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Here is a selection of brief news items from this week's paper edition.

Unclaimed property claims top $3 million in May

Wisconsin Treasurer Sass announced this week that the Unclaimed Property Department in her office has paid out a record-breaking amount in May, culminating in $3,164,022 from 1,980 claims. It was the most successful month in the history of the Unclaimed Property Department which has been in existence since 1970. For the first time in history, the Unclaimed Property Department gave back more $3 million.

Sass attributed this month’s record in part to a vigorous public awareness tour covering more than 28 counties so far this year.

“I can think of no more noble endeavor than traveling the state to reunite the taxpayers with their lost financial assets,” said Sass. “I want people to look forward to seeing the treasury’s portable unclaimed property database in their communities at least once a year. Our goal is to get people into the habit of searching for their names on our lists.”

Unclaimed Property consists of uncashed payroll checks, utility refunds, stocks, dividends and even safe deposit box contents. Under Wisconsin Statute, after one to five years of inactivity, businesses across the country are mandated to turn all unclaimed money, stock and safe deposit boxes to the state treasurer’s office for safekeeping. There is no time limit for collecting your unclaimed property.

For more information regarding unclaimed property or to check if you have unclaimed property, log onto www.ost.state.wi.us or call 1-877-699-9211.

Golf outing to help Boys & Girls Club

The second-annual West Salem High School Alumni & Friends Golf Outing will be held on Saturday, Aug. 2 at Fox Hollow Golf Course in Barre Mills.

Monies raised will go into an endowment fund to help in sustaining the future operations of the Boys & Girls Club of West Salem Area, and this year there will be a $500 scholarship to a 2009 West Salem senior.

The golf outing will begin with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. with registration beginning at 8 a.m. The cost is $70 per person and includes 18 holes of golf, cart, a lunch and door prizes. Golfers signing up by July 23 will have their name placed in a drawing to win $70.

For more information, to register or to donate or sponsor a hole, contact Vicki Miller at Vicki@vsm5.com or call 786-0338.

Mel-Min volleyball camps set

Melrose-Mindoro High School will be conducting volleyball camps this summer for the 27th year.

The camps are open to girls entering grades six through nine next school year and will run Aug. 11-13. The camp will be conducted in en masse for skill work but will be divided into sixth/seventh and eighth/ninth graders for games. There will be three straight days of half-day sessions from 9 a.m. to noon.

Cost of the camp is $20. For more information, contact Deb Schaefer at 488-2201, 857-3417 or schaefer@mel-min.k12.wi.us.

Huebsch named ‘Friend of Grocers’

Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch, R-West Salem, was among state legislators given the “Friend of Grocers” award by the Wisconsin Grocers Association.

Huebsch was among 16 legislators in the Assembly to earn an “A” grade by WGA for the 2007-08 legislative session while six state senators also made the list.

Fifteen of the 16 in the Assembly are Republican and the other is a Democrat; all but one in the Senate is Democratic.

The WGA’s Legislative Report Card assigns grade to Wisconsin legislators based on their legislative performances on issues significant to the retail food and grocery industry, such as: beer sampling, organized retail crime, the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection fee increase, data security, gift cards and soda vending.

Friend of Grocers awards will be presented to the legislators during a ceremony at their local grocery store this summer and fall.

The report card can be viewed at WGA’s Web site at www.wisconsingrocers.com

Area artificial breeder sales manager gets recognized for years of service

Kevin Cox, of Sparta, was recently recognized by East Central/Select Sires at their annual awards banquet for completing 25 years of service to the cooperative.

As an area sales manager, Cox provides services, semen and product sales for dairy and beef producers in Vernon, La Crosse, Monroe and Juneau counties. He also manages four member-service representatives in this territory.

“Kevin has been a very valued employee of our organization for 25 years,” said Al Deming, general manager of East Central/Select Sires. “He is a customer service expert and has a sincere desire to help dairy and beef producers succeed. It is this desire that has earned him the trust of his customers.”

East Central/Select Sires is a professional, artificial breeding cooperative serving dairy and livestock producers in southern Wisconsin.

As a member-owner of Select Sires located near Plain City, Ohio, East Central helps make up the largest artificial insemination cooperative in the world.

B&G Club members of the month

The Boys & Girls Club of West Salem Area have announced Tyren Lincoln and Maggie Cronk as the June members of the month.

Lincoln is a fifth-grader at West Salem Elementary School.

His hobbies include playing soccer, playing Nintendo Wii and swimming. His favorite foods are hamburgers and pizza, his favorite TV shows or movies are “Skunk-Fu” and “Jurassic Park 3” and his favorite subject is reading.

Cronk is a first-grader at WSES.

Her hobbies include arts and crafts and coloring. Her favorite food is strawberry shortcake, her favorite TV shows or movies are “Hannah Montana” and “High School Musical” and her favorite subject is art.

Boys & Girls Club members of the month are nominated by a staff member or youth member.

Members of the month must demonstrate a helpful attitude to staff and fellow members; must demonstrate a positive and cheerful attitude; and must be a participant in an organized club program or activity.

Viterbo and Western expand business transfer degrees

LA CROSSE, Wis. — Officials from Viterbo University and Western Technical College recently signed an articulation agreement that will expand current transfer options between business programs.

Under the agreement, qualified Western students who earn associate’s degrees in either finance or business management have the option of transferring their credits to Viterbo to pursue a bachelor of business administration degree.

The agreement supplements seven existing business transfer options between the two colleges, the first of which was implemented in spring of 2006. Previous programs included in the agreement are accounting, human resources, marketing, network specialist, computer support specialist, programmer analyst and supervisory management.

“These agreements allow for a ‘program-to-program’ transfer rather than a ‘course-to-course’ transfer,” said Tom Knothe, interim dean of the Dahl School of Business at Viterbo. “Viterbo looks at the Western degree rather than trying to figure out which specific courses are going to receive credit.”

According to Knothe, qualified students who have earned an associate’s degree in the specified programs can move directly into upper division courses and will generally receive their bachelor’s degree in two years.

“A greater percentage of our students are seeking options for further education after they receive their associate’s degree,” said Denine Rood, dean of Western’s Business Division. “Our graduates are able to take their technical degree and merge it with broader management and liberal arts learning. This combination creates an extremely skilled and valuable employee for our area businesses.”

In another expression of support for the program, Viterbo has established the Jack and Rosanne Glendenning Family Scholarship specifically for Western business transfer students.

“Viterbo benefits from these agreements by having good, dedicated students transferring into its business programs,” added Knothe.

Coulee calendar

July 20 — St. Joseph Ridge Parish, W2601 Highway 33, La Crosse, will hold its summer picnic at noon at St. Joseph Ridge ballpark; chicken dinner $8, music, games and baseball tournament.

July 21 — West Salem Rod & Gun Club meet at 7 p.m. at club grounds, end of McKinley Valley Road.

July 28 — American Red Cross blood drive at Melrose-Mindoro High School, Highway 108 S., Melrose, from 1-6 p.m.

July 29 — American Red Cross blood drive at Bangor High School, 700 10th Street, Bangor, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Aug. 9 — West Salem Rod & Gun Club and Neshonoc Sports Shop to hold free shooting at club grounds, end of McKinley Valley Road; archery for children; trap shooting range open; refreshments available.

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