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This Weeks Articles for 1/8/2026 ...

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Wisconsin’s First-Ever Regional Outdoor Rec Plan Poised For Completion

eight western Wisconsin counties will submit unified regional plan to USDA for approval

The state’s Regional Outdoor Recreation Plan (RORP) will soon hit the USDA’s desk in hopes of gaining approval. The 164-page document was a 16-month effort between key stakeholders among eight western Wisconsin counties and could serve as a foundational turning point for the region.

A first-ever endeavor for Wisconsin, if not beyond state lines, the RORP is the product of Buffalo, Chippewa, Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Pepin and Trempealeau counties’ shared vision to connect and bolster their rural rec scenes – consequently integrating the region’s economic, social and environmental goals...

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How Data Was Collected & Analyzed

A steering committee made up of representatives from all eight counties guided the RORP’s creation. Additional professional support was provided by the West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (WCWRPC), Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission, Bluebird Consulting and Visit Eau Claire. Nearly 200 individuals had their fingerprints on the RORP during its 16-month planning process...

Click here for the latest Regional Outdoor Recreation Plan (RORP) draft, shared on Dec. 23, 2025 • View additional information about the plan, interactive maps, individual county survey results and more online at 8-county-rorp-wcwrpc.hub.arcgis.com/.

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Ken Notes: Please read the entire article at the link. We are proud to have been a part of this process and look forward to continuing to work on creating a destination for both Wisconsin and the Region.

MRRPC Launches Small Business Development Grant Program: Turning Ideas into Action

The Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission (MRRPC) is proud to announce the Small Business Development Grant - Business Plan and Pitch Contest, a program designed to help entrepreneurs transform their ideas into thriving businesses.

In partnership with the UW-La Crosse Small Business Development Center and the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC) - La Crosse Office, and with $18,000 in funding from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), MRRPC is offering training, resources, and support to strengthen the regional economy through entrepreneurship.

Program Highlights:

Business Plan Contest: Open to new or existing businesses in the MRRPC nine-county region. Participants will develop a detailed business plan (up to 24 pages, not including cover page) covering areas such as executive summary, company description, market analysis, organizational structure, products and services, marketing strategy, financial projections, and supporting materials.

Prizes Totaling $12,000!

1st Place: $5,000
2nd Place: $3,000
3rd Place: $2,000
4th Place: $1,000
5th Place: $500
6th Place: $250
7th Place: $250

Pitch Contest: The top seven business plan winners will advance to pitch their idea in a 5-7 minute presentation to a panel of judges for a share of an additional $6,000 in funding.

Eligibility:

Entrepreneurs in the idea stage or startup stage
Existing businesses seeking expansion, operational improvements, or new market opportunities
Located within MRRPC’s nine-county region

All applications must be submitted by:
February 13th at 12:00 PM to jon@mrrpc.com.

Contact:

Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission
811 Monitor Street, Suite 201
La Crosse, WI 54603
Phone: 608.785.9396
Email: jon@mrrpc.com Website: www.mrrpc.com

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Jon Notes: Please share this with local businesses...

Historic Black Hawk Bridge demolished in Lansing

LANSING, Iowa (WXOW) – The historic Black Hawk Bridge, which connected Lansing, Iowa to Crawford County, Wisconsin for decades, was demolished late Friday morning.

Crews used 120 pounds of explosives to bring down the structure as part of construction on a new bridge over the Mississippi River.

Bruce “Barney” Carlson, a Lansing resident, said, “Well it was just iconic, it was our brand.”

The demolition, originally scheduled earlier in the day, was delayed several times due to cold temperatures. Despite the delays, many residents gathered to witness the bridge’s final moments...

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Ken Notes: A great Video at the link!

Uniquely Wisconsin features three Pierce County staples in video series

Three different businesses, three different Pierce County locations, but they all share a love for the area and its people. Discover Wisconsin recently featured Pierce County’s Vino in the Valley, Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery and Prescott’s Megan Langer over the course of three Uniquely Wisconsin video series episodes.

All three episodes have tens of thousands of views, sharing a similar sentiment of appreciation for the area...

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Regional Economic Development Entities

Mississippi River Regional Planning Commision	SouthWest NorthWest State	Coulee Regional Business Center	THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI MANUFACTURING ALLIANCE
	Vernon Co. Economic Development	La Crosse Area Development Corporation	SBDC La Crosse
Economic Development	Community Development	Economic Development	Economic Development

Trempealeau County Economic Development	The Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC)	Vernon Economic Development Association	Workforce Connections, Inc.
The Pierce County EDC EDC quarterly	Western Dairyland Economic Opportunity Council	Job and Business Development (JBD) Program
Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority	USDA Rural Development Wisconsin	Xcel Energy Economic Development	Economic Development

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DATCP Designates New Agricultural Enterprise Areas in WI Counties

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) designated more than 96,000 acres in Monroe, Shawano, and Sheboygan counties as new agricultural enterprise areas (AEAs) effective January 1, 2026. With these additions, there are 54 AEAs statewide totaling 1,737,876 acres covering portions of 33 counties, 147 towns, and the Bad River Reservation.

AEA designations are important to Wisconsin’s agricultural future and support local farmland protection goals, the agricultural economy, environmental efforts, and rural prosperity. Landowners within designated AEAs are eligible to enter into voluntary farmland preservation agreements, committing all or a portion of their farm to agricultural use and maintaining state soil and water conservation standards. In return, they may be eligible to claim the annual farmland preservation tax credit.

