One week later

Add comment June 26th, 2009

Last Friday, a Canadian National train carrying ethanol derailed and exploded at the intersection of South Mulford and Sandy Hollow roads. A Rockford woman died and nine people were injured in the accident. It’s been one week, and we’re still piecing the story together. You’ll find all of our coverage here. Come to rrstar.com for the latest developments.

Rockford fan page on Facebook features paper

4 comments June 26th, 2009

I am on Facebook every day. I enjoy reading status updates especially of my “friends” in Rockford. Yesterday, I was about to check the rrstar.com fan page when the profile picture from the Rockford fan page caught my eye.

The kid is holding the paper from the day after the FBI uncovered a plot to blow up CherryVale Mall. Derrick Shareef got 35 years in prison for his scheme to attack holiday shoppers in 2006. (We covered this extensively on the Web, however we lost most of the content when we launched a new Web site a couple years ago. This link will get you to a few of those stories, though.)

Interesting that the person behind the Rockford fan page picked this as the profile picture.

Where they don’t take newspapers for granted

Add comment June 25th, 2009

Petina Gappah was on NPR this morning talking about her book, which is a set of fictional stories that paint a picture of her real homeland, Zimbabwe.

One of the characters, a salesman, carries a newspaper around to show he’s credible. Gappah said she did that because in rural communities, newspapers are treasured; often one copy is read by many at the same time.

RockfordWoman.com is all new!

Add comment June 22nd, 2009

Last week, we launched a Web site that has undergone quite a makeover. RockfordWoman.com still has print magazine content, but that’s really just complementary to three major components: social networking, shopping and news.

Why did we do this? We wanted to create a safe, smart, sophisticated community for influential local women.

This is what Linda Grist Cunningham and I wrote for the current issue of the magazine.

You’ve probably seen the ads in the newspaper for the new site; they started appearing Sunday. We also will run a story in Friday’s GO section to remind you. And we are pushing to the site from rrstar.com.

I am getting a sore wrist from approving users: We’re up to around 80 now. I’ve been pleased by the interest and diverse backgrounds. On the Web, I am reminded of the same thing I encounter with the magazine: We have so many great women in the Rock River Valley!

Happy summer! The new Rockford Woman is here

Add comment June 19th, 2009

The July/August issue of Rockford Woman is hitting the streets this weekend (our cover model, Lynn Wilsie from Rock River Bank, is above).

We’re happy to tell you that we have a new retail vendor: Walgreens (six stores). See our complete list or subscribe for home delivery.

We also launched a brand-new Web site this week. More on that soon! Go check it out.

Wanted: Pet people

1 comment June 18th, 2009

The section on Thursdays is called People, but on June 25, it maybe should be called Pets.

We’re planning to run a special edition featuring your pets’ photos, names and personal information.

To participate, the cost is $20. Deadline is 4:30 p.m. Friday. Call 815-962-2400.

Then, when you see your puppy, kitty, bunny or bird in print, you can say, “So cute!”

Below is my nephew, Wacko Jacko!

Traditional journalism’s rise and fall

Add comment June 17th, 2009

Tech News published a series on “The Rise and Fall of Traditional Journalism.” It’s a long (four parts) and interesting read on what’s happened to the biz over the years. The writer says journalism reached its apex in the 1970s and began its decline then, too.

Sex, Semicolons and Split Infinitives

Add comment June 16th, 2009

What?

Expect no less of a title from former Register Star news editor Joyce Lamb, who is a suspense-romance novelist and copy editor at USA TODAY.

She is writing “Sex, Semicolons and Split Infinitives” on her humorous serialized fiction blog, “Save the Copy Editor, Save the World.” The point? You get hooked on the mystery but receive “word nerd” advice — aka, grammar tips — along the way.

People who post comments on the blog have the chance to win a signed copy of one of her books. I’ve read “Relative Strangers” and “Caught in the Act” (a newspaper thriller). I think I’ve read “Found Wanting,” too. It’s been a while.

Lamb, a 1983 Jefferson grad, left Rockford in the late 1990s. Many also remember her father, Joe, a legendary “old school” RRS editor who passed away in 2003.

You can follow Lamb on Twitter, too!

P.S. Don’t forget our own word guy, Barry Wood, with his Wood on Words blog.

What’s up, doc?

Add comment June 15th, 2009

This Sunday in the Register Star, you’ll find our annual Health Directory, a listing of hundreds of doctors and clinics in the Rock River Valley, organized by specialty.

It’s a handy size to keep in your “junk drawer.” Or if you prefer, you can search 24/7 at HealthyRockford.com. I especially like that you can customize search by gender and health system, for example.

‘Aged news’ vs. ‘real news’

Add comment June 12th, 2009

It’s Friday and I like to laugh at work on Fridays. This video story made me laugh. Even if it was done by “The Daily Show” at the expense of my biz. Warning: Salty language in video.