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.

Join us for the music of Crystal Gravy, of DeKalb, IL. They are a love-struck duo who even spent their first date writing their first song. We'll hear their performance in Studio A and talk with Crystal Gravy about their writing process, their relationship, and much more. We will even learn what "Hotel Stew" is. Keep up with Crystal Gravy by following their Facebook page. Find more of their music streaming on Spotify and available for download on Bandcamp! Crystal Gravy performing "Krug" live in WNIJ's Studio A Crystal Gravy performing "First Blood" live in WNIJ's Studio A Crystal Gravy performing "One More Storm" live in WNIJ's Studio A

Krzysztof Penderecki , one of the world's leading composers, died Sunday at the age of 86. The Polish Ministry of Affairs announced his passing in a tweet. No cause of death was given. The Polish-born composer established himself while still in his 20s with jarring atonal works such as Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima , and came to be widely admired by music fans and musicians far outside traditional classical music circles. Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood noted the passing of one of his idols on Twitter , "Penderecki was the greatest - a fiercely creative composer, and a gentle, warm-hearted man" he wrote Sunday. "My condolences to his family, and to Poland on this huge loss to the musical world." Untold numbers of people are familiar with Penderecki's music – perhaps without knowing it – thanks to films such as Shutter Island and especially The Shining , the Stanley Kubrick thriller that included the compositions Polymorphia and The Awakening of Jacob to frightening effect.

Dark Heart News is a high-energy rock and roll trio from Chicago. They have a wide range of influences from rock legends like Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and The White Stripes, to blues masters such as Stevie Ray Vaughan. Hear Dark Heart News' full performance in Studio A right here! You can keep up with the band and purchase their music at their website . Dark Heart News performing "Snake Eyes" live in WNIJ's Studio A Dark Heart News performing "Driven and Lonely" live in WNIJ's Studio A Dark Heart News performing "House of Kings" live in WNIJ's Studio A

Art fairs are common around springtime but for a lot of vendors this year, it’s not business as usual. That’s due to COVID-19 and social distancing. Two Fox Valley Area artists found a way to help bring in revenue, despite what's going on. Kelsey Rankin is the founder of Hemp Club Jewelry . She worked with her friend Laura Lynne to create a Virtual Artisan Market. “We kind of handpicked our vendors that we wanted to participate. It was an invite only, artisan handmade is what we wanted to stick with,” she said. “Because there’s a ton of people that we know out there but we wanted to keep it small in manageable for this first one.” Rankin said she understands that people are hesitant about receiving packages in the mail. She refers to advice from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. “So just wash your hands. Make sure you are being careful with any foreign object coming into the house. And if you feel like you need to wipe it down, do so. Just follow the

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,

Listen to a special edition of Sessions from Studio A this week, as celebrate the first ever Public Radio Music Day. Sessions has been on the air for 4 years and has had over 100 artists featured on the show. In this episode, we'll take a listen back through the years to a variety of performances recorded for Sessions from Studio A. Local musicians need your support now more than ever. Download an album, buy some merch, and most importantly, go see a local artist live once you are able. We at WNIJ would like to thank all the artists who have performed on Sessions from Studio A and all of the listeners who support the show. You are what keeps music on public radio alive and strong. Thank you. Don't forget, you can find the full episodes of these performances here in our show archive and watch behind-the-scenes video on our YouTube channel .

The Rockford Area Arts Council wants your kids to create short videos not just for fun, but for educational purposes. Alone Together is a film showcase for students in grades 1-12 in Winnebago, DeKalb, Boone and Ogle counties. They are encouraged to shoot a short, creative video about any subject that interests them. RAAC Executive Director Mary McNamara Bernsten said this includes artistic subjects like dancing and drawing but also math, science, and foreign language. "You know kids are online all the time," she said, "and they're thinking, 'Oh, I'm in my French class right now and I am just memorizing all these vocabulary words.'" She continued, "You could go to our file on YouTube and find some fun, kind of innovative ways to look at your vocabulary words using some film project that a student has created." Alone Together is the Arts Council's response to COVID-19. McNamara Bernsten said that artistic expression during the quarantine is a way to connect and relate to each other's

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

A northern Illinois economic development group is working on what’s being called a “code of ethics” for its member communities. They’re not alone. In this WNIJ Friday Forum, Guy Stephens looks at codes that are being created and what they can mean to economic development. Striking a balance between competing local interests to achieve a benefit of all long has been a mantra of regional economic development. No one involved seems to disagree. Still, it has been deemed necessary to “get it in writing.” The Region 1 Planning Council is an economic development alliance that comprises the Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning (RMAP) and the Economic Development District of Northern Illinois (EDDNI). It includes the City of Rochelle along with governments in Stephenson, Winnebago, Boone and McHenry Counties. The Council has been working on its so-called “code of ethics” with the aim of having something in place this year. It would, among other things, prohibit local governments 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

