By Julie PetersI was going to tell you about the Christmas gift drive for residents of Sheltered Village. Then I was going to ask whether you could find it in […]
By Julie Peters“My daughter and I are basically alone,” the woman wrote in a recent post to a special needs Facebook group. “She lives with me and as of right […]
In the midst of grieving the recent deaths of my parents, I read a book recommended by a dear friend. In turn, I’m recommending it to you. Its message about […]
The last time I wrote this column, I wrote about standing at the edge of my driveway and watching the school bus pull away for the very last time. I […]
By Julie PetersNo sound compares to the sound of a school bus. It accelerates with a roar. It slows with a guttural growl. It stops with a squeal and a […]
I tend to write about the serious side of being the parent of a special needs child. It seems to come with the territory. My plan this month was to […]
Hearts are everywhere this month. There’s no shortage of them – red hearts, candy hearts, homemade paper hearts. But I’d like to talk about another kind of heart: a servant’s […]
They’re such simple questions, almost trite in a way that makes us wonder sometimes whether they’re even worth asking. Surely there must be something bigger and more important to be […]
I want to address what some parents said at a recent District 200 Board of Education meeting about why they don’t want their children to have to wear masks in […]
By Julie PetersFor the Woodstock IndependentI didn’t want to write a column this month about the Illinois budget for people with disabilities. It’s boring. And the news isn’t good. I’d […]
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.
