Rep. Duke Tucker

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony for Viola Solar, the first utility-scale solar installation in Burnett County! This development will reduce reliance on volatile energy markets and increase power capacity during peak demand times. This installation can handle the power needs of the Hertel and Viola Lake communities.

Wisconsin uses six times as much power as is generated in the state, and solar serves as a practical intermediate source while nuclear energy advancements are underway.

June is National Dairy Month! Wisconsin has approximately 5,000 dairy farms, 1.27 million cows, and is responsible for 1/4 of all cheese produced in the United States!

Happy birthday, Wisconsin! Here’s to 178 years of the Badger State, a nickname earned through the grit and determination of the lead miners who settled this land.

This Memorial Day, we commemorate the fallen who have given their all for the very freedoms we so often take for granted. Without their sacrifice, our republic would not be what it is today. For those who have passed from the Revolutionary War to now, let us all take a moment to pay our respects and contemplate what we are recognizing today.

Great honor to share a Memorial Day message at the dedication of East Immanuel Lutheran Church's new Veterans Memorial. What a great place to honor our Veterans and to pay our respects to those who gave their lives achieving and maintaining our freedom. Great to see Amery VFW Post 7929 Honor Guard detail, what a great job they do. I was able to meet WWII Veteran, D. Ross Smith, who was served in Okinawa. He's about to be 100 years young. Sure looking forward to attending his birthday party! 🇺🇸

Looking for Memorial Day services? Here is a list of local events provided by the Inter-County Leader!

Balsam Lake

Ellis F. Hagler American Legion Post 278 Balsam Lake Honor Guard will honor the departed comrades of the area on Monday, May 25, at the following cemeteries:

9 a.m. – Town of Johnstown Cemetery

9:15 a.m. – Holy Rosary Catholic Cemetery

9:30 a.m. – Town of Georgetown Cemetery

9:45 a.m. – Georgetown Lutheran Cemetery

10 a.m. – Bunyan Cemetery

11 a.m. – Balsam Lake Cemetery, program followed by the annual Memorial Day dinner at the Balsam Lake Post 278 Legion Hall in Pine Park. Takeout will also be available.

Cushing

Cushing American Legion 269 will hold the following Memorial Day services on Monday, May 25:

9:15 a.m. – Laketown Lutheran Church Cemetery

10 a.m. – Cushing Cemetery

11 a.m. – Wolf Creek Cemetery, followed by a Ladies Aid lunch at the Wolf Creek Methodist Church.

Frederic

On Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, the Frederic American Legion Post will hold services at the following locations:

8 a.m. – C**n Lake Park, fishing dock

8:20 a.m. – Union Cemetery, Trade Lake

8:40 a.m. – Zion EV Lutheran Cemetery, Trade Lake

9 a.m. – Mission Cemetery, Trade Lake

9:20 a.m. – Traditions Assisted Living, Frederic

9:45 a.m. – Zion Lutheran, Bone Lake

10:15 a.m. – Frederic Nursing Home

11:00 a.m. – Maple Grove/St. Dominic cemeteries – main program.

Grantsburg

Grantsburg American Legion Post 185 will host a Memorial Day breakfast at 8 a.m. at the Legion Hall, which will be served by the Grace Baptist’s Men’s Group. There will be a march to Riverside Cemetery at 10:30 a.m., with a program at approximately 11 a.m. A light lunch will be served at the Legion Hall at noon.

Indian Creek

Indian Creek American Legion Post 396 will perform taps ceremonies at the following cemeteries on Monday, May 25. Members meet at the hall at 8 a.m.

9 a.m. – McKinley Cemetery

9:30 a.m. – Corpus Christi Cemetery

10:15 a.m. – Lewis Cemetery

10:45 a.m. – Clam Falls Church

11 a.m. – Clam Falls Flowage

11:30 a.m. – Lorain Cemetery.

