Crash at intersection results in fatality

A two vehicle collision at the intersection of 220th Avenue and 170th Avenue last Wednesday morning resulted in the death of Larry W. Scheel and serious injury to his passenger, John M. Bazille.

On October 7 St. Croix County recorded its 12th traffic fatality of the year. At approximately 10:50 a.m. Larry W. Scheel, 65, of rural New Richmond, was traveling northbound on 220th St. in a 2000 Ford F250 Super Duty pickup, while Roger W. Fisher, 48 of Emerald was traveling westbound on 170th Ave. in a 2006 Chevy Silverado pickup.
Scheel failed to stop at the sign and was struck by Fisher. Scheel’s vehicle overturned in the northwest ditch, Fisher’s vehicle came to rest in the field northwest of the intersection.
Fisher was transported to the Baldwin Area Medical Center by Baldwin EMS with non-threatening injuries. A passenger in the Scheel vehicle, John M. Bazille, 54, of Emerald was transported by Baldwin EMS to Regions Hospital in St. Paul with serious injuries. Larry Scheel was pronounced dead at the scene by a St. Croix County Deputy Medical Examiner.
Units from United Fire in Baldwin and Woodville as well as Wisconsin State Patrol assisted the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Department with the crash.
None of the occupants in either vehicle were wearing seatbelts. The crash is still under investigation by the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Department.

Keefer receives scholarship offer from Badgers

When Baldwin-Woodville junior football standout Jake Keefer received a telephone call Tuesday morning, October 6 he wasn’t expecting Wisconsin football coach Bret Bielema on the line. But that’s who it was. And Bielema offered Keefer a full scholarship in two years to join the Wisconsin Badgers as a linebacker.
Keefer said he was thinking that Bielema maybe would call him on Junior Day in February, so the call last week was a surprise. But Bielema said he saw two game films of Keefer playing “and saw no need to wait.”
Keefer is a standout player for the Baldwin-Woodville team this season. Just last Thursday against Prescott, for example, Keefer rushed for 61 yards and caught passes for an additional 71 yards and scored two touchdowns when they were needed by his team. On defense he had nine tackles.
The offer of the scholarship “is really exciting,” said Keefer. “I still can’t believe it. It’s awesome.”
But at the same time, although Wisconsin is at present Keefer’s first choice, he won’t definitely say that’s where he is going to play college ball. “I love it there at Wisconsin. I’m very interested. I can definitely see myself playing there.”
But, there have been other schools that have showed an interest: “LSU has been sending a lot of letters,” he said, for example. “But probably the Big 10 is where I’m leaning toward.”

Kindergartners receive visit from Deputies

            Pictured from left to right are Deputy Justin Johnson and his K-9 partner “Cash” and Deputy Jessica Zupfer.

             Barking and squeals could be heard coming from the lunchroom at Greenfield on Monday, October 5. Deputy Jessica Zupfer, Deputy Justin Johnson and his K-9 partner “Cash” visited the kindergartners at Greenfield Elementary in Baldwin.

            Officer Zupfer’s presentation included information on 911, strangers in the neighborhood, playing with matches, wearing bike helmets and seatbelts, and saying “no” to drugs and alcohol. She also explained the duties of a police officer and their uniforms.

            Deputy Johnson introduced his partner “Cash” and demonstrated some dog obedience behaviors. The children were thrilled! Petting working animals was discussed, and the students were told that it is not okay to pet a dog if he is “working” for a blind person. Although Cash is a working dog, he was not working today, just visiting, and so everyone got to pet his head as they left the room to go back to the classrooms.

            The Kindergarten unit at Greenfield Elementary is very appreciative of the County offering this opportunity to early educate our students to “Be Safe,” which is one of our four primary rules at Greenfield.

 Changes mean improvements at Baldwin Care Center

           Changes in the way Medicare funding works combined with evolving expectations by residents and their families regarding care at nursing homes, and what that care entails, have resulted in changes already made and more expected in the future for care of residents.

            According to Baldwin Care Center Administrator Eileen LaFavor, “what’s at issue right now in the federal budget is Medicare funding. They are looking at cuts now that will affect our funding.”

            At the same time, LaFavor said, more than half of the residents at Baldwin Care Center are no longer long-term but instead are there for a rehabilitative stay, usually short term.

            “We now send more people home and more than half of our residents come for a one to sixty day stay,” said LaFavor. She gave the example of someone who has fallen, suffered a broken bone and spends three days in a hospital and then 20 to up to 60 days at Baldwin Care Center for rehabilitation. The change in the status of residents has been a “progression that has occurred over a number of years,” she added.

            “It’s much different than when I came here,” explained LaFavor. “Then people came here and decided to stay for the rest of their lives. But now people come for either short-term rehabilitative stays or ‘end-of-life’ stays in conjunction with hospice. We have some very acutely ill people coming here.”

            So, with the new emphasis, Baldwin Care Center has made two dramatic changes. First, effective October 1, the Care Center reduced the number of licensed beds at the facility to 55 from the previous number of 65. That in turn allows the Care Center to more than double the number of private rooms available to residents, to 15 from the previous seven.

            Double rooms, explained Administrator LaFavor, are “difficult to live in and difficult for our staff to provide care in with the equipment needs some people have and there simply isn’t room in a double occupancy room to do that.”

            In addition, said LaFavor, “gone are the days when we looked at residents as a group of people.” Now instead, each resident is seen as an individual and care is “patient-centered.” That has combined with consumer preference changes—not only by residents but also their family members—for a “different set of expectations when it comes to long-term care.”

            That benefits Baldwin Care Center because of its small town setting and all that includes, including low employee turnover compared to the national level and staff who have family members at the Care Center. “I think we are somewhat special,” because of those considerations, said LaFavor.

            So, in addition to providing more single rooms, the therapy area at the Care Center has been expanded from what was one converted resident room to three resident rooms. “We see such a demand for that area,” said LaFavor.

            Along with the expansion of the therapy area, the company that provides therapy to residents has changed. The new company, called “People First Rehabilitation Services,” has started at Baldwin Care Center to rave reviews. “What this company does is hire local people as a full-time team to provide services for each facility” they work at. While the previous company that provided therapy had four people who split their time between four facilities. With the switch to the new company and full-time people at Baldwin Care Center “we have seen dramatic gains in the residents here,” said LaFavor.

            “Previously the residents who got the most services were the short-term residents,” said LaFavor. “But now we have every resident in the Care Center involved and we have started in new areas that you wouldn’t think of as therapy.” Some of those new areas include: urinary/incontinentence and a wound program; in addition another program has led to a decrease in falls by residents.

            Another area the new therapy regime is tackling is pain management. “And they’re really assisting us with that,” said LaFavor. “They use a treatment called diathermy and we’re seeing dramatic results in the area of pain management.”

            The new team of therapists includes six people: an occupational therapist; a certified occupational therapist assistant; a physical therapist; a physical therapist assistant; a speech therapist and a rehabilitation aide.

            The therapy bill for Baldwin Care Center, as you might expect, has doubled, but the services are reimbursable by Medicare and “the residents here are seeing the services they’re entitled to.”

            Mrs. LaFavor said the Board of Directors at Baldwin Care Center are looking at “what we would like to do with this campus to promote the culture change” of being patient-centered and looking at each resident as an individual. “What does this campus need to become? What additional services do we need to provide?”

            The president of Baldwin Care Center is Dorothy Schneider. Vice President is Jon Mentink. Marcia Graf is Treasurer.

 

From the Exchanges

  Interesting News Items from

    Surrounding Communities

PIERCE COUNTY HEARLD (ELLSWORTH): A former UW-River Falls student was sentenced to eight years prison Wednesday in Pierce County Circuit Court. Andrews Moreno-Richey, 22, received terms of five and three years for third degree sexual assault and burglary, respectively. Pierce County Circuit Court Judge Robert Wing ordered those terms to be consecutive. Wing also ordered Moreno-Richey to be on extended supervision for nine years after he is released. Wing stated that, with no explanation given for what he did, Moreno-Richey is a “great likelihood to re-offend” and the need to protect the public is high. Moreno-Richey was charged with third degree sexual assault relating to an incident in August 2008. The burglary charge resulted from an incident last January. He was also sentenced to nine months in jail for fourth degree sexual assault. That term will run concurrent to his prison sentence. The criminal complaint stated that, in the August incident, Moreno-Richey went to the home of a “pretty girl” whom he’d seen in a local bar and knew from classes at UW-River Falls. This occurred at Broadway Street in River Falls. Finding the one he after not home, Moreno-Richey snuck into the bedroom next to her and sexually assaulted the woman in that room. The complaint continues he described the girl to a friend as “incapacitated” by crack or cocaine. Moreno-Richey went to that friend’s house after the assault and told her about it. He described the incident saying he’d wanted “to see what he could get away with.” He declared he had not enjoyed the sex, but thought the victim had. The friend told Moreno-Richey what he described was rape because the victim had been incapacitated and unable to consent. The friend reported the crime to police and questioned Moreno-Richey’s mental capacity saying at least once he’s “out of his mind.”

