Wisconsin

How more than 300 members of Immanuel Lutheran made the dream of a new church a reality

Published

1 year ago

February 23, 2025

How more than 300 members of Immanuel Lutheran made the dream of a new church a reality

Reporter Caitlin Shuda, a lifelong member of Immanuel Lutheran, shares how volunteers have been working for decades to build a new church in the community.

WISCONSIN RAPIDS − Here’s the church, here’s the steeple, open the doors and see all the people who spent the last few decades planning and preparing for our newly-built Immanuel Lutheran Church.

As a lifelong member, I remember people talking about building a new church for most of my life.

In our new church, we won’t have these stairs to climb. So-and-so would be able to worship again in a more accessible building. In our new church, we’ll have more space, and we could expand this class or community event. Someday, we won’t need these nets and tennis rackets to catch bats flying overhead during the sermon.

Conversations and discussions around member and community needs became a little more tangible when we purchased land in 2007, and those conversations and discussions continued for the next 16 years. There were disappointments and frustrations. There were also revelations and breakthroughs.

The latest plans started rolling the last few years as we worked through designs for an event center and church. Those discussions evolved into action as we broke ground in July 2023, then moved from Eighth Street to our Mission Center in August 2024 while windows, organ pipes, repurposed pews and other items were moved and secured at the new site. Now, Immanuel has opened at 1517 24th St. S., bringing to life the vision of the last few generations across the last few decades.

Every time I walk into the new church, whether to rehearse with the choir, get some practice time in on the organ or to help set up chairs for worship, my heart expands. I take in the glow from the stained-glass windows, the height of the organ pipes, the thoughtfully refurbished altar, the notes that hang in the air at the end of a song. I see home. I see pieces of so many people I love who put so much of their hearts and souls into this space.

I spent the last week ahead of the church’s official opening talking with members of the church who have been working for decades to make this dream a reality. Here’s what they had to say.

‘Our members have been dreaming about this space for 30 years’

About 250 members of Immanuel were involved in the planning stages, from teenagers to the oldest generations, offering suggestions and requests of what they wanted to see in a building, said Jonathan Blum, Immanuel’s facility administrator. When it came to the construction phase, more than 300 members actively helped in some shape or form, he said.

Rev. Tim Ritter, Immanuel’s senior pastor, said while previous rounds of building plans included a few renderings and smaller building committees, Immanuel took a different approach this time, holding listening sessions to learn what members wanted, essentially making the entire congregation part of the building committee.

“Our members have been dreaming about this space for 30 years,” Ritter said.

The longer Immanuel waited to build, the clearer it became to members that between space, accessibility and the state of the building, it was time for a new home.

Dennis Hall, a member of Immanuel, said he has been involved since the day he and his wife, Patty, joined almost 49 years ago, often with maintenance needs. He said a new church means a new beginning for Immanuel with something fresh, without needing to worry about the steps, fixing the elevator, making sure the boiler is running, and every other issue on his checklist at the old church building.

‘It’s a labor of love’

As construction began, Immanuel organized several volunteer groups to help on site, Blum said. About 60 people made lunch for construction crews every two weeks. About 70 members helped clean at the work sites and completed buildings. Other members have been around regularly to help with whatever needed to be done, some almost daily, with some spending more than 20 hours on any given week to help, Blum said.

Cyndi Knorr, a lifelong member, said she initially got involved with the group that fed the builders once construction started, and she joined the cleaning crew. The timing of construction allowed Knorr to be more involved, since she’s retired and has more time to volunteer.

Timing worked out well for Nell and John Slinkman, too, now retired members who joined Immanuel in the early 1980s. They helped design the coffee area and lead the committee that fed the builders. Nell Slinkman was on a committee focusing on accessibility, and John Slinkman was on a committee that repurposed wood from the pews and he helped put the baseboards in the sanctuary.

Hall said he was part of every planning group Immanuel organized, starting with the first planning group 30 years ago, as well as the second one that followed. He served as a liaison for the third and said this effort was Immanuel’s fourth shot. This time, he shared his thoughts and expertise on blueprint designs early on, and he helped dismantle and install various parts of the church.

“It’s a labor of love, that’s what it is,” Hall said.

Blum said Immanuel has been encouraging members to get involved with a sense of ownership, and this project has shown how members took that to heart, sharing what they wanted in a new building, rolling up their sleeves and helping make it happen. Blum said everything moved so quickly, and it was often hard to keep up with all of the work done by volunteers.

“Before you even had the next task ready, you had people willing and waiting to help,” he said.

