Randy L. Fisher, 53, Suring, passed away on Monday, Feb. 3, 2014, following a courageous battle with cancer. Randy was born in Green Bay on Dec. 9, 1960, to Lyle and Barbara (Gretzon) Fisher. Randy married Laura Heins at St. John Lutheran Church in Hayes on Nov. 12, 1993. Randy worked for the Oconto County Highway Department and loved plowing snow. His hobbies were mowing his lawn, gardening and being outside.

At 7:15 p.m. Feb. 1, a pickup truck driven by a man from Suring was northbound on state Highway 32 at Valley Line Road in the town of Gillett. As he was rounding a curve, his truck began to slide sideways and struck a westbound truck driven by a man from Antioch, Ill. Both trucks sustained moderate damage. No injuries were reported. At 4:10 p.m. Jan.

Proceedings from Jan. 31 Robert J. Gartzke, 62, Lakewood, entered no contest pleas to five counts of possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested July 14 in the town of Lakewood. A six-month jail sentence was imposed on each count, then stayed. He was placed on probation six months on each count, to run concurrent.

For an 18-unit motel in Suring, paying $2,700 per month in utility costs was too much of a burden to bear.

N.E.W. Credit Union has joined a campaign to assist sick or injured children. The Chain of Hearts campaign is a statewide effort by Wisconsin’s credit unions to raise funds for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. This fundraiser is for the local, nonprofit hospitals of Wisconsin.

The Oconto Area Chamber of Commerce will sponsor its seventh annual Business Expo from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 22, at the Bond Community Center. Space will be available in the gym and in a hallway. The cost for a 10- by 10-foot booth is $25 for 2014 Oconto Area Chamber of Commerce members, $50 for members of other chambers and $100 for nonmembers. Electricity is an additional $10 fee. One table with skirting will be provided.

A couple who unlawfully claimed an insured loss when a town of Bagley bar burned each were sentenced Thursday in federal court to five years in prison and ordered to repay the insurer $93,127. Jessica A.

One year after learning 46 ways to improve the city’s Fire Department, Oconto Falls officials are slowly addressing issues that may lead to lower insurance rates for residents. While the Fire Department regularly undergoes procedural inspection by the state, this was the first time the department was evaluated by a third party. A 200-page analysis of the department included 46 recommendations the consultant said could improve the department’s Ins

As if local residents needed another reason to hunger for spring. According to local propane vendors, warm weather is the only way to reverse skyrocketing propane costs and allow reserves to build again. “We’re just basically trying to hang on until the weather warms up,” said Joe Bukowski, owner of Countrystyle Propane of Oconto Falls. Chad Hodgins, of Stiles, paid less than $2 a gallon in 2013 to fill his tank.