Menomonie Minute

The next Community Conversations is scheduled for Saturday, November 16th, from 12 pm - 1:30 pm at the Menomonie Public Library.

Presenter will be City Executive, Eric Atkinson. He will speak to us about the City of Menomonie’s budget. As cities are limited by state law in regard to the amount they are allowed to spend, at times they must make difficult choices about services they are able to provide to the public.  Even if you do not live in Menomonie, all municipalities in our state - townships, villages, cities - have the same issues. 

There will be music in the library following this presentation.  

All are welcome to attend this conversation.

Community Conversations is a local nonpartisan group started in 2015 to discuss topics that affect our community. Presentations include speakers and videos with conversations afterwards about issues that affect the local community and Western Wisconsin.

Taxpayers are invited to speak at a public hearing that the Dunn County Board of Supervisors has scheduled for Nov. 12 on the proposed 2025 county budget that continues the recent trend of reducing the property tax rate for the next year.  

The County Board will hold a public hearing on the budget at 7 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 12 in room 054 of the Dunn County Government Center at 3001 Highway 12 East in Menomonie.   The board is expected to act following the public hearing. 

The proposed 2025 tax (mill) rate would go from $4.83 for each $1,000 of equalized value to $4.53, a reduction of 6.2 percent.  The 2024 budget reduced the tax rate by 14 percent as well.  The tax rate was $7.10 in 2020, and the County Board has taken numerous steps to avoid increases, said County Manager Kris Korpela. 

“The board is working hard to keep property taxes affordable in Dunn County,” Korpela said.  “Supervisors already have taken several actions to hold the line on spending and taxes in the 2025 budget.” 

For example, she said, the Executive Committee reduced the estimated shortfall between spending and revenue by about $1.5 million, decreasing the cost of operations by $1.1 million. 

Even though the 2025 tax rate may be less than 2024, that doesn’t necessarily mean a property’s tax bill will go down; changes in a property’s assessment also affects the final tax bill. 

The budget calls for total county spending of $111.2 million.  The tax levy – the total amount of property taxes the county will levy in 2025 – would increase less than 1 percent to $24.78 million under the proposed 2025 budget. The levy is made up of the portion for libraries and bridges, $925,674; debt obligations, $5.17 million; and operations, $18.69 million. 

The budget calls for $3 million of borrowing for highway projects and uses about $2.5 million from the fund balance to create a balanced budget. 

Dunn County media release.

The Dunn County Sheriff’s Office, Menomonie Police Department, Boyceville Police Department, Colfax Police Department and Elk Mound Police Department received a grant from WI Bureau of Traffic Safety (BOTS) for just under $18,000 to conduct high visibility patrols to prevent and apprehend impaired drivers. This grant is to cover overtime to put additional officers on the streets at selected times to create high-visibility patrols. This grant runs from October 2024 until Sept 30, 2025.  

Counties get selected for the grants due to crash data that is pulled from crash reports completed in each county. In WI someone is killed or injured every two hours by impaired driving.  

Captain Travis Mayer, of the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office said, “our goal will be to target times of high concentrations of impaired driving by having high visibility patrol to prevent impaired driving and take enforcement action when needed. We would much rather have someone see several squads in the area and make a smart choice to call a ride or pick a designated driver at the start of the night rather than making an arrest or worse yet have to investigate a crash because someone made the choice to drive impaired”. 

In 2023, there were 5,976 alcohol related crashes in WI that claimed 159 lives. In Dunn County we want to do our part to lower that number.   

Wisconsin, like many other states, continue to see an increased problem with drugged drivers on the road. A person’s ability to drive safely is compromised by Illegal drugs and sometimes even prescription or over the counter medications.   These impaired drivers are frequently found out during the daytime hours, we urge that if you see a possible impaired driver report it to local law enforcement. 

To combat drugged driving WI has more than 390 Drug recognition experts (DRE), which is among the most in the nation. Combined, the local agencies involved in the grant have 5 DREs.   

Dunn County Sheriff's Office media release.

On February 15, 1974, Mary K. Schlais was found deceased near the intersection of 408th Ave. and 990th St. in the Township of Spring Brook, Dunn County. Mary’s death at that time was ruled a homicide. 

The initial investigation revealed that Mary was from Minneapolis, MN and was believed to be hitch hiking from Minneapolis, MN to an art show in Chicago, IL. There was an eyewitness that observed a suspect and suspect vehicle that were believed to be connected to the homicide of Mary Schlais. 