THE SUN (OSCEOLA): With her credibility eroded, Polk County Finance Director Tonya Weinert resigned Monday evening at the request of the county board’s five-member Finance Committee. Since last spring Weinert had projected that Polk county faced a 2010 budget shortfall of at least $3 million. Late last week, however, other county officials who scrutinized the budget numbers, including two certified public accountants who served on the Finance Committee, concluded that the projected shortfall was more in the neighborhood of $780,000. “This position requires a level of trust from Polk County employees, supervisors, department heads, the county board and the general public,” Weinert wrote in her resignation letter. “Recent actions have caused me to question that level of trust, which diminishes my effectiveness.” Finance Committee chairman Gary Bergstrom announced Weinert’s resignation by reading a short press release after the committee returned to open session after being in closed session for two-and-a-half hours.

HUDSON STAR OBSERVER: After a decline last year, enrollment in the Hudson School District is back on the rise. According to the official enrollment count required by the Department of Public Instruction on the third Friday of September, the district has 5,365 a net increase of 94 students over last year. There are 53 more students this year at the elementary level. That number includes 411 kindergarten students and 2,496 children in grades 1-5. Hudson Middle School enrollment increased by 46 which puts that building over its capacity by 86 students. Hudson High School had a net loss of five students but saw an increase of 31 in grades 9 and 10. There are 37 children in this year’s Early Childhood program at River Crest Elementary.

BURNETT COUNTY SENTINEL: I’m growing weary of this – it isn’t fun doing this job anymore when I have to come to meetings,” Burnett County Sheriff Dean Roland declared at last week’s public safety committee meeting. At issue was the sheriff’s budget and Roland having to defend himself. “There’s $250,000 in the budget for out-of-county housing for jail inmates and we might spend about $110,000 this year,” Roland said. “Some have questioned whether I pad my budget because there’s such an excess. Yes, we are under budget in that line-item, but were it not for drug court and other programs, I’d be $160,000 over,” the sheriff said. “I have 34 years of experience, I know how to do this job,” a clearly agitated Roland continued. “My budget has been under budget every year I’ve been sheriff – yet I’m called on every little thing.” “From my perspective, I’m seeing a little animosity toward the sheriff’s department,” committee member Gene Olson pointed out. “I think as a committee, we need to investigate the source of that animosity. I think our sheriff’s department is doing an outstanding job,” Olson continued. “And here we are asking them to do more with less. We’ve made promises we haven’t kept and if there’s a personality problem, we owe it to our sheriff to resolve it,” he said. “I appreciate that,” Roland said to Olson. “The budgets are what they are but I’m very passionate about keeping people safe.” Roland pointed out, “When it comes to communication, I don’t like being blind-sided.” Olson agreed.

CENTRAL ST. CROIX NEWS (HAMMOND AND ROBERTS): Kids pedal tractor pulling has become a family affair for the Iversons of Hammond. Seven-year-old Alyssa, the oldest of three children and only girl, last month qualified for the International Competition that will be held next summer, most likely in Iowa. This year marked the fourth year Alyssa qualified for the national competition, held at the Corn Palace in Mitchell, South Dakota, by first placing in the top three at Wisconsin State Competition. At this year’s national competition Alyssa took first place. She was one of six Wisconsin competitors to advance. Alyssa’s 5-year-old brother, Brett, qualified for state competition in both Wisconsin and Minnesota this year as well.

THE COURIER-WEDGE: Approval of a bid from Freier’s Electric and Heating of Ellsworth for purchase and installation of a wood pellet boiler this fall was the highlight of the regular Pepin Board of Education meeting on Monday, September 28. District Administrator Bruce Quinton presented the board with the bid from Freier’s. Quinton stated that after three years of research and investigation into alternative heating sources, the Building and Grounds Committee was ready to move forward with its recommendation to approve the wood pellet boiler project. Earlier in the meeting, Building and Grounds Committee member Reisgraf reported that they had had two meetings this past month to make final preparations to being the wood pellet boiler bid to the board for approval. The goal, Quinton said, was to have the new system installed before the start of this heating season. The system will also give the district the future flexibility in the type of fuel that is used including corn, coal, grass pellets or other multi-fuel pellets, that could come out in the future. This project would ensure the district and its taxpayers would have flexibility in fuel usage and better control over volatile fuel markets.

Mabis and Larson are king and queen at homecoming

Bailey Larson was crowned queen and Taylor Mabis king at homecoming festivities at Baldwin-Woodville High School on Friday night after B-W beat Ellsworth 22-14.

Jessie Peterson leased the Wildwood

Jessie Peterson has leased the Wildwood Bar and Grill from owners Mitch and LaVonne Johnson. The agreement is for one year to see how the business goes, said Peterson and “so far the bar and restaurant are going well,” she said.
Peterson graduated from B-W HS and then attended Chippewa Valley Technical College at Eau Claire where she earned a police science degree. She worked for the Ellsworth Police Department for seven years but was looking for a career change when the Wildwood opportunity arose.
Peterson has extensive bar and restaurant experience in both high school, when she worked at the Hammond Hotel and the Doll House, and in college. “I know how to bartend and waitress but now I’m learning the financial part and ordering.” She also said she does some cooking.
Her sisters Bethany, Summer and Krystal all are employed at the Wildwood also.

Alertnow is in use to provide information

If the Baldwin-Woodville School District needs to cancel school, alert parents on upcoming parent-teacher meetings or notify parents of other information, a new tool can be used by the District.
A phone message system that utilizes the internet has been put in use. The program is called Alertnow and will be used to send phone messages to every parent in the district.
According to District Superintendent Rusty Helland, the system can be accessed by members of the District’s administrative team which includes building principals as well as Transportation Director JR Dachel and Director of Pupil Services Patti Phillipps.
According to Superintendent Helland, the program uses the internet to call every phone number entered in it. The phone messages to parents will be made in a matter of minutes. If the phone isn’t answered a message will be left.
“It is a way to provide immediate communication and hopefully it will work well,” said Helland. The system can be used for select groups other than the total list of phone numbers, he added.
The program is produced by a Raleigh, North Carolina based company that is one of the fastest growing communication companies in the country, said Helland. The cost for the system was reasonable, too, about $2 per student at B-W.
The training for the system was given to members of the administrative team in August.
A test of the system resulted in a 89% success rate—meaning that the call was answered or a message was left on 89% of the 1,741 phone numbers contacted.
Helland said other methods of communicating school news will be continued: the phone hotline and over TV and radio for school closings.
Parents who want their phone listings updated or to add a cell phone that should be called with messages would best use their Family Access site. If that isn’t available, the child’s school should be contacted.

From the Exchanges
   Interesting News Items from
      Surrounding Communities

HUDSON STAR OBSERVER: A man armed with a knife surprised employees at Taco John’s Restaurant early on Saturday by ordering more than breakfast. According to police, the man, described as white, between 30 and 40-years-old, around 6 feet tall and heavy set, came into the restaurant at the corner of 11th Street and Coulee Road at 6 a.m. He told a supervisor and another employee that he wanted money and that no one would get hurt if they did as they were told. The man, who was wearing a short, fiber-filled jacket, got away with an undisclosed amount of cash from a safe and fled on foot. The incident was over in minutes according to the victims. Police are investigating but have no leads at present. Anyone who may have been in the area at the time of the robbery and saw something or who has any information about the crime is asked to contact the Hudson Police Department at (715)386-4771.

PIERCE COUNTY HERALD (ELLSWORTH): A Prescott teenager was charged Tuesday in Pierce County Circuit Court with strangulation and suffocation. John P. Lubich, 19, 190 Flora St. S., was also charged with alleged misdemeanor intimidation of a victim and disorderly conduct along with the felony. The charges stem back to an Aug. 14 incident in the city of Prescott when the female victim called 911 according to the criminal complaint. Prescott Police Officer Mark Schultz noted in his report that the victim told Pierce County Dispatch that things were fine and that a male voice got on the phone, sounded angry then hung up. Schultz went to 190 Flora St. and first talked to the male, identified as Lubich. He said everything was fine between him and the victim. The victim then gave Schultz her side of the story. The two were drinking and it reached a point where the victim wanted her car keys so she could go to sleep. Lubich told her no and the pair began to argue. While they were arguing, he grabbed her and pushed her to the ground, where he choked her. She guessed she couldn’t breathe for about two to three seconds. She then ran into the house and called 911 with Lubich right behind her. Schultz noted the victim had scratches on her arm and shoulder, dirt on her back and clothing along with a “larger red mark on her neck area that appeared to be consistent with being grabbed and squeezed by the neck.” Schultz then interviewed Lubich, who denied touching her again. Lubich later admitted to grabbing the victim.

