Suspended disbelief | The Weekly Wausonian

Wausau news for the week of Oct. 10, 2024

“Seriously?” Wausau Mayor Doug Diny asked at the end of a nearly two-hour city council meeting Tuesday.

The council had just used a slick maneuver to kill a ballot box security measure Diny put forward, which negated any discussion on the issue.

That’s the latest fallout from a scandal involving Diny removing a ballot box from the steps of Wausau city hall on a Sunday two weeks ago. The story became national news, there’s a statewide investigation into the box’s removal, and now it appears Diny has lost any connection he might have had with the city council.

The ballot box has become a culture war issue, with left and right-leaning people speaking for more than an hour Tuesday night — either to chastise Diny or to show support for him.

The maneuver that left Diny nonplussed came toward the end of the meeting. Council Member Michael Martens moved to suspend the rules to take up only one of two resolutions, something that ordinarily is a non-issue. When Diny asked for a motion on the ballot box security issue, the council remained silent.

And THAT came after the beginning of the meeting, in which Diny began giving a speech prior to public comment. After some time, council members started shouting that he was out of order and to get on with the meeting.

See Diny’s commentary and the dustup below, along with the “suspend the rules” maneuver in the video below:

Don’t miss our story on Wausau’s newest, chillest place - The Lounge:

What else in Wausau?

Faltered mayoral appointment: Another typically routine item on the city council was shut down Tuesday. A mayoral appointment to the city’s Police and Fire Commission was sent back to the mayor after City Council Member Carol Lukens pointed out that the forms weren’t filled out sufficiently to give council members enough information to make a decision.

UWSP Wausau numbers faltering: It’s a story we plan to look into further, but the latest numbers from UWSP Wausau look worse than ever. The school only enrolled 269 students last fall - down from 368 students the previous fall. UWSP administrators say they have nearly 10 times the number of applications for next spring and fall as they did at the same time last year, though, signaling some hope for the institution. That news comes as a number of two-year and satellite schools in the UW System have announced their closure.

Remember that Boy and the Boot statue in the mall?: Turns out the statue is looking to get a new home in the mall redevelopment area. Representatives of Becher-Hoppe told the city they would like to install it in the downtown area where the mall is. Currently it’s being stored by the city. The feature would be removed in the winter to keep it in good condition.

Wausau actress in new role: Wausau native Skylar Witte will appear in a new film. Deadly Fiance debuts on Amazon Prime on Oct. 25, and stars Witte along with Cerina Vincent, Johnny Marques and Izabellah Rae Diez.

Around the metro

Schofield fire leaves one dead: The State Fire Marshall’s Office is investigating a fire that left one dead, one hospitalized and several injured at a Schofield apartment complex in the 600 block of Grand Avenue.

Business

Timekeeper eyeing Ashwaubenon location: Timekeeper Distillery received approval to operate a second location in the village of Ashwaubenon. A new state law allows breweries, wineries and distilleries to open a second location somewhere else in the state. The new Timekeeper Distillery location would go into a building next to Souper Day in the Green Bay area village.

New businesses downtown spotted: A new business called The Norwegian Wood, named after the Beatles song, set up shop on Third Street next to the old La Prima Deli location. It sells some unique vintage clothing along with a pretty sweet vinyl selection. And speaking of La Prima, there is a new sign on the door now that reads “Buzzed - plants coffee goodies” and work appeared to be underway on the interior.

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Entertainment

Thursday, Oct. 10: There’s something especially impressive to me about a guy who can put together a band all by himself. Bradley Sperger is just that — the rock/blues musician builds an entire song by himself, and you get to watch him do it live adding percussion, bass, guitar and effects onto his track while he sings over it! On top of that, Sperger has some pretty serious songwriting and recording chops, and his music is worth a listen to on Spotify. You can check him out Thursday at The Garage, which is quickly becoming one of the top music hot spots in the area. 4-8 pm. Check out the event page for more.

Saturday, Oct. 12: As the old McSweeney’s article states, “it’s decorative gourd season…” Well you know the rest. Fall is here, and that means it’s time for harvest fests! Ringle Harvest Fest is in its 28th season and will feature more than 100 vendors on grass, parking lots and the roads of Ringle. Besides the vendors, there is plenty for the kids and adults alike with a petting zoo, food trucks, antiques, arts, crafts, and as their event said, “good, old junk.” And most assuredly, there will be pumpkins and gourds around. 9 am to 3 pm. See the event page for more.

Sat-Sun, Oct. 12-13: Indigenous People’s Day is an important part of native culture, and this Pow Wow celebrates that culture in a two-day festival that features Native American dancing, drumming, vendors and food. There will be a Grand Entry at 1 pm and 7 pm, and a feast at 5 pm on Saturday; And another Grand Entry at noon on Sunday. And don’t miss the art market, with plenty of indigenous crafts to be found. It’s a fun event for the whole family. Doors open at 10 am both days. Free. See the event page for more.

Looking for kids/family events? Check out the family-oriented listing from The Wausonian’s partner Wausau Mama, who puts together a weekly listing of children/family activities.

Sports

Football: D.C. Everest lost to Chippewa Falls 41-36 Friday in a non-conference matchup. The Evergreens still lead the conference at 4-0. D.C. Everest will host SPASH on Friday, currently tied for first with 4-0 on the season.

Volleyball: D.C. Everest sent Wausau East packing in straight sets Tuesday, but the 6-2 Evergreens remain in second place in the Wisconsin Valley Conference. They and the rest of the conference will head to the WVC meet this Saturday.

Boys soccer: Hezekiah Mletzko scored four goals for D.C. Everest as it defeated Marshfield 8-2 Thursday. The Evergreens hold on to first place with only one conference loss this season. They’ll head to Wisconsin Rapids today (Thursday) as pool play begins.

Girls tennis: No. 1 singles player Mia Bailey of Wausau West won the Wisconsin Valley Conference Tournament Thursday as the Warriors tied with Wisconsin Rapids for the team title.

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