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Community

Shown in the kitchen of First United Methodist Church, the meeting place for Girl Scout Troop 510, are Ambassador members (from left) Adeline Arana, Cheyanne Bierman, and Kathleen Thomas, all high school students. (Courtesy photo)

‘Final stretch’: Girl Scout Ambassador Troop nears end of 13-year journey

Members of a local Girl Scout troop, all seniors in high school, are in their final year together as Girl Scouts. Girl Scout Troop 510 is an Ambassador Troop, the […] Subscribe or Lo…

March 21, 2023

Members of the the Bull Valley Garden Club recently prepared floral bouquets for delivery to the residents of Valley Hi Nursing Home. Beth Wester, chairwoman of the club’s Garden Therapy Committee, hosted members for the March business meeting and lunch before bouquets were arranged. Pictured are (from left) Kristin Armstrong, Barb Parrish, Jill Theis, Carol Halma, Judy Hervert, Barb Marrs, Shelley Strapon, Jennifer Fiske, Maggie Bailey, and Helen Loconte. Not pictured: Wester and Marge Thiessen. (Courtesy photo)

Community Briefs: Bull Valley open house; Gardenfest registration; lightning detection; more

Open house offers details of Bull Valley development Woodstock Country Club of Bull Valley, 10310 Country Club Road, will host an open house this week for a village initiative called […] …

March 21, 2023

Photo Detective: Where is it? What is it now?

Here’s this month’s challenge for all of our dedicated Photo Detectives. On a walk through his neighborhood in 1941, Robert Vieregg, an assistant in the Woodstock City Light Department, noted [&hellip…

March 21, 2023

Riding in the front seat of a squad car – Part I

By Paul Lockwood He didn’t have an “extreme burning passion” to get into law enforcement. He’s been with the Woodstock Police Department only since September 2019. He’s the second youngest […] …

March 21, 2023

Arts & Entertainment

Cape Cod-based musician Grace Morrison will be features in the spring concert of The Woodstock Folk Festival Sunday, April 16. (Courtesy photo)

Arts Briefs: Folk Festival spring concert; Acapella on the Square; Young and Heart “slumber party’; arts grant; 24-hour play competition

Folk Festival spring concert set for April 16 at Stage Left Woodstock Folk Festival has scheduled its first in-person spring concert since 2019 for 2…

March 21, 2023

Artisans on Main hosts an open house March 1 to celebrate the stores first anniversary at 220 Main St. It also is the home of the Clayworkers' Guild of Illinois, which is celebrating its 44th anniversary. The guild previously has space in the Old Courthouse. (Independent photo by Ken Farver)

Arts Brief: Marian Central spring musical; exhibit at MCC gallery; Magic of Disney empire; planetarium

Marian students to stage musical this weekend “The Lightning Thief: The Percy Jackson Musical” will be performed this weekend at Marian Central Cathol…

March 13, 2023

State News

Republican leaders like governor’s talk about possible tax cuts if state revenues remain strong

Gov. J.B. Pritzker is pictured at a news conference at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, where he discussed the higher education investments in his Fiscal Year 2024 budget. At the news conference, he said he and legislative leaders have discussed potential tax cuts in the coming fiscal year if state revenues continue to exceed expectations. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jerry Nowicki)

By JERRY NOWICKICapitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – With two months to go before the Legislature adjourns and current-year revenues continuing to smash expectations, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he and legislative […] Subscribe or Login to continue reading this quality article by The Woodstock Independan…

March 15, 2023

Moody’s gives Illinois another credit upgrade – eighth in less than 2 years

Moody's Investors Service, one of the "big three" credit rating agencies, on Tuesday announced an upgrade to Illinois' creditworthiness. Tuesday's move represents the eighth such upgrade under Gov. J.B. Pritzker after years of downgrades, including seven during the state's two-year budget impasse under GOP Gov. Bruce Rauner. (Chart by Hannah Meisel and Andrew Adams, Capitol News Illinois)

By PETER HANCOCKCapitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Moody’s Investors Service announced Tuesday that it had upgraded Illinois’ bond rating to A3, up from Baa1, marking the eighth credit upgrade the state has […] Subscribe or Login to continue reading this quality article by The Woodstock Independant…

March 14, 2023

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Business

Fresh fruit and clean restrooms are the announced plan for a new 6,000-square-foot convenience store at Route 47 and County Club Road, where a new BP gas and diesel fuel station is proposed. (Independent file photo)

Hotel part of BP development plan

“Woodstock needs a hotel.” City Plan Commission member Steve Gavers repeated those oft-spoken words last week after a developer laid out very preliminary plans that could bring a hotel to […] …

March 21, 2023

Miss Bella’s Sweets and Treats owner Kim Doran and her husband, Bill, prepare for last week’s ribbon-cutting at her 1950s-era soda shop. She has operated Pixie Dawgs food truck and the former Church Street Café at the Woodstock train station. (Independent photo by Tricia Carzoli)

‘Something people are looking for’: New 1950s soda shop in Hebron seeks to focus on community needs

When Wonder Lake resident Kim Doran, owner of Pixie Dawgs and the former Church Street Café, was looking for another brick-and-mortar site to launch Miss Bella’s Sweets and Eats, she […] …

March 13, 2023

The Old Courthouse will house Woodstock's incubator space. (Independent file photo)

Retail incubator to offer space in Old Courthouse

Staff Report news@thewoodstockindependent.com Applications are sought through March 31 for the inaugural group in the city of Woodstock’s retail incubation program, The 101. Under the program, a phys…

March 13, 2023