Commission-level work is an important if largely ignored (by the public) function of city government in Woodstock. Volunteer members of more than a dozen advisory commissions do the dirty work in the trenches, which includes vetting petitions and applications for compliance with city ordinances and standards while challenging petitioners and applicants to fully explain their […]
Hello, readers. My name is Sydney Wood, this summer’s Woodstock Independent intern. You’ve likely seen my byline already sometime this summer. If not, here I am, albeit over a month late with the formal self-introduction. I attend the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, studying journalism with a minor in sociology. After this past year of […]
By Richard Guebert Jr. The summer of 2021 includes a long to-do list as restrictions have been lifted and people take to the roads for summer vacations and family reunions. While we missed many events in 2020, we also learned a lot in our 15 months of being cooped up. Now is a good […]
As the project to breathe new life into the city-owned Old Courthouse and Sheriff’s House inches toward a final plan, taxpayers might feel a bit anxious about what’s next. Taxpayers have not spoken up at public meetings about the project, so maybe no one objects to the pricey restoration. Who knows? But more than a […]
By Cheryl Wormley The sledding hill at Emricson Park is a happening place this summer. The community gathered on it July 4 for fabulous fireworks. And this Saturday, July 17, it will be the site of Gavers Community Cancer Foundation Barndance. Barndance’s 20th anniversary celebration was canceled last year because of pandemic mandates. So the […]
What is the speed limit [on McHenry Avenue] between Irving Avenue and Broadway Avenue? Going east towards Broadway, it’s 35 mph right at Irving Avenue. Now, going west from Broadway it’s 35 mph until the Sunrise [convenience] store, where a new 30 mph sign has gone up. How can we have two different speed limits […]
By Steve Reick When the Illinois House convened in January, for the first time in 38 years, Michael J. Madigan did not preside as speaker. His descent from power was swift, and he left a legacy of economic decline from which Illinois may never recover. Here are several of the more important takeaways from the […]
Why would President Biden come to McHenry County – a red county in a blue state – to sell his political agenda? In 2020, Biden predictably won Illinois and lost in McHenry County. His American Rescue Plan has, polling tells us, the support of most Americans – that means virtually all people who vote for […]
A slaughterhouse is being built in a Marengo senior community’s backyard, and Woodstock residents should pay attention! Woodstock is similar to Marengo in that there are areas where industrial meets residential zoning, which means that the McHenry County planning department could decide to put a slaughterhouse right next to some Woodstock homes. Please read on. […]
By Cheryl Wormley It certainly takes awhile to catch up after being out of commission for more than a month. I was away from The Independent office for 32 days. More than half that time I was in bed or in the hospital. Finally, on day 19, I was diagnosed with Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, […]
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.
