The calendar year of 2021 was a roller coaster ride of sorts in the stateline region. 

The year opened with the COVID-19 vaccine in the early stages of a mass rollout, only for news to break of a newborn gone missing near Albany. That newborn was found murdered in a wooded area, allegedly killed by his 16-year-old father, who currently awaits trial.

Nearly six months later, 7-year-old Leah Foster of Woodford drowned in the Pecatonica River, swept under the water by the current. The two children with her were unable to save her. The heartbreaking accident led to an outpouring of help and support for the family from the region, including a meal train and a GoFundMe campaign that raised $34,620. Tragically, Leah’s mother, Danielle Foster, died just over three months later from complications of Stage 4 stomach and liver cancer.

Another family with young children is also without their mother as the calendar changed to January. In late October, Melissa Trumpy, 37 of Monticello, went missing. Still yet to be found, family and friends believe she was murdered and her body hidden in northern Illinois by a former boyfriend, who is currently jailed on drug charges.

In April, following months of a hotly contested primary turned general election, voters picked the first female circuit court judge in Green County history, Fawn Marie Phillipson. The same election saw Pecatonica’s superintendent, Jill Underly, elected to the state’s leader in the Department of Public Instruction.

In the summer, Monroe saw its Fire Chief leave, and months later, a new one selected to take over. The Monroe Rural Fire Department also began service out of its new location on the city’s far west side.

Local organizations saw a fresh stream of dollars being donated. The Monroe Public Library had a successful campaign fundraising for renovations, and the Green County Family YMCA received news in December it was the recipient for a multi-million-dollar grant to add childcare and youth services wings. Monroe High School also received funds to install new scoreboards in the gym and on the football field. Also, the Monroe Kiwanis chapter celebrated 100 years of dedicated community service.

Live performances of the arts also returned, from live theater to outdoor music concerts like Concerts on the Square. However, the bi-annual Cheese Days festival was postponed yet another year. 

The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic still caused havoc locally. Hospital bed space at SSM Monroe Hospital was nearly nonexistent towards the end of the year, as the raging Delta variant began giving way to the rapidly spreading Omicron variant. Area schools took individual approaches all year to masking, virtual learning and quarantine procedures. 

High school sports were also affected, as the winter 2020-21 season was shortened, as were the alternate-fall 2020 season in the spring, and the regular 2021 spring sports seasons.

Black Hawk’s girls basketball team saw its 75-game win streak come to an end at the WIAA Division 5 state tournament, and senior Bailey Butler, now at UW-Green Bay, closed out her career as the school’s all-time scoring leader and was named Wisconsin’s Miss Basketball — the top individual honor for any player around the state. However, Mike Flanagan stepped away from his position as longtime Warriors head coach.

Brodhead and Monticello reached the state tournament in girls volleyball, and Juda-Albany finished runner-up in softball. New Glarus-Monticello’s boys and girls cross country teams reached state twice in less than six months, both in the single-division alt-fall in the spring, and in D2 in the fall. 

Officially, Monroe lost just two games in 2021, going 5-0 in the alt-fall spring season, and reaching the state semifinals in the Division 3 playoffs, losing to eventual champion Pewaukee. Wide-out turned running back JT Seagreaves was offered and accepted a scholarship offer to play tight end for the Wisconsin Badgers, and earned first-team all-state honors as a defensive end. Darlington, Brodhead-Juda, Belleville and Black Hawk-Warren also made deep runs in the football season.

Missing Albany baby found dead, teenage father faces life in prison

The search for a 5-day-old Albany infant came to an end Jan. 10 when the child’s body was found at an unspecified Southern Wisconsin location. The female infant was born Jan. 5 inside of an Albany residence. 

Logan T. Kruckenberg-Anderson, 16 at the time of the incident, is being tried as an adult in the case. He has been charged with one count of first degree intentional homicide and one count of moving/ hiding/burying the corpse of a child. If convicted, Kruckenberg-Anderson faces life in prison.