AMERY FREE PRESS: Amery Mayor Harvey Stower died Tuesday morning September 29 at Regions Hospital in St. Paul. He had been a patient at the hospital after suffering a heart attack on Friday. Stower, and ordained Methodist minister, had a varied career, including teaching English, serving as a State Representative in the Wisconsin Legislature and as an assistant to the Wisconsin Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs. One of Stower’s crowning legislative achievements was securing funding for the Polk County Information Center in St. Croix Falls.

TRIBUNE PRESS REPORTER (GLENWOOD CITY): The Dunn County shooting range in Boyceville run by the Northwest Rod and gun Club is finishing up some structural components to insure top-notch safety to users and the surrounding community. While the range has been around for more than 30 years, safety issues cropped up in 2006 when housing was developed directly behind the range. Projectiles have been found over the hill and there was a fear of potential injury coming from a stray bullet. At this time the range had no supervision, few structural safety features and anyone could come at any time, said long-time active club member Mark Smith. Even so, only one minor injury has occurred and it wasn’t due to mishandling a firearm. The first plan of attack was having range supervisors present during the hours of operation and having a gate to prevent access after the hours of operation. Supervisors must be certified annually, said Bauder. Currently the club has approximately 50 certified supervisors. The next step was keeping projectiles from going over the hill. Physical barriers have been put in place on the rifle range to prevent bullets from going over the hill. The new baffles were made possible with a state grant from County Conservation Aids with the county also matching those funds. All the fill of the baffles is from recycled material coming from Mattison Construction out of Knapp. This would have all ended up in a landfill, said Bauder. Also helping out, Dunn Energy brought in the poles, drilled the holes and set them. While the baffles aren’t aesthetically pleasing, they fit the bill.

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: The Journal’s front page story last week, “Who’s the mystery owner?” struck pay dirt. A 58-year-old town of River Falls man called police and accurately described the engraved wedding rings that he and his wife wore only to church, plus other mostly jewelry heirlooms, such as necklaces and watches, that belonged to his parents. The collection had gathered dust in the police evidence room until investigator John Wilson decided to put out a public plea. Wilson said the rural River Falls man’s house was burglarized in April 2006. The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department took the complaint. The case remained unsolved. Wilson described the man’s reaction to his recovered keepsake property as “choked up, shaken and excited,” adding that, “He had pretty much given up hope that they’d ever be found.” Wilson is now working with sheriff’s investigators on possible criminal charges against a local River Falls man. The suspect claimed the items were given to him by a female hitchhiker he picked up and later dropped off at a Hudson motel. Wilson said last week’s Journal story generated a half-dozen calls from people claiming they lost jewelry in the past from a theft or burglary.

Homecoming being celebrated at B-W

The culmination of homecoming week at Baldwin-Woodville High School will be the crowning of new royalty on Friday night after the football game.
B-W takes to the field against Ellsworth in the football game.
Pictured above are the senior candidates for homecoming King and Queen, from left: Amy Jo Bakke and Taylor Mabis; Tana Mabis and Luke Vanasse; Rachel Paulson and Jon Willert; Bailey Larson and Logan LaFavor; and Ashley Robole and Ben Simons.

Baldwin man killed in accident

On Friday, September 25 at 8:36 a.m. the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office responded to a single car crash on 100th Ave., approximately one-half mile east of STH 128 in the Town of Springfield.
A 1999 GMC pickup, driven by Joseph J. Anderson, age 34, of Baldwin was traveling eastbound on 100th Ave. when it left the road and rolled, striking some trees. Anderson was ejected from the vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene by the St. Croix County Medical Examiner.
Mr. Anderson was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. This is the 11th traffic fatality of 2009. The crash remains under investigation by the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office.

BAMC rate increase is an attempt to “even out” increases

The notice in this issue of a rate increase for Baldwin Area Medical Center (BAMC) is part of a process to even out increases as part of the annual budget process for the hospital. The process was instituted last year.
According to BAMC Chief Financial Officer Karen Traynor, in Wisconsin “hospitals are seeing decreases in patients” and at the same time seeing “increases in non-compensated care” or for patients who qualify for discounted or free care, which the Hospital characterizes as “Community Care.”
Traynor said the Hospital has about $2.8 million in uncompensated care on gross revenues of approximately $25 million, or about 7%.
Chief Executive Officer Alison Page said the hospital is approaching the decrease in patients and increase in uncompensated care in several ways. First, she said, the hospital is “trying to control our costs. This place runs very lean.” In addition, the Hospital attempts to connect people to coverage if possible.
So, said Page, the Hospital is doing more than just raising prices.
The hospital in a prepared statement said “The Board of Trustees, administration and medical staff of Baldwin Area Medical Center are committed to maintaining high quality, cost effective health care services for residents of the communities served by the Medical Center. In fulfilling its obligation to maintain the financial health of the organization, Baldwin Area Medical Center monitors the need for rate adjustments and periodically implements changes.
“Through a comprehensive budget forecasting process, Baldwin Area Medical Center has determined that a rate increase is necessary at this time. The increase will be effective November 1, 2009 and will increase gross patient revenues by 9.0% on an annualized basis. The Medical Center last implemented a 9.5% increase on October 3, 2008.
A question and answer format follows:
Q. Why is there a need for BAMC to implement a rate increase at this time?
A. A rate increase is necessary at this time to ensure that the Medical Center is able to maintain its highly qualified staff, to secure current technologies and resources, and as a means to meet the increasing costs of providing care. In addition, the rate increase will, in part, provide the revenues that are necessary to offset the high level of unpaid health care claims (bad debt) and the continued shortfalls in payments from government health programs (Medicare and Medicaid); shortfalls that are indicative of payments that fall below the actual cost of care for the service provided. Rates paid for Medicare and Medicaid patients are prescribed by the Federal and State governments. While the Medical Center’s classifications a Critical Access Hospital in 2004 resulted in improved Medicare and Medicaid program reimbursement, that reimbursement still falls short of true (total) costs for the care delivered.
Economic times have been challenging in all industries. The Wisconsin Hospital Association has begun a quarterly survey process of State hospitals to capture real-time data regarding the market’s impact on health care. The most recent findings were published in April 2009 and are available from a link at the following WHA website: http://www.wha.org/toolkit/recession.pdf.
Among other information, the report cites:
“As the national economic downturn tightens its grip upon the state, Wisconsin hospitals continue to see margins drop, charity care increase at an alarming pace, and bad debt climb as patients are unable to pay their bills.
“It is a situation that is causing a great deal of anxiety not only among hospital executives, but also among community leaders. As some of the largest employers in the state, hospitals are an integral part of the community’s health network, but they also are responsible for a large portion of its economic health. A healthy hospital fosters a healthy community.
“The health of Wisconsin hospitals is on the decline.”
Q. What has Baldwin Area Medical Center experienced in regard to uncompensated health care?
Q. So if “the health of Wisconsin hospitals is on the decline” as measured by recent hospital fiscal performance indicators and cited by the WHA, what does that mean for the quality of the care that patients are receiving in the state of Wisconsin?
A. We are pleased to cite another publication from the Wisconsin Hospital Association, a new release dated June 26, 2009 in which it is reported that a “Federal Agency Ranks Wisconsin #1 in Health Care Quality” as measured and released by the Federal Agency for Health care Research and Quality. In fact, Wisconsin has been in either the #1 or #2 position since 2006 and is cited as a potential model for national and state health reform programs. The press release is available directly from http://www.wha.org/newsCenter/pdf/nr6-26-09ahrq.pdf.
Q. WHA identifies a hospital as a vital part of a community. What economic value does Baldwin Area Medical Center bring to the community?
A. This is information we’ve been pleased to make available to the community within the past year. The Wisconsin Hospital Association has provided hospitals with a standardized tool that can be used to calculate the economic value of a rural community hospital. We bring 245 direct jobs to the community, one small part of the total 435 jobs that are derived from the operation of the Medical Center within our community.
Q. What does it mean for the Medical Center to implement a 9% rate increase?
A. The rate increase means that the Medical Center’s gross patient revenues will increase by 9% on an annualized basis. “Gross Revenue” means the total charges generated by the Medical Center from inpatients and outpatients for services provided regardless of the amount the Medical Center expects to collect.
In fact, there are multiple payers, including Medicare, Medicaid and a number of commercial payers, for which the rate increase will result in no additional revenue to the Medical Center.
By way of illustration, for every $1.00 of additional inpatient revenue generated by the rate increase, the Medical Center estimates it will collect approximately 20¢ prior to adjustment for bad debt and Community Care program discounts.
Q. What does the rate increase mean for the typical patient who utilizes hospital services or sees a provider at the Baldwin Clinic?
A. It depends on the health insurance coverage the patient has, if any, and the specific services used by the patient. The individual’s medical provider will make a determination about the type of service that is appropriate based upon the patient’s presenting medical condition. The health insurance policy is an agreement that exists between the patient and his or her insurance plan. The health insurance policy defines the costs for which the patient is responsible.
For those patients without insurance—approximately 6% of the Medical Center’s business—the Medical Center offers financial assistance that includes opportunity to qualify for a discount or to establish an interest free payment plan. In addition, the Community Care program provides free or discounted care based upon financial need.
An individual or family may qualify for a discount under the Community Care program if their personal income falls below 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines as published annually in the Federal Register. Eligibility for Community Care is based upon a combination of family size and income in combination with documentation that no other health insurance is available to the applicant. Discounts are offered on a sliding scale and range from 10% to 100%. This is not an insurance plan and there is no ability on the part of the Medical Center to recover Community Care discounts.
It is also important for uninsured members of the community to look into the state of Wisconsin’s programs that provide access to health insurance for low income residents via BadgerCare (in addition to traditional Medicaid program offerings).

