River Falls Journal

Charles L. Johnson, age 88, of River Falls, WI died Friday, August 21, 2026 at his home. He was born to Charles W. and Amada (Richards) Johnson on May 7, 1938 in Roberts, WI. He attended school in River Falls. He joined the Army in 1956-1959. On June 3, 1959, he married Elizabeth (Betty) Schullo in Iowa.

River Falls author Michele Klecker-Sailor has partnered with The Free Book Buggie to provide children's books for their three Buggies, which distribute children's books in Duluth, Minneapolis and Rochester, Minn. Klecker-Sailor is donating three complete sets of her children's books and wishes to issue a challenge to all local independent authors to donate their children's books as well. Klecker-Sailor's goal as a writer is to write books about kindness, teamwork, patience and friendship.

It wasn’t the outcome River Falls wanted in its season opener against Stevens Point Thursday night at David Smith Stadium. Now the question is, how do the Wildcats respond? Stevens Point jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead, led 27-10 at the break, and 34-10 with one quarter remaining. And while the Wildcats made it a two-score game with just over eight minutes remaining, they couldn’t get any closer in a 41-18 loss to the Panthers.

Harry (Bucco) Dieltz, age 93, passed away peacefully on August 16, 2026, leaving behind a lifetime of memories and a legacy of love, hard work, family, and the love of the great outdoors. Bucco, the second of three children, grew up in Somerset and graduated from Somerset High School. Bucco, married to Kay (Heffron) for 67 years, spent most of their first 30 years together raising their kids in Somerset before moving to New Richmond in 1984.

Scottsdale - Patrick William Brande, 70, of Scottsdale, Arizona passed away at his residence on August 13, 2026. Patrick was born in 1956 in Hudson, Wisconsin to Donald and Olive Brande. His name came from his father‘s nickname of Patters. He was the youngest of four children (and the only son). Pat graduated from Hudson (Wisconsin) High School in 1974. Pat worked as a counselor before deciding to become a carpenter, because “he wanted to work as Jesus worked”.

River Falls’ coach Ryan Scherz said it was an honor to serve as head coach of the Large School North team in the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Senior All-Star Game in Oshkosh last month. “It was,” he said. “It's an honor to be a part of it. It's some of the best players from the best programs, and a pretty special week of football. Obviously, on the field year with great players, but then to do it to raise money for Children's Hospital, it's an important cause.

Ellsworth, Wis., hosted the Wisconsin Baseball Association (WBA) Finals for Division B this past weekend at Bob Young Field and as eight teams from around the state competed for the title, the end of the three-day, six-game tournament saw the Whitehall Whitetails coming out on top. Whitehall faced off against the Abbotsford Merchants in the championship on Sunday.

Erna Lou Smith, age 85, of St. Paul, Minnesota, passed away peacefully into the arms of her Lord and Savior on August 15, 2026. Erna’s life was anchored by her deep, strong faith; her love for Jesus was a cornerstone of her life. Erna was preceded in death by her parents, Dan and Melba Lofstrom; her brothers, John Lofstrom and Jerry Lofstrom; and her son, Stephen Green.

The Pierce County Fair has kept in place many of its long-held traditions — livestock shows like horse judging, the beer garden, the demolition derby — but organizers have also put a modern spin on an event dating back to 1884. In its second year, the drone show on Thursday evening replaced the fair’s fireworks show. And in a similar fashion, it lit up the night sky above the grounds. The brightly colored, LED-equipped drones coordinated to form various shapes.

Editor’s note: The Hudson Star-Observer announced that it has hired Mattie Beck. Beck will cover River Falls, New Richmond and other happenings in Pierce and St. Croix counties. Email her pitches at mbeck@orourkemediagroup.com. The following is her introductory column: Hello! My name is Mattie Beck, and I’m a new reporter on the Star-Observer team. I grew up down the road in Ellsworth, Wis. where I attended high school and graduated in 2020. From there, I attended the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.