EXTRA
Letter from EPA confuses some Ontario residents about safety of water supply
Ontario residents received a letter last week regarding lead in the municipality’s water, and that led to some confusion about the state of the water supply. Ontario Village Board President Mike Parr offered the following comments: “First off and most...
Town of Adrian treasurer arrested for theft from municipality
The Monroe County Sheriff’s announced the arrest of a local town treasurer after she allegedly had been stealing money from the municipality. On Feb. 25, Town of Adrian Treasurer Kelly Schleusener, 50, was arrested after an investigation that found she had...
Two dead after apparent gas leak in town of Oakdale
Two people have died after an apparent gas leak in the town of Oakdale, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. At just before 5 p.m. Sunday, the Monroe County 911 Communications Center received a call reporting the possibility of multiple deaths and a gas...
Vernon County to offer seminar on disaster preparation
Vernon County Emergency Management will offer a seminar that will feature information and resources to recover from a disaster or emergency at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 19, at the Westby Area Performing Arts Center, 206 S. West Avenue. The program is intended for...
Salute to FFA
The County Line thanks our local sponsors for this week's special section on the Royall and Brookwood FFA chapters. After the list of sponsors, see photos provided by both chapters. • Bank of Ontario (www.myvernoncountybank.com) • Bank of Cashton...
Norwalk Village Board meeting postponed
Due to illness and a lack of a quorum, the Village of Norwalk monthly board meeting, originally scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, has been rescheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 17, in the Norwalk Village Hall meeting room.
Vernon County man arrested for selling firearms to Saudi Arabia
A six-count indictment was unsealed Tuesday charging a Viroqua man for allegedly selling firearms and related parts without a license to buyers in Saudi Arabia, shipping the prohibited items, and then lying to federal inspectors about it. According to allegations in...
NEWS
Royall showcase concert is Monday
Contributed by the Royall School District The Royall High School Music Department will present a concert festival showcase concert at 7 p.m. Monday, March 3, in the old high school gymnasium. The high school concert band and high school concert choir will...
Vernon County Sheriff’s Report for Feb. 16–22
Sunday, Feb. 16: Dispatch received a report of three horses running down Morning Star Road in the town of Union. The owner was located. A deputy stood by until the horses were retrieved. Sunday, Feb. 16: Dispatch received an automated crash notification for a vehicle...
Monroe County offers advance notice of highway weight limits
Contributed by the Monroe County Highway Department The Monroe County Highway Department advises residents and other highway users to be prepared for the annual limitation of the weight of vehicles travelling on county highways. Restrictions are placed each...
Norwalk Public Library receives grant for East Asian studies
The Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison recently announced award recipients for the most recent “East Asia in Wisconsin Library Program” competition. The Norwalk Public Library was among the recipients. Nearly...
Last call for dinner reservations for ‘Romeo and Juliet’
Brookwood Theater will present “Romeo and Juliet” on Saturday, March 8, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, March 9, at 2 p.m. This will be the last production in the Classic Gym. The Saturday evening performance will include a special event. That evening at the school, there will...
Monroe County task force hears presentation about climate migration
By Gillian Pomplun | Crawford County Independent At its Feb. 5 meeting, the Monroe County Climate Change Task Force (CCTF) heard a presentation from Fred Schnook about “Preparing for Climate Migration.” Schnook leads the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change...
Scenic Bluffs receives $10,000 grant from Compeer Financial
Compeer Financial’s Fund for Rural America, the Farm Credit cooperative’s giving program, has awarded 41 General-Use Grants totaling $212,150, including one to Scenic Bluffs Community Health Centers for completing and equipping a mobile dental unit. These grants...