From the Exchanges

  Interesting News Items from

    Surrounding Communities

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: a burst of progress toward developing the River Falls-based homeless shelter, Our Neighbors’ Place , means the project takes its first big step Oct. 5. It opens a day center at 109 Riverwalk in the downtown. Key organizers gave a presentation at a monthly St. Croix Valley United Way meeting in August. “We went there to tell them we existed…we presented our mission,” said Carole Mottaz, who along with Sue Watters and Mary Jo Sutton have helped a larger group organize and plan a comprehensive three-part shelter. Mottaz said after the United Way meeting, things started happening fast as different groups came forward to say, “We can help with that.” Among the significant developments was the West Central Wisconsin Community Action Agency (West Cap) offer to provide two social workers immediately, one specialized in homelessness issues and the other in literacy. But the two needed a place out of which to work. The pair will be West Cap employees and federal stimulus money will pay their salaries for the first two years. Mottaz says Sutton found the Riverwalk space, which is owned by Joe Boles, and was previously occupied by Global M.A.D.E. The 2,200-square-foot space is not donated, so a top priority is to pay rent for the first year. That can be hard for a charity Mottaz is asking for 100 people to donate $10 a month for a year.

SUN-ARGUS (ELMWOOD): The Elmwood School District approved a Resolution on Thursday, September 10 authorizing the issuance and sale of $500,000 general obligation qualified school construction promissory notes (tax credit). The bonds issued by the District are qualified School Construction Bonds (QSCBs) provided under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and carry a zero percent interest rate. The deal is the fourth of its kind to be completed in Wisconsin and only the 19th to be completed within the U.S. since the stimulus plan was enacted in February.

CENTRAL ST. CROIX NEWS (HAMMOND): Hammond Village Board trustees say they know they have some tough budgetary decisions coming up and they are turning to village residents to help them make those. This week, every village residence received a “hard copy” of the survey in the mail – along with instructions directing them to the village’s website where they can either complete the survey online or download it and drop it off at the village office or mail it. The introduction of the survey reads: “The new budget cycle is here, the Village would like to ask its citizens to weigh in and tell us what services you find most valuable. In these financially challenging times, we are all being asked to look closely at our budgets and find opportunities to “tighten the belt,” and the Village of Hammond is no different. We will use the results of the survey as input into deciding what to keep, what to trim, and how much to trim.” Completed surveys are due by September 30 and the results will be published online November 9. “I’d rather know that the citizens would prefer to lose the flowers on the main street vs. the brush pickup,” said trustee Erin McComb, who is also the chair of the Personnel & Finance Committee that recommended the survey. “At the end of the day I’d rather get an earful…then (residents) can’t say we didn’t ask them.”

TRIBUNE PRESS REPORTER (GLENWOOD CITY): Chief Dan Wellumson reported to the village board Monday night that he had some bad news and good news. “We have yet to solve the break-ins at the library and St. Luke’s,” he told the board. But the good news is that ten reported thefts have been solved. Wellumson said that they interviewed three juveniles about items being taken from parked cars within the village. The police department has recovered some of the stolen property. But he told the board that one of the juveniles interviewed indicated that $500 was taken from a car parked in front of an establishment in the village. “We have no victim,” he told the board. Apparently no one ever reported the money missing. Wellumson noted that after this item appears in the paper, someone may come forward.

Labecki presents sportsmanship award

Deputy Director Wade Labecki of the WIAA, third from left, returned to B-W for a presentation on Friday night. He presented the sportsmanship award from the WIAA to the Fusion girls hockey team that won the state title last winter. The Fusion is a co-op team with members predominantly from River Falls and B-W. Also pictured, from left, are JR Dachel, who occupies Labecki’s former place as Dean of Students, Athletic Director and Transportation Director; High School Principal Eric Russell; Labecki, Fusion Coach Matt Cranston; players Tanis Klingler and Tori Klingler; and Assistant Fusion Coach Karl Erickson.

Pilot project to test beneficial reuse of combustion byproduct

The state Department of Natural Resources intends to issue a grant of exemption to Xcel Energy and its project manager, Beneficial Reuse Management, to use spray dryer absorber (SDA) material in an equipment storage pad.
SDA material is generated by the combustion of coal and the injection of lime into stack gases, removing sulfur dioxide from air emissions and converting it to calcium sulfite. The material also contains fly ash. The purpose of this pilot project is to determine if SDA material can be used safely in the environment and function as a geotechnical fill, as in the construction of a storage pad.
The Xcel Energy A.S. King Power Plant in Stillwater, Minnesota, is the generator of the SDA material. The proposed pilot project is located at Blackhawk Nutrients, 645 270th St, in the Town of Springfield, St. Croix County.
Monitoring and sampling devices will be placed below the 160 by 270 foot pad to determine the quality of rainwater or melt water that filters through the compressed material. Engineers will also be evaluating the effects of freeze-thaw cycles on the material’s stability.
The proposed action is not anticipated to result in significant adverse environmental effects. The DNR has made a preliminary determination that neither an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement will be required for this action.
Public comments on the proposed pilot project are welcome and will be received through Oct. 7. Comments can be directed by mail to Michael Miller, DNR, 4732 Griffith Ave, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494; by phone to Miller at (715) 421-7821; or by e-mail to michael.miller@wi.gov.

B-W students receive AP Scholar Awards

Nine students at Baldwin-Woodville High School have earned AP Scholar Awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on last May’s AP exams.
The College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) program provides motivated and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while still in high school. These students may earn college credit, advanced placement, or both at the college or university of their choice. Only about 18% of the nearly 1.7 million students worldwide who took AP exams performed at a sufficiently high level to also earn an AP Scholar Award.
At B-W, Elisa Folden qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average of at least 3.5 out of 5 on five or more AP exams. Jordan Hampton-Hayes qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning a 3 out of 5 on four or more exams.
Seven B-W students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more exams with grades of 3 out of 5 or higher. These AP Scholars are Josie Gheen, Ellen Hawley, Seth Kersten, Daniel Peterson, Dan Ramberg, Jordan Simons, and Rachelle Veenstra.

From the Exchanges
    Interesting News Items from
        Surrounding Communities

HUDSON STAR-OBSERVER: Two Hudson men face felony drug charges for something that came in the mail. Hudson police arrested the two in a parking lot of the Hudson post office last Friday afternoon just after they picked up two packages, each containing three pounds of marijuana . According to Det. Sgt., Eric Atkinson, a postal employee became suspicious because of the smell emanating from the boxes and the U.S. postal inspectors were called in. The inspectors searched the packages and allegedly found two carry-on size suitcases, each filled with three plastic bags with about a pound of marijuana in each. On Thursday, the inspectors notified Hudson police and a plan was set in motion. The post office contacted the two men Friday and told them their packages were available for pick up. Police were waiting in the parking lot. The men arrived at the post office around 2 p.m. One of them went in and retrieved both packages. As the man was putting the boxes in the trunk of his car, police moved in and arrested them both. One man was taken to jail and questioned. The second man was taken to his residence and interrogated there. The men’s names will not be released until charges are filed.

