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Our latest edition published July 21 and is available, free on newsstands in the area.
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We care more.
Valley Sentinel is the local news source covering arts & culture, outdoors & ag, local meetings, events and 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
Business Spotlight: Inspired Nutrition
Tell us a bit about Inspired Nutrition and your mission
Inspired Nutrition started after my cousin opened her Nutrition club in Muscoda. We started these nutrition clubs because we were seeing great results with the Herbalife product. Our mission is to get our products into households to help people live a more healthy active lifestyle.
River Valley competes in WIAA Division 2 Track & Field Sectionals, sends athletes to state
Senior Kalen Scott, throws a personal record (PR) of 43 feet, 2.5 inches at WIAA Division 2 Sectionals in Whitewater June 17. Scott placed 12th.
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2021 River Valley Spring All-Southwest Conference Student-Athletes
2021 River Valley Spring All-Southwest Conference Student-Athletes
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The Sauk County Gardener— Insects and Other Bugs to Watch for in the Garden
Last week I wrote about the proper way to water your garden and now I am listening blissfully to a nice gentle rain as I write this article. Maybe I should have written about watering earlier. At least with some rain, I won’t have to use my gardening time to water. Instead, I will get to work on some much-needed gardening tasks.
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Late June Birding Report—Wisconsin Sees Influx Of Dickcissels And Other Plains Birds
This year continues to be better than average for Wilson’s phalaropes, yellow-headed blackbirds and now another Great Plains species, the Dickcissel. Large numbers of this sparrow-like grassland bird have been reported from weedy fields, pastures and other dry open areas around the state.
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Last Leaf public house open for apps, cocktails in pub and patio
Last Leaf Public House (134 W. Jefferson Street, Spring Green), in the former Freddy Valentine’s location, is now open 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. serving cocktails and appetizers for dinning inside the pub and on the patio.
Appetizers include hand cut fries, sweet potato fries, smoked salmon dip, chicken curried frites and chicken wings.
Menu options, hours and dining will increase sometime in mid-July.
Award winning farming family shutters dairy barn doors among difficult industry
This was a 4th Generation Farm, Steve himself has farmed for 38 years of his life. He was now farming with his 2 daughters Cassie and Mandi. The Fuller’s have many honors they have received over the years, 2 time Richland County Outstanding young farmer and with Steve’s mom and Grandma receiving Richland County Outstanding Farm woman.
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Family sticks by Wisconsin dairy farming despite on-going industry struggles
The Millers milk 250 plus cows and milk 3 times a day. The Farm is a 3rd Generation dairy farm. Dan’s dad and his grandpa farmed together and than Dan and Jody took the Farm over. Dan Miller’s Grandpa purchased the farm in 1951.
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Driftless Grace— Missed connections and adapting to less-than-ideal situations
For reasons I won’t go into, I don’t have my own Internet connection. This is usually not a problem, but it has created some awkward situations during this time of a cautious reopening of public spaces. Such was the case the other day when I was invited to attend a short webinar.
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Community Column: River Valley celebrates return of Frank Lloyd Wright students
The return of students from the architectural school founded by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1932 will be celebrated with a community event in Mazomanie on July 15. The city’s new Performing Arts Pavilion, designed as a project of the School of Architecture at Taliesin, will be dedicated at 7 p.m. It opened on Memorial Day.
Keep readingCommunity Column: Racial injustices and the importance of Juneteenth
We had our own homegrown Juneteenth celebration here in Plain last weekend, in a village known more for its homogeneity than diversity. The party in our neighborhood was ostensibly a birthday party for a one-year-old, but it was charming and inspiring in its inclusion of a wide variety of ages, races, and genders.
Keep readingLetter to the Editor: ‘Truth in Food Labeling’ legislation
During June Dairy month, it is a perfect time to have a conversation about how the general public is being misled about the food they consume.
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APT’s The Road Back: More COVID protocol changes on the way
With new guidance from the unions we work with, and the local government, we thought now would be an ideal time to recap the rules in place, and the changes to come July 1 (including the new Facemask Fridays).
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Rainbow surrounds Spring Green following much needed rainfall
The National Weather Service reported nearly an inch of rain fell June 20 in the midst of a drought in the Spring Green Area.
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‘I Did This All My Life’: One Family Farm’s Fight For Survival
In honor of June Dairy Month, Valley Sentinel is sharing stories of three regional farms throughout Sauk and Iowa Counties. The following story is a first-person account of the Reisinger’s dairy farm between Plain and Spring Green as the family made the decision to end their generational milking operation.
