Tribune Press Reporter: A review of the top news headlines for April, May, and June 2019
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APRIL
April 3: GLENWOOD CITY’S FIRST EMT RETIRES AFTER 44 YEARS OF SERVICE: Paula DeWitt, who was Glenwood City EMS’s first state-licensed Emergency Medical Technician, retired this past November after 44 years of continuous and dedicated service to the Glenwood City Ambulance and the citizens it serves. DeWitt was first licensed by the State of Wisconsin back on November 7, 1974.
GLENWOOD STUDENT RECEIVES SURPRISE LETTER FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP: Brady Thompson, a fifth grader at Glenwood City, received a letter from the President after his cousin sent it to the White House, just in the off chance that Trump would send a letter back. Throughout the letter Brady explained where he was from, where his school was located in the state of Wisconsin and which county he was from. He went on to say what surrounded the school, such as crop fields, trees and farms, and also mentioned the number of students in the entire school and in his classroom. It was to Brady’s surprise when he got a letter on March 8 that was addressed from the White House and enclosed inside was a letter from President Donald Trump. In the letter, President Trump encouraged Brady, along with his class, to continue to work hard, do their best in school and never stop learning.
DUNN-ST. CROIX CONFERENCE ATHLETES NAMED: The Boyceville High School Athletic Department and Glenwood City Athletic Department were proud to announce this year’s Dunn-St Croix Conference Scholar Athletes. Jaida Peterson and Brock Schlough were selected from Boyceville; and Delaney Quinn and Tanner Davis were selected from Glewnood City.
NEW OWNERS OF CHETEK GOLF COURSE ARE FROM BOYCEVILLE: Sioux Creek Golf Course in Chetek, WI was recently purchased by Brad and Marlo Stevens and Bruce Halvorson. Halvorson has been the Manager of Glen Hills Golf Club for the previous 10 seasons. Prior to that he was co-owner of Halvorson Electric in Ridgeland and Brewsters Bar in Boyceville. Brad and Marlo Stevens are also residents of Boyceville.
FORMER BOYCEVILLE RESIDENT SENTENCED TO 109 YEARS IN PRISON: Ted Lopez, a 41-year-old former Boyceville man, has been sentenced to 109 years in prison and 55 years of extended supervision all together for sex crimes involving children. Some of the sentences for certain counts are concurrent and some are consecutive, so Lopez will actually spend 46 years in prison and be on extended supervision for 22 years.
April 10: STREET CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS TO BEGIN IN BOYCEVILLE: Road Construction is set to begin within a week on three street construction projects within the Village of Boyceville. The Village Board learned Monday evening that work would begin on the Main Street Project, extending Charlotte Street and the reconstruction of Winter Street.
NEW FACE ON GC COUNCIL: The polling showed that Bill Koosmann defeated incumbent veteran council member Terry (Porky) Klinger.
NEW HAVEN TREASURER RECOUNT VERIFIES NEW TREASURER: Incumbent treasurer Laura Ulrich received 78 votes in the April 2 spring election, and challenger Mark Bartz received 79 votes.
April 17: GROUND BREAKING SET FOR BOYCEVILLE FIRE STATION: According to Boyceville Fire Chief Corey Green, the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Fire Station will be at 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 28 at 4 p.m.
BOYCEVILLE SCHOOL DISTRICT HIRES NEW ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL: Boyceville Community School District Administrator Kevin Sipple announced today that the board has approved the selection of Andy Hoeppner for the position of Elementary Principal for the Boyceville Community School District.
LIVING NEAR SAND MINE COULD SHORTEN LIFE EXPECTANCY: Living near a sand mine could decrease your life expectancy from one to three days per year that you live near the facility because of poor air quality. Dr. Crispin Pierce, an associate professor of the Environmental Health Program at UW-Eau Claire, along with several of his students, presented some of their research on air monitoring near sand mines in this area at the Colfax Municipal Building auditorium March 30.
April 24: CITY COUNCIL QUESTIONS FUTURE OF RECYCLING CENTER: With the bottom dropping out of the prices for recycled material that the city collects at its Recycling Center has Mayor John Larson questioning the continued use of the center. Larson informed the council that there is no value in the recycled items that the city collects. Apparently the city will have to pay the same as garbage and trash to have those recycled items removed from the city’s facility. The council is studying the problem and looking for a solution.