Blum said one of the most visible pieces of member involvement involves the cross at the front of the sanctuary. He said Immanuel planned to use wood from trees that had been on the property to build a cross, but those plans fell through. He turned to Hall for any ideas.

Hall said Blum asked him if he could build a cross for the front of the church, and since he had a lot of barn beams in his own barn that various people have given him over the years, he had plenty of options. He ultimately dug up a barn beam that was more than 100 years old that someone had donated to him about five years ago. All it took was a bit of cleaning up and a few coats of varnish, Hall said, and Immanuel had its new cross.

“The fingerprints of our congregation are all over this place,” Ritter said.

‘It’s being a part of something bigger than me’

Hall said he has been awestruck many times throughout the project, especially as it approached its official opening. He has been at the building almost every day in the last three weeks leading up to the opening, and every time he came in, there was something new. The completion of the church building means Immanuel is finally home, he said.

A few days before the church officially opened its new doors, Jerry Herman sat in the church’s welcome area and looked around at the space. He said he had been so focused on the work up to that point that it was nice to stop and look at how far the project has come. Herman said it felt like just yesterday members were gathered out in the middle of an empty field on a hot summer day, breaking ground for the project, and now the official opening was on the horizon. The thought of the last couple of years made Herman feel a sense of pride, community and ownership.

“It’s being a part of something bigger than me,” he said.

Nell Slinkman said the greatest part of the project has been the idea of leaving a legacy behind not only for her family, but for the church and community for generations to come.

Immanuel not only built a new sanctuary for worship, but it built a new building for the community. Blum said the entire plan for the property on 24th Street centered around community and welcoming everyone.

Hall said the entire project was created with community in mind, and he hopes they come in to see it.

“There’s an open door whenever they want to come in,” Hall said. “We built it for them.”

Contact Caitlin at cshuda@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @CaitlinShuda.

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Wisconsin

From bodybuilding to business: Wisconsin entrepreneur builds success with Bulk Butter

Published

5 hours ago

June 26, 2026

Press Room

From bodybuilding to business: Wisconsin entrepreneur builds success with Bulk Butter

MUKWONAGO — Just two and a half years after launching her business, Emily Koltermann has transformed a simple idea into a growing Wisconsin brand found on the shelves of local supermarkets.

Koltermann, founder of Bulk Butter, created the company after searching for a healthier alternative to traditional sweet spreads.

“Bulk Butter is a lower sugar, better-for-you sweet treat,” she said. “We start with a natural peanut butter base and add in different fun inclusions. Think of your favorite treat or candy bar added to a jar of nut butter, minus all the added sugar plus additional protein.”

Unlike many commercial nut butters, Bulk Butter starts with natural peanut butter that contains no added sugar, salt, oils or emulsifiers. From there, Koltermann adds creative mix-ins that turn the spread into a dessert-inspired snack.

“Our best seller is our Monster Cookie,” she said. “We start with just a natural peanut butter base, blend it with white chocolate and then add toppings to both the top and bottom to make for a better-for-you sweet treat.”

Koltermann said the idea was born during her years as a nationally competitive bodybuilder. While training, peanut butter remained a staple in her nutrition plan because of its healthy fats, even though many people mistakenly assume lower-calorie foods are always healthier.

Watch: Wisconsin entrepreneur builds success with Bulk Butter

From Bodybuilding to Business: Wisconsin Entrepreneur Builds Success with Bulk Butter

“A lot of people think that lower calories equate to better for you than higher calories,” she said. “But as a competitor, I had peanut butter in my plan all throughout prep. We need those healthy fats as individuals for energy, fuel and proper body function.”

After competitions, she would celebrate with a simple indulgence.

“I love peanut butter, so after competing, I would take a spoonful of peanut butter and dunk it into chocolate chips. That was my little sweet treat,” she said. “So, I thought, put it in a jar, and I kind of ran with it.”

At the time, Koltermann was balancing national bodybuilding competitions with a full-time corporate job but wanted something more fulfilling.

“I felt very unfulfilled in the corporate life, so I wanted to find something that was fulfilling while also being passionate about it,” she said.

Building the business meant long days and even longer evenings.

“I knew nothing about the whole business background, and I wanted to just jump in on something and go 10 toes to the ground,” she said. “I was working my 9-to-5 job. In the morning, I would go to the gym, train, get my cardio in, work from 9 to 5, and then after work I would go to farmers markets to launch my product.”

That hard work has paid off. What began as a farmers’ market venture has grown into a regional brand, with Bulk Butter now available in numerous local supermarkets across Wisconsin.

