Former Badger Basketballer Rod Ripley Rallies and Rebuilds
- Aug. 02, 2024
Lucky’s 1313 on Regent owner and former Badger basketball player Rod Ripley ’87, MAcc’88’s hotel is open for business again two years after a massive fire burned down his three-story motel located on Lake Wisconsin in Lodi. The former athlete is no stranger to starting over, as he survived a nearly fatal accident 10 years ago that almost completely severed his right arm at the elbow. With ingenuity, resilience, and hard work, he has overcome both. The new hotel, renamed Lucky’s Lodge on Lake Wisconsin, features a nice dose of Wisconsin charm, including 53 headboards that Rod handcrafted from old barn wood and nature photography taken by his son.
More Alumni Notes
Paul Gustafson, a resident of Hudson, Wisconsin, passed away on July 21, 2026, after a brief illness. Paul spent his formative years growing up in Wausau, Wisconsin, where he was raised by his late parents, Jim and Dottie Gustafson. Throughout his...
Jane Wiswell Pegel ’55, Williams Bay, passed away June 6 at the age of 92. An avid sailor and iceboater, she was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2021. Memorials can be made to the Green Lake Area Animal Shelter.
Rebekah Irwin ’96, MS’00, MA’03 was appointed dean of the Library at Middlebury College, in Middlebury, Vermont. Irwin, who joined Middlebury in 2011 as head of collections and digital initiatives, served as director and curator of special collect...
Paul Gustafson, a resident of Hudson, Wisconsin, passed away on July 21, 2026, after a brief illness. Paul spent his formative years growing up in Wausau, Wisconsin, where he was raised by his late parents, Jim and Dottie Gustafson. Throughout his...
Jane Wiswell Pegel ’55, Williams Bay, passed away June 6 at the age of 92. An avid sailor and iceboater, she was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2021. Memorials can be made to the Green Lake Area Animal Shelter.
Rebekah Irwin ’96, MS’00, MA’03 was appointed dean of the Library at Middlebury College, in Middlebury, Vermont. Irwin, who joined Middlebury in 2011 as head of collections and digital initiatives, served as director and curator of special collect...
Paul Gustafson, a resident of Hudson, Wisconsin, passed away on July 21, 2026, after a brief illness. Paul spent his formative years growing up in Wausau, Wisconsin, where he was raised by his late parents, Jim and Dottie Gustafson. Throughout his...
Jane Wiswell Pegel ’55, Williams Bay, passed away June 6 at the age of 92. An avid sailor and iceboater, she was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2021. Memorials can be made to the Green Lake Area Animal Shelter.
Rebekah Irwin ’96, MS’00, MA’03 was appointed dean of the Library at Middlebury College, in Middlebury, Vermont. Irwin, who joined Middlebury in 2011 as head of collections and digital initiatives, served as director and curator of special collect...