SNOW AND RAIN DESTROY DOWNING LANDMARK: A heavy load of snow coupled with several inches of rain was too much for the long vacant Armour & Company Creamery building in Downing the two-story structure fell in. The building was built in 1916 by the National Dry Milk Company with Armour and Company taking over in 1929 and operating it until March of 1958.
TCE TEACHER AWARDED HERB KOHL TEACHER FELLOWS AWARD: Tiffany Creek Elementary teacher Debra Bell was humbled and honored when she found out recently that she had been awarded one of the six, CESA 11 Teacher Fellows Awards from the Herb Kohl Foundation in the amount of $6,000.
DAVIS APPOINTED TO GC SCHOOL BOARD: Steve Davis was appointed to the school board Monday evening as part of the regular monthly meeting. The open seat on the Glenwood City school board was caused by Matthew Main’s request not to serve as a member of the board during the recent election.
MAY
May 1: STANTON RESIDENTS WORRIED ABOUT DETOUR: Residents in the Town of Stanton are concerned about the detour the Wisconsin Department of Transportation has planned for replacing the Wilson Creek bridge on U.S. Highway 12. The detour is of concern to local residents and officials with the Town of Stanton. The township plans to put road bans on town roads to keep semi-truck traffic off the town roads, said Kevin Finder, town patrolman.Finder also is concerned about moving farm equipment from one side of Knapp to the other with the Wilson Creek bridge out.
NEW ADMINISTRATOR AT GLENHAVEN: Glenhaven’s new administrator, Sherry Goodman, has been on the job for a few months now, as she officially began her duties on February 4th. However, Goodman has 24 years of experience in long-term care. Goodman, who lives in Stanley, has been a nursing home administrator for 17 of those 24 years.
NEW MANAGER AT GLEN HILLS GOLF CLUB: Glen Hills Golf Club has welcomed a new Club Manager – Todd Huffman. Huffman replaces Bruce Halvorson, who left for an opportunity to co-own a course near Chetek, after serving Glen Hills for a decade. A retired business owner and former human resources director, Todd Huffman decided he was a bit too young to retire and was looking for a hobby job when the opportunity at Glen Hills Golf Club came open. Huffman resides in River Falls with his wife, Sandra. They have two children together.
May 8: BOYCEVILLE CONTRACTOR CHARGED WITH THEFT: A Boyceville contractor has been charged with two felony counts of theft in a business setting totaling more than $5,000. A criminal complaint was filed in Dunn County Circuit Court against Richard D. Madison of Boyceville on April 30. According to the complaint, a woman in the Town of Tainter had accepted a written bid in the amount of $24,000 from Madison on November 30, 2018, to renovate her newly-acquired house to make it handicapped accessible. Madison cashed the check she had written as a deposit on December 1, but the remodeling work was never completed, including the installation of a kitchen island, according to the complaint.
MOUNCE BECOMES EAGLE SCOUT: Trevin Garric Mounce Hinrichs has become Colfax’s 23rd Eagle Scout and Troop 243’s second Eagle Scout. Mounce Hinrichs received the Eagle Scout badge during an Eagle Scout Court of Honor at Colfax High School on April 20. Mounce Hinrichs has close ties to the Boyceville and Glenwood City areas. He is the son of Shannon Mounce, grandson of Susan Mounce Nelson of Boyceville and the great-grandson of Ardys and the late Gilbert Mounce. For his Eagle Scout project, Trevin made hygiene kits to distribute through Dunn County United Way.
WALLIN RECORDS 500TH CAREER STRIKEOUT: What a stellar week for Maggie Wallin and the Glenwood City softball team. The Hilltoppers’ senior pitching ace reached a milestone few ever will. In a game in Spring Valley on May 2, Wallin registered seven strike outs against Cardinal batters to bring her career total to exactly 500 strike outs. She would go on to add to that record-setting total and help Glenwood City sweep all five of last week’s games including four in conference play.
