Six months ago, local schools took different paths to their classrooms amid the uncertainties of the coronavirus pandemic. Under the direction of the Diocese of Rockford, Marian Catholic High School and St. Mary School chose to bring students into their schools for in-school instruction in mid-August. Woodstock School District 200, on the other hand, developed […]
Groundhog Days 2021 brought us a special coincidence – maybe even irony – amid the coronavirus pandemic. The sameness of the day-to-day routine that trapped Phil Connors on Groundhog Day in the story of “Groundhog Day” resembles the life too many of us have experienced since COVID-19 arrived in our lives last March. But this […]
Starting Back in June we lamented that Woodstock was stuck in the restrictive Phase 2 as part of the Northeast Region in the governor’s five-phase Restore Illinois plan to combat COVID-19. We don’t have to worry about that now. There is no Phase 2, and no Northeast Region. All of McHenry County today is part […]
Starting over isn’t possible. Let’s call this transition of power a change of direction – upward, we must hope. The mess we’ve been left with at the state and national levels will impede our progress for the immediate future, so we must first deal with recovery from mistakes of the past. The nation is hobbled […]
Last week was a milestone week for the novel coronavirus. The U.S. reported on Wednesday the highest number of deathss reported in a single day since the pandemic began. That was topped the next day, and the day after that, as the nation exceeded 21 million confirmed cases and 362,000 deaths. In Illinois, we passed […]
Football fans in northeastern Illinois must have noticed how similar the year 2020 was to the Chicago Bears’ season. The year started with the economy continuing to gain strength, shaking off the remnants of the Great Recession as the unemployment rate kept declining and the stock market kept climbing. It was the promising beginning of […]
No one could have seen this coming, this unique experience we call 2020 that is about to pass into history but never from the memories of those of us who have lived through it. For life in Woodstock, it started as a normal year, despite signs of approaching trouble that we – and our government […]
2020 didn’t go quite like anyone had expected. After nearly three months of relative normalcy, we have experienced nine months of continuous disruption. The novel coronavirus has affected our work and play time, our personal and social lives, our plans and hopes for the future. So, we hope you will forgive the unmistakable thread of […]
Every day during the final week before Christmas, Nathan arrived at the factory by 7 a.m. His division was putting finishing touches on angel ornaments, the most requested design. Many adults had ordered angels for teachers and grandparents who were working to educate their children online. Others were including truckers and garbage haulers, postal workers […]
For the first time, the coronavirus last week surpassed heart disease as the leading cause of death in the U.S. So, no, it’s not just like the flu. About every five days, 10,000 Americans die from the disease – about 2,000 a day. So, no, it’s not going to magically disappear. Denying the seriousness of […]
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.