Keep readingLetter to the Editor: Constant dissent in village of Arena, Response
Every week, week after week, we read about the Arena Village Board and the constant dissent that is prevalent in all their actions. Trustees keep resigning, and no-one can be persuaded to run for their positions.
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RVACG holds inaugural student gardening program to get young students outside
The River Valley Area Community Garden started a Student Gardening program to get young students out in nature and learning about gardening. The program had its first event June 8 where students had the chance to assist gardeners with planting different type of plants and produce in garden beds. The program will include planting and tending to the garden beds, arts and crafts as well as story time in the garden.
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RV trap team takes home the Division 2A state title
The River Valley Trap Team won the Division 2A State Title June 13 in Rome, Wisconsin. River Valley’s score of 485 edged out West Salem’s team by one point to take the title. Clear Lake’s team finished third with 482.
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Regional Arts: Driftless Music Gardens in Yuba hosts Bonfire Festival
People of all ages enjoy and dance to People Brothers Band at Bonfire Festival hosted at the Driftless Music Gardens in Yuba. The festival marks the first in-person festival at the gardens since COVID-19 shutdowns began.
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Review: An Improbable Fiction perfect homage to APT history to kick-off Hill Theater season
An Improbable Fiction kicked off American Players Theatre’s (APT) 2021 Hill Theater season on May 27 with a nod to APT’s strong connection to Shakespearean theater in the quippy play written by James DeVita.
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Art from around the Valley: Jen Salt’s “Cat Nap” will melt your heart
My favorite cat, Louisa posed for this painting……she loved her naps.
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Board Actions: Lone Rock Village Board approves various licenses, permits
The Lone Rock Village Board met June 8 for it monthly regular meeting.
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Board Actions: Spring Green Village Board approves block party, Liquor Licenses
The Spring Green Village Board met for a regular meeting June 9.
Keep readingCommunity Column: Flag Day — Wave The Thing But Don’t Worship It
The radio this morning has paid homage to Flag Day by playing some of my favorite music –for example, John Philip Souza’s “Stars and Stripes Forever”– and some that I have an aversion to –e.g. our national anthem, which is unsingable and filled with bloodthirsty war images besides. I much prefer “America the Beautiful”, which contains stirring, idealistic phrases that move beyond a narrow definition of patriotism and aspire to something far better, such as “crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.”
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Editor’s column: Passion needs rest too—upcoming at VS
If you follow Valley Sentinel on social media, over the last few weeks you’ve seen that we have been struggling with inconsistencies and missteps with the printing company that prints the paper each week.
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Plain plans for parade, street dance and approves various annual liquor licenses
The Village of Plain met for its regular, monthly meeting June 8 where the board approved a parade, a dance and various liquor licenses within the village.
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Taliesin premieres Driftless Landscape Tour to emphasize Wright’s dedication to agriculture
After workshopping the tour last fall, the Taliesin Preservation debuted it’s Driftless Landscape Tour June 12 with an hour long tour of the landscape and agricultural areas of the Taliesin estate.
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School Board rolls back mask mandate and COVID restrictions as pandemic wanes
The River Valley School Board met June 10 as the school year wrapped up to take action on their COVID-19 policies put in place during the pandemic, as well as the resignation of an art teacher and the hiring of a science teacher.
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Movie Review: American Players Theatre Actors Power Short Film ‘One Foot In’
American Players Theatre actors James DeVita and Marcus Truschinski star as grave robbers seeking to reconcile their troubled past by making a big score in One Foot In. The twenty-five-minute independent film was written and directed by Eric Schabla, and produced by Jack Whaley, both APT alumni. Whaley was also director of photography for the film.
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RV Golf takes on conference cup
Saturday, May 29th was the 11th annual SW Golf Cup between rival SWAL and SWC conferences. The event is held each year at Dodgepoint Golf Course. The top 24 golfers from each conference compete head to head in various formats of match play.
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RV Girls Soccer
This week was a fun week of soccer. Our JV team played extremely well against Platteville. We moved the ball well and Claire and Isabelle scored great goals.
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RV Trap first in the conference
RV Trap Shooting finished 1st in the top conference for the Spring 2021 season. With a total of 59 shooters, we had 5 finish in the Top 100 for the State: Joseph Day, Jaydon Rose, Sam Cady, Gaige Dilley and Joshua Crook.
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RV softball dominates season
RV Softball Player Emily Esser making a catch. The RV softball team is currently No. 1 in conference play, dominating Lancaster June 1 11-0, and beating out Mount Horeb 6-4 June 5.
