Tribune Press Reporter: 2nd Quarter A review of the top news headlines for 2020
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JULY
July 1: STATE OF EMERGENCY DUE TO FLOODING: On June 28 and 29, parts of St. Croix County received over seven inches of rain causing flooding and washed out roads across the county. The areas experiencing significant flooding are the Municipalities of Kinnickinnic, Pleasant Valley, Rush River, Eau Galle, Warren, Hammond, Baldwin, Springfield, Erin Prairie, Emerald, Glenwood, Cylon, and Forest. On June 29, 2020 the St. Croix County Board Chair, David Peterson signed a proclamation declaring a state of emergency due to recent flooding. The state of emergency gives St. Croix County the authority to close or clear roads and to utilize state resources if they become available.
EMERALD MAN DIES DUE TO FLOODING: High Water caused the death of Gary J. Parent, age 70, of Emerald, who lost control of his car after he drove into water that was flooding a roadway on County E approximately one-tenth of a mile east of Highway 63 in Baldwin Township.
DUNN COUNTY TO ADD REFERENDUM QUESTION ON REDISTRICTING: At the Dunn County Board’s June 17 meeting, the Dunn County Board has approved adding a non-binding referendum question to the November ballot asking whether the Wisconsin Legislature should create a nonpartisan procedure for drawing legislative and congressional district maps.
July 8: BOYCEVILLE MAN ACCUSED OF POACHING REJECTS PLEA DEAL: Ray C. Stuart of Boyceville, charged in Dunn County Circuit Court with six misdemeanor counts related to poaching Whitetail deer, has rejected a plea deal after the district attorney unexpectedly added in jail time.
TIFFANY CEMETERY SEEKS FUNDS: The Tiffany Cemetery Association is trying to put together funds to straighten up old tombstones that are tipping over as the results of time. At Boyceville, where the care of the grounds takes most of the funds available, money is not available for things like taking care of tipping tombstones. Borgert noted that, “It’s the responsibility of the family to take care of the grave space and markers, but some of those old stones are more than a hundred years old and there are no family members left or we can’t trace any family members.”
DUNN COUNTY SETS RULES FOR MODIFIED FAIR: The Dunn County Fair Board has established modified rules and procedures for this year’s fair because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dunn County Fair, scheduled for July 21 through July 25, will not be open to public. Among the rules includes: all exhibitors at the fair, and their immediate family, must wear face coverings and must sign in and provide contact information; No potluck meals will be allowed, and there will be no food stands at the fairgrounds; No group classes will be held for the animal exhibits at the Dunn County Fair, and there will be no Little Britches Show this year.
PIERCE COUNTY CANCELS FAIR: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its uncertain impact on community health, the Pierce County Board of Supervisors has passed a resolution ordering the 137th annual Pierce County Fair to be cancelled for 2020.
July 15: CUCUMBER FESTIVAL CANCELLED DUE TO COVID: With concerns about the COVID-19 virus the Village Board voted 4 to 1 to cancel this year’s annual Cucumber Festival in the village that was scheduled for August 21, 22 and 23. This decision follows the cancellation of many area community events including the annual St. Croix Valley PRCA Rodeo and Rustic Lore Days in Glenwood City.
RUSTIC LORE DAYS CANCELLED DUE TO COVID: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its uncertain impact on community health, the Glenwood City Rustic Lore Days Committee has made the very difficult decision to cancel our annual city celebration days — Rustic Lore Days — for 2020.
2020 PRCA RODEO CANCELLED DUE TO COVID: After assessing the current Covid-19 pandemic and in consideration of the St. Croix County Health Advisory, it is with heavy hearts the St. Croix Valley PRCA Rodeo Committee along with the St. Croix County Fair Board have made the decision to cancel to 2020 St. Croix Valley PRCA Rodeo at Glenwood City.
THREE PERISH IN HOUSE FIRE: Three people are dead including a child following a house fire in the Town of Spring Brook in Dunn County late Friday evening, July 10. Those that perished in the flames and smoke were Merrill Tande, age 76, Christopher Rouse age 49 and a 6-year-old female, whose identity has not been revealed. All three victims were from rural Menomonie.
