Image captured from a 3-second video of people waving and making a "woo" sound on the count of three, provided by Lyn Ludwig, Price County United Limited
Residents have asked My Price County / My Northern Wisconsin many questions about Price County United Limited's plans for Phillips if the approximately $20 million in grants is awarded later this month. Some questions include who is on the board, which of the other five properties the grant will cover, if there are plans for the Fred Mueller Ford building to be demolished and the property be used for migrant housing, what happens to the Lionite building and Phillips if the grants are not received, and more. We spoke with two members of the three-person board of directors.
Lynda (Lyn) Ludwig is the president of the board. On the Price County United Limited (PCUL) website, she lists her experience in the family business, as she is the daughter of Carl Marschke, who founded Marquip. She states she has been a veterinarian for 24 years.
Blake Pluemer is the vice president of PCUL. He works at BW Papersystems. His listed experiences include 38 years in the packaging industry, field service engineer, vice president of sales, and vice president of operations at a manufacturing company.
Cheryl Moore is the secretary / treasurer for Price County United Limited. She is listed as having 35 years in accounting and public finance having been an accounts payable supervisor for 30 years. She is the current Village of Catawba president, a title she has held for over 20 years.
The website states, "We have joined together to shepherd Price County United Limited in our mission to support community & economic development through community engagement and our activities include but are not limited to the preservation of our historic culture and buildings, supporting public recreation trails, remediation of brownfield sites, and all aspects of work to combat community deterioration."
On April 26, 2024, we reached out to Price County United Limited with some questions. Lyn Ludwig, president of PCUL, replied, "Thank you for your interest in the PCUL developments and for your follow-up questions. Is this for a newspaper or online story?? We are doing another community engagement 5/1/24 that answers those questions. Check out our website. Thanks for seeking accurate reporting."
My Price County replied to Lyn but did not receive the answers to our questions after our reply, so we reached out to Blake Pluemer, vice president of Price County United Limited, on May 9, 2024. He replied that Lyn Ludwig would get us the answers by our deadline.
Our questions, a number of which were submitted to us by community members, included:
1. What are the five other properties that the grant will cover? What is being proposed for those properties? Does PCUL already own the properties, or are those properties in negotiations?
2. Do you know if PCUL has secured the grants? If not, when will PCUL know the grants have been secured?
3. When will changes start taking place if PCUL receives the grants?
4. What happens to Lionite and the plan for Phillips if PCUL doesn't receive the grants?
5. Is the Fred Mueller Ford building going to be torn down and the property used for migrant housing?
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Lyn replied on May 13, 2024. In answer to Question 2, she let us know that PCUL has not secured the grants yet but will know in the next couple weeks. She stated, "We are actively pursuing grants to support our mission. We are partnering with the City of Phillips to pursue grants for our "complete street" model and the EPA Community Change Grant. We have applied but are awaiting announcement of our EPA Clean Up Grant for the local mill. PCUL is the applicant. We are anticipating hearing from EPA the next couple weeks to know if we have received the EPA Clean Up Grant for the 9.2 acres of mill buildings. We have many avenues for solutions to resolve the challenges that our community faces." She added that she will let My Price County / My Northern Wisconsin know when she hears about the issuance or denial of the EPA Clean Up Grant.
She further stated, "Price County United Limited is applying for a Community Change Grant that involves four gateway areas to downtown Phillips, Wisconsin and also some programs that will meet the objectives of the grant. There are six objectives that we will use to help solve some of our most pressing challenges in the area. The six objectives are listed in the survey found on our website. The challenges are low income, poor health, and low life expectancy. By strategically changing the built environment in key locations in our community, we are providing a solution for future resilience and sustainability. Key take-aways are to create and preserve local wealth, improve the health of our community, attract youth and workforce while creating a vibrant and prosperous community, and preserving historic character."
We did not receive answers to Questions 1, 3, 4, and 5 regarding which buildings will be affected, when changes may start taking place in Phillips, what will happen if the grants are not awarded, and if there will be migrant housing in downtown Phillips. On May 13, 2024, we requested the information again from Lyn and Blake, and we will update this article when we receive more information to answer the community's questions.
