The cities of Crystal Lake and Woodstock have agreed to a one-year extension of their existing boundary agreement, which establishes a line beyond which both municipalities agree they will not annex. The intergovernmental agreement, approved by both City Councils Dec. 20, draws that line in the area of Lily Pond Road, snaking southwest to the […]
A Lake in the Hills man allegedly sexually abused a young female family member on several occasions, including once at a local movie theater, police said. Edgar A. Arana, 71, of the 100 block of Crystal Lake Road in Lake in the Hills, was charged with predatory criminal sexual assault of a child, a Class […]
Incumbent Brian Sager will face three challengers in the race for Woodstock mayor this spring. In addition to Sager, Gregg Hanson, Michael Rein and Allen Stebbins filed paperwork by this evening’s 5 p.m. deadline to appear on the ballot for the mayoral race in April. Rein currently is a McHenry County Board member representing District 5. […]
The Woodstock Police officer at the center of a drug arrest that spurred a federal lawsuit has quit the force. Officer Eric Schmidtke, an 18-year veteran of the Woodstock Police Department, handed in his resignation Nov. 17, Police Chief John Lieb confirmed. Schmidtke is one of two officers named in a lawsuit […]
A man who faced decades in prison on drug charges before prosecutors dropped the case against him is suing the city of Woodstock and two Woodstock Police officers, alleging they lied about the arrest and violated his constitutional rights. Philip M. Williams, 31, Woodstock, filed a lawsuit in federal court Nov. 16 alleging Officer Eric […]
About 66 percent of registered voters in McHenry County turned out to vote Nov. 8 in an election that saw Republicans capture the majority of local and national offices. McHenry County Clerk Mary McClellan said voter turnout was about average, although she said early voting numbers set a “historical high mark” with more than 41,000 […]
A Woodstock man who faced decades in prison for felony drug charges, and whose arrest garnered praise from city officials, is seeking to have his record expunged after prosecutors dropped the case against him last month. Philip M. Williams, 31, faced a possible six to 30 years in prison for the most serious charge against […]
A string of car break-ins has Woodstock police asking residents to make sure their vehicles are locked. At least a dozen reported burglaries to cars have taken place in Woodstock over the past three weeks, according to Woodstock Police Chief John Lieb. All of the cars hit by the burglar or burglars were unlocked. “They […]
A pair of men allegedly robbed a man at gunpoint, pistol-whipping and punching him in a parking lot on Davis Road the night of Oct. 25. Bryan Estrada, 18, of the 400 block of Leah Lane, and Andres Luis Hernandez, 21, whose last known address was in Harvard, were arrested and charged with five separate […]
A Spring Grove man died Oct. 17 when his car collided with a semi-truck on Highway 14 in unincorporated Woodstock. Keith C. Wiesbrock, 29, was driving a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze southbound on Hartland Road when, after stopping at an intersection, he drove into the path of a 2013 Peterbilt semi-truck headed northwest on Highway 14, […]
Larry Lough is editor of The Independent and reports local news.
Janet Dovidio has been a freelance correspondent for The Independent for eight years.
Susan W. Murray wrote for The Independent, covering various beats, from 2005 to 2008.
Tricia Carzoli is a freelance writer and photographer that on community news.
