The Chetek Alert

The 10th annual K-Runk Memorial Race will be held at the Rice Lake Speedway on Thursday night, July 2, along with its annual fireworks show. The race honors Kyle’s love for racing his Midwest Modified race car. He unexpectedly passed away in November 2016 at the age of 22, and the K-Runk Racing Family continues to hold a fun-filled, family-friendly night of racing, along with giveaways, drawings and raffles. All proceeds go to funding the yearly races, payouts, trophies and special projects.

Hundreds of spectators will be on hand at the Aqua Theatre for the Chetek Hydroflites Water Ski Show Team’s free, action-packed ski shows that will be performed over the 52nd anniversary Liberty Fest weekend. Hundreds of spectators will be on hand at the Aqua Theatre for the Chetek Hydroflites Water Ski Show Team’s free, action-packed ski shows that will be performed over the 52nd anniversary Liberty Fest weekend.

Ralph E. Butterfield, 89, of New Auburn, passed away on Monday, June 22, 2026, at Mayo Clinic Health Systems Hospital in Bloomer, Wisconsin. Ralph was born on May 15, 1937, to William and Alice (Kjellesvik) Butterfield in Nettle Creek, Illinois. At the age of six, Ralph and the family moved up north, and he graduated from New Auburn with the Class of 1955. Ralph married the love of his life, Carol Porter on July 5, 1958. He had a dairy farm for many years and enjoyed working the land.

Sunday, June 21 9:23 p.m., A motorist reported a driving complaint near County Highway SS and 25th Street in Chetek after a truck nearly struck their vehicle and the driver subsequently attempted to confront them. A responding deputy searched the area but was unable to locate the vehicle. The caller declined to pursue charges.

Pictured above are AARP League members at Getaway Golf Club that participated in the annual Red, White and Blue holiday event on June 29. Ed Maxey, Don Penza, Chuck Buric, Dave Hake with won the event with a score of 32 (3 under par). AARP League Results—June 29 The AARP League at Getaway Golf Club hosted a Red, White and Blue holiday event on Monday, June 29, to kick off the Fourth of July Liberty Fest festivities.

Chetek’s Fishy Four Run/Walk returns for its 38th anniversary at the 2026 Liberty Fest celebration. Although preregistration for this year’s event has closed, interested participants looking to help break the attendance record still have time to sign up this week. The Fishy Four Mile Run/Walk is scheduled for Friday, July 3.

This Sunday, July 5, the annual Church on the Beach gathering will be held at City Beach. This annual tradition of Liberty Fest will begin at 10 a.m. and is approximately an hour in length. This year’s gathering will feature the musical talents of a number of Chetek and Chetek-Weyerhaeuser HS alums, including Janessa (Wendlandt) Johnson, Stephanie (Hanson) Thomas, Emma (Martin) Richards, Jonathan Wendlandt, and Ed Martin. Pastor Jeff Martin of The Refuge will share the message.

Tony Zickgraf, of Indiana, recently caught this 35-inch northern pike while fishing on the Chetek Chain of Lakes. This week’s winner of Chetek’s 2026 Catch-and-Release Fishing Photo Contest is Indiana resident Tony Zickgraf, who comes to Chetek three times a year and caught this 35-inch northern pike on June 27 while fishing the Chetek Chain of Lakes Lake using his favorite lure—a green spinner bait.

Visiting with other owners was the big attraction for 98 tractor drivers who converged on Murphy Flowage Saturday, June 20, 2026, for the third annual “Discover Rusk County” tractor ride. Saturday’s third annual “Discover Rusk County” tractor ride drew a record 98 units, according to volunteer organizers Gerald Siewert, town of Sumner, Joe Czekalski, Weyerhaeuser, Brad Scott, Birchwood, and Ed Willger, Mikana area.

Pictured above at left is Cameron Fire representative Brandon Olson pictured with Sherri Nelson. The Cameron Police Department and Cameron Fire Dept. recently received donations from the Duggy Nelson Memorial Fund. Sherri Nelson, wife of the late Duggy Nelson, presented checks to each department for equipment use and Shop With a Cop. Above at right, Cameron Police Chief Anthony Engel receives a check donation from Sherri Nelson.