Category: Community

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 the Violet Palms was another local band—Alys and the Ark. Alys and the Ark is comprised of band members Alys Dickerson, Ron Roman Melendez, Patrick Michaels and Phoebe Gonzalez.

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Local EMS directors respond to Marklein’s rural EMS bill as Evers issues a veto, expert weighs in

On March 31, Gov. Tony Evers announced that he had vetoed recently passed Senate Bill 89. The bill, introduced by Sen. Howard Marklein, R-Spring Green, would have made the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians exam optional for emergency medical responders. Marklein argued the bill would improve recruitment and retention for rural emergency medical services. Local EMS directors fell on either side of the issue, with an expert in prehospital emergency medicine arguing lowering the bar is never the answer.

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Local musician Jake’O competes in national televised song contest representing Wisconsin

‘There’s music everywhere but the Driftless is definitely magical for me’

A local artist from our very own River Valley area recently returned home after representing Wisconsin on the national stage as part of NBC’s “American Song Contest”. Jake’O performed an original song on the show last month and shared his inspiration and thoughts with us on the journey.

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Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation announces creation of Taliesin Institute, sparks conversations about educational legacy

The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation recently announced the creation of the Taliesin Institute, a new collection of programs that seek to advance the principles of organic architecture, seen as the core of architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s work. However, other stalwarts of Wright’s legacy debate the need for such an initiative following the Foundation’s final split in 2020 from the school of architecture previously in residence at Taliesin.

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Valley Sentinel moves to a bi-weekly model to offer more in-depth content, better serve and build community

We’ve shared many times some of the quotes that grace the wall of our newsroom. We’ve definitely focused on the first, making things work and then making them work better. We’ve definitely focused on the second quote and we’ve called people and powers-that-be out where necessary. The third quote we haven’t covered enough because — frankly — in the moment or in retrospect, we don’t think we’ve been able to adequately taste life enough. 

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Valley Sentinel launches Impulse Initiative

Valley Sentinel lends platform in print and online to foster community ideas

We are pleased to announce the (soft) launch of Valley Sentinel’s Impulse Initiative. It has always been our goal to build community and over the past year plus we’ve been talking to area residents every day about their wants, hopes and dreams for the community. We’ve asked many times in print what ideas you had for the community and how we go about doing them. This initiative is a culmination of those things.

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