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Mon
05
Feb

Lessons in Learning - Tolle

Originally from Nekoosa, Laura Tolle’s top priorities in life today are her family, which includes her husband and their seven children, and her career as an educator at St. Mary’s School in Bloomington.

“When I graduated from [the University of Wisconsin-Platteville], I had a degree in Mechanical Engineering. I worked at James River in Green Bay as a Maintenance Project Engineer. I planned on designing and repairing paper machines for a few years. However, God had other plans for my life. I met Darren Tolle,” she told her story leading up to her career at St. Mary’s.

Mon
05
Feb

Associated Bank donates $15,000 to support public library


Associated Bank donated $15,000 towards the Prairie du Chien Public Library. Shown with the check are, from left, Marketing Manager Tim Medinger, Mayor Dave Hemmer, Branch Manager Mary Sweezey, Library Board President Linda Munson and City Administrator Chad Abram.

On Feb. 1, Associated Bank announced a $15,000 gift to support the renovation and expansion of the Prairie du Chien Library. Ground breaking for the project occurred on Oct. 16, 2017, and construction is well underway with completion scheduled for late 2018.

“Fundraising continues for the project and Associated Bank’s generous donation moves the library that much closer to its goal,” said City Administrator Chad Abram.

Local citizens, businesses, industries and institutions have so far pledged more than $1.3 million toward the project, which will more than double the library’s size as well as expand its resources and programs.

Mon
05
Feb

Marquette Road project will change 4 lanes to 3 from Mooney to LaPointe


Community members attending the Marquette Road project’s public information meeting got a look at plans for Mooney Street through LaPointe Street. (Photos by Correne Martin)

Aaron Palmer, project leader from Westbrook Engineering, explained the detour route and temporary driveway access to business owners and managers at the meeting.

By Correne Martin

Marquette Road construction will take place early April through November this year, from Mooney Street to LaPointe Street, and involve reconstructing the existing four-lane undivided highway into a modified three-lane roadway with a two-way left-turn lane (TWLTL) and widened, 8-foot shoulders for bicyclists and right-turning vehicles, according to Ryan McKane, design project manager from Knight Engineers & Architects. He and several members of the project's design and construction team spoke and answered questions from business owners and community members during a public involvement meeting Thursday, Feb. 1.

Mon
05
Feb

Antoine Ready For Olympics


Matt Antoine proudly displays his bronze medal which he won in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. (Photo by Mary Antoine)

 

Antoine excited about his second Olympic Games

By Ted Pennekamp

 

Most people in Prairie du Chien and the surrounding area have been showing a keen interest of late regarding hometown athlete Matt Antoine and his quest for a second Winter Olympic medal in men’s skeleton.

Wed
31
Jan

Golden Eagles Winter in Area


A few golden eagles are found each winter in Crawford, Vernon and Allamakee counties. (Photo courtesy of Pixabay)

 

Some golden eagles 

winter in area counties

By Ted Pennekamp

 

The golden eagle is one of the largest, fastest, nimblest raptors in North America. Lustrous gold feathers gleam on the back of its head and neck. A powerful beak and talons advertise its hunting prowess.

Wed
31
Jan

Animal shelter finally open after decade of fundraising


Above: Weston Cejka, his younger sibling and their mom stopped by the Rivers and Bluffs Animal Shelter in Prairie du Chien a few weeks ago to visit with the dogs and cats. They were interested in taking a pet home.

Several dozen cats and kittens are currently living at Rivers and Bluffs Animal Shelter, playing and looking cute, in hopes of finding their “furever” home.

Shelter Manager Staci Roth plays with some of the animals while talking to a potential adoptive family.

By Correne Martin

As the adage, “If you build it, they will come” implies, the Rivers and Bluffs Animal Shelter facility has been 10 years in the making, but it’s finally complete and open in Prairie du Chien, and volunteers have shown up. So have the cats and dogs.

Two months after the shelter officially opened Dec. 4, an average of two dozen cats and kittens along with about 10 dogs and puppies are living at the shelter. It seems, when some are adopted, others often arrive. Most have been surrenders thus far, though a few cats have been strays.

The important thing is that, now, if people have to give up a pet, there’s a place for them to go, be cared for and treated with love.

Wed
31
Jan

Lessons in Learning - Wachuta

By Rachel Mergen

Since she was in first grade, Jenny Wachuta, third grade teacher, along with second and fifth grade religion classes at one point, for the past 35 years at Prairie Catholic School, knew she wanted to be a teacher. She remembers loving her teacher, being around kids her age and learning new things as she attended St. Mary’s Ridge Catholic School near Cashton.

Her love for teaching was also inspired by her admiration for her older sister’s teaching career, along with her experience with babysitting neighborhood children and spending time with her three younger siblings.
She attended Viterbo College in La Crosse to major in Early Childhood Education, because, according to Wachuta, “being with young children always brought me joy.”

Wed
31
Jan

Lessons in Learning - Hemmer

By Rachel Mergen

For the past 36 years, Lori Hemmer has been teaching elementary students at Prairie Catholic School, including first graders presently and, in the past, second and third grade students. The school has been a part of her life long before those 36 years though, as she attended St. John’s Catholic School as a child, which eventually became a part of Prairie Catholic.

She recollected some of her fondest memories from her education at the school, “My favorite teacher was Sister Angeline. I remember her as being very kind. You just knew she cared about you. I remember always hanging by her on the playground. Back then the nuns wore full habits. My friends and I were very curious about what Sister Angeline’s hair looked like under her habit. She always told us she had purple and pink feathers for hair. We were always hoping to catch a glance.”

Mon
29
Jan

Annual fisheree an outdoor activity for the whole family


Adults as well as children can get outdoors this weekend and enjoy some local recreation at the 68th annual Ice Fisheree, Feb. 2-4, headquartered at The Crooked Oar Bar north of Prairie du Chien. (Courier Press file photo)

The Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce and Jaycees will host area ice fishing enthusiasts for the 68th annual Ice Fisheree Feb. 2-4, with headquarters at The Crooked Oar Bar and Marina just north of Prairie du Chien on County K.

Festivities will begin Friday evening, Feb. 2, at The Crooked Oar (formerly Lake-view Marina), with a dart tournament beginning at 6:30 p.m. There will be an entry fee with competition starting at 7 p.m. Those who wish to take a chance at cards instead of darts, registration for the euchre tournament starts at 6:30 p.m. as well, and cards will be shuffled at 7. A 52-card gun raffle will also be held on Friday evening and continue throughout the weekend.

Mon
29
Jan

Courier Press to publish keepsake Matt Antoine posters

By Correne Martin

In Prairie du Chien, we’re PdC proud, or #pdcproud—in terms of hashtags.

The Courier Press has adopted the hashtag #pdcproud as a means of collectively showing our pride and support for our hometown Olympian skeleton slider Matt Antoine. The hope is that, as some of Matt’s biggest fans, community members can jump on board and start taking and posting pictures on social networks, such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and then include #pdcproud with those posts. Examples might be pictures of you cheering him on; displaying USA or red, white and blue colors; holding signs you made for him; or perhaps posing in front of his street sign in Prairie du Chien, his picture at the high school, or the posters you’re going to start seeing in business places around town.

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