Around Town

BOOK CLUB: Book of the Month for the Scandinavia Public Library’s Book Club is  “All the Beauty in the World” by Patrick Bringley. The book will be discussed on Tuesday, Feb. 24, starting with Fika at 3:40 p.m. Copies of the book are available to pick up at the Scandinavia Library, or you can place a hold through Infosoup here.

FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE: It’s time to sign up for the brat stand at Iola Sentry Foods for 2026. You must sign up in person for the organization you’re representing. There are update rules.

SAVE THE DATE: The annual Chili Luncheon fundraiser for the Scandinavia Historical Society of Wisconsin is Sunday, Feb. 22, from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. at Silver Lake Lanes. Adults $9 and children 5-12 $5.

Business Hours

SCHMIDT’S CORNERS: Starting Monday, Feb. 9, hours will be Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m.-close.

Job Opportunities

Around the County

FREMONT ASSESSMENT INVESTIGATION: The Department of Revenue will now begin an investigation into the uniformity and compliance of the Village of Fremont’s 2025 assessments. Residents state that many Fremont properties were assessed at values they believed were significantly higher and lower than online market estimates, following the 2025 reassessment. Read the Weyauwega Fremont News & Events story here.

BARN FIRE: Numerous fire departments, including Iola and Scandinavia, responded to a barn fire on Fuhs Road in Manawa on Friday, Jan. 30. The barn collapsed.

Around the State

FREE VOTER ID: With the Wisconsin Spring Primary Election fast approaching, the Wisconsin DMV is reminding residents of how to obtain free identification that will be valid for voting. Read the WFRV story here.

NIX C ONCEALED CARRY PERMITS: A Republican lawmaker wants to get rid of certain regulations for carrying a firearm in Wisconsin. There are 29 states that allow constitutional carry, which means individuals can carry a concealed firearm without a permit, and have instead constitutional carry. Assembly Bill 609 removes the requirement to have a license to carry a concealed weapon in Wisconsin. Read the Spectrum News 1 story here.

MAKE ELECTIONS GREAT AGAIN: Wisconsin GOP Rep. Bryan Steil, chairman of the House Administration Committee, on Thursday announced a comprehensive package of election reforms titled the Make Elections Great Again (MEGA) Act, which, if signed into law, would require baseline requirements be put in place for state election administration. Read the Just the News story here.

DISRUPTIVE STUDENT REMOVAL: At a packed Jan. 28 hearing, critics opposed a proposed teachers’ “Bill of Rights,” warning of impacts on students with disabilities. The bill allows teachers to remove disruptive students and protects them from termination. Author Sen. Rachael Cabral-Guevera says it aims to shield teachers from violence and classroom disruptions. Read the WSAU story here.

DEER HUNTER NUMBERS DECLINING: In the 1990s, deer hunters numbered about 700,000; now it’s around 550,000. By 2040, that number could decline to 190,000 male hunters. Read the WAOW story here.

FOREIGN MONEY OUT: Wisconsin Democrats and Republicans have introduced bills to ban referendum committees from accepting foreign contributions, following a recent FEC decision. The GOP’s Assembly Bill 906 adds stricter requirements, including written donor affirmations and confirmation that no more than $100,000 was accepted from foreign nationals in the past four years, plus assurances of no foreign-funded preliminary activity. Read the The Center Square article here.

LEGALIZE CANNABIS: Democratic lawmakers introduced a bill Monday to legalize recreational and medicinal marijuana in Wisconsin. The measure includes record expungement outreach for past marijuana offenses. Meanwhile, several Senate Republicans are pursuing separate legislation to allow marijuana only for medical use. Both efforts signal growing momentum for cannabis reform in the state. Read the WMTV story here.

Interesting Facts

While browsing the internet, some interesting facts emerge that are worth sharing. These are a few recently seen.

POPE WROTE SCANDALOUS NOVEL: Well, the good news is Pius II didn’t write The Tale of Two Lovers when he was Pope of the Roman Catholic Church (1458-64). Enea Silvio Piccolomini penned the volume in 1444. The book is about a sordid affair between a married woman and the Duke of Austria. He also wrote erotic poetry.

ONLY 2X MEDAL OF FREEDOM RECIPIENTS: This highest civilian award in America by Presidents was only awarded to two people twice. They are Ellsworth Bunker (1963 and 1967) and Colin Powell (1991 and 1993).