Monday News Roundup

Transcript

Monday News Roundup

News from the Center · Mon Nov 2, 2026

Today is November 2nd.

These are today's vital statistics.

Shirley Ann Lingard, 91 of Bear Valley and Spring Green died October 24th at Sock Prairie Health Hospital.

A celebration of life will be Saturday, November 14th at 11.30 a.m.

at Clary Memorial Funeral Home with visitations starting at 10 a.m.

until the time of service.

A private family burial will be held at St.

Killian Cemetery

in Bear Valley.

In Louis Fowers, memorials may be given to the UW American Family Children's Hospital in Madison.

Shirley Ann Guard, 91 of Bear Valley and Spring Green.

Christine

M.B.

58 of Richland Center died at home Friday, September 18th.

A celebration of life will be held Saturday, November 7th from 12.30 p.m.

to 3.30 p.m.

at the Richland Center Community Center.

Clary Memorial Funeral Home assisted the family with the arrangements.

Christine M.B.

58 of Richland Center.

This concludes today's vital statistics.

Mondays Roundup.

Brought to you by Chets, Feed, Seed and Such, Richland Hospital, Cardinal Glass CG, and by New Tech Carts.

It's joke day with Phil and Hank, so brace yourself.

These jokes aren't just corny, they're full-on field-tested.

If you're groaning, laughing, or questioning your life choices, you're doing it right.

It's Mondays Roundup.

Making Mondays just a little less Monday-y.

It's time for the roundup.

Hey

everybody, what's going on here?

Yes, indeed.

I'm flying silo, not silo.

Flying solo this morning, Hank Bray, you know, he's out and about.

He must be late getting here.

So we'll have to dock him his pay at least a little bit anyway today as we reminisce a little bit about boy, it was an exciting weekend.

Lots of stuff going on sports wise.

Oh, there you are.

Thanks for taking time.

I got caught up up there.

Yes.

All right.

How are you doing?

Well, I'm doing fine.

Happy Monday.

Happy November 2nd.

Right.

Yes.

How about Ithaca Weston?

Oh my goodness.

What a game.

What a game Friday.

What a game Saturday.

Oh yeah.

River Valley,

making it the state and volleyball.

What a huge week for Wisconsin fans.

Especially around here.

It was.

Absolutely.

But you know, Brewers win, Packers win, Bulldogs win, River Valley, Blackhawks win.

Badgers didn't win.

Arkansas didn't win.

So we're good.

Life is normal.

But, you know, what, what the, uh, Ithaca Western football team, River Valley volleyball team have in common is, um, the word to be perseverance because

we know there's, there's

peaks and valleys and, uh, Ithaca Western down 16 to nothing

came back.

A lot of teams would just go, there's no way.

Yep.

And one 18 to 16.

And you know what, what it will fight.

Those kids just fight, fight and fight.

So it should be a good one Friday night.

Yeah, it should be.

It should be

a good one Saturday more or Friday more.

You and I will be

putting the

miles on.

Yeah.

Well, somebody would be putting the miles on.

Someone's going to be putting the snooze on.

Do you want to ride in the vibe?

Oh, I don't care.

You can drive my car.

Okay.

Well, I can do that.

I just wonder if we could, if we could both fit in the mini.

I don't know.

We have a lot of equipment to haul too.

That ain't no problem there.

We strap that on the back,

strap it on the back or

the top or something.

Yeah, sure.

So anyway, yeah, but that little, that little mini.

Yeah, right.

Yeah, it's ready to go now.

You need to get your pilot's license so we can get back, you know, from Green Bay faster afterwards for the football.

Can we take monster cookies from Christie's?

I guess.

I mean, will the company buy monster cookies for our food?

I'll have to see if it's in the budget.

Oh, yeah.

Thanks a lot.

Your question of the day.

Were you a jock nerd or baddie?

What?

A jock nerd or a baddie?

When I was in high school,

I would say I was a certain, I don't know if I was a baddie or not.

I

don't know.

It's like always in trouble.

Oh,

well, of course I was all three then.

What are

you

now?

Well, I'm not a jock.

No, nerd.

Lean in that way.

Probably.

Yeah.

Always in trouble leaning in that way.

Sometimes

right.

Exactly.

Two thirds out of three ain't bad, Phil.

I had, I

was like Ferris Bueller though.

