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Golf Fun League

A crisp October day with the sky clear, winds calm and temperatures in the low to mid 50s brought nine passionate golfers to Meadowview Golf Course for the 25th weekly Golf Fun League. There was dew …

Owen-Withee Area History Series

More than 4,000 miles separate Withee, Wisconsin, from Normandy, France. Yet this Veterans Day 2026, that distance seems remarkably small at the grave of Sgt. Helmer Beck. French citizens who never …
Austin Hogan explains the uses of some of the equipment on the fire truck to students.

O-W Elementary students learn fire safety

1 Fire Chief Travis Serocki explains the use of the chair lift to third graders. Cindy Cardinal photo 2 Austin Hogan explains the uses of some of the equipment on the fire truck to students. Cindy …

A Bird's Eye View

We like to think of history as inevitable. Of course, we say, things were always going to work out that way because they did. But if that was true, then we could make a lot of money predicting the …

Thorp school referendum on ballot November 3

Voters in Clark County and surrounding communities will head to the polls Tuesday, November 3, to decide a number of state and local races, along with constitutional amendments and school district …
Community
Vietnam War veteran and longtime veterans advocate Bill Buss was honored with the 2026 Veterans Advocacy Award by the Wisconsin County and Tribal Veterans Service Officers Association (WTCVSO) during …
The Tri-County Retired Educators’ Association (TCREA), established in 1976, met at IGYS on October 13 to celebrate their 50th anniversary. They are members of the Wisconsin Retired Educators’ …
The sky was clear, it was windy and temperatures started in the 50s but rose into the 60s as 10 exuberant golfers reported to the Meadowview Golf Course for the 23rd weekly Golf Fun League. The golf …

Progress is being made on installing new playground equipment

The new playground equipment is going up in Mill Pond Park, soon to be Prevail Park. It is expected to be completed before month end. 

Meet Pastor John & Priscilla Frenette

Pastor John and his wife, Priscilla, have been serving at Trinity Vineyard Church since June 2025. Before joining Trinity Vineyard, they spent two years serving as Directors of Student Ministry at a …

Buckets for Hunger Food Pantry Challenge for Fruit of the Vine Food Pantry

Buckets for Hunger, Incorporated, is asking for your help for the 13th Annual “Buckets for Hunger Food Pantry Challenge.” The event runs from November 1 thru December 1, 2026. All we ask is a …

Bill Sennholz Named to WBA Leaders in Banking Excellence

Madison – William (Bill) Sennholz has been recognized by the Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) for his excellence in banking, community service, and civic involvement. WBA hosted a celebration on …
Obituary
John Volk
John T. Volk 1950-2026 John T. Volk, age 75, passed away peacefully on October 5, 2026. He was born on October 15, 1950, in Waverly, Iowa, to John Roy Volk and Normadine (Nicolaus) Volk. His family …
Sid Skaleski
Sidney "Sid" Skaleski, age 78, of Owen, passed away at home on Saturday, October 10, 2026. Visitation will be held at Thorp Funeral Home on Tuesday, October 20, 2026 from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. …
Greg D. Smith
Greg D. Smith passed away peacefully at his home in Quail Creek, Green Valley, Arizona, on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, with his wife of 44 years by his side and his beloved dog, Lola, faithfully …
Local sports

Blackhawks advance to Level III play-offs

The 2026 Owen Withee Blackhawks football team advanced to the Level III play-off on Saturday, defeating the Assumption Royals 26-8 at Wisconsin Rapids. Shown are (front row) Bryher Churkey, Joseph Graham, Manager Ellie Pyrchalla, Manager Kasil Mueller, Manage Mackinley Mueller, Gabe Bauers, Chase Purgett, (second row) Coach Caleb Green, Head Coach Terry Laube, Nash Gruetzmacher, Orion Wilczek, Troy Sherwood, Aron Sanchez-Bautista, Jordon Wulff, Talon Mueller, Aschton Paczkowski, Crandon Dallman, Isaiah Pyrchalla, Coach Justin Mueller, Coach Jeff Greschner, (back row) Coach Albert Goerlitz, Sam Young, Teddy VanARk, Clay Mueller, Nolan Petersen, Coach Steve Kadolph, Coach Dylan Kaae, Coach Harry Mitchell, Carter Shelton, Tegan Treankler, Easton Ruggles, Will Simenson, and Coach Zach Feind. Team photo: The 2026 Owen Withee Blackhawks football team advanced to the Level III play-off on Saturday, defeating the Assumption Royals 26-8 at Wisconsin Rapids. Shown are (front row) Bryher Churkey, Joseph Graham, Manager Ellie Pyrchalla, Manager Kasil Mueller, Manage Mackinley Mueller, Gabe Bauers, Chase Purgett, (second row) Coach Caleb Green, Head Coach Terry Laube, Nash Gruetzmacher, Orion Wilczek, Troy Sherwood, Aron Sanchez-Bautista, Jordon Wulff, Talon Mueller, Aschton Paczkowski, Crandon Dallman, Isaiah Pyrchalla, Coach Justin Mueller, Coach Jeff Greschner, (back row) Coach Albert Goerlitz, Sam Young, Teddy VanARk, Clay Mueller, Nolan Petersen, Coach Steve Kadolph, Coach Dylan Kaae, Coach Harry Mitchell, Carter Shelton, Tegan Treankler, Easton Ruggles, Will Simenson, and Coach Zach Feind. Submitted photo
Football 1 or Football 2: The Blackhawks in action at Wisconsin Rapids on Saturday. Joseph Back photo
Football 3: Clay Mueller heads for the endzone Saturday at Wisconsin Rapids. Joseph Back photo
Football 4: Clay Mueeler in the endzone Saturday at Wisconsin Rapids. Joseph Back photo
If the saying, “Defense wins Championships” holds true, the Owen-Withee Blackhawks took a huge step in their journey toward Wisconsin Football’s pinnacle of success. The Blackhawks avenged an …

