UW-Whitewater

The following local students are among the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater scholarship recipients receiving financial awards for the 2025-26 academic year.

Oconto Falls: Isabella Heinke, who is studying accounting, won the Chancellor Scholars awards. Evan Yuma, who is studying finance, won the Karl E Fraedrich-Admissions award and Chancellor Scholars award.

Shawano County Sheriff George Lenzner administers the oath of office to Deputy Gregory Dey at the start of the Nov. 5 public safety meeting. Dey joined the department after most recently working with the Marion Police Department.

Gov. Evers signed Senate Bill 159 and Assembly Bill 65 into law Oct. 31, receiving praise from Rep. Brent Jacobson, R-Mosinee.

SB 159 allows law enforcement agencies to equip their vehicles with visibility lights, while AB 65 increases the penalties for entering a residence with the intent to commit battery.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is offering free tree seedlings to every fourth grade student in Wisconsin as part of its annual Arbor Day tree planting program.

Wisconsin fourth grade principals, teachers and homeschoolers can now place seedling orders and coordinate delivery by completing the 2026 Arbor Day application by March 16, 2026.

In the spirit of Christmas, all Menards home improvement stores are serving as a toy drive drop site now through Dec. 15.

There will be a drop box near the exit door to collect new and unwrapped presents. They will be then be donated to local organizations for distribution.

Officials with the Darwin E. Smith Community Aquatic Center announce a new partnership with the Woodson YMCA to strengthen training, expand programming and enhance overall pool safety for the community.

For close to 25 years, Mike and Karen Van Dyn Hoven have raised bison on their ranch located at W3502 State Highway 156 in rural Pulaski.

Providing an alternative, heart-healthy red meat product to consumers, they open-pasture about 40 head of bison. Mike Van Dyn Hoven was a science teacher at Hortonville High School for 31 years before he toyed with the idea of raising bison, contemplating the endeavor as his retirement business.

Students attending Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Shawano can get help and counseling for far more than just academics.

Resources are available at the campus to help students connect with community food pantries, housing and utility support, transportation help, legal services and more.

There were important themes within the keynotes from last month’s 2025 Seven Generation Inter-Tribal Leadership Summit. Whether intended or not, they collectively reminded me of something rhetoric scholar Kenneth Burke wrote about what is referred to as the “unending conversation.”