Local News

By Correne Martin

Two crew members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary-Prairie du Chien Flotilla were in the right place at the right time Thursday, Sept. 10, when they observed a man fall from a Winneshiek Marina dock and stepped in to save his life.

Coxswain Steve Gress and crew member Joanie Dickerson, of the 22-foot Kaylee-Annie pontoon, were returning from patrol when they saw a couple walking down the dock. They witnessed the woman bend over to pick up something when her husband tripped over her and fell head first into the harbor. The man, who appeared to be in his 70s but was not identified by the Coast Guard Auxiliary, disappeared from their sight under the water, which is about 12 feet deep in that area, Gress said.

By Correne Martin

It was cute and chaotic, but as a 4 year old in the Rhinelander Soccer Club’s 6 and under program, Landon Kohler essentially learned to love the game. Back then, like his young teammates, he worked mostly on passing and trying to score, and any chance he got, he was kicking the ball around in his back yard.  

At age 8, Landon moved with his parents, Kirby and Melissa, his older sister Autumn and younger brother Tanner to Prairie du Chien. Locally, in this smaller and more football-focused community, the soccer opportunities weren’t as technical, physical or as strong in numbers. These days, the Prairie United Soccer Club (PUSC) is growing; however, the competitive offerings are still minimal for kids like Landon, now 11, whose primary passion is soccer and whose abilities are undeniable.

“He has the skillset to play mid(fielder) without a doubt,” his dad, Kirby, said. “He dreams about soccer. He wants to do it all the time.”

On Monday, Sept. 21, at the Lonnie and Jane Achenbach farm in rural Eastman, Rural Life Day will celebrate God’s gift of the fruits of the earth and show appreciation toward farmers who are good stewards of these fruits and resources. The event, sponsored by the Rural Life Committee of the La Crosse Diocese, will begin with Bishop William P. Callahan saying Mass at 10 a.m. Clergy Father Viktor Feltes and Father James Weighner will also be there.

On Sept. 12, at approximately 2:30 a.m., a Crawford County sheriff’s deputy was patrolling Highway 60 in Bridgeport Township when he observed a vehicle make an abrupt turn off Highway 60 onto Vet Lane, striking an object that was later identified as a Waste Management garbage container. The speed of the vehicle significantly increased after turning. The deputy pursued the vehicle to the end of Vet Lane, where the driver exited the vehicle and fled into the woods on foot. After a foot pursuit, the driver was taken into custody and identified as Damien J. Prew, 26, Wauzeka.

Possible charges of operating a motor vehicle after revocation, no interlock ignition device, hit and run property adjacent to highway, failure to maintain control and reckless driving are being referred to the District Attorney’s Office.

Prew is currently held at the Crawford County Jail on a probation violation.