Exchange student’s family safe in Chile (2010/03/12)
When Sebastian Martinez arrived at school Monday, his classmates wanted to know how his family was doing.

Tomah VA doctor builds better reflex hammer (2010/03/04)
Reflex hammers look simple, and slap-stick artists have long used them as a comedy tool.

Pest control motivates Eagle Scout project (2010/03/02)
When the Mattison family dog tussled with a skunk -- a dust-up that reached its inevitable conclusion -- Sam Mattison got an idea for his Eagle Scout project:

Seventh-grader saves youngster from drowning death (2010/02/18)
When Tomah Police Officer Melanie Marshall got the call at 9:19 p.m. Feb. 6, she feared the worst. All she really knew was that a 5-year-old boy had been pulled from a swimming pool.

Special-needs students get on-site work training (2010/02/17)
The Tomah School District could have erected its own counter and cash register to simulate transactions at a fast-food restaurant.

Students seize initiative to help Haiti earthquake victims (2010/02/11)
Asking people for money -- even if it’s for desperate earthquake victims in Haiti -- has its difficult moments.

Volunteer logs 100,000 miles for veterans (2010/02/07)
Jim Cornell said he has “felt guilty” about his lack of military service.

American Legion seeks to revive oratory contest (2010/01/22)
Tomah’s American Legion hosted the Seventh District High School Oratorical Scholarship Program Sunday, and nobody from Tomah was among the contestants.

Goodwill, Cota-Farmer natural fit for 25 years (2010/01/19)
Goodwill Industries is a natural fit for Deb Cota-Farmer.

Tomah trucker reaches a million miles (2010/01/07)
In just three years, Steve Lemmons of Tomah has driven a freight truck over one million miles for Mail Contractors of America.

New dog on the Tomah Police Force (2009/12/21)
Sierra’s retirement plaque reads: “Trained to serve, loyal partner, a nose for danger, eyes in the dark, faithful to the end.”

Palliative care: End-of-life counseling offers choices for veterans (2009/12/20)
Jolene Renda recalled her reaction when stories of a Veterans Administration “death book” hit the news in August.

Local military home decorated for the holidays (2009/12/10)
A Tomah family got some extra help to decorate for the holiday season last week.

Journal Entry from Ridgeville (2009/12/10)
Give yourself a Christmas present and take a friend.

Technology aiding visually impaired veterans (2009/12/08)
Treatment for visually impaired veterans has advanced dramatically in recent years, and some of that technology was on display at the Tomah VA Medical Center (VAMC) this week.

One Acchord: Performance group in its sixth season (2009/12/03)
The One Acchord Performance Company, Inc. of Tomah will perform for the sixth year this holiday season.

Police Department sponsors Giving Tree (2009/12/03)
A program to help brighten the holidays for area children is being held at The Tomah Police Department.

Warrens business delivers the state Christmas tree (2009/11/25)
Delany Forest Products, LLC of Warrens, delivered a Christmas tree to Madison this week that will soon be trimmed in the State Capitol.

Journal Entry from Ridgeville (2009/11/25)
Would your hands tremble if you were weaving fabric that would eventually end up in a jacket, costing a thousand dollars?

Dance Stars perform at Walt Disney World (2009/11/23)
A dance group from Tomah traveled to Flordia last month to perform at Walt Disney World.

Pastor Jaeson remembered (2009/11/19)
Jaeson Tobin was remembered for his sense of humor, love of gadgetry and the outdoors, and a deep devotion to his family and ministry during a memorial service Wednesday at Tomah Baptist Church.

TMS teacher recalls the night the Berlin Wall came down (2009/11/18)
Last week marked the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which is a day that one Tomah Middle School teacher will never forget.

Tonya Gnewikow: THS teacher encourages student fitness (2009/11/18)
Tomah High School physical education teacher Tonya Gnewikow has been honored for her work.

