La Crosse Tribune back issues from May 2007:
Warm weather has local growers enthusiastic
May 01, 2007; ... February was too warm for Tom Ferguson's liking. He was - concerned the unseasonable temperatures would wreak havoc on his apple crop at Ferguson's Morningside Orchard by causing the trees to bud when a late freeze still was likely. Fortunately, Ferguson said, that wasn't the ...
Is Basketball Back?
May 02, 2007; ... After weeks of silence, talk again has resurfaced about the prospect of a minor league basketball team coming to La Crosse. Larry Crain Sr., an Arkansas businessman, plans to visit La Crosse later this week about potentially relocating his NBA Development League team, the Arkansas ...
Leader of City Brewing retires
May 02, 2007; ... The former G. Heileman Brewery might have closed for good had it not been for Randy Smith, who retired Monday as president of the City Brewing Co. That's what friends and business associates said Tuesday of Smith, who was hired as City Brewing president by New York investors Jim Strupp ...
Sparta ethanol investors seek second round of city approvals
May 02, 2007; ... SPARTA, Wis. - The farmers and other investors who want to build an ethanol plant next to Century Foods International in Sparta have asked a judge to halt proceedings in a lawsuit filed by Century Foods, saying they plan to go through the city approval process a second time. Jon Axelrod, ...
Ordinance on server training delayed again
May 02, 2007; ... A La Crosse city committee voted Tuesday to again delay for 30 days action on a proposed ordinance that would require those who serve or sell alcohol be an employee of that establishment. The proposal, introduced by council member Tom Sweeney several months ago, has provisions allowing ...
BOUNCING BACK
May 03, 2007; ... The team owner is here, the point man is here and they met with some potential investors Wednesday night about the prospect of bringing professional basketball back to La Crosse. More meetings are planned today as Larry Crain Sr., owner of the NBA Development League team Arkansas ...
Commodore commotion
May 03, 2007; ... LA CRESCENT, Minn. - Seven dumptrucks, a crane, two front-end loaders, piles of broken cement and lots of mud puddles form the view from The Commodore Restaurant & Lounge, a 1930s-era eatery on the east side of Hwy. 14/61. "It looks like a tornado touched down right around us," owner ...
Putting an end to postponing
May 03, 2007; ... Two days after he retired as City Brewing Co. president and CEO, Randy Smith said Wednesday he is most proud of the jobs created there during his nearly eightyear tenure. "And it's probably one of the main reasons I wanted to get involved" in 1999, when New York investors Jim Strupp and ...
Railroad crossing progress in the works
May 03, 2007; ... The La Crosse Common Council is considering closing three railroad crossings on the city's South Side to meet a federal mandate on railroad safety. Three separate resolutions propose closing railroad crossings at 13th Place and Weston Street, at 27th Street and Diagonal Road and at 14th ...
Hospitals partner up to offer free skin cancer screenings
May 03, 2007; ... Skin cancer is as bad as breast cancer, with the deadliest form increasing at an alarming rate, a LaCrosse dermatologist said Wednesday. "You can't see breast cancer, but you can see melanoma," said Dr. Michael White, a Franciscan Skemp dermatologist. "No one should die from melanoma ...
Gas tops $3 again
May 04, 2007; ... Gasoline prices rose 6 cents, to $3.059 per gallon for regular unleaded fuel, at many La Crosse gas stations Thursday, the first time in months they've crossed the $3 mark. It also isn't far off the $3.10 highest-ever average La Crosse gasoline price, reported Aug. 8, 2006, according to AAA's ...
RimRockers may have found local backing to move team
May 04, 2007; ... If Larry Crain Sr. is going to be the one to end a six-year professional basketball drought in La Crosse, he'll need help. Crain wasn't wielding a divining rod around the city Thursday, but he may very well have found what he was looking for. The Arkansas businessman and owner of the NBA ...
Doyle: Workplace exemptions in smoke-free bill not acceptable
May 04, 2007; ... Gov. Jim Doyle, who was in La Crosse for a town hall meeting on health care, said he will not sign into law any smoke-free workplace legislation that has exemptions. He said bars, restaurants and all workplaces should be treated the same. "It shouldn't matter if you work in a bar or ...
Doyle stresses all kids should have health insurance
May 04, 2007; ... Gov. Jim Doyle says everybody should be concerned about people without health insurance. "All of us who have insurance pay more due to the uninsured," Doyle said Thursday at a town hall meeting about health care at the Cleary Alumni and Friends Center on the University of Wisconsin-La ...
Gundersen Lutheran, UW to form rural medicine partnership
May 04, 2007; ... Gundersen Lutheran and the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health will form a new partnership in the fall in which medical students will spend more time learning primary care in rural areas. In their third and fourth year, UW medical students interested in rural ...
BRIDGE WORK HALTS TRAFFIC
May 05, 2007; ... This evening will see the first significant road closure to repair the Interstate 90 bridge over Hwy. 35 that was damaged in March when hit by a truck carrying an oversized load. Both southbound lanes of Hwy. 35 and I-90's westbound Exit 3 will be closed from 8 p.m. today until 8 p.m ....
