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

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

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

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

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 […]

Listen to this special Mississippi Blues Project session with David Bromberg here. David Bromberg dropped by the studios at WXPN in Philadelphia in April to talk about, and play, Mississippi Blues. Bromberg cited the influences of players such as Muddy […]

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

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

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

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

All Illinoisans are required to wear a mask when they are doing things like grocery shopping, using public transportation or any other activity where they can’t maintain a distance of six feet. This order went into effect May 1. But what about other things like walking or running outside? The Illinois Department of Public Health’s guidelines suggest that masks are not needed when you are doing things like mowing your lawn or even running and walking in your neighborhood. Sandra Martell is the public health administrator for Winnebago County . She said that although a mask isn’t required, people should be prepared. “I think it always becomes important for people to always be intentional about it. To have one with them if they need to wear one,” she said. “They see someone approaching them to be able to put that on or if they are going to pass someone, to make sure that they can put one on as well.” She said there is a theoretical risk that extends past a direct encounter. Martell said a

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

The Illinois State Police on Friday made an announcement about the May 6 arrest in Iowa of Clark Terry Baldwin. He was wanted for the 1991 Tennessee murders of Pamela McCall and her unborn son, and the murders of two unidentified women discovered separately in Wyoming in 1992. In the ISP announcement, titled "Illinois State Police Announce An Update to the Tammy Zywicki Case," the ISP indicated that "at this time, Baldwin does not appear to have been involved with the murder of Tammy Zywicki." Zywicki, a 21-year-old college student, was abducted and killed by an unknown assailant after experiencing car trouble on I-80 near LaSalle, IL in August 1992. Reports at the time that she had been picked up by a trucker led nowhere. Baldwin was a long-haul trucker and suspected serial killer operating during the same time frame. He fit the profile of Zywicki's murderer and it was reported that authorities were investigating whether he might be involved. The ISP said it was continuing to

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.

I write this as news breaks that deaths from coronavirus in Scotland are nearing the four-figure mark, so it is with the proviso that everything in sport, and I mean everything, is an inconsequential matter of trivia at this time that I venture to suggest that some sports in Scotland, and especially rugby union, could do with a little image boost.

IT’S becoming a real bore that our main sporting authorities, particularly the Scottish Football Association, the Scottish Professional Football League and the Scottish Rugby Union, continue to get in a fankle over the way to end the 2019-20 season.

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.

WITH the usual proviso that nothing, but nothing, in sport is in any way important when human lives are at stake due to coronavirus, nevertheless I do think it is time for some realism to surface in rugby – and other sports I could name.

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.

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.

The Gainesville Police Department is currently investigating two separate attacks on women that have occurred in the past week. Due to the close proximity of at least one of these incidents to University of Florida properties, the following information is provided.

On Monday, February 10th, 2020 at
approximately 11:00 P.M., a woman was walking in the 2500 block of SW 35th Pl when she was attacked by a male and dragged into the wood line. The female victim was able to fight off her attacker and call for help. On Wednesday, February 12th, 2020 at approximately 7:00 A.M., another woman [...]

The following information was reported to the Gainesville Police Department (GPD) and is being distributed to the campus community due to the crime’s close proximity to the University of Florida campus:

Gainesville Police Department is working a reported robbery in the vicinity of the Campus Walk Condominiums, 914 SW 8th Avenue. At approximately 3:40 a.m., the victim was approached by the suspect outside of his apartment. After a brief encounter, the victim was physically knocked down by the suspect. The suspect then took the victim’s wallet and cash and fled on foot in an unknown direction travel. [...]

The Gainesville Police Department is currently investigating a sexual battery that possibly occurred near campus. Due to the close proximity of this incident to University of Florida properties, the following information is provided.

On Saturday, March 28, 2020 at approximately 6:15 P.M.., a woman was attempting to get a ride from Boardwalk Apartments at 2701 SW 13th Street, where she was offered a ride from an unknown black male. After getting inside of the vehicle the woman was taken to an unknown location, where she was sexually battered by the suspect. After the sexual battery occurred the suspect then drove [...]

The UFPD is currently investigating a sexual battery that was reported to have occurred Friday, sometime between 8:15 pm and 10:50 pm on the University of Florida campus. According to the victim, a male suspect approached him near the Bat House on Museum Road, introduced himself and tried to hug him. The sexual battery occurred after the subject got aggressive and pulled him into the bushes. The subject was last seen heading west from the area. [...]