Oshkosh readers weigh in on faith, football and health
This week’s Oshkosh Northwestern letters include views on spiritual teachings, Ripon football and government’s role in public health
Oshkosh Northwestern
July 25, 2026, 4:15 a.m. CT
- A letter to the editor compares scientific and spiritual views on the human life cycle.
- Another letter discusses a local high school’s football coaching decision and its impact.
- A state senator writes about the importance of public health funding and criticizes cuts made by the Trump administration.
Here are this week’s letters to the editor of the Oshkosh Northwestern. See our letters policy below for details about how to share your views
Human life cycle and spiritual teachings
The following stages compare perspectives from modern science and the teachings of the Promised Messiah
Epoch of human consciousness: Links human bodies to Earth’s elements; he describes divine stages, with “dust” symbolizing earthly origins and dependence on God for life and existence
Generation and propagation: Explains biological reproduction; he describes divinely designed natural laws involving physical and spiritual development
Decomposition after death: Explains natural decomposition; he describes the body returning to its original state while the soul continues its existence under divine law
Human composition: Explains the physical body but cannot verify the soul; he describes physical and spiritual dimensions, with the soul providing moral and spiritual life
After death: Explains bodily decomposition; he describes death separating the body and soul, the body returning to earth and the soul remaining in Barzakh until Judgment Day, awaiting its spiritual destiny
Soul returns to Creator, God: Cannot verify this belief; he describes the soul as created by God and returning for accountability
After physical death: Cannot verify spiritual transformation; he describes the soul as receiving a new spiritual existence
Spiritual body of the soul: Cannot verify spiritual states; he describes soul progression as reflecting morality and closeness to God
Soul entering heaven: Cannot verify heaven or eternal life; he describes heaven as closeness to God and eternal life after death
Soul purification before heaven: Cannot verify heaven, hell or post-death soul processes; he describes hell as purification for spiritual advancement
Oshkosh
Football coaching decision
Rosendale-Brandon/Laconia had a longtime assistant in Justin Stigler, who later became Ripon’s head football coach. For those of us who valued his years with the program, it was disappointing to see him leave. He showed up, invested and did more than coach — he built
Rosendale-Brandon/Laconia knew his work. It saw it for nine straight seasons. When the head coaching position opened, some supporters hoped he would get the opportunity
To those who supported him, the outcome felt like a missed chance to recognize someone who had already shown commitment to the athletes and community. It also raised a broader question about what makes a program strong: continuity, trust and leadership that grow from within
Ripon understood that immediately
Ripon saw a coach with 15 years of experience across junior college, Division III and high school football. It saw someone who knows how to build relationships, develop players and elevate a program. It saw someone who could take a team coming off its first winning season since 2009 and push it further
Rosendale-Brandon/Laconia had that coach in its own building, and now he is leading another program
Now, Stigler is leading Ripon, assembling a staff, attending offseason workouts, meeting with families and setting a tone of stability and trust. He is bringing the same relationship-based philosophy that made him invaluable at Laconia. Now, Ripon benefits
Rosendale-Brandon/Laconia did not just lose a coach. For many supporters, it lost a builder, mentor and leader who had already given years to the program
Russell Hershberger-Beier
Oshkosh
How government serves you
Cyclospora, the heat wave and wildfire smoke have dominated the news cycle this month. Outside, it has been sweltering and smoky, and fear of cyclosporiasis has made enjoying a summer salad feel like a gamble
We have to remember that good people are working hard to tackle these issues and keep our communities safe. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Wisconsin Department of Health Services and local health departments are working together to identify contaminated foods and prevent outbreaks in Wisconsin. They are also collaborating with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to keep people updated on wildfire smoke, air quality and what measures they should take to stay healthy and safe.
But their efforts have been jeopardized by the Trump administration. As a direct result of the administration’s mass layoffs and funding cuts, the CDC lost a quarter of its staff, and $11 billion in public health funding for state and local governments was denied, prompting Wisconsin to join a lawsuit to try to restore $225 million meant to support our public health departments and strengthen local emergency medical services
The Trump administration continues to threaten funding that directly supports our communities. It is easy to take the work of our state and local health departments for granted until we need it, but abrupt cuts are not just destabilizing for them — they put our communities at risk
Kristin Dassler-Alfheim
State senator, District 18
Our letters policy
Letters to the editor are published in the order in which they are received and letter-writers are limited to having one letter published per month. Letters can be emailed to oshkoshnews@thenorthwestern.com and Editor Brandon Reid at breid@usatodayco.com. Letters must meet specific guidelines, including being no more than 250 words and be from local authors or on topics of local interest. All submissions must include the name of the person who wrote the letter, their city of residence and a contact phone number. Letters are edited as needed for style, grammar, length, fairness, accuracy and libel.
