Menomonie News Net

Mar 25, 2026, Vol 2, Issue 19

Author

Local News Group
March 25, 2026

Welcome to Menomonie News Net Vol 2, Issue 19. You can read and search for archived issues and articles HERE.

Today’s issue highlights the Tues, April 7 election and information to assist you in the process and community forums have helped you become more informed voters. Next it’s time to exercise your right to vote.

We heard from a reader this week who called MNN “a source I can trust!” We love hearing your comments…

Editorial Team: Layne Pitt, Becky Kneer, Marsha Biggs; MNN Contributors; Advisory Team Volunteers; Tech Support: Tracy Glenz

Donate online HERE  OR by mail - check to MNN, PO Box 63, Menomonie

Submit story ideas to: [email protected]

In this Issue...

School Board Candidate Forum Thurs Mar 26

LWV-GCV hosts event at MHS Auditorium

Meet All Five Candidates for Board of Education, School District of the Menomonie Area

Thurs, March 26 at 5:00pm

Menomonie High School, Auditorium - 1715 5th St W

Hosted by League of Women Voters - Greater Chippewa Valley

On April 7, voters in the Menomonie School District will elect three school board members, each for a three-year term ending in April 2029.

Five candidates have registered to run for these positions:

  • Dale Dahlke (i)

  • Jay Edenborg

  • Amy Riddle-Swanson (i)

  • Joseph R. Eliason

  • Josie Pillman
    (i = current incumbent)

If you would like to suggest questions in advance to be considered by the forum moderator, you may send them by email to [email protected]

Audience members at the event may also submit questions to be presented to the candidates in the time available.

If you can't attend in person, the forum will be live streamed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=036xSBVuLjo. Thank you to Steve Hanson and Eye on Dunn County for live streaming.

Last Week’s Mayoral Candidate Forum

To view a recording (by Eye on Dunn County) of the candidate forum held on March 19 at Rassbach Museum click HERE.

Candidates Matthew Crowe and Randy Knaack participated in the mayoral candidate forum held on March 19 at Rassbach Museum. Event was coordinated by LWV-GCV. Staff photo

Source: LWV-GCV

Dunn County Sheriff’s Office Announces New Smartphone App

Dunn County, Wis - Dunn County Sheriff Kevin Bygd is excited to announce the release of a custom smartphone application. The app will serve as an innovative way for the Sheriff’s Office to connect with Dunn County residents and visitors, providing information quickly and efficiently to anyone with a smartphone.

Sheriff Kevin Bygd said the app was designed to aid the sheriff’s office in staying connected to citizens quickly, accurately and conveniently. The Sheriff’s app provides addiction and substance use resources, mental health resources, news and updates from the agency, a live and searchable jail inmate roster, online reporting, and it also provides the ability to receive push notifications on a device regarding important news or emergencies. The new Sheriff’s app was paid for through grant funding.

The Dunn County Sheriff’s Office app is available to download for free in the App Store and Google Play by searching “Dunn County Sheriff, WI” or by clicking the link or QR code below.

Source: News release

April 7 Election Information

What’s on Your Ballot, Early Voting, Unofficial Election Results

Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash.com

Compiled by MNN Staff

What’s on Your Ballot

Visit the website called MyVote Wisconsin at myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Whats-On-My-Ballot

Fill in your address; you will be taken to your sample ballot. Other info includes early/absentee voting and your polling place.

Early Voting for City of Menomonie

You may vote at City Hall during the following dates/times. Bring a valid photo ID.

  • Wed, March 25 (10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.)

  • Thurs, March 26 (10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.)

  • Fri, March 27 (10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.)

  • Mon, March 30 (10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.)

  • Tues, March 31 (10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.)

  • Wed, April 1 (10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.)

  • Thurs, April 2 (10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.)

  • Fri, April 3 (10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.)

Voters Guide

Go to vote411.org for info by the League of Women Voters including voter registration info & deadlines, candidate Q & A as available

Unofficial Election Results

To find out election results as they become available from the Dunn County Clerk’s office, click HERE

Questions contact Dunn County Clerk’s Office: 715-232-1677 or [email protected]

Wellness Fair on Apr 1 Free, Open to the Public

The annual Wellness Fair at UW-Stout will be held on Wed, April 1 from 10am to 2pm in the UW-Stout Multi-Purpose Room of the Sports & Fitness Center.

