Jim Weith’s first day as a mail carrier for the U.S. Post Office in Woodstock was Jan. 5, 1987. At that time, Denise Graff Ponstein and I had plans to start The Woodstock Independent. Little did we know that Jim would be one of the mail carriers who would deliver the first Independents on April […]
”Start seeing motorcycles” is a seasonal reminder to motorists in Illinois of the increased good-weather presence of motorcyclists and their low-profile machines that can be hard to see in city traffic or rural landscapes. That caution shouldn’t have to be emphasized, as drivers should always be alert to their environment and of those with whom […]
For the past 35 years, The Woodstock Independent has been publishing articles about local educators who are retiring. We ran our first one in 1990, when reporter Lisa Kelly profiled Jim Foley. He had begun his 27-year career as a science teacher at the former Westwood Junior High, taught science at Woodstock High School, and […]
Readers of The Independent have seen some good news and bad news lately about the Die Cast factory site along Clay Street. Fortunately, the bad news is old news. In our weekly Flashbacks column, a report of news developments in Woodstock’s past, we recalled in our June 4 edition that, 30 years ago, Die Cast […]
Writing this on the train from London to Edinburgh, Scotland, I feel I finally have a moment to catch my breath. During June, I made four work trips – three to London and one to Birmingham (United Kingdom) – a two-week trip to America to visit family and friends, and a trip with friends to […]
“Come to my house for Asian food tomorrow.” – Text message received on June 10, 2025 When you’re a widower, and friends don’t typically invite you over to their home for a meal, and – let’s face it, even when you weren’t a widower, that kind of offer was seldom made – a text message […]
Amid the epidemic of intolerance that has crept out of the nation’s capital the past few months and spread darkness to the political and social landscape of some states and localities around the nation, Woodstock stands as a beacon of light in accepting people who are sometimes shunned (or worse) for being “different.” Different race […]
By Jim Edgar andJohn ShawDistributed by Capitol news illinois American politics is as contentious now as it has been in any recent period in our history. As a response to this acrimony and conflict, it is tempting to turn off the TV, stop reading the newspaper, put down the phone, and forget about politics and […]
Woodstock residents are fortunate to have governing bodies – especially the City Council and District 200 Board of Education – so committed to public participation in local government decision-making. Days before each meeting of the council and board, an agenda is posted online listing issues to be decided or discussed, along with supporting information that […]
After months of dancing around the issue of Woodstock’s troubled Revolving Loan Fund, the City Council apparently will have some serious discussion about the issue next month. It is (so far) the only item on the tentative agenda for the council’s June 17 meeting. The loan program has received attention in two council meetings over […]
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.
