Group supports Clark County police

Bits &

Thorp Courier

On Friday evening, July 17, the Thorp High School Senior Class of 2020 was finally given the opportunity to put on their caps and gowns and receive their diplomas. While proud family members watched from a safe distance, the graduates sat in chairs safely spread across the center of the football field. +++ New Thorp District Administrator, Paul Blanford recently took time out of his busy schedule to learn what makes Thorp tick. To do so he visited Thorp Equipment, Marieke Gouda, Penterman Farms and WB Manufacturing. Mr. Blanford’s comments after his tours, “I am so impressed by what Thorp has regarding businesses and manufacturing. I was truly amazed!” +++ 2020 Thorp Pumpkin Fest and Lublin Days have been canceled per ads in The Thorp Courier.

Bloomer Advance

The Bloomer Chamber of Commerce is leading an effort to raise funding for a new base of sand in the horse arena at the Bloomer Fairgrounds. The project includes removing the old materials. +++ The Bloomer High School Track and Field Team has a new storage area for its equipment. Miron Construction, which has a number of employees who call Bloomer home, has donated a storage crate to the track team for storing pole vault and high jump mats.

Courier Sentinel

Lake Holcombe High School seniors will graduate on Saturday, August 1. The ceremony will be held on the football field and each graduate will receive four tickets for guests. Social distancing will be enforced and masks are recommended. August 2 is a rain date. +++ R& R Waste Systems Cleaning, Inc. has been hired to deal with two sewers issues in Cadott. One is on Elm Street and only needs maintenance, and the one on Kelly Street needs repairs, where rock pushed through the side of the sewer pipe. Both will be done for $2,500 and will not require digging up the streets. +++ Clifford Bowe M.D., a retired Cadott physician, agreed in a settlement to pay $70,000 to resolve civil allegations that he violated the Controlled Substance Act.

The Sentinel & Rural News

Another building in downtown Owen is getting a face lift. The old Del’s Equipment building is under the new ownership of D7 Solutions, a company that specializes in protecting a building’s envelope. They do waterproofing, coatings, air barriers and expansion joints. Terry Laube and his son are the owners of the business. +++ Bob and Tammy Tomczak have remodeled their Little Tykes Learn and Play Childcare. The home child care center is in the process of being licensed to increase their capacity from three to eight.

The Clark County Press

A newly formed organization, the Clark County Citizens Auxiliary, is putting on its first fundraiser. The group was formed to support the Clark County Sheriff’s Office K9 unit. They will be hosting an old fashion drive-in movie, at the Clark County Fairgrounds, on both Friday, July 24 and Saturday, July 25. Tickets can be purchased online. +++ A survey indicates that the parents of Granton School students want school to resume in a face-to-face fashion. The board opted to start school on Tuesday, August 25. +++ The End of the Season Festival at Greenwood has been canceled for this year. The festival would have been on Saturday, September 12.

Tribune Photograph

Colby students will be split into two groups (with families kept together on the same days) and will attend school either on Mondays and Tuesdays or Thursdays and Fridays. This allows the K-12 campus to remain half-empty on any given day. When students are not physically in school, they will be learning online using Google Classroom and other programs first implemented last March. Wednesdays, with no students in the building, will be used for staff development, virtual office hours and deep cleaning. Special accommodations will be made for special education and English Language Learners. +++ Plans approved by the school board are to open the Abbotsford Schools on Tuesday, September 1. Parents will have the option of three choices: virtual learning, face-to-face instruction or a blended approach. Face-to-face instruction with not be provided on Wednesdays so the schools can receive a deep cleaning. Wednesdays will not be a day off for any students, all of them will be required to log in and attend classes.

O-W Enterprise The Owen-Withee FFA Alumni held another successful Cows, Plows and Wine event, on Saturday evening, July 18. The event took place at Munson Bridge Winery and included a wine and pulled pork dinner, a silent auction, mystery box raffles, bucket raffles, a live raffle and a gun raffle. Attendees were entertained by Rowdy Boys Entertainment with DJ Andrew Childs. +++ The Owen City Council approved moving ahead with the next step in completing the interior of the new City Hall. The Building Committee will now be working with department heads on specifics related to their rooms e. g. floor coverings, paint colors, etc.

Tri-County News Intense thunderstorms, spawned by hot and humid weather, caused damage across the Tri-County area. Flooded farmers fields, full ditches, swollen rivers and streams, and damaged trees were all evidence of the storms that passed through the area last week. +++ Amy Rindahl, a City of Osseo employee, has been selected an Administrative Professional of the Year by the Wisconsin Rural Water Association.

Mondovi Herald News

Mondovi Elementary and Middle School students, who haven't been in a classroom since March, will have an opportunity next month to reintegrate into the school setting. The school district will offer a two week summer school, August 3-14, with “bridging classes for students in grades 3-8, who will have available the typical June summer school offerings, and sports fundamentals classes. +++ The Gilmanton Schools staff will receive a wage/salary increase of 2 percent across the board, starting in 2020-21.

The Black River Falls School District hosted swimming lessons for two weeks for level 2 through 5. They reported that 115 kids signed up. Swimming lessons provided something normal for the kids to do. +++ The Black River Falls Library welcomed a local florist, who shared tips with youngsters on how to make a fairy garden. She shared how to plant succulents, while adding unique items to their gardens, thus creating the unique gardens.

An Overview

School boards and district administrators face difficult decisions as to how to reopen their schools this fall. There is no way to make everyone happy!

News of Note From Our Neighbors