Students in the Chequamegon School District were recognized with Eagle Awards and the collection of pop tabs.
Demonstrating "fairness," Park Falls Elementary School students earned the Eagle Award for March 2024.
Front row, left to right:
Mya Brown, Brooke Tourtillott, Everett Linescott, Mikayla Radlinger, Kaydin Dahlgren, Aiden Zirbel, and Vivienne Davis
Back row, left to right:
Easton Carper, Sophie Wegner, Dareck Schloer, Evelyn Beil, Jaxson McFadden, Scarlett Struck, Casey Kleczewski, and the Screaming Eagle
Mrs. Brunner's class won the contest for collecting the most pop tabs in March. They collected 21 pounds of tabs. The collection benefits the Ronald McDonald House in Marshfield.
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At approximately 4:09 p.m. on Saturday, April 13, 2024, the Park Falls Police Department responded to a report of gunshots near the 600 block of 2nd Avenue North in Park Falls, Wisconsin. Residents heard many sirens and saw multiple agencies responding to the scene.
Upon arrival, police found a deceased adult who had multiple gunshot wounds.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), which is in investigating this incident, a handgun was found at the scene, and a suspect was taken into custody. There is no danger to the public at this time.
DCI is reviewing evidence and will turn over its investigative reports to the Price County District attorney when the investigation is complete.
My Price County reached out to the Park Falls Police Department and Price County Sheriff's Office with questions and will update this article when new information is received.
Agencies assisting DCI include the Park Falls Police Department, Wisconsin State Patrol, Price County Sheriff’s Office, Phillips Police Department, Taylor County Sheriff’s Office, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Woodruff Police Department, and Oneida County Sheriff’s Office.
Updated 4-19-2024: A suspect is in custody at the Price County Jail. Read more.
JELD-WEN notified employees on Thursday, April 11, 2024 that they will be closing two manufacturing locations. One is in Vista, California. The other is in Hawkins, Wisconsin.
Hawkins manufactures wooden windows and has about 340 employees at the plant. Most employees will no longer be employed at the plant by August 2024 with the full closure by March 2025. That operation will be consolidated into the facility in Rantoul, Illinois. The cost will be about $24 million to consolidate but will improve income by $7 million.
According to a press release, JELD-WEN said they made the decision to “simplify its North American windows operations.” The company says this is a step in JELD-WEN’s transformation, which will strengthen the foundation of the company for profitable growth in the future.
Caryn Klebba, the head of global public relations, stated the company values the contributions of its employees who will be able to apply within the company in any open positions at other sites.
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At the city meeting in March 2024, there was discussion regarding a request to open Highway 13, from County Road F and South Airport Road to Fayette Street, for the ATV/UTV route.
Tyler Weber from an ATV club, and Jim Heizler who is the trail coordinator, were at the meeting to discuss the idea and answer questions.
Alderman Richard Heitkemper felt having this area designated for use by ATVs and UTVs would benefit the community and bring people from the northern part of the city by giving them more direct access to the city instead of going around the industrial park.
City Attorney Bryce Schoenborn discussed three statutory requirements that must be met to allow such use. He stated the route cannot be part of the national highway system of defense highways, there must be a speed limit of 35 MPH or less, and it has to be in the city's jurisdiction.
Alderman John Klimowski stated the speed limit was 40 MPH for traffic in that area. Dick Heitkemper stated a request would need to be made of the state to get the speed limit reduced. However, Clerk Shelby Kosmer stated that in 2018 when there was interest in trying to open this area to ATVs and UTVs, the DOT denied the request to lower the speed limit.
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Tyler Weber stated there is a way around the 35 MPH speed if the city and county would approve an ordinance. Tyler also gave the council a packet with information about the trail route along with a sample ordinance that was enacted by the Town of Bradley.
Chief Hauschild expressed concerns because there would be an influx of traffic during certain times, such as when school gets out every afternoon and when local manufacturing businesses have shift changes. He suggested the council shut down such a trail if it became a traffic issue.
Aldermen Bill Elliott and John Klimowski motioned to recommend moving forward with an ordinance to open State Highway 13 for the ATV/UTV route going from County Road F and South Airport Road to Fayette Street. The motion carried 6-0.
On the agenda for the Tuesday, April 9, 2024 meeting, which will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the council room at the municipal hall, there is discussion and possible action regarding the draft ordinance for the ATV/UTV route and bridge crossing from the intersection of County Road F and Fayette Street on Hwy 13.
