Rockton-Roscoe News: we're one year old!
About 25,000 times a month, residents of Rockton and Roscoe read our articles.
In April 2021, we began publishing our first local news stories at roscoenews.com. One year later, hundreds of people in Roscoe and Rockton are reading our stories every day. Stateline businesses and organizations are contributing their events and news. Each month our stories are read about 25,000 times. Almost one in every hundred residents subscribe to our daily email newsletter - not bad for a one-year-old newspub - while many more find the latest Rockton-Roscoe news on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Because we have no printing or mailing costs, we can provide hyper-local news when most newspapers are cutting back on it.
Encouraged by Patch Labs, we started out small. Some of our first articles and calendar events included How to save the fireflies, Cat of the Weekend, Paint & Sip at Rockton Inn, Open Mic Comedy Night at Louie's Tap House, and Cinco de Mayo. We reported on the Dachshund Field Trials on Elevator Road, which are coming up again this weekend.
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Some of our best-loved stories told about the Wagon Wheel and the spelling victories of Avani Joshi. We announced sad news as well, such as the deaths of Kerry Dioneda, Brad Buisker, and others. We provided deep coverage of issues of popular concern, such as the Chemtool fire, trick-or-treating in Roscoe, the zoning of the Townhomes of White Oak on Roscoe Road, and the opening of Hidden Creek Estates. This week we begin a series on the opioid crisis, which has caused too many overdose deaths in Roscoe as well as Rockford.
We were honored when some of the most experienced reporters in the area joined our team: Jean Seegers and Marianne Mueller. Their strengths made it possible to expand our coverage. In August 2021, we changed our name to Rockton-Roscoe News. Later, Margaret Downing, a local history writer, became a contributor, as well as talented Hononegah students Indigo Sterud and Alex Tsimonidis. Sports reporter Harold Bone is covering his first story for us this week and has ambitious plans for the future. Subscribers value the Sunday messages of Gary Schwerin.
Stateline residents (and Google Search) have counted on Rockton-Roscoe News for authoritative information on Rockton Memorial Day Parade, Roscoe Fall Festival, Rockton Christmas Walk, Roscoe's Hometown Holidays, After the Vine, Hononegah playoffs, the Hononegah mask mandate, Rockton River Market, Rockton Pelican Fest, Yeti Fest, and Old Settlers Days.
We look forward to many years of service, made possible by our advertisers and supporters in the Roscoe and Rockton communities.