N-O-W board okays outdoor adventure excursion
The Norwalk-Ontario-Wilton School Board approved a request Monday from junior high school science teacher Rusty Shankle to offer a five-day … Read the rest
‘Wilton Warfare’
La Crosse-based River City Championship Wrestling put on its “Wilton Warfare” matches on Friday evening at the Wilton Community Center. … Read the rest
Ontario board greenlights sewer upgrade
The Ontario Village Board on Monday awarded a $258,800 construction bid to a Winona firm to install a chemical feed … Read the rest
Norwalk moves forward on amended street project
The Norwalk Village Board earlier this month approved allowing engineers to begin designing an abbreviated road project for the initial … Read the rest
N-O-W will have contested board race | Royall will bring in new school board member
The Norwalk-Ontario-Wilton Board of Education will have a contested race in April, and a newcomer will join the Royall Board … Read the rest
Ontario man faces array of charges after high-speed chase
An Ontario man faces a lengthy list of criminal charges after leading police on a high-speed, 28-mile pursuit from Tomah … Read the rest
Elroy Theatre to show free film on immigrant struggles
The Elroy Theatre will put on viewings of “February,” an award-winning, Wisconsin-made film by writer and director Nathan Deming that … Read the rest
Royall boys dominate conference, state rankings
The Royall boys basketball team has kept a winning pace for the past two weeks of action. The Panthers hosted Hillsboro on Jan. 23 in a battle of conference leads. Both teams were unbeaten before the matchup, as Royall paced a steady lead in the get go. The Panthers...
Ontario Village Board hit with $156K surprise
The Ontario Village Board learned Monday that the village needs to find $156,000 to fund the installation of electrical lines … Read the rest
Downtown Kendall buildings may house new businesses
Two downtown Kendall buildings soon may gain modifications and a new purpose, according to reports at a village board meeting … Read the rest
Royall Booster Club hosts Hall of Fame Banquet
The Royall Booster Club put on its annual Hall of Fame Banquet on Saturday at the Elroy Legion Hall.
Brookwood theater to have last performance on the original stage
For over 50 years, theater productions at Brookwood have occurred on the stage in the high school gymnasium, which was … Read the rest
Community
Seeing Stars: Tour the constellation Orion
By Susan Cushing | Kickapoo Dark-Sky Initiative We are finishing our tour of the constellation Orion this week. If we explore all the many stars and astronomical objects in the region, it would take a very long time, so I hope you take leisurely binocular tours of...
Wilton Public Library to host events
By Kelly Lupton | Wilton Public Library director The Wilton Public Library will host the following events: • 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 28: Current-Events Discussion Group • 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4: Board-Game Club • 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 4: Book Club for...
Senior menus for March 3–7
Kendall and Norwalk meal sites Monday, March 3: Pork loin ala Florentine, baby baked potatoes, butter and sour cream, corn, whole-grain bread and butter, and sliced apples with peanut butter cups Tuesday, March 4: Southern turkey and rice casserole, peas, roasted...
Gjefle: The sincere milk of the word
Pastor Michael. T. Gjefle | Faith Independent Baptist Church, Ontario I Peter 2:2 — “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby.” The Apostle Peter was writing to men and women in his day that had been redeemed not by...
Wilton Public Library to host events
By Kelly Lupton | Wilton Public Library director The Wilton Public Library will host the following events: • 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 21: Current-Events Discussion Group • 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21: VHS to DVD clinic • 4 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24: Lego Club • 4:30 p.m. Tuesday,...
Obituaries
Lorraine A. Winchel
Lorraine A. Winchel, 96, passed away peacefully Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, at the Morrow Memorial Home in Sparta, Wis. Lorraine was born in Chicago, Ill., in 1928, to Louise and Anna (Riegler) Eckmayr. They moved to Westboro, Wis., where she graduated from Westboro...
Edward (Ed) Charles Ross Jr.
With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Edward (Ed) Charles Ross Jr., 73, of Wilton, Wis., on Feb. 24, 2025, following a brief illness. Ed, a devoted son, brother, uncle, and faithful servant of God, peacefully entered the presence of the Lord, surrounded by his...
