The City of Menomonie Recreation Department’s new Winter/Spring brochure can be found by clicking here. Registration begins on Monday, Jan 6.
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.
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.
The American Red Cross is seeking blood donors.
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.”
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].
The column Menomonie Collegians by Layne Pitt is licensed under a CC BY SA 4.0 International license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
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.
To register use this link.
Materials can be picked up in Dunn County Extension Office. Details, including the zoom link, will be provided in an email before the class starts.
For more information, contact Extension Dunn County Human Development and Relationships Educator:
Luisa Gerasimo 715-232-1636 [email protected]
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.
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.
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.
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].
The column Menomonie Collegians by Layne Pitt is licensed under a CC BY SA 4.0 International license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Menomonie Mustangs Athletics and Activities | UW-Stout Blue Devil Athletics
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].
The column Menomonie Collegians by Layne Pitt is licensed under a CC BY SA 4.0 International license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Menomonie Mustangs Athletics and Activities | UW-Stout Blue Devil Athletics
MENOMONIE – Xcel Energy’s Bank Stabilization Project near their Menomonie Dam is wrapping up.
The bank stabilization and shoreline protection are fully installed. The renovation of the Tainter Gate Historic Outlook is nearly complete and will be open to the public in early January 2025.
Staff from the City, Xcel Energy and the contractor did a walk through earlier this week and “it’s looking great!”
There will be an official open house in the spring.
Xcel Energy and the City of Menomonie thank you for your patience with the sidewalk and temporary lane closures.
Once Christmas is over and you’re ready to un-deck the halls, Christmas trees can be dropped off at Elmwood Park, Wakanda Park or the Solid Waste Site. The City Community Services staff will pick up Christmas trees curbside on Wednesday, January 8.
Trees must be bare with no posts, decorations or ornaments. No tree bags, stands or artificial trees and wreaths will be accepted.
Make sure your tree is placed on the curb by 6 AM on January 8 for pickup.
For individuals in Wisconsin seeking emotional support, connection, or a listening ear, the WIMA Warmline offers a valuable resource. Operated by Wisconsin Milkweed Alliance, Inc. (WIMA), the warmline is a free, peer-run service that provides non-crisis support to people experiencing emotional distress, loneliness, or challenges with mental health and substance use. Unlike traditional crisis lines, which are designed to respond to immediate, life-threatening situations, the WIMA Warmline focuses on providing calm, empathetic conversations to help individuals manage their day-to-day struggles.
What Is a Warmline?
A warmline differs from a crisis line in several important ways. While a crisis line is geared toward urgent situations, such as someone experiencing suicidal thoughts or a mental health emergency, a warmline is designed for non-crisis situations. People often call a warmline when they’re feeling down, stressed, or overwhelmed but don’t require immediate intervention.
“The WIMA Warmline is here for anyone who needs a supportive conversation,” says Andrew Garr, Program Director at Wisconsin Milkweed Alliance. “You don’t need to be in a crisis to call. Sometimes you just need to talk to someone who understands what you’re going through.”
The warmline is staffed by trained peer supporters—people who have personal experience with mental health challenges or substance use. These peer supporters understand the importance of feeling heard and offer non-judgmental, compassionate conversations that can help callers feel less isolated.
The Power of Peer Support
The WIMA Warmline embraces the peer support model, where people with shared experiences connect and offer mutual support. This unique approach creates an environment where callers can open up about their struggles with someone who truly understands. Peer supporters don’t diagnose or offer professional therapy. Instead, they listen, empathize, and help callers explore ways to navigate their emotions and challenges.
“Talking to someone who’s been there can make all the difference,” explains Andrew. “We’re here to offer support and encouragement, and sometimes that’s what people need more than anything—a sense of connection and understanding.”
When to Call the Warmline
Anyone in Wisconsin can call the WIMA Warmline at (715) 505-5641 for free, confidential support. People call for a variety of reasons—whether they’re feeling lonely, overwhelmed by daily stress, or just need to talk through their feelings with someone who understands. Callers don’t have to worry about meeting any specific criteria to use the service. If someone is looking for emotional support or connection, the warmline is there for them.
The Warmline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing a consistent, reliable resource.
A Bridge Between Everyday Support and Crisis Intervention
While the WIMA Warmline is not intended for crisis situations, it can still be an important bridge for those who are struggling emotionally and may be on the verge of crisis. Peer supporters can support callers to manage stress, explore coping strategies, and recommend additional resources if needed. If someone calls the warmline in crisis, peer supporters will offer guidance on how to connect with local crisis services for immediate intervention.
However, the warmline’s primary goal is to prevent situations from escalating by providing a safe space for people to talk about their feelings and concerns before they reach a critical point.
Why Warmline Services Matter
Warmline services like WIMA’s fill a vital gap in mental health care. Many people don’t need clinical intervention but still feel overwhelmed, lonely, or emotionally drained. Warmline conversations offer a way for individuals to connect, process their emotions, and find reassurance, which can prevent them from feeling isolated or misunderstood.
For those who are hesitant to reach out to a crisis line, the warmline offers a more relaxed, non-urgent form of support. There’s no pressure to act or feel a certain way—just an open, supportive conversation where the caller is in control.
How to Reach the WIMA Warmline
If you or someone you know could benefit from a warm, understanding conversation, the WIMA Warmline can be reached at (715) 505-5641 24 hours a day. Peer supporters are ready to listen and provide support, free of charge, for anyone in Wisconsin.
Andrew Garr is the Program Director at Wisconsin Milkweed Alliance, Inc. He has been involved in peer support and mental health advocacy for over a decade.
Editors Note: The WIMA Warmline call center is located in Menomonie.
