Welcome to Menomonie News Net Vol 2, Issue 6. If you missed previous Issues, you can catch up HERE.

Perhaps you noticed today’s issue is one day early. Next week will also be published on Tuesday…then back to regular Wednesdays.

In today’s issue you can read about some of the outpouring of love and charitable giving that Menomonie has experienced this holiday season!

Today we’d like to take the opportunity to acknowledge and THANK our Contributing Writers over the past year: Adam Accola, Sara Cardwell, Renee Carrell, Naomi Cummings, Phil Diser, Pat Eggert, Maggie Foote, Judy Foust, Sue Foxwell, Luisa Gerasimo, Andrew Garr, Barbara Lyon, Steve McCarthy, Annmarie McClellan, Sheli Jo Metzger, Sheri Nero, Leslie Norris, Ellen Ochs, Amber Olson, Linda Olson, Joan Pougiales, Linda Rundle, Don Steffen, Alyssa Van Duyse, Lorene Vedder, Corissa Villeneuve, John Wilkerson, David Williams, Amy Zuber Seguin, Joe Zydowsky.

Thank you! Your articles/stories help bring local news to life!

Donations welcome online or by mail: check payable to MNN, P.O. Box 63, Menomonie. Options for your tax-deductible gift: in memory or in honor of, recurring, anonymous, RMD.

Thanks for joining us on this local news journey…Merry Christmas!

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

Website: menomonienewsnet.org Submit News: [email protected]

In this Issue…

• Winter Fun at Wolske Bay

• Free Christmas Day Meal - Whispering Emerald Ridge

• Tis the Season: Enjoy the Lights

• Winter Reading Challenge Through Jan 31

• Menomonie Lions Bring Christmas…

• Menomonie Police Dept in the Community

• UW-Stout Fall Dec 20 Commencement

• Property Taxes in the SDMA

• MHS Grads: Where are They Now?

• Public Meetings Dec 23-30

• Menomonie Events at a Glance Dec 23-30

• MHS Extracurricular Activities

• Menomonie Collegians: Brody Thornton, Brooks Brewer, Isaac Ellison, Reed Styer

Winter Fun at Wolske Bay Park

Christmas lights, skating, fire pits, skates…all free

Wolske Bay is ready to welcome families for some seasonal fun! From free ice skating and cozy fire pits to festive Christmas lights, Wolske Bay is a great place to get outside and enjoy winter in Menomonie.

“Proud to bring back Wolske’s Bay this year, free skates, fire pits, Christmas lights, and fun for the entire family. Hope to see you there!” — Mayor Knaack

Bundle up, bring the family, and make some winter memories at Wolske Bay!

Source: City of Menomonie Facebook post

Free Christmas Day Meal - Everyone Welcome

Shuttles will be available beginning at 11 am and running approximately every hour from:

• First Congregational-UCC Church (420 Wilson Ave)

• Stepping Stones 

No registration required - just come hungry and ready to celebrate!

Date: Christmas Day - Thurs, Dec 25 Time: Noon to 4:00 PM

Location: Whispering Emerald Ridge Game Farm, N3954 640th St, Menomonie

Contact: (715) 233-1281 [email protected]

Source: Whispering Emerald Ridge Game Farm Facebook page

Tis the Season…Enjoy the Lights

Wakanda Wonderland

Stop by the Rassbach Museum in Wakanda Park through January 3 to view the lighted trees. While there vote for your favorite!

The trees are set up as a holiday forest throughout the Rassbach Museum and Fulton's Workshop by organizations, businesses, and individuals…including memorial trees.

Open over the holidays:

• Dec 23, 26, 27, 30, 31 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

• Jan 2, 3 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

• Closed Dec 24, 25 and New Years Day

• Regular admission rates apply for non-members

And if you’re still looking for a last-minute gift or stocking stuffer, the Museum Store has a great selection of items you’re not likely to find anywhere else in Dunn County.

Parade of Lights

Voting through December 31. One vote per person per day.

For a virtual map, check out the Parade of Lights webpage: https://exploremenomonie.com/parade-of-lights/

Compiled by MNN Staff

Menomonie Public Library invites you to join the reading challenge and chill out and read with us from Dec 20-Jan 31!

You can choose how you want to read: as an individual, group or family. Individuals read 5 books to complete the challenge. Groups/families read 30 books to complete the challenge. So get your book stash together and read by yourself, gather a group and read or read as a family.

Members of groups/families can read different amounts. For example, if a group/family has 5 people in it:

• person 1 reads 2 books +

• person 2 reads 10 books +

• person 3 reads 6 books +

• person 4 reads 8 books +

• person 5 reads 4 books = 30 books = CHALLENGE COMPLETED!

