2023: A Year in Review: 2023 top headlines from July, August, and September
By LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — Another year has come and gone, and as the Colfax Messenger enters its 128th year of publication, here is a look back at the top news stories of 2023.
July 5, 2023
The Colfax Health and Rehabilitation Center is not closing. The Dunn County Board’s meeting packet for the June 21 meeting, in a discussion about the budget for 2024 pertaining to The Neighbors of Dunn County, stated that Colfax Health and Rehab had closed. The facility closed its skilled nursing unit and is transitioning to an assisted living facility.
A Dunn County judge has sentenced Ryan L. Steinhoff, age 40, to life in prison for the murder of Bruce McGuigan at a Town of Dunn residence in November of 2020.
The Dunn County Health Department reported on June 27 that a horse in Dunn County has tested positive for West Nile Virus, which is spread by mosquitoes. No WNV cases in humans have been reported so far in 2023.
The Elk Mound Board of Education has decided the school district should continue mailing out the monthly newsletter. The school district has heard from enough people who say they like getting the newsletter every month that the Board of Education decided to continue the newsletter.
July 12, 2023
The Colfax Municipal Building Elevator Fund has topped $125,000.
The Colfax Red Cedar Preserve and Recreation area has been awarded a $25,900 grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources for installing a handicapped accessible fishing pier on Ferry Pond.
When Colfax resident Michelle van Vulpen saw the Facebook post asking for birthday cards for a special needs man who would be turning 40 in July, she knew what she had to do. Michelle volunteers at the Colfax Health and Rehabilitation Center, and after she read the post, she asked if CHRC staff could let the residents know about the request for birthday cards. Michelle received more than 60 cards from CHRC residents for Cody Wibel, who lives in Fall Creek. Later on, she learned that Cody had received nearly 300 birthday cards all together. Michelle wanted to do something for Cody’s birthday in memory her brother, Clifford.
July 19, 2023
A fire that started sometime after 4:30 p.m. on Monday, July 10, at Morgen’s Auto Body at 409 Cedar Street in Colfax destroyed the building’s roof and resulted in heavy smoke and water damage to the rest of the building.
The Colfax Village Board has taken a pass on the possibility of purchasing 619 Main Street, the former Dental Wellness Clinic, to use as the location for the police department or village offices.
According to estimates released by the state Department of Public Instruction for general aid for the 2023-2024 school year, the Colfax school district will lose $293,326 in state aid.
The Colfax Board of Education has discussed whether the Colfax school district should limit the number of college classes high school students can take at Chippewa Valley Technical College or at area universities but did not reach a conclusion. Last year, the Colfax school district spent $120,000 on college classes for Colfax High School students. Residents in the Chippewa Valley Technical College District also pay property taxes to support the technical college.
According to the unofficial audit numbers, the Colfax school district ended the 2022-2023 school year June 30 with a fund balance of $1,901,281.
July 26, 2023
One of the four men accused of illegal bear hunting in the Town of Sheridan in northern Dunn County, Hunter Strenke, age 23, of Clayton, has been found guilty of killing a bear without a license and has been fined nearly $3,500.
Under the theme “Fun for the Whole Herd,” the Dunn County Fair starts today, July 26, and runs through Sunday, July 29.
The Tainter Lake Rehabilitation Board of Commissioners is ready for the first annual meeting scheduled August 5 at Menomonie High School.
The Dunn County Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) has started the soft launch of the Independent Living Support pilot program. Dunn County, Chippewa County and Eau Claire County teamed up to apply for the pilot program through the state of Wisconsin, with Dunn County as the lead, and the three counties have been awarded $3.5 million all together.
August 2, 2023
The Dunn County Fair was shut down part of the time because of hot weather with a heat index over one hundred degrees, along with severe storms and torrential rain.
The Dunn County Board has granted an easement for the Russian Slough so that West Wisconsin/24-7 Telcom can install fiber optic cable.
The Colfax Village Board has approved no parking on High Street near the Colfax school district from August 15 to June 15.
The Elk Mound Board of Education has approved an expense and revenue budget of $14.3 million to present at the annual meeting later this month.
August 9, 2023
Melvina Lee Solberg Evenson celebrated her 107th birthday at Colfax Lutheran on Sunday, August 6. Her birthday is on August 7.