UW-L theater head named interim associate dean
May 05, 2007; ... Billy Clow, chairman, of the theater arts department at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, was named Friday as interim associate dean of the university's College of Liberal Studies and interim director of the School of Arts and Communications. Ruthann Benson, who had been one of two ...
Winds of change
May 06, 2007; ... Western Wisconsin may never be a wind energy mecca like southwest Minnesota, northwest Iowa or the Dakotas. But that doesnt mean windmills won't someday dot our skyline. Wind developers - some local, some not - are exploring several projects in the region. So far, there are no ...
FRUITFUL FAMILY FIELDS
May 07, 2007; ... WEST SALEM, Wis. - At age 72, John Jolivette is the third generation of his family in the fruit and vegetable business. These days, he works part time at Jolivette Family Farms, best known in the area for its strawberries, sweet corn and pumpkin patch. He still enjoys growing things and ...
Local officials debate appropriate use of lights, sirens
May 07, 2007; ... As a county committee looks into adopting an Emergency Medical Dispatch operation, the way emergency personnel respond to incidents in La Crosse is being brought into question. Under current policies, first responders with the LaCrosse Fire Department use lights and sirens when ...
La Crosse may get a facelift
May 09, 2007; ... Preliminary plans for the La Crosse County's downtown campus could include a new administrative center, a new parking ramp and rerouting Hwy. 53. Below are further details about the plan, introduced Monday and to be considered by county supervisors in coming months. Q: Why does ...
Sparta ethanol plans halted--For now
May 10, 2007; ... SPARTA, Wis. - A judge Wednesday voided city approvals to build an ethanol plant in Sparta at the request of three parties involved in a lawsuit over the proposed plant. Coulee Area Renewable Energy LLC, which wants to build the ethanol plant next to Century Foods International, intends ...
Price Peak
May 12, 2007; ... Gasoline prices rose 6 cents, to $3.159 per gallon for regular unleaded fuel at many La Crosse gasoline stations Friday, a record high for the community. The highest-ever average La Crosse gasoline price for regular unleaded had been $3.101, recorded on Aug. 8, 2006, according to AAA's ...
Franciscan Skemp sends laundry to Rochester
May 15, 2007; ... Franciscan Skemp Healthcare is sending out its dirty laundry. The La Crosse-based healthcare system has discontinued its laundry services and now contracts with Textile Care Services, Rochester, Minn., to pick up and deliver laundry twice a day. On Monday, two trucks from Textile Care ...
La Crosse County's nursing home losses are below the state average
May 13, 2007; ... WEST SALEM, Wis. - La Crosse County's Lakeview Health Center continues to lose nearly $2 million a year, but a new report shows that public nursing home losses are greater elsewhere. According to the Wisconsin Taxpayer Alliance, most countyowned nursing homes in the state are operating ...
Good year for tourism
May 13, 2007; ... Tourism spending rose in most area counties in 2006, according to numbers released last week by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism. Statewide, tourism spending rose in 2006 by 7.3 percent, to $12.8 billion. In La Crosse County, travelers spent an estimated $213.3 million, up 3.9 ...
Seattle couple buys Norwalk grocery store and new way of life
May 13, 2007; ... NORWALK, Wis. - Dan and Loretta Sexton have left the Seattle-area rat race and settled in as new owners of the Norwalk Market, formerly known as Lehner's Market. "Theresa's been a wonderful mentor and teacher," Loretta said of Theresa Lehner, who had owned the grocery store for nearly 17 ...
County explores housing affordability
May 18, 2007; ... La Crosse County will need 8,000 more housing units by the year 2025, but some officials are worried about how many of them will be affordably priced. The county brought together housing advocates, developers, lenders and public officials Thursday for a half-day collaboration conference, ...
County sets 2008 budget limits
May 18, 2007; ... Nobody's knows how the Legislature and Gov. Jim Doyle will limit property taxes in 2008, but La Crosse County's planning on Doyle's proposal for a 4 percent increase. The county board voted 24-6 Thursday on budget guidelines for 2008 that would include 4 percent more in property tax ...
Woman drops lawsuit against Z93
May 18, 2007; ... MADISON - A La Crosse woman has dropped the federal lawsuit she filed last year against WIZM-FM after claiming a disc jockey recorded her phone calls to the radio station and ridiculed her when he broadcast them. The suit Janet Amaral filed alleged that Brian Simpson, or "Bender" as he ...
Western Technical to create corporate training center
May 18, 2007; ... Western Technical College officials announced Thursday plans to remodel and expand the Coleman Center at 304 N. Sixth St. to create a new Community and Corporate Training Center. At a news conference, Western president Lee Rasch said he hopes construction for the estimated $4 million ...
Pretasky: Even money that team will move to La Crosse
May 19, 2007; ... Local businessman and La Crosse Center Board member Dave Pretasky confirmed Friday afternoon he is the minority investor in an attempt to bring an NBA Development League team to La Crosse. Pretasky said "it's 50-50 at this point" as to whether Arkansas RimRockers owner Larry Crain can ...
