4/28/2026

ASHLAND - Ashland-based Bretting Manufacturing will be honored next month as one of six businesses at the Entrepreneur Fund’s 2026 Distinction Awards. The Ashland Daily Press reports there will be a ceremony on May 7th at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center that will recognize Bretting, among five others, for "global industry leadership through localized innovation and growth". Shawn Wellnitz, CEO of the Entrepreneur Fund, stated the awards provide a natural setting for entrepreneurs to gain candid insights from those who have successfully navigated expansion while celebrating leadership that strengthens the regional economy. For more information, go to efund.org.

4/28/2026

WATERSMEET, MI — The Lac Vieux Desert (LVD) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians and the Lac Vieux Desert Health Center (LVDHC) announcing the opening of its $6 million 10,000 square foot Legacy Wellness and Motion center in Watersmeet. The center will be open to everyone (12 yrs. and up) and will serve both tribal members and non-tribal residents.  The community is invited to get a first look during a tentative Soft Opening in early July, allowing patients and members to begin experiencing the new services.  A Grand Opening Event is scheduled for August 1^st which will feature tours, and demonstrations of the new equipment.

4/28/2026

N. WISCONSIN - A new report shows a growing disparity between the Wisconsin public school districts receiving the most and least amount of overall funding, and experts say referendums are a major contributing factor. School districts across the state are increasingly relying on operational referendums to cover basic expenses. Despite declining support amid property tax concerns, 61-percent of referendums still passed in the state’s spring election. Sarah Shaw with the Wisconsin Policy Forum says this growing dependence, combined with the current school funding system, is contributing to revenue inconsistencies that can't be explained by differences in cost of living or student population.

                    0:15  "Something is happening to cause a widening gap that is increasingly putting some districts in a much stronger financial position and other districts in a really weak financial position. What we hope this report brings up is asking that question of why, and what do we do about it?"

Shaw emphasizes that while some funding differences are expected, increasing discrepancies suggest deeper structural problems are hindering schools. She says the issue calls for examining both revenue and cost pressures.