Dunn County, WI – The Dunn County Sheriff’s Office will be holding a short gathering for Correctional Officer Jeffrey Reynolds, who was tragically killed in a traffic crash while on his way to work on December 24th, 2024. We will be gathering on Wednesday, January 1st at 6:30pm, with a moment of silence and reading at approximately 6:45pm, outside the Dunn County Judicial Center located at 615 Stokke Pkwy, Menomonie, WI 54751. The gathering will be open to Corrections, Law Enforcement and the public to show support for Officer Reynolds. For information related to parking please visit www.dunncountysheriff.com/officerreynolds
MENOMONIE – The Menomonie Singers will hold auditions for all sections (soprano, alto, tenor and bass) on January 20 and 21, starting at 6:00 pm, at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 420 Wilson Avenue, Menomonie.
The Menomonie Singers has been in existence since 1989 and presents four regular concerts of choral music per year. Under the leadership of Brian Klein, conductor, the choir will present concerts on April 26 and 27.
The choir is hoping to expand to 45 members. Participants must be 18 or older or post high school. Previous choir experience is helpful but not necessary.
There is no need to prepare a piece; the audition will include the following: a range check; a sight-singing exercise; musicality showcase (asked to sing one of the following: Silent Night, Happy Birthday, or My Country Tis of Thee).
Weekly rehearsals for the spring season begin Tuesday, January 28 at the UW-Stout Applied Arts Bldg, Room 315.
Juliana Schmidt, Executive Director may be contacted to set up an audition appointment or for more information:
UW-Madison Extension Health and Wellbeing and FoodWIse Program is offering an evidence-based FREE virtual strength training program titled StrongBodies using a zoom platform. No experience is necessary, and exercises are adaptable for all levels.
Next session class dates: January 6 – March 26. Class times: Mondays and Wednesdays 9:00 am – 10:20 am (60-minute class plus 20-minute optional education/socialization)
To register click here. You will receive an email with zoom link.
If you are unable to join a class and want to complete the exercises on your own, you can follow along to this video. Or refer to this document that lists all the exercises.
Karie Johnson is a UW-Extension FoodWise Nutrition Education Coordinator
Helen A. Hullberg, a Menomonie Library employee for 38 years, passed away on September 30, 2024. To help honor Helen, Margo Hecker, a local writer, graciously donated her time to write about Helen’s life. Click here to read the article.
Free Community Yoga begins Jan 6
Community Yoga at Menomonie Public Library resumes on Monday Jan 6 and runs through March 24. (No class Jan 20). Sessions begin at 9 am with two options: either in-person (Library Meeting Room) or via zoom (link provided day of session). Bring your own mat. Co-sponsored by Menomonie Public Library and Mayo Clinic. For more info click here.
To find upcoming blood donor drives in Menomonie, and/or to make an appointment click here. The next donor drive in the area is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan 7 at New Hope Lutheran Church in Downsville, 11am – 5pm.
MENOMONIE – Isaiah May is no stranger to the Menomonie music scene.
“I grew up playing gigs around the area so I have done events, weddings, my own shows, funerals, dances, recitals, you name it I’ve probably played it in this area,” May said.
A third-year student in a four-year program at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Mass, the Menomonie native is scheduled to perform at the Spirit Room, Saturday, Jan. 4 at 7 p.m.
“At my January 4 show people can expect to hear covers of some of my favorite songs, some new originals and some songs off of my EP that I put out earlier this month,” said May, who describes himself as “classically trained in violin, piano and voice, although the majority of my violin experience is in folk/Americana music.” (Editor’s Note: To listen to May’s work, go to his Instagram account where you can find the link to his music in the bio.)
Isaiah always had an affinity for music, even while still in the crib, his mother Stephanie May said.
“We noticed Isaiah had a strong musical inclination by the time he was 10 months old. He could easily hold a rhythm by that time,” Stephanie May said. “We kind of wondered if we were going to have to channel that in some way. Turns out we were right.”
May has been playing the violin since he was five-years-old, but the violin wasn’t his first instrument of choice.
“I actually originally wanted to play trumpet but some of my cousins went through the Suzuki method on violin and so they had a few violins laying around that weren’t being played ,” Isaiah May said. “So we got them for free and I started taking lessons from a family friend of ours.”
In addition to the violin, May took voice and piano lessons as a youngster. He also plays the mandolin and “a little bit of a bunch of others.”
When the homeschooler started to look at colleges, Berklee intrigued him.
“Berklee has always been a very forward-thinking, industry-focused school with great relationships with musicians and companies within the music industry,” May said. “Berklee is a very open-minded school with lots of very unique programs.”
