambient music from Rockford's Micky Torpedo. Micky is releasing four ambient albums this year, based on the changing moods of each season. We'll hear music from his Winter and Spring Cycle albums this hour. We also sat down to chat virtually with Micky about his approach to writing music, as well as his involvment in Rockford's Rock and Roll Institute. You can keep up with Micky on his Facebook page and download his music on Bandcamp .

COVID-19 has caused uncertainty in the lives of many. During hard times, in the past, people found relief by attending comedy shows. But what do you do when comedy clubs are closed and the comics are left to find humor for themselves? A few northern Illinois comedians share how they are making it through this pandemic. Rudy Ruiz is a comedian from Aurora. He said he misses the stage. “Now that we’re not allowed into comedy clubs or open mics or even writing groups, it’s like a withdrawal,” he said. He said making people laugh is like a superpower and the pandemic is the enemy. “It’s like kryptonite right now. It’s like we can’t do anything and a lot of us are going crazy,” Ruiz explained. He said he knows some comics have tried to do virtual comedy shows but he doesn’t understand that concept. “We need the audience. You know we have that immediate response like, 'This joke did well,'” he said. He said he can’t capture key things like that without the live interaction. He also said

The East State Street Kmart in Rockford and four Sears stores elsewhere in Illinois have been targeted by Sears Holdings to close in early September. The Kmart store on Sandy Hollow Road in Rockford closed in early April this year. A Kmart store formerly located at Riverside Boulevard and Forest Hills Road closed more than a decade ago and was replaced by a Sears Essentials store, which closed in 2011. While reporting a net loss of $424 million in its quarterly report this morning, Sears Holdings announced it had identified 100 unprofitable stores across the country, “72 of which will begin store closing sales in the near future. ” A list of 15 Kmart stores and 48 Sears stores was posted on the corporate website early this afternoon. The announcement included this statement: “We continue to evaluate our network of stores, which are a critical component in our transformation, and will make further adjustments as needed and as warranted.” It said a small group of stores was pulled from

Sears Hometown Stores in Sterling, Plano and Moline will be closing during the current business quarter, the company announced over the weekend. The websites for all three stores already are announcing “Store in liquidation” sales. They are among “90 to 100” underperforming Sears Hometown locations remaining after 21 stores were closed in the previous quarter, President and Chief Executive Officer Will Powell said in the quarterly earnings announcement. Sears Hometown and Outlet Stores, Inc. , was spun off from Sears Holdings Corp. in 2012. Most of the 882 Sears Hometown locations are independently owned and operated, offering Sears brands like Kenmore and Craftsman as well as other national brands. The Sterling and Plano stores both are owned by Sean Austin, according to Plano Sears Hometown Store Manager Redell Morgan. He said the last day for the Plano store will be July 23. Morgan said he is the only full-time employee at the Plano location, which has six part-time employees. The

A vehicle produced in Belvidere has topped a new list of cars with the most American content. Fiat Chrysler ’s Jeep Cherokee came in at number one on the list created by Cars.com . The website looked at which cars were manufactured in America, had the most American parts, and support the most American factory jobs. Four of the top ten cars on the list are made by foreign-based companies. But Cars.com’s executive director, Joe Wiesenfelder, said, these days, all manufacturers are global. “And even what you consider an American brand might import vehicles from across the border," he said. "Whereas what might at one time been considered an import brand is building the cars here in the U.S.” Wiesenfelder sees the list as a service for someone who’s looking at what car to buy. “If they’re interested in contributing to the U.S. economy," he said, "they might see that it’s on the American-Made Index and say, ‘well, that’s one more count in its favor.’” Two other cars produced in Illinois made

Fiat Chrysler Automobile announced Saturday that CEO Sergio Marchionne's health had suddenly deteriorated following surgery and that its board of directors had chosen Jeep executive Mike Manley to replace him. Marchionne, a 66-year-old Italian-Canadian, joined Fiat in 2004 and led the Turin-based company's merger with bankrupt U.S. carmaker Chrysler. Manley, 54, had been heading the Jeep brand since June 2009 and the Ram brand from October 2015. The announcement, at the end of an urgently convened board meeting, marked the end of the Marchionne era, which included the turnaround of failing Fiat, the takeover of bankrupt U.S. automaker Chrysler and the spinoffs of the heavy machinery and truck maker CNH and supercar maker Ferrari. Fiat Chrysler said in a statement that due to his deteriorating health Marchionne "will be unable to return to work." Marchionne, 66, had already announced he would step down in early 2019, so the board's decision, to be confirmed at an upcoming shareholders'