For Koltermann, the company’s success is rooted in offering something different.

“We wanted to find a product that was lower in sugar and didn’t have all the added oils that most nut butters do,” she said. “We took a twist on your natural nut butter and added fun inclusions. We’re very different from your standard nut butter.”

Bulk Butter: Nut Butter Treat | Handcrafted & Small-Batch

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Wisconsin

Northwest Wisconsin Highway Construction Update – Jun. 26, 2026

Published

15 hours ago

June 26, 2026

Press Room

Northwest Wisconsin Highway Construction Update – Jun. 26, 2026

NORTHWEST WISCONSIN — This week’s updates from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) on road construction projects for Barron, Burnett, Polk, Rusk, Sawyer, and Washburn counties.

Barron County

Highway: County O

Location: East Branch Upper Pine Creek Bridge north of the village of Dallas
Schedule: June 15 to early August
Cost: $ $501,425
Description of work: Replacing the bridge and reconstructing 149.5 feet of approaching roadway
Traffic impacts: County O is closed at the structure, and traffic is being detoured via County D, WIS 25 and County U.
Highway: County O
Location: Wisconsin Avenue intersection in Rice Lake
Schedule: April 20 to late September
Cost: $1.1 million
Description of work: Realigning and extending the County O left-turn lanes, constructing right-turn lanes both north and south along Wisconsin Avenue, replacing traffic signals and adding sidewalk and a pedestrian crossing on County O
Traffic impacts: Wisconsin Avenue and County O remain open to traffic, but motorists will encounter lane closures for the switch to permanent traffic signals and removal of temporary signals.

Highway: US 53 South

Location: Bridges between Cameron and New Auburn, structures over US 8, Knapp Street, County A, County AA and Carlson School Road, 2025; and structures over 20th Street, County I and the Chetek River, 2026
Schedule: Feb. 23 to October, 2026 construction; May 5, 2025, to October 2026, overall project
Cost: $10.91 million
Description of 2026 work: Replacing the decks on the bridges over the Chetek River and 20th Street; replacing the bridge over County I; milling pavement on both sides of each structure and placing new asphalt pavement on the approaches; milling and overlaying the pavement on the southbound US 53 on- and off-ramps at the County I interchange; and replacing guardrail, pavement markings and signage
Traffic impacts: Southbound US 53 remains open to traffic, but motorists will encounter:
- Single-lane closures on southbound US 53 before and after bridges over 20th Street, Knapp Street, County I, the Chetek River and Carlson School Road
  - The speed limit is reduced to 55 mph.
- Single-lane closures on County I through the duration of the project
- Closure of the ramp from County I to southbound US 53
- The ramp closure is anticipated to be in place through Oct. 1.
  - Traffic is being detoured on northbound US 53 to the US 8 interchange, where motorists will exit and then re-enter southbound US 53.

Highway: US 63

Location: Charrie Lane in Cumberland to the Washburn County line
Schedule: April 13 to late June
Cost: $4.64 million
Description of work: Removing a portion of the existing pavement and paving new asphalt, installing centerline and edge line rumble strips, cleaning or repairing culverts, reconstructing sidewalk curb ramps to Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and placing new pavement markings
Traffic impacts: US 63 remains open to traffic, but motorists will encounter single-lane closures controlled by flagging from:
- 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays
- 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays

Highway: US 63

Location: Beaver Dam Lake in Cumberland
Schedule: April 24 to early September
Cost: $2.64 million
Description of work: Removing the existing box culvert carrying Beaver Dam Lake under US 63, building a bridge with a longer span to replace the box culvert, removing the Lake Street Bridge, dredging Beaver Dam Lake under US 63 and the Lake Street Bridge, building an ATV trail on the east side of US 63 from Arcade Avenue to Nedvidek Street, reconstructing US 63 on both sides of the new bridge, reconstructing portions of Lake Street, Nedvidek Street and Babcock Avenue to match the raised profile of US 63 and constructing curb, gutter and sidewalk
Traffic impacts: US 63 is closed to traffic on both sides of the structure.
- Traffic is being detoured via WIS 48, US 53 and WIS 70. In addition:
  - Lake Street is closed just past the boat landing.
    - Access to the boat landing is being maintained.
    - The Lake Street Bridge is open to emergency vehicles only through late July.

