The lane closure onI-94 between Hwy 95/St. Croix Trail and the River Bridge is expected to end today. However, that same interstate,between Century Avenue and Woodbury Drive, will still be reduced to two lanes until October, the Minnesota Department of Transportation projects.
Also, there's a traffic stop: cars onHudson Road South will be stopped intermittently for 5 to 10 minutes at a time between Manning Ave./Hwy 95 South and St. Croix Trail, lastinguntil mid-August.
Now for Vine Street:
Vine Street
The City will be rehabilitating the existing pavement and making pedestrian improvements on Vine Street from Wisconsin Street to 600-feet east of Diamond Drive. The improvements will include full-depth reclamation, bituminous paving, and replacement of concrete curb & gutter. Pedestrian improvements will include trail widening, adding boulevard area, ADA curb ramp upgrades and adding pedestrian refuge islands at the Diamond Drive and Spruce Drive intersections. We will let you know when the situation resolves.
Weekend Planner|This Week's Paper (E-Edition)| Natural Connections
Here are a few other updates:
Phipps Center for the Arts gets a new mural
The Phipps is pleased to announce the completion of the new mural Wičhóuŋčhaǧe: Generations, The Growth of People by Thomasina TopBear, made possible with generous support from the Hugh J. Anderson Foundation. For this mural, TopBear invited the community to help with parts of the painting and wove together community responses on the meaning of the arts with aspects of her indigenous culture and imagery of the St. Croix Landscape. The mural is presented on the northern wall of the Phipps, on Vine Street across from the library. thephipps.org/community/mural | 109 Locust Street, Hudson, WI 54016 | 715-386-2305.
Thursday nights just got better in Hudson
The Hudson Chamber of Commerce reported that multiple shops downtown are now open until 7 p.m. every Thursday. Come explore the unique finds in our stores and wrap up the evening with a tasty meal at one of our delightful restaurants or listen to live music at Lakefront Park. Explore more evening adventures at DiscoverHudsonWI.org.
RWHC Rural Health’s Ambassador Award
The Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative (RWHC) recently bestowed their 2024 Rural Health Ambassador Award to Katie Carstens, Family Practice/Oncology Physician Assistant at Western Wisconsin Health (WWH).
The award recognizes health care employees at RWHC hospitals who have gone above the call of duty in promoting their respective organizations, while making significant contributions to rural health. Nineteen individuals from across the state received awards this year. Each recipient demonstrates a history of fostering positive communication and relations within the hospital's respective service area by serving on community boards/service organizations, taking advantage of volunteer or public speaking opportunities, and supporting community health activities beyond the scope of the hospital.
Katie's work in the organization started in the WWH Fitness center in 2009 inspiring members to get fit and healthy in their wellness journey. This role grew to supporting community health and wellness programming working with WWH employees, local employers, and community members as the Wellness Program manager and health coach from 2013-2017 positively impacting the lives of hundreds of community members. Katie furthered her career to become a Physician Assistant to more directly impact patients' health using a whole person approach resuming her work with WWH in 2018. Katie has been an engaged Family Practice provider participating in various clinical work groups. In 2023, a need was identified to expand Oncology provider services to meet the needs of patients in the community. Katie stepped up to meet this need and is currently seeing patients in our Oncology clinic part time alongside her family practice work.
Incorporated in 1979, RWHC has received national recognition as one of the country's earliest and most successful models for networking among rural hospitals. RWHC serves as a catalyst for regional collaboration and as an influential and creative force on behalf of rural communities and rural health. Owned and operated by 44 acute, medical-surgical hospitals, RWHC offers its members a wide range of shared services that meet local community health needs, including staffing, consulting, management, networking, and education. Western Wisconsin Health is an active member of RWHC; their employees support the shared mission of “strengthening and sustaining rural health.”
Western Wisconsin Health: Windmill Days, annual Open-House celebration
Western Wisconsin Health (WWH) hosted their first in-person Open House since 2019 on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. “It was a wonderful day to open our campus to the community and showcase the many providers and specialties WWH offers to help achieve their health and wellness goals,” stated Eilidh Pederson, WWH Chief Executive Officer.
