Baldwin-Woodville's standout senior runner Kayla Wagner signed to accept a scholarship to run for the University of Minnesota next year. While the scholarship is for track, Wagner will also be expected to run cross country in the fall. She is pictured above at the conference room at B-W High School with her mother Linda, brother Zac and father Mike. Also present for the signing were her cross country coach Jen Cimino, track Coach Darren Peterson, Athletic Director Wade Labecki and High School Prinicipal Eric Russell.
Anderson and Perkins sentenced for unlicensed butter processing operation in Woodville
Erik C. Peterson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Mark Anderson, 38, Long Lake, Minn., and Steven Perkins, 48, Spicer, Minn., were each sentenced last week by U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen L. Crocker to one year of probation and 300 hours of community service for introducing adulterated butter into interstate commerce. Anderson and Perkins each pleaded guilty to that misdemeanor charge on August 29, 2008.
The evidence showed that in April 2003, Anderson and Perkins embarked on a project to process butter at a food plant in Iowa. An inspector with the Iowa Department of Agriculture inspected the butter and the process on April 23, 2003, and deemed it unfit for human consumption and refused to approve the process.
Anderson and Perkins disagreed with the inspector's conclusions and moved the project, including the butter, to Woodville Warehousing and Distribution in Woodville where the process continued until May 16, 2003, when a Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Inspector went to Woodville following an anonymous tip of unlicensed food processing.
The inspector found that Woodville was engaging in an unlicensed butter processing operation. The inspector specifically noted that the primary, secondary and tertiary butter packaging was exposed to environmental contamination and that dark particles appeared in the butter itself. In addition, the inspector found that some of the boxes containing butter had stickers on them indicating the butter was "inedible" and therefore not fit for human consumption. Finally, the inspector noted that there were no hand washing stations and that the equipment being used was not approved for dairy processing.
At that time, approximately 86,000 pounds of butter had already been shipped from Woodville to Minnesota. The inspector put a hold on approximately 200,000 pounds of butter that remained at Woodville in connection with this operation.
In sentencing Perkins and Anderson, Magistrate Judge Crocker said that the process appeared doomed from the start and that when "the wheels came off the truck" at the plant in Cresco, Iowa, Anderson and Perkins should have stopped it and never moved it to Woodville. The Magistrate Judge found that Anderson and Perkins lacked the common sense to cut their losses and mislead their partners at North Central Companies.
Woodville Warehousing and Distributing, LLC, was previously sentenced in connection with this case to one year of probation and ordered to pay a $4,000 fine for its role in contaminating and adulterating butter that was processed and held for sale at the warehouse, and later shipped in interstate commerce. During his plea hearing, Ronald Reik, owner of Woodville, admitted that during an approximate three-week period in May 2003, Woodville engaged in the above-described butter processing
operation on behalf of Anderson and Perkins.
From the Exchanges
Interesting News Items from
Surrounding Communities
CENTRAL ST. CROIX NEWS: According to St. Croix County Circuit Court records, Judge Edward Vlack on Monday filed a decision on a case filed by former Roberts Police Chief Ricci Prein against the Village of Roberts and the Roberts Police Review Board. Vlack denied Prein's appeal to reverse the decision of the Roberts Police Review Board to support the village board's request to fire Prein in August. Vlack determined there was just cause to sustain the charges brought against Prein by the Village of Roberts. The Police Review Board's August decision was reached after two days of testimony regarding a complaint alleging several charges of misconduct against Prein, including his conduct to his subordinated police officers; his conduct toward members of the public; being at L&M's Bar after closing time; and using the internet for personal use in the course of his work.
