The Monroe Times

08/21/2025

How the snack giant is lobbying Trump and fighting the Make America Healthy Again movement. Jack Link’s, the world’s largest manufacturer of meat snacks, has spent years integrating itself into the country’s cultural and political arenas.

Riding a wave of protein-crazed consumers and a booming snack industry, the company’s iconic Sasquatch marketing campaign has helped its products become a staple in gas stations, grocery checkout lines and school vending machines.

The company has also spent years cultivating deep political ties, funneling millions to Donald Trump and nurturing a relationship with the president that has led to White House access.

To link up to the rest of the story go to: https://themonroetimes.com/local-news/jack-links-beef-how-the-snack-giant-is-lobbying-trump-and-fighting-the-make-america-healthy-again-movement/ or pick up a copy of Wednesday, August 20 edition of The Monroe Times.

08/21/2025

Celebrating Our Past: Aug. 20, 2025
1942 Monticello High School Boys Basketball team record was 9 wins — 11 losses. High scorers were Chester Disch with 180, Roger Klassy with 95, and Willie Elmer with 63. Back row, left to right: 4-Gaylord Miller, 7-Sherman Crawford, 3-Richard Disch, 11-Lester Schulz, 5-Paul Schulz, and Coach- U.G.Hill. Front row, left to right: Manager-Gene Lynn, 12-Roger Klassy, 8-Willie Elmer, 6-Chester Disch, 10-Wally Feldt, and 9-Royal Voegeli. Photo taken in Karlen’s Hall above the Karlen Garage. www.monticellohistoricalsociety.org/

Photo supplied by the Monticello Area Historical Society

08/21/2025

Governor Evers at New Glarus State Park 8-15.

08/21/2025

Good Luck to the Ponies this upcoming season!

Game Day!!! Join us as we travel to Highland for the 1st game of the season! Go Ponies!

08/21/2025

BHW, Brodhead-Juda, NG at Lodi scrimmage. Three schools made the journey to Lodi on Friday to get ready for the season. Black Hawk-Warren Warriors, New Glarus Knights, and the Brodhead-Juda Cardinals met on the Lodi Blue Devils turf to see what each team brought to the table. The field cut in half so all four teams could play at the same time. The night went quickly and with timed offense and defense drills all the teams showed what they had.

“There are a few small tweaks to technique that they need to improve on, but overall, the guys preformed great, fellow coaches and referees commented on the team’s great sportsmanship,” Black Hawk-Warren Coach Desie Breadon said afterwards. Breadon was also impressed with the three boys that were moved to different positions three days before the scrimmage, saying they performed “very well” and “were very coachable.”

08/21/2025

New restaurant opens in Monroe. A 'healthier fast food option'. Amack's Kitchen.

08/21/2025

Monroe at Darlington Scrimmage 8-15

08/20/2025

‘A healthier fast food’ option opens. Chicago natives Ricky and Sonya Amack have opened what they call a healthier fast food restaurant. Amack’s kitchen is located just off 8th Street in the Highlander Mall near the Red Apple, 751 10th Ave Court, Monroe. The kitchen is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday through Friday and is closed Saturdays.

They started the restaurant as a result of their daughter’s diagnosis with type one diabetes at the age of four, and in part of Ricky’s father’s death due to cirrhosis of the liver. After these events, the Amack’s learned how to cook healthy food, and due to being from Chicago, they moved here to find a lack of healthy food options.

“(It was a) you are what you eat, kind of a deal. So we just want to give healthier food, you know. Fast food is so unhealthy. It’s filled with unhealthy sugars and fats and salts and all that stuff,” said Ricky.

Ricky Amack described the restaurant as “A passion, a dream of my wife and I’s for many years. We just now feel confident enough to bring it forward.”

amack's kitchen
Amack’s Kitchen, owned by Ricky and Sonya Amack (below), recently opened at the Highlander Mall in Monroe. - photo by Marina Schubert
The Amacks are hopeful to have delivery eventually, but as of right now they do not have a delivery option as they would not like to pass an extra cost onto the community. They plan to hire a driver if business keeps up.

The restaurant makes rice bowls and salads with “a global flair,” Ricky said.

They would like to expand their menu eventually. Everything is made in the restaurant. All of the ingredients are fresh, the only thing that is not fresh is frozen corn.

“This is just the food we cook at home,” Ricky said.

08/20/2025

Area teams get final tune-up before Week 1. After two weeks of practice, football players around the state were ready to hit someone with their pads other than teammates.

Monroe traveled to Darlington on Aug. 15, as the two schools split time equally on offense, defense and special teams, both at the varsity and junior varsity levels.

Both schools saw their share of plays where everyone looked in sync, as well as a handful (or more) that shows improvement is still needed.

08/20/2025

Online ordering for New Glarus Football Round 2 Apparel 2025 ends on Tue, Aug 26, 2025 (11:59 PM CDT)

08/20/2025

08/20/2025

Celebrating nature, one step at a time. Wisconsin is celebrating the 125th Anniversary of its state park system this year. On Aug. 15, Governor Tony Evers came to New Glarus Woods State Park to walk the trails alongside several conservation groups and supporters of the parks.

Among the attendees were the Friends of New Glarus Woods group, Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff, spouses, children, and 50th Assembly District Rep. Jenna Jacobson and her staff.
Pick up a copy of the Wednesday, August 20th edition of The Monroe Times to read about the the anniversary of our great park system in Wisconsin.