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: Wisconsin State Troop Inspector Kirk Danielson of River Falls was honored for courageous conduct last week in Madison. He got a Meritorious Service Award from State Patrol Superintendent David Collins in the Governor’s Conference Room at the state Capitol. Danielson was one of 21 state troopers to be recognized for exemplary service at the ceremony. The daring rescue took less than a minute but inhaling smoke and dodging the shooting flames made it seem endlessly long. Danielson was trying to pull an unconscious man from the cab of a burning pickup truck. An eastbound pickup had veered off I-94 just inside Dunn County and crashed into a ravine some 100 feet below against a rocky culvert. For Danielson the scene triggered memories of a similar rescue attempt three years before. He and a St. Croix Sheriff’s deputy tried pulling a motorist from his burning car after a head-on crash with another driver who was drunk on Co. Rd. A near Hwy. 12. While the victim was probably dead, the two officers failed to get him out before his small car was engulfed by flames. “I wasn’t going to let another guy burn up. That was going through my head,” Danielson said about the I-94 rescue on a late afternoon last April. One motorist tried unsuccessfully with a fire extinguisher to douse the flames of the smoking pickup. Danielson cut the seatbelt and dragged the driver out but the man’s foot caught on the four-wheel drive shift lever. Besides smoke, flames were now flowing from the cab vents. Danielson crawled back a second time to reach in and free the man’s foot. Danielson started CPR on the driver, including chest compressions. Several minutes later Menomonie fire and ambulance paramedics arrived to take over. Despite the valiant rescue, the victim was pronounced dead.

THE SUN (OSCEOLA): More charges were filed Monday against Blake Charles Nelson, 19, of Stacy, Minn., stemming from a September 11 armed robbery of the Riverview Conoco station in Taylors Falls. Nelson was charged with aggravated robbery in the first degree, two counts of assault in the second degree and transporting a pistol by an ineligible person. According to the criminal complaint, Nelson came into the Riverview Conoco about 8:40 p.m. wearing an orange ski mask and carrying a 9 mm semi-automatic pistol. He then clambered a round, threw a bag at the cashier and demanded all the money. He pointed the gun at the cashier and a patron, and, after receiving the money, fled the store. Nelson stashed the gun, mask and money under a tree near the Taylors Falls Community Center where the police found it. The police then staked out the area and apprehended Nelson later when he came back to retrieve the items.

Public flu forum held at B-W High School

A forum on the H1N1 (also called “Swine”) flu titled “Prepare, don’t panic!” was held at Baldwin-Woodville High School Monday evening. Representatives from several local institutions were present to provide information about the plans being made to prepare for a possible large outbreak. The forum was organized by the Baldwin Public Library.
Those present on the panel included, from left, Rebecca Dixon, librarian at the Baldwin Public Library; Sandy Somsen, Baldwin Area Medical Center (BAMC); Wendy Kramer, St. Croix County Public Health; Karen Hollabaugh, BAMC; Mike Kohlrusch, BAMC; and Eileen LaFavor, Administrator at Baldwin Care Center.

Man drowns in St. Croix River Sept. 13

On Sunday, September 13 at approximately 5:53 p.m. the Washington County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a possible drowning in the St. Croix River just north of the Stillwater lift bridge. St. Croix County and Washington County Water Patrols responded to the scene and began a search of the indicated area. At approximately 7:55 p.m. Washington County Water Patrol using side scan sonar located a body. Divers entered the water and recovered an adult male’s body.
A joint investigation identified the victim as PHA Yang, age 38, 788 Minnehaha Ave., St. Paul, Minnesota. He had accompanied three friends to Stillwater where they rented a pontoon boat and began a trip north on the St. Croix River. After passing the Stillwater lift bridge, approximately 100 yards north of the bridge, PHA decided to take a swim. The operator of the pontoon stated he shut the motor off, but the pontoon continued to travel north. PHA swam after the boat but then they noticed he was in trouble. An individual on the boat threw him the anchor hoping PHA would be able to grab onto the rope, but he went under before reaching the rope. The driver, dove into the water but could not locate PHA. The two other individuals could not swim. Friends indicated PHA was an experienced swimmer.
This incident remains under investigation by the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office.

Crash results in traffic fatality

A one-vehicle crash early Monday afternoon on I-94 has resulted in a traffic fatality.
According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, at about 1:20 p.m. Monday a pickup truck towing a trailer fishtailed and went off the road near milepost 31 in St. Croix County, according to pager reports. The driver of the pickup truck was ejected and was pronounced dead at Baldwin Area Medical Center after efforts were made to revive him were unsuccessful.
A passenger in the pickup was wearing his seatbelt and was not injured, the State Patrol said.
Names of the people in the pickup have not been released by the State Patrol as of Monday evening.

Park View celebrates 50th anniversary Saturday

Park View Community Campus, including Park View Home, will celebrate its 50th Anniversary with an open house on Saturday, September 12 from noon until 3:00 p.m. A presentation at 1:00 p.m. will honor some of those with the vision to found Park View as well as unveil plans for an expansion project. In the picture above, in front, from left, are: Janis Helgeson doing the nails of resident Lorraine Zignego. Standing in back, from left to right, are: Karen Gunderson, Natjira Gorman, Candice Wolvert, Scott Blodgett, Shelby Kuhn, Steve Anderson, Jena Standaert, Administrator Melissa Walthall and Dalia Olson.

Members of the public are invited to help Park View Community Campus celebrate 50 years of service to the community as well as look into the future to Park View’s unveiling of their expansion project.
The Celebration Open House will be Saturday, September 12 from noon until 3:00 p.m.
The Golden Anniverary of Park View is a testatment to the vision of the people who more than 50 years ago believed that a nursing home could operate and prosper in Woodville while providing a vital service to residents. Four of those visionaries will be honored at a program at 1:00 during the open house. Special guest will be State Senator Sheila Harsdorf and honorees will be Don Hagen, Eula Casper, Jeannette Herald and posthumously Art Best with a presentation to his son Doug.
In addition to the program, there will be musical entertainment by the Holm Sisters, a bounce house to entertain children, barbecue and a video show presenting photos of the past.
“If you look at this building,” said Park View Adminstrator Melissa Walthall, “I feel it doesn’t look 50 years old. It’s been very well maintained. The impression I get from people is they feel it’s light and airy.” She added that there is a small town pride about the institution and facility. “Staff care about the residents and want to do a good job, and that’s reflected in the facility. Residents’ families are involved,” she said and often will come in for coffee and goodies.
Walthall has been administrator at Park View Community Campus for the past 12 and one-half years.
“I think one of the things that surprises people is that we employ between 90 and 100 people,” said Walthall. “There are a lot of loyal, long-term employees and also some new additions and we hope they stay as long.”
At the open house plans for the future will be unveiled, said Walthall. She said the focus will be on remodeling and adding on to meet future needs and that financing for the plan is nearing completion. The hope is to start the project in April 2010 and “the goal of the project to focus on the next 50 years.”
Park View Home was founded 50 years ago with 56 beds. Walthall said that the story of the founding of Park View is amazing, from the vision of the people who proposed it, donated land, traveling to Washington, D.C. to secure funding, resulting in the facility becoming a reality.
Park Views’ initial Board of Directors are listed on a plaque near the entry. They were: R.A. Somesen, president; Donald W. Hagen, vice president; Arthur M. Best, secretary; H.D. Olson, attorney; Ralph Radunzel; Delbert Afdahl; Leonard Wall; Rev. H.T. Haagenson; Rev. S.C. Knutson; Clarence Larson; Rev. H.L.Nelson; Lorentz Solum; Rev. Paul D. Schmidt; Raymond Anderson; Olaf Mathison; and Mrs. J.G. Behm.
Current members of the Board of Directors are: Greg Luecke, president; Larry Knegendorf, vice president; Eula Casper, treasurer, Lois Davis, secretary; Roger Humphrey; Allen DeLander; and Don Hagen.
Park Place North, with assisted living apartments, was built in 1985 as an addition to the original nursing home. It’s attached to the nursing home so it’s convenient to activities and services at Park View.
Kids View Learning Center was started 22 years ago in 1987 and originally licensed for 22 children. It was originally designed to provide day care for children of staff members but since then it has been opened to the community for day care, although staff members’ children still have priority. One nice feature of Kids View is that it allows children to visit the nursing home and multi-generational contacts are beneficial to both the children and residents of Park View.
In 2000 Park Place Apartments was built as a form of assisted living apartments. Each apartment has one or two bedrooms. Services include lunch, housekeeping services weekly, medication assistance and help with personal chores.

