The Broadsheet
Headlines from the Barron News-Shield June 25, 2025 edition, plus some extra, newsy recommendations from the editor.
Hello readers,
First off, I have to confess that I goofed up the editorial on page B3 for the print edition. The correct one, “County tourism boosts the economy, but there’s a cost,” is here and in the E-Edition.
Headlines
Bridge work will result in an overnight closure of southbound US Highway 53 this week between the Chetek and New Auburn exits in Barron and Chippewa counties. Southbound US 53 will be closed from 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 2 to 6 a.m. July 3 at County I (Exit 126, Chetek) and County M (Exit 118, New Auburn). Traffic will be detoured via County I, County SS and County M.
A construction company from Ashland has filed a legal action against the city of Rice Lake regarding the awarding of bids for a utility project in the city. A court hearing Tuesday, July 1, heard a request from M. Jolma, Inc., of Ashland, to obtain a temporary restraining order to halt the project while the legal action proceeds. That restraining order was not granted. The City of Rice Lake also made a motion to dismiss the case, but that injunction, too, was denied. Court proceeding will continue in mid- to late-July.
A Wisconsin appeals court has upheld a circuit court’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit brought by an auto dealership against its architectural firm, ruling that the dealership failed to provide required expert testimony to support its breach of contract claim. The dispute centers on Don O. Johnson, LLC, and Don Johnson’s Cumberland Motors, LLC (collectively “Johnson”), who sued Gries Architectural Group, Inc., alleging the architectural firm failed to meet professional standards in overseeing the construction of a new Cumberland dealership, which allegedly resulted in the installation of defective tile flooring back in 2020.
A Barron native has been selected to attend a special dairy breeders school in Belgium. Summer Hammann, a 2024 Barron High School graduate now attending UW-Madison for dairy science, is one of six from the U.S. selected for the Young Breeders School in Battice, Belgium. Hammann is the youngest person selected and the only one from Wisconsin.
An Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. was recently enjoyed by three veterans from Turtle Lake who served during the Vietnam era, and a fourth resident who went along as guardian. Adding significance to their May 31, 2025, experience is the fact that it took place less than five weeks before the nation’s 249th birthday – the Fourth of July.
Urban Rural Column
In case you missed my column last week on paddling all of the Red Cedar River, check it out on my blog.
Editor’s Picks
IN THE NEWS: A whole heckuva lot is happening at the state and national level. Here’s two big ones at the state level.
Wisconsin’s 19th-century abortion ban is no longer in effect, the state Supreme Court ruled Wednesday.
The state budget deal headed to final votes in the Legislature.
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.
Enjoy the long holiday weekend!
—Ryan Urban