Weird, wild, & wonderful Wisconsin news stories from 2024 – UpNorthNews
Man reading news online on a smartphone and laptop. (Fabio Principe/Shutterstock)
By Holly Garcia
News outlets can be a great source of information, but sometimes their headlines make you do a double-take. Although reliable media tends to avoid clickbait new stories, you’ll still find some headlines that seem pretty weird, wild, and wonderful—and 2024 Wisconsin news headlines were no exception.
There was plenty of not-so-great news last year, but we found these 16 Wisconsin news headlines that weren’t exactly … typical. From giant pumpkins to skeleton high school reunions, these stories will raise your eyebrows, bring a smile to your face, and maybe even a little laughter to warm your soul. Read on for the weirdest, wildest, and most wonderful Wisconsin news headlines of 2024!
We’ve all been warned about strangers on the internet. But with the ever-increasing popularity of resale transactions, it’s been suggested a safer way to conduct them (in person) is at a well-lit, public venue—like a police station. This is what a local seller did as part of a Facebook Marketplace transaction. However, they still ended up getting robbed. Waukesha police say people can conduct transactions inside the public vestibule at the station for more security.
Speaking of wonderfully weird Wisconsin news headlines this year, in Colgate (Washington County), a local artist has turned their yard into a sculpture garden and gallery. TMJ4’s James Groh visited Bobrowitz Sculpture in November and reported on the unique outdoor showroom, home to thousands of art pieces. Check it out for yourself and wander around the wondrous wooded sculpture garden.
Paul Bobrowitz in his outdoor sculpture gallery. (James Groh/TMJ4)
As if popping the question wasn’t already an exciting, albeit nerve-wracking experience, imagine how you would feel if you opened a ring box only for it to be totally empty. Even though this 2024 headline sounds like something out of a rom-com gone wrong, the situation is all too real for Wisconsinites Dave Van Veen and Kailyn Kenney. Notably, she still said YES for a storybook ending—the ring, however, still hasn’t been recovered.
Wisconsin is known for many things—beer, cheeseheads, the Packers, and … giant pumpkins? Last year, a 2,551-pound pumpkin set a new state record, grown by Jim Ford. Originally reported by TMJ4’s James Groh, Ford’s pumpkin was just behind the heaviest pumpkin grown in the U.S. in 2024 (2,670 lbs in Michigan).
Although World War II ended eight decades ago, the memory of those who served carries on to this day. This is especially true for a World War II veteran whose remains were identified only two years ago, finishing his story 80 years later. His remaining family members received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart on behalf of Kenosha native U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Casimir Lobacz.
Section 17 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. (Arlington National Cemetary)
What’s the most annoying sound known to mankind? Port Washington residents nominated the local tornado siren that sounded for hours in 2024. The noise was aptly compared to the horror film, “The Purge’. TMJ4 spoke to a resident, Todd Stowell, who said, “I mean we’re a pretty quiet town. A little noise goes a long way around here”.
Calling all ghost hunters to Sheboygan! Wisconsin has its fair share of haunted locations, like Milwaukee’s Pfister Hotel, but in 2024, the Old Glenbeulah School in Sheboygan was the focus of a TMJ4 headline. The school, built in 1916, was said to have been cursed by a local witch in the early 1900s, along with the entire village of Glenbeulah. The owners of the school also run tours at Sheboygan Asylum, which is also said to be haunted.
Speaking of spooky headlines out of Sheboygan, TMJ4’s Mikenzie Hammel covered some unusual goings-on at the supposedly haunted Stefanie H Weill Theater in 2024. Although it’s said that ghosts and apparitions have made their home at the theater, it’s still open and running on a regular basis. Notably, one member of the cleaning staff was spooked enough by their experience that they left the job.
Sheboygan Downtown showing the historic Stefanie H. Weill Center. (Jordan M. Lomibao/CC BY-SA 4.0)
When you hear talk of a national championship, you might think of basketball, football, or many different sporting events, but did you know there is a national plumbing championship? Not only did the championship take place in Flordia in 2024, but a Wisconsin plumber, Tim Quick, made the finals!
Cicadas don’t get a bad rap just because bugs (in general) are creepy crawlies. These bugs bring with them a whole lot of noise. Thankfully, they only emerge periodically, and 2024 happened to be their year. In Lake Geneva, residents caught a glimpse of an emergence, making the grass appear to be alive!
For the past quarter of a century, Jimmy Zamzow’s high school reunion displays have been anything but ordinary. The display this year was inspired by his own 40th high school reunion, complete with a skeleton on the parallel bars and another holding the championship trophy high for all to see.
Tornados in Wisconsin were up to 45 in 2024 (from 21 in 2023), but one in particular made Wisconsin news headlines for carrying records up, up, and away — over 100 miles, in fact. This particular twister transferred receipts and even a check as the result of a tornado in Argyle. TMJ4 spoke with Ann Aler, who found the paperwork, “It’s very moving because it’s a little piece of their history. If they want it back, I’ll send it. If they don’t, it’s going in my scrapbook.”
It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s… (not one, but two) Great Horned Owls. These feathery friends made Wisconsin news headlines in 2024 when two decided to make their nest on a West Bend couple’s balcony. As serendipity would have it, the couple are nature enthusiast who enthusiastically welcomed their new roommates. John Moczynski told TMJ4’s James Groh, “They just have such a personality especially when they start talking to one another. It fills up the whole living room.”
Even though leap years occur once every four years, it’s made for a lifetime of dual birthday celebrations for one Waukesha resident. Even though Norma Quakkelaar technically turned 84 in 2024, according to the calendar, her actual birthdate has only occurred 21 times, making her 21 years young! Her son Dough Quakkelaar told WISN 12’s Madison Moore, “We always told her that she’s not allowed to drink until her 21st birthday, but now they’re too old to drink.”
When you hear about climbing to new heights, you probably think more about reaching goals and less about a fuzzy friend scaling a utility pole. As WISN reported, that’s exactly what this crazy kitty did, and it wasn’t until a couple of days later that residents realized where the meowing was coming from. WE Energies eventually rescued the cat—it turns out they’re experts in more than just restoring power.
If you know Wisconsin, you know how much we all love cheese (and, of course, agree that cheese curds are the best). In Monroe, they even managed to incorporate cheese into their New Year’s celebration with a cheese drop (instead of a boring old ball drop). Believe it or not, Monroe isn’t the only place in Wisconsin with this tradition. A cheese drop happens in Plymouth as well.
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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