A storage safe manufacturer is closing two Chicago-area factories and moving operations to Mexico to counteract the effects of metal tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump's administration. The Chicago Tribune reports Stack-On Products will lay off about 150 people at its Wauconda and McHenry plants when they close Oct. 12. Human resources director Al Fletcher said Tuesday the decision to relocate operations to Juarez, Mexico, was made about two months ago. That's when Trump announced tariffs on numerous goods and materials from China as well as other countries. Stack-On makes products ranging from tool boxes to gun vaults. Fletcher says the company has a plant in China and another in Mexico, and its only U.S. factories were the two in the Chicago area.

It’s the end of the line for Rochelle rail car maker Nippon Sharyo. It appears the company is shuttering its Illinois plant. In 2012, the announcement that the Japanese rail car manufacturer had selected Rochelle for its massive factory came with much fanfare. Japan’s ambassador to the U.S. Ichiro Fujisaki and then-governor Pat Quinn helped cut the ribbon at a celebration while Taiko Japanese drums thundered in the cavernous building. The end has been much quieter. A Cincinnati auction house specializing in industrial sales is auctioning the 57-acre facility and its millions of dollars of highly-specialized equipment. The colorful brochure touts the site as “plug and play” manufacturing in a business-friendly community. Tours by appointment are underway and the company wants to have the bids in by the end of September and a final sale by Feb. 1, 2019. In a statement, Nippon Sharyo officials said they had been reducing their workforce at the Rochelle plant because of a decreased

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

Amazon is a leader in online shopping. It has warehouses across the country to sort and deliver its products. Recently, Amazon Air announced it will expand its delivery network into Rockford. Chicago Rockford International Airport is already a major hub for UPS. The airport also has maintenance facilities capable of repairing the world's largest aircraft. But Amazon took particular interest due to the airport's cargo operations. Director Sarah Rhoads says it's part of the retailer's "Middle Mile" network for two-day deliveries. "That package would go from a fulfillment center to one of our 21 air gateways that we have throughout the United States for transport to then another air gateway for downstream transit to a sort center where that package would be sorted for final delivery to your location," she explained. Amazon has been operating at Rockford's airport in some capacity since September 2016. Airport executive director Mike Dunn says they operated under a different corporate name

For some people, going to the dentist can be a double-edged sword. On one hand, regular dental treatment keeps teeth healthy. But at the same time, the sights, sounds and smells of a dental office can be unsettling for some. But which dentists you can access, and even afford, often depends on where you live. Dionne Haney is Director of Professional Services for the Illinois State Dental Society, a professional group affiliated with the American Dental Association. Haney says membership records can provide a tally of dental specialists. "We believe there's currently about 11,000 dentists licensed in the state," she said. "Approximately 8,500 of them actually practice. But with regards to membership in ISDS, they can be practicing or retired." That may seem like a lot of dentists, but Haney says they're spread across a state that has more than 12 million residents. About two-thirds of practicing Illinois dentists are based in and around Chicago. This doesn't mean people have no access to

Unemployment can happen to anyone, and state government and colleges have resources to help those who are looking to increase skills while they are between jobs. The state's latest jobs numbers indicate that unemployment was at 4.7% in February. However, this rate was higher in many of the state's metro areas. The highest was Kankakee, at 6.7%, followed by Rockford at 6.4. Illinois Department of Employment Security spokesman Bob Gough says jobless people can sign up for unemployment insurance to stay afloat. "You also have to, of course, be looking for work, available for work, and ready for work during that period," he said. "You have to check in regularly online, call in, in order to ensure that you are indeed out there trying to find work while you're out." This state program provides benefits for up to 26 weeks. Gough says people stay on the program for an average 16 weeks. To link these people with jobs, IDES runs regional employment centers. Here, clients can submit their resumes

