TRIBUNE PRESS REPORTER: A review of the top news headlines for 2016 – 1st Quarter
TRIBUNE PRESS REPORTER: A review of the top news headlines for 2016 – 1st Quarter
JANUARY
January 6: ST. CROIX VALLEY PRCA RODEO TAKES 2015 SMALL RODEO OF THE YEAR AWARD: On November 14 the Great Lakes Pro Rodeo Circuit held its finals in Louisville at Freedom Hall, with a capacity of 17,000 spectators. It is at this event that the circuit hands out the awards for both the contestants and the rodeo associations. At this year’s finals the St. Croix Valley PRCA Rodeo was recognized as the 2015 Small Rodeo of the Year.
WHEELER MAN ACCUSED OF ILLEGAL DEER SHINING: Dylan Rice, 20, of Wheeler and Brett Kolstad, 19, of Osseo have both been charged in Dunn County with misdemeanor counts of obstructing an officer and illegally shining deer related to an incident in the Town of Otter Creek November 6. Rice and Kolstad also are charged with DNR violations of hunting game before or after hours, failure to validate or attach a deer carcass tag, and failure to properly register a deer.
FIRE DAMAGE LEAVES THREE HOMELESS: The local fire department received a fire call shortly after 12:30 p.m. January 3rd to a duplex in downtown Glenwood City. All three occupants – Dinah Harshman in the lower unit, and Ashlee Spieser and Joe Green in the upstairs apartment – escaped without injury.
January 13: BOYCEVILLE EIGHTH GRADER BRINGS LOADED HANDGUN TO SCHOOL: At 10:02 a.m. January 8, the police department was notified by Boyceville middle school/high school staff about a student with a loaded firearm on campus. Officers from the Boyceville Police Department responded to the school, secured the weapon and interviewed the eighth grade student. The student was taken in to custody for several offenses and was referred to juvenile authorities.
VILLAGE MAKES STORM SHELTER MORE ACCESSIBLE: The Village of Boyceville Community Center, which is located along Highway 79, was constructed so that it can serve as a storm shelter during bad weather. The Village Board approved spending some $3,445 to install a system that will unlock the front door of the Center during bad weather.
BOY SCOUT DONATES TO GC AMBULANCE: Boy Scout Nolan Stodola this year chose to donate a bag of popcorn to our hometown heroes, the Glenwood City Ambulance Service, for all their hard work and dedication in helping to keep the community safe and being there when we need them.
January 20: MISSING WOMAN FOUND IN THE TOWN OF FOREST: On Sunday, January 10 at 5:35 a.m., a woman appeared at Janet Scepurek’s house on County Road P in Forest Township. The discovery brought an end to a search that began with an alert from Polk County authorities, who sought St. Croix County’s help in their search for a 23-year-old Amery woman in the area of Highway 63 in the town of Cylon.
KNAPP NATIVE KILLED IN -94 CRASH: A 59-year-old Eau Claire man who was originally from Knapp was killed in a crash on I-94 near Elk Mound January 12. Duane E. Close died after the pickup truck he was driving lost control on the slippery road, struck a guardrail and ended up coming to a rest in the westbound traffic lanes.
January 27: CHIMNEY ROCK LAND MAY BE FOR SALE: A new state law requiring the Natural Resources Board to make 10,000 acres of public land available for sale by June 30, 2017, could be hitting close to home. One of the proposed parcels for sale would be the Chimney Rock State Wetlands Area north of Boyceville just west of state Highway 79. Another property north of Boyceville, 76 acres of the Big Beaver Creek wildlife area south of state Highway 64 between Highways 79 and 25.
TOLLAN ACCUSED OF WELFARE FRAUD: Kyara A. Tollan, age 49 of Glenwood City, appeared in St. Croix County Circuit Court Dec. 10 and faces multiple felonies after being accused of stealing another person’s identity in order to obtain thousands of dollars in welfare payments.
OMANN DIES IN WORKPLACE ACCIDENT: Brian D. Omann, a 41-year-old Baldwin man who grew up in Emerald Township, died as the result of an apparent industrial accident at St. Croix Castings in Woodville on Friday afternoon, January 22.
GC MAN BUSTED IN ONLINE SEX STING: Joseph R. Brabeck, 64 of Glenwood City, man made his initial appearance in Chippewa County Circuit Court last week on charges of soliciting a juvenile for sex on the Internet.
FEBRUARY
February 3: DUNN COUNTY BOA APPROVES EVERWOOD: The Dunn County Zoning Board of Adjustment has approved a special exception for agricultural entertainment at a farm owned by Johns’ Creek LLC on county Highway X near Glenwood City. The farm, known as Everwood Farmstead, will be used for artist events open to the public, such as music and theater, for art classes and artist retreats, and for weddings and corporate retreats.