I could fit in with the jocks and the, you know, whoever,

the

chameleon.

They all thought I was a righteous dude.

Well, really?

Yeah.

Righteous dude.

I don't think I've heard that in a long time.

Ferris Bueller's day off.

Yeah.

You might be from Arkansas, Phil.

When you parallel parking always damage three cars.

Oh, right.

yours, the front and back, right?

Yes.

Well, the, a lot of these new cars park themselves.

Isn't that amazing?

Oh, it's crazy.

Yeah.

I don't know that the vibe doesn't yet.

No, but the vibe is small enough.

It's kind of like the mini, you know, if you can't park that, then you better go back to the DMV and see if you, maybe you need to go get your license

again, again.

Yeah.

I can park it for that.

I can put, I can squeeze that thing pretty much in anywhere.

Right.

Yeah.

Me too.

Yeah.

So if I,

If you pulled up all the way in a parking spot, I could probably fit right behind

you.

Probably.

Yeah.

Yeah.

The vibe of the mini together, that'd make up like one car.

Yeah.

If we're lucky, if we may have a couple of horse could get together in that, maybe a couple of horse, couple of horses, you know, like your daily dilemma, Phillip, would you rather have your alarm clock spray water when it goes off or call June every time you hit the snooze button?

Yeah, I'd say water.

I

don't even water.

Yep.

Oh, well,

speaking of

which yesterday, um, you know, I had, I was just totally blown away that we changed the clocks yesterday.

I, I, for, I had it in my mind all along that it was November 7th.

And then I, somebody here, I think it was either Adam or somebody last week said, no, it's this week.

No, it's not.

It is.

So that threw me off.

And then, you know, I mentioned it a few times Saturday, but then I forgot yesterday here.

I thought I was sleeping in.

Yeah, I did too.

Got up and like, wow, I slept a long time.

Oh, wait

a minute.

No, I didn't.

Oh, it's 630.

Yeah.

And then that's what I thought.

I was like, wow, I did sleep on because we're up early.

Right.

And it's like, Oh, no.

Yeah.

When you claim you're already up, might as well just join up.

Got a little dark early.

Yeah, it didn't.

I don't like that.

Me at my personal idea, but my mom loves it really.

Oh She likes the dark she would have to be after Having kids like us, I guess.

Yeah, right should have raised chickens.

I guess I guess you did raise chickens.

We did but yeah, Jim we should have raised chickens Today is Chet's Chuckle Bruce.

That's right.

Chet's Chuckle.

That's right.

Um

I wonder if the barber shop's kid has anything today.

I

don't know if he does

or not.

I don't know.

Left over Halloween candy.

Yes.

Why is it so cheap to throw a party at a haunted house?

I don't know.

Because the ghosts bring all the boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo

boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo

boo

boo boo boo boo boo boo boo

boo boo boo

boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo

boo

boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo boo

Do you put fertilizer on them?

I said no, I'll put mom's pie and sugar.

Mom's pie crust and sugar.

Yeah, that's a sixth grade comedy club.

Is it?

Yeah, it was, it was, it was actually, do you put manure on your strawberries?

No, milk and sugar.

I

don't put milk on my strawberries.

Yeah,

I don't know

if I do.

I use pie crust.

My mom makes this homemade pie crust.

Oh,

put that on your berries?

Well, crumble it all down in there in the bowl.

And

my mom usually lets the,

Strawberry set for all day.

We get that juice and put sugar on.

Oh boy.

Oh boy.

Talk about home.

That's home.

Sounds good.

Yes.

Yeah.

Why'd the chicken cross the basketball court, Phillip?

Cheapers.

I don't know because the ref called the foul.

Oh boy.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Nice

job roughing the game the other night.

Oh,

thank

you.

Ithaca.

Thank you.

Yeah.

Ithaca Western football.

Yeah.

Again, um,

I salute all officials that do it, but sometimes they take a long time to make decisions.

You guys are just right now.

That's our goal.

You don't want to take the minimum or give momentum to somebody during that call or timeout.

Don't

conference every single time.

Our timeouts are pretty right on the money, aren't they?

Yeah.

Very good job.

That's my timing.

Yeah.

No,

I think it was Tim.

No, no, it was you.

I blow it at 40.

Oh,

so, and we're ready to play in a minute.