At meetings with the Phillips Planning Commission, county board, and library board, Lyn has mentioned various buildings, such as Hilgy's LP Gas at 225 South Lake Avenue, Gowey Abstract & Title Company at 215 South Lake Avenue, Express Mart at 235 North Lake Avenue, Fred Mueller Ford at 175 North Avon Avenue, and Lionite at 115 Depot Street. However, according to the Register of Deeds, as of the time of publication, the only one listed as being owned by PCUL is the Lionite property, which came into PCUL ownership on April 1, 2024.
At those meetings, information and documents were shared by Lyn. My Price County / My Northern Wisconsin published the following information on March 31, 2024 at this link: "At the library board meeting in early March, she [Lyn] discussed the possibility of moving the library to a new location. Some additional proposed changes were presented to the Planning Commission. One change includes relocating the gas company that is currently downtown. That area would be replaced with a recreation center and new Chamber of Commerce, along with a parking lot. There is also a proposed network of trails for outdoor recreation, such as biking, running, and walking. Downtown parking and sidewalk proposals were also submitted with ideas for possible bump-outs, bike lanes, green spaces, diagonal parking, back-in angle parking, and other possible ideas. The former Lionite property would include two duplexes for a total of four new residential units in the area where the collapsed portion is currently being removed, plus there would be a parking lot and a boathouse where the current Lionite building is located. The former Ford building at 175 North Avon Avenue, which is still owned by American Eagle of Phillips, LLC, is being proposed as a "mixed commercial housing development." There are also recommendations for cleaning up brownfield sites."
Lyn stated there is a survey on the PCUL website and also directed us to review the website for more information. However, when clicking on "Community Boat & Rec Center," "Phillips Mainstreet Redesign," and "Brownfield Sites," the website stays on the home page. "Visioning," "Take the Survey," and "Designs" all take a website guest to the survey, so there was no information that we could find to answer our unanswered questions. If PCUL provides us with answers to the questions we posed, we will update this article at that time.
The PCUL website states someone from PCUL will be at the meeting of the Phillips Common Council on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 at the city hall in Phillips starting at 5 p.m. The public can attend this meeting. PCUL is trying to get their plans listed in the comprehensive plan that the city must revise every ten years. The third item on the meeting's agenda is "Discussion/Action regarding the 2024 City of Phillips Comprehensive Plan." PCUL's plans are in the draft document, according to PCUL.
The current clean-up of the collapsed portion of Lionite was arranged by the previous owner, Sanjay Patel; the City of Phillips; and Bennish Scrap and Transport, who approached the Committee of the Whole in December 2023 asking to clean up the property and take the scrap metal. This clean-up is almost complete.
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Keith Crispell did branch out west for a few years, but his roots are in Wisconsin. He is making the move back to the Badger State and will take the position of superintendent in the Prentice School District for the 2024-2025 school year.
Keith grew up in Necedah, Wisconsin, just over an hour north of Madison. His parents are Arlene Siegler-Robinson and the late Lester Crispell. His dad and grandfather had businesses in the area, and he believes that is where he learned his work ethic.
"My dad was phenomenal; he worked 364 days a year, and that is no joke. He took off Christmas, and that was it. But he still found time for his family," Keith said, noting he was a great father to him and his sister, Kim. "My dad worked in the restaurant business, and he knew everybody. He could talk to anyone about anything, which is just phenomenal." Keith expressed that he is striving to walk in his dad's footsteps in that regard.
After high school graduation, he and his sister both pursued degrees in education. Keith graduated from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse with bachelor's and master's degrees in elementary education.
After college, Keith married Michele. They have two sons, Jared and Hunter. During this time, Keith furthered his education, obtaining his principal's license through Viterbo University. He received his superintendent education through the University of Edgewood and is currently working toward his doctorate with that same university.
Family life is important to Keith, so the Crispell's stayed in Wisconsin while their sons were growing up. The family really embraced the outdoors. For all his life, Keith has enjoyed camping, fishing, hunting, and other outdoor adventures. His family used to have a cabin on the Chetek chain of lakes, and it's no secret that Keith loves to fish and be outdoors. "When I’m not chasing whitetails or walleyes, I enjoy a variety of do-it-yourself challenges which include making my own fishing lures, building rustic furniture, and constructing off-the-grid log cabins," Keith shared. He also has season tickets in the northern end zone for the Packers games at Lambeau Field. He has fully embraced the Wisconsin lifestyle.
