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March is one of my favorite months because it brings one of the greatest playoffs in American sports, the men’s and women’s college basketball national championship tournaments known as March Madness.

Basketball has always been a big part of my life. My dream was to play in college, but an injury prevented me from furthering my basketball career. I casually played basketball until I turned 50, and now, I enjoy watching games through video calls with my friends. Other times we will text one another and egg each other on depending on what team is winning or losing. Most of my friends are Michigan fans, however, when I visited North Carolina as a kid I became a Tar Heels fan. The Tar Heels men’s basketball team has won six national championships and are tied with University of Connecticut (UConn), 2024’s winner, for third-most all-time.

During March Madness, I fill out multiple brackets and participate in many pools. I consistently root for the underdog. Historically, there are certain degrees of matchups that tend to ultimately produce upsets. One or two 11-seeds (seeds are the ranking of a team) almost always win, and 9- seeds beat 8- seeds almost as frequently as the other way around. Those middle matchups tend to produce some upsets, so I usually hit along those lines.

At Coulee Bank, we host a March Madness of our own. A lot of our employees choose to participate in this interoffice competition. We have a system to create a bracket pool of employees. Each office has a mini hoop and basketball. The two employees go head-to-head and whoever scores the most baskets in one-minute moves on. We do this until the one person ultimately scores the most goals to win the tournament. That employee wins a nice trophy and most importantly, bragging rights!

And a quick fun fact about March Madness, this month is known for men electing surgeries or using vacation days, so they can sit on the couch to recover while catching all the games!

 ~Dirk Gasterland, CEO

Looking for a New Home?

Explore the neighborhood and community before you buy

Location. Location. Location. You may have discovered the perfect home to buy, but is that house in the perfect neighborhood? The location of the home is almost as important as the home itself. Whether you are looking for a home in a rural, suburban, or urban area, it is worth looking outside the four walls and investigating several factors including commute, public transportation, local shopping, recreation, school districts, walkability, property taxes, and future community developments.

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Reach out to Kris Farwell and her team if you are ready to purchase a home.

Coulee Bank. Bank with Confidence. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. NMLS#410835

Safeguarding Your Tax Refund

Ensuring a secure and efficient tax refund process

As the 2025 tax season approaches, it’s important to prepare for managing your tax refund safely and securely. Once you’ve submitted your federal taxes and are expecting a refund, these steps can help you ensure that your money arrives quickly and is managed effectively.



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Choosing the Right Account

Bank accounts differ depending on your financial goals

Choosing the right type of account—whether it's a checking account, savings account, high-yield money market account, or certificate of deposit (CD)—depends on your financial goals and needs. Coulee Bank offers each of these accounts, but they differ in terms of interest rates, accessibility, and features.



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Tips from IT

Be Selective When Installing Apps: Safeguard Your Digital Life



In our increasingly connected world, apps help us manage everything from finances to fitness—but not all apps are created equal. You should approach app downloads with caution. A single unvetted app could compromise your personal data, financial security, or even your device’s functionality.

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Coulee in the Community

Coulee Bank commits to workplace excellence and nurtures growth and support within the communities we consider home. We volunteer, empowered by the belief that we can create positive change! You can be confident in our efforts to support the community. 

There was a sweet surprise at our Onalaska branch last month on Valentine's Day! We were thrilled to have the talented La Crosse Coulee Chordsmen serenade our employees. Thank you for celebrating with us!

Spreadin' the Love! Last month, our amazing Coulee Bank team came together to craft heartfelt Valentine's Day cards for senior citizens in our communities! Many of our employees had the joy of hand-delivering these special notes, and oh, the smiles we received were priceless!

BIG NEWS! Last year, we surpassed our fundraising goal for Great Rivers United Way by raising an incredible $26,799.05—our highest total in six years! We were delighted to pass along this generous donation! THANK YOU to everyone who contributed!

Employee Spotlight

We are incredibly grateful for all of our employees. They work hard and make significant contributions that enrich our company culture. This month we are recognizing Sarah Evert, Universal Banker, La Crosse, WI.

We are excited to introduce you to Sarah Evert, Universal Banker in our La Crosse branch. She was born and raised in Beaver Dam, WI, a small town on a lake north of Madison. Evert moved to La Crosse in 2019 to attend UW-La Crosse. She studied elementary education with a math minor. Once she graduated, she wanted to investigate different career options in math or finance before she stepped into the classroom. That’s when she found Coulee Bank.

She was offered a position at Coulee Bank in La Crosse and feels it’s the perfect fit. She enjoys this role because it’s not only math and finance-related, but it requires her to communicate extensively with multiple departments. She says, “I am a curious learner who asks a lot of questions. This allows me to have a better understanding of how the different departments in the bank work together.” It also allows her to deepen her understanding of processes and procedures to help customers.

