WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2018
Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897
VOL. 120 NO. 31 www.osceolasun.com $1.00
SPORTS: St. Croix Falls wrestlers finish second, third at state. PAGE 10
Osceola teen has NASCAR ambitions BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
For now, 13-year-old Gavin Olson races quarter midget racecars. And he’s good at it. Last year, with just a year and a half of experience, the Osceola seventh grader competed against more practiced racers at the Cedar Lake Speedway. He earned several trophies, recognition as the year’s Most Dedicated Driver, and placed second in points for the season. Olson’s goal is to continue racing and hopefully someday race in NASCAR. Fittingly, he raced last year at the Eldora Speedway in Ohio, a track owned by NASCAR legend Tony Stewart. “In an intense race, Gavin was side swiped and cut off going into the corner and flipped his car end over end and side over side,” recalled his mother, Sunday Olson. “Although very
BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
Once a year since 2000, students at Osceola High School have taken to the stage, displaying talents they don’t have much chance to use in the classroom. They sing. They dance. Play guitar. Tell jokes. For the privilege of watching these performances, locals donate what they can at the door. Each year, the proceeds go to a cause chosen by the OHS Drama Club. This year, the Variety Show will benefit cancer patients. “The Drama Club has decided to make the Variety Show a benefit for the Relay for Life of Polk and Burnett Counties, supporting the American Cancer Society,” explained OHS Drama Club Director Kevin Carlson. The show was first conceived as a fundraiser for SEE SHOW, PAGE 6
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Gavin Olson at “Thunder in the Valley,” the last race of the season at the Cedar Lake Speedway indoor arena.
SEE OLSON, PAGE 6
OHS Variety Show will benefit Relay for Life
County Board invites broadband expansion BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
High-speed internet access is an official priority of Polk County, after the county board voted last week to establish a goal of readily accessible broadband. The county will back that objective with a $1,000 contribution per year to any telecommunications utility using the Broadband Expansion Grant Program to bring infrastructure to underserved areas of Polk County. The county will also waive fees associated with broadband expansion — highway utility accommodation permits, for example — on
projects that involve county highways or other lands. “Improved broadband access is necessary for the citizens, schools and businesses in Polk County,” the board’s resolution reads, “for economic development, medical care, education, communication and other current and future uses.” Broadband Forward! To be eligible for the state’s broadband expansion grants, which are administered through the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, the county must become a certified Broadband Forward! community. The certi-
fication process requires developing a policy reducing administrative obstacles for applicants with broadband infrastructure proposals, and ensures that the applications are processed quickly. The board on Feb. 19 declared the county’s intent to join Broadband Forward! and approved a “Broadband Network Project Ordinance.” The ordinance dictates that a county staffer and department be assigned the handling of broadband project applications. It also specifies that applications be reviewed for completeness SEE COUNTY, PAGE 8
OPD and OPL see numbers increase BY LAURIE SABATA CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Both the Osceola Public Library (OPL) and the Osceola Police Department (OPD) have seen participation numbers increase recently. Library Director Kelly McBride informed village board members at their meeting February 13, that the OPL circulation rate has increased 10 percent. OPL was one of only 17 libraries in the Indianhead Library Federation that saw their circulation increase and it is the first increase since McBride has taken over as director. “It’s so fun,” stated
McBride, who also mentioned that they are hoping for an additional increase when the Discovery Center is completed and the library is relocated to its new home. According to McBride, a new library typically generates a 30 percent increase in circulation. “We’re ready,” she stated with a smile. Police Chief Ron Pedrys was not present at the meeting due to annual training, but submitted a memo comparing OPD numbers from 2014 to 2017. Total incidents increased 39 percent over the four-year period: 878 SEE NUMBERS, PAGE 5
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