While living that Wisconsin lifestyle, both Jared and Hunter grew up, as children do. Now adults, they currently live in Southern Wisconsin and work as strategic pricing analysts at two different companies. Keith stated he and his wife are both impressed with and really proud of their sons.
However, since their sons were well-established, Keith and Michele thought it was a good time to try something new. He said they realized, "There's more out there than what we are experiencing. Let's go on a little adventure!" At the time, Keith was wanting to get into administration. A friend of his had moved out to the Creede, Colorado area, and he told Keith about a position that opened up there. "I was hired as an elementary principal and a K-12 Dean of Students. The plan was for me to replace the current principal. He was ready to retire after being with the district for over 40 years, but I was approached by the board president to see if I could apply for the superintendent position and happenstance put me in that role." Keith explained he started his initial administrative position in Creede right around the time COVID-19 hit, so there was a lot of chaos for all schools and a lot of adjustments needed to be made, but he was up to the challenge.
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While there, he got used to the small town vibe. According to the Internet, Creede, Colorado has a population of 276, but Keith said the locals would say it is closer to 390. He said, with laughter in his voice, that they do not put the population numbers on town signs in Colorado; instead, they give the elevation of the land. He is currently living at about 9,000 feet above sea level with amazing mountain views. Given Prentice has about 567 people, according to the Internet, Keith will be moving to a bit larger area with a much lower elevation.
Keith said while he enjoys the beautiful views of the water and mountains in Colorado, he added, "I can only catch trout so long. I need to get back to walleye fishing." He said Lake Superior is one of his favorite spots [in Wisconsin] so he enjoys going up to Ashland to fish. "I have taken a lot of kids, from my previous school, out to Lake Michigan, and I'm hoping to do something like that to give those kids who haven't had that experience the opportunity."
Beyond the outdoor enthusiast opportunities, the biggest draw to Wisconsin was to be back with family. "We wanted to get back, to be next to family. It's tough when you can only see your kids on Thanksgiving or Christmas or an event like that." The drive is about 21 hours, so with the move to Prentice they will only have half a day's drive for Michele and him to see family.
The icing on the cake is how he feels about the Prentice School District. Keith said he had an "instant connection" to the board at the Prentice School District, which really sold him on the school. "I have that connection right now [in Creede], and when I had to tell them that I was moving on, it was hard, very hard." Keith got a little choked up thinking about his current staff, what they accomplished, and how he will miss them. "Having that group of people that will stand behind you in those difficult times, like the pandemic, is really important. I felt that same thing when I was able to talk with the board president in Prentice and other school officials, so it makes me excited about this new adventure." He said he is looking forward to meeting the entire staff and members of the community.
He says he has some ideas for Prentice, but he wants to hear from other people about their ideas before talking about his own thoughts. "I don't want to project myself onto them until I know what is valuable and what is important to Prentice." He feels he can take that information and his ideas and create a blended experience to benefit the school district and create remarkable educational experiences.
With thirty years of educational experience at multiple grade levels at various-sized schools, Keith has had many remarkable experiences as an educator and administrator. "There were so many great things. It's hard to pin down one." Overall, he loves being in the classroom. As an administrator, he said, "I don't feel like I should be tethered to my desk, so I remind myself to go down into the classrooms to see what they are doing there." When he can see what is going on in the classrooms, it can help guide him when talking with the school board about his recommendations for the best course of action for the students and school. He remarked about being in the classroom with a creative design class at Creede. "One of the high school kids recently got their design accepted by a local business outside the county. They printed the design on about 1,000 t-shirts, which is awesome they would think to tap into our school district, and this student was doing so well, and so I am going to share that with the board to celebrate and honor what the kids do in the classroom, so it's something I like to do to get back in the classroom and see what is happening."
Keith said it is important to show students, who want to stay in Price County, the opportunities that abound. "When I went to school, the concept was to get ready for college. Now, college is not the set be-all formula for everybody, so I like to implement ideas by asking what a kid's interests are and what the kids are wanting to tailor our education to them."
