I. Lawless Days The lawless days of Deadwood may be in the distant past, but for modern day travelers, a trip to the famed South Dakotan town, located along Old Highway 14, still evokes an experience unlike any other. “I’ve vacationed in Deadwood as a kid and as a grown-up, and I always loved the […]
Highway 14 does more than link Woodstock to its other northwest suburban brethren. Part of the original United States highway system, it starts in Chicago and cuts through the upper Midwest, ending in picturesque fashion at Yellowstone National Park. Below, in this excerpt from The Torch, we journey down the historic highway to one of […]
Woodstock is introducing a new, optional warranty protection program to homeowners for privately-owned sewer lines. Many residents are unaware they are responsible for the sewer service lines running from their homes to the city’s main sewer lines. If the lines break or leak, repairs can be expensive. Under the warranty program, homeowners can pay a […]
One Woodstock resident is hoping to make it easier for McHenry County veterans to connect with one another. Willa Wertheimer has organized a website, www.vet-connections.org, to allow a free flow of communication to help vets trade and barter goods and services. There are plans for a listing of local veterans who people can hire for […]
Family Service & Community Mental Health Center’s announcement to cease operations June 30 has left clients of the McHenry-based provider and other social service agencies scrambling to determine appropriate steps to take moving forward. For the past two years, the McHenry County Mental Health Board has assisted Family Service in continuing its services through consultation, […]
D.C. Cobb’s has received approval from the Woodstock City Council to host its annual Main Street Music Fest Friday and Saturday, June 22 and 23. “Last year’s event was even better than [the previous year],” said City Manager Tim Clifton, speaking in reference to Council member Mark Saladin’s concerns about potential problems. Clifton said representatives […]
Steve Otten’s mission as executive director of the Woodstock Challenger Learning Center for Science & Technology is ending after nearly eight years. Otten has been named the executive director of the United Way of McHenry County, a position he will assume Sunday, July 1. Despite his excitement to expand his role in the county, Otten […]
The Woodstock City Council divvied up $72,250 in hotel/motel tax dollars at its June 5 meeting, fulfilling all but $4,250 of the total requests. Despite distributing nearly 95 percent of the amount requested, the city collected only $51,700 in hotel/motel tax funds in fiscal year 2011-12. This represents about 72 percent of the total money […]
Woodstock City Council members approved design engineering services associated with sidewalk construction as part of a Safe Routes to School grant the city received. Last year, the city was awarded a similar grant, which was used to construct a sidewalk on South and Dane streets, providing improved travel routes to Westwood and Olson elementary schools. […]
On May 26, decorated with colorful paper lanterns blowing in the wind, Woodstock’s Blue Lotus Buddhist Temple invited hundreds of visitors from around the country to celebrate Vesakha Day, otherwise known as Buddha’s birthday or Buddha Day. In addition to commemorating his birthday, Buddha Day also celebrates Buddha’s initial enlightenment as well as his final […]
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.