County considers big changes to downtown campus complex
May 08, 2007; ... Should they stay or should they go? That's the question facing LaCrosse County supervisors as they consider whether to renovate the nearly 50-year-old Administrative Center or build a new facility. Their decision, which would come in the next 12 to 18 months, could drastically ...
DOT orders city to remove Copeland Avenue banners
May 08, 2007; ... The 5-foot banners that went up on light poles along Copeland Avenue in April show some of La Crosse's best features. A view of the bluffs. The two Mississippi River bridges. Two popular statues. But what's on the bottom quarter of the banners now is causing ...
County considers land use plan
May 08, 2007; ... La Crosse County supervisors got a first look Monday at the most controversial part of the new comprehensive plan: land use. The plan, required by Wisconsin's Smart Growth law, has several elements, including transportation, recreation and economic development. But land use is the ...
LHI chairman predicts continued growth
May 17, 2007; ... Construction began Tuesday on Logistics Health Inc.'s second downtown office building, and the two buildings together probably will house 1,000 to 1,200 employees in three to four years, LHI Chairman and CEO Don Weber said Wednesday. About 460 employees are working in the LHI building ...
Justin Trails offers tranquility with the comforts of home
May 20, 2007; ... SPARTA, Wis. - Tucked inside a tranquil, secluded Sparta valley lies a pristine resort ideal for visitors searching for recreation and relaxation. "Any excuse is a good excuse to come," said Donna Justin, who owns Justin Trails Resort with husband, Don. The bed and breakfast is ...
No rims to be rocked
May 24, 2007; ... The Arkansas RimRockers' potential move to La Crosse appears dead. No miraculous resurrection this time, either. Dave Pretasky, who would have been a minority owner in the NBA Developmental League team, said Wednesday afternoon he wants official word from majority owner Larry ...
Vegetable oil recycling center opens in Blair
May 24, 2007; ... BLAIR, Wis. - Businesses use it to fuel their furnaces or heat their water. Some businesses and individuals convert their automobiles to run on it. "It" is used vegetable oil, which the new Coulee Region Bio-Fuels LLC has begun collecting, recycling and selling for use as ...
Ambulance board calls for action before mediation
May 24, 2007; ... The Tri-State Ambulance Board said Wednesday it wants La Crosse County to meet two conditions before it will enter mediation on providing emergency medical services in La Crosse. The board voted to require that the county's Public Safety Communications Governing Board put its proposed ...
Midwest has top gas prices
May 23, 2007; ... When LaCrosse area residents gas up for Memorial Day holiday travel, they likely will pay less than motorists in other parts of the state. That's little consolation, however, when Wisconsin prices are among the highest in the nation. According to AAA, the La Crosse market ...
Staying put
May 23, 2007; ... The U.S. Postal Service has decided against moving some mail processing operations from LaCrosse to Rochester, Minn. In a three-paragraph letter, the agency notified city and business leaders and news organizations Tuesday that a study of La Crosse's mad processing operations indicated ...
Emergency talk
May 22, 2007; ... City officials and Tri-State Ambulance want a third party to mediate its increasingly strained talks about who should provide ambulance service in La Crosse. The city has been tossing around the idea of a cityprovided ambulance since at least 2002, when a study by then-Fire Chief Pete ...
A citrus shade of pale
May 26, 2007; ... City Brewery's new Golden Leaf Pale Ale will make its debut next week in Coulee Region bars, restaurants and stores. The new brew will have slightly more bitterness and "citrus floral bouquet" than City Pale Ale, which it replaces, said Jon Reynolds, the brewery's director of marketing ...
Dairyland nuclear waste ready to ride rails to South Carolina
May 26, 2007; ... GENOA, Wis. - A train carrying low-level nuclear waste is preparing to leave the Dairyland Power Cooperative site in Genoa for a disposal facility in South Carolina. Just dont ask Dairyland Power officials when or by what route - under federal law, they can't say. Dairyland is ...
Working poor take biggest hit from gas prices
May 29, 2007; ... Melissa Bakken recently began asking friends who need rides to chip in for gasoline. Bakken is 25 and a single mom making $7.50 an hour at her job. "When I started driving, it was 98 cents a gallon," Bakken said. "That was only nine years ago. And yet my wage hasn't gone up, but ...
Gundersen digs deep for parking
May 30, 2007; ... Gundersen Lutheran plans to build a two-level underground parking structure next to its main clinic in LaCrosse, one of first steps in addressing the medical center's future parking needs. The parking structure, which will have 370 spaces, will be located under the Green Lot, just north ...
New WTC welding program targets young offenders
May 30, 2007; ... Shane Lancour of La Crosse has never earned more than $8.50 an hour at various jobs stacking lumber, washing dishes, cleaning cars. "You name it, I've had quite a few different jobs," the 20-yearold said Tuesday as he inspected several welds he'd just made in a Western Technical College ...
Sink or swim
May 31, 2007; ... Memorial Pool doesn't have the waterslides and splash parks the other La Crosse swimming holes feature. But, according to Park and Recreation superintendent Mike Ulrich, the pool near the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse is still tops on a hot summer day. "As far as cool water ...