St. Croix Stories

May is National Foster Care Month, so on this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, we hear from foster care advocates on why this service is so important.

First, Kelsa Wirth, a community support coordinator for high acuity foster care in several counties in western Wisconsin (including St. Croix County) shares more about the high acuity foster care program and the need for homes for youth in the program. She also det...

As a kid growing up in Hudson, Pete Foster recalls the food scene in town being good, but not great. Fast forward many years later, and Pete's three restaurants — Barker's Bar & Grill, San Pedro Cafe, and Pedro's Pizza Lounge — have all played a big part in helping transform the restaurant scene downtown Hudson into something special. 

On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, Pete and I sit down...

Jess and Jonathan Pressley, owners of Ember and Bean Roasting Co, have a slogan they abide by at their shop: great coffee takes time. The coffee sold at Ember and Bean is indeed great, and an order at the shop might take a bit more. But the wait is worth it.

On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, we're talking coffee with Jess and Jonathan, who fell in love with the idea of roasting coffee when they visited...

Throughout her life, Angel Duratti has had plenty of pets. But she wasn't allowed to have any as a kid, even though she loved animals. Once she and her husband Al got their first dog together, Angel's love of pets grew to a new level — and the couple eventually opened Angel's Pet World in Hudson.

More than 20 years since opening the pet store, Angel has learned a lot about running a pet store and has develop...

Rick Reams' life came full circle when he and his wife purchased what eventually became known as RJ's Meats in 1987. It not only brought Rick back to Hudson after spending four years in the Air Force, but he was taking over the store he worked at as a high schooler — known then as Jim's Meats. More than 35 years later, Rick has built RJ's into a state of the Hudson community.

Rick joined this week'...

Jill McNamee became a realtor at an interesting time in the real estate world — during the 2008 housing crisis. But while many realtors were leaving the industry, Jill was just getting started. She knew that making connections would be valuable as she built a name for herself, so she did what she could to meet as many people as possible in the Hudson area.

Today, Jill works alongside her husband and their son in the real e...

The already impressive food scene in Hudson was made even stronger with Rick and Nichole Frazer opened Black Rooster Bistro in the old Winter Stube space in 2022. The timing was right for Rick — the former chef at The St. Paul Grill — and Hudson native Nichole to fulfill Rick's dream of opening a restaurant in the town in which he lived.

On this week's episode of St. Croix Stories, Nichole and Rick talk about the...

Willow River State Park has been a vital part of the Hudson community since it officially opened in 1971. Friends of Willow River & Kinnickinnic State Parks was established as a non-profit in 1990 and has helped maintain the park, offered educational programming, staffed the nature center, and more for decades.

On this week's episode, we're talking all things Willow River State Park with Rita Thofern, preside...

Sometimes, there is power in numbers. That's certainly the case when more than 100 local women from the Hudson area get together and all contribute $100 that goes towards helping a local non-profit. The group is called Power of 100+ | Women of St. Croix Valley, and it meets twice a year to bring awareness and money to groups who could use the funds.

Renee Frey remembers the first Power of 100 meeting she attended, an...

Little Free Libraries can be found all over the world — there are more than 175,000 of the miniature libraries on all seven continents, including Antarctica — but this global phenomenon has its roots right here in Hudson.

Back in 2009, Hudson resident Todd Bol built the first Little Free Library in honor of his mother and put it in his front yard. After connecting with co-founder Rick Brooks, the two of them helped spread ...

What has eight sides and holds more than 150 years of Hudson history? That would be the Octagon House Museum, located on downtown Hudson's historic Third Street. Established as one of the first houses in the neighborhood, the unique Octagon House was built for a family who moved to Hudson from New York. The house has since been converted to a museum, where it tells stories not only of the families who lived there, but of city ...