Shawano and Menominee counties, like the rest of the state of Wisconsin, are vulnerable to a variety of disasters.

The Marion Area Historical Society will host its annual Heritage Day on July 26 on the grounds of the historical society at 620 E. Ramsdell St., near the ballpark. Events start with a car show. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Vehicles include cars, trucks, hot rods, tractors and motorcycles. Crafters and vendors will be on site from 9 a.m.

A continual aging population of priests, along with the traditional summer reassignments, will mean a few changes for local Catholic parishes. Green Bay Bishop David Ricken announced several changes in the past couple months. Assumption BVM, Pulaski, St. Casimir, Krakow, and St. Stanislaus, Hofa Park, are served by the Franciscans in Pulaski. The Rev.

St. Olaf College Tigerton’s Mary Kreklow, a quantitative economics major at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, was named to the spring 2025 dean’s list. To be named to the dean’s list, a student must earn a GPA of 3.75 or better and complete at least three credits for that semester. Kreklow is the daughter of Lee and Linda Kreklow. Winona State University Winona State University has announced the graduation list for spring semester 2025.

Byron Gene De Fries, longtime band director at Bonduel High School from the 1960s to the 1990s, passed away on June 28, 2025, in Boulder, Colorado. See the full obituary at www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/boulder-co/byron-defries-12435765.

Shawano residents are used to seeing police patrol vehicles traveling around the community, occasionally with lights and sirens indicating an emergency. However, the Shawano Police Department’s bicycle patrol has received a boost with the help of a pair of electric bicycles purchased from American Marine over a month ago.

For 56 years, Dr. Robert James Fischer — known to many simply as Doc Fischer — cared for animals large and small.

Jim Davel, who has served as Shawano County administrative coordinator for four years, will retire Jan. 5, 2026. “I worked for the county for seven years, served in the Army for 30 years,” he said.

It’s one step forward and two steps back when it comes to staffing at the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff George Lenzner told the public safety committee July 9 a correctional officer just resigned and took a job at the local paper mill for higher pay. “For every two or three we hire, another three or four quit,” he said. Even worse than staffing at the jail is the situation in the dispatch center. There are still four vacancies amon