May is studying a new major at the school – Independent Recording and Production, a major focused on the future of recorded music and the move from recording music in massive expensive studios, to being able to record equivalent work out of a home studio due to the advances in audio software.
“Currently my dream is to be a producer, co-songwriter and general collaborator working out of my own studio,” May said. “I love the collaboration process and I find so much joy from simply tossing ideas around with other people.”
Isaiah May is a student at Berklee School for the Arts in Boston, Mass, where he is studying Independent Recording and Production. (Photo: Contributed)
May has been involved in music his entire life. How has he been able to hone in on the craft throughout his young life and decide to make it his life’s work?
“There were definitely many hard days where I had no motivation but my parents kept me honest and I have always loved performing so I’ve always practiced to give the best performance I can,” May said.
“My parents and teachers have been my biggest encouragers by far,” he added “They are the ones who ganged up on me and pushed me to go to music school and whenever I’m home for break they help me find opportunities to play in the community.”
May has co-written and produced many tracks for other artists as well as playing in many artists’ bands. He released one original album entitled East Coast Island Postcard in 2022 and has followed that up with his latest work. In addition to studying the production side, May is also taking classes in voice.
Layne Pitt is the retired UW-Stout Sports Information director and also worked more than a decade at the Dunn County News.
Menomonie Collegians is a regular feature of Menomonie News Net. The column is not limited to student-athletes, but may be a former Menomonie area student in a play, forensics, music or any type of collegiate competition. If you know of a Menomonie Collegian, please email [email protected].
MADISON – Division of Extension educators will be offering an online six-session lunch and learn opportunity this winter designed specifically on finding the good.
Beginning Thursday, Jan. 16, the sessions will meet from noon to 1:00 PM, each Thursday through Feb. 20.
WeCOPE is an evidence-based program that helps adults cope with life stress by connecting with positive emotions. This program has been shown to increase positive feelings, reduce stress, and improve health behaviors in randomized trials.
WeCOPE is based on the work of Dr. Judith Moskowitz, whose research shows that even in the context of serious life stress, positive emotions can and do occur and these emotions have positive adaptive consequences. The course includes simple assignments for participants to complete between sessions.
Materials and the class are free thanks to a SAMHSA ROTA Grant.
MENOMONIE – Four of the top 11 scorers in Menomonie High School girls basketball history are firmly entrenched in their college careers. Mary Berg,Sammy Jacobsen, Helen Chen and Emma Mommsen, the quartet that played major roles in Menomonie’s success the last several years, scored a combined 3,629 points.
Berg, who scored 1138 points at Menomonie is now playing for UW-Stout. Jacobsen, who scored 795 points, is playing for UW-La Crosse. The Blue Devils (6-2) and the Eagles (6-3) are set to meet twice in January, playing in La Crosse, Jan. 15, and in Menomonie, Jan. 29. Chen, who scored 971 points, is playing for the University of Minnesota, Duluth (4-6) and Mommsen, who scored 725 points for the Mustangs, is playing for Concordia-St. Paul (11-0). Chen and Mommsen’s teams will meet twice, meeting in St. Paul, Minn. Dec. 21, and in Duluth, Minn., Feb. 1.
Berg, a 5-foot, 7-inch freshman guard, made a splash in her first game for the Blue Devils. Berg came off the bench to score in double digits in her first game as a Blue Devil, dropping in 10 points in a season-opening win over Calvin University.
Berg has continued to come off the bench to become an impact player, now averaging 7.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest. Berg, a business administration major, is averaging 26.1 minutes per game, fourth-best on the team. Berg has scored in double digits four times, scoring 10 points in her first game and 11 points in three other contests. Berg has played in all eight of the Blue Devils games so far and has one start. Stout returns to play Dec. 19 and 20 at the St. Pete Classic in St. Petersburg, Fla., with a pair of games.
As a high school senior, Berg was named Big Rivers Conference Player of the Year, All-Northwest Player of the Year, first team All-Conference, All-State Honorable mention and a WIAA Scholar Athlete finalist. As a junior, she earned first team All-Big Rivers Conference selection and honorable mention All-State. As a sophomore, Berg was All-Big Rivers Conference honorable mention.
Sammy Jacobsen is in her first season with the UW-La Crosse basketball team. (Photo: James O. Lund)
Jacobsen scored her first collegiate points, dropping in a bucket in a 93-54 La Crosse win at Lakeland University, Nov. 23. Jacobsen, a radiation therapy major, has appeared in four games this season. La Crosse returns to action Dec. 28 and 29 at a two-game tournament in Greensboro, N.C.
Jacobsen averaged 10.7 points and 4.2 steals as a senior at Menomonie. An All-Big Rivers selection, Jacobsen was a named the All-Northwest team and was a WBCA Division 2 All-State honorable mention.
