Deputy Sheriff Mike Seversen Memorial Overlook Park , St Croix Falls, WI
The Overlook Park in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin was renamed on August 25, 2017 in recognition of Polk County Sheriff's Deputy Mike Seversen's timeless and noble service to the community, to Deputy Michael Seversen Memorial Overlook Park.
As the youngest son of Joe and Kitty Seversen, Mike grew up with a passion to help others. As a young man he began working at the Wisconsin Interstate Park and where his love for the outdoors and helping others grew. Over the years he selfishly served on the St. Croix Falls Fire Department, Luck Police Department, St. Croix Falls Police Department, Ski patrol, and the Polk County Sheriff's Department.
While on duty in 1991, in an effort to protect others he was shot, injuring his spinal cord and leaving him completely paralyzed. Mike's deep faith in God was evident in his persistent love for life, sense of humor, optimistic outlook, and care in serving his community. His physical limitations never stopped him from protecting and serving the community he loved. In his optimistic result, it became his mission to encourage and inspire others, especially those dealing with paralysis. For the next 23 years he continued to be active in the community, even while confined to his wheelchair. He remained a Polk County Deputy, and he spoke at D.A.R.E. events reminding young people that the choices they made would have significant impact on their lives and the lives of others. Mike was an active member of the St. Croix Falls planning commission and help to make Overlook Park a reality.
Michael J. Seversen was an active member of his community. Mike was a Lieutenant in the St. Croix Falls Fire Department, a Patrol Officer in the St. Croix Falls Police Department and Luck Police Department, a Park Ranger at Interstate Park, and a Deputy Sheriff with the Polk County Sheriff's Department.
Mike continued to serve with the Polk County Sheriff's Department, was active in local politics, and was a motivational speaker who had a passion to tell others they could overcome adversity.
Interview with Dave Westlake, Candidate for U.S. Senate - Wisconsin News
St. Croix Falls, WI - July 21, 2010
Wisconsin News interviewed Dave Westlake, Candidate for U.S. Senate at the Polk County Republican Party's Election Head Quarters Wednesday, after a scheduled meet and greet with local residents.
Westlake discussed the concerns brought up by Polk County residents during the meeting, as well as the differences that set him apart from his Republican Primary Challenger, Ron Johnson.
According to Westlake, he and Johnson differ on several key areas that Wisconsin residents may want to consider. Issues include how they interpret the Constitution of the United States, the 2nd Amendment, the patriot act, immigration, and the right to life.
Watch the interview and listen to what Westlake considers fundamental differences between he and his opponent.
Dave Westlake was in Polk County on July 19th for a Pints and Politics, where over 40 people came to hear him speak, as well as the meet and greet today.
For more information on Dave Westlake's campaign, please visit:
If you would like to inquire about this video or audio, please contact Kirk Anderson at
Copyright © 2010 - All footage is copyright protected and may not be used in any way with out written permission from Wisconsin News.
Man dies after fall from cliff at Interstate
ST. CROIX FALLS - A 22-year-old Roseville, Minn. man died early Friday morning when he fell 40 feet from a cliff area of Interstate Park in St. Croix Falls.
Authorities say Skylar Francisco and five of his friends came to the park after hours and were in a restricted area. Francisco had been sitting on the cliff edge and fell over the side while talking with friends.
Friends were able to locate Francisco in the river and pull him onto a rock. CPR was performed by friends and then EMS personnel.
The Polk County Sheriff's Dept. received a 911 call at 1:14 a.m.
Evacuation was accomplished by the St. Croix Falls Fire Dept., using watercraft, which was the only way to access the scene. At 1:55 a.m., Francisco was transported to St. Croix Regional Medical Center, where he later died from his injuries.
The death remains under investigation by the Polk County Sheriff's Dept., Interstate Park Rangers and the Polk County Medical Examiners Office.
Read this week's print and e-editions of the Inter-County Leader for any updates on this story. - with information from Polk County Sheriff's Dept. and Kirk Anderson, wis-news.com
Willow River located in St Croix County, Wisconsin USA
The Willow River is a 61.1-mile-long (98.3 km) river in St. Croix County, Wisconsin, United States, and a tributary of the St. Croix River. Its source is in southern Polk County east of the village of Clear Lake. The river at one time flowed unobstructed into the lower St. Croix River in between Hudson and North Hudson (44°59′18″N 92°45′46″W). But a dam was built to block off its mouth, a narrow channel was cut above the dam to the St. Croix River, the channel was dammed, and a mill was built to exploit the head of water that the two dams created. Subsequently, the Willow River Power Co. built a hydroelectric facility to utilize the same head of water, but the head was substantially decreased when the United States built the Red Wing Dam 30 miles downstream on the Mississippi River.