The incident led state officials to pass a Safe Haven Laws bill aimed at informing teenagers of options in the state to relinquish newborns. 

“This bill stems from a tragedy involving a newborn baby, Harper, who was found murdered earlier this year in Green County,” said Rep. Todd Novak, co-author of the bill. “Wisconsin Act 90 will make a real difference by increasing awareness of Safe Haven laws for young people who may be experiencing a crisis.”

Holidays come and go with no sign of missing mom

Melissa Trumpy of Monticello went missing Oct. 26, and has not been seen or heard from since. She is a 37-year-old mother of three.

Meanwhile, her longtime boyfriend Derek Hammer remains in Stephenson County Jail on various felony drug charges but seemingly isn’t talking to police about Trumpy’s whereabouts. He was allegedly among the last people to see Trumpy alive.

Authorities in both Illinois, Wisconsin and the FBI are reportedly working the case, which has shaken friends and relatives and left Trumpy’s children in despair.

COVID-19, Vaccination rollout, Masks in schools

As the year progressed, available vaccinations for COVID-19 became available for everyone 5-years-old and up. By the end of 2021, adults could get a free booster shot to sustain long-term bodily protection of the rapidly spreading virus.

Area schools created guidelines and protocols for quarantining students and staff that either tested positive for the virus, or were deemed a close contact. Several schools implemented mandatory mask policies and offered virtual learning options. 

No Cheese Days, again

The biennial Cheese Days festival originally scheduled for 2020 was been postponed — again. In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, the decision was made to postpone the 2020 Cheese Days until 2021. With the pandemic still grappling the region, nation and world, festival organizers decided to cancel this year’s event, which was slated for the third weekend in September.

Cheese Days organization stated in a Facebook post March 17, 2021: “Various elements are critical to the success of the Cheese Days festival: corporate sponsorship, volunteerism, community support, and participation by vendors. As of today, there is no guarantee that all elements will be fully engaged. All are required to build the solid foundation necessary to put on an event of this size and scope. At this time, it is impossible to plan and coordinate without that foundation.”

The next Cheese Days festival is scheduled for September 16-18, 2022.

MHS senior Hunter Harrison dies in car crash weeks before graduation

Monroe High School senior Hunter Harrison died just weeks before graduation following a single-vehicle accident.

At about 1 a.m. May 12, 2021, Green County Sheriff’s Office Deputies, along with the Juda Fire Department, responded to a report of a car on fire along Middle Juda Road about 1/2 mile west of Richland Road.

Phillipson edges Bucher for Judge; Pecatonica’s Underly wins state position

Green County’s race for the Branch One Circuit Court Judge came to an end with Faun Marie Phillipson narrowly edging out opponent Jane Bucher in the April 6 election. Phillipson ended the night with 4,142 votes, a mere 85 more than Bucher, while write-in candidates received a combined 268 votes. Incumbent judge Tom Vale ran unopposed in the Branch Two race.

Phillipson is the first female circuit court judge in the county’s history. Dating back to 1841, Green County has had 19 circuit court judges, each of which has been male. She replaced longtime Judge James Beer, who retired at the end of his term.

At the state level, Jill Underly of Blanchardville, who has served as the Superintendent at the Pecatonica School District for the last six years, won the race for state superintendent.

RFD new firehouse

Months after receiving a letter from the City of Monroe notifying them that they could not operate out of their new building, the Rural Fire District was able to breathe a sigh of relief and finally begin to settle down in its 8th Street firehouse in Monroe.

The RFD’s journey to its newly permanent firehouse was not a short one, but it finally came to an end April 21 when Monroe’s City Plan Commission approved unanimously a conditional use permit for indoor institutional use at the property. Indoor institutional use allows the RFD to operate as a fire station out of the building.

The property had previously been zoned as a Suburban Mixed Use property, which, per the city’s code, does not allow indoor institutional as a conditional use.

Old fire chief out, new one picked

After four years with the department, Fire Chief Dan Smits resigned from his position with the Monroe Fire Department, which went into effect July 31.

