This week on the podcast we welcome the Rock and Roll Wizzard, Tim Moritz to the show...! Tim hosted the popular Wizzard's Juke Joint for over 30 years playing hits from the mid-50's to the early 70's. The radio show recently came to an end with the announcement that the Wizzard would be retiring. On the show we talk to Tim about music, his start in radio, his retirement, and plenty of random streams of consciousness. We also do our best to coax the Wizzard back onto the airwaves, but perhaps in...
Mar 16, 2015•1 hr 15 min
This week on the Illinois Valley Alternative Podcast, we hit up some local topics such as the cool things going on with the Carus Foundation. We also hit up the state's position on kids' standardized testing. After that we talk a little bit about Hoar frost and the local marijuana permits that were issued. Finally, we finish out the show with our favorite podcasts from 2014 (with a little spill over into 2015). Rock on Illinois Valley! We would like to thank our sponsors this week, the Kramarsic...
Feb 11, 2015•1 hr 6 min
IVpod is back again with Part 2 of our special 2014 Review of the top headlines around the Illinois Valley. Lots of stuff covered again this week...here is a breakdown of topics: the Peru Superintendent letter to parents, local beer, speed limit impact, corn production record, concerts for a cause, iFiber, the Utica bridge, Oglesby man tazing, more local brewery stuff, the Peru mall theater, voter turnout, the Wizard's Jukejoint, Block RICL, Rotary Park, Starved Rock, and finally some new laws c...
Jan 26, 2015•1 hr 2 min
IVpod has returned with a special 2 part review of the top news headlines around the Illinois Valley for 2014..! We talk about a lot of stuff, such as… the big bad winter weather of 2014, the wus-ification of the schools with cold weather, the Peter Miller Center at IVCC, e-cigarettes, littering laws, concealed carry, the IV drone, the Ottawa Trades program, a fishing invention, gas prices, marijuana plants, electronic message boards, video gambling, records at Starved Rock, and the Uproar Festi...
Jan 19, 2015•51 min
The @IVPodcast is rocking this week with an episode full of surprises. First off we talk about the latest on the Starved Rock trail closures, plus a couple notes on the LaSalle Canal Boat. After that we jump into the big patent troll case against podcasters. Personal Audio has decided podcasters are too poor to sue. Nice. After the break things really get interesting when we decide to start randomly calling people on Skype. We would like to thank Rev (@revlo_ND) from the Revcast, and Brodie (@Br...
Aug 27, 2014•59 min
It’s time for some Illinois Valley Podcasting fun! This week on the show we start with some talk on our upcoming class out at IVCC. After that we do a little follow up from last week’s topics. Then we dive deep into the news that LaSalle County is purchasing some drones for search and rescue operations. After the techy discussion, we go old school with a talk on the days of cornhusking competitions in the Illinois Valley. Some pod review and more…! Our sponsor this week is none other than iCandy...
Aug 13, 2014•55 min
Another episode is rocking the pod-waves! This week we start the show with all sorts of random chatter, but eventually we get the show back on track. We talk about the local gaming parlors that are popping up around the state. Plus we talk about the continued closures and ticketing at Starved Rock State Park. After that we hit up some usuals: apps, podcasts, and some Tweets of the Week! Thank you Music Machine for sponsoring this episode of the IV Alternative Podcast. Have an event to plan for? ...
Jul 30, 2014•1 hr 1 min
Welcome to the IV Podcast..! This week we hit on a bunch of local topics starting with a rundown on the local Facebook groups we have discovered. Then we talk about some NewsTribune articles such as the decrease in DUI's, the Grand Bear's search for money, and yet again the Peru fireworks. We also discuss some local gambling, sports, our favorite podcasts, and a tweet of the week..! A big thanks to Thomas Smith for this week’s musical break, and of course we would like to thank the Kramarsic Law...
Jul 16, 2014•51 min
Welcome to Episode 63 and Happy 4th of July!!! This week we chat about craft beer, an update on River City Panic, and the X-Race in Marseilles, IL. Then we welcome our guest, Kevin LaFollette! Kevin comes to the show to fill us in on the Cedar Point Classic. And just to be clear Google searchers, we are talking about the lovely little town in Illinois…not the rollercoaster park. After the interview, we flashback to the past by playing old #IVpod 4th of July clips from 2011 and 2012 about the Per...
Jul 02, 2014•1 hr 26 min
Episode 62 is here! This week we are joined by Tyler Amm from River City Panic. Tyler is here to spread the word about his movie that will film in lovely Ottawa, IL. He also needs our help..! His movie Kickstarter ends this month so be sure to check it out (link below). We also talk with him about Fishsticks and Milk plus some positive thoughts on the Illinois Valley. After that we hit on a couple quick tid bits, plus some apps and podcasts. Enjoy! We would like to thank our sponsor this week, t...