DUNN COUNTY SOLID WASTE & RECYCLING FEES EXPECTED TO INCREASE: Solid waste and recycling fees in Dunn County, currently set at $23 per person, are expected to increase anywhere from $57 to $72 per person in 2021.
July 22: DUNN COUNTY WOMAN PLEADS NOT GUILTY IN CONNECTION WITH EMACIATED DOG: Anne M. Iehl, formerly of Boyceville and accused of turning an emaciated dog into the Dunn County Humane Society November 1, 2019, has pleaded not guilty.
CITY COUNCIL HEARS OF WASTEWATER PROBLEMS: The City Council listened to David Caress, the City’s Public Works Director tell about a couple of problems they had at the recently completed improvements at the Waste Water Treatment Facility, including that two of the three pumps had rags entangled in the impellers and the electrical panels overheated during the hot weather.
BV SCHOOLS UPDATED ON REOPENING PLAN: Superintendent Nick Kaiser updated Boyceville’s Board of Education on the progress of the district’s reopening plans for the 2020-21 school years during its July meeting held last Wednesday evening, July 15 in the Tiffany Creek Elementary IMC. The committee dedicated to the plan is working on a three-way plan for educating students in the fall.
July 29: NEW PRINCIPAL AT TCE: DeeAnn Thompson, the new principal at Tiffany Creek Elementary who replaced Andy Hoeppner, has been at her new job for about a month.
RIBA FARM CELEBRATES 100 YEARS: The Riba Farm on 310th Street in Forest Township recently received the Wisconsin Century Farm certificate. On Saturday, July 25th a celebration was held at the farm, which has seen four generations of Riba ownership, to commemorate the event of the farm being in the Riba family for a hundred years. Over one hundred family members, friends and neighbors gathered at the farm to enjoy the day.
ST. PAUL MAN DIES FROM ROOF FALL: Juan Manuel Gonzalez of Saint Paul is dead after falling from a roof in the Township of Forest July 27. He died of injuries suffered in a fall while working on the roof of the former Forest United Methodist Church Monday morning around 10 a.m.
WHEELER WOMAN ACCUSED OF STEALING MONEY FROM CHIPPEWA FALLS VETERANS HOME: Nola M. Tyrrell of Wheeler has been accused of debit card fraud, resulting in the loss of $40,000 from a bank account belonging to a resident at the Wisconsin Veterans Home at Chippewa Falls. She is scheduled to make an initial appearance in Chippewa County Circuit Court before Judge Steven R. Cray August 11 on seven felonies.
ST. CROIX COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR LEAVING: After 9 years in the role of St. Croix County Administrator, Patrick Thompson has accepted a new position with Winnebago County in Illinois as their Administrator. Thompson made the announcement to the St. Croix County Board on July 21. This move will bring Thompson closer to family in southern Wisconsin. His last day will be August 18, 2020.
FORMER GLENWOOD MAYOR DIES: Doctor Leonard “Doc” Anderson died on Monday, July 20th in Menomonie at the age of 93. Anderson practiced Veterinary Medicine in Glenwood City for 33 years, retiring in 1988. He served 12 years as Mayor of Glenwood City.
AUGUST
August 5: HOFFMAN SENTENCED: David J.R. Hoffman of Wheeler man charged with two counts of armed robbery at Peoples State Bank in Boyceville and at U-Fuel near Elk Mound has been sentenced to eight years in prison and eight years of extended supervision. He appeared before Judge Rod Smeltzer July 27 in Dunn County Circuit Court for a sentencing hearing, along with Hoffman’s attorney, Shelly Tomtschik.
GLENWOOD CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT ISSUES RE-ENTRY PLAN: The Glenwood City school district’s recently-released re-entry plan has eight different sections: academic planning; health precautions; COVID symptoms; day-to-day operations; transportation; physical spaces; extracurricular athletics and club activities; and the county health department. Even so, if there is one thing, about school starting this fall during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is that there are still just as many questions as answers.