PIERCE COUNTY HERALD: There's been no January thaw to speak of, but that hasn't kept vehicles from crashing through Mississippi River ice. Goodhue County (Minn.) Sheriff's deputies said Wilson resident Wayne Schmitt was driving his 2008 Dodge truck loaded with three passengers early last week when the incident occurred. He was driving from the Wisconsin side to Methodist Point, just north of Florence Beach in Minnesota. The truck came to rest in about five feet of water. Ice fisherman came to the group's rescue, according to reports. All four occupants - plus a dog - escaped safely, same as the previous weekend when a Dennison, Iowa man's pickup truck plunged through the ice in the same area. Goodhue County deputies who know the waters said that's not a coincidence. Sgt. Kris Johnson said the current runs directly into a sandbar extending off the point. When frozen, the effect creates a pressure ridge that is dangerous, no matter how cold the air temperature gets.
HUDSON STAR-OBSERVER: A community is hoping and praying that a 20-year-old Stillwater, Minn., woman will recover from the serious head trauma she suffered when her small pickup truck plunged from a freeway overpass in Hudson. Marissa Ann Saad was eastbound on Interstate 94 Wednesday morning, Jan. 28 when she came upon another pickup truck that had slid into the center median all at Exit 1. Saad lost control of her 2000 Ford Ranger when attempting to avoid hitting the other truck. Her vehicle vaulted over a guardrail, sailed through the air and plunged nose-first onto Front Street, which passes beneath the freeway. Dan Krusell, who lives just south of the accident scene was driving north on Front Street when he saw Saad's truck spinning out of control on the freeway above. He stopped his vehicle and along with his 10-year-old son, Kevin, witnessed the crash 80 feet in front of him. Krusell said the Ranger landed on its hood and came to rest on its wheels. "I mean, she was flying. It was just a terrible crash," said Krusell, who hours later was still shaken by what he had seen. I can't get that image out of my head, really," he said. Krusell was the first to reach Saad's vehicle. He said he opened the door and turned off the vehicle's engine, which amazingly, was still running. Saad was unconscious and she didn't respond to his voice when he tried to awaken her, he said. She was alone in the vehicle and wearing a seatbelt. Tyler Westphal of Hudson, Saad's boyfriend, said from the hospital Tuesday morning that he had just been told that Saad was going to be put into a chemically induced coma to relieve swelling of her brain. "They don't say too much," Westphal said of what he had learned about Saad's condition from the hospital staff. "She's still hanging in there strong. She's made it this far. She's going to pull through this, I hope," he said, then added, "she will." Westphal said Saad's loved ones were told immediately after the accident that she wouldn't live.
TRIBUNE PRESS REPORTER: After striking and believing to have killed a monster black bear with their combine, Neil and Phyllis Schlough paid $75 to keep the trophy and have it mounted. While hitting the bear was a surprise, the Schloughs got another when the bear was confiscated by the DNR. The DNR contends that the bear was dead when Neil Schlough hit it with the combine and that it had died after being illegally shot by a man from North Dakota who had been deer hunting on the property days prior. According to state statutes, wildlife that is unlawfully taken is retained by the state. But adding to the issue is the exceptional size of the bear, which may have weighed more than 700 pounds and be a contender for the record books. Bears are measured based on skull dimensions and this bear's skull will likely be measured after the required drying period. While the Schloughs are not being charged with any wildlife violations, Phyllis Scholugh said there is more to the story and that they will be fighting to get their bear back.
MONDOVI HERALD NEWS: The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled that a Mondovi man's auto insurance will not cover his son's accident that occurred in 2004. The court says that the auto insurance policy of Dennis Lisowski that was carried through Hastings Mutual Insurance Co., will not have to cover expenses incurred from an accident involving his son Jonathan Listowski and the family's 1996 Dodge Avenger because the vehicle was not covered by the policy. Jonathan Lisowski claimed that he should be covered under his father's insurance policy which covers his father's Mack semi and pays for accidents involving under insured motorists. In January 2004, Lisowski was involved in a two-car accident south of Gilmanton that resulted in three fatalities and critically injured three others including Lisowski. The 1996 Dodge Avenger was one of two vehicles involved in the accident.
