B-W Band to host Marching Band Invitational this Saturday

September 12, 2024

001THU-image_123650291-Marching-Band(W) — Here is a photo from the Baldwin-Woodville Marching Band performing at Cumberland High School on Saturday, September 7th. Here are the placements: 1st Baldwin-Woodville 63.125, 2nd Merrill 62.725, 3rd Onalaska 58.500, Best Music - Baldwin-Woodville, Best Visual - Baldwin Woodville. Submitted photo

Submitted by Adam Bassak, B-W Director of Bands

BALDWIN, WI – If you have been around Baldwin-Woodville High School this summer, you may have heard the familiar sounds of the B-W Marching Band as they’ve prepared for the beginning of their competitive season over the last month and a half. Students start developing the show during a week-long band camp at UW-River Falls at the end of July where they learn music, formations, choreography, leadership, and teamwork as they put everything together. “It has been a fun year so far. I am excited to see what this group of students can accomplish this year,” said B-W Band Director Adam Bassak

B-W’s show this year is titled “Beyond the Myth” which explores one of the most iconic figures in Greek mythology, Medusa, a Gorgon with serpentine hair and a gaze that turns people to stone. Once a beautiful maiden, she was transformed into a monster by Athena as punishment for being pursued by Poseidon in her temple. Medusa’s tragic transformation reflects themes of victimization and vengeance, and she became a symbol of both terror and the tragic consequences of divine wrath.

This Saturday, September 14, 2024, at 6:00 p.m., the B-W Marching Band will host nine bands from Wisconsin and Minnesota at the B-W Marching Arts Invitational, held at King Field. “I am excited to bring a number of great groups to our community again this year,” said Bassak. Tickets (all general seating) are $10 for adults, $5 for students K-12, and 4K and under are free.

The Gates will open at 5:00 p.m., and students from Viking Middle School and St. Croix Central Middle School will combine to play the National Anthem at 6:00 p.m. We hope you join us for an entertaining evening and delicious food from the Classic Pizza Truck, LA Tricolor, Sweet B’s Bakery, and B-W Concessions! Please call 715-684-3321 ext. 4120 if you have any questions.

We hope to see you for some exciting marching band music this Saturday at King Field!

WWH to host ‘Sneak Peek Event’ for new Spring Valley Clinic

Western Wisconsin News

September 12, 2024

001THU-DSC01306-New-SV-Clinic(W) — The previous Attorney’s Building is now the new Western Wisconsin Health Spring Valley Clinic, where they will be hosting a “Sneak Peek Event” on Dam Days Saturday, September 21, 2024, for the community to tour and learn about the new clinic. Western Wisconsin News file photo by Paul J. Seeling

By Ryma Lindquist, Community Relations Director, WWH

SPING VALLEY, WI – Western Wisconsin Health (WWH) is excited to announce the upcoming “Sneak Peek Event” for its new Spring Valley Clinic, which is set to open later this fall. The community is invited to have an exclusive first look at the new facility on Dam Days Saturday, September 21, 2024, from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., in partnership with the Village of Spring Valley.

The Spring Valley Clinic, located at E144 Akers Street, Spring Valley, WI 54767, will offer essential healthcare services, including Primary Care, Behavioral Health, and Prenatal Care. During the sneak peek event, open house-style tours will be available, allowing attendees to explore the remodeled facility, learn more about the services offered, and meet some of the clinic’s healthcare providers.

“Sneak Peek Event” details:

Date: Dam Days Saturday, September 21, 2024.
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Location: E144 Akers Street, Spring Valley, WI 54767.
Activities: Open house tours and meet-and-greet with WWH providers.

“We’re thrilled to partner with the Village of Spring Valley to introduce this new clinic to the community,” said Eilidh Pederson, CEO of Western Wisconsin Health. “Although the clinic’s official opening is still being finalized, we wanted to give the community an early glimpse during the Spring Valley 56^th Annual Dam Days Celebration.”

Once opened, the Spring Valley Clinic will operate Monday through Friday, offering vital healthcare services to meet the needs of Spring Valley and the surrounding areas. With this expansion, WWH seeks to enhance access to care and ensure that community residents receive high-quality, local healthcare without having to travel far.

“Bringing these services closer to home is an important step toward improving the health and well-being of our community,” said Spring Valley native Ellen Thompson, Chief Operating Officer at WWH. “We look forward to welcoming patients to our new clinic this fall.”

Western Wisconsin Health is an independent, non-profit, progressive, and innovative healthcare organization committed to providing comprehensive, high-quality healthcare services.

