At the Shawano Optimist Club’s 49th installation and awards banquet, held recently at Stubborn Brothers in Shawano, Kristine Rankin was named the club’s Optimist of the Year and Jim Black received the James Leuenberger Lifetime Achievement Award.

In addition, the officers and board members for the 2025-26 year were installed, and members achieving perfect attendance at club meetings and participating in club projects were recognized.

“The cows are out!” Four dreaded words a farmer loathes to hear. During the course of our years of dairying we did hear (or holler) those words a time or two.

Abrams Spotlight Productions Inc. announces its ambitious 2026 season of shows — three rollicking musicals set in distinctly different time periods.

The Marinette and Oconto Counties Literacy Council is looking for people who would consider becoming a volunteer tutor and being that someone to help another adult learn to read, write and/or speak English.

A meeting is planned for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 23 at Farnsworth Library, 715 Main St., Oconto. Parking is available in the lot or on the street.

As a dental professional, I often hear patients say, “I really hate going to the dentist,” or, “I have severe dental anxiety because of past experiences.”

When I chose dentistry as a career, I never imagined how frequently I would hear those words — how often patients would associate the profession with fear, discomfort or even resentment.

UW-Whitewater

Katie Ghent, of Marion, who is studying early childhood education at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, has been admitted to the Professional Education program.