The new AEAs include:

Lemonweir River Cranberry Region AEA, located in Monroe County, includes more than 64,000 acres in the towns of Byron, Greenfield, La Grange, Lincoln, and Scott. Local governments and partners joined 60 landowners to petition for designation of this AEA. Petitioners want to protect shared natural resources that support the viability of the region’s cranberry and dairy production, as well as local wildlife habitat.

Local contact: Bradley Robson, conservation agronomist, (608) 269-8976.

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News from the Driftless Area

This is an audio link...

We talk about people, places and history of the upper Mississippi River with Reggie McLeod, the editor and publisher of Big River magazine. This issue covers a family with a goal to paddle down the entire Mississippi, slimy sculpin in Crawford County and plenty of other news from the Driftless Area...

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Ken Note: WRP has been a great friend of our region by making the Driftless and Mississippi River Valley state wide news.

Wisconsin DNR marks 125 years of state parks

MADISON (WKOW) -- The Wisconsin DNR celebrated 125 years of the State Park System in 2025 and is encouraging visitors to look forward to the future.

This year, parks welcomed nearly 21 million visitors, held more than 1,500 programs, and introduced a new 12-month vehicle pass for more flexible access.

New projects included universal kayak launches, mobility mats, and accessible recreation opportunities for all...

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What to know about a Driftless area high-voltage power line proposal

Key Points

The MariBell project is a 140-mile, 765-kilovolt power line that would run from Marion, Minnesota to Bell Center, Wisconsin.
It`s being developed by Dairyland Power Cooperative, in La Crosse, and GridLiance, a transmission utility company.
Dairyland and GridLiance will seek approval from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission in September to construct the line.
Area residents are skeptical of its potential impacts on wildlife, property values and the unique landscape of the Driftless.

Plans for a high-voltage transmission line are making waves across Wisconsin`s Driftless region.

It would be the first 765-kilovolt line in Wisconsin, part of a broader route that backers say would form a "transmission superhighway" across the region.

Proponents say the line is needed to improve the reliability of the Midwest`s power grid and will eventually lower energy costs. Area residents are skeptical of what it might mean.

Here`s what you should know.

What is the MariBell transmission line project, and where will the line run?

The MariBell project is a 140-mile, 765-kilovolt power line that would run from Marion, Minnesota across the Mississippi River and into western Wisconsin`s Vernon and Crawford counties, ending in Bell Center...

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The Great River Road

MAP		Discover Wisconsin Great River Road Video

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Westby Cooperative Creamery unveils refreshed logos and packaging

WESTBY, Wis. — As Westby Cooperative Creamery embarks on 2026 with a major expansion project, the Cooperative on Tuesday unveiled a refreshed logo and packaging design intended to reflect the company’s bold steps toward securing its future as the “Cottage Cheese Capital of Wisconsin.”

The updated look, announced Jan. 7, introduces modern fonts and a refined color palette while honoring the creamery’s farmers-first tradition. Officials likened the rebrand to “giving a barn a fresh coat of lime”...

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Summary of local news stories for 2025

We worked hard to cover more local stories in 2025 and we accomplished a lot. We have published over 1600 local stories since we started publishing and over 730 of those were in 2025. Some of these we simple press releases but many of them were complex issues that require a lot of time and effort. Below is a summary of just some of the bigger stories from the last year. This is by no means complete list but an overview of our coverage.

If there is a topic you are curious about, enter a keyword in the search bar and may we probably covered it.

New fire station opens and city budget passes with wage increases The City of Viroqua celebrated the completion of a major public safety project...

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Ken Notes: Lots of great stories at the link...

Emplify Health by Gundersen Hillsboro Area launches school-based virtual care to provide timely medical access for students.

HILLSBORO, Wis. — Emplify Health by Gundersen Hillsboro Area is proud to announce the launch of its innovative School-based Virtual Care service, designed to connect students directly with Emplify Health by Gundersen providers during the school day for timely, convenient medical care without leaving school.

This new service, supervised by school nurses employed by Emplify Health by Gundersen, connects students virtually with a primary care provider using secure, state-of-the-art technology. The virtual care unit, TytoCare, enables providers to listen to heart and lungs, examine ears, throat, and skin, and check vital signs remotely...

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Crawford County Independent & Kickapoo Scout - Year in Review

JANUARY - Jerry Boardman doesn`t remember exactly when he started collecting acorns in the fall. But the thousands upon thousands of them he gathers to share with people working to improve habitat along the Mississippi River... ...Full Story Here

Tourism Resources and Events in Our Region

Western Wisconsin Regional Outdoor Recreation Plan for Rural Areas 2025

Monroe County Events Calendar	Crawford County Events Calendar Visitor Guide	Vernon County Events Calendar Visitor Guide
La Crosse County Events Calendar Visitor Guide	Trempealeau County Events Calendar Visitor Guide	Buffalo County Events Calendar
Pepin County Events Calendar Visitor Guide	Pierce County Events Calendar	Jackson County Events Calendar Visitor Guide

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Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission (MRRPC)

Working together to make the Mississippi River Region a great place to live and work.

The Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission provides planning and economic development services to improve the region`s environment, economy and quality of life. We serve a nine county region, providing studies and planning services, resources and data to help with your grant applications or reporting needs, and business loans.