OSHKOSH – This isn’t exactly what they had in mind when Oshkosh was first called Wisconsin’s “Event City.”
All the same, 2025 has proven extremely eventful for Oshkosh, with the city experiencing massive administrative shakeups at the city, county, school district and university levels within the year’s first eight months.
And that’s without acknowledging Oshkosh Corporation entering the chat.
Businesses are seemingly popping up daily. So, too, protests. And now, taxes have become all the rage.
Here’s a look back at some of the more impactful news to make headlines in Oshkosh so far this year and how some of those stories may play out for the rest of the year.
Big concert announcement: Country music stars Jason Aldean and Lainey Wilson to headline XRoads41 festival in 2026
Oshkosh Area School District saw it’s $197 million facilities referendum passed at the polls.
The exterior of the Oshkosh Area School District Administration building, as seen Nov. 15, 2024, in Oshkosh, Wis.
Despite facing very vocal opposition and two separate scandals, OASD was able to move forward with the second phase of its facilities plan after the electorate narrowly voted in favor of a $197 million facilities referendum at April’s spring election.
The referendum passed with a very slim 50.9% of the vote, even after the district had to amend the resolution because of an oversight at a previously recommended South Park Middle School. Board members Timothy Hess and Kelly DeWitt were also found to be using fake social media accounts for the purpose of drumming up support against the referendum.
Superintendent Bryan Davis received a 4.5% salary increase just one month after the referendum was passed. The district may have to go back to the electorate for another referendum in 2029 to fund Phase 3 of its facilities plan.
Veteran City Administrator Rebecca Grill replaced retiring Mark Rohloff as Oshkosh city manager.
Rebecca Grill
Oshkosh hired City of West Allis administrator Rebecca Grill to serve as the next city manager after Mark Rohloff retired following 16 years in the role.
Grill started Feb. 24 and received a 3% raise in August as part of a scheduled salary increase in her original employment agreement after receiving a glowing mid-year review.
Oshkosh school district parted ways with dean of students involved in Jan. 10 student restraint at Vel Phillips.
Vel Phillips Middle School opened for the 2023-24 school year in Oshkosh.
OASD opted not to renew the contract of Vel Phillips Middle School Dean of Students Christopher Willems for his role in a Jan. 10 incident that led to a 13-year-old being handcuffed and pinned under a school resource officer for more than two minutes.
Willems was initially placed on administrative leave after an investigation revealed he called for an SRO’s assistance to deal with a student, shoved the child through a door and eventually pushed him up against a wall to assist the SRO in restraining the boy.
Around 90 Cummins workers were on strike for almost four months over failed labor negotiations.
Members of UAW Local 291 are still on strike from Cummins and are preparing to stage a rally on Saturday.
Approximately 90 United Auto Workers union members walked off the job at power solutions designers and manufacturers Cummins’ 1005 High Ave. plant for 14-and-a-half weeks following failed contract negotiations.
The UAW members initially went on strike March 18 before voting 53-26 in favor of returning to work July 7 and approving a new three-year contract at a union meeting June 27.
University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh appointed new Chancellor.
New UW-Oshkosh Chancellor Manohar Singh.
UW-Oshkosh hired then Western Connecticut State University interim president Manohar Singh to replace embattled Andrew Leavitt as the institution’s new chancellor in April.
The university also received $137 million from the Wisconsin Legislature for the proposed renovation of Polk Learning Commons, officially pulled out of the Fox Cities Campus and listed its former Campus Center for Equity and Diversity at 717 W. Irving Ave. for sale after moving the building’s staff to a more central location.
Former Assembly Minority leader Gordon Hintz was elected as Winnebago County executive.
Gordon Hintz.
Onetime Assembly Minority leader Gordon Hintz made a successful return to public life by unseating incumbent Jon Doemel in the race for Winnebago County executive in April’s spring election.
The Winnebago County Board of Supervisors subsequently approved using $870,000 from its general fund balance to operate the UWO Fox Cities Campus for the remainder of the fiscal year and is set to vote on creating an ordinance for the possible introduction of a 0.5% county sales tax.
Oshkosh Corporation appointed former Masco Corporation CEO as new chairperson amid reports of lower net income and consolidated sales.
Masco Corporation president and CEO Keith Allman is the new Oshkosh Corporation board chairperson.
Onetime president and chief executive officer of Masco Corporation Keith Allman was appointed as independent chair of the board of Oshkosh Corporation in May after serving as an Oshkosh director for 10 years.
Oshkosh Corporation also announced the renaming of its Defense segment to the Transport segment in June, appointing Steve Nordlund as executive vice president and president of that segment.
The military vehicle manufacturer offered temporary three-month layoffs to union members to address overstaffing later that month following what the company called “the planned drawdown” in production of Joint Light Tactical Vehicles amid reports of lower net income and consolidated sales in the first quarter of 2026.
Oshkosh Fire Department undergoes significant changes
Oshkosh Fire Department Division Chief of Training Tim Heiman has been tabbed as the department’s new Fire Chief.