From the Exchanges
    Interesting News Items from
         Surrounding Communities

HUDSON STAR-OBSERVER: Longtime Star-Observer Publisher Willis H. Miller left a huge legacy last week. Miller, who died Nov. 16, 2008, at age 89, left $1,068,552 to UW-River Falls. The gift was the largest in the school’s 135-year history. The event was recognized by the university at a luncheon and press conference at the University Center Wednesday, August 26. The money will be used to establish endowed scholarships, giving preference to students from Hudson, North Hudson and their surrounding towns – Hudson, St. Joseph and Troy. “It’s a wonderful day for UW-River Falls,” said Chancellor Van Galen. “This is an act of amazing generosity. It’s the largest donation in our 135-year history and is a milestone for the university.” Van Galen said the magnitude of the gift is tremendous. “The impact on students will last for many years to come, living on into perpetuity,” Van Galen said. “Students will become teachers, business leaders – the impact will be great indeed.”

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: She claims to be 72 but take away that 2 and you have an idea what the start of the school year means to Donna Nicholson. “I don’t know who’s more excited, me or the kids,” she laughed last Thursday. “I woke up at 4:30 today because I have to go on a dry run to meet the kids and the parents. I can’t wait for school to begin.” Nicholson has driven school bus in River Falls since March 1967 – Lyndon Johnson was president; the Beatles “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” was the No. 1 album. That’s 42 years on the job. She drives a 170-mile daily route. Naturally, a reporter might ask, “So how much longer will you work, Donna?” “Indefinitely,” comes the reply, “I feel great. I love the kids, I love to drive, especially driving a school bus. That’s the qualifications for this job. The kids are really what make your day.”

NEW RICHMOND NEWS: U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold knew what he was in for as he walked toward New Richmond High School last Wednesday. Feingold had scheduled his St. Croix County “listening session” in the school’s auditorium the morning of August 26 and a large crowd had assembled. Like several previous gatherings in other parts of the state, Feingold realized the majority of the people in the crowd were there to talk about health care reform. Similar town-hall-type meetings across the nation have resulted in everything from shouting matches to lengthy civil discussions. The New Richmond event ended up having a little of both. Feingold shrugged when asked what awaited him inside. He said he’s not surprised that people are engaged in the debate over health care, but it’s not the only issue to ever have stirred up such emotion.

THE SUN (OSCEOLA): Osceola will soon have a new park. The village of Osceola closed a sale last Thursday of a vacant 0.6-acre lot on the west side of River Street that it intends to use as a park. The park will be named Ladd Park, in honor of Charles C. Ladd and family, who donated the land upon which the Osceola Medical Center — once known as Ladd Memorial Hospital, Inc., — formerly stood. Osceola Village Administrator Neil Soltis said the Village settled on a final purchase price of $130,000 for the vacant lot. The Village will use part of an $110,000 donation and a grant from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to purchase and develop the lot. The park, which in part overlooks the St. Croix River, would likely include little more than a sign commemorating the Ladd family and perhaps a few park benches. “It’s designed to be a quiet place, as opposed to an active use park,” Soltis said. Unlike other accesses available near the Village, Ladd Park features an at-grade view of the St. Croix River, which will be ideally suited to the less physically able and the elderly. The Village will plan a park dedication either this fall or next spring, Soltis said.

Baldwin-Woodville Chamber opens new office

The Baldwin-Woodville Chamber of Commerce had a ribbon cutting Saturday morning August 29 to celebrate the opening of their new office space. Pictured above are (l to r): Cindy Rassbach, Chris Diegnau, Gail Diegnau, Donna Hayes, President Tracy Carlson, cutting the ribbon, Brian Bedford and Sonya Jansma.
The office is located at 780 Main St., Suite 3, in Baldwin. Stop by and have a look around.

Man charged with shootings

A man already being held in the Eau Claire County jail has been charged with seven felonies in connection with the August 1 home invasion and shooting of a husband and wife in Wilson.
According to a news release from the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Department, an arrest warrant has been issued by Judge Eric Lundell for Justin G. Rott, 26, of Eau Claire. Currently, Rott is being held in the Eau Claire County jail for a probation violation.
The arrest warrant issued for Rott for the St. Croix County incident charges Rott with:
•Armed robbery with use of force;
•Attempted armed robbery with use of force;
•Armed burglary;
•Possession of a firearm by a felon;
•Impersonating a peace officer to aid in commission of a crime;
•First degree reckless injury; and
•Aggravated battery.
Rott was in the Eau Claire County jail on a probation hold. He has been held since August 3.
The charging of Rott is not the end of the investigation of the August 1 invasion and shooting at the home of Thomas and Maria Erickson, Sheriff Dennis Hillstead told the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. Rott was linked to the crime scene in Wilson by DNA evidence. A hat he left at the scene of the home invasion and shooting had a blood spatter on it that the State Crime Lab tested and determined was left by Rott. Sheriff Hillstead also noted that law enforcement officers are continuing the investigation in an attempt to determine whether Rott had an accomplice.
A woman wanted in connection with the case, Jessica Christner, 29, who is Rott’s former girlfriend, was located Wednesday, August 26. She was arrested and taken into custody due to several warrants, Hillstead said.
According to the Leader-Telegram, Sheriff Hillstead reported that the Ericksons had at least three previous break-ins, most over the past year. None of the break-ins were reported. The Leader-Telegram also said “reports indicate Rott hitchhiked to Polk County, then to Cumberland before getting a ride to Cornell. He eventually was arrested by Menomonie police on August 3. He had a head wound and was carrying a flashlight similar to the one the intruder was carrying.” In addition, “Several witnesses said Justin Rott was wearing the same T-shirt and camouflage attire that the Ericksons described the intruder wearing.”

Man killed after truck hits bull

A Spring Valley man died Thursday morning in a one-vehicle accident after striking a bull and going off the road about two miles south of Spring Valley.
Logan M. Jacobson, 19, was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, Jacobson was in a pickup truck westbound on 770th Ave. at 210th St. when the truck collided with the bull on the road.
The truck went off the road and hit a tree. Jacobson, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was ejected.
The incident was reported at 6:23 a.m. Thursday. Authorities were on scene about two-and-a-half hours.

Citizens State Bank receives FDIC order

According to a news release issued by Citizens State Bank, headquartered in Hudson but with a long association with Woodville, the bank has been issued a “Cease and Desist Order” by the FDIC.
The news release says “Citizens State Bank joins a long list of banks in Wisconsin and Minnesota [that] have been adversely impacted by today’s turbulent economy. The bank recently announced that the FDIC has issued a Cease and Desist Order. The Order primarily directs the Bank’s Board of Directors and Management to resolve problem loans and improve its capital position.
“We are in agreement with these goals and are taking all the necessary steps to meet the requirements set forth by the regulators,” President and CEO Gene Haberman is quoted saying in the news release.
The information from Citizens State Bank comes simultaneously with news of the closure of Main Street Bank, headquartered in Minnesota but which operated a Hudson location.
The news release says Citizens State Bank, like many other banks across the nation, was active in commercial real estate lending and business lending, supporting growth and development throughout its markets in western Wisconsin in recent years. “Many of its customers have suffered significant financial challenges due to the prolonged recession, affecting their ability to repay their loans. “We have been and will continue to work closely with our borrowers, to address these issues,” said Haberman. “We’ve already made significant progress in several areas under the agreement.
While the bank is considered adequately capitalized by FDIC standards, additional capital is being raised to support the bank’s current and future needs, the news release says. “It is our goal to exceed the ‘adequately capitalized’ threshold,” said Haberman.
The news release says “The bank has stayed in communication with its customers and employees as it navigates this difficult economic environment.” Haberman said “We have confidence that we will work through these challenges and emerge an even stronger financial institution. For our customers, it’s basically business-as-usual. They can count on the same quality service they have always received. We’re still opening accounts, making loans and serving our customers. Customer deposits are fully guaranteed under the same expanded coverage limits that apply to all FDIC insured institutions. We remain committed to our customers and the communities we serve.”
In a letter to its customers, Citizens State said: “As always, you can be confident that your money is safe and secure at Citizens State Bank. Your deposits are FDIC insured up to $250,000 (larger deposits can be structured in such a way to provide an even higher level of coverage), and there is currently unlimited FDIC insurance on non-interest bearing checking accounts.”
Citizens State Bank has assets of $180 million. It is headquartered in Hudson but was founded in Woodville, where it maintains an office. It also has offices in Glenwood City, Roberts, Elmwood and Menomonie.

From the Exchanges
  Interesting News Items from
    Surrounding Communities

HUDSON STAR-OBSERVER: An unusual tornado touched down briefly Wednesday afternoon, August 19, in the town of Hudson, knocking down trees and causing minor damage to a handful of homes. The words damage occurred along Larsen Lane, beginning south of Co. Rd. UU near Dru Drive and extending north of the county highway for about a quarter-mile. The National Weather Service office in Chanhassen, Minn., identified that as the path of an EF-0 tornado, the weakest category of tornado. “But it still had winds of 80 to 85 mph,” said Jim Taggart, a NWS meteorologist. The Art and Cheryl Forester residence at 807 Larsen Lane sustained the most damage. The limb of a big American elm tree hit the Foresters’ house as it fell, punching a hole through the roof and breaking a section of fascia board and eave. The storm also knocked down five large poplar trees on the Foresters’ property and shredded others. The yard was littered with fallen trees and branches when the wind stopped. Taggart said the tornado was on the ground for only 30 seconds to a minute. Its path was about 25 yards wide and a third of a mile long according to the NWS.

