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Our latest edition published March 3, and is available on newsstands in the area.
Last week’s e-edition is available below:
We care more.
The Lower Wisconsin River Valley Sentinel is the new local news source covering arts & culture, local meetings and our larger 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.
Recent Stories

RV-Barneveld’s Lorisa Shatrawka advancing to the WIAA State Gymnastics meet
The 51st Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Gymnastics State Championships will take place Saturday, Feb. 27. Junior Lorisa Shatrawka of River Valley/Barneveld will compete at Elite Performance Gymnastics in La Crosse, Wis., under Division 2, which will be hosted by Onalaska High School. Both divisions will be conducted in two sessions. The first is scheduled to begin at noon with the second session to follow at 5 p.m.

Local teacher brings winter fun to backyard
The swishing and icy-slashing sounds you’ve been hearing over near Hoxie Street in Spring Green just might be the sound of skates gliding over the ice as the Quigley family enjoys their homemade labor of love—a backyard ice rink.

Equity, diversity and inclusion come to the forefront at school board meeting
The River Valley School Board was asked to reckon with equity, diversity and inclusion issues at its Feb. 11
meeting, as a district parent brought
concerns of racial harassment to the
board, leading to an apology from the school board president and a promise to do more.

Q&A: River Valley celebrates national FFA week
National FFA week is celebrated this year from Feb. 21 to Feb 27. Valley Sentinel spoke with River Valley High School FFA advisor Shari Graff under about how the RV chapter plans to celebrate.

RV Agriculture educator, FFA advisor elected vice president off NAAE
Shari Graffunder, agriculture teacher at River Valley High School, in Spring Green, Wisconsin, has been elected the Region III Vice President of the National Association of Agricultural Educators (NAAE) at the 2020 NAAE Virtual Convention after her service as NAAE Region III Secretary.

Review: APT Winter Words kick-off gives fresh view of ‘real life’
American Players Theatre (APT) has returned its annual Winter Words play reading series that provides the audience with a unique glimpse into the minds and personalities of APT actors and directors.

Movie Review: Denzel Washington’s ‘The Little Things’ Found Guilty
Director John Lee Hancock’s “The
Little Things” shows us the smallest of mistakes—even a wrong split-second reaction—can change a life forever. “The Little Things” is a psychological crime drama starring Denzell Washington as Joe “Deke Deacon, a Kern County Deputy Sheriff who left his all-consuming
life as a high-profile Los Angeles homicide detective, only to be drawn back on a serial killer case that rekindles past trauma. The story takes place in 1990 and stars Rami Malek as Jim Baxter, a young, upstart detective who has replaced Deacon.

An Outdoorsman’s Journal: Sturgeon Spearing/The Big Chill
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 I made my annual trek over to Lake Winnebago (Stockbridge on the east side) to camp on the ice and try to spear a sturgeon. As always there is plenty to say so here goes.

APT The Road Back Chapter 5: Summer season return Q&A
We heard you have questions! Join us for some of the answers in this week’s ‘The Road Back.’ Last week, we asked you what questions you have about APT’s plans to put
on a season this summer. Today, we’re back to answer as many as we can in the latest edition of The Road Back.

Gov. approves Marklein authored tax relief, reform bill
In the first legislative acts passed in nearly a year, Gov. Tony Evers signed two tax bills into law last week that will provide $480 million in tax relief to businesses and families that have been affected by COVID-19.
Letter to the Editor: Truth in food labeling legislation
As an owner and Master Cheesemaker at Klondike Cheese Company in Monroe, I am thankful to see State Senator Howard Marklein re-introducing his Truth in Food Labeling legislation to promote dairy product protections in our state.

Column: Funding Our Priorities While Respecting Taxpayers
The Governor’s budget message, once again, is a wish list of things for Madison and includes several divisive policy items that should be discussed in the regular legislative process. Despite the fact that Wisconsinites have weathered an unprecedented pandemic, economic impacts and ongoing uncertainty, the Governor’s budget does not focus on our most important priorities, nor does it respect taxpayers.

It’s never too early to start planning winter activities for next year
As winter gives way to spring (seriously, 40 degree weather? At least a few of you are guilty of breaking out the shorts this week), we’d like to revisit some of the ideas we’ve heard most over this past winter, while acknowledging that it’s never too early to start planning out next year’s winter activities and how we make them happen.

Spring Green state senator pushes for food label clarity
Earlier this month, Republican Sen. Howard Marklein, Spring Green, re-introduced “Truth in Food Labeling” legislation that would require food labels to reflect the use of actual dairy and meat products, prohibiting plant based products from using those descriptors.

Sauk County Board ends nearly year-long corporation counsel vacancy
After nearly a year without a steady Corporation Counsel, the Sauk County Board voted to hire Brian Desmond to fill the long-empty office and end a period of heavy turnover for the county.
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