From the Newsroom: Rockford Register Star Podcast

My guest today is Laura Gomel, co-director of 317 Art Collective in Rockford, Illinois.

She grew up in Chicago’s punk rock scene in the 1980s. She met her husband overseas and eventually -- and a little reluctantly -- raised a family here in Rockford.

Lucky for us, Laura Gomel is co-director with Jenny Mathews of 317 Art Collective -- an art gallery, studio space and event space located at 317 Market Street in Rockford.

Together the women are the latest in a series of stewards of the arts who have lived or worked in that building over the last century.

317 Art Collective opened in early January and since then it’s 10 residents and 30 members-at-large have hosted monthly art shows and classes.

On March 12, Laura Gomel joined me in the Register Star newsroom for a conversation about her early years in the Chicago punk rock scene in the 80s and what she’s doing now for Rockford’s creative community.

Read More:

https://www.rrstar.com/news/20190111/new-artists-continue-creative-tradition-at-317-market-st

More information:

Open Studio: 12 p.m. - 5 p.m., Saturdays.

Phone: 815-272-0411

Email: [email protected]

Facebook

Instagram

On Friday, March 15, 2019, a 28-year-old white supremacist allegedly shot and killed 50 Muslim worshipers in two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. Around the world, media reports chronicled the utter disbelief of New Zealanders who once thought that an act of terror and hatred like that could never touch their peaceful islands.

On Sunday, hundreds of Muslims, Christians, Jews, their faith leaders, and Rockford residents gathered at Muslim Community Center & Mosque in Rockford, Illinois, for a prayer vigil expressing support for all victims of terrorism and hate crimes.

READ THE FULL STORY: https://www.rrstar.com/news/20190317/hundreds-gather-in-prayer-at-rockford-mosque-in-wake-of-new-zealand-massacre

[Audio production by Scott P. Yates / Rockford Register Star Staff; Photo by Rachael Keating / Rockford Register Star Correspondent]

During a three-stop tour of the city U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-East Moline, visited with elementary school students, toured a Rockford Housing Authority property, and baked pastries with the businesswomen at Bella Luna Bakery. 

Rockford Register Star's Scott P. Yates sits down in the bakery with Bustos for a conversation about her day in Rockford on Friday, March 1, 2019.

Read more: https://www.rrstar.com/news/20190301/bustos-bakes-at-bella-luna-bakery-during-cheri-on-shift-visit

Additional music: “75 & Lower” by DJ Williams / YouTube Audio Library.

Despite Eastland girls basketball team's 62-36 loss to reigning state champions, Schlarman, Eastland still made program history by advancing to the state final match for the first time on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019. From the sideline after the game, Rockford Register Star sports reporter Adam Kradle speaks with Eastland basketball forward Meredith Janssen, guard Erin Henze and head coach Nicole Brinker, respectively.

Eastland head coach Nicole Brinker speaks to Rockford Register Star sports reporter Adam Kradle on Friday, Feb. 22, 2019, about embracing her team's underdog status in the upcoming championship match against Schlarman High School on Saturday at Redbird Arena in Normal, Illinois.

Read the full story here.

Health officials in Winnebago County are offering words of caution after several cases of measles have popped up across the country, including in Illinois. So far, there have been no cases in Winnebago County.

Mike Hedrick, the men's program supervisor at the Rockford Rescue Mission, says the extreme cold weather this month has sent more people in need into the warmth of the shelter. Rockford Register Star photojournalist Scott P. Yates interviews Hedrick for this podcast episode. Read the full story a www.rrstar.com.

Rockford community members gather for a memorial vigil on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019, at the site of the fatal shooting of 15-year-old Jefferson High School sophomore Za'Shawn Coats in Rockford. 

A GoFundMe campaign has been established to aid the Coast family in funeral and burial costs: Coats Family GoFundMe

Rockford Register Star photojournalist Scott P. Yates and staff reporter Ken DeCoster discuss their reporting trip to the vigil site. Read the full story here: Dozens mourn slain teen Za’Shawn Coats at vigil in Rockford

Tyrone Muhammed and Cecelia Arndt, residents of Brewington Oaks apartments, share their thoughts about having to move out of the complex, which is scheduled for demolition later this year. The on-going partial government shut down is delays the Rockford Housing Authority's processing of residents' vouchers used to rent other apartments in the city.

Rockford Register Star photojournalist Scott P. Yates and reporter Ken DeCoster talk about their recent reporting trip to the apartment complex on Thursday, Jan. 17, 2019.

Patrick Pursley, who spent 23 years in prison for the 1993 killing of Andy Ascher, was acquitted on Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2019, in a retrial before Judge Joe McGraw. Pursley was joined in support by Alan Beaman and John Horton, two other Rockford men who also had murder convictions thrown out after time in prison.