Amelia Freeman and Chloe Renfree-Weiss Menomonie High School is gearing up for its latest production, Freaky Friday, a heartfelt and...

November 20th meeting The City Council set the tax levy at $7,899,490. The   levy is the portion of a taxing entity's   budget that must be funded by property taxes.  This is a $254,490 increase over the 2024 tax levy.  The City's valuation decreased by $30 million due to changes in personal property tax laws. As of January 1, 2024, businesses in Wisconsin are no longer subject to personal property tax due to the enactment of 2023 Wisconsin Act 12. This decrease in valuation

On December 12th, 2024, at approximately 3:16 PM, the Dunn County Communication Center was notified of a train vs. car crash at the railroad crossing near the intersection of 970th St and US Hwy 12 in the Village of Elk Mound, Dunn County, Wisconsin. The Dunn County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin  State Patrol, Elk Mound Police, Elk Mound Fire, Colfax Rescue, and Eau Claire Ambulance responded to  the scene.   Preliminary investigation shows the driver of a southbound SUV, faile

The Dunn County Board of Supervisors has adopted a set of core values for employees and elected officials to follow.  “Core values are the bedrock of an organization’s identity,” said Kris Korpela, Dunn County Manager. “They serve as a compass to guide decision making, actions, and behavior across all levels of county government.”  The values, adopted in November, "shall be embraced and upheld by all members of the organization,” according to the resolution. The core values a

EAU CLAIRE, Wis.- (December 3, 2024) – Xcel Energy has filed an application with the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin to acquire, build and operate the Elk Creek Solar and Energy Storage Project located in the Town of Spring Brook in Dunn County. The project is currently owned by Tyr Energy Development Renewables, LLC (TED Renewables). If approved, this acquisition would mark a significant expansion in the solar energy delivered to Xcel Energy customers in the Upper Mid

By Joleen Sterk, Director  - Menomonie Public Library   Festina lente– make haste slowly. Today marks three years since our friend Joan   Polasky died. We received an annuity gift of $77,238 from her estate in early 2022. The   gift was given to highlight the library’s unique architecture, and to celebrate art and   nature. Our goal was to better integrate the landscape into our available programming   space, and focus on the mental health benefits of green spaces.   After hi

Menomonie Chapter DD of the Philanthropic Educational Organization Sisterhood (P.E.O.) recently presented a donation to the Community Foundation of Dunn County for the Shop with a Cop program. Chapter DD Sisterhood has traditionally supported good causes in the Menomonie community as a Christmas project and is gratified to acknowledge the laudable work the Shop with a Cop program does as its project this year.  Helping children and families in need and promoting positive enga

By Andrew Garr, Program Director at Wisconsin Milkweed Alliance, Inc. (WIMA). Wisconsin Milkweed Alliance, Inc. (WIMA) and Monarch House Peer Run Respite extend their heartfelt gratitude to the Dunn Energy Cooperative for their generous $2,000 donation through the Operation Round Up Program. This contribution funded the purchase of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), a lifesaving addition to Monarch House's facility.  The AED represents far more than a piece of medical

The 2025 Dunn County budget reduces the tax rate and includes borrowing to install a geothermal and solar energy project for the Judicial Center and Central Campus area.    “This budget is fiscally responsible and still makes a significant improvement in our energy infrastructure,” said Kris Korpela, Dunn County Manager.  “The taxpayers will benefit for years to come from the energy-saving projects supervisors have approved.”    The Dunn County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 12

The Council awarded the Menomonie Public Library Vibrant Spaces Phase 1 contract to Haas Sons, Inc at a cost of $245,040.90. This project is being funded with $29,000 from ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds, $44,250 from the Vibrant Spaces Grant and Menomonie Public Library Funds. The original bid from Hass Sons (low bidder on the project) exceeded the funds available for the project. Three items were eliminated from the original plan - a pergola, a trash enclosure, and a

Promotes The Drums Along the Red Cedar Music Camp Fund during live auction The Dunn County community gathered on Nov. 2 to support the work and mission of the Community Foundation of Dunn County (CFDC) for its 14th Annual Jeans & Jewels Gala. Over 290 guests filled the Great Hall and Ballrooms at the UW-Stout Memorial Student Center to support the event, which included a delicious dinner and hors d’oeuvres, over 100 raffle and auction items, and a Dessert Dash. On the night,

Menomonie Fire Department Captain Brady Bleskacek has been named the Fire Inspector of the Year by the Wisconsin State Fire Inspectors Association.   Captain Bleskacek was nominated by Menomonie Fire Department Chief Denny Klass.  In his nomination, Klass noted that Bleskacek has made many improvements to the department's inspection program since becoming the Inspections Officer in 2020. The most significant was moving the department to an electronic inspection platform. Bles

CVTC welding instructor sews, sells caps, donates money to student food pantry By Alyssa Van Duyse Chippewa Valley Technical College When Keith Karr sits down to watch football on Sundays, he’s not on the couch eating nachos and drinking beer. Karr, a welding instructor at Chippewa Valley Technical College, takes the time to multitask. He’s sitting at a long table in his home with his foot on a pedal, feeding pieces of cotton into his sewing machine as it hums along. The 55-y

On February 15, 1974, Mary K. Schlais was found deceased near the intersection of 408th Ave. and 990th St. in the Township of Spring Brook, Dunn County. Mary’s death at that time was ruled a homicide.  The initial investigation revealed that Mary was from Minneapolis, MN and was believed to be hitch hiking from Minneapolis, MN to an art show in Chicago, IL. There was an eyewitness that observed a suspect and suspect vehicle that were believed to be connected to the homicide o

The Dunn County Sheriff’s Office, Menomonie Police Department, Boyceville Police Department, Colfax Police Department and Elk Mound Police Department received a grant from WI Bureau of Traffic Safety (BOTS) for just under $18,000 to conduct high visibility patrols to prevent and apprehend impaired drivers. This grant is to cover overtime to put additional officers on the streets at selected times to create high-visibility patrols. This grant runs from October 2024 until Sept

Taxpayers are invited to speak at a public hearing that the Dunn County Board of Supervisors has scheduled for Nov. 12 on the proposed 2025 county budget that continues the recent trend of reducing the property tax rate for the next year.   The County Board will hold a public hearing on the budget at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12 in room 054 of the Dunn County Government Center at 3001 Highway 12 East in Menomonie.   The board is expected to act following the public hearing.    Th