Join us at Dunn County’s largest Wellness Fair. Meet local businesses, sample products, and learn about a variety of wellness related businesses around the area. This event is free to attend and open to all.

4-H Bridges Generation Gap with a ‘Generation Celebration Program’

Dunn County, Wis - Dunn County 4-H strives to provide its youth with ways to bridge communication gaps especially with older generations. So when Kathy Asper of Menomonie approached Dunn County 4-H Educator, Zachary Rozmiarek with a multigenerational program idea that would give 4-H youth the chance to interview residents at the Neighbors of Dunn County to learn their stories, he was intrigued.

“When an interesting idea for a program comes along that not only fosters connections and communication but also provides opportunities to develop mutual respect between different age groups, we are all in,” said Rozmiarek.

According to Asper, she learned about this cross-generational project at a story-telling conference where a 4th grade teacher was the guest speaker. 

“It was touching to hear how many of the friendships that developed between the students and their storytelling partners continued many years after the project ended,” said Asper. “The thought of developing a similar project has fascinated me ever since, so I’m looking forward to sharing it in Dunn County with our amazing 4-H staff.” 

The Generation Celebration program is a five-session hybrid series with three sessions in person and two that are virtual.

Prior to interviewing the residents, there will be two sessions for youth led by Asper, a recently retired public health educator, where they will learn interviewing techniques and come up with the questions that they think are interesting to ask the residents. This will help increase the likelihood of a stronger intergenerational connection. And by having the residents talk about themselves and memories they think are important with their youth friend, it will give them a chance to become a mentor.

Once interviews have been conducted, there will be a virtual workshop where the youth will share what they learned during the interviews and hear about public speaking skills so they can best tell the residents’ stories. They will share them during a Generation Celebration Day at Neighbors on April 28 where the youth, residents and families will gather. 

According to Alyssa Stelter, Neighbors Life Enhancement Mentor/Volunteer Coordinator, intergenerational programming is a great way to bring together older and younger generations that may not happen in day-to-day life.

Stelter said, “There are so many things that both the kids and the older adults can learn from each other. The Generation Celebration will provide a way for that learning to happen in a fun way. There is always so much joy when kids visit our residents.”   

Stelter is hoping that the project will open a door for the kids to meet a new friend and potentially for them to continue to visit and volunteer after the program is over. She continued, “This project is a great opportunity to have the kids and residents make meaningful connections while also building life skills like interviewing, writing, and communicating with those from different ages and backgrounds.”

Dunn County 4-H is opening up this program to the community, so any youth in grades 3-12 may join in. To register go to: https://go.wisc.edu/generationcelebration.

Registration for the program closes on April 6th. The first workshop session will be on April 11 at the Dunn County Government Center.

Session Meeting Dates and Times
• Saturday April 11, 10am-Noon: in person
• Thursday, April 16, 6:30-7:30pm: virtual
• Saturday, April 18, 10am-Noon: in person
• Thursday, April 23, 6:30-7:30pm: virtual
• Tuesday, April 28, 5:00-7:30pm: in person presentations and meal

Contact: Zachary Rozmiarek, [email protected], 715-232-1636

Source: News Release

You’re Invited to a Free Evening at the Mabel Tainter

The community is invited to an evening at the Mabel Tainter. Kody Green, motivational speaker & mental health advocate will be featured.

Music will be provided by MadLee Band. Matt Stevenson, Menomonie native, will serve as emcee. Event is brought to the community with support from The Community Foundation of Dunn County and Health Dunn Right (Health Coalition).

This is a free event but please Register HERE by Apr 6.

Source: Health Dunn Right

Stout Hosts Effordability Summit

Free Event to Focus on AI, Open Education, Lowering Textbook Costs

MENOMONIE - The 2026 Effordability Summit will be held April 6–7 at UW–Stout. The regional conference focuses on the development, use and creation of high-quality, affordable curricular materials across K-20 education.

Hosted by UW-Stout, the summit brings together students, faculty, librarians, technologists, campus store professionals and administrators from K-12 schools, two-year colleges and four-year universities. Discussions will cover topics including open educational resources, inclusive and equitable access to course materials, teaching and learning practices, artificial intelligence and the role of commercial textbooks.

The in-person conference is free to attend, and registration is available.

