Glenwood/Boyceville Year in Review: A review of the top news headlines for 2014 – 1st Quarter
A review of the top news headlines for 2014 – 1st Quarter
JANUARY
January 1: LAWSUIT FILED AGAINS FOREST TOWN BOARD: Preserving Rural Values, Inc. has filed a notice of claim with the Town of Forest alleging that the town board violated state law in amending Forest’s comprehensive plan and is seeking damages that could total more than $100,000.
DUNN COUNTY APPROVES CO2 PLANT: The Dunn County Zoning Board of Adjustment has approved a special exception for Air Products/EPCO Carbon Dioxide Products Inc. to operate a carbon dioxide manufacturing plant at the Big Rivers Resources ethanol plant between Wheeler and Boyceville.
NO RECOUNT: We were informed by City Clerk/Treasurer Sharon Rosenow that no candidate had filed for a recount of the city’s special election by the five p.m. December 20th deadline.
DUERST ACCEPTED TO MIT: Boyceville senior Peter Duerst was accepted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Duerst was one of the over 600 accepted out of the nearly 7,000 students who applied through the early action program.
January 8: PSC DENIES TOWN OF FOREST REQUEST: The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin has denied a request from the Forest Town Board to reconsider the PSC’s approval of the Highland Wind Farm application and to hold another hearing, in a decision dated December 20.
GC CHEERLEADERS AT THE CAPITAL ONE BOWL: Seven cheerleaders from the Glenwood City High School enjoyed the experience of a lifetime on January 1 while performing in front of nearly 60,000 people at the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1. The cheerleaders were Catherine Schurtz, Marne Lewis, Natasha Rassbach Isabella Nadeau, Erin Drinkman, Kayla Hill and Kaylie Kruger.
LOCAL TEEN COLLAPSES: Dan Mannon, a healthy 17-yearold from Wilson was out enjoying the day on the slopes at Afton Alps in Hastings, MN on December 28 when the unthinkable happened- he had a heart attack.
WHEELER MAN SENTENCED: Brian J. Thibado, former Wheeler resident, has been sentenced to three years in prison and nine years of probation in Dunn County Circuit Court for sexual assault.
January 15: FIRE DOOMS GLENHAVEN’S NEW FACILITY: Early Tuesday a large fire struck Glenhaven’s skilled nursing facility. Fire departments from more than twenty communities responded to the call and Sixth Street and East Oak Street were lined with fire engines, tank trucks and several support vehicles including several ambulances. Over 100 firefighters were on the scene during the battle. The damage is estimated to run into the millions.
HELLENDRUNG RETIRES: After nearly 35 years in the business, Dan Hellendrung has decided to hang up his hat and retire from All States Ag Parts, also known as Downing Tractor Parts.
BOYCEVILLE POLICE DEPT HANDLES 747 INCIDENTS THIS YEAR: The Boyceville Police Department responded to 747 incidents in 2013. Boyceville Police Chief Dan Wellumson reported at the Boyceville Village Board’s January 13 meeting that the total for 2013 was almost 100 more incidents than in 2012.
January 22: CITY RECEIVES PROPOSAL FROM VISTA SANDS: During his report to the city council at the January 13th meeting Mayor John Larson told members of the council that he had received a proposal from Vista Sand. “I just got it,” he told the council and continued by saying, “we will take no action tonight and will not discuss it.”
EMHOLTZ TO RETIRE: In the executive session held during the Board of Education meeting last Monday, Superintendent Tim Emholtz gave his notice of retirement and contract termination to the Board. The motion to accept the notice was approved unanimously and will be effective July 1, 2014.
BOYCEVILLE RESIDENT APPOINTED COUNTY TREASURER: Megan Mittlestadt of Boyceville has been appointed as Dunn County treasurer to replace Cindy Kopp, who retired last fall.
January 28: NEW OWNER OF WILSON NITE CLUB: On January 1 when the clock struck midnight, people cheered as the new year began and Amanda Knight celebrated becoming the newest owner of the Wilson Nite Club.
NO AGREEMENT WITH VISTA AND SCHOOLS: During the Board of Education meeting in Glenwood City on Monday evening, Building, Grounds and Transportation committee member, Lori Klinger, shared that currently the school district does not have a working MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) with Vista Sand.