He added, "I've been working with the other superintendents in Colorado and we were trying to do a build-your-own program, because there is a teacher shortage, and we see a need for sustainability to get people to stay in the communities and work on that for not just teaching but also paraprofessionals or to get people the training for electrical, plumbing, HVAC systems so students are able to pursue that." He said they have apprenticeships at the schools, which are beneficial to apply concepts to real-world work situations. "I agree we want to keep our kids that are wanting to be there [in Price County] and offer them some options that they can do. It's not just one-size fits all. We have to be flexible. There are a lot of different jobs out there, some that haven't even been created yet, and with today's technology, people are able to work remotely, as well. There are options we can provide for our students. I have to see what the needs are and see what things are available and try to do something that will benefit everybody to keep our kids if we can."
Keith and Michele will be in the area sometime in June, and they are looking forward to meeting the residents and getting involved with the community.
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JOB OPPORTUNITY IN PRICE COUNTY: The Phillips Public Library seeks an enthusiastic, empathetic, and organized Youth Services Librarian. Learn more.
Photo of John Nolan Submitted by: Price County Sheriff's Office
Price County Sheriff Brian Schmidt announced an update for John G. Nolan. According to the sheriff's office, "Nolan was convicted of First-Degree Sexual Assault of a Child, Second-Degree Sexual Assault of a Child, and Repeated Acts of Sexual Assault Against Same Child on March 31, 2004. Nolan was released on April 30, 2024, after serving the maximum time allowed by the court of conviction. Nolan is under the supervision of local probation agents or the Wisconsin Department of Corrections.
"Nolan is a lifetime registrant of the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registration Program. The public is encouraged to visit the Wisconsin Sex Offender Registry online as a means for monitoring and tracking an offender’s whereabouts. The purpose of the registry is to promote public safety and help detect and prevent crime." The registry is located at http://appsdoc.wi.gov/public.
Nolan is now residing on State Highway 111 in Catawba in the Township of Harmony close to Lake Ten. He is a 5'9", 242-pound white male who is 87 years old with gray/blue eyes.
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The 4th annual community-wide garage sale event will take place on June 6, 7, 8, and 9, 2024 for anyone with a Phillips address, both in the city limits and in the country.
"The number of participants, both shoppers and people having sales, has grown each year," said Lynne Bohn, event organizer. "For anyone wanting to have a sale, the listing is free. My Price County promotes the event and the list of sales, so getting on the list should greatly increase traffic to each sale. We have had people remark that the community-wide garage sale weekend brings them the most shoppers they see all year at their sales."
My Price County is offering free advertising to residents who would like to have a garage sale on that weekend. To participate, reserve your ad spot by submitting your first and last name, full address of your garage sale location, the days (Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and/or Sunday) and the times you set for your garage sale, along with a short list (25 words or less) of some of the items that will be at your garage sale. Either message My Price County on Facebook or send an e-mail to Contact@MyPriceCounty.com with "Garage Sale" in the subject line. While getting the garage sales sent via e-mail is preferred, you can call 715-339-6677 if you do not have access to Messenger or e-mail. My Price County will confirm receipt of all messages and e-mails. The deadline for submitting your garage sale is June 1, 2024. Please note, you will need to place your own garage sales signs and do any additional advertising that you choose.
"The busiest days are Friday and Saturday," Lynne added, "but we will accept sales for Thursday and Sunday, as well, because some people like to run three- or four- day sales. Anyone who hosts a garage sale can choose their days and times; no one has to host a sale on all four days unless they want to."
The community-wide garage sale event is being held to help promote the community. Please help us make others aware of this event by sharing this article's link or the Facebook post. You can also follow and invite your friends to the Facebook event page at https://www.facebook.com/events/347302087815026.
Sales will be posted by the morning of June 6, 2024 at https://www.mypricecounty.com/sales.html. Save that link but realize there are no current sales listed there yet, and the full list won't be published until June 6, 2024.
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The Phillips Middle School has announced the Students of the Month for April 2024.
Claryse Johnson, sixth grade, is the daughter of Amy and Lance Johnson. She has participated in cross country, swim team, and track this year. When asked why she thought she was chosen, Claryse said, “Hmmm...probably because I’m helpful. Otherwise, I don’t know!” Claryse’s favorite parts of middle school are recess, band, gym, and lunch.
Luke Gryznowicz, sixth grade, son of Ann and Matt Gryznowicz, loves playing baseball and basketball with his friends and also enjoys going fishing with his dad. Luke thinks he was chosen for this honor because he tries his best and is willing to help anyone if they don’t understand something. Luke's favorite things about middle school include hanging out with his friends at recess, lunch, and Logger Time.
Matthew Novak, seventh grade, is the son of Annamarie and Tim Novak. Matthew enjoys basketball, recess, talking, eating, and playing with friends. When asked why he thought he was chosen as Student of the Month, Matthew responded with, “I’m funny.” Matthew’s favorite parts of middle school are friends and sports.
Brianna Quinnell, eighth grade, is the daughter of Jen and Nick Quinnell. Brianna enjoys hanging out with her cows, playing dodgeball in gym class, writing, and drawing. Brianna thinks she was chosen as Student of the Month because she is nice to everybody and is just a fun person to be around. When asked what her favorite part of middle school is, Brianna said, “Hanging out with friends and being able to put a smile on someone’s face.”
SPONSOR OF FREE NEWS AND COMMUNITY EVENTS. Robin McCallie is a new florist in Phillips with her shop located at 161 North Lake Avenue. She talked with My Price County about how friends and family members encouraged her to turn her hobby into a career, the emotions she felt when the first truckload of flowers was in her new shop, information about a powerlifting fundraiser and her grand opening event set for May 11, 2024, and the types of products and services she offers in her shop. Read more.
Robin McCallie is pictured in front of her new floral shop located at 161 North Lake Avenue, Phillips.
Robin McCallie grew up in Kennan, attending the School District of Phillips. Over the years, she has worked various jobs, but it wasn't until recently that she found her career niche.
"I've always had a garden and a green thumb," Robin shared. Throughout her life, she enjoyed making floral arrangements for family and friends. Fast forward to one day in 2022, she found herself sitting around a campfire with friends on Madeline Island. Two of those friends were planning their wedding, and the fiancé started picking wildflowers from the ditch. Robin made a bouquet with those flowers, and the bride-to-be liked it so well she said, "Oh my gosh, Robin, you have to do my flowers!" Robin agreed she could make her bouquet.
However, a few months passed, and Robin's grandma and one of her sisters needed her assistance due to health concerns. Her grandma's cognitive abilities were failing, and Robin found herself taking care of all her needs and working with lawyers, social workers, and other officials to implement her proper plan of care, which was stressful and made her feel like she did not see any light at the end of the tunnel. Given her time was limited, Robin asked her friend if someone else could make the bouquet, but her friend insisted she only wanted Robin to make her wedding bouquet.
Robin agreed to honor her friend's request to make the bouquet. She planted flowers from seeds at various stages to be sure she had a large enough assortment of flowers ready at the right time. With the abundance of floral options, that one bouquet turned into a number of bouquets, and soon she was decorating the ceremony and reception space with her floral arrangements. "I got so many compliments that it was overwhelming and a little embarrassing to be getting that kind of attention," Robin shared. "I didn't do it for the attention; I just did it to make my friend feel good."
Robin recently created this floral arrangement.
It was then that Robin realized working in her garden and making the floral arrangements was a great reliever of her stress, and it felt therapeutic to be working with nature, doing a hobby that she loves. "Creating the flowers for the wedding was exactly what I needed when I thought it would be the opposite." This was the spark that would lead her to realize she should become a florist.
Months after the wedding, the grandmother of James Stadter, her long-term partner, passed on. Robin had gotten close with James' aunt, as they bonded while each of them were helping an elderly loved one, and she wanted to do something nice for the family, so she asked what she could do. The aunt knew about the flowers she created for the wedding and asked Robin if she could create a standing spray for the funeral. "I took that as a great honor, so I made a huge 3 ½ foot spray, and we drove it all the way to Sparta with the air conditioning on in the car, so it was freezing cold in there," she laughed, remembering what they all went through to make sure the flowers were kept fresh and perfect for the next day.
After the funeral, she realized that people often want to take the funeral flowers home, but when they are in a large arrangement such as a standing spray, it's difficult to find a place for them in someone's home. For this funeral, she asked the family if she could disassemble the standing spray and make individual arrangements so everyone could take a piece of it home with them. Since the lady who passed on was named Rosemary, she added some rosemary to the individual arrangements, and everyone was so pleased with getting to take home a smaller arrangement. Again, she was receiving compliments and people were asking if she was a florist.
