- Good Morning, Coulee
- Posts
- ☀️🏡 Good Monday Morning, Coulee
☀️🏡 Good Monday Morning, Coulee
January 27, 2025
Caleb Lombardo
January 27, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 18 minutes
Happy Monday, folks.
Welcome to Good Morning, Coulee—your daily companion for all things Coulee Region.
Thank you for once again clicking on my scrappy little email.
Let’s get your week off to a happy, positive start, shall we?
Let’s roll. 👇
🎶 Song of the Day
Good vibes only👇
*If you want to listen along as you read, scroll to the top right of this email and click “Read Online”.
💬 Today’s Thought
“Love and trust, in the space between what’s said and what’s heard in our life, can make all the difference in the world.”
📰 Quick Hits
Sparta girls win defensive battle at Logan (News 8000)
Great Tri-State Rail Sale celebrates railroad history (News 8000)
La Crosse mayor debate is coming, plus firing local meteorologists with UW-L political scientist Chergosky (WIZM)
Remembering La Crosse’s Freedom Fest, that brought groups like Chicago, REO Speedwagon and John Fogerty, to help area veterans (WIZM)
La Crosse County granted up to $728K for Brice Prairie rail crossing feasibility study (News 8000)
New STAR fitness center for people with physical limitations opening soon on La Crosse Street (WIZM)
La Crosse gathers input on 5-year consolidated plan for community development (News 8000)
🌤 Weather
An answer to every “What’s for dinner?” question: That’s Tovala.
Imagine coming home and not having to worry about “What’s for dinner?” Instead, you can enjoy a freshly cooked meal and never have to compromise on quality, taste, or your time. (We think you deserve all those good things.)
Tovala is the revolutionary meal delivery service + smart oven that’s making breakfast, lunch, dinner—pretty much every meal—easier than ever.
With Tovala, you can enjoy chef-crafted meals that arrive fresh to your door and skip your weekly—or daily—trips to the store. Plus, every meal cooks like magic with the scan of a QR code in just 25 minutes and with only one minute of prep.
Get started now with your Tovala Smart Oven.
*This is sponsored content. I earn income from clicks in this section.
📆 What’s Happenin’
❤️ A Day for the North Side in Honor of Justin Betz @ Mid-Town Nutrition // Wednesday, 7am-2pm
📍 40 Copeland Ave, Suite 103, La Crosse
Tragedy has struck the Northside
On the morning of Sunday, January 19, we lost Justin—a loving soul, and someone who touched so many lives. His sudden and tragic passing has left a hole in the hearts of many northsiders.
To honor Justin’s memory and support his family during this incredibly difficult time, we’re organizing a fundraiser. All proceeds will go directly to helping his family with funeral expenses and other needs as they navigate this heartbreaking loss.
Every donation, no matter how small, makes a difference. Let’s come together as a community to show love and support for Justin’s family.
🧠 Trivia w/ Tim Dale @ the Root Note // Wednesday, 6pm-8pm
📍 115 4th St S, La Crosse
Begins at 6 pm and is open to all ages and abilities. Free to play. The top three winning trivia teams get Root Note gift cards!
☕️ Hot Chocolate Bar @ Holmen Library // Friday, 2pm-5pm
📍 121 W Legion St, Holmen
Celebrate National Hot Chocolate Day at the Holmen Public Library! Stop by to enjoy a hot chocolate bar with all the fixings. Meet a friend for a hot chocolate date or take one to go! While supplies last.
🪴 Artful Air Plant Gardens @ Another Green World // Tuesday, 6:30pm
📍 1230 Caledonia St, La Crosse
Interactive air plant garden session where you build, create and learn to care for air plants.
This workshop is for adults 18+
THIS WORKSHOP INCLUDES:
Air plant care mini class
Create, build and take home your air plant garden creation
Complimentary snacks and beverages provided
20% shopping store wide night of event
Plant Q&A with Zack and Linda
Carry-in beverages permitted.
📚 Fireside Stories @ The Nature Place // Wednesday, 5pm-6pm
📍 789 Myrick Park Dr, La Crosse
Gather around the fireplace and enjoy the warmth of connection at our Fireside Stories event series at The Nature Place!
