WIAA Football preview: Lake Mills tussles with West Salem for spot in state championship game

LAKE MILLS — If the L-Cats’ defense continues to make plays, there will be plenty of reasons to continue flashing the double thumbs-down sign. That sign, taken from the film Gladiator, has been a rallying cry for Lake Mills’ football team, which faces West Salem in a WIAA Division 4 Level 4 game on Friday at 7 p.m. at Stoughton High School for the right to play at Camp Randall Stadium in the state finals. “We’ve been doing the thumbs down gesture since week three against Lakeside,” senior wide receiver and linebacker Blake Bohlman said. “Coach Tyler Huber pulls up a movie clip every week and it’s kind of a theme we roll with. We watched the scene where a thumbs up and he lets them live and thumbs down, he finishes them. It’s a reminder to not get complacent.” Defensive end and tight end JP Brzowski, another one of the team’s 14 seniors, said the thumbs-down sign is about showing no mercy. “It’s been our mentality,” Brzowski said. “We never want to let them have any hope.” To reach their first-ever Level 4 game in the modern era — and second state semifinal in school history (1987) — the

School Board passes 2026-2027 budget

NORTH CRAWFORD - At the North Crawford School Board’s regularly scheduled meeting on October 21, the board passed the 2026-27 district budget. The budget was the same as that presented at the district’s annual meeting held the Monday before. Highlights from the budget include a decrease in the...

Logan football chasing first state title; set to face Port Washington in semifinal

The Rangers are one win away from a berth in the state championship game at Camp Randall Stadium, a venue the program has never played in.

Union Sips brings specialty drinks to UW-La Crosse campus

Students at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse have a new place on campus to grab a specialty beverage. Union Sips opened inside the student union earlier this semester. The concept, which is run by student marketing interns, came about after the Chartwells Higher Education dining team noticed students would head off campus for specialty beverages.

Angels season comes to end ​

RACINE — It wasn’t the result the St. Catherine’s High School football team expected Saturday afternoon in a WIAA Division 4 third-round playoff game at Horlick Field. The Angels, seeded No. 1 in their portion of the playoff bracket, faced No. 2 seeded West Salem, a team from across the state, just outside of La Crosse.

Election and referendum reactions from local school districts

WESTERN WISCONSIN (WLAX/WEUX) – Results from Tuesday’s election showed that voters rejected 34 Wisconsin School Referendums and approved 45. Among the celebratory districts is Winter. Their doors will now remain open after taxpayers voted to approve an additional $1.5 million dollars for each of the next 4 years beginning next school year. This was their […]

Western Wisconsin school districts face budget gaps after voters reject funding referendums

BLACK RIVER FALLS, Wis. (WKBT) — Voters in several local school districts rejected requests for more funding Tuesday, leaving districts with budget problems to solve.

Caledonia Repeats as Section Champions in Football

(ABC 6 News) — High School football highlights from the Section 1AA Championship. Dover-Eyota would fail to get any offense going, as the Warriors would earn the shutout win to head back to State.

Local school districts weigh in on school funding outcomes

WINTER, Wis., (WLAX, WEUX)- Local school districts are weighing in on the current state of school funding following Tuesdays’ election. We previously shared voters rejected 34 Wisconsin school referendums and approved 45. The Winter School District is celebrating. Their doors will now remain open. Their operational referendum passed. Taxpayers voting to approve an additional $1.5 […]

Warriors are state bound after 32-0 win over Dover-Eyota

he Caledonia Warriors are headed back to the state tournament after shutting out the Dover-Eyota Eagles 32-0 in the 1AA Section Final at Paul Giel Stadium in Winona, Minnesota.

‘We will not let them down’: De Soto leaders pledge wise use of referendum funds

DE SOTO, Wis. – De Soto Area school officials are taking a breather after the district’s fourth attempt at an operating referendum in three years was approved by voters. School board President Holly Nickelatti said she is “incredibly grateful” for the trust the community placed in the district when voters approved the $3.6 million operating referendum on Nov. 3.

Western Technical College misses out on child care grant for student parents

LA CROSSE (WKBT) -- A grant rejection is leaving Western Technical College student parents without a potential source of childcare support — and some campus advocates say the loss could disrupt students’ plans to work and continue their education.

Sumner-Fredericksburg, Postville Among Six Iowa Schools Not Playing Varsity Girls Basketball in ’26-27

Six high schools have informed the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union that they will not field a girls varsity basketball team for the 2026-2027 season. The schools listed include Central City, Postville, Starmont, Vinton-Shellsburg, West Central, and Sumner-Fredericksburg. It will be the second straight season without a team for...

Threat to Melrose-Mindoro School District

Western Tech nursing students can transfer all their credits toward bachelor’s degree through new agreement

Western Technical College nursing graduates have another pathway to earn a bachelor’s degree, with all their nursing program credits transferring. Western and Minnesota State University-Mankato signed the transfer agreement Wednesday. It’s the first partnership of its kind between the two schools. The 30-credit, fully online Bachelor of Science...

Local school districts weigh in on funding after referendum results

EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) - Local school districts are discussing the state of school funding after Tuesday’s election. BACKGROUND: Voters reject 34 Wisconsin school referendums, approve 45. Voters rejected 34 Wisconsin school referendums and approved 45. Winter School District. The Winter School District’s operational referendum passed. Taxpayers voted to...

Superintendent of La Crosse Public Schools named 2027 Wisconsin Superintendent of the Year

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WEAU) - The Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators named Dr. Aaron Engel, Superintendent of the La Crosse Public Schools, as the 2027 Wisconsin Superintendent of the Year. According to a press release from the La Crosse School District, Dr. Engel is being recognized for his exceptional...

Community forum examines flaws in Wisconsin school finance as Vernon County voters face five school referendums

VIROQUA, Wis. – Voters across Vernon County are preparing to decide on a series of local school referendums on Tuesday, Nov. 3, as public school districts navigate severe financial pressures under the state funding formula. A community education forum co hosted by Threefold Driftless and the McIntosh Memorial Library...