July 6, 2022

The City of Prescott project to expand the Prescott Food Pantry building has hit another snag. The city council was told at a meeting in early June that there’s a chance that the project, which has swelled in size from about $950,000 to more than $1.4 million will have to be rebid.

Sarah Brenner, a former St. Paul, Minn. school teacher, left the city in 2016 in search of a change of scenery, and scenery she found. Nestled on a farm outside of Maiden Rock, among rolling pastures and curving country roads, the 53-year-old took her interest in agri-tourism to task, developing a small retail outpost for organic food and farm, at the Lake View Organic Farm which she shares with her husband and third generation farmer, Bill Brenner.

When Steven Cash visited River Falls, he immediately felt at home. He knew his decision to apply for the open fire chief position was the right move for him and his family. As fate would have it, the River Falls Police & Fire Commission appointed him the new RF Fire Chief at its Monday, June 27 meeting. He is set to begin in his new role Aug. 23.

A former Nauti Hawg employee is facing charges after allegedly breaking into the outdoor bar, causing extensive damage, and leaving his belongings behind, leading police to identify him as a suspect.

The owner of the former hospital building at 445 Court St. N. received a raze order from the City of Prescott in late June, and that has brought about some action on the property. Hearth Development of St. Paul bought the building that formerly housed a psychiatric and chemical abuse hospital for $272,000 in 2019, with plans to develop an assisted living center on the site. Since receiving the raze order, Hearth Development now has plans to tear the building down and develop townhomes on the property. Plans were presented to the Prescott Plan Commission July 5 for a 16 or 20unit planned development.

At the June 28 Pierce County Board meeting, the board voted 16-1 to pass a resolution on first reading supporting the creation of boundaries for the Northern Grain Belt Port Statistical Area.

River Falls Grand Ambassador Madison Ziebarth passed her crown to 2022’s Grand Ambassador Ary Lee while Royal Ambassador Gwen Adams crowned Elena Lester.

In the kitchen of her 86-year-old father’s home, Mary Field is putting the final decorative touches on her flower garden focaccia. She lovingly places strips of sweet red pepper petals around a kalamata olive flower center and adds a green onion stem and leaves to each loaf, before sprinkling them with cheese and sea salt. Rarely a day goes by when she doesn’t bake. Her two-year-old business, Simply Sourdough, is exploding.

July 20, 2022

Get ready for the week-long 43rd annual UFO Days celebration July 26-31, complete with several new event additions paying homage to the village’s unique history.

“We know there needs to be more housing, but does it have to be right there?” This was the general consensus from people who live near the former Ellsworth Junior High at 254 S. Chestnut St. Multiple neighbors attending the June 18 Ellsworth Plan Commission meeting were worried their neighborhood will change drastically, and not for the better, when the building is torn down and the site is redeveloped.

The Pierce County Fairgrounds in Ellsworth will be the hub of the classic car and truck world Sunday, July 24 when the Beldenville Old Car Club holds its 44th annual Car Show & Swap Meet, billed as northwestern Wisconsin’s largest one-day show.

Members of the newly formed Kinnick Development Group were surprised by the number of residents who showed up to what they thought would be an informal informational meeting with a few people about a proposed automotive country club/road course. About 70 people packed the Unitarian Universalist Society Wednesday, July 20 as the developers and real estate agent faced an angry crowd.

Dr. Carrie Torgersen, Director of Medical Affairs and a family clinician at the Allina Medical Clinic, River Falls, offers an interesting form of wellness through her children’s picture book, “Magnus the Naughty Dog Steals Lunch.”

Ellsworth E3 Community Development Corporation and the E-Town Arts Committee are planning a unique, first-of-its kind fundraiser that requires sunscreen and a sense of adventure: Tubing down the Rush River!

“If people are a little bit aware of what dementia is, it could help keep someone safe,” said Pierce County Dementia Specialist Amy Luther.