TOP 10 STORIES OF 2018

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(Editor’s note: The following is a list of the top 10 news stories for 2018, as voted on by the editorial staff of the Wittenberg Enterprise & Birnamwood News)

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1. Referendum renders split decision

Wittenberg-Birnamwood School District voters approved spending $13.1 million for new classrooms and educational areas but rejected a $4.4 million plan for a new gym during the Nov. 6 election.

Question 1, which includes a new building next to the high school and more classrooms at both of the district’s elementary-middle schools, passed 1,894 to 1,434, or about 57.6 percent to 42.4 percent.

About 41.8 percent of the voters supported Question 2, seeking a new gymnasium at the high school, which failed 1,952 to 1,364. Only the villages of Elderon and Wittenberg voted in favor of the plan.

Construction will begin sometime in 2019 after bids have been received and approved.

District officials estimated approval of Question 1 will increase the mill rate $1.39 per $1,000 of equalized valuation, which translates to $139 more per year on a $100,000 home for the next 20 years.

2. Wittenberg village president charged with burglary, theft

Wittenberg Village President and Shawano County Supervisor William J. Switalla was charged in September with a felony count of burglary and misdemeanor count of theft for allegedly taking a grill from a house the county had acquired in foreclosure.

According to the criminal complaint, Switalla was among several county officials who went out to view the property at 715 Webb St. in Wittenberg on April 24 to establish a sale price. He also offered to clean up garbage left behind at the property.

Neighbors reported seeing Switalla loading a grill from the garage into his van, according to the complaint. Switalla later returned the grill.

Switalla has entered a plea of not guilty. He is scheduled for a pre-trial conference on March 22.

3. Lois Claire Archbold Smith

Lois Claire Archbold Smith died peacefully in her sleep on Oct. 13, 2018, in Wausau. Lois’ life and legacy are marked by her three passions in life: family, art and community.

In the summer of 1999, the Darwin E. Smith Community Aquatic Center was dedicated and opened as a gift to the community by the community and her family.

In the early 2000s, she started a new mission: to beautify and revive downtown Wittenberg through large outdoor murals. In 2005, she and a dedicated board founded the Walls of Wittenberg Inc. WOW now boasts 25 murals around the town, a beautifully restored WOWSPACE art gallery that hosts four art shows and two theatrical productions each year and an outdoor art park, which is home to an annual summer concert series. Before she passed away, Lois completed the planning for her “final mural,” which will be dedicated in the spring.

4. Grand opening for Ho-Chunk expansion

Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg held a ribbon-cutting ceremony July 11 to celebrate the completion of its two-year, $33 million expansion project.

The expansion to the 10-year-old facility added 90 permanent jobs to the local economy and included an 86-room hotel, 80-seat restaurant and bar, snack bar, nonsmoking casino area and high-limit area, 321 slot machines, 10 table games and a larger lobby.

The tribe broke ground for the Wittenberg project in September 2016. The hotel opened Feb. 12.

5. Birnamwood dedicates new ball field

Birnamwood hosted a dedication ceremony for the new Rivertronics Stadium on July 10.

Former Birnamwood residents Norman and Alice Matsche, who live in Wood River, Illinois, donated $500,000 for the new grandstand and concession area. Rivertronics is the name of the business the Matsches started in Wood River in 1967.

The ball field was moved out about 10 feet, so the infield and pitcher’s mound were redone. The field gets plenty of use by the Little League, BABA and the Oldtimers League.

The concession stand is run by volunteers, with revenue used to pay for umpires and maintenance of the ball field.

The land for the ballpark was donated sometime between 1881 and 1885 by John E. Roepke when the Birnamwood Baseball Club was first organized.

6. Helping tourism grow

Sally Jo Stevens is general manager of the Best Western Wittenberg Inn and the leading force behind development of the Wittenberg Tourism Committee.

Her work has included pushing for an occupancy, or room, tax in Wittenberg to capitalize on visitors drawn to the area. The Wittenberg Town Board in 2016 approved an 8 percent room tax.

Room taxes last year generated $80,000 in Wittenberg. The money collected is to be used to sponsor events and produce items that will help attract more visitors.

Last year, Stevens led the creation of the tourism committee, whose sole purpose is to determine how to spend the occupancy tax revenue.

7. Chargers win 2nd straight state track championship

The Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School girls track team surprised even coach Mike Balliett when it won its first WIAA Division 2 state title in track and field in 2017.

This year, there was no element of surprise as Balliett set a second straight title as an expectation for the senior-led squad.

The Chargers made the expectation become reality in June when they raised the gold trophy for the second time in school history behind six podium finishes, including two first-place medals by sprinter Maddy Pietz, at the WIAA Track & Field Championship at Veterans Memorial Stadium in La Crosse.

8. Soft Lockdown at Birnamwood Elementary

Birnamwood Elementary School went into a soft lockdown Jan. 18 after a man was noticed exhibiting suspicious behavior outside the school.

Police found the 24-year-old man from Texas was apparently involved in an online relationship with a teacher. The man was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. He posted bail and is back in Texas.

There were no threats made and no danger to anyone, according to the sheriff’s department.

9. Big Top, big deal

About 50 people showed up to watch the raising of the big top on Aug. 15, signaling the Culpepper and Merriweather Circus had come to Wittenberg.

Ticket sales for the two shows Aug. 15 totaled 952, including 195 adults and 147 seniors/children at the door and 296 adults and 314 seniors/children in advance.

The Wittenberg Area Chamber of Commerce arranged the circus’s visit, the village allowed it to use Washington Park, Harter’s supplied a trash bin at a reduced rate, and the Best Western gave a promoter a complimentary room. Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg provided $500 for advertising and provided $10 coupons for those who bought advance tickets.

10. Open enrollment flips 5 year trend

For the first time in five years, there are more students coming into the Wittenberg-Birnamwood School District through open enrollment than leaving.

This year’s enrollment includes 133 students entering the district from elsewhere and 126 students leaving for other districts.

In 2016-17, 106 students entered the district and 124 left through open enrollment.