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John L Sullivan State Farm

Declarations: Goodbye to a community treasure

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Kirk Halma and Montana

By Susan W. Murray The thud of my heart dropping came on a mid-March morning when I turned to the Northwest Herald’s obituary page and saw the face of Kirk Halma smiling at me. I had called him back in December for a story that I was working on about the scarcity of dogs in shelters […]

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Susan W. Murray

Susan W. Murray wrote for The Independent, covering various beats, from 2005 to 2008, returning to the paper as a writer in 2018. A 26-year resident of Woodstock, she taught English, American history, and religion to junior high students at St. Mary School for nine years.
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Picture of Susan W. Murray

Susan W. Murray

Susan W. Murray wrote for The Independent, covering various beats, from 2005 to 2008, returning to the paper as a writer in 2018. A 26-year resident of Woodstock, she taught English, American history, and religion to junior high students at St. Mary School for nine years.
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