The Dunn County Housing Needs Assessment has determined that a shortage of housing is a problem at all income levels.
The Colfax Elevator Commission’s annual thrift sale at the Colfax Fairgrounds on East Railroad Avenue is scheduled for this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The Dunn County Fair Meat Animal Auction generated nearly $240,000 in sales.
August 16, 2023
After traveling all the way from Norway, the Sørslett family’s visit to Colfax was everything they had hoped for and more.
County Highway B from Packer Drive to county Highway BB will be repaved with asphalt next week.
EOG Resources, which had been mining frac sand at the Schindler and Sikora Mine in the Town of Howard, is requesting a change in the reclamation permit to include no wetland mitigation requirements.
August 23, 2023
Approximately 200 people attended the first annual meeting of the Tainter Lake Rehabilitation District August 5 at Menomonie High School.
The Colfax Community Fire Department responded to a call at 9:30 p.m. Sunday, August 13, for a structure fire on Pine Street in Colfax that ended up being confined to an upstairs bedroom.
Following a public hearing on a request to rezone 619 Main Street in Colfax, the former location of the Dental Wellness Clinic, from Business-1 to Residential-1, the Colfax Plan Commission recommended the request be set aside until the property has been surveyed. At issue is the exact location of an alley at the back of the property.
The 3rd Annual Tractor Fest sponsored by the Colfax FFA Alumni and Colfax FFA will be held at the Colfax Fairgrounds this Saturday, August 26.
August 30, 2023
The Village of Colfax’s elevator fund for the Colfax Municipal Building is now close to $130,000. The thrift sale at the fairgrounds August 10 to August 12 raised $4,030 between items sold at the thrift sale and concessions.
At the annual meeting of the Colfax school district, a $3 million property tax levy was approved for 2023-2024.
To avoid any possible Spiderman costumes or blinking lights attached to graduation caps, the Colfax Board of Education has approved an updated graduation requirements policy.
The Elk Mound school district is still short one bus driver and is running 10 routes instead of 11. The school district is actively seeking another driver, and for the time being, existing routes are longer, and the buses carry more students.
September 6, 2023
The 55th Annual Colfax Firefighters’ Ball kicks off this Saturday, September 9, with parade on Main Street at noon.
At the Colfax Rescue Squad annual meeting, representatives who attended the meeting for the municipalities that subscribe to the service recommended a $2 an hour raise for EMTs and that the ambulance service has four 40-hour per week EMTs.
A stone was placed at St. John’s Popple Creek Cemetery for Ezekiel Cutting, who died nearly 161 years ago in the Civil War. Cutting grew up on the Cutting farm in the Town of Grant and then went off to serve in the Civil War with his brothers and an uncle.
September 13, 2023
Dr. Austin Prichard and Dr. Nikki Prichard are the new owners of Colfax Animal Hospital. After owning and operating the veterinary clinic for 39 years, Dr. Bruce Buckley retired as of September 1.
Dunn County charges of hiding a corpse have been dismissed for Antoine D. Suggs, age 39, who was convicted of murdering four people in Minnesota and leaving their bodies in an SUV in a Town of Sheridan corn field. Suggs was sentenced to more than 100 years in prison in May.
Dunn County has new funding requests of $6.7 million for the 2024 budget.
September 20, 2023
The Colfax Village Board has approved a 2024 budget of $619,484 for the Colfax Rescue Squad.
The Dunn County Board has approved transferring ownership of Myron Park in Sand Creek back to the Town of Sand Creek 50 years after the town turned it over to the county.
The planning stages for the county Highway B project near Menomonie by Exit 45 that includes the Union Pacific Railroad tracks is still a work in progress.
The Dunn County Planning, Resources and Development Committee has begun discussing the possibility of allowing Accessory Dwelling Units (mother-in-law cottages or apartments).
September 27, 2023
All classrooms in the Colfax school district now have “Stop the Bleed” kits in case of a school shooting. According to information available on-line, the kits were designed by Special Forces medics and are used on and off the battlefield.
The Dunn County Board has adopted an ordinance to create a broadband taskforce to work on bringing high-speed Internet access to all areas of the county.
The Colfax school district has seven new teachers for the 2023-2024 school year.
Colfax High School has received a $500 mini-grant from the Jackie Hunt – State Farm Insurance Agency for biology projects. The grant application was submitted by Nichelle Wollberg Broten.