BV FIRE DISTRICT NARROWS IN ON DESIGN: The Boyceville Community Fire District’s Five-Year Capital Improvement and Planning Committee met January 27 to finalize a recommendation to the fire district board for a scaled-down version of a new fire station.
EPA APPROVES RED CEDAR WATERSHED TMDL PLAN: It has been 15 years in the making, and now the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved a plan for the 1900-square mile Red Cedar River Watershed in West Central Wisconsin aimed at reducing phosphorus runoff to control toxic blue-green algae blooms in Tainter Lake and Lake Menomin.
February 10: EGGERT, ROTH ACCUSED OF LETTING 9-YEAR-OLD DRIVE: Amanda R. Eggert, 32, and Jason R. Roth, 36 have been accused of allowing Eggert’s nine-year-old child to drive while they were both highly intoxicated. They both pleaded not guilty in Polk County Circuit Court February 5 on charges related to an incident the afternoon of January 30 when Polk County deputies discovered the nine-year-old had been driving after receiving a 911 complaint about erratic driving on rural roads.
PRIVATE WELL OWNERS MAY BE FINED: The owners of private wells in Boyceville could soon be fined $25 to $1,000 per day for every day they do not properly abandon the well or obtain a permit. The Boyceville Village Board at Monday night’s meeting authorized Don Rose, director of public works, to send a notice of ordinance violation by certified letter to the owners of private wells in Boyceville.
PHOTO ID REQUIRED TO VOTE: Beginning with the February 16 primary for non-partisan local and statewide elections, including state Supreme Court justice, voters in Wisconsin will have to show a photo ID in order to vote.
GC SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES MIRON CONSTRUCTION: The Glenwood City Board of Education heard from Miron Construction on Monday night in regards to the bids for the referendum projects. The items the Board originally requested to be in the referendum including HVAC/Plumbing upgrades, new and renovated offices and safety features like lights in the parking lot were shown with their official bid prices. The Board reviewed all the items and their costs and approved the presented budget unanimously.
February 17: HINMAN PARK CONSTRUCTION TO START IN JULY: With nearly $71,000 either in hand or as a firm pledge, construction on the Hinman Park ball field project is set to begin July 15.
HOUSE FIRE ON PINE STREET: At around 10:30 p.m. Sunday, February 14, the Glenwood City Fire Department and EMS were dispatched to the home at 119 Pine Street, after the occupants of the house called 9-1-1 to report that heavy smoke was filling the dwelling. The residence is owned by Larry Yaden according to fire chief Greg Holden but was being rented to Russell Donaghue and his family, who escaped without injury. The fire, which was contained to the bathroom area, caused an estimated $8,000 to $10,000 damage, and extensive smoke damage throughout the house.
BOYCEVILLE SCHOOLS CREATE NEW POSITION: The Boyceville Board of Education at Monday night’s meeting approved creating a new middle school guidance counselor position for sixth, seventh and eighth grade combined with an at-risk interventionist for seventh through twelfth grade. The new position will be 50 percent guidance counselor and 50 percent at-risk interventionist that will cost an estimated $70,000 to $75,000 annually. The position will start at the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year.
February 24: BOYCEVILLE VILLAGE CLERK-TREASURER PASSES AWAY: The Village of Boyceville’s longtime clerk-treasurer Cindy Swanepoel passed away February 12 following a battle with cancer. Her funeral service was held on Thursday.
REP. LARSON ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT: Rep. Tom Larson (R-Colfax) is announcing he will leave the Assembly at the end of his term in January 2017. Representative Larson is battling lung cancer, which is his third cancer diagnosis in as many years. His district includes most of Chippewa County and parts of rural Dunn and Barron counties.
REP. MURTHA ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION: On February 19, State Representative John Murtha (R-Baldwin) announced his decision not to seek re-election to the Wisconsin State Assembly (District 29).
MARCH
March 2: ORMSON’s TO BECOME NILSSEN’S: As of March 1, Ormson’s SuperValu became Nilssen’s Foods. Brian Ormson, who bought the store in 1994 from his father, sold the store to Jason Nilssen. The store in Glenwood City will make the fifth grocery store for Nilssen’s Foods.
SCHLOUGH WINS STATE CHAMPIONSHIP: Boyceville sophomore Brock Schlough won the Division 3, 138-pound state title at the 2016 WIAA State Wrestling Championships this past weekend. This is his first trip to state and holds a 42-4 record for this year’s varsity season.
NOVOTNEY ARRESTED: Christopher J. Novotney, age 45 of Boyceville, was arrested February 23 for sexually assaulting teenagers. He appeared in Dunn County Circuit Court for a bail hearing February 25 before Judge James Peterson. Judge Peterson set bail at $50,000 cash and ordered Novotney not to have contact with anyone under the age of 18.