May 15: DOG OWNER SHOOTS BEAR TO SAVE DOG: A Glenwood City resident was forced to shoot a bear that attacked his dog near their home in the 300 block of West Walnut Street. NEARLY 3,500 TONS OF MANURE SPILLED: After a manure spill at Emerald Sky Dairy in December of 2016, nearly 3,500 tons of manure were removed from a nearby wetland the following summer, according to a report from the state Department of Natural Resources. The cleanup of the wetlands mandated by the DNR was intended to restore the wetlands near Emerald Sky Dairy, at a minimum, to the same conditions that existed prior to the manure spill.
WILSON MAN FOUND GUILTY OF CRIMINAL DAMAGE TO EAGLES NEST, SEXUAL ASSAULT: Hunter T. Smith of Wilson has pleaded no contest and has been found guilty in connection with criminal damage to the Eagles Nest Bar in Boyceville and with sexual assault. Wilson appeared in Dunn County Circuit Court May 6 for a plea hearing before Judge James Peterson.
GLENWOOD CITY SOFTBALL TAKES FIRST EVER D-SC TITLE: In the past week, the Glenwood City Hilltoppers softball team have went an unblemished 6-0 including a key conference win over Elk Mound to extended its unbeaten streak to 14 games.
May 22: TIFFANY CREEK STREAM BANK PROJECT ON SCHEDULE: The Boyceville Board of Education was updated on May 15 about the Tiffany Creek stream project and where it sits time wise. Superintendent Kevin Sipple let the Board know that the project was progressing on time and it looked to have DNR back on site by late June.
GLENWOOD CITY AUDIT REPORT SHOWS CITY HAS VERY LOW DEBT: The Glenwood City Common Council learned Monday evening, May 20th that the city’s debt is very low. This information came from Joseph Rohrman, CPA of Clifton Larson Allen, the firm that does the auditing for the City. Rohrman informed the Council that the City had only $139,215 in Total General Obligation Notes as of the end of 2018.
GC COUNCIL BEGINS PROCESS ON OLD SCHOOL: The Glenwood City Common Council started the ball rolling on what to do with the old school building along East Oak Street. They approved hiring Cedar Corporation to make a two-phase study of the building for asbestos and any hazardous material that may be in the structure.
FORMER GLENWOODITE NAMED EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR: The Glen Ellyn, Illinois Chamber of Commerce has named a girl who grew up in Glenwood City as the District 87 “Educator of The Year” for her outstanding work as the Social Studies department chair at Glenbard West High School. Kristin (Thompson) Brandt grew up in Glenwood City and graduated with the class of 1993, was the class Salutatorian and served as Miss Glenwood City in 1991. She is the daughter of Rev. Ralph and Carol Thompson now of Shell Lake.
May 29: WHEELER COUPLE CHARGED WITH 37 FELONIES: Wayne A. Englin, 39, and Michelle S. Englin, 40, made an initial appearance in Dunn County Circuit Court before Judge James Peterson on May 17. Wayne Englin is charged with 30 felony counts, while Michelle Englin is charged with seven felony counts.
GCHS CLASS OF 2019 AWARDED OVER $325,000 IN SCHOLARSHIPS: The GCHS Class of 2019, it was announced at the senior awards banquet May 23 and printed in an insert in the May 25 graduation program, has been awarded over $325,000 with 26 of the 41 class members receiving monetary awards.
GC SOFTBALL CAPTURES D-SC CHAMPIONSHIP: THE 2019 GLENWOOD CITY SOFTBALL TEAM captured the Dunn-St. Croix Conference softball championship. This was the first time in school history that the Hilltoppers have won a conference championship in softball. Their record is 15-1 in Dunn-St. Croix, and 21-2 overall.
JUNE
June 5: GAUSTAD PLEADS GUILTY: Former Glenwood City High School teacher Peter L.O. Gaustad, who has been charged with seven felonies related to sex crimes involving a teenaged girl in Missouri, has pleaded guilty in St. Croix County Circuit Court May 31 to two of the seven counts as part of a plea agreement to felony counts of child sexual exploitation and causing a child 13 to 18 years of age to view sexual activity.