We have a mission of “building a healthier tomorrow, together,” WWH aims to improve the health and well-being of the communities it serves by offering a wide range of medical, wellness, and preventative services.

Stay tuned for the announcement of our grand opening date.

For more information, visit wwhealth.org or contact Ryma Lindquist, Community Relations Director, at ryma.lindquist@wwhealth.org.

Michael Robert Hayes

Western Wisconsin News

September 11, 2024

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Michael Robert Hayes of Spring Valley, Wisconsin. Michael passed away on Saturday, August 17, 2024, at the age of 78 after struggling with medical issues. He is survived by his wife Susan, sister Marva Harms, daughters Sandy (Keith) Karlstad, LeAnn (Frank) Romanazzi, Michelle (Ramon) Hayes-Osuna, Jennifer (Neal) Hayes, and beloved grandchildren Evelyn, Olivia, Kaitlyn, Korbin, and Kaedyn, and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

Mike was born on August 28, 1945, to Geneva and Robert Hayes in Orange, California and later raised in Appleton, Minnesota.

After attending two years of college, he enlisted in the Army (Artillery Branch). About three years later he was commissioned as an officer, graduated from Army flight school and earned his wings as a UH-1 Huey pilot. During his Viet Nam tour from 1968-69, Mike was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his heroic service. After Vietnam, Michael continued his military career as a rotary wing instructor pilot. He retired at the rank of Major from the U.S. Army Reserves in 1990. He also retired as a Department of Army Civilian in 2001.

Mike enjoyed living on his hobby farm in Spring Valley, Wisconsin. He took pride in his carpentry skills, which he used to build his house and hobby shop. Mike’s retirement hobby passions were volunteering his skills at the Minnesota History Center fabricating museum displays; model train repair and restoration, attending train shows and running trains with the grandchildren. When not doing train-related work, he enjoyed listening to bluegrass music while driving his tractor.

Mike is preceded in death by his parents, sister Mary Raschke, niece Patti Johnson, father-in-law Bob Johnson, brothers-in-law Donald Raschke and Tom Harms.

Please join us in remembering and celebrating Michael’s extraordinary life. His legacy will live on in the hearts of all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Visitation/Celebration of Life for Mike will be on Saturday, September 14, 2024, from 1-4 p.m. at Keehr Funeral Home, Spring Valley, Wisconsin.

Military honors will be performed at 4 p.m. following the visitation.

Watch for snakes, lizards, salamanders and Frogs on Wisconsin’s roads

Western Wisconsin News

September 11, 2024

002WED-Watch-for-snakes,-lizards,-salamanders-and-Frogs-on-Wisconsin’s-roads(W) — By reporting sightings of reptiles and amphibians on and around Wisconsin’s roads, drivers can help researchers save more of them in the future. Photo by Wisconsin DNR

Submitted by the WI DNR

MADISON, WI – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages the public to report when and where they see frogs, salamanders, lizards or snakes, known collectively as herptiles, crossing the road during the late summer and early fall.

As the end of summer approaches and brings cooler temperatures, herptiles will soon begin crossing roads as they migrate from breeding and summer foraging locations to hibernation areas. Snakes and lizards in particular may see a stretch of gravel or pavement as an opportunity to gain warmth on the heated pavement, putting themselves in danger of being hit by vehicles in the process.

By reporting their sightings of these reptiles and amphibians on and around Wisconsin’s roads, drivers can help researchers better understand where their populations occur and save more of them in the future.

“Our goal is to fill in gaps of where these animals are found in Wisconsin and how they’re doing in the state so we can better protect them,” said Rich Staffen, DNR conservation zoologist. “Identifying high road mortality areas helps us know where we can incorporate mitigation efforts to reduce the threat to crossing animals in those locations.”

Drivers and trail users can submit a report of their sightings of live crossings or road mortalities, preferably with a photo, via the DNR’s Reptile and Amphibian Mortality Reporting Form.

Putting the brakes on species decline – Over half of Wisconsin’s reptiles are endangered, threatened or of special concern. A special concern species means their population is declining and in need of conservation action.

Wisconsin Herptiles by the numbers:

Amphibians	Total Species	Rare Species (% Of Total Species Present)
Frogs and toads	12	3 (25%)
Salamanders	7	1 (14%)
Reptiles
Lizards	4	3 (75%)
Turtles	11	4 (36%)
Snakes	22	14 (64%)

Learn more about the herptiles of Wisconsin on the DNR’s Reptile and Amphibian webpage.

Join the fun, join the Spring Valley – Elmwood Cub Scouts!

