3rd Shift with Chris Owen

Rockford's an amazing town and that's something I will say with my chest. But I need to be honest when I say there is a scary side I've experienced.

If someone said to me that I could only have one type of food for every meal for the rest of my life, I would have no trouble answering with "sandwiches." Years ago, it would have been pizza, but when you think about it, what are there more varieties of, sandwiches or pizza? Even though there are lots of different pizzas, sandwiches have pizza beat in the numbers game by about 10-1.

The change of the season brings bright red, orange, and yellow trees to the area. There are some beautiful places to visit this fall to get that perfect social media photo.

As someone who's proudly called Rockford home for the past 30 years, I can tell you firsthand that it's a city full of character, charm, and a few quirks that even lifelong residents can't help but laugh at. But sometimes, it's good to poke a little fun at the places we love. Below is a roast of Rockford that had me cracking up, courtesy of ChatGPT—it's all in good fun, so don't take it too seriously!

I was under the impression that Florida was one of the top destinations for people fleeing other states. Apparently, I had that backwards as there is new evidence showing that there is currently an exodus happening from the Sunshine State and many are heading directly toward Illinois.

Unwind in the midst of Illinois' wildlife at Wildlife Prairie Park in Hanna City.

An Illinois town with a population of just 25,000 grew to roughly 250,000 after they hosted a fair that was record-breaking in attendance. Welcome to Belvidere!