Oshkosh Fire Department Division Chief of training Tim Heiman was promoted to Fire Chief in April following Mike Stanley’s resignation Jan. 29.
Amid staffing challenges at the fire department, the City of Oshkosh ended its existing Emergency Medical Services contract with 10 neighboring municipalities and is exploring the idea of a joint fire service with the Town of Algoma.
City of Oshkosh passed numerous resolutions in hopes of addressing a property tax hike.
The entrance to Oshkosh City Hall is seen Jan. 11, 2025, in Oshkosh, Wis.
Common council has approved a number of resolutions to address the city’s overreliance on property taxes after Oshkosh’s failure to conduct regular property evaluations saw the combined assessed value of residential properties jump by 53% last year.
Oshkosh is now set to conduct property revaluations every five years, beginning with a planned assessment in 2025.
City council requested Wisconsin Legislature permission for municipalities to levy a 0.5% sales tax in counties that currently don’t have one after asking the state to allow the city to revert to previous property values where revaluations result in huge disparities in commercial and residential values.
Oshkosh also pushed state representatives for an increase in the funding of the Municipal Services Payment program, which ultimately led to an additional $383,654 for the city when Wisconsin Legislature agreed to add $7 million to the annual tally.
EAA staged a record-setting AirVenture convention.
Buoyed by the historic presence of two Goodyear Blimps, EAA AirVenture attracted a record 704,000 visitors and 962 commercial exhibitors to Wittman Regional Airport July 21-27.
The fly-in convention featured a celebrity appearance from reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner, Pratt & Whitney’s massive 747 and the first-ever appearance of two Goodyear Blimps at the same event.
There were no reported crashes in the area but a small aircraft was forced to veer off the taxiway to evade a head-on collision with another airplane after a single-engine Cessna took off in the wrong direction from Wittman Regional Airport.
Oshkosh saves Menominee Park train for 2025 amid operational deficits.
The train has become a major drawing card for Menominee Park over the years.
Common council approved a short-term measure to keep the Menominee Park train for at least another year after voting to use $50,000 of interest earnings from the American Rescue Plan Act to fund repairs to the amusement ride area in Janaury
Dealing with severe public backlash over potentially losing the fan favorite ride, council voted 5-1 in favor of allocating the funds to train repairs for 2025.
A number of anti-Trump protests made their way into Opera House Square.
A section of the “No Kings Day” anti-Trump administration protest in Opera House Square.
Opera House Square became flooded with a sea of signs, flags and anti-Trump sentiment for more than three hours June 14 when more than 1,500 protesters made their presence felt in the city for a peaceful “No Kings Day” rally.
Advocates also assembled in the city for demonstrations in April and July.
Read more from 2025 so far: New temporary rule at Oshkosh Public Library aims to thwart disruptive teen behavior
A number of businesses have opened or closed their doors across the city.
Wingstop may be moving into Oshkosh, next door to the new Jersey Mike’s on the north side. A sign is up at 2014 Jackson St.
Here’s a look at 2025’s business comings and goings so far:
The former Best Western Premier Waterfront Hotel & Convention Center at 1 Main St. reopened as the new Oshkosh Marriott Waterfront Hotel & Convention Center in January following a year-long, multi-million-dollar transformation.
The Joann fabrics store at 1226 S. Koeller St. was one of 16 stores across Wisconsin that shut its doors after the crafts retailer first filed for bankruptcy a year ago.
Fortifi Bank opened a branch at 400 N. Koeller St. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Feb. 20.
Tru by Hilton opened a 90-room hotel at 1810 Oshkosh Ave. in April.
The owners of Glow In The Park Indoor Mini Golf and Pinball Arcade opened another course, Oshkosh Mills Adventure Golf, at 3025 S. Washburn St. in May.
Popular fast-food chain Wendy’s reopened its 2360 Westown location under new ownership July 9 just eight months after it was thought to have closed its doors for good.
Bella Parent Support Services became a part of the Vida Medical Clinic brand in July, resulting in expanded medical services for the Oshkosh community when Vida moved into the old clinic at 1484 W. South Park Ave.
New authentic Italian restaurant Truffle Pig opened Aug. 24 at the historic Oshkosh Northwestern building, 224 State St.
Wingstop is opening a 26-seat, 1,800-square-foot restaurant in mid-September between the new Jersey Mike’s and Edward Jones at 2020 Jackson St.
A Tommy’s Express Car Wash is coming to South Koeller Street at the former Applebee’s restaurant after previous Applebee’s franchise owner Broadstone sold the 1.65-acre parcel for $1.8 million to MP Development 18 LLC June 25.
Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Specialists broke ground on a new 27,000-square-foot facility at 200 S. Oakwood Road that will open in spring 2026.
Contact Justin Marville at jmarville@gannett.com and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @justinmarville.
This article originally appeared on Oshkosh Northwestern: Oshkosh top stories of 2025 so far include schools, AirVenture & more