Kregg vs. Craig

[Herbert Stahlke]

Yesterday I noticed that my optometrist had taken on a new partner named
Kregg Koons.  Aside from the obvious orthographic alliteration, the spelling
of his first name reflects the pronunciation of Craig in Central Indiana,
where the tense front mid vowel laxes, also in words like vague and Hague.
I can't think of other words where I have the tense vowel before /g/, and I
don't think it's very common.  I noticed twenty years ago that my children
had this laxing, and many of my students have it as well.  Is this regional?
What regions?

Herb Stahlke