In the early morning hours of Oct. 2, 2013, Dodie (Dorothy Mae O’Brien) Kinziger-Chancellor, 68, went to her eternal home after a courageous fight with several illnesses. Born Dec. 6, 1944, she was raised in Amberg, Wis. Upon her high school graduation she married Nicholas Kinziger, of Pound, Wis.

Kenneth Klusman, 72, of Mountain, passed away peacefully with his family by his side on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013. Kenneth was born Feb. 12, 1941, to the late Herman and Dolores (Czaplewski) Klusman. Kenneth served his country in the United States Army for 23 years. He married Janice Venturini in Milwaukee on June 28, 1986. He worked for the city of Milwaukee and later retired and moved to the Mountain area in 1995.

Monday morning’s commute to work along the path around the Falls wasn’t quite like getting hit with a ton of bricks but it did confirm that things are changing. Commuting to work is a part of life for just about every worker, except for people living and working only on the family farm, and those people are just about as rare as albino whitetail deer. Commuters who work the same schedules will notice traffic patterns.

“Grandpa, what’s Smokey’s middle name?” “I don’t know, Ella, what is Smokey’s middle name?” “It’s THE, silly! You know, Grandpa, Smokey the Bear!” Uproarious giggling comes from 5-year-old Ella. She’s 13 now and probably doesn’t remember her joy at making me laugh way back then. A couple of years ago, I started writing a column about Smokey the Bear, but never finished it.

Lena residents approved a $1.6 million tax levy for Lena Public Schools, down 7.4 percent from last year’s levy of $1.73 million. The tax rate will be determined in late October when all figures are finalized and the School Board certifies the tax levy. In a budget presented at the annual meeting Sept. 23, expenditures were up 6.8 percent, to $4.86 million.

Four paid employees have joined the staff of a local ambulance service to strengthen coverage during the hard-to-fill weekday shifts. The Oconto Falls Area Ambulance Service (OFAAS) added a full-time administrative position and three part-time positions to sufficiently cover 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., the time frame most volunteers are unavailable. New part-time employee Carrie Zoeller said she is happy with the change. “It’s worth it.

Proceedings from Oct. 3 Daniel R. Williams, 20, Pulaski, made an initial appearance on repeater charges of being party to burglary and party to theft of movable property which allegedly took place Oct. 1 in the town of Chase. His bond was set at $20,000 cash, and his appearance will continue Oct. 10. He is to have no contact with the alleged victims. Proceedings from Oct. 2 Jacob J.

At 8:30 a.m. Sept. 29, a car driven by a Suring man left County Road R south of County Road VV in the town of Underhill and entered a ditch on the west side of the roadway. The man stated he apparently fell asleep while driving. He was cited for failure to have his vehicle under control. At 3 a.m. Sept. 28, a pickup truck driven by a Sobieski man left County Road S in the town of Chase and overturned.

A Wausaukee man died Saturday morning when he lost control of his car on U.S. Highway 141 and struck a highway sign, according to a statement by the Oconto County Sheriff’s Department. The man and a female passenger from Wausaukee were traveling south on Highway 141, about 300 feet south of County Road E in the town of Abrams, when the accident occurred at about 10 a.m.