The river winds back and forth with a slow flowage. In its upper reaches it flows through the Cylon Marsh State Wildlife Area. It passes south of Deer Park by about one mile. It then passes through New Richmond, Boardman, and Burkhardt. Near Burkhardt it enters Willow River State Park.
The river can be navigated north of the unincorporated community of Burkhardt. River access is available at New Richmond's Nature Center. Each spring rainbow and brook trout are stocked at various locations along the river.
Tribute to the Totogatic River
With its watershed nestled between the Namekagon and St. Croix Rivers, Totogatic is just as scenic and even more wild.
- Herbert Wagner
A wild gem ... provides rich habitat for diverse aquatic and terrestrial species, has excellent water quality, beautiful scenery, and great fishing and paddling opportunities.
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
One of only five rivers designated by the state of Wisconsin as Wild.
The biggest stream that flows into the clean, beloved, nationally-designated Wild & Scenic Namekagon River.
It runs for 80 miles through rock and sand and peat, flowing into the Namekagon four miles above the Namekagon's confluence with the St. Croix near Danbury, WI.
Crossing under the Totogatic about five miles northeast of Minong, WI, is Enbridge Energy's Line 61 oil pipeline.
By next year, the company plans to pump 50 million gallons of mostly tar sands crude through the pipeline to refineries in Illinois.
That is about 2 million gallons of oil per hour passing under the Totogatic, as well as the St. Croix, Namekagon, and Eau Claire Rivers.
The Totagatic River is home to over 23 species of greatest conservation need and has been identified as a conservation priority in Wisconsin’s Wildlife Action Plan and Land Legacy Report.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE OIL PIPELINE:
stcroix360/line61
Bomb Scare in St. Croix Falls, WI - October 26, 2009
At approximately 5:30pm on October 26, 2009, while driving East on Hwy. 8 towards Turtle Lake, WI, I came upon the scene of what appeared to be a bomb situation. In the early afternoon, according to the onlookers in the Wayne's Cafe parking lot across from the Super America, an unidentified package wrapped in duct tape was found on the exterior of the Super America next to the USPS Mail Box.
Law enforcement coordinated off the area and called in the Marathon County Bomb Squad. At 6pm, the bomb squad was attempting to use a robotic arm to remove the object. The following pictures and video were taken by Kirk Anderson of St. Croix Falls, WI.
Related Story about the Marathon County Sheriff's Department Bomb Squad
North of 8 Announcement: September 14, 2016
The Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie railroad (now the Gandy Dancer Trail) came through Polk County at the turn of the century, reaching Frederic by 1901. The coming of the railroad created some towns (Centuria, Lewis, Milltown) caused others to shift in location (Luck and Siren) and was the death knell for many others (Clam Falls, Cushing, West Sweden, Lamar..). Mr. Russ Hanson will present a slide show on the coming of the railroad with some of the changes that it made to Polk and Burnett Counties with a brief history of each village along the track.
Hanson has studied the ebb and flow of rural centers in Polk County from founding in the earliest days (1840s) to modern times. The coming of railroad heralded the start of tourism, the consolidation of small towns, and the broadening of local folks horizons as large cities were just a ticket away from the farm. Local businesses prospered as Luck Butter could be shipped to New York, lumber from the mills at Frederic sent across the USA, local stores could be supplied rapidly with the latest goods; the mails and newspapers came daily; and culture came to the country one could leave for a visit to the MN state fair or a matinee performance in the Twin Cities, taking the morning train in and returning in the evening.
Russell B Hanson grew up on a dairy farm a few miles NW of Cushing Wisconsin. Realizing that farming was way too hard of a living, he chose overeducation, graduating from St Croix Falls High School, UW-River Falls (Math, Physics majors and Chemistry minor), continued at UW-Madison where he added a license to teach and later a computer science degree through the U of MN system.