Bernard Joseph Fitzsimmons
With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our dad, Bernie Fitzsimmons, who by faith and grace alone received his perfect crown of eternal life from his Lord and Savior, Jesus, on Feb. 20, 2025, at the age of 72. Bernard Joseph Fitzsimmons was born May 31,...
Ronald M. Miller
Ronald M. Miller, “Ron,” 80, of Sparta, Wis., passed away Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, Wis. He was born on March 22, 1944, in Sparta, Wis., to Otto and Emma (Ziese) Miller. Ron met the love of his life, Julia Winchel, from...
Ardys L. Bredlow
Ardys L. Bredlow, 88, of Sparta, and formerly of Oil City, died Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at the Bridge Path Home in Sparta. She was born on Oct. 30, 1936, to Gerhard and Irma (Wallace) Olson in Little Ridge on the family farm. She attended the Oil City...
Opinion
Letter to the editor: Dictator
By Lee D. Van Landuyt | Hillsboro Donald Trump said he would be a dictator “only on day one.” For most, day one means 24 hours. Not so with Trump. We are now over three weeks into his promised dictatorship with no letup in his indiscriminate, dictatorial decrees....
Letter to the editor: Protect life in the womb
By Michael T. Gjefle | Ontario Since the issue of abortion was brought up by a letter to the editor in last week’s County Line, let me share a few thoughts. Pro-abortion people continually emphasize the right to kill the baby for cases of rape and incest. Well, those...
Letter to the editor: Sheriffs are not final authority
By Don Foy | La Farge Sheriffs, deputies and police officers perform a very difficult job, often under very difficult circumstances. Sometimes they risk their lives to protect us, so they deserve our esteem and should probably be paid more. But the notion of...
Letter to the editor: An overused word: abortion
By Kay Ziegahn | Richland Center The word “abortion” comes from two Latin words: “ab,” a preposition meaning “out of” or “away from,” and “ortus,” a noun meaning “place” or “origin, birth.” English puts those two Latin words together, giving us a verb, “abort,” and a...
Letter to the editor: A retrospective story
By Bob Breidenstein | rural Ontario “Backward turn backward O time in your flight Make me a child again Just for tonight” — Elizabeth Allen The experience was seared into my memory forever and all time. It should not have happened to any child. Perhaps even at this...
Sports
Panthers remain flawless
The Royall boys basketball team remained victorious in its conference journey, gaining its final win over Hillsboro on Feb. 24. The team faced its biggest competition Feb. 18, when North Crawford traveled to Royall. Karter Olson kept a steady hand on the ball as...
Local coaches to represent Scenic Bluffs in All-Star game
Left to right: Travis Anderson, Norwalk-Ontario-Wilton School District; Steve Huntzicker, Cashton School District; and Beth Wells, Cashton School District. (Contributed photo) The Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) has announced the Division 5 South...
Royall rumbles over Brookwood
Brookwood welcomed Royall on Feb. 14 for a conference contest as Royall looked toward advancing its winning streak. Royall broke free on a 52–15 halftime lead and went on from there to score an additional 29 points in the second half to take the 81–30 win. Carter...
Brookwood students named athletes of the month
The following Brookwood High School students were named athletes of the month for January. Coaches’ comments follow the students’ names. BOYS BASKETBALL • Braeden Pasch: “Braeden has been a great leader for us this year. He is constantly working on getting...
Falcons narrowly defeat Royall in SBC action
The Brookwood girls basketball team defeated Royall 49–47 on Feb. 7. Ruby Muehlenkamp led the Falcons with 29 points, followed by Willow Pasch with 7; Reagan Muehlenkamp, 5; Kelsey Holmquist, 5; and Emily O’Rourke, 3. For Royall, Bria Gruen had 18 points, followed by...
Backtalk
It will be a seemingly endless campaign season
By KAREN PARKER County Line Publisher Emerita I would imagine if Eric Hovde has secured any demographic in his campaign for Wisconsin Senate, it would be lonely ladies over 40 swooning over his rugged, Marlboro-man-lookalike appearance. You may have noticed that a...
