The Broadsheet

Headlines from the Barron News-Shield February 18, 2026 edition, plus some extra, newsy recommendations from the editor.

---

Headlines

• A pair of deaths, apparently caused by exposure, have taken place in Barron County during the first two weeks of February 2026, according to 911 calls made to the Sheriff’s Department Dispatch Center. Neither of the male victims was identified, nor was the cause of death indicated, other than the extremely cold weather conditions.

• The Barron County Board of Supervisors voted Monday, Feb. 16 to raise the county clerk of court and county sheriff salaries several thousand dollars over the next four years. In the case of the sheriff, the rationale behind the increase was to make the sheriff the highest paid member of the sheriff’s department. After former Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald resigned last year, Chief Deputy Jason Hagen declined to seek the position, at least in part, because it meant he would be taking a pay cut.

• The saga of Alcatraz, a fanciful name given to a shorefront property in Rice Lake that was seized for back taxes by Barron County nearly three years ago, is about to add another chapter, according to information shared at a meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, at Barron. The 1.5-acre Alcatraz site, at 220 E. Charles St., is surrounded on three sides by Johnson Truck Bodies. A grant has been obtained from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to conduct a “visioning study” on how Alcatraz might be used after contaminants found in the ground and beneath the lakebed have been removed.

• The Burger King in Rice Lake is among more than 100 locations across the state cited in what officials are calling the largest child labor and wage violation case in modern Wisconsin history. Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) announced today that Cave Enterprises Operations LLC, which operates 105 Burger King franchises in Wisconsin, has been hit with a determination of more than 1,656 violations affecting more than 600 minor employees.

• It’s time to celebrate the promise of spring by celebrating the 44th annual Ridgeland Pioneer Day Saturday, Feb. 21. There is no doubt that Main Street Ridgeland will be packed with a swaying mass of celebrants eager for the events top draw, the Chicken Fly, which will challenge both young and old for chance to take home a chicken as a pet or an entrée for the pot. The Chicken Fly will get underway at noon.

• The Barron Chamber of Commerce has scheduled its annual Winter Fest celebration away from potential bad weather to the comfortable confines of the Barron Public Library and Senior Center on Friday, Feb. 27, from 5-7 p.m. Enjoy a fun evening out with family and friends with free activities that includes bingo, crafts, games, hot cocoa and cookies.

• Some music enters our lives long before we know its story. The Red Cedar Spring concert series celebrates classical music that listeners may know by heart without realizing its origins. Concerts are set for 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, at Chetek Lutheran Church in Chetek, and 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 1, at Bethany Lutheran Church in Rice Lake.

Four buildings were damaged in a fire at a Town of Arland property on Thursday, Feb. 12. Emergency responders were called to 1099 9th Ave. at 10:35 a.m. for the report of a garage fire that was spreading to other buildings. Almena fire chief Mark Zimmerman said that in the end one building was a total loss, a carport and another building were severely damaged. The home on the property also sustained damage to the siding and windows. A total of 25 firefighters from the Almena, Barron-Maple Grove and Prairie Farm-Sheridan fire departments responded to the blaze. Firefighters were on scene for about 4 hours. The property is owned by Steven Wickman. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Photo by Ryan Urban

Two people were injured Monday morning in a hit-and-run crash at the intersection of Hwys. 8 and O (18th Street), according to the Barron County Sheriff’s Department. Authorities said the crash occurred at approximately 11 a.m. when a truck traveling northbound on Hwy. O failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with a vehicle traveling westbound on Hwy. 8, according to a social media post by the sheriff’s department. On Tuesday afternoon, the department added a follow-up comment stating that the offending vehicle and driver were located.

Pictured is part of the hit-and-run truck grill at the scene of the crash.

---

IN THE NEWS: In case you were watching the Olympics and not Gov. Tony Evers State of the State address on Wednesday—you’re probably in the majority there—here is a recap from WPR.

---

That’s all I’ve got for this week. Thanks for reading. If you need to catch up on local news or are looking for more Editor’s Picks, check out the archives at newsshield.substack.com.

—Ryan Urban