All ages can pick up a paper recording sheet at the library starting December 20th or print your own (portrait mode at 50%) at home. Start reading and recording books on December 20th and turn in completed sheets by January 31st. All participants receive kudos 😉 and a prize.

Source: Menomonie Library Facebook page

Menomonie Lions Bring Christmas to Foster Closet, Bridge to Hope, Stepping Stones

Annual ‘Spirit of Christmas’ Drive collects over 600 toys and gifts, $1665 in cash plus food for pantry

Source: Menomonie Lions Facebook page

Menomonie Police Dept in the Community

Food for Fines & Shop with a Cop

Halfway through the 2025 Food for Fines drive, Menomonie Police Dept has received over 700 pounds (over twice collected same time last year)!

Food for Fines ends Friday, January 2nd. Be sure to drop off your goods before then.

Shop with a Cop sponsors: Walmart, Papa Johns, Kwik Trip, Women’s Giving Circle, Community Foundation of Dunn County, Cardinal Glass, J.F. Ahern Co, Stout Craft Co, WESTconsin Credit Union

Source: Menomonie Police Dept Facebook page

UW-Stout Fall Dec 20 Commencement

Menomonie resident Hannahh Eggum among featured speakers

By Abbey Goers, UW-Stout News Service

Menomonie – Two alumni guest speakers and three students addressed 527 of their peers as they celebrated graduation from University of Wisconsin-Stout – Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University – on Dec. 20. During two ceremonies in Johnson Fieldhouse, the alumni speakers encouraged graduates to embrace the unknown and be proud of their Stout journeys as they positively impact their communities and the world:

Polaris Inc. Director of Industrial Design Michael Leighton (’02), B.F.A. industrial design, addressed College of Arts and Human Sciences and College of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Management undergraduates. UW-Stout’s Associate Dean and School of Education Director Shannon Donnelly (’00, ’05), B.S. vocational rehabilitation and M.S. education, addressed Graduate Studies graduates. The three student speakers shared messages on the strength of community, sharing simple acts of kindness and belonging, and being a voice for others:

Sophia Moore, of Red Wing, Minnesota, B.S. applied social science, CAHS speaker. Grace Rucker, of Oronoco, Minnesota, B.S. real estate property management and B.S. hotel, restaurant & tourism management, CSTEMM speaker. Hanahh Eggum, of Menomonie, M.S. training & talent development, Graduate Studies speaker.

Hannahh Eggum - Helping others feel belonging

When Eggum transferred to UW-Stout during her undergraduate degree, she thought she would complete her classes, graduate and move on. “What I didn’t know then is that UW-Stout had very different plans for me,” she said.

“Because of UW-Stout, I found my voice. I discovered passions I didn’t know I had. I uncovered strengths I didn’t realize were mine. This university didn’t just change my path; it changed who I believed I could become. And today, standing here, I am, and always will be, StoutProud,” she said.

Eggum returned to UW-Stout to manage Stoutfitters, the university bookstore. Her career then pivoted, and she went on to earn her master’s degree. She is now the orientation coordinator and project manager for the Dean of Students Office, managing projects that strengthen communication, improve operational processes and enhance student experiences.

“My hope is simple: to help others feel the same belonging and encouragement and possibility that I found here,” Eggum said, encouraging graduates to “take every opportunity, even the ones that feel small, unexpected or uncertain, because you never know where it will lead you.

“As we graduate, we have the opportunity to extend that same support to others. To lead with compassion. To build workplaces and communities where people feel valued. To create change in ways both big and small. To use our voices, especially on days when someone else hasn’t yet found theirs.”

To read the full story click HERE.

Abbey Goers, UW-Stout News Service may be contacted at 715-232-2565.

Property Taxes in the SDMA

Message from the Superintendent

By Joe Zydowsky

Sorting through the mail this time of year can be an exciting and enjoyable experience. Exchanging Christmas cards and gift packages with extended family members, old friends, and neighbors is a great way to keep in touch and get into the holiday spirit.

Unfortunately, mixed in with the season’s greetings are likely to be a variety of bills and this year’s property tax statement. Similar to higher costs for holiday gifts and heating during a very cold month of December, most residents across Wisconsin can expect to pay higher property taxes this year. 

Key Factors Driving the Property Tax Increase

Public school funding in Wisconsin can be a very complex subject, and state-level policy decisions in the new biennial budget are having a direct and significant impact on this year’s school tax levy in the School District of the Menomonie Area (SDMA). Despite good work by the school district and Board of Education to manage a difficult financial situation and keep the SDMA tax rate identical to last year, property taxes will increase for most local taxpayers. The primary factors driving the increase are:

1. Revenue Limit Increase- Public school spending is restricted by state revenue limits. The state allowed for an increase of $325 per student for the 2025-26 school year, which is not even enough to keep up with inflation.