Local veteran walks for Veterans Memorial (2009/11/12)
Local veteran John Stoczynski started Veterans Day with a walk at 6 a.m.

Journal Entry from Ridgeville (2009/11/12)
Gail Frie may have more hours in the day than the rest of us. At age 8 he was put in the role of cook and housekeeper after his mother passed away. While he was in high school he managed to handle three separate occupations. While he was a full-time farmer, he held three or four other jobs on the side.

Two veterans to be inducted into Tomah VAMC Hall of Heros Tuesday (2009/11/10)
Two Veterans will be honored at the Tomah VA Medical Center (VAMC) on Tuesday, Nov. 10 during the annual Veterans Day ceremony at 1 p.m. in the VA Chapel.

THS students help area residents (2009/11/02)
Tomah High School National Honor Society (NHS) students used a day off from school on Thursday to help some members of the community get ready for winter.

Health benefits of vitamin D addressed at Tomah VAMC "Get Fit for Life Night" (2009/11/02)
Dr. Neil Binkley, M.D., addressed the health benefits of vitamin D as the featured speaker at the “Get Fit for Life Night” at the Tomah VA Medical Center on Monday.

Sparta soldier on cover of Time recovering form IED wounds (2009/10/30)
Chet Millard thinks Time magazine could have found something more important to put on its cover “than me smoking a cigarette.”

Deployed Tomah-based Guardsmen part of Tailgating with the Troops (2009/10/30)
Even though Rachel Miller talks frequently with her husband, Staff Sgt. Scott Miller — deployed with the Tomah-based Headquarters Company, 732nd Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, Wisconsin Army National Guard — she wasn’t about to miss the chance to do so again.

Journal Entry from Ridgeville (2009/10/21)
I was warned in advance. Tickets to hear Greg Mortenson at Viterbo Fine Arts Theater would be sold out the same day ticket sales began.

Horses for Heroes: Therapy for hospitalized veterans (2009/10/05)
In a setting where many people face extraordinary physical challenges, Mike McGowan sat in a wheelchair next to his horse, Tuff.

A strange friendship: Horse and racoon have unusual relationship (2009/10/05)
Horses and raccoons are not often spotted in the same surroundings, especially as close together as they were when they were spotted by Donna Decorah on Monday.

TMH healing garden honors Teresa Williams (2009/10/01)
Throughout history, gardens have been used to aid in the healing process. And officials at Tomah Memorial Hospital hope that a newly designed garden being built behind the hospital will make people feel safe, less stressed, and more comfortable while honoring a former hospital employee who tragically lost her life.

Warrens Cranberry Festival Recipe Contest: Tasty ways to enjoy cranberries (2009/09/30)
The recipe contest at the Warrens Cranberry Festival annually produces many unique ways to prepare cranberries.

Dr. Michael Saunders: 25 years at the Franciscan-Skemp Lake Tomah Clinic (2009/09/27)
A lot has changed since Dr. Michael Saunders, M.D., came to Tomah.

Journal Entry from Ridgeville (2009/09/27)
Sweet Tangos. Is that a new dance or the title of a song? A new recipe perhaps or a quilt pattern?

Former Iranian hostage speaks at VAMC (2009/09/22)
A former marine who was one of 52 American hostages held captive in Iran nearly 30 years ago spoke of his experiences as a survivor at the Tomah VA Medical Center’s National POW/MIA Recognition Day Ceremony on Friday.

Tomah VAMC Women Veterans Program meets needs of female vets (2009/09/20)
As the number of women serving in the United States Armed Forces continues to grow, the Tomah VA Medical Center is part of a national effort to meet the needs of women veterans.

Tomah School District food service director Paul Rice retires (2009/09/16)
Only a food service director would be the one serving the cake at his own retirement party.

Olympic defeat positive turning point (2009/09/13)
Suzy Favor-Hamilton dreamed of bringing home an Olympic gold medal during the 2000 games in Sydney, Australia.