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: Terry Roen said early this week that he’s been fielding calls from loyal customers asking, “What will we do?” They had heard the news that Roen Ford, 660 N. Main accepted a buyout offer from Ford and will close September 1. His brother Ron Roen explained, “We will no longer be an authorized Ford dealer.” Ron said the soon-to-be-former dealer will remain open for service work on all autos except those covered by a Ford warranty. Terry said he hasn’t shed any tears yet but probably will before closing the dealership that’s been a Main Street staple for 42 years. He thinks taking the limited-time opportunity from Ford was the best possible business decision. “The market forces were overwhelming,” Terry said about the auto industry. Ford first thought it could reduce the number of dealerships through attrition, but that wasn’t working fast enough to unload the target number of 800-1000 dealers. Terry anticipates a “very quiet” fourth quarter and knows many other dealers, both large and small, are also taking the buyout offer. He said Roen is entering a “wind down” period with Ford that will take about 18 months. Though not selling cars, the Roen brothers will be around the former dealership, taking care of odds and ends and continuing the service end of the business.

AMERY FREE PRESS: Congressman Dave Obey made two stops in Amery on Monday morning. He visited the Habitat for Humanity home under construction on Minneapolis Ave. and Dynatronix at Stower Community Park. Rep. Obey toured the plant meeting with Norm Osero, founder of the firm and President Dennis Malek. The member of Congress helped secure a $5.3 million Department of Defense contract for the firm to develop an environmental plating process to prevent corrosion on metal machine parts. Malek said that Dynatronix is working on a three program process to develop a plating protocol which eliminates chromium and cadmium, both cancer causing agents with nickel and cobalt. The first year will be devoted to design engineering, the second year to developing prototype pulse platers and the third year for production. Dynatronix is an industry leader in pulse plating technology. Its units precisely control electronic current with time to give uniform plating performance.

NEW RICHMOND NEWS: For the past three years, an engine engineering firm has been quietly operating in basement offices of The Creamery building downtown New Richmond. Few people know they are there, but owners Michael Fuchs and Steven Weinzierl like it that way. They are developing a new product that will likely have a huge impact on the local economy and they’d rather not have competitors snooping around. But the company’s obscurity is about to disappear. A September 10 public hearing has been announced by the St. Croix County Board’s Finance Committee to discuss and apparent $600,000 Community Development Block Grant for the company. The state funding provides $300,000 a year for two years to help the company continue moving forward. The grant funds would allow Engineered Propulsion Systems Inc. (EPS) to develop a light-weight diesel engine for use in small airplanes and helicopters. The technology could revolutionize the general aviation industry, according to Fuchs and Weinzierl. Other companies have tried to engineer a diesel aviation engine in the past, but with no success. Fuchs and Weinzierl think they’ve figured it out. Once the new engine is perfected, Fuchs said, “the diesel engine will be a replacement for the gas engine.” That’s a big deal, Weinzierl said, because aviation fuel is scarce and expensive. Diesel fuel is available pretty much around the globe and is much less expensive.

New staff at B-W introduced

At the “All Staff” meeting held Monday morning at B-W High School, new staff for the 2009-10 school year were introduced. They are pictured above, front row, left to right: Kelly Bugni, Title I teacher; Nicole Kriener, elementary librarian; Darcy Rachow, H.S. speech/drama; Gail Weninger, kindergarten aide; Kelli Larson, Middle School guidance; Stephanie Klein, kindergarten teacher; JR Dachel, athletic director/transportation director/dean of students; and Michelle Kamm, ag teacher.
In the back row, from left, are: Jon Hinzman, Middle School principal; Laura Hanson, High School office clerk; Lancer Lumby, Middle School phy ed; Megan Martinson, K-2 special ed; and Jacob Kusilek, H.S. tech ed.
Those who assumed new positions are not pictured. They include: Peg Helland who has moved to elementary phy ed and Duane Jourdeans who moved to High School English.

Proposal to re-write village ordinances and put them on-line

The Baldwin Village Board at a special meeting last Wednesday heard a proposal by Marcia Clifford, a representative of General Code of Rochester, New York, to rewrite Baldwin’s ordinances. The proposal would include putting the ordinances on the internet.
Cost of the ordinance rewrite, including putting it on the internet, was set at $17,000.
The Village has another proposal from a different company for the same work at substantially the same cost, but no presentation has been scheduled by that company.
According to Clifford, General Code has updated the ordinances of 95 communities in Wisconsin. She said the General Code’s services include:
-making sure ordinances are consistent with Wisconsin Statutes;
-checking for conflicts and consistency within Baldwin’s ordinances;
-pointing out examples of what other communities in Wisconsin are doing.
After that work is accomplished, the company’s findings are prepared in a workbook form which gives the village choices about how to proceed. After the Village Board reviews the workbook and decides how to proceed, a draft of the ordinances is prepared. After review of the draft the final code book is prepared for adoption.
The final code book will include a table of contents and histories of ordinances. Clifford said each section of the code book will contain gaps in numbering to allow for later additions. A detailed index will also be included. After the ordinances are adopted they will be available over the internet.
The entire project will take between 12 and 18 months to complete, said Clifford, so the cost typically “falls over two budget years.” Additionally, the ordinance update can be paid in five installments, said Clifford.
Clifford said she is a Wisconsin attorney and is available for consultations and meetings at no additional charge. She works out of Kenosha for General Code.
Clifford said Woodville has signed a contract with the company for updating their ordinances. The company has updated Hudson’s ordinances.
Near the conclusion of the meeting Village Administrator Cindy Deringer said the code update with ordinances on the internet would save much copying time each year by her office. Village Attorney Tom Schumacher said he has used ordinances on the internet prepared by General Code and “they’re really handy.”
There was no decision on whether to proceed at the meeting but a decision is expected at an upcoming meeting.

Wes Haney won BASS Federation Nation Northern Divisional

Wes Haney of Baldwin caught 52 pounds of fish over three days to win the BASS Federation Nation Northern Divisional. The win gives him the right to compete in the BASS Federation Nation National Championship, according to a ESPN website.
“It’s just a dream come true,” Haney is quoted as saying on the website. “You know how much work it takes to get here, and then to have a chance to win is amazing. The emotions just come out.”
Haney was fishing in rough water conditions in Big Bay de Noc. The web site quotes him saying: “I knew the ride was going to be rough, and the ride back was going to be worse. I’ve been on Erie, St. Clair, Sturgeon Bay, and this is probably as rough a waves as I’ve ever been in.”
Haney said he caught his first two days’ limits primarily on Big Bay de Noc Shoal, but had to move to Garden Bluffs farther inside Big Bay de Noc to catch his 15 pound, 1 ounce limit that cinched the tournament.
Haney and seven other anglers earned berths in the BASS Federation Nation National Championship that will be held in October on Florida’s Harris Chain of Lakes.
The others in the top five in the individual competition were: Michigan’s Randy Wieczorek (50-10), Wisconsin’s Mike Mattis, Minnesota’s Dean Capra (48-8) and Wisconsin’s Kevin Fassbind (48-0). In team competition, where the division’s eight state teams competed for a $30,000 Skeeter/Yamaha package, Michigan won with a cumulative weight of 388 pounds.

Jessica Christner being sought for questioning

The St. Croix Count Sheriff’s Office is asking for your help in locating Jessica Christner. Christner, age 29, is being sought for questioning in connection with the August 1st shooting of two people in Wilson. Christner is not a suspect at this point, but is believed to have information related to the case. She is also wanted by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. Christner is believed to be in the Eau Claire area, but has ties to Dunn, Chippewa and St. Croix Counties.
Anyone with information about Jessica Christner’s whereabouts is asked to contact the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office at 715-386-4711 or your local law enforcement agency.

From the Exchanges
   Interesting News Items from
      Surrounding Communities

THE SUN (OSCEOLA): How far can the St. Croix Falls area feasibly take its growing local foods movement? The city council last week authorized the spending of $5,000 to gather information that will help answer that question. St. Croix Falls will be one of three communities Barron County resident Tresa Mofle will study for a graduate thesis designed to develop a “food security assessment” for the buy fresh/buy local movement. Mofle also will look at Barron County and the St. Croix Tribal Community. “A study like this would allow you to kind of build on what you have going so far,” Mofle said. “It would allow you to create some baseline data that could be used as a community for future grant applications and for getting investors to invest in additional infrastructure that you would need to re-localize your food economy.” Mofle, who works as the local foods program manager for WestCAP, a community action program serving a six-county area, believes that business owners or prospective business owners also could make use of the collected data. “As the localization process continues I think there are going to be lots of new business opportunities and new opportunities for employing people locally,” she said.