At Healthy Hank’s Celebration, over 700 guests enjoyed a delicious meal provided by the WWH Eatery, featuring pulled chicken sandwiches, coleslaw, and healthy sides. Culver’s of Baldwin delighted guests with their tasty custard. Live music by Dave Snyder Acoustic Sounds added to the festive atmosphere. Representatives from the Police, Fire Department, and Baldwin Area EMS offered tours of their vehicles. Families took photos with the Queen of Cards and Tea Party Miss from Occasions with Character and the Culver’s mascot, Scoopie and WWH’s mascot, Healthy Hank. Children had fun jumping and sliding in the bounce house, getting tattoos from Baldwin Royalty, and meeting the newly crowned Woodville Syttende Mai court. Suzanne Wynveen Photography was on hand to capture all the wonderful memories.
Inside the Atrium, numerous displays showcased WWH’s services, providers, and healthcare partners. Guests had the opportunity to meet providers and explore interactive displays. WWH’s partners, including ADORAY Home Health and Hospice, Associated Eye Care, Cancer Center of Western Wisconsin, Family Resource Center, and Farmer Angel Network, highlighted the valuable work they do in the community.
Community members also had the chance to see, and test drive a Da Vinci surgical robot, learning more about this innovative surgical option. Benefits such as shorter surgical times, less invasive procedures, and faster recovery were highlighted.
WWH extends a heartfelt thank you to the community members who joined us in celebrating health and wellness and kicking off Windmill Days.
Project SEARCH: transition-to-employment program
Project SEARCH, a transition-to-employment program for individuals with disabilities, recently celebrated the achievements of its latest cohort. Licensed through the School District of River Falls, Project SEARCH is a one year transition-to-employment program that provides valuable career exploration and employability skills to students and adults from across Western Wisconsin.
Through internships with local business partners, students explore careers and learn valuableemployability skills through three separate internship rotations and classroom curriculum.
"It's incredibly rewarding to watch our students grow, gain confidence, build friendships, andacquire job skills. The relationships built and barriers overcome through Project SEARCHpartnerships are invaluable." says Project SEARCH instructor Natasha Herum.
“We are so excited that four of our interns have already secured community jobs, and the remaining interns are actively applying and interviewing for job positions.”
This year, Project SEARCH partnered with River Falls Hospital as the host business, while alsoestablishing strong ties with the City of River Falls. Seven interns participated in diverse roles at the River Falls Library, City Hall, and Public Works, alongside externships at Kinnic Health and Rehab, Allina Clinic, Bo Jon’s and Freeman Drug.
This local internship experience was also made possible by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development's Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), LE Philips CareerDevelopment Center, and surrounding school districts. Statewide, 28 premier employers are participating in Project SEARCH this year.
Project SEARCH is now accepting applications for the next school year, with one spot stillavailable for those interested in starting this fall. Applications for the following year will be available in October. Interested candidates or their guardians can reach out for more information via email at natasha.herum@rfsd.k12.wi.us.
UWRF: Research benefits students, more
University of Wisconsin-River Falls faculty members who received grant awards for the 2023-24 school year have used that funding for innovative research projects that are furthering product development and have created high-impact student learning opportunities.
Faculty initiatives have included such projects as launching a rocket to take images of the ground below, creating gold nanoparticles, developing environmental justice practices, devising a video game music curriculum, and others.
Those efforts were made possible by the Paul B. and Robert Dykstra Faculty Excellence Award, the Keith Wurtz Award for Teaching Excellence, and the Manley Olson Instructional Academic Staff Professional Development Award. UWRF faculty were chosen for the awards based on research proposals and innovative teaching methods. The awards were announced in August 2023.
The following faculty members were selected to conduct research through those grant award programs:
Paul B. and Robert Dykstra Faculty Excellence Award
Michelle DeBoer, animal science associate professor, said the award enabled her to continue research on best methods for winter blanketing on horses. Her work involved evaluating temperature and humidity under winter horse blankets in various weather conditions. She said her study allows her to provide better blanketing recommendations for horse owners.
“Considering funding for horse-specific research is very difficult to find, the support I received to get this work done has been extremely meaningful to me,” DeBoer, of Roberts, said. “Additionally, this research is very exciting and has received a lot of attention in the equine community.”
Physics Department Chair Glenn Spiczak said receiving the Dykstra award allowed him to work with students to successfully launch a rocket used for ground imaging. The rocket was designed, built, and tested for this year’s 2024 NASA Collegiate Rocket Launch competition.
