Staff Report news@thewoodstockindependent.com Woodstock Police evacuated the Old Courthouse Center Friday night after a threatening call that they blamed on “swatting,” which is “a prank call to emergency services in an attempt to bring about dispatch of armed police officers to a particular address.” According to a news release, the regional dispatch center received a […]
Woodstock Police Department’s Officer Charles Levy is the 2023 McHenry County Chiefs of Police Officer of the Year. “Knowing that I made a difference in the community and kept the community safe feels good,” Levy said. “[It is nice that] my actions were observed by others and recognized. I’m glad that I was given training […]
Staff Report news@thewoodstockindependent.com Storefront windows were shattered and the building façade was damaged but no one was injured when a vehicle crashed Christmas Eve morning into the front of Berkshire Hathaway Starck Real Estate on Cass Street just west of Main Street. Two adult occupants of the vehicle were able to get out of the […]
By Eileen Millard news@thewoodstockindependent.com Woodstock Police are close to putting an eye (or two) in the sky – and maybe one under a chair. Woodstock’s city budget this year includes $40,000 for a new police department drone program that includes one outdoor drone, one indoor drone, and expenses for training and certification. Lower-than-expected cost for […]
By Morgen Neuhauser news@the woodstockindependent.com Scam artists recently convinced a 77-year-old woman from Woodstock to send a $40 gift card to country music star George Straight. As soon as she sent that money, the scammers asked her to send $3,500 in gift cards, promising her a personal meeting with the singer. Instead, she called the […]
By Eileen Millard news@the woodstockindependent.com After training is completed this summer, the Woodstock Police Department will have a new tool to improve response to events like lost persons, search and rescue, vehicle crash scenes, active crime scenes, and situational awareness at public events: aerial drone. The departments 2023-24 budget includes $40,000 for the city’s first […]
Staff Report news@thewoodstockindependent.com After a second arrest on a weapons-related charge in less than two weeks on Benton Street, city officials have limited outside seating along Woodstock’s dining and entertainment district. A 22-year-old Woodstock man was arrested late Thursday after a city police officer ordered him to drop the handgun he had retrieved from his […]
Staff Report news@thewoodstockindependent.com A 74-year-old Woodstock man suffered life-threatening injuries and three other people were hospitalized after a two-vehicle crash west of Woodstock Friday afternoon. A 72-year-old Woodstock woman and her passenger, the 74-year-old man, were flown by helicopter to Condell Hospital in Libertyville. The woman suffered serious injuries. Two passengers of the second vehicle, […]
Situational awareness – making a conscious effort to stay aware of one’s surroundings – can go a long way toward personal and home safety, according to Woodstock Police Department Sgt. Constantino Cipolla. In other words, don’t set yourself up to be a victim of crime. Cipolla provided advice on how to make yourself and your […]
By Eileen Millard news@thewoodstockindependent.com In thinking about local car accidents, people might envision high-speed collisions on highways. But according to Woodstock Police Sgt. Constantino Cipolla, “Often, the crashes we see more often are low-speed, low impact fender benders.” And the reasons are not surprising. ”Some factors include distracted driving, like using cellphones while driving, which […]
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.