Each evening will begin with a story read by our Community Programs team, followed by a charming Winter tale told by our special guest storytellers! This is a FREE family event.
These special guests and community partners will be announced through our social media channels leading up to the event. Each guest will bring a unique touch to this experience.
Light snacks and warm beverages will be provided to keep the evening cozy. For children ages 2-10, a brief scavenger hunt will follow the stories, adding a bit of fun and adventure.
🍽 Balanced Bites: A Culinary & Wellness Collaboration @ Schuby’s // Thursday, 5:30pm-7:30pm
📍 321 State St, La Crosse
Nutritionist Ashley Wenger, from Viaro Health, and the culinary experts at Schuby's Neighborhood Butcher team up to showcase the art of balanced eating with prosciutto as the star ingredient.
Experience prosciutto three ways:
- A beautifully crafted charcuterie board.
- A vibrant seasonal salad featuring crispy prosciutto and fresh, wholesome ingredients.
- A delectable pasta dish featuring the perfect prosciutto pairing.
This interactive event includes tastings, recipe demonstrations, and a lecture on combining nutrition and flavor in everyday meals. Guests will enjoy a refreshing welcome beverage, a personal charcuterie board, exclusive tastings of each of the items discussed, take home recipe cards, and have the chance to win a very exciting giveaway valued over $100!
Tickets are $39 per person. Exclusive discounts on meal kits and kombucha will also be available for guests of the event. Limited seating available—reserve your spot now!
🏡 In The Community
 |  |
Are You a Senior Looking for a Purpose?
The Foster Grandparent tutoring program is an AmeriCorps Seniors program sponsored by Workforce Connections. The program provides classrooms in La Crosse, Jackson, Juneau, Pepin, and Buffalo Counties with volunteers aged 55+ to tutor children. They tutor one-on-one or in small groups with students serving between 10 – 40 hours a week.
Benefits:
Paid stipend that does not affect any current benefits
Paid mileage
Meal at school
Paid training
🤝☀️ Help Good Morning, Coulee Grow 📈
If you get value from this newsletter, please consider sharing it with friends, family, business owners, or other community members.
The first milestone in our referral program is a birthday shoutout—pretty sweet, right? Play your cards right and there might be a bumper sticker in it for you somewhere down the line. 😉
☕️ Coffee Discount
Bean Juice is a local favorite coffee spot that features fresh coffee beans, beverages, and food! Bean Juice roasts their own beans nearly everyday and sells them in-house or at other local business locations (like Hyvee or The People’s Coop). They have a wide array of espresso drinks, drip coffee, bakery, and hot food options! Open 7 days a week and located in the Jackson Plaza on the south side.
 |  |
Mention Good Morning, Coulee for 10% off a handcrafted beverage of your choice! (Valid through February 2025)
▶️ In case you didn’t hear…
The Good Morning, Coulee Spotify playlist is officially live.
Go listen ➡️
📰 Updates From La Crosse County
📞 Soon, up to 75,000 non-emergency calls to the La Crosse County Public Safety Communications Center will be managed by Artificial Intelligence (AI). This shift will free up staff and resources to focus on 911 emergencies. La Crosse County will be among the first in Wisconsin to use AI for this purpose.
🩸 Please sign up for our next county blood drive, which is Thursday, Feb. 6, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., and Friday, Feb. 7, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Health and Human Services Building (300 4th St. N, La Crosse). Donations support local hospitals and save lives. You can sign up for an appointment on Feb. 6 here, or Feb. 7, here. Walk-ins are also welcome. The drive is public, so please invite friends and family to donate.
👷 The county is hitting the gas on highway construction in 2025, with a record $14.1 million allocated to fund improvements across 11 miles of county roads.
🚌 Ride the SMRT Bus for free on Wednesday, Feb. 5, as part of the annual Transit Equity Days celebration. To get a free ride, simply print the flyer you can find here, or save it on your phone and show it to the driver.
