“What we’ve got here is failure to communicate.”

The classic line from the 1967 movie “Cool Hand Luke” could very well be the problem behind much of the controversy between the Shawano Area Agricultural Society and the Shawano County Board.

Stretching back the past couple years and really coming to a head in the past few months is the concern with how the ag society operates, especially when county funds are in play.

This summer, Oconto County is the place to be for three events that range from genuinely wild to legitimately world-class.

SAM25 has established a new endowment fund through Edward Jones financial adviser Jon Aumann, creating what is hoped to be a lasting source of financial support for the organization’s mission and services.

Spectrum’s fiber broadband network has expanded to bring Spectrum internet, mobile, TV and voice services to more than 1,300 residents and businesses in previously unserved or underserved areas of Oconto County, including in the towns of Oconto, Little River, Mountain and Townsend.

The Town of Doty in Oconto County and the Town of Bartelme in Shawano County are among several Wisconsin towns at the high-risk stage for tick activity.

UW-Oshkosh

The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s 152nd spring commencement celebrated the achievements of 1,100 students in two ceremonies May 16 inside Kolf Sports Center. Recognized for earning doctoral, master’s, bachelor’s or associate degrees, the new graduates joined the ranks of more than 100,000 UWO alumni.

Birnamwood: Elizabeth Fraaza, master of science in nursing.

A dog that was found with gunshot injuries July 15 in the Town of Maple Grove is being treated for its wounds while the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department is looking for information about the dog and who could have hurt it.

A summer tradition for the Menominee for the last 10 years returns again, but it will be doing so without its matriarch.

In rural Shawano County, the bees are busy making honey at John and Lorraine Ballbach’s Hobby Honey Farm in Gresham.

However, their farm offers more than raw honey.

In addition to selling local raw and creamed honey, the Ballbachs also sell their own beeswax products which include tea lights, votive cups and candles as well as beeswax bars.