Western Wisconsin News

September 11, 2024

003WED-IMG_1009(W) — The Pack 9145 Spring Valley-Elmwood Cub Scouts at their exciting 2024 Pinewood Derby. Submitted photo

Submitted by Melanie Horner, Pack 9145

SPRING VALLEY, WI – Pack 9145, Spring Valley-Elmwood Cub Scouts are welcoming new Scouts for the 2024/2025 scouting year! We are all about encouraging boys and girls, grades K through 5, to make friends, be helpful to others, and do their very best no matter the outcome and have fun along the way!

With the help of powerful learning projects and exciting outdoor activities, we aim to teach children that doing their best can be a fun and rewarding experience—no matter the difficulty of the challenge.

Why Join Cub Scouts?
Cub Scouting encourages family fun while providing youth with a safe space to make friends and challenge themselves through age-appropriate activities. It is a program where children and parents feel like they belong to an organization that consistently reinforces worthwhile values like honesty, good conduct, and respect for others.

To learn more about the aims and benefits of Cub Scouting, please come to our first meeting of the year on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. in the Spring Valley Middle/High School LMC.

Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services wins statewide magazine award

Western Wisconsin News

September 10, 2024

005TUE-Liz-Gunderson(W) — Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News Editor Dana Kelroy, (L), presents an award of excellence in the category of Photography to Liz Gunderson, communication coordinator at Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services. Submitted photo

Submitted by Dana Kelroy, Editor, Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News

MIDDLETON, WI – Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services recently won an award of excellence for presentation of local news in the “Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News,” the voice of the state’s rural electric cooperatives. Liz Gunderson, communication coordinator at Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services, serves as the editor of the co-op’s local pages within the magazine. Awards were presented at the 2024 Communication Power Conference in Stevens Point, Wisconsin on August 28, 2024.

Pierce Pepin Cooperative Services’ magazine pages took first place in the category of Photography for the previous year.

Founded in 1940, the Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News focuses on statewide issues that affect electric cooperatives, promoting the general welfare of Wisconsin’s electric cooperatives, their member-owners, and the areas they serve. Nineteen electric cooperatives throughout the state are responsible for their own local sections within the magazine, which reaches 152,000 mailboxes each month.

No Sale – St. Croix County residents unite to stop proposal to sell nursing home and health care campus

Western Wisconsin News

September 10, 2024

001TUE-St.-Croix-Co-Health-Care-Campus(W) — This is the St. Croix County Health Care Campus in New Richmond, Wisconsin. Photo from the St. Croix County Health Care Campus website

Submitted by Kim Dupre

ST. CROIX COUNTY, WI – At the August 27, 2024, the Committee of the Whole meeting, the St. Croix County Board unanimously voted to not pursue the sale of the county nursing home and health care campus in New Richmond, Wisconsin.

Selling the nursing home and health care campus was one of three options presented in the County’s 10-year nursing home and health care campus review.

The pre-meeting rally had dozens of folks in attendance with signage and personal stories of the great asset this home is. The County Board meeting room was packed. People stood shoulder to shoulder along the walls of the boardroom and more than one overflow room was needed to accommodate the crowd.

Every single person who provided public testimony that night spoke in favor of keeping the nursing home and health care campus operating as a high quality, local, and affordable county-owned service for our community. That was on top of the 2,046 petition signatures that were gathered on our petition to oppose selling the nursing home and health care campus to a private entity.

We will continue to monitor and support the County Nursing Home through the rest of the 2025 budget process that will culminate November 5, 2024. While this was a big step toward saving our nursing home and health care campus, bad ideas have a way of sticking around and this may not be the last we’ve heard of this privatization option.

The Administration Committee of the St. Croix County Board will make a recommendation about the future of the nursing home and health care campus to the County Board at its next meeting on September 17 at 5:00 p.m. The County Board will again consider the future of the nursing home and health care campus at its next Committee of the Whole meeting on October 1 at 3:30 p.m., and then once more again on the same day at the County Board’s regular meeting on October 1 at 5:00 p.m.

To learn more find us on Facebook at Keep St. Croix County’s Nursing Home.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE “10 YEAR REVIEW – HEALTH CARE CAMPUS”
Overall, very good news!

The Saint Croix County Health Care Campus is providing 5-star rated, affordable, and local services for our elderly, disabled or injured relatives and neighbors, including rehabilitation, assisted-living, and skilled-nursing care.

Our Health Care Campus has a strong positive cash flow history. Payments received for services provided, which are made via private pay, Medicare, and Medicaid, have covered its operating costs since year-two.

Demand for the services our Health Care Campus provides in our community are growing—all but three of its 58 assisted-living beds are full now in Orchard View Terrace.