August 12: TOWN OF SPRINGFIELD APPROVES CHANGE TO FIRE DISTRICT BOUNDARY: Come January 1, 2021, a portion of the Town of Springfield’s fire district boundary between the Glenwood City Fire Department and United Fire and Rescue of Baldwin, Woodville and Hammond will change based on distance and response times following the approval of the township’s board at its regular monthly meeting August 10. The board approved the exchange that involves two full sections, one of which includes Hersey and portions of two others that surround the Village of Wilson to the west, east and north.
BOYCEVILLE TO STAY WITH DUNN COUNTY SOLID WASTE PROGRAM: The Village board voted to stay with the Dunn County solid waste and recycling program for 2021. This action comes after Dunn County is proposing to increase the per capita fee at their five collection sites for next year.
DUNN COUNTY ADDS REFERENDUM QUESTION TO BALLOT: The Dunn County Board has approved adding a referendum question to the November ballot to exceed the levy limit by $1 million per year for five years for Dunn County Solid Waste and Recycling.
WHEELER DAY PARADE: The grand marshals of the 2020 Wheeler Days’ parade were Margie Randall and Dave Goodell. The celebration was this past weekend.
August 19: PRIMARY RESULTS ANNOUNCED: The following are the winners in their contested primary elections held August 11: Rob Stafsholt (R) 10th State Senate District; Clint Moses (R) 29th State Assembly District; Karl Anderson, (R) St. Croix County Assistant District Attorney; Incumbent United States Congressman Ron Kind (D) and Derrick Van Orden (R) for Wisconsin’s 3rd U.S. Congressional District.
GC NATIVE ASSUMES COMMAND OF NAVFAC HAWAII: Capt. James G. Meyer, Civil Engineer Corps (CEC), and native of Glenwood City, Wisconsin, relieved Capt. Marc C. Delao, CEC, and took command of Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii on Aug. 7, at a short ceremony held on Ford Island, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.
TAX LEVY APPROVED AT GC SCHOOL’S ANNUAL MEETING: Taxpayers in the Glenwood City School District will see a slight increase in their mill rate following the approval of a tax levy of $2,730, 903 to support the proposed budget for the 2020-2021 school year at the annual meeting held Monday evening, August 17 in the high school commons area. The mill rate was set at 9.74.
WORK ON GLENWOOD LAGOON COMPLETE: Kevin Oium of Cedar Corporation addressed the council at their regular meeting of August 17th about the work at the Waste Water treatment facility indicating that work is basically complete except of a few little things, and recommended that the council make the pay request of $51,070.95 to August Winter & Sons for the project.
August 26: SCC FORWARDS MORATORIUM RECOMMENDATION: The St. Croix County Community Development Committee has forwarded a recommendation to the county board to support a resolution calling for a two-year statewide moratorium on Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). If the county board approves the resolution, it would be forwarded to the Wisconsin Counties Association to lobby the state legislature about passing a two-year statewide moratorium.
FEYEN PLEADS NOT GUILTY: Lori K. Feyen of Wheeler, charged with seven felonies related to financial crimes against the elderly, has pleaded not guilty in Dunn County Circuit Court. She appeared before Judge Rod Smeltzer August 21 for an arraignment hearing and entered a plea of not guilty. Feyen is charged with seven felonies that all include the modifier of a crime against an elderly or disabled person.
BV SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES STAFF CHANGES: With the new school year set to begin next Tuesday, September 1, the Boyceville Community School District’s Board of Education approved more than a dozen 11th-hour personnel changes (retirements, resignations and hirings) at its regular board session held Wednesday evening, August 19 in the Tiffany Creek Elementary IMC.
SEPTEMBER
September 2: ST. CROIX COUNTY HHS FORMS SUBCOMMITTEE: Education and communication are the goals of the St. Croix County Health and Human Services Board for forming a subcommittee to consider a county ordinance on communicable diseases and to form communication strategies for disseminating information on COVID-19 to residents in St. Croix County.
BOYCEVILLE BACK IN THE SOLID WASTE & RECYCLING BUSINESS: The Village Board took action on three items regarding the solid waste and recycling program. First they turned down the invitation to join Dunn County Special Program regarding non-mandated non-recycling items. Next they voted to do their own administrative work for the program and not have the county to the work. They then voted to take action to become a Solid Waste/Recycling unit and proceed to try to buy the county equipment at the Boyceville site.