Burnett County

Highway: WIS 35

Location: Lanquist Street in Siren to WIS 70 East
Schedule: May 4 to mid-October
Cost: $8.55 million
Description of work: Replacing pavement with new concrete from Lanquist Street to Southshore Drive, replacing storm sewer and expanding its capacity from Lanquist to Works Progress Street, resurfacing the roadway from Southshore Drive to WIS 70 East, reviewing and revising access points, improving turning movements in all quadrants at the WIS 35 and WIS 70/County B intersection in the city of Siren, replacing traffic signals, replacing curb ramps and removing extra lanes from Park Street to Northshore Drive to reduce flooding potential
Traffic impacts: WIS 35 remains open to traffic, but motorists will encounter:
- Shoulder closures on northbound WIS 35 from Lanquist Street to Bradley Street; southbound WIS 35 from the WIS 35/70 intersection to Bacon Street; and east- and westbound WIS 70 from 1st Avenue to the WIS 35/70 intersection
- Lanes closures controlled by flagging on north- and southbound WIS 35 from Southshore Drive to the roundabout
- Various single-lane closures controlled by flagging on north- and southbound US 53 from Southshore Drive to WIS 35/70 roundabout
WIS 35 is only open to southbound traffic from Lanquist Street to Southshore Drive, and northbound car and heavy truck traffic is being detoured.
- Northbound car detour: County B, 4th Avenue North and Elizabeth Street
- Truck detour: WIS 70/MN 70, I-35 (MN), MN 48/WIS 77 and WIS 35

Polk County

Highway: WIS 46

Location: US 8 to WIS 35
Schedule: April 15 to early October
Cost: $8.49 million
Description of work: Recycling 4 inches of pavement in place on the rural portion of the project; placing 2.75 inches of new asphalt and installing centerline rumble strips; milling 3.25 inches of pavement in the village of Balsam Lake and placing 3.35 inches of new asphalt; cleaning, extending, lining or replacing culverts; replacing or adjusting existing guardrail; and replacing curb ramps in the village of Balsam Lake
Traffic impacts: WIS 46 is closed from 140th Avenue to 150th Avenue.
- This closure is anticipated to be in place through mid-July.
- Traffic is being detoured via US 8 and WIS 35.
- Motorists might encounter single-lane closures controlled by flagging on other segments of the project.

Highway: US 8

Location: WIS 35 North to WIS 46 South
Schedule: May 11 to late August
Cost: $7.52 million
Description of work: Milling 2.25 inches of existing asphaltic surface and placing 3.25 inches new asphalt; reconstructing two locations of roadway where sloughing is occurring; widening the paved shoulders from 3 to 5 feet; installing centerline and shoulder rumble strips; cleaning, extending, lining or replacing existing culverts and replacing deteriorating end walls on some structures; replacing or adjusting guardrail; and completing roadside maintenance, including clearing and ditching
Traffic impacts: US 8 remains open to traffic, but motorists will encounter single-lane closures controlled by flagging for paving operations. In addition, a pilot car will lead motorists through the work zone.

Rusk County

Highway: US 8

Location: Little Soft Maple Creek northwest of Weyerhaeuser
Schedule: June 23 to late September
Cost: $1.92 million
Description of work: Constructing a temporary bypass on the north side of US 8 to carry traffic during construction, removing the existing box culvert, constructing a single-span bridge half at a time to replace it, replacing roadway approach pavement on both sides of the structure and installing guardrail
Traffic impacts: US 8 remains open to traffic, but motorists will encounter single-lane closures controlled by flagging from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Sawyer County

Highway: County D

Location: Chippewa River Bridge east of Exeland in the town of Weirgor
Schedule: March 23 to late July
Cost: $1.08 million
Description of work: Replacing the bridge deck, making concrete surface repairs to the abutments, piers and girders, completing bridge joint, shoulder and guardrail work and replacing the roadway approach pavement
Traffic impacts: County D is closed at the Chippewa River.
- Traffic is being detoured via WIS 40, WIS 70 and WIS 27.

Highway: WIS 70

Location: County GG in the unincorporated community of Loretta in Sawyer County to Pixley Wilderness West Road in the Price County town of Lake west of Fifield
Schedule: June 15 to early August
Cost: $5.5 million
Description of work: Removing a portion of the existing asphalt, repaving the roadway with new asphalt pavement, installing centerline rumble strips, replacing or repairing guardrail as needed, placing gravel along the shoulders and replacing pavement markings
Traffic impacts: WIS 70 remains open to traffic, but motorists will encounter lane closures controlled by flagging.

Washburn County

No current WisDOT projects

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Wisconsin

What’s the Wisconsin wolf population? DNR issues latest estimate.

Published

1 day ago

June 26, 2026

Press Room

What’s the Wisconsin wolf population? DNR issues latest estimate.

