More local news

Elsie’s Barnyard receives Power of 100 Ellsworth award

The Power of 100 Women – Ellsworth group awarded its $10,000 Fall 2026 Impact grant to local nonprofit Elsie’s Barnyard on Thursday, Oct. 8. Mandy Fleming, founder of Elsie’s Barnyard, …

CAPITOL REPORT: Billionaire money fuels Wisconsin GOP campaigns

Money in politics is nothing new.  Big money in Wisconsin politics, a perennial swing state, is nothing new. But this midterm cycle, with the governor's office a legislative control at …

‘The Collective’ proposed for 216 Broad St.

PRESCOTT – The Prescott Plan Commission Oct. 5 voted to recommend a site plan to the city council for Megan Langer’s newest project, The Collective. Langer, of Prescott Lodging LLC, …
Prescott’s senior Homecoming Court members Alessia Borotea, Shannon Erickson, Grace Ptacek and Danica Struve cheer as Activities Director Matt Smith crowns Alyssa Kaeder the 2026 Homecoming Queen on Oct. 2.

GALLERY: Prescott Cardinals 2026 Homecoming!

Prescott High School celebrated its 2026 Homecoming on Oct. 2. The coronation took place at the football game halftime. 

TIF 101: What is Tax Increment Financing?

RIVER FALLS — The River Falls Plan Commission hosted a lesson on Tax Increment Financing [TIF] and Tax Increment Districts [TIDs] at the Oct. 6 meeting, with both the commission and the public …
Government

Adding new slow-no-wake zone possible, but not without challenges

PRESCOTT – When following up on a resident request extend the no wake zone along Lake Street, Prescott city staff learned it may be possible, but not without a lot of red tape. At the Sept. 14 …
Crime

RF man charged with child porn possession

Roman Serbesku
A man found living in the woods in River Falls is accused of possessing hundreds of child pornography images on a cell phone. Roman James Serbesku, 35, homeless, River Falls, was ordered to pay …
Local sports
Alexis Kannel and Adison Zeilinger battle at the net during the first set of the Spring Valley/EPC rivalry.

SV secures high-octane win over EPC

PLUM CITY — It was no secret that sparks were going to fly when Spring Valley and Elmwood/Plum City met for a late season rivalry matchup. The Cardinals, now 6-0 and knocking on the door of an …

Cats hit stride too late to topple BRC’s unbeaten Hudson

HUDSON — River Falls volleyball got off to a slow start in the rivalry matchup against Hudson, dropping the first two sets. The Wildcats kicked into gear later on, but it was not enough in a 3-1 …

The Final Friday: One last night of regular season football is here

Spring Valley enters the final week of the season 6-2 with a 5-1 conference record. Those results have the Cardinals tied for the Dunn-St. Croix’s top spot with Glenwood City. Spring Valley beat …

Around the County: Tennis, Golf State Tournaments to see area representation

Girls Tennis Ellsworth’s No. 1 doubles pairing of Alissa Davis and Brooke Olson are headed to State. The team had an excellent season, and Davis and Olson will look to represent the team well …
Prescott’s State lineup is made up of Layla Salay, Macy Reiter, Lily Vesperman, Avery Braun and Claire Salay.

Prescott adding another chapter to historic girls golf program

You cannot write the history of WIAA girls golf without Prescott, and the history book is adding another chapter this year, as the team won the Stevens Point Sectional to make a triumphant return to …
If the Prescott girls golf team was looking for three seniors to carry the Cardinals through a wild WIAA Division 1 regional, Macy Reiter, Layla Salay and Lily Vesperman were happy to oblige. Reiter …
Prescott girls golf is returning to State on Monday and Tuesday, as the team secured conference, Regional and Sectional titles over the last few weeks to reach the biggest stage. Prescott and …
HUDSON — River Falls came to play against a Hudson team tearing through its schedule with a 6-1 overall record, but Raider quarterback Grant Bjerke’s 400 total yards and three touchdowns made the …
ELMWOOD — Elmwood/Plum City got into a memorable battle against Osseo-Fairchild on Friday night, and the hard-nosed style of football they chose to play gave them the edge 20-15. “It was a …
Community

Friends of EPL to celebrate National Friends of Libraries Week in October

Friends of the Ellsworth Public Library Board members Gwen Van Handel, Greta Larson, Audrey Severson, Alicia DeGross, Alyssa Nelson and Mindy Anderson help support library programs, services and community initiatives. Not pictured: Glory Luebker and Ava Maxwell.
ELLSWORTH – The Ellsworth Public Library will spend the week of Oct. 18-24, 2026, promoting its Friends of the Library group as part of the 21st annual celebration of National Friends of Libraries …
Harper Tufenk, 12, River Falls, helped greet costumed kids at the Fifth Annual Pumpkin Brawl Trunk or Treat/Demolition Derby. She was stationed at Dylan Berner’s demo car, which also brought awareness for the Farmer Angel Network.

GALLERY: Pumpkin Brawl Trunk or Treat in Ellsworth

ELLSWORTH - 715 Motorsports & Promotions hosted the Fifth Annual Pumpkin Brawl at the Pierce County Fairgrounds on Saturday, Oct. 10.  According to organizer Tim Myer, 198 drivers hit the …
PAHS is bringing back the tradition of hosting masquerade balls in Prescott, which included live entertainment from bands such as the one pictured.