Pinnacle Logistics and the Chicago Rockford International Airport announced 500 new jobs to support additional cargo flights at the airport. According to a news release, Pinnacle Logistics provides scheduled surface transportation, supply chain management, cargo, aircraft handling and parking services. The release says more positions will be added in coming months. The jobs include entry level positions, leads, supervisors and managers on duty, as well as dockworkers, forklift drivers, and ramp and cargo warehouse handling agents. The available positions are seasonal and permanent. “We knew our cargo growth would produce more jobs in 2019 and this is just the beginning,” said Mike Dunn, executive director at RFD. “We are glad to partner with Pinnacle Logistics and proud that our job creation continues to put us on the map for our exceptional cargo operations.” In July, the airport announced its rank as the 22nd largest airport in the nation for air cargo volume, up from a ranking of 31

The Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau announced Thursday eight new events they call "Big Wins" for the region. Andrea Cook is the associate director of marketing and communication. She said, "'Big Wins' bring big business to the region in a short amount of time." She credited one bowling open and two bowling tournaments for bringing in the most money. "Out of the more than $12.5 million that will come from the eight events, over $10 million of that comes from the three different bowling events we are hosting in 2020 and 2021," said Cook. Other events include The Rock River Tattoo Art Expo , the North American Fastpitch Association, the Illinois Council of Convention & Visitors Bureaus Spring Conference, the Illinois Association Chamber of Commerce Executives Fall Conference, and the Basset Hound Club of America Nationals. Pamela Crawford was there with her husband David Crawford and their two basset hounds, Apple and Ivy. She said, "We are here to promote basset hounds

Rory Block performed a special concert at World Cafe Live during the XPN Music Film Festival on Saturday, April 13th. Listen to the concert here.

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 […]

Rory Block, who performed a concert for the Mississippi Blues Project, has released Avalon: A Tribute To Mississippi John Hurt on Stony Plain Records. The album is the fourth CD in her “Mentor Series.” Previous tribute have been to Rev. […]

Below, listen to a Spotify playlist of Mississippi Blues artists. Listen to the first volume of the Mississippi Blues Project playlist here.

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 […]

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

Illinois U.S. Representative Cheri Bustos is pushing for expansion of health insurance enrollment during the Covid-19 pandemic. She made the comment after leaving a House hearing Wednesday regarding the successor to the CARES Act. “I believe it’s shortsighted of the Trump administration not to reopen the enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act when we’re in the middle of a worldwide pandemic.” Bustos cosponsored a bill in April that would create this very enrollment period. It is currently in committee. Also after the hearing, she said a key area that needs to be included in future legislation is contact tracing of people who have been exposed to an individual with COVID-19. “If we don’t get a plan figured out for that, not just the money, but a plan, it is going to be very difficult for our country to get back into some state of normalcy," she said. "And that was clear in the hearing that we held today that that will be absolutely critical for our nation’s future.” Bustos also

I love words. But sometimes this romance is a curse. I am not a word expert. But I should be. I read and write. A lot. Oh, and I’m a journalist. Words are my foundation — bricks for building stories. My touchstones for telling it as it is. And always, always my friends … for being there when I need them. But … I am not a word expert. I keep a dictionary nearby. If you’re in a newsroom you can just shout. “Help! Who knows the rule on lay vs. lie?” “No one!” someone shouts back. “Find a different word.” I use little tricks to remember proper spelling. I pronounce words wrong to get the spelling right. Like “paradigm.” I know how to pronounce it but instead tend to say pair-a-dig-em to make sure I spell it correctly. For years I stumbled over the word “facade.” I pronounced it “fay-kayed,” like it’s spelled. Silly me. I do get edgy when people abuse words. Perhaps I’m too sensitive. Like most married people, I announce my plans when leaving a room. Such as, “I’m taking my shower now.”

We have a winner. "Stay Home Songs" is a songwriting contest sponsored by Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. It was launched in April to provide a creative platform for musicians to highlight the resiliencey of Rockfordians amid the coronavirus pandemic. Nick Povalitis is the vice president of marketing and sports development for the RACVB. He says there were 25 entries comprised mostly of individual songwriters, but, he said "a couple [of] bands, a couple [of] mother/daughter combos and a high school" also competed. Entries were reviewed by a panel of five judges comprised of local musicians Jodi Beach, Vince Chiarelli, Duntai Mathews, Miles Nielsen, and Antonio Ramirez. They selected Rockford native Clark Kelly's song "Up, Up, Up" as the winner. "It's really an awesome song," said Povalitis, "And we're super proud of the songwriting contest, the whole experience, and what the end result thus far is. It's really a fantastic song to show the community." Kelly won a $200 gift