MY PRICE COUNTY / MY NORTHERN WISCONSIN REACHES OVER 13,000 HOUSEHOLDS; GET FREE NEWS IN YOUR INBOX
To sign up to receive our FREE "News Highlights" e-mail, send your e-mail address with "Subscribe" in the subject line to contact@mypricecounty.com. Your privacy is important to us. We never give away or sell your e-mail address.
There are two newspapers in Price County. Established in 2012, My Price County / My Northern Wisconsin is a newspaper that offers all news online and free of charge as a community service. We are an unbiased news source providing free news to the community through facts and not rumors, striving to get all sides of every story.
To help us provide free news to the area, we appreciate any news tips, press releases, or information being sent to us via our contact form or contact@mypricecounty.com. A lot of our contributors are local volunteers wanting to make a difference in our communities. We appreciate them and any businesses who are interested in advertising to sponsor our free news, receive advertising of their business, and help with our goal of promoting Price County.
Of the 11,548 eligible voters, of which 8,922 are registered to vote, 3,701 people voted in Price County for Spring 2024. The unofficial election results show how Price County voted. The Presidential Preference Vote and referendum questions are determined by the state total, which My Price County will also include once those numbers are released.
PRICE COUNTY PRESIDENTIAL PREFERENCE VOTE
DEMOCRATIC
Joe Biden 1,138 (Price County); won State of Wisconsin for Democratic ticket
Dean Phillips 43 (Price County)
Uninstructed Delegation 62 (Price County)
REPUBLICAN
Chris Christie 25 (Price County)
Vivek Ramaswamy 16 (Price County)
Ron DeSantis 67 (Price County)
Nikki Haley 200 (Price County)
Donald J. Trump 1,957 (Price County); won State of Wisconsin for Republican ticket
Uninstructed Delegation 62 (Price County)
STATE REFERENDUMS
Question 1 (Funds):
Yes 1,972 (Price County); won State of Wisconsin vote
No 1,376 (Price County)
Question 2 (Officials):
Yes 2,284 (Price County); won State of Wisconsin vote
No 1,165 (Price County)
JUDICIAL
CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE
Mark T. Fuhr 2,637
COUNTY
SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 1
Larry Palecek 154
SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 2
Michelle M. Drobnik 163
SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 3
Joe Baratka 215
SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 4
Jeff Hallstrand 324
SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 5
Jason Hastings 187
SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 6
Rodger A. Price 142
Paula Houdek 246
SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 7
Dennis Wartgow 102
SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 8
Alan L. Barkstrom 257
SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 9
Jordan Spacek 268
SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 10
Bob Kopisch 151
SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 11
Patricia Stephan 143
SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 12
Douglas Erickson 251
SUPERVISOR DISTRICT 13
Brian Ernst 237
MUNICIPAL
CITY OF PARK FALLS
ALDERPERSON - DISTRICT 1
Dennis Wartgow 54
ALDERPERSON - DISTRICT 2
James A. Corbett 64
ALDERPERSON - DISTRICT 3
Anthony Thier 80
ALDERPERSON - DISTRICT 4
Dina Bukachek 72
CITY OF PHILLIPS
MAYOR
Charles Peterson 232
ALDERMAN
AT-LARGE (3)
Jerry Clark 126
John Klimowski 188
Marty Stephan 114
VILLAGE OF CATAWBA
TRUSTEE
Cali Birdeau-Handel 24
VILLAGE OF KENNAN
TRUSTEE
Max Ericson 26
VILLAGE OF PRENTICE
TRUSTEE (3)
Brad Swenson 119
Brody Hartmann 113
Robert Orlandi 90
TOWN OF ELK
REFERENDUM #1 (Clerk appointment)
Yes 131
No 199
TOWN OF ELK
REFERENDUM #2 (Treasurer appointment)
Yes 126
No 204
TOWN OF WORCESTER
REFERENDUM #1 (Appointment)
Yes 266
No 214
REFERENDUM #2 (Land sale)
Yes 310
No 167
SCHOOL DISTRICTS
BUTTERNUT SCHOOL DISTRICT AT-LARGE (2)
George Faltinosky 11
CHEQUAMEGON SCHOOL DISTRICT
SEAT 1
Michelle Schmidt 683
SEAT 2
Karen Thorp 579
SEAT 3
Write-in David Schmidt 12
Write-in Brianna Garrison 13
FLAMBEAU SCHOOL DISTRICT AT-LARGE (2)
Brian Beardsley (registered write-in) 0
Lana Nelson (registered write-in) 0
Write-in Eric Bratnich 1
Write-in Mande Bratnich 1
PHILLIPS SCHOOL DISTRICT
SEAT 1
Justin P. Lindgren 775
Jon Pesko 782
SEAT 2
Marty Krog 1,183
SEAT 3
Hailey Halmstad 1,170
PRENTICE SCHOOL DISTRICT SEAT 1
Emily Blomberg 731
SEAT 2
Nicholas Adams 697
SEAT 3
Dianne Gierman 392
Mallory Hueckman 453
REFERENDUM
Yes 407
No 480
RIB LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT
SEAT 1
Jackie Mohr 51
Peter Meyer 47
SEAT 2
Nicole Glenzer 86
SEAT 3
Stacy Tlusty 83
REFERENDUM
Yes 65
No 48
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In December 2023, Bennish Scrap and Transport approached the City of Phillips Committee of the Whole with an offer to remove the collapsed portion of the Lionite building at no cost. The company planned to salvage the metal. However, the city did not have a right to accept the proposal at that time given it was still owned by Phillips Lionite Wood Products Co LLC with the primary investor being Sanjay Patel. However, agreements were made, and the removal of the collapsed portion began in March 2024.
