A hundred years ago, the medical field was on the brink of modernization. In the coming decade, maternal and child healthcare would dramatically improve, insulin would be invented for the treatment of diabetes, and nursing would become a learned profession. 

Few pastimes seem more quintessentially American than baseball. The sport has been a source of livelihood in the United States for nearly two centuries, energizing the populace through times of war and peace. The Osceola Braves, originally established in 1943 and based at Oakey Park since th…

A new decade is looming on the horizon, and Osceola’s Snap Fitness location has undergone a makeover just in time. Fresh off an update of the facility’s interior, including new flooring and more machines, the establishment took on yet another endeavor, doubling in size and incorporating Myzo…

With $0 flowing into the sewer utility fund and a recommendation from the village’s auditor to keep ahead of infrastructure costs, the Dresser Village Board is working to establish incremental increases to the sewer and water utility rates.

Disney’s live-action remake of “The Little Mermaid,” starring Halle Bailey, is still more than a year away. If you cannot wait that long, catch ArtBarn’s adaptation of the classic “tail” on stage beginning July 11. Directed by Jennifer Dobbins, the play features a cast of 31, playing 57 char…

Library could get new name

“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.”

Brandon Michael Lieffering, 37, New Richmond, is in custody after killing Stillwater motorcyclist, Dustin Kalland, 39, Saturday July 6.

Dozens of residents crowded into Farmington’s town hall July 1 to voice and listen to concerns regarding the future of frac sand mining at the limestone quarry and gravel pit. A few even peered in from outside through the open window as many of the same themes explored at Osceola’s board mee…

‘We can turn ‘em around’

The Village of Osceola is in the process of solidifying employment terms with a new village administrator.

Step into the Osceola Public Library, and visitors will likely notice that it has a new name. Lettering above the circulation desk now reads “Wilberg Memorial Library” in honor of a $508,000 gift from Charles and Gloria Wilberg.

For the past two years, the Polk County Information Center has been a display site for area masterpieces during Earth Arts of the Upper St. Croix’s annual Spring Art Tour. Now, after witnessing the success of that makeshift gallery, the center’s director Colleen Foxwell hopes to expand it in…

Osceola’s new Library Director may be young, but is not inexperienced when it comes to helping people and customer service.  Thanks to her background in retail and HR services at Barron County Cheese in Barron, Wisconsin, and her role as a library assistant at the Amery Area Public Library, …

July 4 is approaching once again, and with America’s 243rd birthday comes the classic tradition of watching colors explode in the sky. Whether you’re local in town or traveling from afar, there is no shortage of fireworks displays across the St. Croix Valley.

Staff at Above All Beginnings expressed frustration last week regarding the childcare center’s immanent closure. 

States with legalized marijuana see mixed picture

The Polk County Board started the process of setting budget priorities last week.

Osceola’s new inclusive playground, one designed for both disabled and non-disabled children alike, will have its grand opening Friday, June 28.

More than 100 people turned out on Dementia Friendly Sunday for the Second Annual Music by Heart community sing along in Lakefront Park June 9. The event featured the debut performance of the Lifelong Singers, the first dementia friendly choir in the St. Croix Valley. The day also featured a…

The cement retaining wall and stairs to Lake of the Dalles beach at Wisconsin Interstate Park have been removed.

Steven Kicker had worked for Troy and Barb DeRosier’s Crystal Ball Farms for seven years when the cow barn burned to the ground last March 29. He recalled the frightening day nearly 15 months ago when he and a half-dozen other employees lost a longtime source of income, thanks to the electri…

Now in its 23rd year, Franconia Sculpture Park has perfected the ultimate summer music series. Visit Franconia’s Earthen Amphitheatre June 22 for headliner Jaedyn James and The Hunger, with opener Prairie Fire Lady Choir.  

Summer has arrived in Wisconsin, and with it comes the dawn of another season of performances at the St. Croix ArtBarn. This year’s beginning, however, marks two new milestones in the theatre’s 25-year history. “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which opens June 20, is both ArtBarn’s first Shakesp…

After an April 26 blast at a Farmington mine rattled homes near Osceola’s southern border, residents of both municipalities are asking Osceola’s village board to take action.

The Neil McKenzie Fishing Derby was held on Saturday, June 8, on Deer Lake. Sixteen years running, this right of passage to summer is a hit among those who have an interest in fishing. Some come to the event for their first time and others have been coming for many years. It’s the stories th…

Creating local solutions to global problems may seem like a daunting task. But for juniors at St. Croix Falls High School, it is just one more graduation requirement. SCF’s Junior Seminar program, mandatory for every 11th grader, focuses on interdisciplinary and career-focused learning acros…

Schools looked a little different when Timm Johnson was first elected to the Osceola school board. 

Two nice, sunny days and some 175 people with wonderful enthusiasm showed up to help assemble the bulk of the new inclusive playground being built on the Osceola Medical Center Campus. After a few details to finish and installation of the playing surface, this community playground will be co…

Before Joel Danovsky and his wife, Jen, bought the Horse Creek Store, he visited regularly as the store’s beer sales rep. 

A teenage racecar driver from Osceola is zipping toward his dream of becoming a NASCAR racer.

As more children are removed from their homes for reasons related to drug use and addiction, Polk County may soon have help launching a child-advocate program.

Tim Franklin’s group of northern Minnesota print and digital news publications are now part of neighboring Northstar Media, Inc., a company owned by Gene and Carter Johnson. 

It’s been just shy of a decade since Allison Bahr tipped the canoe that gave her restaurant its name.