Journal Entry from Ridgeville (2009/08/28)
The cast of characters includes dwarfs, giants, gods and goddesses, a fierce dragon and beautiful maidens who laugh and sing while swimming under water. The plot includes murder, incest, adultery, betrayal, sacrifice, love, treachery, greed and revenge. No wonder this has been a best seller for 133 years.

Burnstad’s store director Zamarripa wins Excellence in Operations award (2009/08/26)
The Wisconsin Grocers Association Inc. (WGA) will be recognizing Alex Zamarripa, Store Director for Burnstad’s Market in Tomah, for his outstanding contribution to the grocery industry in Wisconsin with the Excellence in Operations award. Before he receive

Local author J.A. Pasch: Newest works are the realization of a dream (2009/08/20)
Jeffery Allen Pasch will admit that he was a little late at pursuing his dreams.

TACS holds 7th Annual Trek (2009/08/19)
Approximately 20 cancer survivors led the way as the 7th Annual Tomah Area Cancer Support (TACS) Trek got underway in a new location on Friday.

He grew his hair out for "Locks of Love" (2009/08/15)
His hair was as long as it had ever been. Jacob Fleming, 10, grew his hair out to 10 inches before getting it cut recently. Fleming, who lives just outside of Oakdale and will be a 5th grader at Camp Douglas Elementary School this fall, is not in the habit of growing his hair long. He grew it out to donate it to “Locks of Love”, and he was not sad to see it go.

Journal Entry from Ridgeville (2009/08/15)
How easy is it to leave family and friends, to leave one of the most beautiful and oldest cities in the world, to leave your homeland and become a refugee when you’re only 19 years old? And doing all of this by choice.

Bicycle ride a tribute to the fallen (2009/08/12)
TOMAH — Tom Kingsbury sat on a bucket Saturday at the Cranberry Country Lodge, exhausted from a 180-mile bicycle ride from Rhinelander to Tomah.

Ralph Bean: TACS event special for honorary chair (2009/08/09)
This year’s Tomah Area Caner Society (TACS) Trek will be extra special for Ralph Bean.

Monroe County Fair: Exhibits a time to show off (2009/08/05)
The Monroe County Fair came to a close on Sunday after five days of exhibits, shows, carnival rides and food at Recreation Park. For some, preparations for the fair began long before last weekend.

Survivor remembers the U.S.S. Indianapolis (2009/08/02)
It was 64 years ago today (Thursday) that the U.S.S. Indianapolis (CA-35) was sunk by Japanese torpedoes.

Going solar: Ho-Chunk Housing makes the switch (2009/07/29)
The Ho-Chunk Housing and Community Developing Agency (HHCDA) building in Tomah has made a switch to solar power.

Journal Entry from Ridgeville (2009/07/26)
I probably could recite a scene or two from the play Steel Magnolias. Last week in Twisp, WA, at The Merc Playhouse, I saw the play five times.

Katie Spiers: Herb Kohl Teacher Fellowship recipient (2009/07/22)
Tomah High School health teacher Kate Spiers was honored to be recognized by the Herb Kohl Teacher Fellowship this past spring.

A teammate and a friend: Jesse Parker remembered (2009/07/19)
Jesse Parker didn’t qualify for last fall’s WIAA state cross country meet, but he made the 60-mile trip to support his teammate, Derek Storkel.

Journal Entry from Ridgeville (2009/07/19)
For the most part, my Fourth of July celebrations while I was growing up were on the quiet side, my mother not one to drive into town for a parade or special festival. I know she was scared to death of firecrackers. In those days in the 40s they were for sale in regular stores. Vendors did not need to set up big tents at the crossroads, offering FIREWORKS HERE with a variety of explosives available to buyers. The only explosives I remember were firecrackers and sparklers, sparklers considered safe. “Firecrackers can blow your finger off,” my mother often warned.