So, and that's the rule.

Do her.

Yep.

Get her done.

Why is it easy to trick a leaf in October?

I don't know.

They fall for everything.

Oh my gosh.

They do, they do, they

do.

Oh boy.

Boo!

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Well,

let's see if that amazing kid from Blue River, he's got something.

You know, there were a lot of people that didn't find Cleopatra terribly attractive.

But that's not how Julius Caesar.

Oh my goodness.

That could be a word.

That could be a word of the week there, Caesar.

That boy ain't right.

He's not right.

I wonder if he was in my book of words.

He might have been.

Oh well.

Anyway, so, you know, a young agriculture student thought that he would learn all about farming at the state university.

And he goes out to this

farmer after graduating, he goes, you should be irrigating that field right there.

He told the farmer, he goes, I would be surprised if you make anything at all off the oats in that field.

So what I said, the farmer, that's barley.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, don't, don't,

like one from the old farm journal

or something like that.

He haul.

Yeah.

That was a he haul.

That was a he had.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Cool.

They could probably tell it much better than I. Yeah.

Yeah.

Junior samples.

Yeah.

So it was a tough morning film.

It was.

Yeah.

I said, I, I saw two twins today and they look cute in their matching outfits.

I said, you guys are awful cute in your matching outfits.

Ask if their mother bought them.

Yeah.

They go, uh, we're not twins, but we still need to see your license and registration

place.

Yeah.

I better watch where I go today.

Maybe you're seeing double there.

I don't know.

Why do cows have hooves instead of feet?

I should say I know, but I don't feel.

Because they lack toes.

They lack toes.

Yes, they do.

They lack toes.

Right, right.

Why did Mr. Ohm marry Mrs. Ohm?

Why is that?

Because he couldn't resist her.

My goodness, yes.

Are you done yet?

I once had a girlfriend, Phillip.

She had a huge smile.

Really?

When she smiled, she got lipstick on both ears.

Oh boy.

Yeah, it was

tough.

Yeah.

The same girlfriend, Phillip.

Yeah.

She had, you know, with the big smile.

She had gorgeous long black hair.

Really?

No one ever saw it.

She wore long sleeves all the time.

Oh, the barber's boy.

There's the barber's boy.

You know, it's an election tomorrow.

Yeah.

We keep hearing about affordability.

Man, the economy's gotten tough.

The other night I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.

That's pretty good.

Here's your offer.

The barber's kid.

Oh, that's pretty good.

Hang around the barber

shop

long enough you'll get a haircut

right there.

Yeah.

Talk about tough luck, Phillip.

Yeah.

Well, knowing that he would get life in prison, the three-time loser who was being tried for murder, got in touch with a member of the jury and offered her and offered her his life if she'd convinced the other jurors to find him guilty of manslaughter.

She agreed and the verdict came in for manslaughter.

He thanked the juror profusely and she said, it wasn't that easy.

They all wanted to quit you.

Oh boy.

Was that the kicker?

No, here's your kicker.

Oh,

I have

one more.

I

have one more to kick around.

A guy and his wife are walking through a cemetery and see a headstone that reads, here lies John Kelly, radio announcer and an honest man.

The guy says, how about that?

They put three people in one group.

Oh, yes.

Got to save money, Phil.

Wow, that's tough.

John Kelly.

John Kelly.

Yes.

Oh, well.

That's funny.

That's pretty good, Phil.

All right.

A man walks to the bar with a giraffe, Philip, and orders two pints.

Two pints.

Two pints.

One for himself and one for the giraffe.

The giraffe drinks it immediately.

The man orders another, and the giraffe downs that one too.

This goes on all night long.

At closing time, the draft has passed out on the floor.

The man gets up to leave and the bartender says, hey, wait a minute, you can't leave that line there.

Nah, dude says the man, it's a draft, not a lion.

Oh boy.

That didn't get

much

better from the start.

No, it doesn't.

The draft takes two pints.

It takes a while for it to get down

to his gut.

Yeah.

Imagine the burp.

Yeah.

Exactly.

So my friend, I hope you have a great day and be kind.

Ladies and gentlemen, the comic stylings of Hank Bray.

Good morning everyone.

For WRCO News, I'm Todd Copernall.

It's 59 degrees.

In Richland Center right now, headed to a high today of 65 in the news.

