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Our latest edition published May 18 and is available, free on newsstands in the area.
The next edition is scheduled to publish June 15 due to a death in the family, a birthday and Best of the River Valley reader poll preparations. We ask for grace and understanding as we navigate these events.
The Best of the River Valley reader poll closed June 1.
As always, the community calendar is updated and published here. Except right now, it’s not updated and we apologize.
The May 18 e-edition is available below:

We care more.
Valley Sentinel is your independent, local news source covering arts & culture, outdoors & recreation, local meetings, events in our larger Lower Wisconsin River community.
In times like these, our community needs to come together.
So, let’s build community together.
Covering Arena, Lone Rock, Plain, Spring Green and the surrounding areas in Sauk, Iowa and Richland counties.
Recent Stories (updating soon!)
Meeting Our Needs: Dairy Breakfasts — Eggs and Pancakes and Sausage – Oh Yeah!
…and don’t forget the milk, yogurt, and cheese! Dairy Breakfast time in Wisconsin is right around the corner, check the dates, set your alarm, make sure your GPS is working, and get your “fat pants” out. Good times, and good food are coming.
Keep readingLISTEN HERE: Our editors on community journalism, the future of journalism and just doing the news well
Our editors were on WXRW this weekend to discuss community journalism, the future of journalism and just doing the news well.
Keep readingValley Sentinel wins Best in Division E at Wisconsin Newspaper Association awards banquet
The Wisconsin Newspaper Association recently recognized the state’s newspapers for their exceptional work during its 2022 Better Newspaper Contest Awards Banquet. The event took place on March 24, at The Madison Concourse Hotel in downtown Madison. Among the winners, Valley Sentinel was awarded as the Best in Division E.
Keep readingEditor-in-Chief’s Column: How our 2023 has gone so far, on just deciding to do the news well
I don’t say this to be dramatic, but 2023 has been the SICKEST season of my life ever. To be clear, I don’t mean that in the “that’s sick, bro” way, I mean that in the cold and flu season way and in the bronchitis/COVID-19/constant earache way. On a slightly more uplifting and inspirational note,…
Keep readingEDITORIAL: Open government report card — Arena improves, Lone Rock sued, other local public bodies receive letters
Sunshine Week is a time to celebrate government transparency and public service, as well as a time to address lapses in the same. In October 2020, shortly after incorporating and shortly before our first edition, we sent out a Wis. Stat. 19.84(1)(b) written request by email from news media to our local governmental bodies asking…
Keep readingLegal Editor’s Column: Lone Rock Lawsuit, open meetings update
A couple months back, I wrote here that the Valley Sentinel was suing the Village of Lone Rock. It feels like time for an update, and I wanted to talk about our two cases — one not yet filed and one possibly almost done, and why they are so different.
Keep readingArena board hears tenure of current Arena clerk audited in Monticello, discrepancies found in water bills
Audit reached no conclusions, but shows potentially large errors in water bills. During public comment at last month’s regular meeting of the Village of Arena Board of Trustees on March 7, board members were handed papers by former Village President Paul Pustina. Those papers contained an “Independent Accountant’s Report” covering current Arena Village Clerk/Treasurer DeNean…
Keep readingThe (not so) Plain and Simple Correspondent: Minerva, Goddess of Wisdom
In the Roman pantheon, Minerva was the goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade and strategy. Gracious! It boggles the mind that even a goddess could possibly incorporate so many sterling qualities. As it happens, there is a human being who comes close. She lives at Taliesin – “Shining Brow”,…
Keep readingUW-Richland information session and town hall meeting to be held
Community is invited to share ideas about how to save campus. An information session and town hall meeting will be held on Thursday, January 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. on the UW-Richland campus in the Pippin Conference Center of Melvill Hall.
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