News

From left, Cyndi Wise, Sheila Rhodes and Ardell Muehlenkamp, man one of the check-ins at the polling station in the Sparta Community Center during Tuesday’s primary election. Sparta had a 36% voter turnout for the election. Of the 1,643 votes cast in Sparta, over half were absentee ballots. Tomah’s turnout was 31.7%, while countywide the turnout was 35.34%. A total of 8,029 voters out of 22,722 registered voters countywide cast ballots in the primary. Herald photo by Pat Mulvaney

Voters go for incumbents in county races

Thursday, August 13, 2020 - 10:59am

Monroe County voters Tuesday went with the incumbents in two countywide races for treasurer and register of deeds in the Republican primary election. Monroe County Treasurer Debbie Carney and Register of Deeds Deb Brandt won their races, which effectively will give each another four-year term since...

SASD board discusses offering relief to taxpayers

Thursday, August 13, 2020 - 10:53am

At a special meeting this past week, the Sparta School Board discussed the possibility of directing school administration to research tax relief options to the 2020 tax levy. The discussion was brought forward by Board President James Rasmussen, who wanted the opportunity to point out a few...

A view of the temporary track taken from Cty. Hwy. U south of the village. The track is located on land owned by the Meuhlenkamp Family Farm on the west side of the village. Herald photo by Nate Beier.

Norwalk Tractor Pull set to go August 14-16

Thursday, August 13, 2020 - 10:49am

After months of working out the logistics, organizers plan to put on the 54th Annual Norwalk Tractor Pull on its originally scheduled date. Beginning Aug. 14, Norwalk will come to life with the sound of high-performance engines and billowing clouds of black smoke. Only this time, they will be...

Perch Lake dam project ready to go

Thursday, August 13, 2020 - 10:43am

Work on a half-million dollar Perch Lake Dam repair project will likely begin after Labor Day. The Sparta City Council approved the low bid on the project last month, awarding the contract to Lunda Construction out of Black River Fall, which submitted a $535,180 bid. Lunda beat out two other bids,...

April Buchannon-Butler, left, and Kathy Kett, right, accept a check from Lamont Kiefer, outreach committee chair for the First United Methodist Church Fourth of July pie and ice cream social. Butler and Kett are with are with Family Promise. The organization split money from the fundraiser with Noah's Ark Christian Pre-School. Contributed photo

First United Methodist Church raises money with July 4 meal

Thursday, August 13, 2020 - 10:40am

Tomah First United Methodist Church proved if you can't have a pie/ice cream social, the next best thing is a social with brownies brats and hot dogs. The 2020 COVID-19 version of the Fourth of July Pie & Ice Cream Social/Brat & Hot Dog Sale was a huge success. With the dedication and...

Sparta teen takes over older sister’s Ladles of Love legacy

Thursday, August 13, 2020 - 10:38am

Laney Sullivan founded Sparta’s Ladles of Love program in 2016 as a senior in high school. Now, over four years later her younger sister, Carys, a junior at Sparta High School has taken the reins. Ladles of Love, a soup kitchen in Sparta, originally began at the Barney Community Center in Sparta...

Mary Hyde, volunteer coordinator, is looking for a few good gardeners who need a dirt canvas for their creativity. Herald photo by Pat Mulvaney

Adding a slice of color to River Run Golf Course

Thursday, August 13, 2020 - 10:34am

An effort to beautify the Sparta Golf Course begun by three local men in the mid-1980s has literally blossomed over the years into some eye-catching floral features that can give even the worst duffer a reason to return to the course. River Run’s fairways are dotted with 18 different flower beds...

Two of the Morrow Home’s current volunteer drivers, Clarence and Sue Justin, prepare to deliver meals to participants of the organization’s Meals in Motion program. Contributed photo.

Morrow Home’s Meals in Motion program seeks volunteers

Thursday, August 13, 2020 - 10:12am

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to drag on, the Morrow Home Community is in desperate need of volunteer drivers for the Culinary Services’ Meals in Motion program. According to the Director of Culinary Services Renee Thurston, she has had to turn down participants due to the lack of drivers. “...

Sparta Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Heidi Prestwood spends some time fishing in the La Crosse River at Evans Bosshard Park in Sparta. Herald photo by Nicole Vik.

Sparta Big Fish Derby continues

Thursday, August 13, 2020 - 10:10am

Over 450 rainbow trout were released into the La Crosse River at Sparta's Evans-Bosshard Park on June 8, of which 100 were tagged as part of the Sparta Chamber’s summer-long fishing derby. The trout, which were raised by Herold Trout Farm out of Stoddard, were released as part of a cooperative...

Renovation work on building 2880 on the cantonment area at Fort McCoy is shown June 11. This former facility used by a Navy Reserve Seabees unit is undergoing the renovation to create new spaces for several garrison offices from the Fort McCoy Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security and the Directorate of Public Works. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy)

Facility construction for renovated office building continues at Fort McCoy

Thursday, August 13, 2020 - 10:04am

Building 2880 on Fort McCoy's cantonment area, the facility formerly used by a Navy Reserve Seabees unit, is undergoing a renovation to create a new space for several garrison offices. As of late-June, the facility construction was more than 65 percent complete, said General Engineer Nicholas Perna...