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Tribune Press Reporter: A review of the top news headlines for 2015, 3rd Quarter

Tribune Press Reporter: A review of the top news headlines for 2015, 2nd Quarter

JULY

July 1: GC LIBRARY TO CELEBRATE 115TH ANNIVERSARY: This summer what’s happening at the library is the 115th anniversary celebration that includes a variety of events, such as Storytime, Creative Kids, movies and theme baskets.

GC GRADUATE ELECTED STATE FFA OFFICER: After completing her application in April and a whirlwind of interviews after that, Glenwood City High School senior Kaitlin Konder was elected as the District 4, Section 2 State FFA Officer for the 2015-16 term as Vice President of her Section. As a State FFA Officer, Kaitlin’s job is to promote agriculture and FFA all around the State of Wisconsin.

TWO MEN WITH GC TIES TAKE POSITIONS IN NEW RICHMOND: Two men with ties to Glenwood City have taken important positions in New Richmond. Patrick Olson will become the new Superintendent of Schools in New Richmond and Raymond Rivard will take over the duties as editor of the New Richmond News.

July 8: FORMER GLENWOODITE TAKES CRUISE ON AIRCRAFT CARRIER (reprint from the New Richmond News): Petty Officer Third Class Kirby Helgevold, a 2012 graduate of New Richmond High School, was among the sailors allowed to invite a family member aboard the Carl Vinson as the crew wound up a deployment and cruised from Hawaii to San Diego, California. Kirby’s father is Jim Helgevold, a former Glenwoodite and graduate of Glenwood City High School.

ST. CROIX DAIRY COMPLEX FULLY FUNDED: The bank note on the Dairy Complex at the county fairgrounds in Glenwood City has been paid off. A “burn the bank note” event is scheduled at the St. Croix County fair on July 18.

FRANKLIN RETURNS FROM INTERNATIONAL TRIP: Local Glenwood City student Wesley Franklin has just returned from a study abroad trip that began in New Orleans and then continued onto France.

July 15: BOYCEVILLE BUS DRIVER HONORED: The school board honored one of its bus drivers for his quick actions that prevented an accident from happening. School Superintendent Kevin Sipple informed the school board Monday evening as part of their regular meeting that in May, bus driver Bob Bird “took aggressive evasive action to avoid what could have been a terrible accident. His great care maybe saved lives or injuries.”

GC CHAMBER SEEKS TO RESTORE MURAL: Weather and aging brick face have caused Glenwood City’s “Centennial Wall Mural” to deteriorate much faster than anticipated.  The centennial wall mural, located on the west wall of the Glen Hills Professional Building (formerly DeCamp’s Furniture Store and the Daylight Store) on Oak and First Streets, is in need of repainting and repair.

ST. CROIX COUNTY HAS FIRST POSITIVE WEST NILE VIRUS TESTED BIRD: The St. Croix County Health Department reports a dead crow found in St. Croix County recently has tested positive for West Nile virus.  This is the first bird that tested positive for West Nile virus in St. Croix County since surveillance for the mosquito-transmitted virus began May 1, 2015.

July 22: BOYCEVILLE FIRE DISTRICT DEBATES FINANCING OPTIONS: After a significant amount of discussion about financing options for a new fire hall, members of the Boyceville Community Fire District are still no closer to a solution. Fire district members discussed possible financing scenarios at the July 15 meeting.

GC HIRES NEW LEGAL COUNCIL: Following months of discussion and deliberation including a failed vote just last month, Glenwood City’s common council approved the retention of a new legal counsel at its regular monthly meeting held Monday, July 13 on a 5-1 vote. The Hudson law firm of Nelson and Lindquist as the city’s new attorney, replacing current counsel, attorney James Krave of Glenwood City.

BEWARE OF WILD PARSNIP: Wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) is an invasive plant spreading mostly along the roadsides in West Central Wisconsin that can cause huge, burn-like blisters on the skin. In this area of Wisconsin, the worst spots are along state Highway 25, Highway 72, Highway 29, and Interstate-94.

