🌱 Can the Rails’ January 5 showdown with Barron end their skid?

Good day Spooner! We're here again with what you need to know today. Grab a cup of coffee and read on. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• Can the Rails’ January 5 showdown with Barron end their skid?
• Thinking about a DNR career? Mark Spooner’s January fair date.
• What standout 2025 stories made the Spooner Advocate’s Impact Report?

Today's riddle: What did the little needle say to the mother needle when it brought home a failing report card? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

• Thursday: A little snow, with a high of 32 and low of 30 degrees.
• Friday: Cloudy, temps: high: 36, low: 32.
• Saturday: Cloudy, with a high of 38 and low of 16 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!

📰 News we're reading

• Basketball Recap: Spooner Comes Up Short (maxpreps.com) — Spooner Rails basketball dropped to 4-5 after a 64-48 loss to Webster, despite facing a much higher-ranked opponent. The team now looks ahead to a January 5 home matchup with Barron’s porous defense, giving local fans hope for a strong offensive showing and a chance to snap the losing streak.
   

• Hunters tally five sharp-tailed grouse in first Wisconsin season in seven years (greenbaypressgazette.com) — Spooner residents interested in natural resources careers can meet DNR staff at a local career fair on Jan. 17, 2026, with no preregistration required. The broader article also reports on Wisconsin’s first sharp-tailed grouse hunting season since 2018, where hunters harvested five birds under a tightly limited permit system. The DNR will decide on any 2026 hunt after new population surveys.
   

• Impact Report showcases news of 2026 (gazettextra.com) — Spooner readers can look for a special Impact Report section in the Dec. 25 edition, featuring standout stories from the Spooner Advocate and other northern Wisconsin papers. The package revisits 2025’s most memorable local profiles and major news, offering deeper context than quick TV segments. It’s a year-end snapshot of how area communities, including Spooner, have changed.
   

📸 Around Spooner

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📣 Spooner Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

Friday December 26

• Mindfulness
  Luck Public Library , 301 Main St S , Luck
  10:00 am

Saturday December 27

• Saturday Workshops
  The Oak: WashCo Youth Center , 402 Oak St , Spooner
  1:00 pm

Sunday December 28

• PEEWEES V BARRON A
  Lodge Center Arena , 24185 1st Ave , Siren
  1:00 pm

Monday December 29

• Basketball: B/JV
  Washburn High School
  5:00 pm
• Basketball: B/V
  Washburn High School
  6:30 pm
• Rice Lake Warriors vs Cumberland Beavers
  Rice Lake Aquatic and Recreation Center , 1430 High St , Rice Lake
  6:30 pm
• PEEWEES PRACTICE
  Lodge Center Arena , 24185 1st Ave , Siren
  6:45 pm

Tuesday December 30

• Ice Hockey: B/V
  Baldwin United Civic Center
  7:00 pm

Wednesday December 31

• Rice Lake High School vs. Hayward
  Rice Lake High School , 30 S Wisconsin Ave , Rice Lake
  2:00 pm
• Mary Mack New Year's Eve Comedy Show
  The Park Center , 15791 US-63 , Hayward
  7:00 pm
• Mary Mack New Year’s Eve Comedy Show
  The Park Center , 15791 US-63 , Hayward
  7:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Spooner PatchAM possible:

• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• McDonald's posted a job opening for Janitorial Maintenance in Spooner. Apply here.
• Anywhere Real Estate posted a job opening for Regional Support Specialist - Spooner, WI in Spooner. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Spooner here.

🗞 Nearby News

Rice Lake

• Police Logs: Search made for possible crash victims (gazettextra.com)
• Letter to the Editor: Human beings are not garbage (gazettextra.com)

New Auburn

Ok Spooner! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I guess I’m not as sharp as I thought.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

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