Village Voices - We don't write papers, we build scrapbooks

My wife is really getting better at hiding the food. As many of you know, several years ago my “loving” daughter snagged all but five of the peanut butter balls for herself, I was more than a litt...

Schools in our region have been hit with a nearly impossible task – to educate kids now in both a virtual and one-to-one environment at the same time, all while following strict guidelines...

We know there are a ton of people who share in this sentiment, but 2020 will probably not be fondly remembered by many of us. Whether it was the pandemic, the ugly political scene nationally, or the...

It’s not easy for me to have a vacation. I mean, when you look at the weekly schedule needed to put the paper out, there just really isn’t any convenient “weekend” to go out for a day or two....

At the Stephenson County Board meeting held via Zoom on December 16, an item on the agenda which had gotten a lot of area attention was the proposed annual increase in Fees to be imposed by the...

One of the hardest things to do – at least in my household – is keeping a secret in terms of what gift people are getting. I mean, with two teenage girls growing up, they had certain “wants...

You probably already knew that the idea of Santa Claus came from St. Nicholas, but the real saint wasn't a bearded man who wore a red suit. That all came much later. According to legend, the...

This is the last issue of the year for Village Voices. In order to give our staff a holiday with families, we take two weeks off. Our next issue will be in your mailbox on January 13th. We want to... Full story

Many people remember how back in October, the Stephenson County Nursing Center – DBA Walnut Acres – transported many of their residents to a Rockford facility in order to quarantine the wing of...

I’m not sure how old I was, but many, many years ago, I can remember sitting in our living room watching the local news on television with my parents when the weatherman announced to everyone that...

As reported in this week's issue of Village Voices, the Stephenson County Nursing Center – Walnut Acres – has been found "deficient" by the Illinois Department of Public Health, and is not only...

Thanksgiving is now over, so that means that it is once again time for the Christmas Spirit to fill us with a sense of the Holidays. But exactly what is this Christmas Spirit anyway? Why is it that...

No matter what your political views are, this past election was intense, but has finally come to an end – although I know you wouldn't know it from all of the signs still set up along the roads all...

Ok, nobody is really looking forward to it, but we all know that winter – and snow – is on the way. Well, with everyone stuck at home for the most part, we thought of a new contest for our...

As a kid, I thought the people that moved away for the winter were nuts … but now I’m not so sure. We all know the snow and colder temperatures are coming, and maybe it was the announcement of...

There are plenty of gift giving options, but the idea of showing off what makes our region special came to mind. And nobody can argue that our region has become the alternative energy capital of...

I did a little research, and combed through Amazon and EBAY to find out what were the most popular gifts people were buying online this year. And while some of them made perfect sense and I wouldn't...

With an Aunt who "literally" gave me a box as a gift when I was 13, (Yup, a little plastic box only big enough to hold seven dimes in – even pennies didn't fit) I've learned a lot of lessons about...

I know, I know, everyone always wants to give the perfect gift, but admit it – sometimes you need to find something that's just ... wrong! Whether it's for a white elephant gift, or something for...

These are, without a doubt, the 10 worst gift ideas ever. They're so bad that you probably should stop reading right now. Just go away. I have to do this sort of thing. Because this is a Gift Guide, s...

As of press time, Village Voices knew of two schools in our region that had already committed to playing High School Basketball in November – defying the Governor's edict, while following the IHSA...

I apologize right now for going into teacher mode this week, but … well … I think you’ll understand why if you bear with me. Back in my teaching days, I would include a famous poem by John...

Tiana Timpe is well known by Basketball fans throughout our region, and last week the Stockton senior star took the next step by accepting a full ride scholarship to play for Division One Central Mich...

By now, everyone knows how the chances of seeing basketball in December appear to be slim to none. But at some point, the games will be played – everyone is still in agreement on that. We just...

I have a new business partner. No, I didn’t fire Terry, although there are times, he tries my patience … but I’m sure I drive him nuts too, so that works. What happened is that – as I may...