July 29: FORMER GC ATTORNEY FOUND GUILTY OF THEFT AND FORGERY: William R. Lamb, a 55-year-old former Dunn County attorney, was found guilty following a two-day jury trial in Dunn County July 16 and July 17 of one felony count each of theft and forgery for cashing a forged $10,500 check that was a client’s insurance settlement and keeping the money.

GC SCHOOLS RAISE CAFETERIA PRICES BY 10 CENTS: The Glenwood City School Board approved the increase of 10 cents. The Elementary lunch price increased to $2.20 and Middle School/High School price is $2.30. As for adults, their increase put the price at $3.30.

DUNN COUNTY GENERAL FUND BALANCE INCREASES: Even though Dunn County’s combined ending fund balance at the end of 2014 was $2 million less than the previous year, the county’s general fund balance increased by nearly $750,000.

AUGUST

August 5: GLENHAVEN GRAND OPENING SET FOR FRIDAY: From ashes to well-planned and functional complex, the long awaited completion of the New Glenhaven Long Term Care and Rehabilitation Facility has been accomplished and a celebration is planned for this Friday, August 7th with an Open House to celebrate the Grand Opening. The celebration event on Friday is not only the Grand Opening of the new long-term care and rehabilitation facility of Glenhaven, but also the 55th anniversary of its opening back in February of 1960.

REN IN THE GLEN HAS SUCCESSFUL YEAR: In spite of the July heat, the fourth annual “Ren in the Glen” was a success, said David Bartz, president of the Glen Hills Lions Club. Julian Bender, treasurer of the Glen Hills Lions Club, said the event drew 1,220 paying adults this year, but that the number did not include children 12 years old and younger who get into Ren in the Glen for free.

AREA DRUG SEARCHES RESULT IN ARRESTS: A pair of area drug searches, one in Dunn County and the other in Barron County, has resulted in the arrest three men and the conviction of one. Chad A. Manor  was arrested and convicted for supplying of methamphetamines to the Chippewa Valley and Rice Lake areas. Another search resulted in the arrest of brothers Todd Doverspike, Jr. and Jeffery Meixner for possession of meth and other narcotics.

August 12: BOYCEVILLE HEARS PRICES OF SEWER LINE FIX: Rose told the board that the ten-inch line that was constructed in 1958 with concrete pipe is showing wear and needs repair. Rose recommended having a liner placed in the pipe. He indicated that the cost of lining the ten-inch pipe for the 1278 feet to the lift station would be about $45,000 to $50,000 and that would require a bidding process.

GLENHAVEN GRAND OPENING A SUCCESS: The grand opening and 55th anniversary celebration of Glenhaven featured a variety of speakers and was considered a grand success. While it is difficult to estimate the number of people who attended the event, tables set up inside and outside were filled with family members, community members and former community members.

STATE MAY STOP PICKING UP DEAD DEER: The cost of having the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources pickup and dispose of dead deer last year was $701,000. Governor Scott Walker’s new state budget would delete that money. Instead, other government agencies may have to remove the dead deer or they may be left uncollected.

August 19: BARB AND DAN HARMS SELECTED AS CUCUMBER FEST GRAND MARSHALS: Barbara and Dan Harms have been selected as the grand marshals for this year’s Cucumber Festival. Barb and Dan are both enthusiastic supports of the Cucumber Festival and also have both served on the Cucumber Festival committee for many years. Barb and Dan live on the northwest side of Wheeler.

CITY ORDERED TO STOP USING WELL: The City Council learned that the city was issued a “Notice of Noncompliance” for Municipal Well number two. The well is located on Water Street just east of the Community Center. The seven-page document that the city clerk had received listed 14 deficiencies at Well Number two, plus another seven were listed for Municipal Well Number three, which is located at Hinman Park.