Blackhawks keep the “Can”

For over 60 years the school-colored milk can has represented the intense rivalry between the Thorp and Owen-Withee communities. It represents everything that is good about high school athletics – …
Owen-Withee Blackhawk Cross Country ran at the Colby Sectional last Saturday, with Evelyn Goessl placing 11th out of 115 runners with a time of 21:09.6 while Maddie Roberts finished 91st with a time …
The sky was partly cloudy. The air was crisp with the temperature hovering around 50 as 14 dedicated golfers showed up at Meadowview Golf Course for the 24th weekly Golf Fun League. The maintenance …
It’s play-off time and it becomes very hard not to get caught up in the excitement and urgency that the play-offs bring with it. The Owen-Withee Blackhawks hosted the Port Edwards Blackhawks on …
2026 O-W Volleyball Team: (back row) Brooke Frese, Bella Clark, Josie LaRock, Tegan Hatlestad, Kyan Hatlestad, Jozlin Sevareid, Amy Siemon, Isabella Juzwiak, Addison McClelland, Paetyn Davidson, …
More news
Education

Meet the New Teachers at O-W Schools this fall

Isabella Ciolkosz 4th grade Hello! My name is Isabella Ciolkosz, soon to be Isabella Shackleton, and I am so excited to be joining Owen-Withee as the new fourth grade teacher! I earned my Bachelor of …

Features

Fritz ~ Tyskowski

Seth Fritz and Sara (Tyskowski) Fritz were married on August 5, 2025 in St. Augustine, FL. Seth is the son of Julie Johnson, St. Augustine, FL and Scott Fritz, Owen, WI. He is the grandson of Mildred …

Opinion
Columns

Cardinal's Tweets

We are hearing a lot these days about election integrity and safe and fair elections. The problem, in some cases, is the definition of election integrity. The Trump administration is planning to go …

Cardinal's Tweets

On October 7, the Owen Public Library and the O-W Book Club sponsored a Right to Read Night event for Banned Books Week. The event was attended by a few community members that believe in the power of …

Cardinal's Tweets

How do we watch democracy die? We might say we are witnessing it now in the United States. One thing you need to do is create a common enemy. This is being done in regard to immigrants, mainly those …

A Bird's Eye View

We find ourselves in the heart of campaign season as we are now less than two months away from this year’s mid-term elections. With the primaries behind us, the national parties are moving quickly …

A lesson in the beauty of surprises

A wife can be sneaky. Get your mind out of the gutter. Not that kind of sneaky! I recently had a milestone birthday. The one that’s north of 70 and south of 80. Hard to believe about such a fine …

Campaign ‘26: Hope from the Heartland

Ideologues always overplay their hand. Can’t resist. Two recent observations serve as reminders the die-hards operate inside echo chambers, deaf and blind to how regular folks live their lives. …
Web Extras
4 retro-fueled room designs for fresh inspiration today
Houzz reports on four retro-inspired room designs blending past styles with modern touches, showcasing 1920s Art Deco, 1950s charm, 1960s Space Age, and vibrant 1990s aesthetics.
If you're going with a lower-cost health insurance plan, make sure to read the fine print.
Plans with cheaper premiums are risky business for Americans seeking lower healthcare costs
Some options that might look like health insurance actually aren’t – and they may leave you stranded with large, unexpected medical expenses.
What 8 hours on your feet really does to your body
KURU Footwear reports that being on your feet for eight hours can cause various physical issues like muscle fatigue, pain, and cardiovascular risks, emphasizing the need for varied movement and better workplace design to mitigate discomfort.
Can feng shui lower stress? What the research on clutter actually shows
Closets by Design reports on feng shui's potential to reduce stress by organizing spaces for energy flow, aligning with research on clutter and well-being.
Scammers are finding new ways to target your phone. Here are 5 ways to protect yourself
Malwarebytes reports scammers are targeting mobile users with increasingly sophisticated scams.