Evert recently won an award at Coulee Bank, an award not related to math. She won the Serve Award which represents serving the needs of our customers and employees by making intentional decisions to benefit others, thus describing the essence of who she truly is. She was incredibly grateful to have received this award. She says, growing up, her parents always taught her good morals and ideals. “I remember my parents telling me to approach people and situations with a servant’s heart,” says Evert. She practices this every day in her role. She accepts new projects with enthusiasm and prioritizes the needs of our customers and employees by lending a hand when they need assistance.

Evert says, “At the end of the day, people won’t always remember what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel.” She will continue to serve people with kindness and respect because that is at the heart of customer service.

On a personal note, Evert loves the mountains. One of her favorite travel destinations is Colorado Springs. During her last visit, she was able to visit a few national and state parks. Her favorite hobbies are reading fantasy, romance, cozy mystery books, and gardening outside.

When it comes to food, Evert loves Mexican food. Her favorite Mexican restaurant is Taqueria Monarca in Onalaska, WI. She says, “You can never be sad while eating a burrito!”

We are so honored and grateful you chose to start your career at Coulee Bank. We wish you many years of success.

New Hire Spotlight

We are thrilled to introduce the newest member of our team, who brings a wealth of knowledge, enthusiasm, and fresh perspectives to our organization. Please join us in welcoming Laura Dwyer, our new Mortgage Loan Officer in Minnetonka, MN!

Introducing Laura Dwyer, Mortgage Loan Officer working in our Minnetonka branch. Dwyer comes to us with over 20 years of experience in the mortgage industry and she looks forward to collaborating with like-minded individuals here at Coulee Bank. As a dedicated Mortgage Loan Officer, she specializes in helping clients navigate the home lending process with ease.

In professional standards, her work focuses on building relationships and providing value in the lives of everyone she interacts with, including clients, colleagues, and referral partners.  She finds great fulfillment in teaching and guiding others through home buying, credit management, and leveraging real estate equity as a powerful financial tool.

Being straightforward and demonstrating integrity throughout all her interactions fosters an environment where trust can flourish. Dwyer believes in the power of clear communication, living by the motto "Say what you mean and mean what you say." Whether she’s guiding a client through the mortgage process or enjoying time with family and friends, she brings her dedication, energy, and passion for helping others into everything she does.

Outside of the office, she enjoys a variety of hobbies including movies, taking her boat or motorcycle out, and spending time with her yellow lab, Buddy. She also enjoys traveling to anywhere new, running, walking, and staying active at the gym. Throughout the years, Dwyer has served as a foster parent to more than 45 children.

When it comes to traveling, one of her favorite destinations is the Black Hills of South Dakota. Arizona is a close second because she appreciates the sense of peace and healing the area offers. When asked where she would choose to travel if money were no object, she expressed a desire to visit Italy for its stunning scenery, fresh bread, seafood, and pasta.

Helping the Spanish-speaking communities could be in her future. She not only learned to speak Spanish in college, but she traveled to several Spanish-speaking locations. Achieving fluency would enable her to communicate more easily while on vacation, and most importantly, she could provide mortgage lending education to Spanish-speaking individuals, families, and communities.

Welcome, Laura Dwyer! We are so excited to have you!

We love a reason to celebrate with our colleagues!

Happy Birthday to all our amazing Coulee Bank co-workers!

Here's to another year of hard work, laughter, and teamwork. Wishing you all the best on your special day. Let's make it a celebration to remember!

Happy Work-i-versary to our amazing colleagues!

It's been an incredible journey with each and every one of you. Your hard work, dedication, and positive energy make our team unstoppable. Here's to many more years of success and growth together!

Customer Spotlight

Thank you to our AMAZING customers for choosing us for all your banking needs! We are grateful for your loyalty, support, and trust in our products and services. Here's to many more years of building a strong relationship together!

We sat down with Coulee Bank customer Dr. Leo Bronston, the owner of Bronston Chiropractic, to learn more about him and his thriving business.

Bronston is a Doctor of Chiropractic with a bachelor's degree in biology and a master’s degree in applied science for musculoskeletal management. He has been in private practice since 1978. Currently, Bronston operates two chiropractic clinics in Onalaska and La Crosse, Wisconsin, and a community care center in Onalaska. While he used to have clinics in Sparta, Black River Falls, Holmen, and an additional clinic in La Crosse, he streamlined his operations to maintain a strong brand presence.

In addition to managing three clinics, in the past year, he served as President of the American Chiropractic Association, a national association, and was named Chiropractor of the Year by the Wisconsin Chiropractic Association. He says he has had the privilege of serving as a representative on the American Medical Association on the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) Editorial Panel. He is also a member of the Fulcrum Health Board and has been a clinician for the US Olympic Team. To top it off, he is a member of the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce and officiates high school and youth hockey.