DESMITH PLACES 3RD AT STATE: Glenwood City senior Hadin DeSmith saved his best performance for his last-ever high school competition at the 2019 WIAA State Track and Field Championships in La Crosse on Saturday, June 1st. DeSmith ran the event in a personal record time of :15.12 to capture third.
BULLDOGS BASEBALL TEAM CAPTURES REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: The goal of a 2-0 week for the Boyceville Bulldogs came true when they took home wins over Elk Mound and Regis to capture the WIAA Division 3 baseball regional championship last week. Thus allowing the Bulldogs to advance to yesterday’s sectional tournament.
GC’S WALLIN NAMED AS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: This year’s Dunn-St. Croix Player of the Year is Maggie Wallin. Wallin has pitched 130 and two-thirds innings for the Glenwood City Hilltoppers over the course of 19 wins and 3 losses. Glenwood City finished 21-3 and won its first ever Dunn-St. Croix conference softball championship. In all, Wallin capped her prep career with 634 strikeouts.
June 12: RUBUSCH LEAVES PART OF ESTATE TO BOYCEVILLE LIBRARY: Hannah Rubusch, who was 100 at the time of her death, has left part of her estate to the Boyceville Public Library. Library director Ginny Julson was in shock because in her time as the director she couldn’t remember ever seeing Rubusch in the library. Hannah and Willard never had any children so when she passed, part of her estate was given in the amount of $20,000 to the local library.
BOYCEVILLE BASEBALL HEADED TO STATE: The Boyceville Bulldogs’ Baseball Team captured its first WIAA Division 3 sectional championship since 2000. They defeated the Cumberland Beavers 13-2 in the title game played Tuesday, June 4 at Casper Park in Chippewa Falls. Boyceville beat Neillsville 2-0 in the semifinal earlier that same day.
TIFFANY CREEK STREAM BANK STILL ON SCHEDULE: The Tiffany Creek stream bank project is still on schedule according to Superintendent Kevin Sipple. The project that has been in the works, in conjunction with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), was started in December of 2018 and should be completed in mid-August at the latest.
June 19: EMERALD DAIRY FINED $80,000 FOR MANURE SPILL: A St. Croix County judge has ordered Emerald Sky Dairy to pay $80,000 in forfeitures, surcharges and costs associated with a manure spill in a nearby wetland in December of 2016.
WESLEY AND DELPHINE DANOVSKY CELEBRATE 70TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY: Wesley and Delphine Danovsky celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on Saturday, June 15, surrounded by friends and family. The couple was married on June 18, 1949, at West Akers Lutheran Church and would have four children, Sandra, Eileen, Gloria, and Paul.
OWEN RECEIEVES APPOINTMENT TO U.S. COAST GUARD: After taking part in the US Coast Guard Academy Scholars Program, Casey Owen of Boyceville will begin his appointment with the USCGA on July 1 in New London, CT. Owen is the son of Jack and Kelly Owen who now reside in Menomonie, and is a 2018 Boyceville High School graduate.
June 26: WHEELER ASKS FOR JOINT MUNICIPAL COURT WITH BOYCEVILLE: During a public safety meeting held on Tuesday, June 18, the Village of Boyceville board members met with members from the Village of Wheeler to discuss Wheeler joining the municipal court. Boyceville village president Gilbert Krueger explained to Wheeler president Ben Stephens and Wheeler village trustee Linda Crosby he had yet to speak with judge Brad Erickson on the matter. Stephens and Crosby know the first step for Wheeler is to file the paperwork with the state that would allow them to go to Boyceville with an agenda item to join and have the paper work signed, according to Stephens, he also stated that when they had spoken to someone about the matter that it would be an easy transition.
GC WOMAN CHARGED WITH EMBEZZLEMENT: Linda M. Woodford of Glenwood City, also known as Linda M. Harshman has been charged with one felony count of theft in a business setting for allegedly embezzling $4,065.37 from the AFSCME Local 727 union in Menomonie. She is scheduled for an initial appearance in Dunn County Circuit Court before Judge James Peterson July 9.
VOELTZ CHARGED: Nathan S. Voeltz of Glenwood City has been charged with felony counts of possessing marijuana and a fifth offense of operating a vehicle while intoxicated in connection with an incident involving a moped in Menomonie.