Not long after that funeral, James lost his grandfather, and Robin went to work again making floral arrangements. This is where her defining moment came. "It was when I was getting more compliments, that it just clicked, and I knew this is what I need to be doing. I only had to hear it about five million times before I realized it, but finally I realized it," Robin admitted.
After that realization, she planned to work out of her "she shed," but those plans quickly expanded. "That's how it all happened. Before I knew it, I blinked, and I'm in business with a local grower in town, we harvest our own twigs and will be growing some of our own flowers, and I blinked, and I am in downtown, on main street, and it seemed to happen so easy and like it was just meant to be."
The overwhelming feeling of the enormity of her dream career coming to fruition happened early in the morning on her first day in business. "I had a large order for my opening, and it was 5 o'clock in the morning. It was dark with just the streetlights shining here and there, and everything was quiet. I was there before the truck got there, and I never before heard town so quiet. Then I heard the rumble of the truck. The man jumped out and asked if I wanted to come into the truck to see what it looked like, so I climbed into the truck, and it was like I was a kid and Santa Claus just gave me all the Christmas presents that I wanted. It was overwhelming. We got all the flowers inside, and then he left, and I was there alone for the first time. Before that I had friends in there with me every day helping me with painting, mudding, drilling, and doing this and doing that, and it was so surreal with it still dark outside, but everything lit up and beautiful, and all these flowers were in my shop. It was like the final piece. It was incredible for me," Robin shared, getting a bit choked up reflecting on how far she has come in life and with her career.
She added that James has helped her a lot on this journey. "He really encouraged me throughout all this. He was my constant and continues to be."
While this journey started about two years ago and her first day was about two months ago, her grand opening of Robin's Custom Arrangements, LLC is just over a week away. Robin said there will be a ribbon cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 11, 2024. She has put together an event that involves the powerlifting team selling plants in front of her shop for a fundraising event, and she let other businesses know that if they will be open that day, they can join in by offering sales or anything beneficial to the store owners and their customers. Deer Creek Angus, LLC and a food truck will be on site or nearby, plus door prizes will be awarded. Robin added, "Mary Behling will be selling her products on the sidewalk next door, and she donates her profits to the creation of cancer bags that help those dealing with the disease." Since the event is the day before Mother's Day, it is the perfect time to buy some plants to support the Phillips High School powerlifting team and purchase some floral arrangements to welcome Robin as a new business owner and get something special for Mother's Day. If you cannot make it on Saturday, or if you would like to find a Mother's Day gift a little earlier, Robin is offering door prizes from May 6th to May 9th during her walk-in hours.
Aside from the grand opening event, Robin said her walk-in hours will be Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. She said the hours are somewhat limited because she needs to factor in time for consultations and deliveries. She knows that sometimes florists need to close for a short time to do those things, and then if someone is traveling from farther away, she doesn't feel it is fair for them to see a sign on her door that she is unexpectedly closed. "I will definitely be open during my walk-in hours," Robin said. She added that she welcomes appointments for floral consultations. Her shop has a comfortable seating area, and she offers complimentary beverages such as coffee, wine, beer, water, or whichever beverage matches the occasion.
Apollo, a service dog, recently visited Robin's shop.
Robin offers floral arrangements for any occasion whether it be a wedding bouquet, sympathy arrangement, Prom flowers, a birthday, Mother's Day, or just because. She has various flowers and woodland vegetation in stock to make your vision a reality. She will construct an arrangement for a funeral and then make smaller arrangements as she did after the funeral of James' grandmother. She can also dry the flowers and place them in a shadow box or glass container, along with the memorial card, if someone would like to keep the flowers as a memorial to their loved one. Robin is open to ideas and also has plenty of her own ideas. She is looking forward to seeing her customer's happy because of her floral arrangements. "It's nice to make everyone's life a little better," Robin said, noting flowers often make people happy and relaxed even in stressful situations.
To welcome Robin as the new florist in town, and to see some of her beautiful floral creations, follow her Facebook page at this link. Her shop is located at 161 North Lake Avenue in Phillips. You can reach her via phone at 715-820-1421.
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U.S. News & World Report recently ranked public high schools across the nation based on the college readiness index, college curriculum breadth index, state assessment proficiency, state assessment performance, and graduation rate. 17,665 public high school were ranked across the nation. 462 public high schools in Wisconsin made the ranking list, including the three high schools in Price County.