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Early Summer 2023
Late March 2024
Late March 2024
Late March 2024
Late March 2024
Late March 2024
As of March 28, 2024, Price County United Limited (PCUL), established in 2022, whose president is Lynda Ludwig of Phillips, has announced the purchase of the 26-acre Lionite property at 115 Depot Road. However, this has not yet been recorded in the Register of Deeds and is still listed as being owned by Phillips Lionite Wood Products Co LLC. (Update on 4/3/2024: As of 4/1/2024, this property is now listed as being owned by Price County United Limited. The sale price was two million dollars.) PCUL has also applied for a $20 million Environmental Protection Agency Community Change grant to make changes to the downtown in Phillips.
Lynda Ludwig has attended county, city, and library board meetings. At the library board meeting in early March, she 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. If the $20 million grant is awarded, which PCUL will know later this year, then the projected timeline for these projects is three years.
What type of changes would you like to see in Phillips? Log-in and comment below.
LEARN ABOUT JUSTIN LINDGREN, PHILLIPS SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE: Justin Lindgren feels he is qualified to be a school board member because he has been a teacher and is currently working on a degree in school administration. He feels he has the insight on both sides to see what needs to be fixed. He is calling for change, transparency, and communication on the school board. "I have spent the past 12 years serving both the community and the school district, and I would be honored to have the opportunity to continue this." Learn more by reading an article with Justin's thoughts on the school board and why he is asking for your vote.
MY PRICE COUNTY / MY NORTHERN WISCONSIN REACHES OVER 13,000 HOUSEHOLDS; GET FREE NEWS IN YOUR INBOX
To sign up to receive our FREE "News Highlights" e-mail, send your e-mail address with "Subscribe" in the subject line to contact@mypricecounty.com. Your privacy is important to us. We never give away or sell your e-mail address.
There are two newspapers in Price County. Established in 2012, My Price County / My Northern Wisconsin is a newspaper that offers all news online and free of charge as a community service. We are an unbiased news source providing free news to the community through facts and not rumors, trying to get all sides of every story.
To help us provide free news to the area, we appreciate any news tips, press releases, or information being sent to us via our contact form or contact@mypricecounty.com. A lot of our contributors are local volunteers wanting to make a difference in our communities. We appreciate them and any businesses who are interested in advertising to sponsor our free news, receive advertising of their business, and help with our goal of promoting Price County.
The Presidential Preference Vote, Nonpartisan Office, and Referendum Election will be held on Tuesday, April 2, 2024 in Wisconsin.
On your ballot for the presidential preference vote, you will be able to vote in either the Democratic or Republican primary. Democratic Party candidates are Joe Biden, Dean Phillips, or Uninstructed Delegation. Republican Party candidates are Chris Christie, Vivek Ramaswamy, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, and Uninstructed Delegation.
In Price County, Mark T. Fuhr is running for circuit court judge.
Justin Lindgren and Jon Pesko are running for Area 1 of the school board for the School District of Phillips. Information about Justin Lindgren can be found at this link.
Dianne Gierman and Mallory Hueckman are running for school board in the Village of Prentice.
In District 6, Rodger Price and Paula Houdek are running for county board supervisor.
