BITS & Pieces

NEWS OF NOTE FROM OUR NEIGHBORS

Tribune-Phonograph

In January 1971, J.A. and Carol O’Leary purchased The Tribune- Phonograph (Colby/Abbotsford) and The Record Review (Edgar) newspapers and moved from Illinois to Central Wisconsin. In the past half-century of journalism, the family business has expanded in many ways, including adding other weekly papers and operating out of their flagship TP Printing Company plant in Abbotsford. In 1987, the Medford weekly, The Star News was added to their ownership. In 1997, the company purchased the Stratford Journal and incorporated it into the Tribune-Phonograph. In 2011, the Loyal based Tribune-Record-Gleaner was purchased. And in 2014, the Courier-Sentinel, which serves Cadott- Cornell-Lake Holcombe were added to the company. The newspapers have won many honors over the years from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association. The Tribune-Phonograph’s 50th Anniversary editorial states: "In our anniversary, we rededicate ourselves to the mission of the community newspaper: This mis sion is not to present information. It is to publish journalism. It is not to sensationalize. Instead, it is to build community. It is not to get clicks. Rather, it is to tell the truth, knowing that the facts, fairly and ethically presented, will, in the end, sell plenty of newspapers.” Today the Co-publishers of the newspapers are Kris-O’Leary and her husband Kevin Flink. A host of editors and loyal staff support the publishers in keeping community journalism alive.

Tri-County Area Times

It wasn’t a major weather system, but the damage it caused certainly was major. Freezing rain, which fell the morning of Thursday, December 23, caused a huge pile-up of some 40 ve- hicles on Interstate Highway 94 between Northfield and Osseo. The highway was closed for much of the day and evening. Some 20 injuries were reported but no fatalities.

Trempealeau County Times

At their recent meeting, the Arcadia School Board declared that local schools are fast approaching a space issue. The high school has 395 lockers and 420 students. Middle school classrooms are at capacity and the elementary school couldn’t add students without flipping and moving classrooms around. With few options, the district will begin discussions because if a referendum is to be pursed it is a lengthy process. +++ With a November survey supporting the Whitehall School District providing a daycare facility, the consensus of the school board was that their superintendent get cost figures on what it would take to provide space and operate daycare. The ultimate decision would come via a referendum vote by district taxpayers to support, or not support, startup costs and budget needed to operate the daycare center.

Buffalo County News

The Beef River Industrial Development Corporation, a not-for-profit corporation recently donated $6,500 to the Ele va-Strum Public Education Foundation, to assist with scholarships. Originally incorporated in 1971, to assist an area industry, it was recently decided to dissolve the corporation and donate the remaining funds to the Eleva-Strum Education Foundation, which is also a non-for profit..