The Rockford Register Star's coverage of the Chemtool industrial fire incident in Rockton, Illinois. Several representatives from emergency responders and the health department briefed reporters on the latest details regarding health concerns f

Not Just a Game with MMA star Corey Anderson

May 6th, 2021 29m 56s

The former Hononegah wrestler, and UFC fighter, Corey Anderson, is now working his way up the Bellator ladder and recently advanced to the semifinals of the light heavyweight Grand Prix, with a $1M prize awaiting the winner. Anderson sat down a

First Free Rockford Worship Band sings "Amazing Grace"

May 1st, 2021 1m 2s

The First Free Rockford Worship band performs during a community prayer event at the intersection of South Main Street at Morgan Street Saturday, May 1, 2021, in Rockford. Brother Carlos Chacon, South Side Outreach Ministry and a Spanish langua

Kathy Reum Searches for Her Son

Apr 17th, 2021 2m 20s

Kathy Reum is looking for closure. Her 28-year-old son, Patrick Michael Reum, was last seen around 6 p.m. on Dec. 12 walking out of his house in the 400 block of South First Street in Rockford’s Haight Village neighborhood. Kathy Reum and volun

Not Just a Game with Iowa wrestler Tony Cassioppi

Mar 25th, 2021 25m 19s

Tony Cassioppi, the former Hononegah wrestler who won two state titles with an undefeated record back in his high school days, is starting to make some noise at the top college level now, too. Cassioppi finished third in the Big Ten Championshi

Not Just a Game with Tom Guse, Zack Derus and Ethan Ackerman

Mar 16th, 2021 29m 58s

Head coach Tom Guse and point guard Zach Derus talk about Lutheran's undefeated boys basketball season, and what they could have done with a state tournament this year, during this week's "Not Just a Game" podcast, with host Jay Taft. Then, Win

Not Just a Game with Sister Stephanie Baliga, the Running Nun

Feb 10th, 2021 27m 37s

Sister Stephanie Baliga used to run competitively for Auburn and then the University of Illinois, but now she does it to help fund the Mission of Our Lady of Angel and its food pantry that feeds over 1,000 people a day. Sister Stephanie, this w

How to make an award-winning snow sculpture with Fran Volz

Jan 23rd, 2021 4m 29s

Fran Volz carves a mermaid out of snow on the empty lot at the corner of North Church Street and John Street on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2021, in Rockford. Volz, a professional sculptor, bought the property after a fire destroyed a home there in the

Not Just a Game with Anthony Billups, CHAPTER 1

Jan 22nd, 2021 35m 37s

Anthony Billups was a star pitcher for Hononegah back in the late-90s and early 2000s, and went on to pitch his way through college. But a car accident and temporary blindness set him on a path toward art and music, and now he's a rising star i

Not Just a Game with Anthony Billups, CHAPTER 2

Jan 22nd, 2021 32m 58s

Anthony Billups, the former Hononegah star pitcher who transformed into an artist and musician in the Nashville, Tennessee, scene, talks about his mural-painting business as well as his music career. He just released his third country-music alb

Courtney Oakes at Northern Illinois Food Bank

Jan 21st, 2021 1m 33s

Courtney Oakes, the Winnebago County Market Manager for Northern Illinois Food Bank, asks for more volunteers to help distribute food to shoppers at Northern Illinois Food Bank. Oakes was interviewed at the food bank on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021,

Not Just a Game with Syracuse DE Josh Black

Jan 14th, 2021 16m 18s

Former Harlem star and Syracuse defensive end Josh Black recently made the decision to return to college for one more football season — and to get his Master's degree. Listen to Josh talk about his reasons for returning, his hopes for the futur

Not Just a Game with NAIA basketball star Madi Hecox

Jan 8th, 2021 32m 20s

Former East and RVC star Madi Hecox has battled back from heart surgery — for a heart ailment that she discovered by chance when her new school happened to test her — and just had her first double-double for her new team, Southeastern Universit

Not Just a Game with BASE jumper, and ER Dr., Charley Kurlinkus

Dec 18th, 2020 20m 43s

Charley Kurlinkus won the high jumping state championship while a student-athlete at Hononegah, and now he's an emergency room doctor in Sacramento, California. But when he's not working, he's soaring through the air as one of the world's top B

Not Just a Game with Freeport's McShane brothers

Dec 10th, 2020 19m 9s

Former Freeport Pretzel stars Steve, Vance and Deion McShane sit down together with host Jay Taft and talk about what they've all been through this past year — as well as having a few laughs. Steve is rehabbing a torn Achilles tendon from his s

Not Just a Game with Illini LT Vederian Lowe

Dec 3rd, 2020 20m 53s

Senior left tackle Vederian Lowe, a former Auburn standout, talks about playing college football during COVID-19, why the Fighting Illini stumbled early in the season, and what he thinks it's going to take for Illinois to finish strong as this

Black Friday at GameStop in Rockford

Nov 27th, 2020 2m 22s

It's Black Friday. Shoppers were cued up before sunrise outside some chain stores in Rockford to take part in discounts and deals on their favorite items. Here's the Almonasi family walking out of the GameStop with two new PlayStation 5 game c

Not Just a Game with Indiana U asst coach Ben Black

Nov 23rd, 2020 18m 47s

Former Harlem standout Ben Black has worked his way up the coaching ranks the past five years and is now a graduate assistant working with the defensive line at Indiana University. The Hoosiers are on a historic run, even after losing by one to

Health experts fear COVID-19 surge tied to holidays

Nov 14th, 2020 21m 5s

As the holidays approach, public health officials and doctors say they anticipate a fresh coronavirus surge after Thanksgiving if people don’t shelter in place. Their message to Rockfordians and residents of northern Illinois, is to stay home -

"Not Just a Game" with Packers' Dean Lowry

Nov 13th, 2020 11m 23s

Green Bay Packers' fifth-year starting defensive lineman Dean Lowry joins Jay Taft on this week's "Not Just a Game" podcast to talk about COVID-19, the Packers, and their matchup with Jacksonville on Sunday. Former Rockford Lutheran star James

Introducing the Bytecast App2

Nov 13th, 2020 21s

This is a test of the unlisted version of posting a soundbite.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not Just a Game with quarantined coaches, stars

Oct 30th, 2020 26m 22s

"Not Just a Game" host Jay Taft holds an interview with Hall of Fame coaches Joe and Janet Erb and runners Katie and Grace Erb and Kaylee Woolery, who were all in quarantine at the time. They expected to be out in time for Saturday's cross coun

Not Just a Game with Iowa wrestler Tony Cassioppi

Oct 21st, 2020 17m 19s

Tony Cassioppi won two state titles when he was a wrestler for Hononegah, and now he's the Iowa Hawkeyes starting heavyweight, and he's gunning for the top there, too. Cassioppi was seeded third headed into last year's NCAA Championships before

Not Just a Game with ESPN's Nicole Briscoe

Oct 16th, 2020 22m 33s

Nicole Briscoe, a former Roscoe resident and Hononegah High School graduate, talks about how COVID-19 has impacted her life, and and off the set of ESPN's SportsCenter. Briscoe has been a SportsCenter anchor since 2015.

Not Just a Game with IHSA director, and 2 stars

Oct 10th, 2020 28m 15s

Host Jay Taft brings in IHSA executive director Craig Anderson as well as Rochelle wrestler Ben Harvey and Winnebago basketball player Miyah Brown to talk about what they expect to happen when the winter seasons roll around. Teams are planning