The county, municipal, and school district candidates are as follows:
The state referendum questions and an explanation of them can be viewed at this link.
The Town of Elk, Town of Worcester, and School Districts of Prentice and Rib Lake have the following referendum questions:
Town of Elk residents who voted by absentee ballot need to be aware that their ballot will likely be returned to them. According to the town clerk, "The return label was in the wrong spot and therefore caused the envelope to be returned to [the voter's] address instead of the Town Hall." A new envelope was sent to Town of Elk residents who requested an absentee ballot.
Anyone who voted by absentee ballot can track their ballot at this link. Enter your name and date of birth, click search, and then click "View My Request." After a few seconds, your absentee ballot's status will display. The date the ballot was received will appear in the last box on the webpage.
MY PRICE COUNTY / MY NORTHERN WISCONSIN REACHES OVER 13,000 HOUSEHOLDS; GET FREE NEWS IN YOUR INBOX
To sign up to receive our FREE "News Highlights" e-mail, send your e-mail address with "Subscribe" in the subject line to contact@mypricecounty.com. Your privacy is important to us. We never give away or sell your e-mail address.
We are an unbiased news source providing free news to the community through facts and not rumors, trying to get all sides of every story. Established in 2012, we are a newspaper that offers all our news online and free of charge as a community service.
To help us provide free news to the area, we appreciate any news tips, press releases, or information being sent to us via our contact form or contact@mypricecounty.com. A lot of our contributors are local volunteers wanting to make a difference in our communities. We appreciate them and any businesses who are interested in advertising to sponsor our free news, receive advertising of their business, and help with our goal of promoting Price County.
There are two referendum questions in Wisconsin on the April 2, 2024 ballot.
Question 1 reads, "Use of private funds in election administration. Shall section 7 (1) of article III of the constitution be created to provide that private donations and grants may not be applied for, accepted, expended, or used in connection with the conduct of any primary, election, or referendum?"
Question 2 reads, "Election officials. Shall section 7 (2) of article III of the constitution be created to provide that only election officials designated by law may perform tasks in the conduct of primaries, elections, and referendums?"
According to Ballotpedia, 27 states have laws in place banning or restricting the use of private donations for the purposes of administering an election, which applies to Question 1.
Question 1 got brought to the table due to the 2020 election when the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, and his wife, Priscilla Chan, funded grants that were distributed by the Center for Tech and Civic Life. Wisconsin received $10.6 million of those grant funds spread across over 200 communities. However, $8.8 million went to Wisconsin's five largest cities, which are Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay, Racine, and Kenosha.
Some people are concerned that when those funds are sent to certain areas, it can help the turnout in those areas. Therefore, if a group wanted to affect an election, they could send more funds to areas that are either more liberal or more conservative hoping to get the voting result they want, which would affect the entire state. Some clerks feel they have enough resources and instructions from the government that they do not need outside sources to assist with elections. These reasons are why some people want a "yes" vote on both questions.
Others argue it would take away resources from clerks, especially in smaller areas. They argue clerks need every amount of money and resources available to them so they can easily run elections in their municipalities. Those people want a "no" vote on both questions.
LEARN ABOUT JUSTIN LINDGREN, PHILLIPS SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE: Justin Lindgren feels he is qualified to be a school board member because he has been a teacher and is currently working on a degree in school administration. He feels he has the insight on both sides to see what needs to be fixed. He is calling for change, transparency, and communication on the school board. "I have spent the past 12 years serving both the community and the school district, and I would be honored to have the opportunity to continue this." Learn more by reading an article with Justin's thoughts on the school board and why he is asking for your vote.
Due to the Corporate Transparency Act of 2020, there is a new reporting requirement pertaining to beneficial owners of certain entities who are doing business in the United States.
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, also known as FinCEN, has issued final regulations that became effective on January 1, 2024. The act created new rules, the intentions of which are to protect financial systems from criminal use. In order to pursue this goal, there are new reporting requirements for many people and entities. If all applicable individuals and entities comply with this act, it is believed that it will protect the United States' financial systems, plus it will provide information to national security, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies. It is designed to assist in preventing the use of shell companies, to help to prevent money laundering, and to help prevent the hiding of assets.
This new requirement affects many entities and individuals. Any company that is a foreign or domestic reporting company is subject to the reporting requirements. In general, if a company was or will be created by filing a document with the Secretary of State or other similar office, that makes them subject to the Corporate Transparency Act of 2020. Some companies are exempt if they meet one of the 23 exemptions. However, each of these exemptions have criteria that must be met to qualify for the exemption. Some categories may at first sound like someone is exempt until they read all of the qualifications. This act is designed to collect information on small to mid-size businesses, as well as some larger businesses.