Over the course of the next several decades there were many tips, leads, and interviews conducted related to this homicide by multiple law enforcement agencies. There were also several items of evidence examined and re-examined over the years as technological advances in DNA were developed. Still, no viable suspects were identified.  

In recent years, Dunn County Sheriff’s Office Investigators began working with Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey and their team of Genetic Genealogists. Through investigative genetic genealogy a viable suspect was identified. 

On November 7, 2024, Dunn County Sheriff’s Office Investigators arrested Jon K. Miller (84) of Owatonna, MN for the homicide of Mary K. Schlais. Jon Miller is in custody and awaiting extradition back to Wisconsin. 

" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Press conference 11/8/2024

" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Press conference 11/12/2024

YouTube video - a trailer for an independent film about the unsolved murder. Note - there are graphic images.

Mark your calendars for a holiday must-see! The Oaklawn Inn Classical Music Series will host The Menomonie Singers for a program of holiday choral selections in the Inn's Victorian splendor, on December 8, at 3 pm. After all it is the singin'est time of year! Sing-a-long included. Reduced ticket price. Seating is limited. Get tickets at Oaklawninn.com

From the Facebook post.

Over 20 talented vendors. Stop by and support your local vendors & do your last minute Christmas shopping! Leave the sweets to us as we will have our special frosted sugar cookies along with many other goodies from other vendor's.

From the Facebook event page.

Join us for a beginner friendly Watercolor Class at The Gilded Faun as we explore the enchanting world of watercolor.

NOVEMBER 24th

5pm - 7pm

BEGINNER FRIENDLY

ALL MATERIALS INCLUDED

Cost $40 / person

* This class will give you basic techniques to get you started in watercolors. Together we will create 3 different watercolors that will then be made into cards for any occasion.

* Please message Lauren Prine on FB or email at [email protected] with any questions or request for more information.

* Payment is required to attend:

Venmo

Paypal

From the Facebook event page.

Dunn County Play Group is hosting a Holiday Toy Swap at the Menomonie Recreation Department gym!

Our community can meet holiday gift needs for our children while breaking the cycle of waste and consumption. And all in one place – for free!

Donate lightly loved toys December 2 - December 6th 7:30am - 4:00pm at the Leisure Center of Menomonie. Located at 1412 6th St E, Menomonie, WI 54751 (Recreation Department/Senior Center). Or at any play group event held by the Dunn County Playgroup! DCP meets Fridays at 9-10:30am and 10:30-noon. 3001 Hwy 12 E Menomonie (Lower level - room 60). Drop off at sign in table.

Shop for toys (for free!) on Saturday, December 7th from 8am – 1pm. Take home any toys that you want/need.

*You do not need to donate a toy to be able to come shop.

Please make sure that the toys are clean and operational. Toys for all ages are welcome. Holiday wrapping, holiday bags, and other gifting accessories are welcome as well.

Toys must meet these standards:

-Multi-part toys, such as puzzles and games, must have all pieces intact and bagged.

-Toys should not be heavily chewed, stained, ripped or damaged.

-Electronic toys must be fully functional with batteries.

Some ideas include:

-Puzzles (stacking, balancing, wooden, floor puzzles)

-Books (must be in good condition for a gift)

-Things that go (small cars, big trucks, train sets)

-Role-play toys (dolls, figurines, little people, action figures, doctor kits)

-Sensory toys (fidgets, cookie cutters, play dough, water tables, sand tables)

-Gross motor toys (tricycles, striders, wagons, play cars, scooters)

-Games (twister, matching games, break the ice, flash cards)

-Learning (dry erase books, magnet letters and numbers, electronic learning pads, construction)

All items that remain at the end of the event will be donated to a local thrift store.

From the Facebook event page.

Here to save Christmas 2024. New venue (meeting room at library) but everything else is as it's been since I started doing this more than 30 years ago.

Free cider, free candy tossed from the stage, free admission but maybe bring a donation for the Stepping Stones food pantry.

Performance lasts 35 minutes, memories and good cheer may last a lifetime.

From the JM Miller Facebook page.

Learn how to create beautiful porch pots for the holiday season!

Materials included!

Only accepting 25 people, $30/person; sign up and pay at Dean & Sue's Bar

From the Facebook event page.