Bronston Chiropractic began in a rural area in Sparta where there were a lot of untreated health problems and few medical options for residents. “It was my goal to bring quality care providers in addition to chiropractic care and therapy at an affordable cost,” says Bronston.

Over time, this clinic became a family practice model operating out of Bronston Chiropractic. Serving the community allows you to see the needs of the people and provide exceptional care. Bronston’s patients saw him as honest and transparent.

He says, “Seeing the need for quality care at an affordable price helped prompt the need for a collaborative care model thus providing patients with the appropriate care in a seamless integrated fashion.” To illustrate his point, if he saw a patient with back problems and noticed a skin lesion, he could immediately call another healthcare provider in the office to weigh in on the concern. Having the two healthcare entities working in tandem allowed the providers time to collaborate and offer physical therapy, massage therapy, sports medicine, and a full lab if X-rays are needed.

Collaboration extends beyond his clinics. Bronston has full access to patients' medical records at larger health institutions as well as a relationship with doctors at clinics like Mayo or Gundersen Lutheran. He says, “Patients appreciate this level of integration and affordability.” One of the ways he can provide affordable care is to bundle services and provide value-based care. This means a patient can see multiple doctors in one day but receive one fee for the entire day. “The real value of this model is that we can catch things early, especially musculoskeletal concerns, and decrease the downstream cost. Less medicine, less imaging like CTs or MRIs, and less surgeries.” He believes that is the real value.  

What happens if you cannot go to one of Bronston’s clinics? He has a solution – telemedicine. Many patients may have little time to leave their job for a series of doctor’s appointments. They may have children, making it incredibly difficult to get to a clinic. Or, in many situations, a doctor’s schedule may be booked for several days or weeks making them unavailable to help. That’s one of the benefits of telehealth. His team of professionals can assess symptoms and pain levels via video cameras and offer advice and next steps to help with the health issue immediately.

Another service offered is massage therapy. It’s complementary to physical therapy, chiropractic care, and integrative medicine. The clinic provides deep tissue massage for muscle injury, sports massage after injuries, trigger point massage to loosen tight muscles, and Swedish massage to relax and energize. All types of massage calm the nervous system, relax the body, relieve cramped muscles, and increase range of motion. “Massage therapy is to help people live their best lives,” says Bronston.

Bronston’s massage therapist is certified under a Medicare plan, so if you are an elderly person and have the Medicare Advantage Plan, insurance may cover massages. “This helps seniors keep moving and is a huge benefit,” says Bronston.

Chiropractic care. Affordable care. Telemedicine. Massage therapy. These are all a part of Bronston’s care model, however, he also works with Olympic athletes, because Team USA and professional athletes know the value of chiropractic care, especially a musculoskeletal system functioning well. “Working with these elite athletes as a sports clinician at the US Training Center has been a great honor for me,” says Bronston. As a clinician, he can offer non-surgical, non-pharmacological care. These athletes must stay in excellent condition without the help of pharmaceuticals. Techniques used are active release, spinal manipulation, and massage therapy to help these athletes. “What I love about working with these athletes is that I can bring back techniques to the Coulee Region patients who play sports,” says Bronston. It boosts their performance and helps them recover more quickly from injuries.

In terms of affordable care, business leaders have said the number one challenge workers face is affordable health care even above housing, transportation, and childcare. Therefore, employers are looking for affordable and accessible healthcare from providers for common conditions or injuries. Bronston’s clinic has an employer service program, a solution for a healthy workforce, and that reduces work-related claims and costs. In the La Crosse area, there are employers Bronston contracts with to provide physical therapy and chiropractic services. He says, “A routine physical is $40 because we don’t have larger institutions' overhead. We are really helping people live better lives on a budget.”

Bronston says he has banked with Coulee Bank for a few decades. “They offer flexibility and responsiveness that are key to small business growth. The relationships I have had at Coulee Bank have all been built on trust and understanding my daily and strategic needs.” As things have changed over time, Bronston says Coulee Bank has been available to help navigate those changes. "It’s been an excellent relationship that has contributed to my growth."

Customer Testimonials

Financially Free Gen-Z Podcast

Join your hosts, Rachel Munger and Joshua Herrmann, as they discuss the financial questions and topics prevalent to Generation Z. This podcast is brought to you by Coulee Bank. Member FDIC.

Disclaimer - All content contained in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon to make any financial, accounting, tax, legal or other related decisions. Each person must consider his or her objectives, risk tolerances and level of comfort when making financial decisions and should consult a competent professional advisor prior to making any such decisions. Any opinions expressed through the content in this newsletter are the opinions of the particular author only.