WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2018
Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897
VOL. 121 NO. 09 www.osceolasun.com $1.00
SPORTS: Osceola football beats Prescott. PAGE 12
Stamp honors first responders BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
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U.S. Navy Captain Jeremy R. Hill, an Osceola graduate from Star Prairie, will turn over command of USS Portland on September 21.
Osceola grad completes command tour aboard new Navy ship BY ENSIGN MATTHEW HOGUE USS PORTLAND PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER
Navy Captain Jeremy R. Hill, a 1991 Osceola High School graduate and Star Prairie, native, will turn over command of USS Portland (LPD 27) at a change of command ceremony September 21. Hill is the first commanding officer of Portland and has been a part of the crew build up starting in July 2016 through the delivery to the Navy in September 2017 and Commissioning in April 2018. At the ceremony, Hill will be awarded the Legion of Merit by Rear Adm. Cedric Pringle, Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group Three. He will be relieved by Capt. Jesus Rodriguez. “The outstanding crew of the Portland will be very hard to leave, but I know they will be in very good hands with Captain Rodriguez,” said Hill. “The crew continues to make history with the ship as each day passes, and I expect to continue to hear about their successes for the next 40 years of her life.” Hill graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1995 with a bachelor’s of science degree in mathematics. Portland is a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship that provides the Navy and Marine Corps with modern sea-based platforms. Amphibious transport dock ships support amphibious assault, speSEE HILL, PAGE 17
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A dedication held at Dresser Post office last Friday honored local law enforcement, firefighters and first responders. The United States Postal Service issued an Honoring First Responders stamp September 13 “to recognize the men and women who respond to critical situations with skill, dedication and bravery,” according to information from the postal service. On the stamp, artist Brian Stauffer, illustrated a symbolic scene with a firefighter, medical responder and law enforcement officer in profile, rushing to offer assistance in an emergency. “Emergencies of various types occur in our communities every
SUZANNE LINDGREN | THE SUN
From left: Jim Fehlen, Rob Thompson, Curt Millermon, Arik Mahler, Ryan Haass.
day, from crimes and medical incidents to accidents and fires,” the post office wrote in a news release about the stamp. “These critical situations require men and women who possess the training and knowledge to rescue the endangered, treat the injured, and restore safety and order. With this stamp, the U.S.
Postal Service recognizes all first responders for their skill, dedication and uncommon bravery.” In Dresser, Curt Millermon of Allied Emergency Services (formerly DOG Fire Association) led the dedication, presenting enlarged reproductions of the stamp to Dresser Police Chief Ryan Haass
and first-responder firefighters from AES. The “forever” stamp is available for purchase at post offices while supplies last and via the USPS website. News about the stamp is being shared with the hashtags #HonoringFirstResponders and #FirstRespondersStamps.
Osceola Historical Society explores locals’ role in historical wars Have you ever wondered if Osceola sent any soldiers to fight in the Civil War or in World War I? Do you have relatives who went to war? Do you understand the hardships that affected the people who stayed to keep the home front up and running? The Osceola Historical Society will keep alive the memory of area soldiers who went to war and the people who stayed to keep the home fires burning with presentations at its October and November meetings. The public is welcome to attend
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these presentations. The meetings will be held at the Osceola Medical Center, Cascade Room at 7 p.m. on Oct. 1 and Nov. 5. On Oct. 1, former Osceola resident Mike Frain will talk about Wisconsin in the Civil War, complete with artifacts for display. Frain offers insight into how Civil War soldiers lived and survived outdoors, how they fought the battles, marched and ate while always prepared for an enemy attack. Frain has spent many years studying and presenting information on the
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Civil War and how it affected the people, area and the way of life. On Nov. 5, the historical society will honor the 100th Anniversary of World War I. What role did Osceola play? Did you know there was a shortage of potatoes in 1916 and Osceola residents came to the rescue? Did you know that Fred J. Kuske, a miller who operated the Rye Flour Mill, by the Mill Pond, operated day and night to produce flour to ship overseas? What else did SEE SOCIETY, PAGE 21
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