Newsletter Edition: Buildings older than Wisconsin itself

Why is this rural Wisconsin child care provider closing her doors? Also, 10 buildings in Wisconsin that are older than the state itself

UpNorthNews Staff

August 4, 2025

Exterior of the Francois Vertefeuille House.

Kicking off this week in Wisconsin news is an almost unbelievable story: The CDC recently investigated and confirmed that pizza dough at a Wisconsin restaurant last October was accidentally laced with THC, sending a few unsuspecting diners on a far different trip than they’d planned.

The dough at Famous Yeti’s Pizza in Stoughton was unintentionally laced with oil containing THC, the ingredient in marijuana that makes people feel high. The ingredient mix-up was the result of sharing storage space with a licensed cannabis vendor. Famous Yeti’s quickly took responsibility for the mix-up—and, in true Midwestern fashion, many customers took it in stride, with some joking that it was the most relaxed they’ve felt in years.

Thankfully, the CDC investigation indicated there was no foul play, but while no one was seriously harmed, the story raises questions about food safety, regulation, and just how much we know about what’s in our food when dining out.

Henry Teckam

Intern, UpNorthNews

Badgers on the road? There’s a flight for that

Dane County Regional Airport is making it easier than ever to cheer on the Badgers in person.

This fall, American, Delta, and United are offering special nonstop flights around four major UW football games, helping fans skip the layovers and long drives.

✈️ Here’s what’s on the schedule:

9/13 game at Alabama (Birmingham)
Fly out of Madison on Sept. 12, return Sept. 14
Nonstop options on all three airlines

10/18 game vs. Ohio State (in Madison)
Fans from Columbus can fly in nonstop on Oct. 17 and head home Oct. 19

10/25 game at Oregon (Eugene/Portland)
Flights to Eugene and Portland on Oct. 24; return flights on Oct. 26

11/8 game vs. Washington (in Madison)
Seattle fans can fly in Oct. 7 and out Oct. 9 on Delta

“As a UW alum, I know many fans will appreciate these convenient travel options,” said Dane County Executive Melissa Agard in a press release.

See more details

10 buildings in Wisconsin that are older than the state itself

Exterior of the Francois Vertefeuille House. (Jonathunder/CC BY-SA 3.0)

By Dorothy Scott

Wisconsin officially became a US state in 1848, but many of its oldest buildings actually predate its statehood. This goes for many states in the Midwest, the South, and New England, as these were the first areas that Europeans settled on before moving westward. Naturally, this means that Wisconsin and other Eastern states have some of the oldest buildings in the nation, often dating back to the mid-to-late 1700s and early 1800s, while the oldest structures in Western states like Nevada only date back to the mid-nineteenth century and later.

With Wisconsin possessing so much rich history, we knew we had to take a closer look at which buildings across the Badger State have stood the test of time and are still standing nearly two centuries later, in some cases.

There’s even an outhouse on the list

WATCH: Why is this rural Wisconsin child care provider closing her doors?

By Salina Heller

After having a baby in 2006 and noticing some of her friends were also lacking options for child care in rural Green County, Corrine Hendrickson decided to put her teaching degree to work and start a business: Corrine’s Little Explorers.

She didn’t make a lot of money being a childcare provider, but Hendrickson loved what she did and was happy to help in meeting the needs of the New Glarus community.

All of these years later, Hendrickson’s still taking care of kids—but only for a few more weeks.

While the recently passed Wisconsin state budget includes a first-ever investment in child care, providers like Hendrickson say it’s not going to add up.

Watch the video

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