The cost is only $5 and includes performances by Waking Grace, Icon for Hire and Loftland. Steven and Tanner learned about the organization at a music festival a couple of years ago and have been supporters ever since. TWLOHA, a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide, exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.

The movement began in 2006, as one friend caring for another. The founder, Jamie Tworkowski started it when a friend, going through a difficult time, began the practice of cutting into her arms as she dealt with depression. The name of the organization speaks to his goal, to write love on her arms instead of hate. The statistics surrounding depression and self injury, as suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people 15-24 years, provide the motivation for this benefit effort to raise money and awareness for a cause that too many teens have been affected by.

Experts estimate that 4% of the population struggle with self-injury. It occurs as often between males and females, even though in popular culture it can appear to be more common among girls. If you visit the “To Write Love on Her Arms” website at www.twloha.com, you will find these words, “We are only asked to love, to offer hope to the many hopeless. We don’t get to choose all the endings, but we are asked to play the rescuers. We won’t solve all mysteries and our hearts will certainly break in such a vulnerable life, but it is the best way.” Since its beginning, TWLOHA has responded to 80,000 messages received from young people from 40 different countries. They have brought this conversation, and a message of hope and help, to concerts, universities, festivals and churches.  They have learned that these are not just American issues, not white issues or “emo” issues. This is about humanity; about the issue of pain that affects millions of people across the globe.

The good news is that depression is very treatable, that a very real hope exists in the face of these issues. In the preface to the story Tworkowski says, “It’s the realization of what life can be when we commit to meeting a need. A friend of mine told me there’s no such thing as suicide prevention. This is an attempt to prove him wrong, to say that love can change a life. We can hold back the darkness. Rescue is possible.” You can be a part of this movement and make a difference in the lives of people who may live next door.

Despite her glorified status, the thirty-year old mother can’t always be there. Drewes drives trucks for a living, and it’s a job that sometimes takes her out of town four or five nights a week.

On one of those long journeys, it must have dawned on Drewes that she’d not been spending near enough Saturday nights at the church. Coupled with a donated popcorn popper, some groceries paid for by the congregation, and a bountiful supply of G-rated movies, the Church of the Nazarene’s movie night was born.

“We wanted to give area families a free night of entertainment,” Drewes said, taking a break from her popcorn chef responsibilities. “With all the plants shutting down, and people out of work, we thought it would be a great community outreach,” Drewes added. The feature last Saturday was, “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Children lined up for free popcorn and bottled water, while a few adults gathered in the church’s anteroom. Pastor Dave Krohn shushed the adults, and closed the door to the church’s main room. Children and adults sat in the dark, watching the TV quietly. Back out in the anteroom, Drewes was measuring oil, and pouring popcorn into the machine.

The sad truth is that so many people can do nothing more than dream, because their circumstances put these simple pleasures out of their reach.  The things that the average person takes for granted are sometimes merely a wish -- a hope -- for someone less fortunate.  As we give thanks for the comforts and conveniences we have, the Thanksgiving spirit also moves us to share our good provision with the ones who are in need. 

For years, the White Gift food pantry has helped to feed hungry families in the area, with food and supplies donated in generous amounts by the community.  According to Ruth Brobst, contact person and director, approximately thirty to forty people make use of the food pantry per month.  This need brings the whole community together to keep the shelves stocked.  The vehicle for much of these donations is the School District of Brodhead.

Referring to the participation from the school district, Mrs. Brobst said, “We couldn’t get along without them.”  As their senior project, Daniel Gerke and Tanner Strunz have helped organize a canned food drive in the school, and with contributions from students and staff, the amount of the goal is 7000 pounds from the entire school district.  Mrs. Beaty, head of the high school FFA team, is optimistic about achieving this goal.  The best way to get everyone involved, she said, is to market it and build empathy for our neighbors.  “Simply reducing your expenses in one place, and instead giving some of it to those in need, is a really good way to help”, said Mrs. Beaty.  “It’s really something that should be done more often.”  Indeed, the food pantry accepts donations year round, as the need for supplies does not diminish after Thanksgiving.

The best way to motivate students to contribute is to offer some kind of incentive.  Mrs. Tresemer explained how the middle school faculty members are motivating their students to give.  Each staff member is bringing in a “grocery bag’s worth of items” in order to encourage the student body to surpass this amount.  “This will offer a visual challenge to each of our STAR rooms,” shared Mrs. Tresemer.  The high school’s reward to the class with the most pounds is an order of breakfast pizza, and if the high school collects a total of 5000 pounds, a special day will be set aside before winter break for fun activities. So, what kinds of items is White Gift in need of the most?  Ruth Brobst noted that laundry soap, toilet paper, and food items such as macaroni and cheese, tuna, and spaghetti are very helpful.  Mrs. Beaty also mentioned that peanut butter and pudding are great ideas because of their appeal to the kids.  Donations can be made anytime during the year; simply contact Mrs. Brobst.  Otherwise, during the food drive, which goes until December 4, donations can be dropped off at the school, Brodhead Farm and Home, or Piggly Wiggly.  All donations go to the same cause.

So Evenson knows a lot about grief, and she’s sensitive to those around her who are experiencing it.