Jun 18, 2014•1 hr 8 min
It took a while to break our slump, but we are back and ready to rock the air waves..! This week we get a return visit from Illinois Valley native and film maker extraordinaire Johnny Derango..! Johnny updates us on his movie Lost on Purpose, plus some of the new projects he is working on. Check out the interview around the 26 minute mark of the show...Lots of local topics are discussed including River City Panic, Starved Rock, IV Memes, and a nice rant about the Ottawa trades program. Plus we s...
Jun 04, 2014•1 hr 12 min
The Illinois Valley Alternative Podcast is back! In this episode of the podcast, John and Clayton give a run down of what they have been up to over the past few months. After that, they hit up some interesting news topics including the sand mines, winter weather, and Skydive Chicago. We also preview some upcoming guests. After that, we hit up the usuals: podcasts, apps, and of course...the Tweets of the Week. We would like to thank our sponsors this week, the Kramarsic Law Office and the Music M...
Feb 12, 2014•1 hr 9 min
This week we are diving into the IVpod vaults and rebroadcasting Episode 29 - Frederick W. Matthiessen - IV All-Stars 1B. This episode was posted back on November 30th, 2011. Around the area, the man's name is best associated with the natural wonders of Matthiessen State Park, just a jog away from Starved Rock State Park. While this is certainly no small attribution, many don't know just how important the man was to the area. Also this week we talk about some more current issues of the day inclu...
Oct 09, 2013•1 hr 5 min
This week on the show we have our first sit down interview! We welcome Mark Walczynski to the show to talk about all sorts of IV historical topics. The talk includes the history of Starved Rock, the early days of the Illinois Valley, plus some stories from his days with the Department of Natural Resources. It was a fantastic interview and we recommend checking out his website. Also, he has two books out with another on the way. Please check out Mark’s links below. After the interview we tackle o...
Sep 25, 2013•1 hr 12 min
This week John and Clayton return to the Block RICL topic to review some of the new, more focused messages from the DC power line opponents. After that we give some background on the Wedron water contamination, followed by a story about flip flops. Plenty of other topics covered, including the new video game console releases. We give some app and podcast suggestions, and of course, the Tweets of the Week. Rock on. We would like to thank the Music Machine for sponsoring this episode of the IV Alt...
Sep 11, 2013•1 hr 5 min
This week we get a little help from comedian and episode 56 guest host…Chad Errio! We start out by getting some background about Chad, how he got into comedy, the Rural Route Comedy Tour, and what he has been up to lately. After talking comedy, the team tackles some of the local news stories such as the new speed limit, a guy getting shot in the face, and area intelligence studies. Then John and Chad geek out about Batman and Superman, followed by apps, podcasts, and the Tweets of the Week! A bi...
Aug 28, 2013•1 hr 15 min
Welcome to IVpod. This week we start with a run down on some local summer events, plus a little plug for an up and coming Illinois Valley band, Curb 11. After that we talk about the police dog tragedies plus the cell phone break in. Then we hit on local skydiving news, in particular the death defying jump by escape artist Anthony Martin. Martin was trained by Skydive Chicago’s very own, Rook Nelson. After a little Bears talk, we hit on some apps, podcasts, and of course the Tweets of the Week. W...
Aug 14, 2013•1 hr 5 min
This week we add a little music to our lives..! Things start out with a rundown on our first big event, the Downtown LaSalle Canal Market. Then the show starts kicking when we welcome Aterra Tale vocalist Scottie James to the recording booth. We talk about his start, his music, and his love of the Super NES. For more information about Aterra Tale music, check out their site listed below in the links. After the interview we discuss a new Google accessory, and then Clayton gives a beer review. Aft...
Jul 31, 2013•1 hr 13 min
This is a hard one to summarize because we were off the hook..! This week’s show tackles all sorts of topics from the big Cedar Point Classic, to the Tim McGraw Concert for a Cause, local sporting news, and so much more. We also review some less known Illinois laws, plus a plug for our first public event - the Downtown LaSalle Canal Market on July 27th. We hope to see you. We also do our usual apps, podcasts, and a whole lot of good Tweets of the Week. Rock on! We would like to thank iCandy Grap...
Jul 17, 2013•1 hr 8 min
Now that we have a few episodes under our belts, we thought "how about some 'Best of' episodes..?" This week we have our first “Best of IVpod” episode, and this one features segments of our first 3 interviews. We start with John’s brother, Bob Spelich, who joins the team to discuss the effect of the brain drain. After that, Brian Gift enters the booth to discuss the iFiber project. Finally, the team is joined by fellow IV podcaster, Nick Logan, to educate everyone on Magic and all things nerdy. ...
