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Our latest edition published September 21 and is available, free on newsstands in the area.

The next edition is scheduled to publish October 5.

As always, the community calendar is updated and published here.

The September 21 e-edition is available below:
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Covering Arena, Lone Rock, Plain, Spring Green and the surrounding areas in Sauk, Iowa and Richland counties.

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Recent Stories (Updating soon! Maybe.)

Spring Green band Violet Palms after midnight at Slowpoke Lounge for their album debut Sept. 11. Pictured, from left, Tim Gittings, Ben Feiner and lead singer Marcus Truschinski, Craig Benzine and Michael Mertens. Photo by Amberly Mae-Cooper.
Arts & Culture

Alys and the Ark captivates opening as Violet Palms album release electrifies the Slowpoke Lounge

On the stroke of midnight on Sept. 11, the electrifying sound waves from the band, Violet Palms, was released into the world. Twelve songs from the band’s debut album, “Compassion Fatigue”, were celebrated on the renowned stage at Slowpoke Lounge and Cabaret in downtown Spring Green, in preparation for the marked, midnight release. Opening for…

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Spring Green band Violet Palms performs at Slowpoke Lounge. Pictured, from left, guitarist Ben Feiner and lead singer Marcus Truschinski. Photo by Rob Steffen.
Arts & Culture

REVIEW: Spring Green band Violet Palms announces release show for debut album ‘Compassion Fatigue’

Spring Green-based alt-rock band Violet Palms will be launching their new album Compassion Fatigue during a special performance starting at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 11 at the Slowpoke Lounge & Cabaret (137 W Jefferson St, Spring Green). The event will be opened by music from Alys and the Ark. Slowpoke suggests that attendees donate $5-10…

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Members of Valley Sentinel pictured with the publication’s 22 awards, including Best in Division E, after the Wisconsin Newspaper Association’s awards banquet in Madison March 24. Pictured from left: Beverly Pestel, columnist; Anna Stocks-Hess, former graphic designer; Nicole Aimone, co-owner, publisher, editor-in-chief; Taylor Scott, co-owner, publisher, managing editor; Julianna Williams, graphic designer; Gary Ernest Grass, esq., legal editor. Photo by Kathleen Farrow.
Business

Valley 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.

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Sunshine Week, held annually in March, was launched in 2005 by the American Society of News Editors (now News Leaders Association), and aims to promote open government and shine light into the dark recesses of government secrecy.
Government

EDITORIAL: 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…

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With the many things going on in Lone Rock and Richland County covered by this edition, we wanted to put together an illustration that created a representative interpretation of the issues raised. “County line, Lone Rock, Wisconsin” (2023) Mixed media/digital, by Valley Sentinel/AI/ Public Domain.
Government

Legal 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.

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This composite illustration is representative of a Village of Arena water bill with an estimated read. In February and March 2023 an astounding 85% of water bills in Arena were estimated reads. While the village clerk tells us the issue has been fixed now after an antenna upgrade, this isn’t the first time Valley Sentinel has gotten complaints about Arena’s water bills. Illustration by Julianna Williams.
Government

Arena 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…

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