Laura Bird

1 week ago | upnorthnewswi.com | Laura Bird

More than 10,000 books were banned across America last school year, and Wisconsin is one of the worst offenders. At least 450 titles have been barred from school libraries across the Badger State since 2021 — and with Trump in office, there are no signs of that slowing down. That’s why, at UpNorthNews, we’re committed to celebrating banned books — NOT canceling them.

2 weeks ago | upnorthnewswi.com | Laura Bird

My love affair with books started as a child. When I was four or five years old, I was a regular at story time. Every week, I would sit criss-cross applesauce on the rug and listen, rapt, as Miss Jean Ann read picture books, recited poems, and sang whimsical little songs to a roomful of budding bookworms at the Wauwatosa Public Library. This was circa 1978 or 1979, so the rug was—of course—a richshade of dirt-brown, as were Miss Jean Ann’s corduroy skirt and tall leather boots.

1 month ago | upnorthnewswi.com | Laura Bird

Keith and Leslie Damaso have loved reading their whole lives, but their hometown of Mineral Point didn’t have a bookstore… so they decided to open one. “More broadly, coming out of the pandemic, we felt like our community had lost something—a sense of connection or integration—and we wanted to do something to address that,” Keith said.

1 month ago | globegazette.com | Laura Bird

By LAURA BIRDMASON CITY — Fans of “The Hunger Games” trilogy were pleased with the first movie during opening day on Friday. “It was awesome,” said Jacob Schmidt, 11, Klemme. “It was really good,” said his twin sister, Makenzie. The brother and sister, and their mother, Lisa Brighton, went to the movie Friday afternoon at Cinema West in Mason City. It was their first day of spring break. “I said, ‘Let’s go to a movie,’ ” Brighton said.

1 month ago | globegazette.com | Laura Bird

MASON CITY — The Bagel Depot, 124 Fourth St. S.W., has closed. A sign hanging in the restaurant’s window confirmed the closing. “The Bagel Depot is now closed. We would like to thank all of you and all of our faithful customers that have been here will us for the last 7 years for being part of the The Bagel Depot Family,” the sign said. “We will miss you all.”The business was owned by Tim and Kathy Pyatt, according to Globe Gazette files.