🌱 Patch AM: Where can you drop your Christmas tree and grab free mulch?

Good morning Rockford! We're back again in your inbox, keeping you updated with what's happening in and around town. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• Where can you drop your Christmas tree and grab free mulch?
• How one teddy bear drive reached kids across Rockford hospitals
• How Rockford lawmakers just expanded job protection for NICU parents

Today's riddle: I’m trying to think of a new cloud joke. 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Sunday: Rain; breezy in the afternoon, with a high of 51 and low of 14 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
• Monday: Flurries, mainly early, temps: high: 22, low: 7.
• Tuesday: Periods of clouds and sun, with a high of 28 and low of 24 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful offers Christmas tree recycling across Rockford area (wifr.com) — Rockford residents can recycle their real Christmas trees through Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful’s annual program, with several local drop-off sites and free mulch available while supplies last. Trees are turned into mulch and compost to support community green spaces, and residents can pick up self-serve mulch at 523 S. Central in Rockford or contact KNIB for full site details.
   

2. Community donates teddy bears to uplift hospitalized children in Rockford (mystateline.com) — Children in Rockford hospitals are receiving donated teddy bears thanks to the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Teddy Bear Drive, which collected enough stuffed animals for more than a dozen organizations. Sheriff Gary Caruana and deputies personally delivered the gifts to Mercyhealth’s NICU, Gigi’s Playhouse, and other local nonprofits to brighten the holidays for families and staff.
   

3. Rockford-area lawmakers support Illinois NICU Leave Law (wifr.com) — Rockford-area lawmakers Dave Vella and John Cabello are backing a new Illinois law that guarantees job-protected, unpaid leave for parents with newborns in a NICU, starting January 1. The measure expands protections beyond federal FMLA, requires many employers to maintain health benefits and job reinstatement, and allows workers to file complaints or lawsuits if they face retaliation.
   

4. Zillow updates its home price forecast across 400-plus housing markets (fastcompany.com) — Zillow now expects Rockford home values to climb about 5.6% between November 2025 and November 2026, one of the strongest projected gains in the country. While the national housing outlook is modest, this forecast suggests Rockford’s market could stay competitive even as some other metros cool.
   

📸 Around Rockford

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Rockford

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Monday December 29

• Raptors 3v3 Tournament
  Indoor Sports Center , 8800 E. Riverside Blvd. , Loves Park
  8:00 am
• Golf Driving Range
  Indoor Sports Center , 8800 E. Riverside Blvd. , Loves Park
  10:00 am

Tuesday December 30

• Big Cat Goalkeeping Clinic
  Indoor Sports Center , 8800 E. Riverside Blvd. , Loves Park
  9:00 am
• Golf Driving Range
  Indoor Sports Center , 8800 E. Riverside Blvd. , Loves Park
  10:00 am

Thursday January 1

• City Offices Closed - New Year's Day
  Rockford, IL Calendar Rockford, IL 61104

Saturday January 3

• International Soccer League
  Indoor Sports Center , 8800 E. Riverside Blvd. , Loves Park
  7:00 am
• Raptors 5v5 Tournament
  Indoor Sports Center , 8800 E. Riverside Blvd. , Loves Park
  8:00 am

Sunday January 4

• Hispanic Soccer League
  Indoor Sports Center , 8800 E. Riverside Blvd. , Loves Park
  8:00 am

📣 Rockford Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Sunday December 28

• Hispanic Soccer League
  Indoor Sports Center , 8800 E. Riverside Blvd. , Loves Park
  8:00 am
• Pokemon League Challenge
  Cataclysm Tabletop Gaming , 8289 Burden Rd Suite SE , Machesney Park
  10:00 am

Monday December 29

• Raptors 3v3 Tournament
  Indoor Sports Center , 8800 E. Riverside Blvd. , Loves Park
  8:00 am
• Golf Driving Range
  Indoor Sports Center , 8800 E. Riverside Blvd. , Loves Park
  10:00 am

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Rockford PatchAM possible:

• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!
• Mike’s Mowing & More Inc — (815) 721-4464
  Property Maintenance, Tree Removal, & Landscaping

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Update: found her owner using the chip and she is home safely!!
  FOUND: small light brown pitbull in the Rural/Fairview area. Collar but no tags. Please message me with a photo to claim! (Nextdoor Alpine Ridge)
• I am trying to find a good vet in the area.
  Someone once recommended Dogwood Vet in Loves Park but they have not been accepting new patients for at least a year. We currently go to Animal… (Nextdoor Rolling Green)

• YMCA of Rock River Valley posted a job opening for School-Age Group Leader in Rockford. Apply here.
• Rockford Public Schools posted a job opening for Library Paraprofessional 6.5 hours per day in Rockford. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Rockford here.

Ok Rockford! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I haven’t the foggiest.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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