CHEQUAMEGON, PARK FALLS
Of the three high schools in the county, Chequamegon High School in Park Falls ranked the highest. That high school ranked 51 in Wisconsin and 1,873 in the nation.
According to the report, there are 17 full-time teachers and 218 students. 85.8% of students are white and 14.2% are minorities. 46% of the student body comes from economically-disadvantage families with 38% receiving free lunches and 9% receiving reduced rate lunches.
The school's overall score was 89.39 out of 100.
Kyle Cronan, district administrator of Chequamegon School District shared his joy. “Congratulations to the students, parents, and staff of CHS. This does not happen without the support of the school board and the entire district staff. This is a team effort across the district over many years."
Chequamegon High School principal John Oswald added, “We are proud of Chequamegon High School's recognition as one of the best high schools in Wisconsin and the nation. This achievement is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our exceptional staff, the determination of our students, the support of our parents and guardians, and the collaborative efforts of all district personnel. It involves the collective effort and teamwork district-wide of everyone involved. Congratulations once again to all involved for this well-deserved honor.”
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PHILLIPS
Phillips High School came in next in the county with a rank of 131 in Wisconsin and 4,000 in the nation.
According to the report, there are 20 full-time teachers and 214 students. 92.5% of students are white and 7.5% are minorities. There was no information given on the number of economically-disadvantage families or students receiving free or reduced rate lunches.
The school's overall score was 77.34 out of 100.
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PRENTICE
Prentice High School ranks 358 in Wisconsin and 13,041 in the nation.
According to the report, there are 11 full-time teachers and 117 students. 94% of students are white and 6% are minorities. 43% of the student body comes from economically-disadvantage families with 34% receiving free lunches and 9% receiving reduced rate lunches.
The school's overall score was 26.13 out of 100.
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At various library board meetings, the library director and members have discussed the types of services and materials they should have at the Phillips Public Library in hopes of bringing more patrons into the library.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about a shift in how the community uses the library, though the effects of that are lessening as time passes. Plus, while the library encourages any use of the library's materials, when e-books are checked out, the library does not get credit for that. The library director has suggested that if people want to help the library get credit for the library being used, to come in and check out the hard copy, and the person can check out the electronic version at the same time.
The library has created a survey to get input from the community. To take part in the survey, click this link.
YOUTH SERVICES LIBRARIAN LEAVING
Jake Wallace Wyrzykowski, known by many library patrons as "Mr. Jake," has announced he will be leaving his library position at the end of May. He is taking a job in New Richmond, WI. He stated, "I have made some wonderful friendships and memories these past six years, and I can't thank our supporters and patrons enough. There are so many wonderful children in the community, and I think we can learn a lot from them. View the world with wonder and treat your neighbors with kindness. Love unconditionally and help others. Be a kid at heart - no matter what your age may be."
In the early morning on April 18, 2024, Rusk County deputies and City of Ladysmith officers were involved in a high-speed chase. The chase started in Bruce, WI and ended in Ladysmith, WI.
According to Rusk County Sheriff's Office, "The suspect vehicle ultimately stopped and the individuals took off on foot. Deputy Bryce Baier deployed K9 Leo. K9 Leo was able to track and apprehend the individuals."
One suspect was taken into custody and brought to the Rusk County Jail. The case is under investigation.
At approximately 2:24 p.m. on April 21, 2024, multiple 911 calls were received by the Ashland County Communications Center. Reports were that a motorcycle and car crashed at the intersection of US Highway 2 and Maple Street in the Township of Sanborn.
Emergency services from the City of Ashland, Bad River Fire Department, and Ashland County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to the accident. Mutual aid was requested from the City of Ashland Police Department.
According to the Ashland County Sheriff's Office, "Upon arrival, witnesses to the crash reported that the operator of the motorcycle was traveling westbound on US 2 when the operator of a Toyota Corolla, that was traveling eastbound, attempted to negotiate a left turn off of US 2 onto Maple Street and turned into the path of the motorcycle.
"The twenty-eight-year-old operator of the motorcycle sustained serious injuries and was transported from the scene by ambulance. The seventy-four-year-old operator of the Toyota Corolla did not sustain any serious injury."
The crash is under investigation by the Ashland County Sheriff’s Office.
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