DUNN COUNTY APPROVES RESOLUTION ASKING FOR NEW REDISTRICTING PROCEEDURE: To show the Wisconsin Legislature that Dunn County supports a nonpartisan redistricting procedure, the Dunn County Board approved a resolution asking for a new procedure to prepare legislative and congressional districts at the January 15 meeting.
FEBRUARY
February 5: SPECIALTY PALLET AND CRATE OPENS IN BOYCEVILLE: BOYCEVILLE- The lot that was once owned by the Hedlund Manufacturing Company and then All American Manufacturing is now home to Speciality Pallet and Crate. Kyle Olson, President and CEO of the company along with partners Dustin Olson, Josh Emberson, and Rob Rieckberg ran the pallet company out of Menomonie, but their lease there was up so they decided to move to Boyceville.
GLENHAVEN RECEIVES GRANT: Glenhaven Nursing Home received a $10,000 grant from AgStar’s corporate giving program, which will go towards the emergency assistance fund to help with the reconstruction of the addition that burned on Tuesday, January 14.
WHEELER MAN BOUND FOR TRIAL: A Dunn County judge has found probable cause in the case of 53-year-old Wheeler man Terry L. Gums. He is accused of sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl at his home in Wheeler.
February 12: GC LOOKING FOR NEW PRINCIPAL: The Glenwood City Board of Education officially accepted the resignation of Tim Johnson as the High School/Middle School Principal this past Monday night.
VLACK ASSIGNED AS JUDGE FOR TOWN OF FOREST LAWSUIT: Honorable Edward Vlack was assigned last week as a substitution judge to the Forest Town Board’s civil lawsuit filed in St. Croix County against the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin for the PSC’s approval of the Highland Wind Farm project.
CITY PIPES ARE FREEZING Doug Doornink, the City’s Public Works Director addressed reported at the city council meeting that 16 homes have had frozen water pipes and a firm out of Menomonie has come to the city to thaw those pipes. He talked about contacting all city residents to request that they leave their water running.
February 19: FIRE DESTROYS PIT STOP AUTO & TIRE: Flames broke out and quickly consumed Pit Stop Tire and Auto Center in Knapp on Tuesday, February 11 around 6:00 p.m.
CLARK HAS TOP GPA IN BOYCEVILLE: The Boyceville Board of Education was pleased to share that Catelynn Clark was accepted as the recipient of the Academic Excellence in Education Scholarship. The particular award goes to the graduating senior with the highest grade point average at the end of seven semesters. Clark qualified as the recipient after having a 4.236 GPA.
GLENHAVEN CROWNS ROYALTY: Glenhaven Queen Hannah Rubush, Glenhaven King Lloyd Holten, Havenwood King Ernest Severson and Havenwood Queen Jean Lagerstrom were crowned as 2014 Valentine’s Day royalty during a ceremony held Friday afternoon, February 14.
WATER WELL GUARANTEE RECOMMENDED: A geologist with Cedar Corporation says that he would not recommend approving the pre-annexation agreement with Vista Sand without a water well guarantee.
February 26: KADINGER NAMED ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: WEAU Channel 13’s reporter, Jenn Chapman was at the boys’ basketball game with video camera in hand last Tuesday, February 18 to film Marcus Kadinger who was named the Athlete of the Week.
LEGEND’S PUB OPENS: Boyceville native, Dawn (Seeger) and Murphy Breland recently became business owner after Fuzzy’s Bar in Menomonie came up for grabs. Upon taking over, Dawn and her husband Murphy chose to call their new establishment Legend’s Pub N’ Eatery.
TOP TWO GC SENIORS NAMED: Tim Johnson proudly announced that the Class of 2014 Valedictorian is McKenzie Kruse and the Salutatorian is Katelyn Meyers at the school Board meeting Monday night.
