Dillon Valencia

4 days ago | wrex.com | Dillon Valencia

ROCKFORD, Ill. — In his annual State of the City address, Mayor Tom McNamara said Rockford has made big strides in public safety, housing, infrastructure and education, but warned those gains could be threatened by cuts and shifting priorities at the state and federal levels. “Let’s take a moment to honor how far we have come, and then recommit ourselves to the work that still remains ahead of us,” the mayor said.

1 week ago | wrex.com | Dillon Valencia

ROCKFORD, Ill. — As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, we highlight the story of one woman whose experience reminds us that a diagnosis does not define a person. Tracy Meinert, a resident at Stepping Stones of Rockford, has lived with mental health challenges for much of her life. "I've lived with my mental health issues, probably since I was young," she said. But upon meeting Tracy, what immediately stands out isn’t her diagnosis, it’s her infectious laugh and unapologetic humor.

1 week ago | kimt.com | Dillon Valencia

ROCKFORD, Ill. — As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, we highlight the story of one woman whose experience reminds us that a diagnosis does not define a person. Tracy Meinert, a resident at Stepping Stones of Rockford, has lived with mental health challenges for much of her life. "I've lived with my mental health issues, probably since I was young," she said. But upon meeting Tracy, what immediately stands out isn’t her diagnosis, it’s her infectious laugh and unapologetic humor.

1 week ago | wrex.com | Dillon Valencia

ROCKFORD, Ill. — In our latest 13 Investigates exclusive, we're looking into an ever-growing issue in Rockford, pedestrian fatalities. Every year, people are dying on Rockford roads. 13 Investigates looked through layers of data and learned 264 people were hit on Rockford roads by a car across the last five years. Of the over 200, 31 people have died from January 2020 to April 2025.

2 weeks ago | wrex.com | Dillon Valencia

UPDATE: During a regularly scheduled meeting Thursday night, Winnebago County board members voted to restore full authority to the position Winnebago County Chairman, which Joseph Chiarelli holds. In 2019, the power that the chairman position held was fully transferred to the county administrator. Prior to then, the chairman had full administrative power, meaning they were right under the board, and could hire or fire full time staff, while also overseeing other decisions.