The Monroe Common Council’s June 21 approval of a Fire Chief Transition Agreement put into motion the city’s plan to recruit a new chief and help them start off on a strong foot.

Six weeks later, veteran deputy chief Al Rufer was named interim fire chief.

On Nov. 23, City of Monroe Board of Police and Fire Commission (PFC) named William Erb as the next City of Monroe Fire Chief and Director of Emergency Management. Erb’s first day with the City of Monroe is scheduled for Jan. 10, 2022.

Semi tangles w/ wires, knocks out power around city

A FedEx semitruck driver tried to take a shortcut and instead caused a flurry of headaches near downtown Monroe on Aug. 5. The driver’s trailer caught a low-hanging wire cable from the utility pole on the northeast corner of the intersection at 7th Street and 21st Avenue.

The high-tension wires jolted one pole after another down the block, like dominoes. About 9 utility poles in all were damaged, with wires hanging on top of houses and trees in the neighboring blocks.

No injuries were reported, and no fires were found.

Library campaign successful

It’s been more than 25 years since the Monroe Library got its last face lift, and the Library Board of Trustees, library staff, and community members raised money for another update. They called it “Let’s Do Something Extraordinary for Monroe.”

The goal was to raise $1.5 million by the end of 2021.

Alice Housing Project breaks ground

A 47-unit housing project is back on City of Monroe agendas after a minor setback put the project on pause.

Council members approved the Alice Housing Project General Development Plan in September 2020.

The building site is located in the southwest corner of a 100-acre parcel of land behind Walmart. The facility should be up and running by 2023.

Abe Lincoln shrinking

Abraham Lincoln Elementary will begin consolidation into a seven-section school starting with the 2021-22 school year it was announced in the spring. The plan to consolidate the building will take place over a six-year period, with one additional grade level moving to one-section each year.

For the 2022-23 school year, both kindergarten and first grade will have only one section. By the 2026-27 school year, kindergarten through fifth grade at the building will be single-section.

Monroe Truck new name/location/sold — all in less than 3 months

Monroe Truck Equipment announced a rebranding of the organization in August after over 60 years of business as an established leader in the work truck industry and snow and ice management.

This rebrand clarifies Monroe Truck Equipment into three core divisions: Commercial, Municipal, and Corporate. Each division now has a dedicated team, separate websites, and expanded facilities for each division at the Monroe headquarters.

In November, Monroe Truck Equipment announced the completion and launch of their most recent expansion — a new, dedicated upfitting facility to support commercial work truck customers located in Monroe.

Days later, Aebi Schmidt, a global leader in infrastructure and terrain maintenance solutions, announced an agreement to acquire Wisconsin, U.S.-based Monroe Truck Equipment from Industrial Opportunity Partners. 

Kiwanis turns 100

“It is rare, indeed, that a service club reaches the grand old age of 100. But that is what the Monroe Kiwanis Club has attained this year!” said Jim Glessner, President of the Kiwanis Club of Monroe in a special section published Aug. 14.

The club devotes its entire existence to carrying out the mission of “Serving the Children of the World!” A multitude of local and state youth-oriented organizations have benefitted from the club’s continued emphasis. In addition, the Kiwanis emphasis is passed down to future generations through Key Club (High School), Builders Club (Middle School) and K-Kids (Parkside Elementary).

A 100th anniversary gala was held Aug. 26 in Turner Hall’s Grand Ballroom.

YMCA receives $3.7M grant for new youth wing

Thanks to a workforce innovation grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), the longtime Monroe fitness center is receiving up to $3.7 million dollars. The state announced the decision, along with 11 other projects, in a press release Dec. 14.

Green County Family YMCA will use these funds to facilitate the addition of a 5,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art daycare and preschool wing for licensed programs and classes, as well as an addition of a 6,000 sq. ft. Youth Development Wing. Through a partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Vitality Youth Services, Jacob’s Swag, Avenue’s Counseling, and the Multicultural Outreach program this investment will help Green County Family YMCA meet the diverse needs of area youth.