Cornell looks to receive infrastructure funding

BITS & Pieces

NEWS OF NOTE FROM OUR NEIGHBORS

Courier Sentinel

Lots of money is going to be distributed around Wisconsin as a result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law – STP-Local Program.

Applications are due June 3 and the city of Cornell is looking to capture some of the money for replacement and repairs of a number of city streets. Based on an 80-20 split of costs, the city’s share would be up to $600,000, if all the funding requests were granted.

Total projected cost of the street projects is $2.5 million. +++ Cornell Police Chief Glenn Rebberg requested that the city council change the city ordinance that governs how far a police ovcer can live outside the city limits. The council agreed to change the ordi- nance that would allow a police ovcer to reside within 15 miles of the city limits.+++ On May 23, the Cadott School Board met, as the Committee of the Whole, to discuss its next steps to library policy changes. Superintendent Jenny Starck shared a Nicola policy for Board consideration.

The Thorp Courier

Thorp High School’s top ten percent of its graduates are Jacob Barth, Willow Haase, Ryan Raether, Katie Schraufnagel and Kiana Simon. Graduation for the 46 seniors was held on Friday, May 27, at 7 pm. Jacob Barth began the program by welcoming everyone. +++ Two long time Thorp School District employees are retiring and were honored at the school’s end of year Retirement Dinner on Thursday, May 25. Mrs. Pat Hull was employed for 31 years and worked in numerous positrons including high school library aid, nurse assistant and library teacher for summer school. Mrs, Peggy Hinkel also retired after 42 years in education systems. For the last seven years she has been the Thorp Districts bookkeeper. Prior to that she worked for the Gilman School District as a Title I Aide, regular classroom aide and as a school secretary/bookkeeper.+++ Forward Bank has donated $25,000 to help Cecil Tormey Post 118 of the American Legion build a new Veterans Remembrance Park in Thorp.

Bloomer Advance

The New Auburn School District’s Technical Education Department was looking to add welding as a learning opportunity.

After their Tech Ed teacher, Austin Rayburn, met with Catalytic Combustion of Bloomer, they donated the equipment and supplies needed to get started. +++ In another community donation, Cata- lytic Combustion fabricated and donated new flag pole brackets to display flags on Bloomer's Main Street light poles. The flags have been supplied by the Bloomer American Legion for many years.

+++ On May 30, Memorial Day, Bloomer will hold a 9:30 am parade, with a program at the Veterans Memorial to follow. The program includes the reading of the names of the veterans who had died within the past year.

O-W Enterprise A three generation business, Baehr Electric of Withee, is cele- brating 50 years of serving the community and area. +++ The first Owen-Withee Pop-up Food Pantry was held at the Withee Ballpark on Monday, May 23, with 55 area families being served. Feed My People and local helpers provided labor for the distribution.

+++ A group of individuals interested in forming an Owen-Withee Area Historical Society met on May 5, to put together proposed by-laws and plan for an organizational meeting. The organizational meeting for the proposed organization will be Wednesday, June 8, at 7 pm at the Owen Senior Center. The proposal includes avliation with the Wisconsin State Historical Society. +++ The Owen-Withee football team has a new motto for the coming year, “Our Family – Betting on Ourselves.”

The Tribune-Phonograph Sticker shock came to some on the Abbotsford City Council when they learned that a $100,000 upgrade to the Red Arrow Park concession stand was now projected to cost $300,000 for a totally new structure. New vs. old is said to be needed because the existing building has a weak foundation. +++ Two new Abbotsford digital welcome signs are going to cost $18,465 each according to the Stratford Sign Company. The city council will budget for them next year.

The Clark County Press

The Clark County Board is looking at a possible partnership with Bug Tussel that would significantly increase the county's broadband infrastructure. For a County funded $18 million dollar loan, the company would install 10 new communications towers and 190 miles of fiber optic cables throughout the county to pro vide high speed Internet options for county residents. +++ In an euort to recruit and retain more workers, the Clark County Board has updated its wage schedule at a cost of $380,000 plus. On a 15-14 vote approval was gained. $316,167.73 of the increased wage costs will becoming out of the county’s contingency fund.+++ The Loyal School Board has approved moving its four-year old kindergarten to four full days of instruction per week, instead of two full days as is the current model. +++ The annual “Stamp Out Hunger” food drive, by the Neillsville Post Ovce workers, resulted in just over 6,000 pounds collected from people in the Neillsville area.

Tri -County Area Times

At their Monday, May 16 meeting, the Trempealeau County Board, by a vote of 15-2, approved borrowing $6 million in bonds, that will go largely towards highway funding. The lowest bid on interest, 2.96%, came on 10 year bonds from Bankers Bank of Madison. +++ The Lake Eau Claire north boat landing accessible boat project, is nearing completion. The new dock was installed on April 23 and the accessible chair lift was installed April 26.

The final finishing touches will include signage on the project, in structional signage how to properly use the chairlift, designation of accessible parking spaces and the hooking up of a security camera. The project is described as one of a kind, in that there are no other boating facilitates in the area that ouer a chairlift like this, for helping wheelchair access into a boat.

Buualo County News

Marshfield Clinic and Security Health have made their 2022- 2023 behavioral health grants to 53 Wisconsin school districts.

Among area districts receiving the grants are Mondovi, Elva- Strum, Augusta, Durand, Fall Creek and Osseo-Fairchild. +++ On Wednesday, May 18, Mondovi’s Zion Lutheran Church hosted an open house in conjunction with its annual hot beef dinner. The public was invited to view the newly completed fellowship hall, which includes an expansive new kitchen. +++ Mondovi’s Lions Park recently received an infusion of additional trees when Lions Club members added nearly 100 new plantings as part of the park’s continued enhancement and development. +++ Fish were caught and prizes were earned by area youth in attendance at the Strum Rod & Gun Club's second annual Youth Fishing Day, held on Saturday, May 21, at Crystal Lake in Strum.