This year’s theme, “Empowering Every Learner: Designing Accessible and Engaging Courses,” highlights innovations aimed at lowering educational costs and strengthening sustainable open education programs. Sessions will explore open educational resource adoption and creation, inclusive access programs, library initiatives and the use of alternative materials to replace traditional textbooks.

The April 7 keynote speaker will be Sarah Hansen, assistant director of open education innovation at MIT Open Learning. Hansen will discuss strategies used by MIT OpenCourseWare to sustain commitments to open education and preserve knowledge as a public good.

Breakout sessions will explore a wide range of topics related to open educational resources, affordability and emerging technologies in education, including artificial intelligence. Sessions will focus on strategies for building and sustaining OER programs, incorporating artificial intelligence into teaching and research, and improving access to course materials for students.

Presentations and roundtable discussions will examine topics such as AI-assisted course design, accessibility workflows, and ethical and practical uses of artificial intelligence in classrooms and libraries. Other sessions will highlight student perspectives on OER and AI-generated materials, innovative library initiatives, and collaborations that support graduate student success.

Additional sessions will address open pedagogy, low-or no-cost course materials, digital accessibility, and ways educators can replace traditional textbooks with open or alternative resources. Networking breaks, exhibits and panel discussions will also provide opportunities for participants to share ideas and learn about new tools and approaches that support equitable access to educational content.

For more information, contact UW-Stout Continuing Education and Conferences, 715-232-3793, or by email at [email protected]. Go to the Effordability Summit website for a complete schedule of events.

Editor’s Note: A breakout session on Tuesday Apr 7 (10:15am) entitled “Using Artificial Intelligence to Alleviate Social Isolation and Loneliness” is being presented by Mary Linberg & Tracy Fischer from Dunn County ADRC.

Summer Camp Scholarships for Youth Living with Diabetes

Living with a diabetes diagnosis is a daily challenge, especially when those with the disease are children. Sitting out at recess due to low blood sugar, having to go to the nurse’s office for insulin and finger pokes, and not eating certain foods or special treats like everyone else are just some of the challenges they face.

Through specialized summer camps, youth with diabetes, up to age 19, have the unique opportunity to meet other kids like them in a safe and fun environment. These programs are led by trained staff and nurses who help campers gain confidence and independence in managing their diabetes.

Through the Community Foundation of Dunn County (CFDC), the Cammie B. Johnson (CBJ) Kids to Camp Fund offers camp scholarships for young people who have diabetes to attend a diabetic camp program of their choice. Scholarship awards of up to $850 each are available for youth to attend a summer camp program in 2026. Past Kids to Camp Scholarships have been awarded for area youth to attend camps such as Camp Needlepoint in Hudson, WI, and the Chris Dudley Basketball Camp in Vernonia, OR.

Mark and Robin Johnson, along with their friends and family, established this fund in memory of their daughter, Cammie, who passed away just before her 21st birthday from complications of diabetes. Cammie had spent many summers at Camp Sioux in North Dakota as a child and went on to serve as a camp counselor and mentor for younger children experiencing the difficulties of living with diabetes.

The CBJ Kids to Camp Scholarship application is available on the CFDC’s website at cfdunncounty.org/scholarships-cbjkidscamp. Applications are due eight weeks before the scheduled date of the applicant’s chosen camp. Full and partial scholarships are available.

Eligible applicants must live in Dunn County or any adjacent county (Barron, Chippewa, Eau Claire, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, and St. Croix). There are no income requirements to apply. Approved scholarship awards will be paid directly to the camp to cover direct camp expenses for the attendee.

Please contact the CFDC with questions at (715) 232-8019.

Source: News release

Sign-Up Open for FREE Strong Bodies Exercise Program

UW Extension 12 week program begins Tues Apr 7

The next 12 week session of Strong Bodies will be held April 7 - June 25. 

Register HERE for this free online program.

Source: UW-Extension

Red Cross Hosts Two Blood Drives in Menomonie During April

Receive a gift card as thank-you when you donate by March 31

Compiled by MNN Staff

There are two scheduled blood drives in April in Menomonie:

  • Thursday, Apr 9: UW-Stout (302 10th Ave E), 10am - 4pm

  • Friday, Apr 17: Christ Lutheran Church (1306 Wilcox St) 11am - 5pm

Severe Need for Blood Donors (from the Red Cross website). The Red Cross will say thanks with a $15 Amazon Gift Card by email when you give blood by March 31. 

