We invite you to catch up on the impactful work our Extension Iron County educators and staff provide to the community in the form of this monthly newsletter! Below are highlights from each of our program areas.

Open to Iron and Gogebic County youth in grades K–12, the club meets on Sundays from 2:00 to 3:30 pm, starting January 17 through March 7, 2026 at ABR Ski Trails.

Don't have gear? Iron County 4-H offers a ski equipment check-out program on a first-come, first-served basis—register early to if you are interested in checking out ski equipment. 

Level Up Your Skiing: SET XC Race Team 

Ready to take the next step into ski racing? Mark your calendar for the SET Race Team Open House on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 5:00 pm at the Iron County Courthouse to meet our coaches, check out equipment, and  more. 

Visit our website for more details:

Interested in woodworking, hands-on tool practice, and building your own projects for the 2027 Iron County Fair? Iron County 4-H Woodworking project meetings kick off with weekly sessions at Saint Mauds starting Saturday, November 14, complete with a special "Try It Out" session for newcomers.

Space is limited to 10 youth ages 12 and up. Check out eligibility details and registration link on the Iron County Extension website to reserve your spot!

Photo credit: Saint Mauds

On Tuesday, October 13, the Iron County 4-H Green Team held their monthly meeting, which took place at Saint Maud’s. 

Members got a preview of the upcoming monthly woodworking project series—see the post above for full details!

Looking ahead, next month’s meeting will feature a pottery workshop at the Downtown Art Place.

Interested in joining the Iron County 4-H Green Team? Contact Neil Klemme at 715-561-2695.

The Penokee Range Livestock Club’s market beef project is officially underway for Samantha and Piper Hitter!

The Hitter sisters recently purchased their Hereford steers locally from the Erickson family. Many of you will remember Penokee Range 4-H Livestock Club alumni Brodie and Talia Erickson, who previously showed and excelled in the market beef project. 

Samantha and Piper are hard at work getting their steers settled in and we can't wait to see their hard work pay off in the show ring next summer.

4-H members Everett and Garret Laurin present "Pros & Cons of Different Breeds of Market Steers" at the Penokee Range Livestock Club meeting on Sunday, October 18. Demonstrations like this give members valuable hands-on practice to build public speaking confidence. 

Follow along with all the club happenings here: Penokee Range Livestock Club Facebook Page! 

Adventurers of the North 4-H Club Meeting 
Sunday, October 25 - 10:00 pm
Location: Saxon Community Center

Iron County 4-H 2025-2026 Achievement Banquet 
Sunday, October 25 - 12:00 - 2:00 pm
Location: Kimball Community Center

Penokee Range Livestock Club Meeting 
Date: Sunday, November 8 - 9:00 am
Location: Hurley School District

Iron County Green Team Meeting
Tuesday, November 10 - 5:30 pm
Location: Downtown Art Place (pottery)

Woodworking Project Meetings Start
Saturday, November 14 - 10:00 am - 12:00 pm 
Location: Saint Mauds
*Try it Out session at noon for new participants (returning members should attend the 10:00 am - 12:00 pm time shot). 

Adventurers of the North 4-H Club Meeting 
Sunday, November 15 - 10:00 pm
Location: Saxon Community Center

Iron County Shooting Sports Club Meeting
Sunday, November 15 - 4:00 pm
Location: Snaketrack Shooting Range

Iron County 4-H Leaders Meeting
Wednesday, November 18 - 6:00 pm
Location: Iron County Courthouse

United Way of Wisconsin visited Iron County earlier this month and helped distribute laptops to Wisconsin residents who don’t currently have a device. If you missed your chance, the third time may be the charm: we still have a number of devices available and will be distributing them at the October Mobile Food Pantry!

Laptops will be first come, first served, and are available to Wisconsin residents who don’t already own a personal device. Wisconsin residents must be 18 or have a parent/guardian present. Additional details can be found at the United Way of Wisconsin’s Techquity website.

If you’d like a laptop and are visiting the Mobile Food Pantry on Monday, October 26, plan on stopping at the end of the line to pick up a device. If you’re interested in a device only, contact Joseph at 715-561-2695 to set up a pickup time.

Back in 1972, the world changed. Pong mania was about to begin, signaling the rise of today’s entertainment industry juggernaut. Using revenue from their game Computer Space the previous year, Nolan Bushnell and fellow game designer Ted Dabney founded what would be known as the world’s first video game company. In Sunnyvale, California on June 27, 1972, Atari, Inc. was born.

Although companies like Nintendo and Namco had long been established, they hadn’t yet thrown their hats into the video gaming ring. Atari, Inc. was the first company built solely to create and sell video games (and video game ideas!). Their first major title: Pong. Originally a self-contained unit designed for home use by a young new engineer named Allan Alcorn, Atari ultimately decides to add one last tweak before the end of Pong’s three-month development cycle.

That tweak? A coin slot.

On November 29, 1972, the first Pong cabinet was installed in Andy Capp’s Tavern in local Sunnyvale. On November 13, after receiving a tech support call from Andy Capp, Allan Alcorn makes a visit to find out what’s making the machine bug out. After some troubleshooting, Alcorn determines the cause of the malfunction to be an overstuffed coin slot.

Allan Alcorn's Atari, Inc. employee badge and a Pong advertisement from 1972. Images © Atari, Inc.; accessed via Computer History Museum, 20 Oct 2026.

Alcorn’s game was a hit!   

The rest, as they say, is history (so much history!). Video games now claim over 3 Billion fans worldwide, along with a plethora of ways to connect, play, create, and distribute. Entire communities have sprung up around individual games, both on- and off-line.

Of course, there’s more to the story. Not just the story of Atari, Inc. and Pong, but the video game story. If you’re interested in creating or learning more about video games, the video game economy, and the joy of creating a game, join us for the launch of Dev’s Club on Thursday, October 22 at 5:30pm.

No RSVP necessary, but sign up for future communications HERE!

I know it’s just about National Game Development Month, but to tell the truth, I’ve had movies on the mind. It’s probably because fall is a symbol of my favorite type of movies: spooOOOoOoOoooooky movies!

This year, the state of Wisconsin brought back a hugely important liaison role for public arts and entertainment regulation—the Wisconsin Film Office. While the film industry is not quite the powerhouse of yesteryear, the art, science, and business of cinematic storytelling is very much alive and well.

Locally, Iron County has been a name in Wisconsin filmmaking for quite some time. For example, did you know the story of Lotta Morgan won the very first Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (Walter Brennan, Come and Get It, 1936) and that the film was directed by the inimitable Howard Hawks? Were you around for filming when Sam Raimi’s A Simple Plan was doing principal photography in Ashland and Saxon back in 1998? And don’t forget about our local Wisco filmmaking legend Bill Rebane, director of Giant Spider Invasion (1975) and The Alpha Incident (1978).

If you’re looking for a place to geek out about film, check out Father Aloha’s Video Club at Saint Maud’s in Pence. The next fright night will be November 12 at 6:30 pm. Bring some extra cash (or your soul) for donation-based snacks and unique merch!

Dev's Club Launch
Thursday, October 22 - 5:30 pm
Location: Iron County Courthouse Boardroom

Election Day
Tuesday, November 3, 2026
*Find your polling place and candidate information here.

Iron County Economic Development Committee Meeting
Wednesday, November 4 - 6:00 pm
Location: Iron County Courthouse Board Room

RESET Renewable Energy Academy 
Thursday, November 5 - 9:30 am - 4:00 pm
Location: Vaughn Library, Ashland, WI. 
*Register here. 

Visit the Iron County website to view meeting agendas. 

UW-Madison Division of Extension provides valuable programs and resources to all Wisconsin residents, not just those in Iron County! Explore statewide opportunities that can support your family, business, farm, or community, no matter where you are in the Badger State. This month, we are highlighting:

Did you miss the start of the Green Thumb Gardening Fall Series? No worries—you haven't missed out! Dane County Extension’s 10-session live online series is underway, and you can still register for upcoming live sessions or catch up with video recordings of past classes.

Upcoming topics running through November 19 (Thursdays, 5:30–7:30 PM CST) include:

Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced gardener, you can join the full series or pick and choose individual classes. 

Turning yard debris and kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich soil amendment is easier than you think—and building your own bin allows you to match your backyard space and budget.

University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension Horticulture offers a complete DIY Compost Bin Series, providing step-by-step assembly guides and material lists for various designs:

Find downloadable building plans and instructions on the Wisconsin Horticulture DIY Compost Bin Series page.

Mark your calendars for our upcoming distributions:

To learn more about the Iron County Mobile Food Pantry program or other food security resources available to our community members, visit our website! 

Follow Extension Iron County on social media or by visiting our website linked below!

The University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension provides equal opportunities in employment and programming in compliance with state and federal law.