I’ve been watching a pair of yellow-bellied sapsuckers excavate a cavity in a dead white oak behind the shed. Since I’m home all the time, I can wander over and look at them whenever I feel like it, which is more often than you might expect. Sapsuckers, a kind of woodpecker, aren’t supposed to be here. They nest in northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Canada. In fact, according to the Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas, there has never been a confirmed nesting of yellow-bellied sapsuckers in my neck of Wisconsin. Yet here they are anyway, doing their thing in my dead oak. I guess they got lost and didn’t have a Bird Atlas. You can’t watch a woodpecker batter the trunk of a dead tree for very long without thinking about... brain trauma. I’m sure you’ve also wondered how woodpeckers sustain such head rattling without concussing themselves. My father-in-law used to say that woodpeckers could wrap their tongues around their brains to soften the blows. What an image! Without ever looking up, I

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

Families across Illinois have had to adapt to e-learning due to the stay-at-home order. But with the school year winding down, they’ll soon have to adapt to another new normal -- the lack of summer activities. A Rockford organization has made the decision to postpone its summer camp programs until 2021. The Rockford Area Arts Council has summer art programs for children of all ages. There’s ArtsPlace, ArtsPlace II and RAAC camp. Mary McNamara Bernsten is the executive director. She said although the programs are postponed, families will still have options. “We are now working collaboratively with New Genres Art Space and the United Way of Rock River Valley to provide Art Space instruction, mentorship and skill-building while practicing safe social distancing,” she said. She said children in the programs will also wear personal protective equipment, or PPE. McNamara Bernsten said New Genres Art Space uses cutting edge technology which allows them to work with two groups of six children

RUGBY players in Scotland who earn over £50,000 are being asked to take salary cuts amid the coronavirus pandemic.

RICHARD COCKERILL believes that a full programme of Guinness PRO14 play-offs would be a fairer way to end the current season if possible, even though his own Edinburgh team would be one of the beneficiaries if the league went straight to a final.

SHEILA Begbie, the SRU’s director of rugby development, has urged more clubs to apply to the Club Hardship Fund for help before the end-of-month deadline.

Colin Grassie is to stand down as chairman of the board of Scottish Rugby at August’s AGM.

The great North-South divide in rugby was never more in evidence than when the votes were counted for the chairmanship of World Rugby last week. Sir Bill Beaumont stayed in the job, beating Agustin Pichot by 28 votes to 23, but wow, what an outcome in terms of who actually supported the former England and British Lions captain.

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.

Propositions 109, 110 would fund transportation in different ways Author returns to Paonia to read from debut novel National Parks in state, country hope to get funding from Congress

Montrose Police Chief calls it a career after 45 years in law enforcement Trial in deaths of two Norwood girls continues, one defendant incompetent Western Slope Resources Reporting Native cutthroat trout species making a comeback after reintroduction efforts

Delta County Candidate Forum brings together Republicans, Democrats Hunting, fishing and wildlife on BLM land generates big tax revenue Mesa County school district 51 names interim superintendent

Road work, closures scheduled next week for Red Mountain Pass Telluride climber makes history, skis down 4th largest mountain in world KDNK feature about nationwide opposition to Jordan Cove pipeline plan

The Purple State Update with the Colorado Sun First poll in governor's race, debates, and Governor Hickenlooper travels Amendment 73 proposes to raise taxes on high earners to pay for schools

Colorado voters aged 50 and older voice their concerns, issues Three Western Slope counties face additional transportaiton ballot measures Montrose Budget public meeting scheduled for Oct. 10

U.S. Forest Service plans to implement shuttle, fees at Hanging Lake Bull Draw Fire closure lifted, fire now 95 percent contained BLM, advocates battle over management of wild horse herds in West

7 states tentatively agree on Colorado river conservation, drought mitigation Biologists have some success in protecting endangered fish in Colorado River Gunnison Basin hopes for wet weather, prepare for dry winter just in case

Colorado voters looking for specific changes from Governor candidates Luke Runyon reports on stakes involved with Colorado River conservation First ski resort in Colorado to open this weekend after snow in mountains

The Purple State Update with the Colorado Sun Conservation plan calls for water to be taken from Blue Mesa Reservoir Lake Powell near disastrous low level; contingency plans established Preview of high school football schedule around listening area