Following a closed session meeting held Tuesday, Verroquo's City Council unanimously voted to move Mayor Krista Brown

to an office on a different floor than the city administrator's office and to restrict one-on-one contact between the mayor and city administrator Julie Emsley.

Mayor Brown is in her first term, having been elected last April.

Emsley began serving as city administrator September 15th.

Since discussion of the matter took place in closed session, no details have been publicly released.

During the closed session, Mayor Brown was allowed to remain in the room, but Administrator Emsley was not.

When the council returned to open session, a motion was made, which moves the mayor's office no later than November 13th, restricts direct access between the administrator and the mayor, and allows the administrator to work from home.

Following the announcement, Mayor Brown issued the following statement.

To whom it concerns, as a city official, I cannot discuss personnel matters.

The information shared and discussed in the closed session is privileged and I will not comment on it.

I strongly disagree with and have deep concerns about the processes and procedures I have observed that led up to this closed session discussion and have communicated those concerns to staff and elected officials many times over the last five weeks.

I disagree with many of the decisions and outcomes of individual council members and the council as a whole over the past weeks.

I disagree with their motion to remove me from my current office and city hall to limit access between the mayor and staff, to redefine communications and cooperation between the mayor and city administrator, and to alter the employment agreement with the city administrator without gathering, accepting nor considering all of the facts.

I've made every attempt to give facts to individual council members through proper channels and have been met with resistance, silence or otherwise.

The decisions made by the council to limit the role, communications and location of the mayor are not in the best interest of the city nor of the residents being represented by those they elected.

Further, the motions approved are not in line with the roles and responsibilities of mayor, council, and staff as outlined in the state statutes and the approved ordinances of our city government.

I have advised them to proceed thoughtfully on this matter and to gather full information before making a decision or a motion.

They took action unanimously and the record shows that.

I have faith and trust in a free and fair press, in access to information, and in the power of the people to use their voice and stand up for their rights.

I believe the unfolding processes will be fairly accurately and promptly shared with the community to keep people up to date with information they deserve to know.

I am grateful for the opportunity to lead as mayor and for the trust of residents.

I will stay ready, fair, and safe in my representation and leadership of the people, and I will always prioritize the good of Verroquo in my response to maintaining the well-being of our place.

I promise to lead from round tables, not behind closed doors.

I have done that and will continue.

Also in Verroquo, an investigation is underway

following a reported criminal trespassing incident involving the household of City Mayor Krista Brown.

According to a release issued by the Verroquo Police Department, local authorities received a report Monday, October 26, stating that 58-year-old Verroquo resident Evan Blatner entered Mayor Brown's home without permission during daylight hours.

Blatner is married to a current Verroquo older person.

To prevent any potential conflict of interest, the Verroqua Police Department handed over the lead investigation to the Vernon County Sheriff's Department.

Following the inquiry, Blatner was taken into custody on charges of criminal trespassing and transported to the Vernon County Jail.

Formal charges are expected to be filed through the Vernon County District Attorney's Office.

The Richland Center Common Council will hold its regular meeting tomorrow at 6.30 p.m.

in the council room at the municipal building.

A major highlight on the agenda is the consideration of the resignation of city administrator Ashley Oliphant, effective January 1st.

Following the acceptance of the resignation, the council will discuss next steps to address leadership continuity, including interim coverage and recruitment plans.

Additionally, the Council will recognize Crash Responder Safety Week from November 2nd through November 6th through an official proclamation.

Several committee recommendations are slated for Council action.

The Budget Committee will present the 2027 Richland Center Fire Department Budget

for review and approval of the city's financial contribution.

The general government committee will review an assignment and amendment for a developer agreement at 291 North Jefferson Street, proposed room tax ordinance amendments, and the 2027 EMS contract with Richland County.

In addition, the planning commission brings forward several matters, including the mandated repeal and replacement of chapter 452 floodplain zoning ordinance required

the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, a land division application by certified survey map from the Wisconsin Corporation of Seventh Day Adventists, and a conditional use permit application from Calerie, LLC.

The Public Works Committee will also present a resolution updating airport lease and rental fees while establishing ongoing adjustment mechanisms.

A new Marquette Law School poll shows very close races in Wisconsin.

In the governor's race, Democrat David Crowley has a small lead over Republican Tom Tiffany.

