Barbara A. Shannon, age 69, of Menomonie, passed away on Thursday, December 25, 2025 at her home with family by her side. Barb was born on July 19, 1956 in Eau Claire to Donald F. and Mary Jane (Deutscher) Williams. She grew up on the family farm near Hatchville, graduated from Menomonie High School in 1974, and worked various secretarial jobs before marrying John Shannon on Aug. 12, 1978 at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Menomonie. Together they operated Shannondoah Farm i

Dorrene Kay Knutson, age 87, died peacefully at Colfax Senior Living on Dec. 23, 2025. She was born Oct. 27, 1938, to Henry (Hank) and Lavina Hanson of Ridgeland. Dorrene married Curt E. Knutson in Jan. of 1955. They had four children: Terry, Mike, Tom and Jill. Dorrene attended New Hope Lutheran and later Pine Creek Lutheran where she was involved in the ladies aide there. Early in Dorrene’s life she loved playing cards with neighbors and family. She also loved traveling, ta

Selections from the MHS Concert Chorus’ Holiday set will be played on Greatest Hits 98.1’s Chippewa Valley Christmas Music Special on Christmas Eve at 7:00 PM and Christmas Day at 9:00 AM. From the MHS Vocal and Dramatic Art Facebook page . What to toss, reuse, and recycle during the holidays. From the City of Menomonie Facebook page . 40 years ago (1985)...

Students share messages of community, kindness, belonging with graduates at Dec. 20 ceremony By Abby Goers, UW-Stout Menomonie, Wis. – Two alumni guest speakers and three students addressed 527 of their peers as they celebrated graduation from University of Wisconsin-Stout – Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University – on Dec. 20. During two ceremonies in Johnson Fieldhouse, the alumni speakers encouraged graduates to embrace the unknown and be proud of their Stout journeys as they

Steven Michael Schrantz, age 79, of Menomonie, WI passed away peacefully in the early hours of Tuesday, December 23, 2025 after a long battle with chronic illness with his devoted wife, Kathy, at his side. He was born November 16, 1946 in Eau Claire, WI to Clarence and Doris (Peterson) Schrantz. He grew up on their family farm in the Elk Mound area with 6 siblings, graduating from Elk Mound High School and continuing his studies at the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire wher

Meng Vang The Menomonie Police Department reports the arrest of an employee of ReforMedicine, 800 Wilson Ave, Suite 28, Menomonie, WI, following an investigation into the unlawful placement of a recording device inside the facility. On November 19, 2025, clinic staff reported concerns regarding finding an unauthorized recording device within a non-public area of the clinic. The Menomonie Police Department was notified by clinic staff on November 26, 2025, of the recording dev

Mary Lou (Kuhn) Hotchkiss, age 85, of Menomonie, Wisconsin, passed away peacefully on Monday, December 22, 2025. She was born on October 27, 1940, in Menomonie to Murville and Mildred (James) Kuhn. She grew up in the Knapp area, attending Knapp Grade School and graduating from Menomonie High School in 1958. After graduation, she moved to Madison and began her career with the Public Service Commission before returning home to work at UW-Stout. On December 29, 1962, Mary Lou ma

Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld announced that the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) has begun making payments, and that benefits are once again available for eligible Wisconsin residents needing help with their energy bills. The heating season officially began on November 1, though the federal shutdown meant that Wisconsin did not immediately receive federal funding to support energy benefits. The State estimates that 1

You may already know that smoking is the #1 cause of lung cancer in the United States, but do you know what’s #2? Radon—a naturally occurring, invisible, radioactive gas. Radon gas forms naturally in the ground. Most radon mixes harmlessly with outdoor air that we all breathe in low levels every day. Radon from underground seeps into a home through cracks and gaps in the foundation and becomes trapped inside. Over time, breathing indoor air with high radon levels can damage