“We’ve had several deaths in our church over the last year,” Evenson noted. She is a member of the United Methodist Church of Brodhead. “But it’s not just death,” according to Evenson. “Divorce can bring a lot of grief. Even the loss of pets can bring on grief,” she explained.

Evenson, who has a master’s degree in counseling to go along with her bachelor’s in nursing, realized that there was a real need in the local community for grief counseling or a support group for those suffering alone and in silence.

The grief support group she started meets Monday nights in the Brodhead Memorial Public library for the next three weeks. “The reason for having it in the library is that we wanted to include people of all faiths, to serve everyone in the community,” said Pastor Stephen Groves of the United Methodist Church.

So far, attendance at the five o’clock meetings has been sparse. “We have this strong Swiss-German heritage in this area.  We think we have to take care of ourselves,” said Evenson, who is herself of Swiss ancestry.

She pointed out that people grieve differently, and, in their grief, may attempt to avoid the issue.

“You’ve got several family members, each of them dealing with the loss in their own way,” Evenson related. “Family members may be afraid to talk about those who have been lost,” she said.

“Suicide and homicide have an extra burden, as does any sudden death,” she explained. No matter why you’re grieving, Evenson’s message is that you don’t have to do it alone.     “I would like to see a group come together so that they can help one another,” Evenson said, relating a story of how a few members of her church meet in a local restaurant.

Chief Moczynski says he wants to make motorists in the Brodhead area aware that police officers will be focusing their traffic enforcement efforts on impaired drivers and unbelted motorists during this mobilization.

Bethlehem Lutheran Church is pleased to host this event sponsored by Monroe Clinic and presented by Life Line Screening on Wednesday, December 16th. Appointments will begin at 9 a.m.

A stroke, also known as a “brain attack,” is ranked as the third leading killer in the world. You can prevent a stroke by taking advantage of our fast, painless and affordable screenings. They help identify potential health problems such as blocked arteries and irregular heart rhythm, abdominal aortic aneurysms and hardening of the arteries in the legs, which is a strong predictor of heart disease. Register for a Stroke, Vascular Disease and Heart Rhythm Package for $149. All four screenings take 60-90 minutes to complete.

Life Line Screening began in 1993, and has since become the nation’s leading provider of community-based preventive screenings. We have screened nearly 7 million people and continue to save lives every day through our tests that help determine if you are at risk for heart disease and stroke!

For more information regarding the screenings or to schedule an appointment, call 1-888-653-6441. Pre-registration is required.

At 5 p.m. a lighted Christmas Parade will start at the Orfordville Elementary School and proceed through town to the American Legion. Following the parade, the public is invited to come to the American Legion for an evening of fun and holiday spirit.

Following the parade, at approximately 6 p.m., there will be an all-you-can-eat pork chop supper, sponsored by the Rock County Pork Producers. Beverages will be provided by the Rock County Dairy Promotion Council. Santa Claus will be on hand for the children. Raffles will be held throughout the evening and prizes will be given away regularly. Donations will be accepted for the meal. The Stateline Playboys will provide entertainment from 8 p.m. to midnight. Everyone is welcome to attend and join in the holiday spirit as the community joins together in having fun and raising money and donations for children in need in the local area.

The drawing will be held Dec. 15 so the winners can be notified in time to pick up their prizes to enjoy for their Christmas celebration. No purchase is necessary to enter the contest.

Paul’s Tree Farm will also be collecting donations again this year for the Christmas SPIRIT Foundation, which is the charitable branch of the National Christmas Tree Association. The Christmas SPIRIT Foundation has implemented the Trees for Troops Program in conjunction with FedEx.

This year Trees for Troops plan to deliver more than 15,000 trees to all branches of the military, with approximately 300-400 trees being shipped overseas for troops in the Middle East. Since 2005, the program has delivered more than 50,000 Real Christmas Trees to military families at more than 50 bases across the U.S. and overseas. Depending on the generosity of contributors and participants, The Christmas SPIRIT Foundation is able to carry out their mission of furthering the Christmas spirit through programs serving kids, families and the environment.

Nov. 19 4:11 a.m., David A. Scofield Jr, 20, Brodhead was arrested in the 500 block 1st Center Ave on a warrant issued by Department of Corrections. He was transported to the Green County Jail. 7:39 a.m., Jennifer L Cline, 31, Brodhead was cited for Failure to Stop at a Stop Sign in the 1400 block of 20th St. She was cited and released. 8:49 p.m., Nicole L Harding, 35, Brodhead was arrested in the 1000 block of 21st St for Disorderly Conduct. She was released with a court date.

Nov. 20 5:50 a.m., Frank L Goff, 56, Janesville, was cited for Speed in the 500 block of 1st St. He was cited and released with a court date. 12:58 a.m., Zachary T Wedig, 20, Monroe, was cited for Speed in the 400 block of 1st Center Ave. He was cited and released with a court date. 4:03 a.m., Todd J Droessler, 45, Janesville, was cited for Speed in the 500 block of 1st Center Ave. He was cited and released with a court date.

Nov. 21 6:16 a.m., Ronald L Crawley Sr, 60, Munfordville, KY, was cited in the 100 block 1st Center Ave. He was cited and released with a court date..