Back in the 1960s, the Skerke family parked a truck along Route 47 just south of Woodstock and began selling homegrown fruits and vegetables to raise extra money to pay their children’s college fees. The roadside stand did so well, parents Harvey and Norma Skerke and their children, John and Susan, eventually built a […]
Woodstock has seen itself on the positive end of plenty of click-baiting Internet “best of” compilations, but one survey released this summer has the city pegged as among the worst. An “infotainment” article from RoadSnacks.net currently being circulated via social media lists Woodstock among the “Worst Places to Live in Illinois.” Woodstock ranked fairly low […]
Branden M. Napolitan and Daryl K. Fox were roommates, but not lifelong friends. Napolitan, 26, and Fox, 53, shared apartment 1-A at 680 Leah Lane, for the past couple years, but they were not close friends, according to Woodstock Police. Police aren’t certain how the two men came to live with one another, but by […]
UPDATED 6:45 PM MONDAY, OCT. 26, 2015 A 26-year-old Woodstock man has been charged with murder after police found another man dead in his apartment at the Prairieview Apartment complex. Branden M. Napolitan, of 680 Leah Lane, apartment 1A, was charged Monday, Oct. 26 with first-degree murder, aggravated battery and theft, according to Woodstock […]
Woodstock Halloween falls on a Saturday this year so there will plenty of time for trick-or-treating and other ghoulish celebrations. So, what time will the little ones be ringing your doorbell? The city of Woodstock has set trick-or-treating hours from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31 in the neighborhoods. If you’re looking for a […]
A power outage that affected 17,000 customers in Woodstock on Wednesday, Oct. 21, was caused by a “lock out,” according to ComEd officials. The power outage started at about 4:25 p.m. and most power was restored to area homes and business shortly after 5 p.m., according to ComEd spokesman John Schoen. “What happened is […]
McHenry County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of a scam targeting elderly victims. The Sheriff, along with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, is investigating two recent thefts against older residents that occurred Oct. 14, one in unincorporated Woodstock and another in Boone County, according to a news release. The first incident occurred at about 2:50 p.m. […]
Members of the Marian Central Catholic High School Key Club are working to lend a hand to people in need of food and warmer clothing. The Key Club will host a Northern Illinois Food Bank truck at 1 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, at the high school, 1001 McHenry Ave., Woodstock, as part of its Marian […]
Bull Valley magician Joe Diamond is a man of many talents, but come Halloween time he provides a more unusual service. Diamond, 27, has been called upon several times – 30 to be exact – to remove Ouija boards from people’s homes. Apparently, individuals who bought the Ouija boards – also known as spirit or talking […]
A longtime Woodstock resident and former sportswriter for The Woodstock Independent died early Oct. 17 following a one-car crash in Marengo. Jason W. Learman, 45, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident at 12:48 a.m. Saturday, according to McHenry County Coroner Anne Majewski. The Genoa/Kingston Fire and Rescue Department was dispatched at approximately […]
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.
