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We've had some ups and downs with the cold spells lately. That is typical for January - but it's now February! Last week the temperature got down close to 20 below zero here. It was reported a -21 in Spring Green and a -28 (wind chill -39) in Lone Rock. Then it went up to a high of 36 degrees the first part of this week. This coming weekend is supposed to be back down in the negative temperatures. But we aren't getting all the snow that's hit the East Coast. New Jersey had got about three times its average snowfall already, well over 20 inches and Boston got nailed with around two feet!
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Saturday morning we were without Bob, but Terry, Dave, Dewey and I went to one of our favorite places, Betsy's in Highland. Unfortunately it closed following business the next day. High prices on food and not as many customers as needed was cited as the reason. The good news though is that Betsy said that they may reopen down the line! That's a big void in a community the size of Highland.
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It was a great day on Saturday for the Highland Lions Club's Dean Olson Memorial Fisheree they hold at Blackhawk Lake every year. Temperatures reached the mid 20s and the sun was out for most of the day. There were a good amount of people out on the ice - most inside shanties to stay warm.
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The area/county is dealing with the closing of Bloomfield Healthcare and Rehabilitation since the county board voted to do so at their last meeting. We really need a facility like it to be in operation. I hope something can happen so that people who need a facility like it can stay close to home. I feel for the residents and the dedicated staff, many who has been there for years!
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The Dodgeville Lions Club had a very successful "FREE" Community Breakfast last year and donated a good amount of money to the Dodger Food Locker, a much needed food chain supplier for students. They are going to hold the 2022 "FREE" Community Breakfast on Sunday, February 20 at the Dodger Bowl, on the west edge of Dodgeville. It will be a dine-in or carry-out type of breakfast. It will run from 8 a.m. to noon. There will also be Vision Screening for preschool youngsters 8 months and up. For everyone's safety, facemasks are required for entry.
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The new apartments in the Bea Ann Drive area on the north east side of Dodgeville (County YZ) are coming along. I sure wouldn't want to be working on them as much as they have this winter - kudos to those workers!
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We have several boys and girls basketball, wrestling and gymnastics teams teams on the verge of clinching conference championships!  It's coming close to the home stretch of the regular season.
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A big congratulations to Kylie Rule, Mineral Point wrestler. She made history when she became the school's first WIAA State Girls wrestling champion Saturday. The first WIAA State Girls Wrestling Championships were held in La Crosse that day.