JULY

Thanks to the generosity of one local family, the people of Gays Mills can enjoy a glimpse of their village as it was over a century ago. On June 17, cousins Jeanie Sieling, Francis Gander Burton, and Karen Thoftne donated a collection of photographs taken by their great-grandfather, David E. Gander, to the Gays Mills Public Library. Comprised of 134 negatives, the collection was discovered in the attic of the Crawford County Independent building in the 1960s… The Crawford County Finance Committee got a brief respite from the jail replacement project. After the board of supervisors approved the initial resolution and guaranteed maximum price, it left room in their June 19 agenda to review other matters, including a requested reimbursement increase from the county libraries. Librarian Elisabeth Byers told the committee that the three county libraries served 62,468 visitors last year; more people who accessed the libraries’ resources were from municipalities without a county library in their local community than from Prairie, Gays Mills or Soldiers Grove… Steve Campbell and Tara Johnson will face off in the August 13 Democratic Primary for a chance to represent the newly redrawn 96th Wisconsin State Assembly District. The winning candidate will run against Wisconsin State Representative Loren Oldenburg, the incumbent Republican, in the November 5 election. If the chosen Democrat defeats Oldenburg, the seat will turn blue for the first time in 73 years… Two people were killed in motorcycle accident on Monday, July 22 at 10:13 p.m., according to the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department. The motorcycle crash at the intersection of Highway 60 and Highway 61 in the Town of Marietta. An investigation determined that David Fillyaw, 43, Muscoda, was operating a motorcycle at an excessively high rate of speed westbound across the Wisconsin River Bridge on Highway 61 near Boscobel with his passenger Aleisha Bell, 42, of Muscoda.

AUGUST

A peer-reviewed study published recently in the journal ‘Environmental Health Perspectives’ has found that perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), also known as ‘forever chemicals,’ are increasingly being added to U.S. pesticide products, contaminating waterways and posing potential threats to human health… Eating locally produced food is the goal of many, especially in rural areas as agriculturally rich as ours. The Farm to School Program has been a part of the North Crawford School District for a long time, but was not a large part of the food service department. North Crawford Food Service Director Jennifer Kapinus has expanded the program greatly in her six years in the district… Tuesday, August 13 was an important day for Wisconsin voters. After the polls closed at 8 p.m., numbers for Wisconsin’s third congressional district primary election between Rebecca Cooke, Katrina Shankland, and Eric Wilson rolled in. Following a suspenseful wait, Cooke won the primary with 49.4% of the vote. Shankland capped out at 41.8%, and Wilson got 8.8%... Vice President Kamala Harris addressed over 12,000 Midwestern supporters at her campaign rally in Eau Claire on Wednesday, August 7. The rally was a keystone event in the political whirlwind that has been this year’s presidential race. It took place just 88 days out from the November 5 election. Harris was joined in Eau Claire by Minnesota Governor, Tim Walz, who she had announced as her running mate the day before… At their August 13 meeting, with all the excitement of the Partisan Primary Election swirling in the air, the Crawford County Land Conservation Committee took up a variety of topics. Those included progress on bringing septic systems in the county into compliance with state law, concern about lack of affordable housing in the county, and upcoming fall events including the well water testing event… Wisconsin Women in Conservation (WiWiC) held their first-ever Conservation Bus Tour in Southwest Wisconsin on Friday, Aug. 23.

SEPTEMBER

On Sunday, September 1, at 5:21 p.m., the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department was notified of a motorcycle crash on Highway 35 and Bluegill Drive in the Township of Freeman, Sheriff Dale McCullick reported… The sitting president of the United States of America, President Joe Biden, paid a visit to Westby last Thursday. Biden visited the humble, hard-working city, home to 2,332 souls, to unveil the Biden-Harris Administration’s clean energy plan for rural America… The North Crawford School District has welcomed many new staff members this school year, including three educational assistants, a 4K teacher, and two high school teachers… Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers announced last week his appointment of Andrew Burdick to serve as Crawford County District Attorney. The appointment fills a vacancy created by former District Attorney Lukas Steiner’s appointment to the Crawford County Circuit Court… Hillcrest Orchard is one of the smaller of the Gays Mills orchards, but it’s become part of the some of the big news lately. Located in Rolling Ground at the corner of Highway 61 and Highway 171, the Hillcrest Orchard is about to be formally purchased by Sunrise Orchard this Friday, September 27, 2024… Finding things for children to do at large-scale events can be difficult without spending lots of money. That is why, on Saturday, September 28, the North Crawford High School National Honor Society will be hosting free games and activities for kids during the AppleFest Run. 