2. No Increase to State Aid- Despite allowing for a revenue limit increase, the state did not provide any additional equalization aid to pay for it. Wisconsin’s state budget is supposed to cover two-thirds of K-12 public school costs, but 100% of this year’s statewide revenue limit increase was passed on to local property tax payers.

3. Private School Vouchers- The state created a limited statewide private school voucher program in 2013, but many of the initial restrictions have now been lifted and the program has been expanded to include private schools in our community. To pay for the vouchers, the state requires public school districts to tax for the voucher costs taken from the local school district’s state aid. Property taxes in Menomonie are now $1.4 million higher to pay for private school vouchers in our community, an increase of 41% from last year and 258% over the past five years. If the SDMA’s state aid was not spent on private school vouchers, this year’s local tax levy would have been lower than last year.

4. Changing Property Values- As municipalities in the SDMA reassess properties, individual tax bills change. Most people will see higher tax bills this year based on increases to the assessed value of one’s property and changes to how the school tax levy is distributed between municipalities.

The administrative team and school board continuously monitor school district finances, but with the start of the new year, the SDMA will once again host a special budget meeting to review the factors and trends that most significantly impact the finances of our schools. This year’s meeting is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Monday, January 12, in the boardroom of the SDMA Administrative Service Center. The school board will also be discussing how to get private school voucher costs listed on next year’s tax bill, so property owners can better understand the impact of the state’s private school voucher program on the SDMA tax levy. 

Should school families or community stakeholders have any questions, concerns, or suggestions about finances in the SDMA, I invite you to visit me at the Administrative Service Center on Pine Avenue, or contact me at 715-232-1642.

More information about our schools can be found on the school district website www.sdmaonline.com and Facebook www.facebook.com/menomonie.schools

Joe Zydowsky is SDMA’s Superintendent of Schools.

Friends,

Everyone is so busy during the holidays that I can't book any interviews until early January. Look for more "MHS Grads--Where Are They Now?" in 2026.

Have a wonderful holiday season filled with laughter and love!

Judy

Judy Foust is a retired longtime 7th Grade Reading Specialist at Menomonie Middle School. To submit info to her or to request an interview she may be contacted at [email protected]

Public Meetings: Week of Dec 23 - 30

City of Menomonie

No scheduled meetings.

Click HERE for full calendar.

School District of Menomonie

No School Dec 20 - Jan 2

Next School Board Meeting Mon Jan 12; 5:45pm preceded by Mid-Year Budget Hearing at 5pm.

Click HERE for full calendar additional details

Dunn County

No scheduled meetings 

Click HERE for calendar, documents, recordings & public commenting

Menomonie Events at a Glance Dec 23-30

Tues Dec 23 Red Cross Blood Drive, 10am-4pm, Stout Craft Co

Wed Dec 24 Christmas Eve

Thur Dec 25  Free Christmas Day Meal, Noon - 4pm, Whispering Emerald Ridge Game Farm. Shuttle pick ups: First Cong-UCC & Stepping Stones starting at 11am; Free Christmas Dinner, Noon, Knapp Village Hall

Fri Dec 26 Red Cross Blood Drive, 12:30pm - 5pm, Menomonie East YMCA; Holiday Tours at Wilson Place Mansion, Noon, 1, 2 or 3pm, Wilson Place Mansion & Museum

Sat Dec 27 Holiday Tours at Wilson Place Mansion, Noon, 1, 2 or 3pm, Wilson Place Mansion & Museum

MHS Extracurricular Activities

Compiled from MHS Daily Announcements

By MNN Staff

Wed Dec 17

Last night the Boys Swim Team competed against Rice Lake. Although falling short of a win, personal bests were achieved throughout the meet. Ryan Rood and Will McKnight both dropped over 5 seconds in the 200 Individual Medley. Rood also dropped over 15 seconds in the 500 Freestyle, securing a first place win in that event. Thomas Seim came away with first place in the 100 Butterfly and the 100 Backstroke with a season best time in both events. Other time drops of the night came from Brennan Anderson and Aiden Kroening in the 100 Freestyle. The team will compete again after winter break against Hudson at home on the 8th.

The Mustang Hockey Teams traveled to Amery for some rough & tough games. The JV Boys had the 3-1 lead with 2 goals by Colton Zerzanek & 1 by Carter Hoyt but Amery fought back to take the game 4-3. Next up, Ed Dowd started in net for Varsity & kept it a tight game. Goals by Liam Wachewicz, Kellen Turner, Blane Anderson & Wren Swaenepol. Amery scored on an empty netter, taking the win 6-4.

