The Broadsheet
Headlines from the Barron News-Shield March 23, 2022 edition, plus some extra, newsy recommendations from the editor.
Hello readers,
The importance of emergency responders is evident in our newspaper every week, but especially in this issue. First we have a story of a snowmobiler’s rescue after going through the ice on Prairie Lake near Cameron. In the process of the rescue, two sheriff deputies fell through the ice themselves.
My colleague Bob Zientara also has a story on the challenges local ambulance services are facing. It’s an environment of shrinking funds, increasing regulation and fewer willing volunteers that is putting this long-running service at risk in rural areas.
Headlines
The public is invited to a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday, March 30, for substantial upgrades to buildings across the Barron Area School District. The high school pep band will kick off the event at 5:45 p.m., with the ceremony starting at 6 p.m. at the high school commons. There will be a number of speakers and cake and ice cream will be served.
Barron County is now debt-free, with one big exception. County administrator Jeff French told the Board of Supervisors at its Monday, March 21, meeting that the only debt currently on the books was the $26 million in bonds for the construction of the new highway department shop and other buildings.
The Spring Election on Tuesday, April 7, features many local races, including in Barron’s alderman districts. Mayoral candidate Rod Nordby and current alderpersons Byron Miller, Keith Kolpack and Peter Olson are unopposed for re-election. But incumbent Ward 3 alderperson Mo Tollman is challenged by Isaak Mohamed. Ward 3 includes most of Barron that is north of Hwy. 8.
March is a time to expect mud on the ground. But mud in the sky? That seemed to be the case Monday afternoon when light rain left cars looking dirtier and everything a little drearier. Long lines formed in car washes, and everyone was wondering: What was the deal with that rain?
Urban Rural Column
My column this week is titled “Sweet celebrations of March,” an ode to the first signs of spring. Here’s an excerpt:
The rites of spring. More than any other season, springtime is full of rituals. They come in both the natural world and in our culture.
I’ve enjoyed watching water transform this March. As a cross country skier, it seems the trails are always the fastest right before the end. When firm crystalline snow melts, trails get too icy or soft, but open fields become playgrounds for “crust skiing” in the morning. But as the temperature warms, snow gets wet and sugary, like a gas station slushy with all the flavoring sucked out. Even then, snowshoeing is still enjoyable.
My snowshoes get a lot of action this time of year, especially in the home sugarbush. I put them on every time I go out to tap and collect until the snow is nearly gone.
That’s the fun part. The more the sap flows, the more time I’ve got to keep the pans boiling. It gets old, but those first days in the sugarbush are enjoyable and exciting. I wouldn’t want to miss it—embracing one of the first signs of spring, and you wouldn’t know it unless you put a spigot in a maple.
Read the full column on page A6 of this week’s issue.
Editor’s Picks
In the news: The U.S. Supreme Court has tossed out Wisconsin’s 2022 legislative maps, leaving district boundaries unclear ahead of the fall election. Seen as a win for Republicans, the court voted 7-2 against maps approved by Evers and the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Good read: Here’s one from the St. Paul Pioneer-Press about a baby born in the back of Ford Explorer to a new Richmond couple: “The New Richmond, Wis., woman scheduled a St. Paul induction for Friday, one week ahead of her April 1 due date. Her daughter, Ariel Olive Marie Bieniek-Phelps, had other plans.”
Worth a listen: The Science Fiction genre is hard to pull off and easy to mock. That’s the challenge faced by a trio of comedians in a new CBC podcast, “Let’s Make a Sci-fi.” I don’t know if they’ll make a good pilot, but they have succeeded in making me laugh. Check out the trailer and first episodes here.
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