Helen Chen looks to make a drive. Chen plays for Minnesota-Duluth. (Photo: Lauren White UMD)
Chen, a 5-7 junior guard, is in her third year at UMD, and has appeared in one game this year. As a freshman, Chen appeared in 13 games on a team that was NCAA Division II runner-up. Chen, a chemical engineering major, was an NSIC All-Academic pick.
At Menomonie, Chen earned first team, second team and honorable mention all-conference honors, as well as earning all-state honorable mention honors. Chen was selected the WBCA all-star team. The Bulldogs will host Winona State, Dec. 18 before traveling to Concordia, Dec. 21.
Emma Mommsen makes an inside move to score for Concordia-St. Paul. (Photo: Josh Deer)
Averaging just over 16 minutes per game, Mommsen, a 6-1 sophomore center, is shooting .512 from the floor (21-41), averaging 4.0 points per contest and has appeared in all 11 games. Concordia, ranked 13th in last week’s Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II poll, is off to their best start in more than a decade and the second best start in school history.
Mommsen, a business major who red-shirted the 2022-23 season, last season appeared in 28 games, averaging 11.4 minutes per game and shot .581 (36-63) from the field, averaging 2.8 points. She scored a season-best nine points and grabbed a season-high eight rebounds against Bemidji State, Jan. 16, 2024, and matched that career high this season with a nine point effort against Truman University Nov. 15, going 4-5 with a 3-pointer.
While at Menomonie, Mommsen earned 11 letters across three different sports – cross country (four), basketball (four), and track & field (three). The Mustangs posted a 25-4 record during her 2021-22 senior campaign when she earned All-Northwest Player of the Year honors, Big River Conference Player of the Year and honorable mention all-state honors.
The Golden Bears return to action Thursday, Dec. 19 when they face defending national champion Minnesota State, Mankato, in Mankato, before facing Minnesota-Duluth Saturday.
• Liz Kyles was also a part of the Menomonie High School girls basketball success, graduating in 2024, and is continuing her collegiate basketball career at NCAA Division III St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minn. Kyles has appeared in four games for the Wildcats. St. Kate’s is currently 4-4 overall and compete in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). The Wildcats return to action Monday, Dec. 30 when they travel to Storm Lake, Iowa, to meet Buena Vista University.
Layne Pitt is the retired UW-Stout Sports Information director and also worked more than a decade at the Dunn County News.
Menomonie Collegians is a regular feature of Menomonie News Net. The column is not limited to student-athletes, but may be a former Menomonie student in a play, forensics, music or any type of collegiate competition. If you know of a Menomonie Collegian, please email [email protected].
BINGHAMTON, NY – Dylan Norby won the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletics Association (WIAA) Division 2 diving title his junior and senior years at Menomonie High School and has been able to continue his diving career at NCAA Division I State University of New York Binghamton.
A pre-med major and an MHS valedictorian, Norby contributed to the Bearcats’ swimming and diving conference title for the second time in four years by earning all-conference honors in the 1-meter by finishing second and placed third in the 3-meter competition at the 2024 America East Swimming and Diving Championship during his freshman year.
This season as a sophomore, Norby so far has competed in five of six meets, taking first place in the 3-meter diving event in a dual with Canisius University, scoring a career-high 287.33 points, a mark that is currently 10th on the Binghamton all-time list. Norby was second in the 1-meter event with a season-high score of 254.30. Norby also captured the top spot in the 3-meter in a dual with Cornell University (268.80).
During his first season at Binghamton, Norby captured first in the 3-meter event at three different meets. Academically, Norby was selected to the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll and was a member of both the fall and spring AD honor rolls.
While at Menomonie, Norby earned four swimming letters and holds the school diving records in both the 6- and 11-dive events. In addition to his two state titles, Norby finished seventh at the state meet as a sophomore. Norby also competed in cross country, earning honorable mention all-conference honors, and competed in the pole vault for the Mustangs’ track and field team. He was a Wisconsin Scholar-Athlete.
Norby was the first Menomonie diver to win a state title and only the second Menomonie boys swimming and diving team member to win a state title. Kevin Fober won the 100-butterfly in 1979.
The Bearcats return to action Jan. 18 at Wagner College and will look to defend their America East conference title Feb. 19-21 in Lexington, Va.
Layne Pitt is the retired UW-Stout Sports Information director and also worked more than a decade at the Dunn County News.
Menomonie Collegians is a regular feature of Menomonie News Net. The column is not limited to student-athletes, but may be a former MHS student in a play, forensics, music or any type of collegiate competition. If you know of a Menomonie Collegian, please email [email protected].