TEN WRESTLERS HEADING FOR STATE: The following high schoolers are advanceing to the state wrestling tournment at the Kohl Center: Austin Wolfe (BV), James Palmer (BV), Micah Johnson (BV), Wyatt Hansen (BV), Jon Harnisch (BV), Bryor Hellmann (BV), Isaac Tuttle (GC), Blayze Wood (GC), Donovan Fornal (GC), Brennan Kessler (GC)
MARCH
March 5: JOHNSON WINS AT STATE: Micah Johnson of Boyceville placed 1st and was the WIAA Division 3 champion in the 138-pound weight class. He became the Bulldogs’ first freshman to claim an individual state wrestling title.
GC PLAN COMMISSION RECOMMENDS ZONING: The Glenwood City Plan Commission is recommending that the city council adopt a mining zone classification to allow nonmetallic mining within the city limits along with other zoning changes related to mining.
TAINTER PHOTOGRAPHER CHARGED WITH FELONY: A 55-year-old Town of Tainter resident James E. Kernan, the owner of “Picture Perfect Photography” has been charged with one felony and one misdemeanor for secretly videotaping a woman at his photography business while she changed clothes in a bathroom in between photo shoots.
March 12: CITY DELAYS ACTION ON SAND MINE: The Glenwood City city council tabled action on the pre-annexation agreement with Vista Sand for up to thirty days. This action follows a Public Hearing Monday evening, March 10 as part of the council regular monthly meeting.
BOYCEVILLE INCREASES HANGAR RENT BY ONE CENT: As of January 1, 2015, pilots who lease hangars at the Boyceville airport will pay five cents per square foot instead of four cents. The Boyceville Village Board approved the increase at Monday night’s meeting.
BOYCEVILLE ENCOURAGES RUNNING WATER: The Boyceville Village Board is urging all village residents to continue running their water to keep the laterals and mains from freezing. Three more laterals have frozen since March 7, said Gilbert Krueger, village president, at the village board’s Monday night meeting.
BERKHOLDER VISITS AINSWORTH GRAVESITE IN ITALY: While on a mid-winter trip to Rome, Italy, Dave and Sally Berkholder (daughter of Chuck and Bettie Rasmussen) took a side-trip to the American Military Cemetery in Nettuno, Italy, to visit the grave site of 2Lt. Ellen Ainsworth who was killed in the Battle of Anzio, seventy-years ago on February 16th, 1944.
March 19: HOBBICK TURNS ONE HUNDRED: Edward Hobbick is like a rare gem in this part of the world as he will be reaching a milestone of turning 100 years old on Tuesday, March 25. Ed currently resides at Triple Springs Country Home on the outskirts of Downing, where he has lived for nearly seven years.
ANTIQUES APPRAISER COMING TO GLENWOOD: Antiques and collectibles appraiser, Mark Moran, will be sharing his 20 plus years of expertise with the area this coming Sunday, March 23 with an event at the Glenwood City Community Center.
PIGLETS SAVED FROM FIRE: The Boyceville Fire Department and Ambulance responded to a barn fire north of Boyceville on Sunday, March 9 where it was discovered that three little piglets managed to survive the blaze.
SNOWLOAD COLLAPSES BARN WITH STUDEBAKERS: Jim Bahr had what he thought to be a well-constructed barn and shed on his property, but Mother Nature proved him wrong as snow collapsed both buildings, burying several restored Studebakers he owned.
March 26: ST. JOHN’S LUTHERAN IN BOYCEVILLE CLOSING: St. John’s Lutheran Church by Pafko Park in Boyceville gave its final service this last Sunday, March 23. The church has been a part of the community for 127 years, but due to a decline in members, the doors were closed and a “for sale” sign was posted.
DR. FOLKESTAD RETIRING: A bittersweet goodbye will be shared amongst Dr. Charles Folkestad, the staff and patients as he will be officially retiring from the Mayo Clinic in Glenwood City at the beginning of April. Folkestad’s journey to Glenwood City began over 20 years ago when he began working as a doctor in the city in 1993.
WILSON POST OFFICE HOURS REDUCED: In order to remain open, the Wilson Post Office hours of service were cut to only four hours a day. Starting on May 3, the office will be open from 12:30-4:30 p.m. on Monday through Friday. Saturday hours and Blue Box collection time will still stay the same and the lobby will remain open 24-7 for those with P.O. Boxes.