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Birding report: Early June — migration wanes and nesting waxes
As we head into the unofficial start of summer, bird migration is winding down. Shorebirds are the most prominent remaining migrants, many of them headed for breeding areas on the far northern tundra. Species most commonly being seen include semipalmated, least, and white-rumped sandpipers, ruddy turnstone, sanderling, dunlin, and semipalmated plover. Unusual finds include whimbrel (especially along northern Lake Michigan), red-necked phalarope, and American avocet. Wilson’s phalaropes, a species whose core range lies in the Great Plains, have been far more numerous in the state this spring than any in recent memory.
Keep readingThe Sauk County Gardener — scouting for Japanese beetles
This last week’s higher temps and humidity made me think we skipped summer and jumped right to August! I tried as best I could to time my plantings between the bouts of rain and the times of high heat. I wasn’t able to completely avoid the high heat as I spent one afternoon out in my newly installed cutting garden beds planting 50 dahlia bulbs and 30 ‘Stargazer’ and ‘Casa Blanca’ Oriental lilies. I ran out of steam before I could plant the nine rose bushes. I’m still working on getting all my annuals planted and there are some vegetables I need to get planted as well. Now is the time of year when I have way more garden tasks compared to the hours I have to spend in the garden – especially when the heat and rain do not cooperate with my schedule. I am sure many of you feel the same way.
Keep readingHome Talent: Plain A’s Fight Back in Loss to Mazo Mustangs
Plain A’s’s effort to come back from down six runs in the seventh inning came up just short, as they fell 14-12 to Mazomanie Mustangs on Sunday. Plain A’s put up nine runs in the failed comeback. Keegan Smith, Jack Meixelsperger, Derek Bodendein, Will Jewell, Zach Paulus, and Brock Mahoney powered the rally with RBIs.
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Lone Rock sees first Family Fun Fair to fill gap between Memorial Day, Fourth of July
Lone Rock saw its first Family Fun Fair this past weekend, with the idea behind the traditional carnival to bring fun attractions to the village in June, between events the village holds for Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.
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Village of Plain opens, dedicates new playground with emphasis on play and joy
The village of Plain and village residents gathered to celebrate the opening of a new playground.
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Driftless Grace — this week: seeing double
I just made a short visit to a place three degrees of latitude farther north. That’s not much for seasoned travelers, but it served to remind me that my home is only halfway to the equator. The farther north you go, the more the spring is compressed into a few fleeting days. (We had our share of frosty weather last month, but at least we don’t have a Great Lake messing with our temperature.)
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Before and after: See how Wisconsin republicans redrew the state’s congressional districts to their advantage
tatewide election in the last four years, including U.S. president, governor, U.S. senator and attorney general. Yet Republicans have easily held five of the state’s eight seats in the U.S. House for all of the last decade. And they nearly took a sixth in the 2020 election. Some experts say gerrymandering is at least partially to blame for that. Others say mostly.
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Another Trustee resigns in Arena, Board settles dispute that resulted in lawsuit
Arena faces two vacancies as another trustee resigns and as they settle a tax dispute that was previously taken up in court, during the Arena Village Board’s June 1 meeting.
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Highway 23 bridge ready to open for one lane traffic June 12
The good weather and the dedicated employees at Kraemer North America have kept this project on schedule. Kraemer North America and their subcontractors have poured all the concrete for the bridge and are now working on the necessary road improvements to open STH 23 to traffic again.
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Waterfowl go for a stroll near Wilson Creek Pottery
Lucy and Poncho, a duck and goose duo from a neighboring farm went for a stroll down Highway WC near Wilson Creek Pottery last week. The waterfowls are new to the Valley and were captured and returned to their owners. The duo got their names from a follower of Wilson Creek Pottery.
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Anna Deibert chosen out of 10 graduates to receive Veterans For Peace Scholarship
Ten members of the River Valley High School Class of 2021 wrote essays competing for a cash scholarship awarded by Veterans For Peace Chapter 25. Winner of the essay contest was Anna Deibert.
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Three-week closure starts June 9 for US 14/Commercial Street in Mazomanie
Starting Wednesday, June 9, US 14/Commercial Street near County KP in Mazomanie will be closed to all traffic until late June. Through traffic should follow the signed detour route of WIS 78 to Sauk City, US 12 then WIS 60 to Spring Green. Access will be maintained to local residences and businesses. Crews will install storm sewer pipes under the highway near County KP.
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River Valley Varsity girls soccer sees two wins out of four games
River Valley Varsity girls soccer sees two wins out of four games
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RV Baseball continues season
The one and only Jaydon Rose, an RV Varsity Baseball player, catches during a recent game.