Having taught at Washington Island, WI, Goodman, WI, and Amery for a total of 6 years, he switched into working with computers, as he found them more responsive to his teaching methods, He spent the next 25 years at Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN. helping bring dependence on computers to each and every person who worked there. Included was a dozen years in digestive disease research, six years in cardiovascular research, and, having declined noticeably in mental acuity, spent his last half-decade in research administration where this was not noticed.
He retired at age 58, and since has pursued an interest in local history publishing 20+ books, booklets and as well as many online essays on collected stories from local folks and places of interest. He has various volunteer positions including president, secretary, treasurer, web page support, computer support, and volunteer, in 5 local history societies, writing and genealogy groups. Each Monday afternoon he volunteer for drop-in genealogy help at the Luck library for 5 years running for the Polk County Genealogical Society.
Russ, with his wife Margo, lives on the old family farm where he plays the role of gentleman farmer, able to talk price of corn and beans in his seed corn cap. A circular life, growing up a backwoods farm kid, venturing into the world, making a small splash and declining into obscurity in the abundant weeds in the barnyard.
His Facebook page, where he gives a daily update on the farm is at his sporadic essays reminiscing about the old days are posted at His research days at Mayo can be reviewed at
His books can be found on ancestry.com at
Western Wisconsin Journal St Croix County Sheriff October 2017
Holiday Inn Express in St. Croix Falls, WI
Holiday Inn Express in St. Croix Falls, WI
1 Better Advertising
St Croix Valley: Winter to Fall Minnesota and Wisconsin 4k
Traveling up and down the St Croix Valley in Washington County Minnesota and St Croix and Polk Counties Wisconsin you will find a variety of wildlife and wildflowers. I have spent the last 3 years finding the right places to capture the beauty of the area while shooting 100+ hours of footage. These are some of the final cut clips that made my latest video. Starting from a cold windy winter to melting snow and migration to a wet and warm summer sprouting a bounty of colorful wildflowers. As the daylight fades to fall, color also fades with a final burst of muted saturation from the falling leaves.
To purchase these and similar video clips, please visit my Shutterstock page at:
#exploreminnesota #TravelWI
Music by William Rosati
Song: Parzival
Thanks to my friend Andrian for the wildflower identification.
00:39 Sandhill Cranes
00:44 Crab Apple Tree
00:59 Crab Apple Tree
00:54 Hairy vetch Vicia villosa
00:59 Wild Columbine Aquilegia canadensis
01:04 Prairie Smoke Geum triflorum Prairie Smoke
01:09 Ox-Eye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare
01:25 Lupines Lupinus perennis
01:35 White False Indigo Baptisia alba
01:40 Lupines Lupinus perennis
01:46 Red Winged Blackbird
01:51 Foxglove Beardtongue Penstemon digitalis
02:01 Black Damselfly Calopteryx maculata
02:08 Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly (Best guess)
02:12 Ox-Eye Daisy Leucanthemum vulgare
02:19 Dragonfly
02:24 Bearded Beggarticks, Tickseed Sunflower Bidens aristosa
02:27 Phlox Paniculata
02:31 Blazing Star Liatris spicata
02:37 Coneflower Ratibida pinnata
02:43 White Prairie Aster Symphyotrichum
02:47 Smartweed Persicaria
02:52 Spiderwort Tradescantia
02:58 Musk Thistle Carduus nutans
03:30 Musk Thistle
03:14 Rough-fruited Cinquefoil Potentilla recta
03:14 Phlox Paniculata
03:24 Lindley's Aster Symphyotrichum ciliolatum
03:28 Ornamental Grass
03:34 Musk Thistle
Wannigan Days Parade in St. Croix Falls ~ Go Conservatives!
St. Croix Falls, WI
July 17, 2010
The Wannigan Days 2010 parade had overcast skies lurking above the line up in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin. Fortunately for the long line of decorated floats, walkers, and fire trucks ~ the rain actually held off until after the parade.
Conservatives had a big presence at this years parade and you could tell people were frustrated with all the change we've been getting lately. Elected officials, candidates for various offices, American's for Prosperity, and the Polk County Republicans all were active in this years parade.
The message is consistent ~ vote Conservative and stop the spending! We need real change in Washington D.C., Madison, and Polk County!
Day Trip-Osceola Wisconsin
We spent the day exploring the cute main street of Osceola, WI what a hidden gem.