Menomonie blood drives remaining in March:

  • Friday, March 27 at Menomonie East YMCA, 12:30-5pm

  • Monday, March 30 at St Joseph Catholic Church, 10am - 4pm

Public Meetings Mar 25 - Apr 1

Staff Photo

City of Menomonie

Wed Mar 30 Plan Commission, 7pm

Click HERE for full calendar.

School District of Menomonie

No Scheduled Meetings

Mon Apr 13 School Board Meeting, 5:45pm, ASC

Click HERE for full calendar additional details

Dunn County

Wed Mar 25 Facilities Committee, 5 pm AGENDA;

Thur Mar 26 Neighbors of Dunn Co Committee, 9am, AGENDA; Committee on Administration, 3pm AGENDA; Health & Human Services Committee, 6pm AGENDA

Wed Apr 1 Planning, Resource & Development Committee, 8:30am; CJCC Executive & Operations Committees, 11am

Click HERE for calendar, documents, recordings & public commenting

Menomonie Events at a Glance Mar 25 - Apr 1

Photo: Debra Bell

Thur Mar 26  Chamber Luncheon: Tourism, 11:15am-1pm, Bill’s Distributing; School Board Candidate Forum, 5pm, MHS Auditorium; Plant Native, Make an Impact, 6pm, Dragon Tale Books

Fri Mar 27 Red Cross Blood Drive, 12:30 - 5pm, Menomonie East YMCA; Fiber Fridays, 4:15 - 5:45pm, Public Library; Knights of Columbus Fish Fry, 4:30 - 7pm, St. Joseph Catholic Church

Sat Mar 28 Death to Domestic Violence (Fundraiser for The Bridge), 7pm, Zymurgy Brewing

Sun Mar 29  Crafting & Conversation: Dragon Eggs, 1-3pm, Dragon Tale Books

Mon Mar 30 Red Cross Blood Drive, 10am-4pm, St. Joseph Catholic Church

Wed Apr 1 Wellness Fair, 10am-2pm, Multipurpose Rm, UW-Stout

MHS Extracurricular Activities

Compiled from MHS Daily Announcements

Monday, March 23

Congratulations to the MHS Forensics Team. The team took first place at their invitational at Prescott this weekend, solidifying their clean sweep - five of five first places at their invitationals this season! Next up, the team qualifies for State at this weekend's District competition - please wish them luck!

Jordan Ohman All-State

High Scoring Junior Selected to WBCA Division 2 Honorable Mention Squad

By Layne Pitt, MNN Contributor

MENOMONIE - Menomonie High School junior Jordan Ohman was selected to the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division 2 Girls State Basketball team as an honorable mention selection.

According to statistics posted to GoBound.com for Division 2 competitors across the state, Ohman ranked 13th in scoring with 490 total points and averaged 19.6 points per contest. She ranked 25th in total rebounds with 208 and averaged 8.3 caroms per game and seventh in assists with 108 total and 4.3 per game.  Ohman ranked 23rd in steals with 80, averaging 3.2 steals per contest.

Across all five divisions in the state, Ohman ranked 62nd in scoring, 45th in assists, 176th in rebounds and 198th in steals.

Rice Lake standouts Adaline Sheplee and Addison Schmidt were Division 2 first team selections, while Hudson's Oliva LeBlanc and Eau Claire Memorial's Norah Kling were Division 1 honorable mention picks.

Taccarri Hicks of Racine Case led the state in scoring with 29.0 points per game. Amirah Taylor of Golda Meier led the state in rebounds with 15.7 per game. Kallie Nelson of Solon Springs was the assists leader with 8.2 assists and Hannah Sunday of Bruce was the state leader in steals with 7.0 per contest.

Before becoming the longest-serving sports information director at UW-Stout, Layne Pitt worked with the Dunn County News for 11 years, during the 1980s and early 1990s. 

The story "Jordan Ohman All-State" by Layne Pitt is licensed under a CC BY SA 4.0 International license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Going Dancing

Menomonie's Clare Barnard Experienced NCAA DI Tourney While at Marquette

By Layne Pitt, MNN Contributor

When the North Dakota State University men's basketball team earned a berth in the 2026 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, Menomonie graduate Noah Feddersen found himself headed to the Big Dance, or March Madness, if you prefer.