A vibrant press is essential to democracy
By KAREN PARKER | County Line Publisher Emerita Sadly, there was no obituary in the paper for the Vernon Focus. You likely did not know Vernon, but in his past life, you might have known him as Foxxy Shopper. In my salad days, the Foxxy Shopper was the 800-pound...
America’s bent toward fascism
By KAREN PARKER | County Line Publisher Emerita Imagine living in a country where the simple act of gathering together to lay flowers after the death of a prominent person could result in a two-week jail sentence. Worse yet, two weeks in a Russian prison possibly...
In 2024, remember that politics were ugly 100 years ago, too
By KAREN PARKER | County Line Publisher Emerita Good grief! We are barely into the new year, and I am ready to go back to 2023 or leap ahead to 2025. Are we really in for an entire year of presidential election babble? While they exerted monumental efforts to convince...
Looking back on our 40th year, 1983–2023 (part two)
By KAREN PARKER County Line Publisher Emerita Forty years is a long time. Sadly, it’s long enough for most of our area business to have gone away. It’s hard to believe now, but in 1983 Ontario had two bars, two grocery stores, three gas stations, a variety store, and...
E-Edition
Pictures from the Past
Ontario, 1915
This 1915 photo depicts the road from Hillsboro into Ontario, past the Charles Lord house (a pillared house that's still in place), as the road turns the corner into Ontario. (Photo courtesy of Bob Breidenstein)
Wilton senior quartet, 1955
The following students were members of the senior quartet at Wilton High School in 1955: Orvis Schindler, Roger Pasch, Charles Zellmer and Merlyn Eckelberg. This photo appeared in the Wilton High School yearbook, “Wiltonian.”
Kendall High School class of 1934
Photo courtesy of Dean Hutchens
Ontario High School basketball, 1949–50
The 1949–50 Ontario High School basketball team sits on the Ontario Community Hall stage. Back row (left to right): Roger Budde, Donald Breidenstein, Bob Bassett, Stan White and coach Joe Ott. Front row: Dale Thomas, Bill Calhoun, Dick Olson, Bill Jantz and Bob...
Pictures from the past: Early 20th century Ontario
These undated, early 20th century images depict Ontario. Can you offer more information on the photos and what they portray? Contact the County Line at (608) 337-4232 or countyline@centurytel.net. (Photos courtesy of Aldis Strazdins)
School
Brookwood forensics advances all entries to district
The following make up the Brookwood forensics team. First row (left to right): Elijah John, Cooper Powell, Adeline Slattery, Alice Wiedmeyer, Deanna Wallace, Ava Gruen, Katelyn Lee, Kinsley Holmquist, Evelyn Gibson, Mason Rex, Katherine McElhose, Samantha Markee,...
N-O-W students compete in Invention Fair
Third graders at Norwalk-Ontario-Wilton Elementary School studied the world of inventions for the past month and designed their own original creations. Thirteen students took part in creating a presentation of their inventions and showcased them in front of a large...
Brookwood forensics to host sub-district tournament
The Brookwood forensics program will host the sub-district tournament in classrooms throughout the high school and elementary school on Monday, Feb. 17. This is the first in a series of three tournaments that are part of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Speech and...
Brookwood names artists of the month
The Brookwood seventh through 12th grade artists of the month for December and January are Joselyne Santos Garcia, Fernanda Garcia Barr and Alex Bautista Velasco “for their wonderful ceramics,” said art teacher Patricia Holte. The assignment was to make a set of three...
Royall High School students receive straight A’s
The following Royall High School students received straight A’s for the first semester: • Seniors: Carl Anderson, Mason Morrissette, Maddison Peterson, Piper Pursell and Carter Uppena • Juniors: Josh Anderson, Josh Cilley and Bria Gruen • Sophomores: Anna...