🏀 Local Sports
Thursday 1/23
Winona Girls Basketball vs. Century // L 57-67
West Salem Girls Basketball vs. Menomonie // W 68-38
Logan Boys Basketball @ Reedsburg // W 58-53
La Crescent Girls Basketball vs. Central // L 21-59
Onalaska Girls Basketball vs. Holmen // L 46-53
Holmen Boys Basketball vs. Onalaska // W 73-66
West Salem Boys Basketball @ Viroqua // W 98-57
Luther Boys Basketball vs. Westby // W 59-58
Winona Boys Basketball @ Century // L 63-87
Friday 1/24
Luther Girls Basketball vs. GET // W 66-27
Logan Boys Basketball @ Sparta // L 49-73
Logan Girls Basketball @ Sparta // L 31-46
Aquinas Girls Basketball @ Tomah // W 91-33
Aquinas Boys Basketball @ Tomah // W 78-59
Saturday 1/25
Onalaska Girls Basketball @ Fall Creek // L 40-57
West Salem Boys Basketball vs. Fox Valley // W 72-43
La Crescent Girls Basketball @ Grand Meadow // L 32-61
La Crescent Boys Hockey vs. Fairmont // W 7-3
Monday 1/27
Central Boys Basketball vs. Caledonia // 7:15pm
Tuesday 1/28
Luther Girls Basketball @ DeSoto // 7:00pm
Winona Girls Basketball @ Marshall // 7:30pm
Winona Boys Basketball vs. Marshall // 7:30pm
La Crescent Girls Basketball @ Fillmore // 7:15pm
La Crescent Boys Basketball vs. Fillmore // 7:15pm
Logan Girls Basketball vs. Tomah // 7:15pm
Logan Boys Basketball vs. Tomah // 7:15pm
Central Girls Basketball vs. Sparta // 7:15pm
Central Boys Basketball vs. Sparta // 7:15pm
Onalaska Boys Basketball vs. Medford // 7:15pm
Aquinas Girls Basketball vs. Holmen // 7:15pm
Aquinas Boys Basketball vs. Holmen // 7:15pm
Thursday 1/30
Luther Girls Basketball @ Arcadia // 7:00pm
Logan Boys Basketball vs. Aquinas // 7:15pm
West Salem Girls Basketball @ Black River Falls // 7:00pm
Friday 1/31
Luther Boys Basketball @ GET // 7:00pm
Winona Girls Basketball vs. Albert Lea // 7:30pm
La Crescent Girls Basketball @ Westby // 7:00pm
Logan Boys Basketball vs. La Crescent // 7:15pm
Logan Girls Basketball vs. Aquinas // 7:15pm
Central Girls Basketball vs. Tomah // 7:15pm
Central Boys Basketball vs. Tomah // 7:15pm
Onalaska Girls Basketball vs. Sparta // 5:45pm
Onalaska Boys Basketball @ Sparta // 7:15pm
West Salem Girls Basketball @ Holmen // 7:00pm
West Salem Boys Basketball vs. Holmen // 7:30pm
Saturday 2/1
Onalaska Girls Basketball vs. Wautoma // 7:00pm
🎶 Live Music
Tuesday 1/28
9:00pm // Popcorn Tavern // Open Mic
Wednesday 1/29
6:00pm // Sapori di Sicilia (Winona) // Dante DeGrazia (classic piano)
9:00pm // Popcorn Tavern // Open Jam
Thursday 1/30
5:00pm // Twin Bluffs Bar // Bruce & Virgil (country, outlaw country, rock, pop)
6:30pm // Schmidty’s // Randy Erickson’s Singalong Sideshow
Friday 1/31
5:30pm // Boot Hill Pub // Brian Beard
6:00pm // The Hatchery Riverside // Winnie and Q
6:00pm // The St. Bernard Room // Hayden Potts
7:00pm // Brick Sip Haus (Tomah) // Cousins K&J
7:00pm // Onalaska American Legion 336 // The B-Sides (rock and roll)
7:00pm // Features Fieldhouse // The Dweebs (kids) (tickets $10)
7:30pm // UW-La Crosse Music // Jazz Faculty Recital
8:00pm // MUDDY WATERS BAR // Bruce Greenwood
8:00pm // Smokey’s Bar and Grill // Tom Carpenter Acoustic Music
8:00pm // Cat Daddy’s Bar & Grill // Bryce Thomaschefsky
8:00pm // Whiskey River Bar and Grill // THE LAST MINUTE HEROES
9:00pm // Bottoms Up // Abbey Lane
Thank you for reading ❤️
Have something to say? You know what to do.
📥 👇