Opinion - Pierce County Journal

Letter to the editor: Show Van Orden the door

To the editor, US Rep. Derrick Van Orden has succeeded in pressuring the Ellsworth schools to fire high school math teacher Krista Lesiecki for exercising her First Amendment rights as a … more

10/1/25

Letter to the editor: Pepin Township needs to reinstate study group

To the editor, On Sept. 16, more than 100 Pepin County residents filled the Pepin Sportsman’s Club to hear Lisa Doerr, a Polk County farmer, explain to the Pepin Town Board how towns are … more

10/1/25

From the editor's desk: What's on my radar

“What’s on your radar” is one of my favorite segments on the Dave Ryan in the Morning radio show on KDWB. The four show hosts take turns telling the audience things that have caught … more

By Sarah Nigbor | 10/1/25

Back Home: A fascination with underground life

I’ve had a fascination with caves as far back as I can remember. My first recollection was when I was maybe 4 years old living near Milwaukee. Dad said we were going to meet some friends … more

By Chris Hardie | 10/1/25

The Woods’ plan for an upgraded outhouse experience.

Woodworking Again: Outhouses revisited

One of the first customers to use the new outhouse facility mentioned in last week’s column was our friend Carl Chrislock, a distinguished professor of Scandinavian history then and author of … more

By Dave Wood | 9/24/25

Letter to the editor: How do we get out of here?

To the editor, Back in 2016, when I was still hoping that our new president wasn’t the person he seemed to be, he caught my ear by using the word “enemies” to describe 70+ … more

9/24/25

Letter to the editor: Preserving natural resources is good economics

To the editor, There are important choices that area residents and the town officials who represent them need to make. Water and air quality know no boundaries. I’d like to share some … more

9/24/25

Letter to the editor: Oppose lobbying pressures

To Sen. Johnson & Congressman Van Orden, I just phoned your offices and wanted to follow up with an email. The subject is the immunity or limited liability provisions in the EPA funding bill … more

9/24/25

Letter to the editor: Killing doesn’t solve differences

To the editor, I do like local newspapers. They need to be supported. And the PC Journal is a good one. Two columns I nearly always read are by editor Nigbor and regular … more

9/24/25

Letter to the editor: Let’s put WI voters back in charge

To the editor, As Americans, we all have a right to equality, freedom, and self-determination. But here in Wisconsin, these principles are being threatened. Outside money is flooding our … more

9/24/25

From the editor's desk: Teens' toilette

Something happens to a child when they turn into a teenager. I don’t know if it’s the hormones or going through puberty or what, but they turn into a bathroom hog. They are also often … more

By Sarah Nigbor | 9/24/25

Dr. Sunem Beaton-Garcia, president of Chippewa Valley Technical College, left, and Dr. Katherine Frank, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin–Stout, celebrate the remodel of CVTC’s Menomonie campus during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 15. The two leaders have collaborated closely to enhance educational opportunities for students.

Editorial: Reframing higher education

As leaders of institutions committed to preparing the next generation of skilled professionals, we find ourselves aligned as regional partners at a decisive moment in the evolution of American higher … more

By Dr. Sunem Beaton-Garcia & Dr. Katherine Frank | 9/24/25

Editorial: Unplug from the hate machine

Often credited to the French philosopher Voltaire but actually penned by his biographer Evelyn Beatrice Hall, the phrase is almost universally known: “I disapprove of what you say, but I will … more

By Bill Barth | 9/24/25

Sustainability Matters: Local action in challenging times

“All things are connected like the blood that unites us. We do not weave the web of life, we are merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves.” - Chief Seattle, c. … more

By Robin Boles | 9/17/25

Woodworking again: Outhouses, the old 3-holer

Nowadays a fashionable academic notion asserts that public virtues such as community sharing, cooperation, and pulling together in times of trouble disappeared once all the barns were raised and … more

By Dave Wood | 9/17/25

Letter to the editor: Please help Pam & family

To the editor, For the past 25 years, Pamela Norton has served as the right-hand person at a church for people in various stages of recovery in River Falls. In 2003, the pastor asked Pam if she … more

9/17/25

From the editor's desk: Broken

My column will be short this week, because like many, I am feeling broken. I just have a few simple statements to make. The death of political activist Charlie Kirk is terrible. It should not … more

By Sarah Nigbor | 9/17/25

Op Ed: Honest discussion, not opinions, needed in our townships

I think an honest discussion of controversial issues of our current dairy industry is in order. Local opinions, pro and con, have been published in “The Journal” concerning the herd … more

By Wally Franta | 9/17/25

The Thrune Center at Norskedalen includes historical displays and exhibits explaining the Norwegian immigrants who came to the region.

Back Home: A visit to Norway close to home

Be it for the good or the bad, we are from whom we descend. While our ancestors don’t define us, we wouldn’t be here without them. My descendants and their lives were on my mind … more

By Chris Hardie | 9/17/25

Woodworking again: Poverty

I’ve been digging through my incunabula (old writings in my files) and thank goodness found a long-lost item that should help me weather the depression invoked as I browse through the morning … more

By Dave Wood | 9/10/25