All that flattery Woodstock is hearing from T-Mobile could go to a small town’s head. In announcing our city as the winner of the wireless company’s first nationwide “Hometown Techover” contest, a press release called Woodstock “a competition standout” (among 10 small-municipality finalists) that was chosen because of, among other things, “the special nature of […]
By Steve Reick The past year has seen a tsunami of state government initiatives pointed straight at our public school system. From the implementation of Culturally Responsible Teaching and Leading Standards to mask mandates that put bureaucrats in the position of in loco parentis while ignoring the minimal risk to children of COVID-19, our schools […]
By Cheryl Wormley In the last several weeks, two women whom I looked up to for years died. Charlotte Bingham died Aug. 14, and Jean Gould O’Connell died Aug. 22. Charlotte was 93, and Jean was 94. Both were cheerful, positive, engaging, caring women who made a difference in the world because they invested themselves […]
Highly political decisions involved with vaccines I have been thinking a lot about your last week’s column [Declarations, Aug. 4, “Vaccinate, celebrate, summate”]. I was surprised and alarmed by your one-sided opinion. I believe that those who say that getting the vaccine is the only responsible course if you are “following the science” and concerned […]
As of last Friday, McHenry County had only about 5 percent of medical/surgical beds available, according to numbers tracked by the Department of Health. Intensive care units reported about 73 percent of beds were full. That won’t surprise anyone following the resurgence of COVID-19 through its Delta variant. New cases reported in The Independent’s weekly […]
Woodstock residents, I hope you’re paying attention to the mayor and City Council’s latest proposal to “change up” how things work in administration. Rather than spending money to hire on-the-ground employees, desperately needed in nearly every department, they want to spend $600,000 to hire three new executive directors to oversee groupings of city departments. That’s […]
“My life is really quite conservative. I’ve been married nearly 50 years. I don’t have hobbies or children. I don’t much care to travel. I’ve never had a big social life. I really just stay home, except when I go to work.” – Christopher Walken “I remember in grammar school the teacher asked if anyone […]
By Cheryl Wormley Little did I know when I married Jim more than 52 years ago all the places we would go. I had grown up on a farm, and I thought traveling was going to a fair to show our purebred Holsteins or attending a dairy meeting or convention – usually in Illinois. Jim […]
Students are back in school – “in” being the key word. Unlike last August when all students in Woodstock School District 200 started the school year with remote learning from home, teachers last week welcomed their students into classrooms, along with the typical protocols of the COVID-19 era: masks, social distancing, frequent hand washing, etc. […]
Food Shed Co-op store seeks member-owners I am writing in support of the wonderful opportunity we have to open a local food co-op grocery store. For those of you who aren’t aware, the Food Shed Co-op has a location picked out at U.S. 14 and Lake Shore Drive in Woodstock [across from ShadowView Brewing]. As […]
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.
