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Rockton-Roscoe News: Thursday, Mar. 20, 2025

Baseball, close battle, hearing postponed, our death notices

Mar 20, 2025 — 4 min read

This afternoon's staff-student games at Willowbrook Middle School will raise money for DEFY Domestic Abuse in Beloit.

Today's news from Rockton-Roscoe News, with stories from Roscoe, Rockton, and South Beloit.

Hononegah baseball plays Boylan at home this afternoon at 4:30 p.m. after losing their season opener to North Boone. Students play volleyball and basketball against the staff at Willowbrook Middle School to raise money for charity. And in football news, the Macktown Football program is hosting a free offseason workout tomorrow evening at Whitman Post Elementary.
The Battle of the Badges blood drive was a tight race but Roscoe won by just one donor, with a total of 44 people visiting the Harlem-Roscoe fire station. Donations from that three-day blood drive could potentially impact more than 350 lives. It was held Mar. 8-11, 2025 at all three local fire stations: Roscoe, Rockton, and South Beloit, in that order.
Yesterday's pretrial hearing for Matthew D. Barnett, the Roscoe man accused of robbing a Belvidere bank in November 2024, has been postponed until late April. Because of the SAFE-T Act, the judge ruled he can remain a free man despite the state's attorney's objections - the Chicory Ridge resident hasn't missed a court date since his arrest. His next hearing is April 30, 2025, two weeks before the Chicory Ridge Garage Sales, May 17-18, though he hasn't participated in them in recent years.
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Thursday: Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 39. Breezy, with a north northwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 40 mph. Mostly clear Thursday night, with a low around 27. West northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming south after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 15 mph.
Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 53. Breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. A 30 percent chance of showers before 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25.
Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 43. Mostly cloudy Saturday night, with a low around 29