The Chicago Rockford International Airport is now the 22 nd busiest airport in the nation for cargo volume. The airport rose from a ranking of 31st in 2016. Airport Executive Director Mike Dunn said Rockford has the necessary infrastructure to support both cargo and passenger operations. “Well, it’s been a curious contemplation by myself and people at the airport to determine what would come or explode first at the airport -- the cargo operations or the passenger operations, and obviously, it’s the cargo operations,” Dunn said. Close to 1.4 billion pounds of cargo traveled through the Chicago Rockford International Airport last year. This year, more than 2 billion pounds of cargo are expected to make their way through. Dunn said the growth is expected to continue in the coming years. “’17 was significantly higher than ’16, and ’18 will be significantly higher than ’17,” he said. “So where we go, yes, we anticipate more growth. I don’t know at what rate.” Dunn said the airport’s growth

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.”

Every fall, northern Illinois farmers set up roadside shops to get their crops to market, as well as get visitors to check out their farms. You can find several of these along a stretch of Lincoln Highway east of DeKalb. One of the largest is Kuipers Family Farm in Maple Park. It has a pumpkin farm and apple orchard, plus a lot of family attractions. These range from train rides and corn mazes to climbing walls and a "bouncing pillow." Co-owner Kimberly Kuipers says these were inspired by taking their own kids to nearby farms. "They were very nice, but there was just a lot of stuff to look at and our kids wanted to climb over everything, and were constantly getting in trouble so we thought, 'Why don't we take what we want to see for our kids, and see if we can duplicate it at our own farm?'" she said. That's what attracted Michelle Barton and her children. "I love it, and we have a great time, so we enjoy running around and doing all the activities." Kuipers says her biggest source of

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

Illinois raised its per-gallon gasoline tax at the beginning of July and it’s already having an effect on state prices. AAA reports the current state average is around $3.14 per gallon, and may be driving some border residents to get their fuel in other states. GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan says the change came quickly. “Average prices shot up noticeably within the first 24 hours but it took almost 48-72 hours for stations to fully pass along the state’s 19 cent per gallon increase in gasoline tax,” he said. DeHaan says prices also remain high because of increased oil costs. This, he says, is due to tensions between Iran and the West in the Persian Gulf.

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 […]

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.

Below, from our session with David Bromberg, watch him perform “Kind-Hearted Woman,” and “Wee Midnight Hours.” You can listen to the full session

We’re saddened to hear that James “T-Model” Ford has passed away. He was 94. Born James Lewis Carter Ford in Forest, Mississippi. T-Model was a hard hitting and raw sounding Delta bluesman. While he played music for most his life, […]

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

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy designated May as Older Americans Month. Since then, the population of older Americans has steadily increased. To be considered an older American, you have to be at least 60 years old. During the Kennedy Administration, there were about 17 million Americans over the age of 60. Now there are more than 68 million. In Illinois, more than 15% of the population is comprised of people who are at least 60 years old. By the year 2030, it's expected that 25% of Illinoisans will have that designation. Lifescape Community Services assists older adults in northwestern Illinois. Zach Satterlee is its fund development and marketing director. Satterlee, who is 26, says that treating all people with kindness and respect helps build a healthier population. "We need to realize that though people are older, or seniors, or at a certain age, that doesn't mean that they don't have tons of things to give to society." He continued, "We can all think of older adults in our

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

Coronavirus testing will continue at a drive-thru testing site in Rockford this morning, after the state health department and the Governor’s office intervened in a problem with receiving test results. Winnebago County Board chairman Frank Haney asked for help from the state, saying 2,100 tests taken at the site at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Rockford were “missing.” Haney said test results were not available after nearly two weeks when they should have taken only a few days. He announced Wednesday evening that testing would be suspended at that site. However, the state determined the tests were never missing, but the laboratory the state had contracted with to process the samples used a paper system to report results, significantly delaying them. The site will now be served by a different lab, which can report results to the county electronically. The Illinois Department of Public Health told the Winnebago County Health Department late Wednesday it developed a

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

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

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.

DAVE Rennie believes that Leinster deserve to be awarded the PRO14 title, and is convinced that such a solution would be better for player welfare and the integrity of the competition than dragging this season on into late summer or autumn.

A Glasgow spoken word artist released an album of whole archive, recorded live in Glasgow's Hug and Pint.

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.

WET WET WET singer Marti Pellow has performed a song in tribute to carers who are raising money for personal protection equipment (PPE) in his hometown of Clydebank.