As we near the end of 2025 we’re happy to share Issue 6 of Menomonie News Net! If you missed Issues 1-5, you can catch up HERE.

A recent comment…“ I’ve read every article and enjoyed them so much. Thank you for providing the community with this option. I especially liked the article on the upcoming spring elections.”

Many of you also read and commented on Dave Williams inspiring Appalachian Trail story on Menomonie’s own Linda Vanderloop. Click here if you missed it.

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Thanks for joining us on this journey…enjoy the season!

Editors: Layne Pitt & Becky Kneer; Tech Support: Tracy Glenz; plus MANY volunteers

Website: https://menomonienewsnet.org

Submit News: [email protected]

In this Issue…

• WIMA Warmline: A Supportive Alternative to Crisis Lines

• Area High School Dropout Finds Path to Success at CVTC

• City Christmas Tree Drop Off or Curbside Pickup Details

• Bank Stabilization Project Completion

• Dunn County Adopts Core Values

• School District Invitation to Strategic Planning: Jan 8-10

• Menomonie Collegians: Dylan Norby Diving for Division I Binghamton

WIMA Warmline: A Supportive Alternative to Crisis Lines

By Andrew Garr

For individuals in Wisconsin seeking emotional support, connection, or a listening ear, the WIMA Warmline offers a valuable resource. Operated by Wisconsin Milkweed Alliance, Inc. (WIMA), the warmline is a free, peer-run service that provides non-crisis support to people experiencing emotional distress, loneliness, or challenges with mental health and substance use. Unlike traditional crisis lines, which are designed to respond to immediate, life-threatening situations, the WIMA Warmline focuses on providing calm, empathetic conversations to help individuals manage their day-to-day struggles.

What Is a Warmline?

A warmline differs from a crisis line in several important ways. While a crisis line is geared toward urgent situations, such as someone experiencing suicidal thoughts or a mental health emergency, a warmline is designed for non-crisis situations. People often call a warmline when they’re feeling down, stressed, or overwhelmed but don’t require immediate intervention.

“The WIMA Warmline is here for anyone who needs a supportive conversation,” says Andrew Garr, Program Director at Wisconsin Milkweed Alliance. “You don’t need to be in a crisis to call. Sometimes you just need to talk to someone who understands what you’re going through.”

The warmline is staffed by trained peer supporters—people who have personal experience with mental health challenges or substance use. These peer supporters understand the importance of feeling heard and offer non-judgmental, compassionate conversations that can help callers feel less isolated.

The Power of Peer Support

The WIMA Warmline embraces the peer support model, where people with shared experiences connect and offer mutual support. This unique approach creates an environment where callers can open up about their struggles with someone who truly understands. Peer supporters don’t diagnose or offer professional therapy. Instead, they listen, empathize, and help callers explore ways to navigate their emotions and challenges.

“Talking to someone who’s been there can make all the difference,” explains Andrew. “We’re here to offer support and encouragement, and sometimes that’s what people need more than anything—a sense of connection and understanding.”

When to Call the Warmline

Anyone in Wisconsin can call the WIMA Warmline at (715) 505-5641 for free, confidential support. People call for a variety of reasons—whether they’re feeling lonely, overwhelmed by daily stress, or just need to talk through their feelings with someone who understands. Callers don’t have to worry about meeting any specific criteria to use the service. If someone is looking for emotional support or connection, the warmline is there for them, available 24/7.

A Bridge Between Everyday Support and Crisis Intervention

While the WIMA Warmline is not intended for crisis situations, it can still be an important bridge for those who are struggling emotionally and may be on the verge of crisis. Peer supporters can support callers to manage stress, explore coping strategies, and recommend additional resources if needed. If someone calls the warmline in crisis, peer supporters will offer guidance on how to connect with local crisis services for immediate intervention.

However, the warmline’s primary goal is to prevent situations from escalating by providing a safe space for people to talk about their feelings and concerns before they reach a critical point.

Why Warmline Services Matter

Warmline services like WIMA’s fill a vital gap in mental health care. Many people don’t need clinical intervention but still feel overwhelmed, lonely, or emotionally drained. Warmline conversations offer a way for individuals to connect, process their emotions, and find reassurance, which can prevent them from feeling isolated or misunderstood.

For those who are hesitant to reach out to a crisis line, the warmline offers a more relaxed, non-urgent form of support. There’s no pressure to act or feel a certain way—just an open, supportive conversation where the caller is in control.

How to Reach the WIMA Warmline

If you or someone you know could benefit from a warm, understanding conversation, the WIMA Warmline can be reached at (715) 505-5641 24 hours a day. Peer supporters are ready to listen and provide support, free of charge, for anyone in Wisconsin.