“Your generosity enabled me to fund my continued engagement with students in research and in the classroom,” Spiczak, of River Falls, wrote in a thank you letter to donor Paul Dykstra. “Thank you for your ongoing support of faculty excellence at UWRF. It is heartening to see individuals like you making a difference in so many ways!”
Funding through the Dykstra award allowed Sam Alvarado, inorganic chemistry associate professor, to purchase chemicals to make gold nanoparticles. He worked with a student to image those nanoparticles with a scanning electron microscope, with the goal of linking them together to make a film that can be studied for its electrical properties. In addition, Alvarado, of River Falls, used funding to purchase a new microwave reactor for the Chemistry Department which will facilitate a variety of research efforts.
“This award has helped me to develop my own research plans as well as find new ways to collaborate,” he said, “and I anticipate that the chemicals and equipment that I have purchased will lead to new discoveries on the UWRF campus.”
Keith Wurtz Award for Teaching Excellence
Shawyn Domyancich-Lee, social work associate professor, expressed gratitude for being selected as a Wurtz award recipient. The program allowed Domyancich-Lee, of New Hope, Minn., to continue to develop a teaching method that incorporates environmental justice and sustainability into existing social work courses and to develop new environmental justice classwork. Award funding also enabled Domyancich-Lee to increase teaching resources, attend trainings and conferences, and build community partnerships with environmental organizations that will benefit students.
“Caring for the environment is a personal passion and I have been very fortunate to have the support of faculty and staff to incorporate that into my work,” Domyancich-Lee said.
Through the Wurtz award, Rebecca Haley, assistant chemistry professor, was able to analyze the effectiveness of oral exams on the confidence of her chemistry students. That work, she said, helped boost students’ confidence and reduced their anxiety. She also used award funding to create new lecture videos for her organic chemistry students.
“Receiving this award has profoundly impacted my professional development,” Haley, of Maplewood, Minn., wrote in a message to donors. “Thank you so much for supporting trailblazing efforts in the classroom.”
Timothy Lyden, anatomy and physiology professor and director of the UWRF Tissue and Cellular Innovation Center, used Wurtz award funding to support development of 3D bioprinting to custom design artificial tissues to study disease and normal development processes. Using award dollars, Lyden, of Spring Valley, purchased a 3D bioprinter that will allow for greater cutting-edge research and collaboration.
“The impact of this award has already been immeasurable and will continue into the future for my teaching, research and collaboration efforts and for the students associated with each of these,” he wrote in a message thanking donors.
Manley Olson Instructional Academic Staff Professional Development Award
Funding made possible by the Manley Olson Award furthered the creation of a new video game music course to be offered at UW-River Falls. The funds paid for Music Lecturer Casey Palbicki and two of his music composition students, to travel to GameSoundCon, the world’s largest game audio convention, to study technologies used to create video game music. They met and learned from some of the genre’s biggest names.
“My trip to GameSoundCon was a great success!” Palbicki, of River Falls, wrote to donors. “I plan to make this trip to GameSoundCon an annual event for UWRF students.”
SCEDC Director Appointed to Governor’s Council on Workforce Investment
Governor Tony Evers has appointed Melissa Meschke, Executive Director of the St. Croix Economic Development Corporation, to the Governor’s Council on Workforce Investment.The council is a federally mandated entity under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act that assists the governor in developing innovative and dynamic approaches to develop Wisconsin’s workforce.Members include business leaders, state legislators and elected officials, representatives from educational institutions, community-based organizations and labor representatives from throughout the state. Council members work closely with the Department of Workforce Development (DWD) to build a workforce development strategy that anticipates employer needs, supports the development of highly skilled labor force, and empowers individuals to pursue and retain good paying careers. "I am honored and excited to join the Governor’s Council on Workforce Investment. This appointment represents a critical opportunity to contribute to the development of innovative strategies that will strengthen Wisconsin's workforce. By collaborating with stakeholders across sectors of business and industry, we can ensure our state is well-equipped to meet the evolving needs of employers." The council is focused on education, employer engagement, increasing workforce participation, and advocating for organization and resource alignment to continuously improve the workforce system. The overarching goal is to help Wisconsin employers find the workers they need and provide resources to enable workers access to training for in-demand careers to move Wisconsin forward in positive ways.