The Boys Basketball Team lost a close one last night in Medford 64-62. Leading the way for the Mustangs was senior Isaac Nielsen with 20 points followed closely by Trevor Robert with 19 pts.

Thurs Dec 18

The energy at last night’s DECA Mr. Menomonie Competition was absolutely electric! A massive round of applause for our contestants: Levi Freeman, Harrison Davis, Peyton Gregerson, Tanner Husby, Mason Ramirez, Jack Risler, Grant Witt, Aiden Wolbert, and Keebtxuj Xiong. These gentlemen did more than just showcase their talents; they stepped far outside their comfort zones to take on a challenge for the greater good. Thanks to their courage and hard work, they raised a phenomenal $2,224.52 for charity! They are to be commended for their leadership, their selflessness, and for showing what it means to give back to our community. The votes are in, and your 2025-2026 Mr. Menomonie is Aiden Wolbert! Congratulations, Aiden!

Fri Dec 19

Today’s Events: Wrestling is currently competing in Rochester. Boys Basketball is traveling to Rice Lake and Girls Basketball is hosting Rice Lake. Tip off for JV at 5:45 followed by Varsity at 7 pm. Good Luck teams!

Menomonie Collegians

Football Season Concludes for Local Collegians

By Layne Pitt, MNN Contributor

GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Menomonie High School graduate Brody Thornton saw a action in five games during his first year at NCAA Division I University of North Dakota.

The 6-foot, 4-inch, 220-pound edge rusher saw action in five games as a true freshman for the Fighting Hawks, who advanced to the second round of the FCS playoffs. Thornton, who was a first team all-Big Rivers Conference pick his senior year at Menomonie, saw his first action against Valparaiso University on Sept. 20, then had to wait just short of a month before seeing time against Southern Illinois, Oct. 18. 

A week later against Indiana State, Thornton put his name on the stat sheet for the first time, recording his first collegiate sack in a 46-17 win. Thornton played against Tennessee Tech, Nov. 29 in the first round of the FCS playoffs with a 31-6 win. Thornton recorded three tackles, one solo, and assisted on a tackle for loss in the second round 31-13 loss to Tarleton State, Dec. 6. 

Thorton finished the year with four tackles, two solo, 1.5 tackles for loss for 10 yards and one sack. The 19th-ranked Hawks finished the season at 8-6 overall.

UW-Stout’s Brooks Brewer was a third team d3football.com All-Region pick. A first-team All-WIAC defensive back, Brewer, a 6-2, 200-pound junior, was second on the team with 68 total tackles (35 solo). He recorded four pass breakups, one tackle for loss, one forced fumble, and three interceptions, including a 66-yard pick-six against Dubuque. He was named WIAC Defensive Player of the Week and earned D3football.com Team of the Week honors on Sept. 9. Center T. J. Scott was a first team all-region selection. Jojo James was selected second team as a return specialist. Linebacker Blaine Seidl joined Brewer on the third team. The Blue Devils finished the season at 6-5 overall. 

Isaac Ellison was a member of the FCS top-ranked North Dakota State University Bisons football team. The 6-2, 216-pound freshman tight end did not see game action for the Bisons this season. Ellison was a first team All-BRC and all-region wide receiver during his senior season at Menomonie. The Bisons finished the season at 12-1 overall, going 8-0 in conference play, but were upset in the first round of the FSC playoffs by Illinois State, 29-28. 

Senior Reed Styer was a quarterback at NCAA Division II Concordia-St. Paul, and saw limited action during his junior campaign. The 6-4, 225-pound Styer completed 8 of 15 passes for 107 yards. He carried the ball nine times for 53 yards. Over three seasons, Styer has played in 12 games and completed 53 of 112 passes for 510 yards and a TD. He has rushed 27 times for 82 yards. The Golden Bears finished the season at 2-9 overall. Former UW-Stout players Levy Hamer and Mike Bond were members of the 2025 Bears coaching staff. 

Layne Pitt retired as the longest serving sports information director at UW-Stout and also worked more than a decade at the Dunn County News.

Menomonie Collegians by Layne Pitt is licensed under a CC BY SA 4.0 International license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Menomonie Collegians is a regular feature of Menomonie News Net. The column is not limited to student-athletes, but may be a former Menomonie area student in a play, forensics, music or any type of collegiate competition. If you know of a Menomonie Collegian, please email [email protected].

Menomonie Mustangs Athletics and Activities | UW-Stout Blue Devil Athletics

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

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