Sarona
Politics
Lakes Conference June 21
SPOONER — The 2024 Northwest Wisconsin Lakes Conference will be held Friday, June 21, from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at Spooner High School. The day begins with resignation and continental breakfast, followed by a 9 a.m. welcome. Zoie Babcock will be the youth keynote speaker on “Climate Change in Wisconsin,” followed by keynote speaker Tom Fitz, Northland College, on “Geologic History and Setting of Lakes in Northwest Wisconsin. There...
Never forget their sacrifice: Memorial Day service honors fallen members of the Armed Forces
Remembering the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who fell in service to their country is the reason for Memorial Day, but people also can honor their memories by appreciating active service members and nurturing those who will serve in the future, said Rice Lake Chief of Police Steve Roux at Veterans Memorial City Park on Monday morning. “The sole purpose of today is to remember the fallen — period,” Roux said as he gave Memorial Day remarks before a crowd of patriots...
Property development agreement with Johnson on City Council agenda
The Rice Lake City Council will be reviewing the draft of a property development agreement with a downtown business in a bid to help it potentially move to the North Industrial Park. After closed session on May 14, the City Council asked attorney Lindsay Kohl to prepare a draft North Industrial Park property development promissory note/agreement with Johnson Refrigerated Truck Bodies, located at 215 E. Allen St. The Johnson location...
Spooner Health joins Shell Lake Arts Center and Morpheus to strengthen communities
SHELL LAKE — Spooner Health has joined forces with the Shell Lake Arts Center to sponsor the band Morpheus for a fun night of music, dancing, appetizers and socializing. The doors open at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 1, in the lobby of the Darrell Aderman Auditorium at the Arts Center. Morpheus is a band with local roots that plays only to raise funds for nonprofit organizations like the Arts Center. They began their musical careers in the ‘60s and ‘70s and continue to play...
Work on South Access Road, Cedar Mall intersection slated for 2026
Drivers looking for a better experience navigating the South Access Road and Frontage Road intersection west of Main Street will have to wait for 2026 to see an improvement. Traffic flow congestion at the intersection came to the forefront of the city’s attention in 2022, when Caribou Coffee approached the Plan Commission with a proposal to build a 605-square-foot, drive-thru-only building in the Cedar Mall parking lot. Plans called for...
New Midtown Road recycling site opens with great success
SPOONER — The new Recycling Control Commission (RCC) Midtown Road recycling site opened Tuesday, April 23. The appreciation from the residents was overwhelming. In the four-hour time frame that the site was open, 65 cars came to drop off their recyclable materials. The RCC would like to thank the residents for their support and usage of the site. The Midtown Road site, located at 7592 Midtown Rd., will be open...
Memorial Day observances to honor area’s deceased veterans
SPOONER — Memorial Day weekend is upon us. We will soon gather throughout Washburn County at small cemeteries and memorials with fond memories of relatives and friends who died while serving America as a member of the Armed Forces. We will honor their service with flags, wreaths, thanks, salutes and tears. And though the pain of loss will be tough, and many tears will flow, our hearts will fill with pride for their sacrifice to preserve our freedom. ...
Washburn County commencement ceremonies May 24, 31
WASHBURN COUNTY — Washburn County school districts will be holding their graduations Friday, May 24. Shell Lake High School’s commencement ceremony will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. in the school performance gym. Valedictorian is Kylee Dahlstrom and salutatorian is Emily Swan. Spooner High School will have its graduation ceremony at 7 p.m. in the high school gym. Valedictorian is Luke Popp and salutatorian is Carson Klein. Northwood School in Minong will hold commencement at 7 p.m. in the Richards Auditorium. Valedictorian is Zoya Rich, and salutatorian is Zoey Wilson. Birchwood School’s graduation will be Friday, May 31, from 7 to 8 p.m. at the school. Valedictorian is Josh Weatherhead and salutatorian is Naomi (Theresa) Labahn.
New Stone lake pickleball courts dedicated
“You probably know someone who plays pickleball and loves it. There are several new courts popping up all around the area. Cable added courts, Silverthorn Park added a new court recently and so did First Lutheran Church in their parking lot. There are also courts going into the Hayward schools. On Friday May 17, we celebrated the grand opening of two new courts at the Stone Lake Lions Park. We had a great turnout for our grand opening. ...
With 2nd ambulance in service, Rice Lake Fire Department expands operations
The Rice Lake Fire Department has reached its goal first proposed three years ago of providing an emergency transport service that includes posting an ambulance on standby at local events and transferring patients between medical facilities. The Fire Department began a sometimes uphill battle to add an ambulance service with two ambulances in May 2021, fielding concerns about operational costs and possibly taking business away from Marshfield Medical Center. A compromise was struck with the purchase of a single ambulance, which went into service on...
Spooner Memorial Library begins Campaign Readiness Study to examine building renovation, expansion Capital Campaign
SPOONER — Spooner Memorial Library has partnered with BrandRaise, LLC to conduct a Capital Campaign Readiness Study for their proposed building renovation and expansion project. The 12-week effort is designed to garner feedback about the proposed expansion and explore the opportunity of conducting a $6.7 million capital campaign. Since the last renovation in 1997, the library has seen a 91% increase in visitors, a 265% increase in program attendance and a 378% increase in the number of programs. The goal of the project is to...
Lions Club picks up 18 bags of trash, calls Highway 48 'spotless'
Twelve members of the Rice Lake Lions Club made quick work of a four-mile stretch of the “now spotless” Highway 48 on Saturday. “We collected 18 bags of highway trash in approximately one hour, 15 minutes,” Jon Anderson said. Highway cleanup is one of several ways each year that the Lions Club gives back and works toward the betterment of the community.
OakLeaf Clinics open in Menomonie, Rice Lake
MENOMONIE — OakLeaf Clinics announced Tuesday it has opened its new clinic sites in Rice Lake and Menomonie. Former Prevea Rice Lake providers Bailey Yeager PA-C and Kaley Wilson, APNP, and their team are now at OakLeaf Clinics Rice Lake, which is located at 1024 N. Main Street. It is co-located with OakLeaf Medical Network member Diagnostic Radiology Associates. OakLeaf Medical Network member Foot & Ankle Clinic and OakLeaf clinics...
Menards denied rezoning request
Menards was dealt a setback over its proposal to build a self-storage facility on the southeast corner of South Access Road and Wisconsin Avenue. The Rice Lake City Council held a public hearing on Tuesday about rezoning a four-tenths of an acre parcel that would facilitate construction of 261 units, but councilmembers balked due to an apparent lack of communication with neighbors and poor access for fire emergencies. The Plan...
Lots of new events happening in the area this summer
SHELL LAKE — A number of new, family-friendly events are being set around Spooner and Shell Lake, starting Memorial Day weekend and continuing throughout the summer. At the Monday, May 13 Shell Lake City Council meeting, Mary Ann Rigby requested a street-use permit for a Spooner Police Foundation event — Murph. Murph is a workout in honor of fallen U.S. Navy Seal Lt. Michael P. Murphy, and also in honor...
Shell Lake hanging baskets will soon adorn the city
SHELL LAKE — Soon, Shell Lake’s Main Street and beach lampposts will be adorned with gorgeous hanging baskets from Yellow River Gardens. Linda Berger has been planting and nurturing the wave and super-petunias since February. Shell Lake’s city crew will hang the baskets around Memorial Day, weather-permitting. The Shell Lake Lions Club has teamed up with the City of Shell Lake for the past 14 years. The cost is covered completely by donations. ...
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