Our Health Care Campus was just awarded a $750,000 grant of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to open and operate a much needed “dementia crisis stabilization” unit within the Kitty Rhoades Memorial Memory Care Center—it will be only the second in the entire state of Wisconsin—and providing this new service will further enhance its profitable operations.

The projected future positive cash flows for Health Care Campus operations suggest it may be able to contribute toward debt service payments for the facility construction loan, too.

PC EDC welcomes new Executive Director

Western Wisconsin News

September 9, 2024

004MON-IMG_3503(W) — Lauren Highfill is the new Executive Director of the Pierce County Economic Development Corporation. Submitted photo

Submitted by Nate Boettcher, Board Chair

ELLSWORTH, WI – The Pierce County Economic Development Corporation (PC EDC) welcomes Lauren Highfill as its new Executive Director.

Lauren comes to the EDC from the city of West Concord, Minnesota where she served as the City Clerk and Treasurer. During that time, she closely worked with community members, businesses, and city leaders to help maximize strategies and eliminate barriers to economic growth.

Lauren previously spent time in New Orleans, Louisiana working with the Red Cross, supporting disaster recovery efforts, and working for a private company doing project management work and legal research.

“Lauren’s broad experience in supporting and developing strong relationships is a vital part of the EDC activities,” stated Nate Boettcher, EDC Board Chair.

Lauren comes to the EDC at a transition point with the retirement announcement of current EDC Executive Director Joe Folsom. Joe has been instrumental in leading the EDC over the past seven years. We thank Joe for his dedication and leadership of the PC EDC.

During his time, Joe helped support many countywide initiatives including broadband coverage and the expansion of tourism. He worked with several area businesses on succession plans and most recently led the formation of a housing cooperative chartered with developing more workforce housing. Joe will begin his transition over the next couple of months into full retirement but will continue to be an advocate for rural development programs.

Lauren will join the PC EDC on September 3, 2024. Lauren commented, “Being a part of the community, supporting our existing businesses, and looking for new opportunities to grow our county is an exciting challenge for me personally and professionally.”

Pierce County is one of the fastest growing counties in Wisconsin.

Boettcher added, “With Lauren joining the EDC, we have a great opportunity to not only make Pierce County a great place to live and visit, but we will be getting the right tools and processes in place to encourage more business growth in our region which will provide more services to our residents and add high quality paying jobs.”

Businesses and individuals wanting to learn more about the PC EDC can visit the EDC’s website at pcedc.com.

Cross country team opened at Saint Croix Falls, run at SCC Thursday

Ron Cipriano

September 9, 2024

SAINT CROIX FALLS, WI – The start of the Spring Valley cross country season came in with a bang, literally. The Cardinals recently ran at the Saint Croix Falls Invite last week, adjusting starting times to avoid the big storm that swept through the area. The squads got the meet in, barely, and the ride home included a few stops to seek shelter, but everyone made it home safely.

“Let’s hope we do not have one of those evenings again,” said Head Coach Chelsey Rickets. “I thought we ran well under the circumstances of high humidity and heat throughout this week.”

The girls’ team finished in sixth place out of seven teams. D-SC rival Boyceville looked tough, capturing first place with 40 points followed by Cameron (57), Somerset (71), Saint Croix Falls (96), Ladysmith (105), Spring Valley (155) and Clear Lake (172).

To read this and other premium articles in their entirety, pickup the September 5, 2024 issue of the Sun-Argus newspaper. Click to subscribe for convenient delivery by mail, or call (715) 778-4990. Single issues are also available at area newsstands and our office in Spring Valley, WI.

The Martell Schoolhouse

Cari Cornelius

September 8, 2024

003SUN-Martell-School,-1913-14,-96.01(W) — The Martell Schoolhouse with the students during 1913-1914. Photo courtesy of PCHA

with Tom Meyer/Francine Rudesill

TOWN OF MARTELL, WI – Along the roadway south on Highway 63, stands one of the last remaining pieces of the early days of Martell – The Martell Schoolhouse. According to P.M. Wiff, in the book authored “The History of Martell Township,” the school was built in 1905 as the number of students at the Cloverdale School grew too large, and the distances to walk too far. The cost of the lot itself was just $200, the price to build amounted to just $1,107.87. In 1914, the steps and front porch were added, and while the building started out as red, in 1923 the schoolhouse was repainted to white.

Francine Rudesill attended the schoolhouse for a few years before it closed in 1962.

To read this and other premium articles in their entirety, pickup the September 5, 2024 issue of the Sun-Argus or Woodville Leader newspaper. Click to subscribe for convenient delivery by mail, or call (715) 778-4990. Single issues are also available at area newsstands and our office in Spring Valley, WI.