The race is even closer among all registered voters than it is among people who say they are most likely to vote.

A similar close split appears in state legislative races, where voters are almost evenly divided between the two main parties.

Most voters in both parties say they prefer one party to control both the governor's office and the state legislature.

Independent voters remain split on whether having different parties in power is better.

On specific issues, Crowley leads on health care costs and public education, while Tiffany is favored on cutting taxes.

Proposals from both sides are popular, and amendment to protect abortion rights has majority support, and Tiffany's plan to cut state income tax also gets strong backing from both sides.

Looking at national news, public approval for President Trump has dropped in the state.

partly because of lower support among moderate Republicans.

On trade, most Wisconsin voters oppose new taxes on Canadian goods because they worry it will harm local farmers.

Meanwhile, voters remain divided on how the government should handle immigration and deportations.

In a unanimous vote, the Board of Regents selected Dr. Tanjanita L. Johnson to serve as the next President of the Universities of Wisconsin.

Dr. Johnson currently serves as the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at the University of Alabama System.

bringing extensive higher education leadership experience to her new role, which officially begins on or around January 1st.

Dr. Johnson expressed deep gratitude for the board's decision, emphasizing

public higher education's vital role in driving innovation, economic vitality, and opportunity across the state.

Regents Kyle Weatherly and A-Shock Rye commended her strong visionary leadership, proven system-wide experience, and commitment to uniting campus communities to move the university system forward.

Prior to her leadership at the University of Alabama system, Dr. Johnson held executive leadership positions at the University of Tennessee system, Stony Brook University

University, Middle Tennessee State and Mississippi Valley State.

She holds degrees from the University of Alabama and Jackson State University.

Interim President Renee Wachter will continue serving until Dr. Johnson assumes office after which Wachter will return to leading UW-Superior.

Music fans in western Wisconsin are in for an authentic rural style treat.

Saturday, November 2nd, La Crosse area country favorites.

Larry's Drifters will begin, will bring their signature blend of classic country storytelling.

Rich fiddle runs and steel guitar melodies to the historic City Auditorium in Richland Center from 7 p.m.

until 10 p.m.

led by compelling vocalist Ed Stelner.

Larry's Drifters have earned a devoted regional following.

After years of sharing the stage with top country acts known for regular appearances at beloved venues in the La Crosse area, the group continues to preserve and celebrate traditional country roots with every performance.

Attending the show offers community members a wonderful opportunity to support worthy local causes.

Proceeds from the evening's ticket sales will directly benefit both the American Legion Post 13 special needs account and ongoing renovation efforts for the city auditorium.

General admission tickets are priced at $25, inviting classic country enthusiasts from across the region to enjoy a night of great music while giving back to the community.

The American Red Cross urges donors to give blood or platelets now to help hospitals and transfusion centers stay prepared to help all patients.

There will be a blood drive today from 1 o'clock until 6 o'clock at the Laval Fire Department.

There will also be a blood drive Wednesday from 8 a.m.

to 2 p.m.

at the River Valley High School in Spring Green.

To make an appointment call 800 Red Cross, download the blood donor app or visit redcrossblood.org.

walk-ins are always welcome.

The American Red Cross of Wisconsin is also reminding residents to test their smoke alarms now that they've turned their clocks back.

Taking a few extra minutes to verify that these life-saving devices are fully operational can significantly reduce the risk of home fire injuries and fatalities.

Home fires remain one of the most frequent disasters in the region, but proper preparation makes a critical difference.

Safety experts recommend

placing smoke alarms on every level of the home, particularly inside bedrooms and right outside sleeping areas.

Batteries should be changed at least once a year for models requiring replacement and any alarm over 10 years old should be replaced entirely.

Beyond maintaining smoke detectors, households should establish and regularly practice a comprehensive fire escape plan.

Ensure every family member recognizes two escape routes from each room.

Understands where to meet outside and knows how to dial 911.

Additional preventative steps include annual chimney cleanings using fireplace screens and keeping flammable materials far away from space heaters and cooking appliances.

Every second counts when there's a home fire, emphasize Catherine Robinstein, Chief Executive Officer of the Red Cross of Wisconsin.

The sooner an alarm alerts you to a fire, the sooner you can get to a safer place.

When daylight savings time ends, test your smoke alarms and help prevent a tragedy in your home.

Vital statistics right after this.