OCTOBER

The Prairie du Chien Common Council approved a Professional Services Agreement (PSA) with Vierbicher Associates, at their September 3 meeting. The agreement will allow the city to evaluate sites for a fifth municipal well and explore funding options for the project… The start of the school year has left a few things in flux for the Seneca School District.  At the September 17 board meeting, it was decided after some discussion to approve going into an eight-man football team co-op with Wauzeka-Steuben. The catch was that Wauzeka-Steuben board had approved an 11-man co-op football team for the next two years… At a special meeting held on Wednesday, Oct. 9, the North Crawford School Board adopted the new Title IX policy put forth by the U.S. Department of Education. The policy was adopted on a 6-1 vote, with board member Ed Heisz voting no. Prior to the board taking action, there was public input, with members of the community speaking against the board adopting the policy… At their meeting at the Highway Shop south of Seneca on Thursday, Oct. 17, the Crawford County Highway Committee discussed two estimates for the installation of solar panels on the roof of their shop from Olson Solar Energy. The company presented the committee with an ‘Energy Savings Report.’… A 39-year-old man was arrested Saturday after a man was found dead in Prairie du Chien Friday night. Prairie du Chien police found the body of Daniel Welsch, 65, after receiving a welfare check request on the 1000 block of East Wisconsin Street around 10:15 p.m. Welsch’s body was found with wounds consistent with trauma from a sharp object, police said. After a search of the residence and statements from witnesses, police obtained a search warrant for a house trailer on Classic Lane in Platteville.

NOVEMBER

The North Crawford School District has welcomed four new foreign exchange students this fall. This year’s students are Conni Keuhn, Suki Gregov, Lilou Goffette, and Micaela Murias… Massive turnout seemed to be the norm in the election Tuesday, both locally and statewide. With just over an hour before the polls closed in the Town of Utica in northern Crawford County, poll workers indicated 376 voters had already voted. The township had 403 voters registered, when voting commenced on Tuesday morning… After not meeting for a few years, the Vernon County Flood Mitigation Alliance met on Wednesday, Oct. 30. On their agenda was recommending the appointment of three representatives from area watershed councils to the Land Conservation Committee, and discussing past activities of the Alliance and future agenda items or activities… At their Monday, Nov. 4 meeting, the Soldiers Grove Village Board approved their 2025 budget. Approved was a balanced budget of $553,164 in revenue and expenses… The Gays Mills Village Board addressed the rates for swimming pool use at their November meeting. Gays Mills Village Trustee Emily Kinserdahl had researched other swimming pool rates at Boscobel and Richland Center, and she recommended changes to the rates… Another year is passing, as we march toward the shortest day of the year – the Winter Solstice on Saturday, Dec. 21. The jollity of the holiday season helps us get through the dark time of the year, but it’s also a good time to remember those less fortunate. There are causes that are worth supporting to help create a vision of the world we’d like to leave our children. For this reason, it’s a good time of year to think about how you can give back to your community.

DECEMBER

Wisconsin’s Alice in Dairyland, Halei Heinzel, spent the day in Crawford County on Monday, November 25, helping to kickoff holiday celebrations and highlighting local agricultural businesses… Jessie J. Slaughter, 39, Platteville, was bound over in Crawford County Circuit Court for first-degree intentional homicide during his preliminary hearing on Tuesday, December 3. Slaughter was arrested at a residence on Classic Lane outside the City of Platteville on October 26, one day after Daniel Welsch’s body was discovered at an apartment complex on East Wisconsin Street in Prairie du Chien… It was a good day for expanded understanding of climate resilience initiatives going on locally, statewide and federally at the Wednesday, Dec. 4 meeting of the Monroe County Climate Change Task Force (CCTF)… Lower Wisconsin State Riverway Board Executive Director Mark Cupp capped off the board’s 35th anniversary year with a presentation to the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board (NRB). Cupp was joined in his presentation on December 11 by WDNR’s Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Division Administrator Diane Brusoe….During the Crawford County Fair Board’s December 5 meeting, the board met the only person who applied to fill the county’s fair coordinator position. Lyrica Marks, who is the Richland County fair and recycling coordinator, met the board and said she felt she could fulfill the duties of both part-time positions. Marks was hired in Richland County in January 2023.