Feddersen, who recently was voted the Sixth Man of Year Award by the Summit League, is an integral cog in the Bisons' regular season and conference tournament championship team, coming off the bench to average around 10 points and five rebounds per game. The Bison lost to Michigan State in the opening round.

The question was asked "Are there any other Menomonie High School graduates who have participated in the Division I Basketball Championships as a player?" I decided to take a look. John Ellensen played basketball for Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin in the late 1980s, but neither team qualified to the NCAA tournament during his career.

Dave Sjuggerud was an outstanding three-sport athlete at Menomonie in the late 1950s and is an inaugural member of the Menomonie High School Hall of Fame. Sjuggerud went on to have an outstanding football career with Navy. During the 1963-64 football season, Navy was ranked second in the nation behind Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Roger Staubach and took on top-ranked Texas in what was considered the national championship game. While Sjuggerud hauled in several passes from Staubach that day, the Midshipmen lost 28-6 to the Longhorns. Even if Sjuggerud had played basketball for Navy, the boys from Annapolis qualified for the 1960 NCAA Tournament, the school year before Sjuggerud arrived, and then not again until 1985.

I looked through the Menomonie High School basketball record books for leading scorers and at the list of inductees in the MHS Athletic Hall of Fame. Cole Kraft played Division I baseball at UW-Milwaukee and Nate Stanley played Division I football at Iowa. Diane Slinden participated in Division I track and field at Tennessee.

But one name stood out and that was Clare Barnard, who played for Menomonie High School, became the school's all-time leading scorer (since passed by Kylie Mogen, who played at Michigan Tech and UW-Eau Claire) and went on to play at Division I Marquette University. The Golden Eagles advanced to the NCAA Division I Championship three times during Barnard's career - 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1996-97.

Barnard, who was inducted into the Menomonie Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015, the same year as Sjuggerud, averaged 16.7 points over her high school career, tallying 1333 points. Barnard holds the MHS girls single season scoring record with 517 points in 1992-93, breaking her own record of 440 points from 1991-92. She holds the school record for most points in a single game with 36 vs. Ellsworth on Dec. 12, 1992. Barnard played in 80 games over her high school career and pulled down 720 rebounds, averaging 9.0 rebounds per game for her career.

Barnard saw playing time as a true freshman at Marquette, playing in 27 games, including her first NCAA playoff game. During her sophomore year, when the Eagles again advanced to the NCAA tournament, Barnard averaged 12.5 points per game. The Eagles had a down year in 1995-96, winning only eight games and did not make the tournament. Barnard led the team in scoring with 390 points for an average of 17.0 points per game and was an all-conference third team selection.

The following year, 1996-97, Marquette would return to the NCAA playoffs and Barnard again led the team in scoring, averaging 15.4 point per contest over 31 games with 477 points. The Eagles won their first-ever NCAA contest and Barnard - who was a second team all-conference pick that season - led the charge, scoring a team-high 23 points as 12th-seeded Marquette defeated fifth-seeded and 21st-ranked Clemson, 70-66, on March 15, 1997. Marquette bowed out to ninth-ranked LSU in the next game, 71-58.

Barnard finished her Marquette career with 1356 points, which is currently 18th on the all-time scoring list. She is sixth in field goal percentage at 50.3 percent and is 19th in career rebounds with 644. Barnard found herself at the free line quite often, and is third in school history with free throws made (410) and free throws attempted (579), shooting at 71 percent.

Barnard went on to play professionally, playing one season in Australia and then playing in Europe in the Luxemborg and German leagues.

Barnard has two daughters that are playing at the NCAA Division I level in women's tennis in the Big 10. Aiva Schmitz is a senior at the University of Minnesota and Stella Schmitz is a freshman at Rutgers University. Minnesota played at Rutgers March 21. Avia defeated Rutgers' Karina Jumazhanova, 2-6, 6-1, 6-0; and Stella teamed with Naomi Karki to down the Gophers' Jeselle Ante/Yinong Ma, 6-1. 

If anyone knows of any other Menomonie High School graduates who played in the NCAA Division I Tournament, please let me know.

The story “Going Dancing” by Layne Pitt is licensed under a CC BY SA 4.0 International license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

For a Calendar of Events in the Menomonie Area, visit Kathy Weber’s Menomonie Minute.

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