History comes alive at Prescott History Center!

First, thanks to the hundreds of people who have come to Prescott Area Historical Society’s (PAHS) history presentations. Another successful season for all of us. Thanks to the over 20 businesses …

Ozark Jubilee brings Branson Country Christmas show and veterans tribute

The sounds of Christmas, country music and plenty of laughter will come together when the Ozark Jubilee brings its Branson Country Christmas show to the stage this holiday season. The production …

Senior Gathering Place activities: Oct. 14-22, 2026

PRESCOTT – The fall colors have been awesome! A drive anywhere in Pierce County has been full of red, orange, and golden yellow and not just from the trees but the sumac as well has many varying …
Education
Karly Anderson, a scientist and trainer with the UW-River Falls Humane Handling Institute (HHI), activates a captive bolt device used to stun cattle while an ultra high-speed camera captures its movement. Anderson’s research, funded in part by a $300,000 grant from the USDA, will help inform humane stunning practices at meat processing operations.

UWRF scientist researches humane cattle stunning with grants from USDA, Dairy Innovation Hub

RIVER FALLS – Karly Anderson, a scientist and trainer with the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Humane Handling Institute (HHI), is leading a new $300,000 research project funded by the U.S. …

Features
Pictured are Linda Yde, RF Rotary diaper drive coordinator; Betsy Byker, United Way diaper bank manager, and Kendra Sievers, RF Rotarian and proud parent of Owen Sievers.

RF Diaper Drive is full swing

RIVER FALLS – Four years ago, River Falls Rotarian Linda Yde heard a story that made her spring into action. It was about a mother who had to ration her baby’s diapers because their family …

Opinion
Columns

Village President column: The community we create

My husband and I have been trying to get out for more walks lately, and a couple of weeks ago, we noticed something new along one of our usual routes. A home in the neighborhood had several new signs …

Woodworking Again: My introduction to school

“School Days, Cool Days/ Good old Golden Rule days/ Readin’ and Ritin’ and ‘Rithmatic/Taught by the use of a leafy stick….” School’s open and at my age I’m stuck with merely …

From the editor’s desk: Technology will change, the need for good journalism won’t

I know I’m a week behind, but last week was National Newspaper Week, a week-long promotion of the newspaper industry in the United States and Canada. I could go into statistics about how many …

Ask Andrew: The most wonderful time of the year

Between Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s, this three-month stretch is both as wild and as fun as it gets. Today, I am here to share the roadmap to enjoy the holiday season, avoid …

Kaul: More money is needed for records access

Requesting public records in Wisconsin can sometimes mean waiting weeks, months and even longer for government officials and agencies to respond. What could help speed things along? At the state …

Woodworking Again: Fate of the jokesters

The government and its mega monsters have me worried sick about the fate of humorists in America. We have a fine tradition of such folks beginning with guys like Philip Freneau, who called himself …
Letters
Letter to the editor: Vote NO on referendums
To the editor, There are three referendum questions on our ballot this November. Please don’t be fooled by the wording, which is so easy to do. Referendums questions are purposely written in a …
To the editor: Barbaric violence
To the editor, Do you remember when America held itself up to the world as a beacon of democratic morality and hope? Our conduct was far from perfect, yet it seemed that we were trying. We …
Letter to the editor: 3 million to 1
To the editor, There are 3.5 million registered voters in Wisconsin. Assuming that they have been paying attention over the last several years one would expect to see Tom Tiffany  get about …
Letter to the editor: Big Beautiful Bill
To the editor, Rep. Van Orden has been criticized for increasing healthcare costs by supporting the BBB. What the critics have failed to point out is that costs have risen because of Obama Care …
Letter to the editor: The real Columbus Day
To the editor, Over the last decade, Columbus Day has become a source of outrage among politicians and activists who claim it was established to celebrate white supremacy and the genocide of …
Obituaries
Walter 'Bud' Blodgett
Walter “Bud” Blodgett, a man whose life was defined by service, family, and a profound dedication to his community, passed away peacefully on Oct. 2, 2026, at Preferred Senior Living in …
Betty Brenner
Betty Ann Brenner, age 89, of Ellsworth, Wis. passed away at her home on Sept. 26, 2026. Betty Ann Brenner was born on April 2, 1937, to Robert and Dorothy Seifert. An only child, Betty was …
John Phillipps
John Lester Phillipps was born to Floyd and Violet (nee Yarns) Phillipps in September 1940. He was welcomed by his sister Eloise whose first birthday was in October 1940. A younger sister Elvina …
Pearl Tayson
Pearl Sylvia Tayson, age 91, of Prescott, Wis. passed away peacefully on Sept. 23, 2026. She is preceded in death by her parents, Hugo and Margaret Koenig, and beloved husband, Charles L. …
Ken Link
Ken H. Link made his final transition to our Lord in the morning hours of Oct. 1, 2026 in Woodville, Wis., surrounded by his loving family. He spent the last 22 years living on a hobby farm in …
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.