Vote to keep your right to vote for county coroner The coroner’s office needs to remain independent of any and all outside influences to death investigations. Continuing electing the coroner in McHenry County helps to ensure separation of powers and duties of all the agencies (coroner, police agencies and state’s attorney) involved in a death […]
Because this is 2020, and next to nothing has been normal this year, it makes perfect sense that Woodstock School District 200 has adopted a plan that will finally return students to classrooms 12 days before Halloween. These are, indeed, scary times that are made all the more frightening by people who don’t take our […]
By Cheryl Wormley Students in Woodstock School District 200 have completed one-quarter of the 2020-21 school year. I hope they are celebrating along with their teachers and parents. All can take a much-earned bow for switching from in-school teaching and learning to eLearning. I haven’t been directly involved in this new form of education. I’m […]
By Jan Bowman The other day on a Zoom gathering, one of the participants said, “Leslie, you look thinner. Have you lost weight?” “Yeah, I’ve lost over 15 pounds during this pandemic,” Leslie replied. Then, the first participant said, “Unfortunately, I’m the one who found them.” After a very short pause, all of us on […]
Woodstock’s Plan Commission never did like Founder’s Crossing. From the first presentation in February 2019, commissioners picked apart the single-family housing proposal – less for what it was than for what it wasn’t. And it wasn’t what the city’s January 2019 Downtown Development Plan envisioned for the former Die Cast factory site north of the […]
By Cheryl Wormley I bet you’re wondering why I’m writing about winterizing when we’ve just enjoyed an absolutely beautiful, warm, sunny, gently breezy last full week of September. All I can say is: I kept being nudged. The nudging started with an email from National Geographic. A photo of a toddler dressed warmly in jacket […]
‘Dedication’ aptly describes VFW’s auxiliary president The opening paragraph of the article [Sept. 19] about Chris Gehrke’s 50 years of service to the VFW uses the word “dedication” to describe her involvement. Indeed, that’s a perfect word. Thank you, Chris, for all your work. Beverly Meuch Wonder Lake Putting a price on carbon could ensure […]
Welcome to autumn, the 2020 version. Wednesday is the first full day of fall after its arrival at 9:40 a.m. Tuesday. And if the season is anything like we’ve experienced so far in 2020, it will be memorable. Coronavirus restrictions kicked in just as spring was beginning in late March. Shelter-in-place was eased by the […]
By Cheryl Wormley The Woodstock Independentis the best small-circulation nondaily newspaper in Illinois. We won sweepstakes in the Illinois Press Association Best of the Press contest for the 15th time. But you already know that if you read the news story on Page 13. Like a proud parent, I’d like to go beyond what’s in […]
“Judges are like umpires. Umpires don’t make the rules. They apply them. The role of an umpire and a judge is critical. They make sure everybody plays by the rules. But it is a limited role. Nobody ever went to a ballgame to see the umpire.” – John Roberts, Chief Justice, U.S. Supreme Court “This […]
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.
