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ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - Hard Rock Casino Rockford is ready to host its first boxing card with hopes of more to come.

The World Boxing Association (WBA) will enter the ring at 6 p.m., April 19 to a nearly sold out crowd.

At the top of the card is the WBA Heavyweight Championship bout between Deontae “The Handsome Heavyweight” Pettigrew and Rochard Lartey.

Chicago native Pettigrew is undefeated with 14 wins under his belt, winning four matches by unanimous decision and the other ten bouts decided by knockout/technical knockout.

Ghanaian boxer Lartey has more experience in the ring with 16 wins and eight losses, but lost his last contest in November against the undefeated Polish boxer Damian Knyba. You can’t count Lartey out because in his previous bout in April 2024, he handed a different Polish boxer, Andrzej Wawrzyk, his fourth loss out of 38 fights.

Seven undercard fights are scheduled with Rockford boxer Jonathan Cruz set to make his professional debut. He is a three-time Chicago Golden Gloves champion and has a record of 45–5 in amateur fights. Cruz will go toe-to-toe with Kalamazoo, Michigan’s Cameron Vallier, who is 0–2 in his professional contests.

Here are the other undercards you can expect to see at the Hard Rock:

Geno Iafrate, president of Hard Rock Casino Rockford, says they are excited to present a new kind of event to the stateline. “There is not a bad seat in the joint and just to be able to see this level of boxing entertainment up close and personal live versus on your TV – I think it’s really going to create a buzz and an excitement and you’re going to see many more events in the future,” Iafrate said.

While not many seats are left for the event, if you want to watch the fights in person, tickets are available on Ticketmaster.

You can also watch the fights online.

Doors open at 5 p.m. and the first bell is at 6 p.m.

All attendees must be at least 21 years old.

Copyright 2025 WIFR. All rights reserved.

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Summer is right around the corner, and these Rockford camps are getting rave reviews...from kids themselves!

The other day my daughter said to me; "mom, my teacher told me there are less than 30 school days left until summer break!". My daughter may have been excited about that news, but me? I started panicking.

Sure, I love summer too, but what am I going to do with my kids?!? Sswimming in our pool and playing outside will only keep my kids entertained for so long. Eventually they will get bored or say it is too hot to go outside, and then the dreadful whining will begin...so, I need to be proactive this year!

As a parent there are a few things I know for sure when it comes to summer camps;

Since I have been conducting my find-the-best-summer-camps research for several years now, I am pretty confident saying these 4 in the Rockford area are the ones most recommended by kids:

4 Kid-Approved Summer Camps in Rockford, Illinois

These camps, and many other camps in the Rockford area have already opened registration for this summer, and many of them are almost full, so don't wait on getting your kids signed up!

Also, don't forget, a lot of churches in the Rockford area offer free bible schools too, so if you can't get your kids into camp, check into those too because kids love them!

20 Things About Rockford Summers That Will Give You Instant Nostalgia

Remember when you had a summer break?

Gallery Credit: Various

25 Rockford(ish) Spots For Cool Sweet Treats When It's Stupid Hot Outside

Here are some of the best places for ice cream and other cool sweet treats in and around Rockford.

Gallery Credit: JB Love

(WIFR) - Dozens of Illinois communities are alerting residents after “forever chemicals” were detected in their water systems.

In the stateline, notices about the detection of one or more Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances or PFAS have gone out to residents in Machesney Park, Freeport and Rockton.

The Environmental Protection Agency explains PFAS are widely used, long-lasting chemicals which break down slowly over time. Studies have shown exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.

According to the Illinois EPA, PFAS have been found in:

The Illinois EPA explains residents are receiving the notifications because of newly enacted groundwater quality standards.

For North Park Water District customers, the current level of PFAS in the drinking water is below the level of concern, making the water safe to drink.

North Park Water CEO Kelly Saunders says they are taking steps to correct the PFAS issue by shutting down well number two, which is on Victory Lane.

Construction has started on a new well and treatment plant behind Machesney Elementary to ensure the water remains safe.

“Generally, they’re considered bio-accumulative. So, this is over, you know, a lifetime of exposure. So, elevated levels aren’t necessarily a cause for immediate concern, but it is something that you need to pay attention to, to address as quickly as practicable because the important part is to eliminate the exposure so that it doesn’t continue to accumulate,” explained Saunders.

Saunders says the district’s long-term approach to combating the PFAS issue will be the $61 million treatment plant. She adds, North Park Water has also been awarded nearly $20.3 million in grant funding towards the treatment plant, another step forward in ensuring the safety of the water.

A notice posted on the city of Freeport’s website also says the city’s water is safe to drink and that all water delivered to homes and businesses come from PFAS-free wells.

The Village of Rockton posted on social media saying it is working with the IEPA to to meet or exceed the new standards. It says it will post the latest Consumer Confidence Report May 1 on the village’s website.

To monitor the notices sent to Community Water Systems in Illinois by the IEPA, click here.

Copyright 2025 WIFR. All rights reserved.

Are you fascinated by old, abandoned buildings?

I love looking at pictures and watching videos taken inside old abandoned buildings, especially when I know exactly where they're located and drive by them all the time.

I think my fascination with abandoned buildings basically stems from the stories I imagine they could tell and all of the WEIRD stuff that is usually left behind in them.

Old, abandoned buildings are definitely dangerous and illegal to explore without permission, but what if I told you we can take an in-depth tour of some without having to leave your comfy couch, bed, or desk chair?

Recently I wrote an article about the rumored abandoned tunnels that lie beneath the streets of Downtown Rockford that included a video taken by Decayingmidwest.

After seeing the article, a City of Rockford employee named Rob Wilhelmi reached out to us to explain how Decayingmidwest's video is extremely misleading, and then shared the truth about Rockford's underground tunnels...

During our conversation with Rob he also mentioned that we can take a virtual tour of some of Rockford's most famous abandoned buildings, so I decided to check that out. (and boy am I glad I did!)

It's no secret that there are a lot of abandoned buildings in Downtown Rockford that need to come down, but they also sit on valuable pieces of property that the City is working hard to redevelop.

As part of their efforts to find redevelopment partners for these abandoned properties, the City of Rockford has created virtual tours to show potential investors (and curious residents). Here are three of them...

Rockford Watch Company Factory at 325 S Madison St. (click here for the virtual tour)

Historic Walgreen's/Trek Media Building at 134 N Main St. (click here for the virtual tour)

Chick House Hotel at 121 S Main St. (click here for the virtual tour)

If you want to learn more about redevelopment possibilities in Rockford, check out this link for more cool pics and info.