Wisconsin had an estimated 1,162 gray wolves in 321 packs in late winter 2026, according to the Department of Natural Resources.

The 2026 population estimate represents a 5% year-over-year decline and is 3% below the 5-year average, a slight fluctuation around a mean that suggest the state’s wolf population has reached its biological carrying capacity, said Lydia Margenau, DNR wildlife research scientist.

The DNR released the information June 25 during a virtual meeting of its Wolf Advisory Committee. Randy Johnson, DNR large carnivore specialist, led the meeting. The full 2026 wolf monitoring report is expected to be posted to the DNR’s website in the coming days, Johnson said.

The statistical confidence levels in the 2026 wolf estimate include a population range from 1,026 to 1,307 and a range in packs from 287 to 359.

The estimate does not include wolves not associated with packs or those that have disbursed out of the state’s core wolf range.

Specific to the five Wisconsin wolf management units, Zone 1 in the far north and northwest had 511 wolves, Zone 2 in the northeast had 273, Zone 3 in the northwest had 126, Zone 4 in the northcentral and northeast had 54 and Zone 5 in the central forest zone had 191. Seven other wolves were not attributed to a zone.

The average pack sizes ranged from a low of 2.54 wolves in Zone 4 to a high of 4.34 in Zone 1.

Pack territories were an average of 54 square miles in Zones 1 through 4 but, similar to past years, 32 square miles in Zone 5, likely due to higher prey density in the central forest area, Margenau said.

The DNR produces an annual report on wolves in the state, partly as a requirement to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The gray wolf in Wisconsin and most other states has been protected under the federal Endangered Species Act since February 2022.

Since 2020 the DNR has used an occupancy model in its work to produce a wolf population estimate. The model uses inputs from wolf tracking surveys conducted by agency staff, volunteers and others as well as data obtained from GPS-collared wolves.

The GPS collar data helps the scientists determine wolf territory sizes and movements. The DNR obtains location information from the collared animals via satellite.

As of June 2026 there were 45 active GPS collars on wolves in Wisconsin, according to DNR research scientist Danielle Deming, including 15 deployed this year.

For the winter 2025-26 wolf monitoring period, 503 carnivore tracking surveys were conducted across 17,771 miles of roads, according to the DNR. Ninety-seven percent of the blocks received at least three surveys, the minimum recommended.

The work is done in winter when the wolf population is near or at its annual low and when the animals are easiest to track.

Wolf populations typically double after pups are born in spring then drop over the rest of the year due to various sources of mortality, according to wolf researchers.

The gray wolf was native to Wisconsin but after decades of persecution, including poisoning and bounties, the species was considered extirpated from the state by 1960.

Increased protections, including the 1973 Endangered Species Act, helped the carnivore expand from a residual population in northern Minnesota and recolonize Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The Badger State’s wolf population was estimated at 25 in 1980, 34 in 1990, 248 in 2000, 704 in 2010 and 1,034 in 2020, according to DNR reports.

As seen in the recent data, the wolf population has leveled off over the last decade or so as the animals have filled the most suitable habitat in the state, according to biologists.

The slight declines in recent years could be due to mild winter conditions which favor white-tailed deer but are tougher on wolves, Margenau said.

Researchers with the Voyageurs Wolf Project also documented a recent decline in the wolf population it studies in northern Minnesota in its most recent report.

Wisconsin has held four wolf hunting and trapping seasons in the modern era, in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2021.

But no wolf hunting or trapping has occurred since February 2021 due to a successful in-state lawsuit by wolf advocates in October 2021 and a federal district judge’s decision in February 2022 that returned the wolf in Wisconsin and many other states to protections of the federal Endangered Species Act.

Several attempts are being made to delist the wolf. They include: an appeal of the decision by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; the Pet and Livestock Protection Act, legislation that has passed the U.S. House of Representatives and is in the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works; and a rider attached to the fiscal year 2027 Department of Interior appropriations bill.

Confirmed or probable gray wolf depredations on livestock and other domestic animals in Wisconsin decreased in 2025, as did the amount of compensation paid, but were close to 5-year averages, according to DNR reports.

The compensation dropped from $322,970 in 2024 to $200,864 in 2025.

So far in 2026 in Wisconsin there have been 19 verified wolf conflicts and 15 verified wolf depredations on livestock, down from 32 and 22, respectively, in 2025, Johnson said.

There has never been a wolf attack on a human in modern Wisconsin history, according to the DNR.

For more information, visit the DNR’s Wolves in Wisconsin page at dnr.wi.gov.

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