Jul 03, 2013•53 min
Please hang with us during this episode as some weird recording issues threw us off our games. We start off the show with some local fun. We go through our results from our Twitter and Facebook poll for the top three fried chicken spots in the Illinois Valley. After that we dive into the national issue that is patent trolls. We specifically discuss the case of the inventor that is suing several main stream podcasters for infringing on his patent. After the patent troll talk, we dive into our fav...
Jun 19, 2013•1 hr 1 min
We are very excited to bring out Episode 50 of the podcast. Thanks so much for listening and thank you to everyone who has helped out in some way. You all rock..! This week we celebrate with a visit from Dreamwave Wrestling’s very own Jay Repsel. It’s an all out LaSalle IL PRO Wrestling talk with Jay giving us the ins and outs of the sport, plus back story on how it all came to be. After the interview we do our usual podcasts, apps, and of course, the Tweets of the Week. We would like to thank t...
Jun 04, 2013•1 hr 18 min
Thunderstorm recording John and Clayton are ready this week with a variety of topics. The J.A. Happ injury update, a fall at Starved Rock, and a story about the LaSalle Canal Boat are the primary topics of the day. We also do some techy talk, podcasts and our favorite Tweets of the Week. And if you make it through this podcast you will know that we are on a mission. Help us get @LarryMoeDaMules some Twitter followers..! We would like to thank iCandy Graphics and Web Design for sponsoring this ep...
May 22, 2013•1 hr 1 min
Special Edition...! This is a special edition of the Illinois Valley Alternative Podcast. This week we welcome Johnny Derango to the recording booth. Johnny is from the Illinois Valley, but he moved on to pursue the world of film making. After college Johnny went off to Hollywood and from there he immediately began an exciting career. Most recently, he was both a Producer and Director of Photography for the film, Lost on Purpose. What makes this episode special is the urgency of the show. To sup...
May 08, 2013•1 hr 7 min
April showers brought plenty of flowers, but unfortunately they also brought record breaking flood levels to the Illinois Valley. This week on the show we talk all about the floods and the effects on the area. The show is not all serious though, as we give updates on John and Clayton’s home run battle (that no one cares about), followed by our usual apps, podcasts, and Tweets of the Week. We would like to thank O-Nett Gaming Co. for sponsoring this episode of the IV Alternative Podcast..! https:...
May 01, 2013•56 min
This week on the show we talk about the results of the election topics we discussed in Episode 45. After that we are joined in the booth by our very special guest, Dana Vicich. Dana is a nationally ranked professional disc golfer who happens to be an Ottawa native. We talk about how Dana got involved in the sport, how he prepares for tournaments, and all the charity work he has done. After our interview we finish up with our usual apps, podcasts, and Tweets of the Week! Thanks again to @danadisc...
Apr 17, 2013•1 hr 20 min
With the upcoming Spring Elections only a week away, we decided to review some of the hot questions that will be on many of the local ballots. After our political review, we give an update on the tough times that local schools are facing. After the break we lighten things up with some baseball talk and finish off with our usual apps, podcasts, and Tweets of the Week! We would like to thank iCandy Graphics and Web Design for sponsoring this episode of the IV Alternative Podcast..! http://www.ican...
Apr 03, 2013•59 min
This week we come back with a long one. John’s brother Bob enters the booth to assist in a techy discussion about 3D printers. There is also some local politics, fried chicken, and random rambling. And of course we finish off the show with our favorite apps, podcasts, and Tweets of the Week! We would like to thank the Kramarsic Law Office for sponsoring this episode of the IV Alternative Podcast..! https://www.kramarsiclaw.com/ Here are some links from today’s show: Wikipedia - 3D printing Repli...
Mar 20, 2013•1 hr 22 min
IVpod and the Illinois Valley Alternative Podcast will return soon. We thought we would prime the feed for our upcoming reboot so here is a quick "hello" from John and Clayton. The podcast will return March 6th...! Music used in this short: Movie Rhythm2 (Sunsearcher) / CC BY-SA 3.0 For more podcast fun, head over to our website at www.ivpod.com and if you are interested in becoming a segment sponsor, drop us a line at mail@ivpod.com.
Feb 11, 2013•5 min
When you think of Skydive Chicago, what do you think of? Do you think of the fact that right here in the Illinois Valley we have one of the biggest skydiving locations in the nation? Do you think of their amazing facility, with camping, dining, disc golf, and swimming? How about that they break world records year after year with massive multi-jumper vertical formations? Or are you like so many locals who only think of an outdated stigma? This week we review the facilities statistics, plus we wel...
Oct 24, 2012•1 hr 25 min