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Companies created or registered before 2024 will have the initial report due January 1, 2025. If a reporting company is created or registered after 2023, the initial report is due within 90 days of the creation or registration date.
It should be further noted that an updated report must be filed if there is a change to a previously filed report about the reporting company or its beneficial owners. If this occurs, it must be sent in within 30 days of the change.
Some of the information that must be reported for the reporting company’s beneficial owners and certain company applicants, is the individual’s full legal name, date of birth, street address, and unique ID number. An image of the document showing the unique ID number must be included in the report. Similar information about the reporting company must also be reported.
Violations for non-reporting are substantial.
The information that is available on this is evolving; therefore, it would be a good idea for anyone that has questions or feels they may be affected by this act, to look into the matter further or consult an attorney for assistance with compliance.
If you have a business or other entity, it would be wise to look into this new reporting to see if you are someone who needs to report under it.
The website address for FinCEN's Frequently Asked Questions Page can be found at this link.
LEARN ABOUT JUSTIN LINDGREN, PHILLIPS SCHOOL BOARD CANDIDATE: Justin Lindgren feels he is qualified to be a school board member because he has been a teacher and is currently working on a degree in school administration. He feels he has the insight on both sides to see what needs to be fixed. He is calling for change, transparency, and communication on the school board. "I have spent the past 12 years serving both the community and the school district, and I would be honored to have the opportunity to continue this." Learn more by reading an article with Justin's thoughts on the school board and why he is asking for your vote.
February is American Heart Month, designated to encourage people to focus on their cardiovascular health. That focus came one month earlier, in January, for Kim Kaletka when she noticed she was experiencing shortness of breath and wheezing. "Just walking into school or work, I was out of breath," Kim shared.
After debating if these symptoms were something she needed to take seriously, she called the clinic, and they directed her to go straight to the emergency room. Doctors considered she might have a blood clot or be having a heart attack, but tests revealed those options weren't the case. Instead, Kim had fluid on her lungs. She was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. She spent three days in the hospital with moderate to severe readings for heart failure.
She was discharged from the hospital but had to wait three weeks to see a cardiologist. Given she would break out into cold sweats and have trouble breathing with too much activity, Kim could not continue her work at the nursing home. She also could not do much around the house except think. She had time to think about the worst possible scenarios and to think of the bills that were mounting.
Her insurance company made her wait for eight weeks, leading her to believe she would get awarded her short-term disability claim, but in the end they denied her request. Their reason for denial was because she had shortness of breath in October when she was diagnosed with pneumonia. Therefore, her insurance company decided she may have had a pre-existing condition. However, Kim said, "It's more than clear in my records I never had congestive heart failure before this." She is going to appeal their decision.
In the meantime, Kim has to wait. She has to wait to go back to work and wait to see if her heart is healing when she receives her next scan.
Kim has had to play the medical waiting game in the past. Six years ago her son, Thomas, won the battle against cancer. "With God's help I made it through watching my son battle cancer. Somehow, someway, I'll make it through this. Most days I just don't see how, but I will."
Kim shared, "It's a scary situation that you never expect is going to happen and then, boom, it does." She said that, as a single mom to Thomas and Lexi, she had a lot of expenses as single moms do, and with the cost of living increasing, it was difficult for her to get ahead to have a "rainy day" fund, so she has to work to accomplish that now. This week, she is most concerned about having enough money to make her car payment so she will have a vehicle to go to medical appointments and eventually back to work. "You just don't think of all the things you rely on when life runs smoothly. And I cannot get a loan because my credit is not great these last months because I haven't been able to pay my bills."
Given My Price County shares information about those in need during difficult times, we reached out to Kim asking if we could help by getting her situation more attention. She agreed but said, "I'm not just looking for people to give me money." Therefore, if anyone is wanting to help Kim with living and medical expenses to get her through this difficult time, she has listed some items for sale at this link. She will be adding more items in the near future. Otherwise, cash donations can be given on Venmo at @Kim-Kaletka or at her GoFundMe page.
Kim will have more scans and possibly need medical treatments. She currently is taking a number of medications. Kim is going through a lot, but she said, "It will make me a stronger person."
If you or a loved one are in need due to a tragic event, such as a fire or medical situation, reach out to My Price County so we can help get your information to the public.
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