Andrew Garr is the Program Director at Wisconsin Milkweed Alliance, Inc. He has been involved in peer support and mental health advocacy for over a decade.

Editor’s Note: The WIMA Warmline call center serving Wisconsin is based in Menomonie! If you know someone who would benefit from this service please let them know.

Changing Direction

Area high school dropout finds support, path to success at CVTC

By Alyssa Van Duyse, CVTC

At a young age, Jeremiah Coey’s mental health sent him down a path of self-destruction. In middle school, he was diagnosed with ADHD, and by his senior year, he had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, admitted to the hospital twice and attempted suicide.

Today, at age 38, he’s preparing to graduate from UW-EC with a bachelor’s degree. He admits that none of this would have been possible without the persistence of staff and faculty at Chippewa Valley Technical College.

“Basically, my entire life and path that I’m on currently never would have happened if it weren’t for CVTC,” he said. “I had no direction and no avenues for change, and because of the programs at CVTC and the amazing faculty, each step of the way, they gave me the support and direction I needed.”

Direction Unknown

In 2005, just two and a half credits shy of graduating from Colfax High School and struggling with mental health challenges, Coey dropped out of school. Without a diploma or a job, he found himself homeless and depending on friends for a couch to lay his head. He hadn’t tried drugs until he left high school.

“Once I was a dropout, I had nothing to lose at that point,” Coey said. “It was offered, so I started with drugs and drinking and partying, and that ended up being a 10-year substance abuse issue.”

Throughout the unfortunate twists and turns, Coey was not interested in obtaining his General Education Degree, but people close to him kept pushing him. Coey is intelligent. His former teachers could see it, and they told him so. But people also told Coey that he wasn’t college material – that he would never make it.

When he applied for CVTC’s GED program in 2009 and connected with Jill Mayer, one of the College’s Adult Education & College Prep Instructors in Academic Services, the path of his life changed, he said.

Growing Support

“When I first came to CVTC, I had a substance abuse problem,” Coey said. “Jill (Mayer) gave me opportunities. That’s been the biggest thing – just having opportunities.

Everyone used to talk about all this potential that I was wasting. Well, I didn’t know where to put any of it.” Coey was in and out of CVTC at that time, never able to finish the program. He struggled to see the value of earning his GED and often dismissed its importance. Mayer, seeing that Coey would have to retake tests to get his GED if he didn’t come back by 2014, told him about the GED boot camp now called Fast Track. Coey knew he could pass the tests with little instruction. Instead of sitting with instructors to learn the material, he chose to help other GED students study.

That’s when his perception of the task at hand changed. “Tutoring the other students that actually wanted it and had challenges changed my perspective,” he said. “I saw that these guys really wanted this and are actually trying. Maybe I shouldn’t come in here with the attitude I have.”

Coey remembers one student he was helping didn’t pass two practice math tests. They took their final tests at the same time and when they got their scores back, he learned the student had passed. “His score wasn’t anything particularly exceptional, but it was passing, and that’s all he needed, and he was so excited to finally pass,” Coey said. “It made me re-evaluate.”

Coey passed all of his tests and obtained his GED at the age of 26. He moved away to get clean and sober, returned to Wisconsin in 2016 and, with Mayer’s persistence, began the University Transfer Liberal Arts program at CVTC in 2018. “Once he got his GED, I could tell he had the drive and determination to succeed,” Mayer said. Coey transferred from CVTC in 2020 and continued his studies at UW-Eau Claire that same year. He was changing his life, one day at a time, but support didn’t come easily from all.

“When I told people I was going to college, they said I was wasting my time and money. But as I got closer to graduating, that changed,” he said. With determination and the help of scholarships, he completed his degree.

Coey will walk across the stage, earning a bachelor’s degree in Professional Studies, and Latin American and Latinx studies, along with a certificate in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality studies. He credits Mayer and others at CVTC for helping change the trajectory of his life. That wasn’t a small feat, he said.

Mayer caught up with Coey recently via email and learned that she was a large part of his successful journey, she held back tears.

“This is the best Christmas gift ever,” Mayer said. “It’s a special treat to hear the impact. After so many years of doing this, it’s really emotional for me. I never looked at my job as just teaching. A lot of times with adult education, it’s about building confidence. Jeremiah (Coey) had the academic skills. But life situations destroy their confidence.”

A Future of Giving Back

On Christmas, Coey will fly to El Salvador, where he’ll marry his fiancée and begin teaching English—a role he first discovered during a 2022 summer immersion program. “I’ll be volunteering while continuing to study Spanish and waiting for my work permit,” he said. Coey also has his sights set on the Peace Corps, where he hopes to join the Youth Development program. His goal is to empower at-risk youth, to help them find alternatives and opportunities like he found at CVTC.

