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Oct 19, 2024

New Ettrick supper club, mall indoor playground open; Burlington ready in Onalaska - Steve Cahalan

Five new officers join La Crosse Police Department on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024. I’ve got news this week about a new supper club, a new indoor playground, the new Burlington store in Onalaska and the sale

Five new officers join La Crosse Police Department on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024.

I’ve got news this week about a new supper club, a new indoor playground, the new Burlington store in Onalaska and the sale of Home Federal Savings Bank.

Beaver Creek Supper Club and Lounge has opened in the former First & Main Eats & Beats bar and grill at 15793 First St. W. in downtown Ettrick.

Jenn Niederkorn runs the business, which opened on Aug. 21 after some painting and other work on the building that she and her husband, Larry, purchased earlier that month. It’s near Beaver Creek and in the past has housed such eateries as Hillbilly’s Fun Grill and Saloon and Krazy K’s Saloon and Grill.

Jenn Niederkorn opened the Beaver Creek Supper Club and Lounge on Aug. 21 in the former First & Main Eats & Beats bar and grill at 15793 First St. W. in downtown Ettrick. She and her husband Larry bought the building earlier in August and he helps at the business when he’s not working on tugboats on the Mississippi River.

“A lot of (Niederkorn) family members work here, making things happen every day,” Jenn said. Her husband helps when he’s not working on tugboats on the Mississippi River.

“We have steak, fish and chicken every night,” as well as a variety of burgers, Larry Niederkorn said. “We’ll run some specials on some bigger steaks during the deer hunting season,” and soon will add more appetizers and entrees to the menu. Appetizers now include onion rings, fried pickle chips, parmesan spinach dip with pita chips, white cheddar cheese curds and bacon cheese fries. Broasted chicken soon will return to the menu, once the broaster returns after being repaired.

Beaver Creek Supper Club and Lounge has a full bar, with beer, wine and specialty cocktails such as old fashioneds.

The supper club opens at 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday, with its kitchen open until 10 p.m. and the lounge open later than that. It’s closed Monday and Tuesday.

Beaver Creek Supper Club and Lounge opened Aug. 21 in the former First & Main Eats & Beats bar and grill at 15793 First St. W. in downtown Ettrick. The supper club is near Beaver Creek and opens at 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.

“We’ve seen a lot of return customers,” said Jenn Niederkorn, who has worked in bars and restaurants for about 20 years.

For more information, call 608-430-3083 or visit the supper club’s Facebook page.

Wild Child Indoor Playground opened Oct. 12 near the kids’ veggie patch area in Valley View Mall in La Crosse.

Owner Michaela Smith said it’s a place where young children can play and socialize in a clean and safe environment, and where parents and other caregivers can relax, recharge and socialize. The playground is mainly designed for children ages 6 months to 8 years, although older children also are welcome. “The bread and butter of the business is ages 6 months to 6 years,” Smith said.

The playground features such things as climbing structures, slides, a bouncy house, a large train table and other energy-exerting, interactive play areas. And it has an area reserved for children 2 and under.

Reservations can be made on the playground’s website. Although reservations aren’t required, they are the best way to ensure a child will be able to play at a time that fits their and their parent’s or other caregiver’s schedule, Smith said. The playground also has a party room for events such as birthday parties.

The playground’s hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

“There was a really large calling for this in the community,” Smith said of her decision to create the playground. “There’s a Coulee Region moms Facebook page, and there’s been a lot of chatter on that page over the last two years about ‘We need something indoors for kids.’ “

For information about prices and other details, call 608-518-1306 or visit www.wildchildlax.com or the playground’s Facebook page.

The new Burlington store at 9344 Hwy. 16, in about half of the former T.J. Maxx/HomeGoods storefront in the Crosseroads Center shopping center in Onalaska, opens Friday, a week later than expected. That also is its grand opening day.

I had mentioned in my Oct. 5 column that the store was scheduled to open Oct. 11, but I learned earlier this week (from a sign posted at the store entrance) that opening day had been rescheduled for Oct. 18. A corporate spokesperson wasn’t available for comment this week on the reason for the reschedule.

Burlington stores offer a wide range of merchandise, such as apparel and footwear for men, women and children, and baby essentials, seasonal home decor and pet care products.

Hours at the new Onalaska store will be 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit www.burlington.com.

Alerus Financial Corp., headquartered in Grand Forks, N.D., announced Oct. 9 that it has completed its acquisition of Rochester, Minn.-based HMN Financial Inc. and its Home Federal Savings Banks subsidiary in an all-stock transaction valued at $128.8 million.

Founded in 1934, Home Federal includes 12 branches in Minnesota (including one at 208 S. Walnut St. in La Crescent and one at 175 Center St. in Winona) and one each in Iowa and Wisconsin. Home Federal also has a loan origination office at 700 Third Street N. in La Crosse.

Alerus said it expects to transition Home Federal client accounts to Alerus systems in the fourth quarter of 2024.

An Alerus spokeswoman told me Monday that the La Crosse location will continue to operate as a loan origination office until the conversion to Alerus systems is completed in mid-December. Once that happens, clients will have access to Alerus’ expanded products and services, such as retirement and benefits services, and the La Crosse office will be known as an Alerus commercial wealth office.

For more information about Alerus, visit www.alerus.com.

Steve Cahalan reports on local business developments.

Steve Cahalan

Steve Cahalan writes about business news and can be reached at [email protected].

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Five new officers join La Crosse Police Department on Monday, Oct. 14, 2024.