Luck

In partnership with the American Legion Post 255 and the Legion Auxiliary, the Luck School District’s Memorial Day program will be held on Monday, May 25, at 10:30 a.m. in the high school gym. Everyone is welcome to attend. Following the program, a formal rifle salute will take place at the Luck Cemetery. If you are unable to attend, the program will be livestreamed on the school’s YouTube channel.

Milltown

American Legion Post 0254 will hold Memorial Day services on Monday, May 25, at the following times and locations:

9:30 a.m. – South Milltown Cemetery

10:15 a.m. – Milltown Cemetery

10:55 a.m. – North Valley Cemetery

11:15 a.m. – New Home Cemetery

11:35 a.m. – Pleasant Valley Cemetery

11:55 a.m. – Granum Cemetery

12:30 p.m. – Bone Lake Cemetery.

United VFW Auxiliary and Post #6856 will hold a Memorial Day program at 2:40 p.m.

Siren

Memorial Day services by the Lund-Brown American Legion Post 132 and Auxiliary will be at the following places on Monday, May 25:

9 a.m. – Burnett County Government Center

9:30 a.m. – Mud Hen Lake Cemetery

10 a.m. – West Sweden Cemetery

11 a.m. – Memorial Day program at Siren High School in the auditorium

Following program, Siren Lakeview Cemetery.

Siren/Hertel/Danbury

Burnett County VFW Post 1256 will be at the following cemeteries on Monday, May 25, giving a rifle salute/taps and presenting flags in remembrance:

9 a.m. – Viola Lake Cemetery

9:30 a.m. – Hertel/St. Croix Tribal Cemetery

10:15 a.m. – Hertel/Lakeview Cemetery

11:30 a.m. – Hillcrest Cemetery (Town of Blaine).

For questions, call Shane Smith, 210-788-1488.

Spooner

Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery will hold a Memorial Day ceremony on Saturday, May 23, at 1 p.m.

St. Croix Falls

American Legion Post 143 will hold the following Memorial Day events on Monday, May 25, with speaker John Poole:

9 a.m. – Pleasant Hill Cemetery

10 a.m. – St. Croix Falls Cemetery

11 a.m. – Flag disposal ceremony at St. Croix Falls American Legion. Potluck lunch to follow.

Webster

American Legion Otis Taylor Post 96 will hold its Memorial Day services on Monday, May 25, at 10 a.m. at Oak Grove Cemetery. In the case of inclement weather, the service will be moved to Webster High School.

Wolf Creek

Wolf Creek United Methodist Church, 2417 River Road, will be serving a picnic style lunch on Memorial Day, following the 11 a.m. program at Wolf Creek Cemetery. All are invited.

Area Memorial Day Services - Inter-County Leader Balsam Lake Ellis F. Hagler American Legion Post 278 Balsam Lake Honor Guard will honor the departed comrades of the area on Monday, May 25, at the following cemeteries: 9 a.m. – Town of …

Starting Monday, May 11, US 8 will have intermittent single-lane closures between WIS 35 North, east of St. Croix Falls and WIS 46 South in the town of Apple River. Construction is scheduled for completion in late August.

The Agricultural Roads Improvement Program application period is open until June 29th! The 2025-2027 budget allocated $150 million for local governments to improve crucial infrastructure that supports Wisconsin's agriculture and forestry industries. More information at the link below:

https://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/doing-bus/local-gov/astnce-pgms/highway/arip.aspx?fbclid=IwY2xjawRpv8xleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFCb0d2QVA3U1RLbUpaM3JRc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHqaxcqgy0wdl0_TLaSCkrXX5skNuQACB-pWNaOGrEfCLcpNG_1Sb_THjPkuc_aem_t4-fnO9BwfoPgQBRtUh6qg

Today I attended the Great Lakes Fusion Energy Summit! As part of the conference, I was able to tour UW-Madison’s nuclear facilities.

Nuclear has the potential to generate huge amounts of power with minimal waste, and educating myself on this technological progress was an incredible opportunity!

Of the six bills I have passed this session, Governor Evers has chosen to veto four. Here are my thoughts: