space was appreciated, the revolving ….

space was appreciated, the revolving door and red lights of the darkroom had been highlights of tours given to students and Scouting groups over the years.

In May of 1997, Jay O'Leary died unexpectedly. Carol O’Leary and her daughter Kris took over management and operation of The Star News.

Don Woerpel retired as editor in 1999 after 17 years with The Star News. Under his leadership the newspaper won several state and national journalistic excellence awards.

The first woman editor, Laurie Sacho, stepped into Don’s shoes after his retirement and served in that role until April 2005. Brian Wilson, who started with The Star News as sports editor in May 1996, stepped into the newsroom leadership role on Sacho’s departure and is currently marking his 20th year in that position.

From the days of William Conrad and Frank Hirsch, The Star News has been a vocal leader in the newspaper industry both in Wisconsin and across the country with involvement in the National Newspaper Association. Under the O’Leary family, The Star News has also spread its voice internationally through involvement in the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors (ISWNE).

In 2015 Carol O’Leary became president of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, was inducted into the Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2018 and also served as president of ISWNE in 2006. Kris worked closely with her mother and has been active in running all of the newspapers. Kris’s husband, Kevin Flink, runs Tristar Printing which prints The Star News and the other newspapers owned by the O’Learys as well as other papers in the region.

Kris took over as publisher of The Star News in 2024 with the formal retirement of Carol. Despite being retired, Carol maintains an active role in the paper serving on the editorial board. Kris had the honor of becoming president of ISWNE in 2011 in Coventry, England.

In 2024 Kris became president of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, marking the first time that a mother and daughter had served in that position and only the second and third women to have held that position. Both also have served on the WNA foundation board, Kris serving as president of the foundation at the same time her mother was serving as president on the WNA board.

The Star News has continued to innovate with the move to computer to plate printing technology and several printing press upgrades to allow for additional color placement.

The Star News has also maintained a high editorial standard with staff winning numerous editorial writing awards at the state and international level. In 2020, Wilson was recognized with the Golden Quill award from the International Society of Weekly Newspaper Editors for outstanding editorial writing. Sports editor Matt Frey has won numerous state awards and recognitions. Sales Manager Kelly Schmidt was recognized as the WNA 2023 sales person of the year. The Star News composing and advertising departments have also won numerous state awards over the years.

In 2019 The Star News renovated its front office and entrance, combining a modern look and increased accessibility with the historical tradition of the red brick building.

Technology has allowed The Star News to run with a leaner staff than in the past, while still maintaining award winning coverage of the communities and people of Taylor County. Many staff members who got their start at The Star News have gone on to become award winning journalists and newspaper leaders around the state and country.

In addition to its print edition, the eedition of The Star News is distributed weekly and is read by people around the world.

The Star News is blessed with having many long-time staff members who have helped the paper serve in the role of bridging the community’s memories with telling the stories of today and impacting the community’s future for years to come.

Current staff of The Star News include: Publisher Kris O’Leary with 28 years with The Star News.

In the news room, Editor Brian Wilson has 29 years; Sports Editor Matt Frey has 27 years. Mandee Ellis started this past year as a proofreader/reporter. Elizabeth and Alex Wilson help with meeting and event coverage.

In sales, Sales Manager Kelly Schmidt has 25 years with the paper and sales representatives Tresa Blackburn has 16 years, and Todd Lundy has 13 years with the paper.

The graphic design team includes Lydia Ploeckelman with five years of service, and Janna Johnson with two years.

Printing supervisor Kevin Flink has 30 years with the paper and bookkeeper Julie Chaplinski has been with the paper five years.

'We are proud of the local history The Star News has recorded in its pages for the past 150 years. Even with online access most of our readers still prefer the print product and are willing to wait for the mail to deliver it. You may have heard a rumor newspapers are dying or no one reads papers anymore. I know that’s not true in Taylor County. We appreciate our readers and advertisers whose support will keep The Star News going for the next 150 years.” Publisher Kris O'Leary

The Star News was located on corner of Main Street and Division in Medford before moving to its current location.