“I've always been a person that has had a difficult time with pride and confidence,” he said. “But just recently it started hitting me. Every day it seems like I'm telling people about a new awesome thing that I'm doing, and it's finally started to build up where now I have a new glow. I've done a lot of cool stuff, and I'm about to do a lot more cool stuff.”

Sidebar

Jeremiah Coey didn’t have a solid support system until he attended CVTC, he said. Once someone believed in him, he began believing in himself. “My support system came as a product of my achievements,” he said. And although his mental health struggles were known by family and friends, he said he will always be living with ADHD and bipolar disorder.

“A lot of people don’t consider the mental health aspect,” he said in relation to his achievements. “I’m receiving treatment, but there’s a lack of providers. There have been a few periods where I didn’t have (a psychiatrist), so I was forced to go off medication, off treatment and I had to restart again.

“There were multiple times along the way where the actual treatment became more problematic than the disorder it was treating.”

Despite all challenges, Coey has learned to be his own advocate, to ask for help when he needs it, and to believe in himself.

“My current trajectory is nowhere near where I imagined I’d be five or 10 years ago,” he said. “One of the things I’m most proud of is that all of the people who know me now can’t believe it when they hear stories about me in the past, and all of the people who knew me then have a hard time believing where I am now. “I’ve made extraordinary changes in the right direction and improved every aspect of my life.”

Alyssa Van Duyse, Chippewa Valley Technical College, may be contacted at: [email protected] 715-831-7288

City Christmas Tree Drop Off & Curbside Pickup

Source: City of Menomonie

Once Christmas is over and you're ready to un-deck the halls, Christmas trees can be dropped off at Elmwood Park, Wakanda Park or the Solid Waste Site. The City Community Services staff will pick up Christmas trees curbside on Wednesday, January 8.

Trees must be bare with no posts, decorations or ornaments. No tree bags, stands or artificial trees and wreaths will be accepted.

Make sure your tree is placed on the curb by 6 AM on January 8 for pickup.

Bank Stabilization Project

Source: City of Menomonie

MENOMONIE - Xcel Energy's Bank Stabilization Project near the Menomonie Dam is wrapping up.

The bank stabilization and shoreline protection are fully installed. The renovation of the Tainter Gate Historic Outlook is nearly complete and will be open to the public in early January 2025.

Staff from the City, Xcel Energy and the contractor did a walk through earlier this week and “it’s looking great!”

There will be an official Open House in the Spring.

Xcel Energy and the City of Menomonie say “thank you for your patience with the sidewalk and temporary lane closures.”

Dunn County Adopts Core Values for Entire Organization

Source: Dunn County

MENOMONIE - The Dunn County Board of Supervisors has adopted a set of core values for employees and elected officials to follow.

“Core values are the bedrock of an organization’s identity,” said Kris Korpela, Dunn County Manager. “They serve as a compass to guide decision making, actions, and behavior across all levels of county government.”

The values, adopted in November, "shall be embraced and upheld by all members of the organization,” according to the resolution. The core values are:

• Dedication: Unwavering commitment to those we serve.

• Professionalism: Upholding competence, courtesy, and respect in all interactions and responsibilities.

• Ethics: Consistently acting with honesty and integrity.

• Betterment: Making things progressively better, more effective or improved.

• By: Working together to achieve a shared goal.

Korpela said the values were developed by the Dunn County Employee Relations Workgroup over the past six months and were “validated by all county staff through inclusion in the employee satisfaction survey conducted earlier this year.”

The values also were reviewed and approved by the Committee on Administration and the Executive Committee, as well as the full County Board.

The values, Korpela said, “provide a common language and understanding of what Dunn County stands for. They build trust with the public by demonstrating a commitment to ethical behavior. Values-driven organizations tend to have higher employee morale and engagement.

Korpela also said it is important that the supervisors approved setting up a mechanism to monitor how the values were being followed so they remain relevant and are upheld consistently. Dunn County adopts core values for entire organization

Contact: Kristin Korpela, Dunn County Manager, [email protected]

Menomonie School District Strategic Planning

Invitation to attend a planning session on Jan 8, 9, or 10

Source: SDMA

Letter to Families and Community Members from District Administrator Joe Zydowsky

December 17, 2024

Dear School District of Menomonie Area Families and Community Members:

The SDMA strives to provide programming and services that meet the needs and expectations of our students, staff and the community. As needs and expectations change, so must our schools. Over the next several months, the SDMA will be working with students, families, staff, and community members to develop a new strategic plan for our school district. This process will begin in early 2025, and there are several options for you to participate and have your voice heard:

1. Participate in an In-Person Listening Session: We hope you will invest time to attend one 60-to-90-minute visioning session to offer your input for the SDMA Strategic Plan. At this session you will be asked a few questions by a third party consultant about the school district’s strengths, opportunities for improvement, and your desired direction for our school district. Please pick a date and time that fits your calendar and make time to attend. No advance preparation is needed, and no RSVP is necessary. Your input will make a difference, so we urge you to take part.

Wednesday, January 8

● 8:00 am- Downsville Elementary School Library

● 10:00 am- Menomonie High School Tiered Lecture Hall

● 6:30 pm- Menomonie High School Auditorium

Thursday, January 9

● 8:00 am- Knapp Elementary School Library

● 10:00 am- Menomonie Middle School Library

● 6:30 pm- Menomonie Middle School Commons

Friday, January 10

● 8:00 am- Oaklawn Elementary School Library

● 10:00 am- River Heights Elementary School Library

● 12:00 pm- Wakanda Elementary School Library

2. Apply to Be a Member of the Strategic Planning Committee: The SDMA will be forming a 15-member team of staff, parents, community members, administrators, and board members to oversee the strategic planning process, analyze input, and make key plan recommendations to the Board of Education regarding the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan. This group will meet approximately seven times over the next six months. Meetings will be held in the evening and each meeting will be approximately two hours in length. This option is for people who want to be directly involved in the strategic plan development process from start to finish. Please apply to serve on this Committee by submitting a completed Strategic Plan Committee Application by January 10, 2025. Note that those selected to serve on the Committee will be notified before the first meeting which will be held on Wednesday, February 12 at 6:30 PM. Your leadership in this important work would make a positive difference, so please consider joining this important committee.

3. Complete a Strategic Plan Survey: In February 2025, we will be sending you an email link to a Strategic Plan Survey. This is yet another way to have your voice heard. Please take the survey when it arrives.

If you have questions, please contact me at [email protected] or 715-232-1642 ext. 11111. Thank you for supporting our strategic planning process and our terrific Menomonie Area Schools.

Yours in education,

Dr. Joseph E. Zydowsky, District Administrator

Menomonie Collegians

Norby saw diving success at Menomonie, carrying that success to Division I SUNY-Binghamton

By Layne Pitt

BINGHAMTON, NY - Dylan Norby won the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletics Association (WIAA) Division 2 diving title his junior and senior years at Menomonie High School and has been able to continue his diving career at NCAA Division I State University of New York Binghamton. 

A pre-med major and an MHS valedictorian, Norby contributed to the Bearcats’ swimming and diving conference title for the second time in four years by earning all-conference honors in the 1-meter by finishing second and placed third in the 3-meter competition at the 2024 America East Swimming and Diving Championship during his freshman year. 

This season as a sophomore, Norby so far has competed in five of six meets, taking first place in the 3-meter diving event in a dual with Canisius University, scoring a career-high 287.33 points, a mark that is currently 10th on the Binghamton all-time list. Norby was second in the 1-meter event with a season-high score of 254.30. Norby also captured the top spot in the 3-meter in a dual with Cornell University (268.80). 

During his first season at Binghamton, Norby captured first in the 3-meter event at three different meets. Academically, Norby was selected to the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll and was a member of both the fall and spring AD honor rolls.

While at Menomonie, Norby earned four swimming letters and holds the school diving records in both the 6- and 11-dive events. In addition to his two state titles, Norby finished seventh at the state meet as a sophomore. Norby also competed in cross country, earning honorable mention all-conference honors, and competed in the pole vault for the Mustangs’ track and field team. He was a Wisconsin Scholar-Athlete.

Norby was the first Menomonie diver to win a state title and only the second Menomonie boys swimming and diving team member to win a state title. Kevin Fober won the 100-butterfly in 1979.

The Bearcats return to action Jan. 18 at Wagner College and will look to defend their America East conference title Feb. 19-21 in Lexington, Va.

• In last week’s issue of the Menomonie News Net, we featured four MHS graduates who have contributed to the Mustangs’ girls basketball success over the past several years. Liz Kyles was also a part of the Menomonie High School girls basketball success, graduating in 2024, and is continuing her collegiate basketball career at NCAA Division III St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minn. Kyles has appeared in four games for the Wildcats. St. Kate's is currently 4-4 overall and compete in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). The Wildcats return to action Monday, Dec. 30 when they travel to Storm Lake, Iowa, to meet Buena Vista University.

Layne Pitt is the retired UW-Stout Sports Information director and also worked more than a decade at the Dunn County News.

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

The column 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 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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