What's New: La Crosse County's draft Strategic Plan has been published and can be viewed here. The plan is a first for the county and includes an ambitious vision for the future and outcome measures to track our progress.

Have Your Say: Please take a short survey on the draft by clicking here. Help us get more input by sharing the survey, which closes June 30, with your friends and family.

Background: The five-year draft plan was developed by the La Crosse County Board, with support from County Department Heads and staff. It includes a new mission statement for the county, core values, and seven vision statements. The statements cover the economy, wages for county staff, infrastructure and the environment. Each of the statements has an outcome measure to track progress.

What's Next: Final approval of the plan by the county board is expected in July. After that, implementation planning will begin. Stay tuned for updates.

Birth to 3 Program Helps Bo Thrive

Five-year-old Bo Bakke (pictured), who lives with his family in Holmen, is blowing milestones out of the water, says dad Nick. Bo was diagnosed as a baby with a visual impairment. La Crosse County's Birth to 3 program was there to help.

“We got immediate access to resources to support Bo’s growth and development and people trained to step in and help,” Nick says. “But what was just as important was having somebody else you could cry with, talk to, ask questions, come into your home, and be vulnerable with on your journey.”

Hundreds of other children in our county are supported through the program, which had a budget of $725,000 in 2023, including county and state funds, parental cost share, and private insurance. 

“We are just one story out of hundreds that are all experiencing this in different ways,” Dad Nick adds. “The support we have gotten from La Crosse County and others in our community has been phenomenal, and it’s truly appreciated.”

Read Bo's story in the La Crosse Tribune by clicking here, or on the county website here.

Pathways Home Manager Hired

Jim Drees has been hired as the county's Homelessness System Response Manager. In his new role, Jim will lead implementation of Pathways Home, the city-county homelessness response plan. Jim is an experienced project manager who has worked in executive level positions at major corporations. Most recently, Jim served as CEO of a public-benefit corporation working to provide safe drinking water to underserved communities in Texas.

"I’m very excited to be joining this team to help build the systems and processes needed to effectively reach functional zero homelessness in La Crosse County," Jim says. "It’s a huge challenge, but together we can make it happen!" Jim's first day at the county is July 15.

Support the ADRC

What: The Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) of La Crosse County is hosting a Legislative Town Hall this Thursday, June 27, from 3:30-6 p.m. at the Black River Beach Neighborhood Center (1433 Rose St, La Crosse).

Why: Crucial priorities for the 2025-2027 state budget will be discussed with regional representatives at the event.

Participate: The ADRC is asking people to attend who are willing to share experiences on key issues such as support for caregivers, specialized transportation, and nutrition assistance.

Register: To register, please call the ADRC at 608-785-5700. See you there! 

Walk the corridors of Hillview with Dana Gibbons and you'll see a lot of smiles from coworkers and residents. Dana is the Nurse Supervisor on the PM shift at Hillview, the county owned long-term care campus in La Crosse. "We really are a family here," Dana says. "The staff is here because they want to be here, they're loving, they're caring. It is home."

Hillview and in particular Dana's work was recently recognized with a new Youth Apprenticeship Wisconsin plaque you can see when you enter the facility. Dana has been working with two Central High School students who have been putting in shifts as CNAs as part of the two-year program. Dana is pictured with Eden Wiese, one of the students, who says she's learned so much from her mentor at Hillview. Dana has been equally impressed by the Central students. "They are wonderful and dedicated workers, and it has been an honor to watch them evolve," she says. Dana is confident both of the students will go on to work in the medical field and have benefited from working with Hillview's residents. "It can be hard, especially when people pass," Dana says. "But it's also so fulfilling."



100k Grant for Microgrid Study

La Crosse County has been awarded $100,000 by the state to study the feasibility of creating an electricity microgrid. The award is the result of a collaborative project between the County, City of La Crosse and Western Technical College. The study would consider creating a microgrid for the downtown campuses of the three organizations. Advantages of the microgrid could include increased energy efficiency, reliability, resiliency and lower costs. Read the resolution approved by the county board at this link.

Connecting Communities

Cyclists and state, local and county officials showed up for the grand opening of the West Salem bicycle/pedestrian bridge last Thursday. The bridge crosses the La Crosse River parallel to State Highway 16. It provides a safe connection between Onalaska and West Salem for cyclists and offers direct access to Veterans Memorial Park. The county won $660,000 in federal funding for the project after six years of collaborative effort.