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RV Golf advancing to sectionals
The RV golf team has finished its regular season and will advance to WIAA Sectionals June 8.
Keep readingHome Talent Baseball: Plain A’s defeated by Sauk Prairie
Sauk Prairie scored three runs in the sixth inning. S Koenig and Slotty all moved runners across the plate with RBIs in the inning.
Keep readingHigh temperatures and humidity on the way: how to stay safe
As summer heat builds in many parts of Wisconsin, Sauk County Emergency Management and Public Health are urging everyone to be aware of the dangers associated with extreme heat and to take protective safety measures.
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Total police officers, academy graduates in Wisconsin at 10-year low
The number of law enforcement officers in the state and the number of law enforcement academy graduates here have fallen to their lowest points in at least a decade, according to data from the Wisconsin Department of Justice.
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American Players Theatre 2021 season is underway, capacity upped
American Players Theatre’s (APT) in-person season began May 14 with Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop in the 201-seat indoor Touchstone Theatre. The first performance of James DeVita’s world premiere of An Improbable Fiction took the Hill Stage on May 27. These two plays will run in repertory until The Mountaintop closes on June 19, and An Improbable Fiction closes on June 26. These will be the first in-person performances since APT was forced to cancel the 2020 season, and the company is beyond thrilled to be welcoming audiences back to the theater.
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River Valley Class of 2021 cross the stage towards the future
River Valley High School’s Class of 2021 graduated in an outdoor ceremony on May 29.
Keep readingJudge allows investigation of potential bias in Cardinal-Hickory Creek decision
A Dane County Judge is set to potentially overturn permits for the Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission lines, if environmental groups can prove at least one out of the three approving Public Service Commission (PSC) regulators held a conflict of interest when approving the project.
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‘Go outside. Take a snack.’ Wander Provisions opens, offering community the tools to do just that
Albany Street in Spring Green has a new business, and they want to encourage you to head out and explore the area, snacks in hand. Wander Provisions held a soft opening May 21 and 22, showcasing an abundance of vintage picnic and camping supplies and curated, upscale, locally sourced snacks.
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Rep. Dave Considine column: Shifting to a restorative model
Over the past twenty years, Wisconsin’s prison population has grown twenty percent. This growing prison population puts a strain on our budget and the people of Wisconsin. Instead of heavily funding prisons we need to fund restorative programs like the Treatment Alternatives and Diversion (TAD) program. Wisconsin’s TAD program allows District Attorneys or judges to offer off enders the opportunity to enter into voluntary substance abuse treatment, case management, or another risk reduction program as a safe alternative to jail or prison. TAD was implemented in 2005 in Wisconsin and has had a positive impact on many lives. As a member of the Committee on Mental Health, I recognize the trauma that many off enders have faced in their life that led them down the wrong path. I commend Governor Evers’ proposed investment in TAD so we can continue to more towards a restorative criminal justice system.
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Richland County Board adjusts permit fees for incoming solar farm off Highway 130
The Richland County Board made some adjustments to their solar energy permit fees in preparation for a potential solar farm being built in the southeast portion of the county.
Keep readingSauk County sees record high sales tax, focuses on tourism and placemaking
Sauk County is looking towards a historic start to 2021 with reports of record high sales and property tax revenue in just the first two months of the year.
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An Outdoorsman’s Journal: Florence County Trout Fishing Trip
Follow along each week on the adventures of Mark Walters, a syndicated outdoor adventure columnist who lives in Necedah, Wisconsin. He began writing his column, An Outdoorsman’s Journal, in 1989. It includes hunting, fishing, lots of canoeing and backpacking. He currently writes for around 60 newspapers on a weekly basis. He hopes you enjoy reading about his adventures!
This week’s column is all over the map. My plan was to trout fish in Florence County and sleep in the bed of my truck at night, simple, inexpensive, and adventuresome. I had obtained some information from some very good friends of mine and my plan was to fish Woods Creek and either the Pine or Popple River.
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Birding report: Birdwatchers enjoying a bounty of birdsong & colors
Birdwatchers are delighting in a bounty of song and color as birds continue to return statewide. Baltimore and orchard orioles, scarlet tanagers, indigo buntings, rose-breasted grosbeaks, ruby-throated hummingbirds and other backyard favorites like house wrens, gray catbirds, American goldfinches and red-headed woodpeckers are showing well in most areas. Warblers are moving later than usual this year with large numbers still being seen in the southern tier of the state, only now including later species like Canada, bay-breasted, and Connecticut warbler.
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