IDEAL AUTO MOVES TO BOYCEVILLE: West CAP’s (West Central Wisconsin Community Action Agency, Inc.) Ideal Auto and JumpStart program recently re-located to Boyceville from Glenwood City. The building (once the Bowling alley and most recently Spencer Sales) is at the corner of Highways 70 and 79 South that is now home to Ideal Auto.

August 26: GLENWOOD CITY HONORS VETERANS WITH VETERANS’ PLAZA: The School District of Glenwood City is proud to honor and recognize these individuals through the creation of a Veterans’ Memorial Plaza located at the northeast corner the football field/track complex. This past Friday evening, August 21 the plaza was
rededicated following its completion over the summer – the plaza now includes a memorial stone designating six different branches of the military; a bench dedicated in honor of Ellen Ainsworth; and the Honor and Remember flag that will fly above all Hilltoppers’ home events.

BONNIE’S CAFE OPENS IN GC: Bonnie Pelikan, who has lived in the Boyceville area for many years, purchased “The Cafe” from Jim Laskin at the corner of Oak and First Street and reopened it as “Bonnie’s Cafe” on May 26.

DUNN COUNTY FACING DEFICIT: At this point in the budget process, Dunn County is facing a nearly $3.5 million budget deficit for 2016. Part of the budget shortfall is a nearly $1 million deficit for the county’s nursing home, The Neighbors of Dunn County, she said.

SEPTEMBER

September 2: ST. CROIX COUNTY JUDGE REACHES TURBINE DECISION: St. Croix County judge Judge Edward Vlack issued a decision August 27 has reached a decision regarding an administrative review requested by the Forest Town Board of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin’s permit for Highland Wind Farm. The decision did not rescind Highland Wind Farm’s permit to construct wind turbines in the Town of Forest, but rather, remanded the issue back to the PSC regarding the 95 percent compliance standard for turbine noise and to determine why six residences were identified as “sensitive” to wind turbine noise and whether 11 other residences should be included.

DC BOA APPROVES SPECIAL EXCEPTION FOR BOYCEVILLE FARM: The Dunn County Zoning Board of Adjustment has approved a special exception for Dawn and Pat McDonald of Boyceville to operate an agricultural entertainment business called The Yellow Barn in the Town of Hay River. The Yellow Barn, which will be used as a venue for weddings, reunions and corporate gatherings, is located on county Highway FF across the road from The Grain Bin north of Wheeler.

THREE MISS GLENWOOD CITY CANDIDATES: Three young ladies will be competing for the 2015-16 title of Miss Glenwood City: McKenzie Kuehl, Kaylie Krueger and Julie McNamara.

FIVE NEW TEACHERS AT BOYCEVILLE: There will be five new teachers for the Boyceville School District this year. They are Jadra Peterson (first grade) Jenna Willi (high school science), RuthAnn Ledgerwood (high school English), Jacob Peterson (fifth grade), and Beth Heifner (kindergarten).

September 9: SCHMITZES NAMED RUSTIC LORE GRAND MARSHALS: Marian and Jack Schmitz are the grand marshals for the 2015 Rustic Lore Days celebration. The theme for this year is “The Sound of Music.”

LAST “CONCERT IN THE COUNTRY” TO BE HELD IN HONOR OF WAYNE PETERSON: The Saint Croix Valley Community Band, under the direction of Kristin Tjornehoj, present one last Concert in the Country at Petersons’ Valley View Farm on Thursday, September 10 at 6 p.m. in memory of Wayne Peterson.

TORRENTIAL RAIN HITS AREA: In the afternoon of Wednesday, September 2, anywhere from an inch of rain to about eight inches of rain fell in a short period of time. The northern one-third of Dunn County experienced significant road damage from the rain storm, including washed out shoulders and problems with culverts and bridges. Local residents in the Boyceville and Glenwood City area reported a little more than 3.5 inches of rain, while the Ridgeland and Connorsville areas were reported to have received six or seven inches of rain.

