Parkway Independent ceasing publication

VW independent staff/submitted information

ROCKFORD – The owner-editor of the Parkway Independent online newspaper and WebWorks Services LLC has announced she’s closing her business at the end of this month.

In a press release, Sheila (Wood) Baltzell-Linn announced her retirement and pending closure, effective December 31.

Web Works Services was established in 1997 as a website building business and created some of the earliest websites ever published in the infancy of the World Wide Web. A few of those sites were the Village of Rockford, Ketcham’s Furniture Store, Tom Robbins Auctioneers, and Van Wert Bedrooms.

On August 4, 2004 Baltzell-Linn published the first issue of the Parkway Independent online newspaper, parkwayindependent.com, covering the Rockford, Mendon and Willshire area news. The first issue featured the demolition of Parkway High School with photos by Nikki Fox, obituaries, Parkway football sports news and other newsworthy items. A few of the other people who regularly contributed to the Parkway Independent were Pat Agler, Lisa Kuhn, Todd Henkle, Marcia Ripley and Parkway Schools.

“Thank you to the many more contributors over these 20 years,” Baltzell-Linn said. “Writing is a hobby of mine and I worked at the Rockford Press with my late husband, Larry Baltzell, and the rest of the Baltzell Families for many years. We did printing which included the local area village weekly newspapers. I always enjoyed writing for the Rockford Press Newspaper until it ceased publication.”

“I offer a heart-felt thank you to the local communities and those who visit the site from all around the world for supporting me with your business and news and for being my most faithful readers over these many years,” she added.

The Parkway Independent is not affiliated with the VW independent.