The
Woodstock
I NDEPENDENT
Jan. 10-16, 2024
Published every Wednesday | Est. 1987 | Serving Woodstock, Wonder Lake and Bull Valley, Ill. | www.thewoodstockindependent.com | $1.50
New year, owner; same mission After 37 years, Cheryl Wormley passes The Independent torch to staff member By Susan W. Murray
NEWS@THE WOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COM
On Dec. 31, The Woodstock Independent acquired a new owner in the form of a familiar face, satisfying former owner Cheryl Wormley’s desire to sell the paper she published for 37 years to someone “who lived or would live in Woodstock and be passionate about
BUSINESS
New Woodstock yoga studio will offer really hot sessions PAGE 11
SCHOOLS
news delivery.” Rebecca McDaniel, The Independent’s office administrator for nearly nine years, said she accepted Wormley’s invitation to purchase the paper because “we’re a great source of local news and a great source of community.” “The Inde is an institution in Woodstock,” McDaniel said. “It would be
tragic to lose that.” The paper’s staff remains intact, and McDaniel said she is particularly glad that editor Larry Lough will remain in his role, which he has had for nearly six years. Wormley will assume the title “publisher emerita”; will write the Declarations column on the second
See INDEPENDENT, Page 2
HELP IS HERE
Middle schools’ Coin Wars provides toys at Christmas
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A&E
Marian grad finally publishes novel he began in high school
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INDEX
Opinion
6
Schools
8
A&E
10
Business
11
Community
12
Calendar
16
Service Directory 18 Public Notices
20
Puzzles
21
Sports
22
The Woodstock Independent
671 E. Calhoun St., Woodstock, IL 60098 Phone: 815-338-8040 Fax: 815-338-8177 Thewoodstock independent.com
INDEPENDENT PHOTO BY KEN FARVER
Sunday afternoon at MBI, volunteers sort through donations the community made after an appeal to help Venezuelan migrants, some in T-shirts and sandals, who were dropped off Dec. 30 at the train station.
City reacts to surprise migrant arrival By Larry Lough
LARRY@THE WOODSTOCKINDEPENDENT.COM
Woodstock City Council had a limited agenda for a special meeting last week called to deal with the problem that saw about three dozen Venezuelan migrants let out the previous weekend at the local train station. “What we’re not here to debate is
national immigration policy,” Mayor Mike Turner cautioned the crowd of about 40 people who attended. At the end of the 85-minute meeting, council members voted 6-0 to establish a registration system – similar to those in Chicago and Aurora – that could fine bus companies and even impound their vehicles if such migrant dumping occurs unannounced again.
Texas has been sending migrants to northern cities by bus to deal with that state’s border crisis. And despite his warning, Turner twice had to admonish speakers who wanted to make the issue political – one who blamed Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas, the other who said the Democratic administration in See MIGRANTS Page 2