News

New school creates complications on West Division Street

Monday, October 14, 2019 - 10:26am

A few wrinkles surfaced at last weeks Sparta Board of Public Works meeting over a proposed no drop-off zone along West Division Street for the new Herrman Elementary School. The city is trying to prevent parents from dropping of their grade school children along the street when the school opens in...

Deal pending for former Tomah hospital

Monday, October 14, 2019 - 10:19am

Details are pending for potential use of the former Tomah Memorial Hospital. Bob Dippen, Jr. confirmed last week that he and wife Gloria are pursuing the purchase of the building and two homes across the street that were also owned by the hospital prior the opening of Tomah Health on Gopher Avenue...

Proposed county levy drops by 3%

Monday, October 14, 2019 - 10:10am

Monroe County taxpayers could see a slight a drop in the county portion of their tax bill next year. The county's finance committee has proposed a budget with a nearly 3% drop in the levy, which, if approved, will go from $18.6 million last year to $18.06 this year. The corresponding mill rate...

Members of the Sparta Robotans, SASD’s first ever robotics team, were all smiles as they received what will be the chassis for their robot this season; the chassis was donated by Disruptive Innovation #6317 from Davenport, IA. Herald photo by Nicole Vik.

STEM Academy alumnus fields FIRST Robotics Team

Monday, October 14, 2019 - 10:02am

Due to the big efforts of a small group of individuals, Sparta Area School District now has a FIRST Robotics team appropriately dubbed the Sparta Robotans. Technology Education/Science Teacher Austin Lee started with the district five years ago and had been trying to get a robotics program up and...

From left, firefighters Lucas Erickson, Todd Swansby, Ryan Wilke, Arthur Gerpoltz, Forrest Lefler, Jacob White, Jacob Ross, Craig Schendel and Hunter Young, all with the Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department, received the Department of the Army Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service at Fort McCoy. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy)

McCoy firefighters receive humanitarian awards for 2018 flood response

Monday, October 14, 2019 - 9:56am

Eight current and one former firefighter with the Directorate of Emergency Services Fire Department received the Department of the Army Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service on Oct. 3 for their work during an emergency flood response in local communities in 2018. Garrison Commander Col. Hui Chae...

Pictured are some of the participants and instructors of an earlier women's self defense seminar at Choka U Gym. An upcoming seminar is scheduled for Oct. 19. Robert Bird is in the back row on the right. Contributed photo

Choka U seminar serves twofold purpose

Monday, October 14, 2019 - 9:53am

The emotional toll is still fresh for Robert Bird and his family. A life lost, a victim of domestic violence. Details that Bird insists are too painful to share with others, but still define this story. Bird hopes the details of this story can possibly shield others from what his family has endured...

Pictured front, from left Wisconsin State Trooper Jake Edwards, Sparta PD Officer Jenna Lee, Sparta PD Officer Chris Welker, MCSO Deputy Ethan Young, Representative Nancy VanderMeer. Back, from left Wisconsin State Patrol Lt. Jeramy Foster, Sparta PD Chief Dave Kuderer, Sparta PD Lt. Booker Ferguson, Monroe County Sheriff Wes Revels and MCSO Chief Deputy Robert Conroy. Contributed photo

Local officers receive First Responder of the Year Award

Monday, October 14, 2019 - 9:48am

Representative Nancy VanderMeer of Tomah presented five local law enforcement officers with the First Responder of the Year Award for the 70th Assembly District Thursday. The five officers were nominated for this award by Sparta Police Chief David Kuderer in recognition of their selfless actions...

Faustino Silva Silva and Wendy Cruz Velasco of Norwalk were the parents of the last baby born at Tomah Memorial Hospital Oct. 1. Dylan Silva Cruz arrived at 1:20 p.m.

Tomah Hospital welcomes final, first babies

Monday, October 14, 2019 - 9:25am

Two babies born in Tomah made history. Faustino Silva Silva and Wendy Cruz Velasco of Norwalk were the parents of the last baby born at Tomah Memorial Hospital Oct. 1, while Sammuel Helmkamp and Breanna Pulley of Tomah were the parents of the first baby born in the Women’s Health Services Dept. at...

DNR detects elevated levels PFAS in Silver Creek

Thursday, October 10, 2019 - 10:27am

A Sparta area stream was one of two Wisconsin waterways the Department of Natural Resources identified as having elevated levels of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), man-made chemical compounds that can cause adverse health effects. The elevated levels were found in Silver Creek, a tributary of...

Jason Hauser, of Sparta built a nearly 10-foot Baby Groot, which he placed in his front yard for the whole community to visit. Herald photo by Nicole Vik.

I am Groot

Thursday, October 10, 2019 - 10:23am

Just in time for Halloween, a new character has taken up residence at 410 N. Court Street in Sparta. Jason Hauser’s nine foot, five inches tall, handmade sculpture of Baby Groot smiles down at passersby as he does his best “Staying Alive” dance pose. Groot is a fictional character appearing in...