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

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

Attention bibliophiles! If you like e-books, but have missed holding and reading real books, the Rockford Public Library is providing curbside pick-up by appointment at all of their branches. Bridget Finn is the marketing director for RPL and she says customers can reserve items through the website or by phone. "After that," Finn said, "the staff will pull the items -- if they're available -- sanitize them, call the customer, set an appointment for them to come pick up the items, and get them ready for retrieval." Customers will get called up to the door and asked to show their library card or State ID through the window. Once the staff verifies the customer's identity and items, they will ask that person to step back six feet. The staff member will then place the items on a cart and roll it outside. When the staff member is back inside the building, the customer may retrieve the items. Customers may also reserve DVDs and CDs. To reserve items from the library and learn more about

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

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 are living through historic times: How are you documenting them? Art? Poetry? Photos? Music? We’d love to see what you’ve been creating during our stay-at-home order. Send us your original poems, essays, and photos! Take pictures of your painting, drawing, sculpture, or whatever visual medium you’re working in. Send us a link to your performance of an original song. We’ll share them on our website. Email your submissions to WNIJpix@niu.edu If you have a statement about your work you’d like to include, send it along. Give us your name and the city or town where you live. We’d like our virtual talent show to represent how our community is dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. It’s not a contest or a place for critiques: It’s a place to show off your talent and see what everyone else has been up to these past few challenging months. Work from kids is welcome, too! A few simple rules: The work must be your own. No cover songs, no memes ripped from Facebook, no plagiarizing! Shorter is good!

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

SMITTEN Paige Turley has been feeding her hunky Love Island boyfriend Finn Tapp with the finest of Scottish cuisine while in lockdown - and it seems he can’t get enough of haggis.

Bennett, Hickenlooper request that BLM oil and gas lease sale be deferred Health clinics in Colorado serve a vital role for low income health care Western State University in Gunnison gets largest ever donation

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.

Bull Draw Fire flares up in warmer, drier weather; smoke expected Engage Energy Conference brings together stakeholders in energy industry Transition from older, outdated energy sources to new ones a hot topic Governor Hickenlooper forms Federal PAC, signals possible Presidential run

Candidates for 3rd Congressional District disagree about Jordan Cove project Flare up in the Bull Draw Fire causes more closures of the Divide Road Changes to Endangered Species Act could impact oil and gas, recreation in Colorado Glance at high school football schedule this weekend

Colorado has fourth best economy in the country Statewide surplus expected this year and next The Purple State Update with the Colorado Sun Recycling, election security, Governor possibly running for President

Toxic algae confirmed in Blue Mesa Reservoir Boaters encouraged to stay away from Iola Basin, protect pets Paonia Elementary School wins prestigious award

Water Sheriff patrols Four Corners, water theft up during drought season Historic Leadville Opera House eligible for preservation grant Update on investigation of two bodies discovered outside Hotchkiss

Blue Mesa Reservoir at record low volume, toxic algae blooms confirmed Bull Draw Fire 95 percent contained, special techniques aid firefight Statewide expansion of Medicare greatly benefitted rural residents Victims of shooting outside of Hotchkiss identified, investigation ongoing

ICELAB comes to Delta County, promotes job growth and new business Amendment X would take hemp out of state constitution

Report indicates drought in Colorado is getting worse Flu season last year in the state was busiest ever The Purple State Update with the Colorado Sun Purple State talks Club 20 Debates, state economy and beer industry

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

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.

WHETHER through shrewd planning, good fortune or a bit of both, Edinburgh managed to complete the bulk of their business for next season before rugby came grinding to a halt. When precisely play resumes is, of course, unknown and out of their control, but they are at least confident that they will be in good shape to hit the ground running.

THE irony that the recent weather would have been ideal for the start of the domestic cricket season is not lost on Kyle Coetzer.

WHILE almost every athlete has been affected by the global shutdown of sport, it is perhaps the old and the young who are feeling it the most.

SUCCESS in athletics can often be a family affair. Scots such as Callum Hawkins and Eilish McColgan have thrived under the tutelage of their parents, while track star Jake Wightman is another who has preferred to turn to his family to coach him to success on the track.