More local news

New sexton at Riverside Cemetery

On August 1, 2005, Lyle Roe began duties as sexton at Riverside Cemetery, Withee. Lyle considers helping people at a delicate time in their lives as one of the most rewarding things about the job. …

Medication safety at school: What parents should know

More than 40 percent of school-aged children and adolescents have at least one chronic health condition, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Beyond managing chronic …

Don't let joint pain spook you

Joint pain can be scary. It can take the enjoyment out of favorite activities and make everyday life more difficult. In fact, joint pain is just one of many issues affecting the bones, joints, and …

USDA invests nearly $750,000 to expand Distance Learning access across rural Wisconsin including Owen-Withee

Funding will modernize educational infrastructure, reaching more than 14,000 rural students and 1,900 educators across 12 counties U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Wisconsin State …

News Here & There

Tribune-Phonograph Abbyland Foods has been fined a total of $33,100 for workplace safety violations following the death of an employee who died after falling into a dip tank in the company’s …
Business

Bill Sennholz Named to WBA Leaders in Banking Excellence

William (Bill) Sennholz has been recognized by the Wisconsin Bankers Association (WBA) for his excellence in banking, community service, and civic involvement.

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 …

Government

O-W Police Committee approves 2027 budget

The Owen-Withee Police Committee met on Tuesday, September 29. Under Public Comment, committee member Bob Wilczek said that having Chief Fehlman, Officer Haugstad, and K9 Jimi at the Firemen’s …

Community

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 …

Donald "Jim" Kowalczyk of Boyd was recently honored by the Gilman Pirates football team. Players and coaches from the 1950's-1976 were recognized during halftime of the Pirates Homecoming game on …
2nd attendants Kyan Hatlestad, Aron Sanchez-Bautista, and Riley Renderman, Queen Jozlin Sevareid and King Talon Mueller, 1st attendants Tegan Hatlestad and Jordon Wulff. 
After recently removing the old playground equipment, Owen Public Works has begun work on the footings for the new playground equipment in Mill Pond Park, soon to be Prevail Park. 

Fifth annual Vecino a Vecino Health Fair held at Curtiss

Darrel and Anne Diers with Our Savior’s Lutheran Church Stanley. 
Sleep in Heavenly Peace: Sleep in Heavenly Peace. Submitted photo

The fifth annual Vecino a Vecino (Neighbor to Neighbor) Health Fair was held at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Curtiss on Thursday, September 24, 2026. Deacon Lidice Montoya of the Northwest Synod in …

Shea Stolfi and Gilbert.

Owen-Withee Elementary students get an opportunity to learn about agriculture

Owen-Withee Elementary held its annual Ag Day on October 2 and students had a great time learning about agriculture. The event was hosted at the Wells Learning Center Farm near the school. Most …

2026 Homecoming Court

2nd attendants Kyan Hatlestad, Aron Sanchez-Bautista, and Riley Renderman, Queen Jozlin Sevareid and King Talon Mueller, 1st attendants Tegan Hatlestad and Jordon Wulff. 
The Thorp Area R/C Club came be found on Facebook at Thorp Area RC Club.

Thorp Area R/C Club travels to Rice Lake

On Saturday, September 19, the Rice Lake Model Airplane Club hosted their "Fall, Finally!" fun fly event. This is an event for all to come on out, have a good time, and fly whatever you bring along. …
Obituary
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 …
William S. "Willie" Bielecki,
William S. "Willie" Bielecki, age 79, of Thorp, passed away on Monday, August 24, 2026 at Clark County Rehab & Living Center in Owen. A Celebration of Life to honor Willie will be held on …
Local sports

Golf Fun League

Dennis Kieser, John Boss, Brent Mathison, John Goodale, Richard Wachsmuth, LeRoy Wellman, Scott Jalling, and Rick Raatz.
With the temperature in the 60s, the air clear with a slight breeze, 12 enthusiastic golfers reported to the Meadowview Golf Course for the 22nd weekly Golf Fun League. The well-maintained golf …

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 – …
The Owen-Withee Blackhawks culminated Homecoming week with a lopsided 79-6 win over the Almond-Bancroft Eagles. For a while last week, it looked like the Blackhawks might not even have a Homecoming …
The girls golf team placed 4th at the CloverCroix Conference tournament on Thursday at Lake Hallie Golf Course, finishing the season at 5th overall. They recorded a team PR 194 on the back 9 in Lake …
Depending on what poll you were looking at, the Wisconsin Rapids Assumption Royals were ranked in the top three teams in the state in 8-man football when they came to town for a big North …
On Monday August 24 three division winners and a wild card team participated in a semi-final playoff to determine which two teams would face off in the finals. In the semi-finals Smith Brothers Meats …
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

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. …

Cardinal's Tweets

The primary is only a few days away and I don’t know how to vote. I had my governor candidate picked out and then they dropped out of the race. I had a maybe second choice and then they dropped out …

Cardinal's Tweets

Some people are saying it is disrespectful and wrong that some of the major networks didn’t carry President Trump’s speech last week. My question is why? Why should they give up primetime …
Web Extras
Hit by an uninsured driver? What to know
TheZebra.com reports that 1 in 3 drivers are uninsured or underinsured, increasing financial risk for insured motorists in accidents. 
How a smarter home can help families reclaim their time
(BPT) - It's a Thursday evening at home, and all you want to do is relax with your family. However, the mental list of possible to-dos stops you from being fully present with your loved ones. …
10 best cities to rent rather than own a house in 2026
TheZebra.com reports that Salt Lake City, Denver, and Austin are among the top 10 U.S. cities where renting is more affordable than buying.
6 Ways to Create a More Sustainable Bathroom
(Feature Impact) Conserving water, energy and resources is key to running an environmentally friendly household, and one of the best places to start is your bathroom. As one of the most frequently used rooms in the house, it's a small space that makes a big difference. Every flush, shower, twist of the tap and restock of restroom essentials is an opportunity to manage your ecological footprint.
Instacart's Halloween report: Reese's is No.1, regional candy quirks and the iconic banana costume
Instacart reports that Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are the top Halloween candy in 40 states, with regional quirks like HI-CHEW in Montana.