September 16: MCNAMARA NEW MISS GC: Julie McNamara was crowned the 2015-16 Miss Glenwood City during the coronation on Friday, September 12. Kaylie Kruger and McKenzie Kuel were crowned princesses.

OFFICIAL CAUSE OF GLENHAVEN FIRE “UNDETERMINED”: A report from the state fire marshal’s office lists the cause of the January 2014 fire that destroyed the new construction at the Glenhaven nursing home as “undetermined.”

JUDGE VLACK SENDS HIGHLAND PERMIT BACK TO PSC: St. Croix County Judge Edward Vlack’s decision remands parts of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin’s decision for granting the Highland Wind Farm permit in the Town of Forest back to the PSC for further consideration. After deliberating on the issue since a hearing last October, Judge Vlack issued his 118-page written decision August 27. Judge Vlack’s decision sets aside portions of the PSC’s decision to grant a permit.

GC HOMECOMING COURT CROWNED: The Glenwood City High School Homecoming King and Queen were crowned Monday morning, September 14. Seniors Maddy Wagner and Cody Bonte were selected as the 2015 Queen and King.

BOYCEVILLE HOMECOMING COURT CROWNED: Seniors Anna Hagen and Jake Lake were crowned the 2015 Boyceville High School Homecoming Queen and King last Friday, September 11 at the conclusion of the Pep Fest.

September 23: WASTEWATER TREATMENTS TO BE COSTLY: It was learned Monday evening that improvements at the city’s wastewater treatment facility along County Highway G, just west of Downing, would be very costly. Kevin Oium of Cedar Corporation reported at the city council meeting Monday evening, September 21st that improvements are estimated to cost about $3.7 million dollars.

BOYCEVILLE DECIDES TO REVISIT FIVE BUGLES DESIGN: Members of the Boyceville Community Fire District have decided to “revisit” Five Bugles Design to draw up architectural plans for a new fire station. The Boyceville fire district met September 16 with Allyson Baier, an attorney with Schofield, Higley and Mayer out of Menomonie, to talk about loans and agreements.

WI FRAC SAND PRODUCTION CUT IN HALF: Now that the price of oil has dropped by 50 percent or more — down to $45 a barrel on September 18 — frac sand production in Wisconsin also has dropped by 50 percent. The growth in the frac sand industry in West Central Wisconsin was linked to the growth of hydraulic fracturing.

DUNN COUNTY FACING SUBSIDZING DECISION: The Dunn County Board of Supervisors will soon have to make a decision regarding the $925,000 deficit in the 2016 budget for The Neighbors of Dunn County. The Dunn County Board has several options regarding The Neighbors, including sell The Neighbors, continue subsidizing The Neighbors’ operating losses, and finding out if there could be a business plan for The Neighbors that would allow the facility to operate without a public subsidy.

September 30: KADINGER SELECTED AS SHRINE PARADE GRAND MARSHAL: Marcus Kadinger, son of Jodi and Mike Kadinger.,  was selected as the 2015 Grand Marshal for this Saturday’s Little East West Shrine Game and UW-River Falls’ Homecoming Parade.

BOYCEVILLE’S FIVE-YEAR PLANNING COMMITTEE GIVES GO-AHEAD ON FIVE BUGLES DESIGN: The Boyceville Fire District’s Five-Year Capital Improvement and Planning Committee has given the go-ahead to Five Bugles Design to begin planning a new fire station. The five-year planning committee met with David Chihasky of Five Bugles Design September 23.

GC SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES HEATING CONTRACT: As part of the remodeling project set to start at the school, the school board approved a bid for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) as part of that renovation program. The bid that was accepted was from Miron Construction of Neenah, Wisconsin. Miron’s bid for the HVAC was just over $3.5 million, plus the board also accepted the plumbing bid from Miron at $99,600. With the added fee their total bid was $3,893,226.