Typically at this time of year, things can get a little hectic in some of the homes bordering the path around the Falls, especially if a member of the household has a graduation coming up. Graduations usually are occasions for family gatherings, and the place has to look just right. There are other factors that can spark those gatherings.

Each year at the annual Home Community Education (HCE) banquet, three $250 scholarships are awarded to members’ dependents. For the first time in Oconto County HCE history, one member had two grandchildren receiving scholarships. Lois Griffin, member of Lakewood HCE Club, is the grandmother of recipients Kelli Griffin and Rachel Tigert. Griffin attends Tremper High School in Kenosha.

Two Oconto Falls High School juniors earned gold medals at the state SkillsUSA competition April 29-30, and Oconto Falls swept the podium in two events. According to John Bursa, OFHS tech ed instructor and SkillsUSA adviser, it was the first time OFHS students swept any event since the school started competing in 2001. OFHS took the top three awards in masonry, with Travis Schmechel winning the gold medal, junior Kyle Sharboneau, silver, and juni

Larsen returns from injury, gets victory Senior McKenna Larsen pitched seven strong innings upon her return to the Oconto Falls High School softball team Thursday, striking out nine and allowing three earned runs to seal an 11-7 victory at Peshtigo (12-4, 10-1 Marinette and Oconto Conference). “We were hoping that she would get a couple of games in before Regionals but her doctor wanted to see her before he would clear her,” said Oconto Falls’ co

With a fifth-place showing at the Bay Conference tournament May 20 at Brown County Golf Course, the Oconto Falls High School golf team finished fourth in the final conference standings. Marinette and New London tied for the conference lead with 30 points, with Marinette taking first and New London taking second at the conference meet, edging out third-place Shawano by just a stroke, 336-335.

When Maddie and Makenna Kussow were growing up in Oconto Falls, it wasn’t uncommon for them to wander over to the softball diamond and play catch. Once the elder sister Maddie reached high school, she presumed she would never play organized softball with Makenna due to the three-year age difference. “Honestly, I didn’t think it was going to happen,” Maddie said.

Panther Pride and its partners broke ground May 20 at the site of a proposed pavilion, the latest improvement at the Oconto Falls High School softball fields. The 40- by 74-foot pavilion will include restrooms, storage space, a concession stand and a covered deck for spectators.

May 20 Deputies logged 26 incidents, including the following: Suspicious Person - Authorities investigated a report from a person on McDonald Street, Oconto, who reported signs that someone tried to pick the lock on his vehicle’s gas cap. Suspicious - Authorities visited a home in Pound where windows and doors were open at a seasonal property, and the owners were not there. Missing person - An 87-year-old woman with Alzheimer’s was reported missi

The annual Marinette and Oconto County University of Wisconsin-Extension first-cut alfalfa quality monitoring project has begun for 2014. This project monitors alfalfa forage quality changes, allowing farms to make informed decisions about harvest timing. First crop is usually the most important harvest of the year, and farms use quality data to make sure that they harvest at the appropriate forage quality for their operation.