DOWNING MAN LOSES LIFE IN POLK COUNTY ACCIDENT: Chazz Hiben, age 21 of Downing, has lost his life in a one-vehicle accident on State Highway 46 south of Amery. According to the report Hiben was traveling north on STH 46 a very high rate of speed when he lost control of his 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Hiben was a 2013 Boyceville High School graduate.
2015 BOYCEVILLE GRADUATE KILLED IN CRASH: Tyler A. Mathews, a 19-year-old 2015 graduate of Boyceville High School, was killed in a single vehicle crash on county Highway O last Wednesday morning. According to the report, Mathews lost control and struck a tree on Feb. 24th.
March 9: TO HONOR 2ND LT. AINSWORTH: Last week, The United States House of Representatives paid honor to her by passing a resolution in honor of Glenwood City native Ellen Ainsworth, the only woman from Wisconsin to die as the result of hostile action during Word War II. Led by Congressman Sean Duffy of Wisconsin’s Seventh Congressional District, the house approved naming the Post Office in Glenwood City as the 2nd Lt. Ellen Ainsworth Memorial Post Office. A dedication will be held here for the naming of the post office at a later date.
GC TEACHER AWARDED EARLY EDUCATOR AWARD: Sara L’Allier, a third grade teacher in the Glenwood City school district, was recently awarded the Early Educator Award from the Wisconsin Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. L’Allier will receive the award in a ceremony in Madison on March 13.
BV SOPHOMORE EARNS ACHIEVEMENT: Cadet Casey Owen, a sophomore at Boyceville High School, has earned the Gen. Jimmy Doolittle Achievement. The Gen. Jimmy Doolittle Achievement is given to cadets who have completed the first 5 achievements of the cadet program.
NOVOTNEY CHARGED WITH 10 FELONIES: Christopher J. Novotney, age 45 of Boyceville, appeared in Dunn County Circuit Court before Judge Rod Smeltzer March 1. He is now facing ten felony charges related to the sexual assault of teenaged boys.
March 16: FIRE DESTROYS FOREST HOME: Shortly after 10 p.m. on March 10th, the Clear Lake Fire Department was called out to the home of Dennis and Debra Rosen located on 200th Avenue in Forest Township. The entire house was in flames and was destroyed. The Rosens were vacationing at the time of the fire.
BRABECK CHARGED WITH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY: A 64-year-old Glenwood City man, Joseph Richard Brabeck, has been charged with three felony counts of possessing child pornography and one felony count of using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime. He appeared in St. Croix County Circuit Court for bail hearings March 8 and March 9. Judge Michael Waterman set bail at $25,000 cash March 8 but amended the bail to $5,000 cash on March 9.
BV SCHOOLS APPROVE CESA CONTRACT: Representing a savings of about $40,000 over past years, the Boyceville Board of Education approved a contract with Cooperative Educational Services Agency No. 11 at Monday night’s meeting for approximately $132,000.
March 23: PSC REOPENS HIGHLAND WIND FARM DECISION: The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin has reopened the final decision on granting a permit for Highland Wind Farm in the Town of Forest.
ONE DEAD IN BOYCEVILLE ROLL-OVER ACCIDENT: One person died in a one-vehicle crash on State Highway 79 north of Boyceville Friday afternoon, March 18. The vehicle, northbound on Highway 79 and upon approaching 280th Street, failed to negotiate a curve, went into a wooded area and struck a tree, then caught on fire. The name of the deceased was not released by press time.
EGGERT ARRESTED ON DRUG CHARGES: Amanda Eggert, age 32 of Glenwood City woman was Friday morning, March 18 after GC Police Chief Robert Darwin went to her home to serve a subpoena involving a January 30 incident in Polk County. She was arrested for possession of Methamphetamine, plus possess Methamphetamine Drug Paraphernalia, Resisting an Officer, and Bail Jumping.
March 30: THREE HONORED AS VALEDICTORIANS AT GCHS: The Glenwood City School Board recognized three students as valedictorians during Monday evening’s meeting on March 28. It is the first time in the school’s history to award this honor to three students. This year’s valedictorian honors will be shared by Maya Petersen, Gabby Peterson and Macie Rasmussen, who all received 4.0 grade point averages. Morgan Kadinger stands as the class salutatorian.
COUNTY ROAD P ACCIDENT CLAIMS CLAYTON WOMAN’S LIFE: Sarah E. Maloney, age 69 of Clayton, died as the results of a two-vehicle crash on County Highway P and 60th Avenue in Polk County that occurred at about 10:45 a.m. Friday, March 25th. Maloney failed to stop at the stop sign and was struck in the passenger door by a vehicle driven Billy K. Hacker, 66, of Menomonie. Hacker was transport to the Amery Hospital with serious injuries.
GCHS SENIOR NAMED AS HERB KOHL EDUCATION FOUNDATION INITIATIVE SCHOLAR: Kathryn Vang, Glenwood City High School, was among those named as 2016 Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Initiative Scholars.