GC MAN ARRESTED AFTER CRASHING VEHICLE INTO HOME: Joel Rosas was taken into custody by deputies after he drove his Ford Mustang into a home at 113 Main Street (State Road 170). The crash occurred around 8:45 p.m.
MEWES: Carmen M. Mewes of Wheeler has been charged with misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia after her car was struck by a piece of railroad machinery east of Wheeler in July.
September 9: BENDERS NAMED AS RUSTIC LORE GRAND MARSHALS: The Glenwood City Rustic Lore Days committee is excited to have two long-time community members serve as our Grand Marshals this year. We are pleased to announce that Julian and Judy Bender are our 2020 Grand Marshals for Glenwood City Rustic Lore Days!
DUNN COUNTY SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING TO SHUT DOWN JANUARY 1: The Dunn County Solid Waste and Recycling program is expecting to shut down as of January 1. Enough of the municipalities in the solid waste and recycling program decided to pull out of the program by the August 19 deadline that there would not be enough revenue to operate the program.
September 16: TRIAL SCHEDULED: A trial has been scheduled for Ray C. Stuart of Boyceville, who is charged in Dunn County with six misdemeanor counts related to poaching Whitetail deer. He appeared in Dunn County Circuit Court before Judge James Peterson September 4 for a status conference.
TRIBUNE PRESS REPORTER CO-OWNER PASSES: Paula Jean DeWitt, co-owner of Tribune Press Reporter and Colfax Messenger along with her husband Carlton, succumbed to the effects of her 22-month battle with pancreatic cancer early Monday morning, September 14 having reached the age of 75 years.
BOYCEVILLE PLANS FOR MEETINGS WITH SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING HAULERS: With the October 1 deadline approaching for Boyceville’s application to the state Department of Natural Resources to become a Responsible Unit for recycling, the village plans to schedule meetings next week with solid waste and recycling haulers.
September 23: CITY GETS MILLION DOLLAR GRANT: The Glenwood City common council learned Monday night that the city has been awarded a million dollar Community Development Block Grant for public facilities (CDBG) to construct a new municipal building. The proposed building will be located on the lot presently occupied by the Community Center. The Center will be demolished to make room for the new structure. The estimated cost of the new structure is $1,646,950.
EDLIE AND MARILYN STEVENS CELEBRATE 70TH ANNIVERSARY: On Wednesday, September 2nd, Eldie (Eldon) and Marilyn Stevens of Wheeler celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary. Due to the Coronavirus, their original plans for a celebration got cancelled and they had a drive-by celebration instead.
September 30: FORMER BOYCEVILLE MAN SENTENCED: Patrick Korwicki formerly of Boyceville, who pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of a child, has been sentenced to 10 years in state prison and five years of extended supervision.
GC MAN ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTED MURDER: Duane Smith, Jr. of Glenwood City is in the Polk County Jail for allegedly trying to kill a 77-year-old rural Clear Lake man Friday evening. According to a press release from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, on Friday, September 25, at 6:09 p.m. deputies responded to a rural Clear Lake address for an attempted homicide of an elderly victim. The victim had blunt-force trauma and edged weapons wounds.
PICKUP STOLEN IN TOWN OF EMERALD: A 1999 Ford 250 Cab and a half pickup with an eight foot box was taken sometime Thursday night, September 24 from the John Pearson residents on 160th Avenue in Emerald Township.
BOYCEVILLE SCHOOLS WELCOME SEVEN NEW TEACHERS: The Boyceville school district has seven new teachers this year: Valerie Berend, Sarah Johnson, Christina Mittlestadt, Mollie Perrenoud, Taylor Pitt, Amber Syverson, and Marki Wolf.
GC SCHOOLS WELCOME TWELVE NEW STAFF MEMBERS: The Glenwood City School District has added a dozen new members to its teaching and support staff for the 2020-2021 academic year. Joining the district’s teaching staff are Cassandra Jasper, Nanette Goodman, Kelsie Ashleson, along with new support staff members Mandy Kohler, Samantha Schreiber, Nikki Johnson, Tiffany Fox, Judy Peskar, Carol Quinn, Joe Stack, Deanna McGee and Chad Seibel.