Rock Angel by Joakim Karud Creative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported— CC BY-SA 3.0 Music promoted by Audio Library
JPB - High [NCS Release] Music provided by NoCopyrightSounds Music promoted by Audio Library
2016 Polk County Wisconsin Special Olympics fundraiser
Jen from JJ's Club 35 nailed it on the first try. She's made for the camera.
Watch Jen share the details. Come down and support the #PolkCounty #SpecialOlympics, order a #pizza and help your neighbors. JJ's is not charging the group for the space.
Thanks Jim and Jen for being #leaders in the community and helping others.
#wisconsin #luckwi #milltownwi #communityservice
Lamar Youth Arts Classes Aug 2014
Lamar Community Center Youth Arts Summer Programming. See the art and the kids that participated in these week long art classes for kids of all ages.
Lamar Summer Youth Arts
Lamar Community Center
1488 200th Street, P.O. Box 344, St. Croix Falls, WI 54024.
Monday-Thursday August 18-21, 2014 9am to 3pm each day, both classes.
Drawing, Painting and Mixed Media Camp, ages 5-13
We will jump-start our creativity using pencils, colored pencils, pastels, watercolors, acrylics, markers, and oil pastels. Besides drawing and painting, we will design and create handcrafted animals and dolls, have some fun with fabrics, AND create some unique and interesting collage treasure boxes.
Instructor Suzanne Monson is a graphic designer and a professional creativity coach. Her dream is to be part of a community of creative pioneers who have lots of ideas for how to live dazzling, rich lives bursting with crazy fresh ways to have a life chock-full of meaning.
Fairy Tales: Knowing Ourselves and Nature Through Creative Dramatics, ages 8-13
We will learn from the natural world - through drama, improvisational play, model set design and construction, storytelling and performance. Group members will create their own fairy or toad houses/model sets and imagine characters in a story set in the natural spaces that surround us at Lamar Community Center. From these small worlds, we will further explore the roles and stories that emerge through mask making and puppet making, culminating in a co-created performance for family and friends on the final day of camp.
Instructor Jennifer Johnson is a theater and movement artist, educator and trainer who received her Bachelor of Arts in Theater from The College of Saint Benedict and her Master of Arts in Drama Therapy from New York University. Jen has taught all ages in many areas including self-expression, drama, improvisation and creative performance and storytelling.
This project is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin and the National Endowment for the Arts, and from matching funds generously and graciously contributed by local business and individual supporters of the arts. Creative Communities is a collaborative endeavor that is designed to inspire youth to achieve individual creativity and the love of hands on art making and design skills.
Farmer Leadership in Watershed Management - The Current 13
Saint Croix Valley EMS - 572 Responding - 08/13/15
-For best viewing results, please view this in High-Definition.-
Saint Croix Valley EMS (572 - Saint Croix Falls) Responding to a medical run with Center City First Responders. Enjoy!
Thanks for viewing, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE, and SHARE this and my many other videos.
© 2015 Ryan Olsen - All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced, displayed, modified or distributed without the expressed prior written permission of the copyright holder.
Phillips-Medisize Expands Presence in Hudson, WI
Phillips-Medisize is pleased to expand its manufacturing presence with its largest Wisconsin facility at the St. Croix Meadows development in Hudson, Wisconsin, USA.
Construction of the 230,000-sq. ft. building at the St. Croix Meadows site is slated for completion by mid-2020, making it Phillips-Medisize’s single largest manufacturing facility in west central Wisconsin and supporting at least 250 jobs for skilled manufacturing and engineering employees.
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway
00:00:50 1 Activities
00:01:40 2 Management
00:02:11 3 Parks and public lands
00:02:36 4 See also
00:02:50 5 External links
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
The Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway is a federally protected system of riverways located in eastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. It protects 252 miles (406 km) of river, including the St. Croix River (on the Wisconsin/Minnesota border), and the Namekagon River (in Wisconsin), as well as adjacent land along the rivers. The St. Croix National Scenic Riverway is one of the original eight National Wild and Scenic Rivers, largely as a result of legislation by senators Walter Mondale of Minnesota and Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin. The largest scenic riverway east of the Mississippi River, it lies within parts of eight counties in Wisconsin: Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Pierce, Polk, St. Croix, Sawyer, and Washburn; and three in Minnesota: Chisago, Pine, and Washington.
Oshkosh, WI sled pull 2009 #1