MONDOVI HERALD-NEWS: A local auctioneer was named the 2009 Wisconsin State Champion Auctioneer at the Wisconsin State Fair held in West Allis. Scott Werlein of Mondovi won the title after competing against 20 contestants from across the state in the Wisconsin Auctioneers Association, Inc. Auctioneer Championship. The contest took place August 12. The competition consisted of an interview in front of a panel of judges and a live auction portion that required each contestant to sell two items. The group consisted of 20 contestants and was then narrowed down to six finalists who were asked to sell two additional auction items. As the winner of the contest, Werlein sold the state champion market animals later that day at the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Livestock Auction. He also received a cash prize, championship ring, trophy and other prizes. Next summer, Werlein will represent the state of Wisconsin at the International Auctioneering Championship in Greensboro, N.C.

HUDSON STAR-OBSERVER: Two Hudson teenagers who caused extensive fire damage to a Trout Brook Road home last spring have been convicted and sentenced in St. Croix County Circuit Court. Charles M. Burns, 18, 895 Trout Brook Rd. and Thomas C. Quasius, 17, 966 Priester Lane, were each convicted of theft and trespassing last week. Burns and Quasius were each sentenced to 100 hours of community service, two years’ probation, fined $570 and ordered to pay $3,023.77 at the August 7 hearing. Felony charges for both were read-in and dismissed, and jail sentences were imposed and stayed. The criminal complaint said that on March 13, Burns and Quasius broke into a cabin at 977 Trout Brook Rd., found fireworks and ignited them inside the house, which caused a fire that destroyed the building. The cabin was located in a heavily wooded area on the south bank of the Willow River in the Town of Hudson.

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: A trespassing complaint led to a prolonged scuffle between a combative suspect and two patrol officers last week Thursday just after dark at South Main and Park Streets. The two officers, Jennifer Knutson and Ryan Miller, later went to the hospital to have their injuries checked. Miller has since returned to duty and Knutson is expected back this week. The two male suspects who were finally jailed are both from Minnesota and were new residents of the Kinnic Falls Halfway House, 900 Orange St. The long-established local facility offers treatment programs for drug and alcohol abusers. The officers responded to a 911 intruder call from a woman alone at home with her small children in the 200 block of Vine Street at 9:15 p.m. The woman was watching TV in her kitchen when she heard her patio screen door slam. She switched on a light and saw two men standing on the patio. One asked if he could “use the facilities.” The woman said, “You have the wrong place” and told them to leave. The man repeated his request but the woman said no and that she would call the police. She did so after the left, saying she was “very frightened” by the experience. The two men were soon spotted by the officers walking south on Main Street on the bridge over the South Fork. They were identified at Ryan A. Kryzer, 34, Forest Lake, Minn., and Adam J. Kapphahn, 26, Fergus Falls, Minn.

AMERY FREE PRESS: Katherine M. Bocock, Amery, faces physical abuse of a child charges. An Amery officer was sent to Amery Regional Medical Center to follow up on suspicious injuries on a five-month-old baby. Parents told the officer that when they picked up their child from the babysitters it had swelling on the face and bruised arms. Bocock told the officer that the only other person in her apartment was her 1-1/2 year-old son and that when she turned her back, he struck the baby with a fly swatter. The doctor said that in his opinion the injuries were not from a fly swatter but from being hit. There was also a red spot in the white of one eye indicating the baby had been struck in the head. The baby was evaluated at St. Paul Children’s Hospital with a follow up at Midwest Children’s Resource Center. Their conclusions were that the injuries were not caused by a fly swatter.

Dachel assumes reins of Athletic Director/Transportation Director position

JR Dachel said his new position as Baldwin-Woodville Athletic Director/Transportation Director/Dean of Student for the High School is going well. He took over the position from Wade Labecki who took a job with the WIAA as Deputy Director.
Dachel, a Bloomer native, has been with the Baldwin-Woodville School District for the past seven years. He has taught technical education for seven years. In addition, for the past six years he has also taught drivers ed. Other duties which Dachel has filled include: football coach for a year and baseball coach for three years.
Dachel graduated from Bloomer High School in 1996 and continued his education at UW-Stout from which he graduated in 2002. He took the position in the technical education department after Stout. In May of this year Dachel finished his principal licensure schooling through UW-River Falls.
Dachel and his wife Rebecca have been married for three years. They live in Baldwin.

Woodville man guilty in traffic death

A man who caused the death of a woman and caused injuries to three other people in a traffic crash, has pleaded guilty to three criminal charges in a St. Croix County court.
Steven D. Tudahl, 26, of Woodville, and formerly of Glenwood City, pleaded guilty Friday to felony county of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle and hit and run involving great bodily harm and a misdemeanor count of causing great bodily harm by reckless driving.
On March 27 of this year, Tudahl’s vehicle crossed the centerline of USH 63 about eight miles north of Baldwin and crashed head-on into another vehicle. Tudahl’s passenger Larissa Christenson, 27, of Glenwood City, was thrown from the vehicle and killed. The oncoming car was driven by Amy Dwyer, 26 of Clear Lake. She and her two children who were passengers, Noah Dwyer, 3, and Jadin Dwyer, 4, were all injured. Noah suffered a severed spine and permanant paralysis.
Tudahl faces a a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for the three charges. Sentencing has been set for October 13.

Sheriff Hillstead reports leads on Wilson shooting

St. Croix County Sheriff Dennis Hillstead said Monday afternoon that there are “a lot of leads, a lot of follow-up,” but that no arrest has been made in the home break-in and shooting in Wilson that injured a husband and wife late in the evening on Saturday, August 1.
According to Sheriff Hillstead, however, the Sheriff’s Department does have a “person of interest” in the incident.
The incident happened at about 11:00 p.m., when Maria Erickson heard a noise at her and her husband Thomas’ home at 640 Main Street in Wilson. The couple discovered a person in their home wearing a cap, with a mask over his face, camouflage pants and t-shirt with the word “Sheriff” on it. The man pointed a rifle at the Ericksons and ordered them to give him money and drugs. The Ericksons then questioned whether the man was a law enforcement officer, an argument and confrontation ensued. A struggle followed and five shots were fired from the rifle. Both Thomas and Maria were struck by bullets, after which Thomas fell to the bottom of a stairway, the man fled and Maria called 911.
The Sheriff’s Department said an examination of the scene and recovery of forensic evidence was consistent with the statements of the victims. The three-year old child of the Ericksons was present in the home at the time but was not injured.
The incident led to a search of the area in and around Wilson, including use of K-9 units and a State Patrol airplane equipped with infrared cameras to detect body heat.
Sheriff Hillstead said after the home invasion/shootings that the perpetrator is a “dangerous individual” who would break down a door and fire five shots, but also that “we believe the attack was not random” and the general public should not be unduly concerned.
The man was described as about 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighed between 150 and 180 pounds. He was white, mostly bald and had a two day growth of beard. Individuals with information on the incident should contact the Sheriff’s Department.

Local seniors recognized for volunteer work

Earlier this year the Aging and Disability Resource Center of St. Croix County requested nominations for persons to honor during Older American’s Month. The nominations of county residents 60 years or older was reviewed by an advisory board and selection was made based on outstanding community/volunteer service. Recognition of the St. Croix County’s Outstanding Older Adults took place at the county fair.
Among the people nominated were Ruth TeGrootenhuis of Baldwin and Kathy Guski of Hammond. The following are their nomination biographies.
Ruth TeGrootenhuis was nominated by Mary Honkola of Baldwin.
Ruth retired at 85 from her Park View Senior Care Center Activity Aide job in April 2009 and then returned to work as a volunteer 3 to 4 days a week.
Ruth lived on a farm and has no fear of hard work. She reads books and newspapers to residents at Park View and also calls Bingo and participates in the musical activities.
Ruth bakes cookies. She bakes 150-300 cookies every Wednesday and Friday to give away and estimates that so far 43,000 cookies have been enjoyed in the Baldwin/Woodville area.
Ruth says she is still a ‘fast polka dancer’ and enjoys dancing. Her favorite hymn ‘One Day At A Time’ speaks to the kind of person she is. She loves her life and appreciates each day and has a desire to make people happy.
Kathy Guski was nominated by Harriet Meath of Hammond.
Kathy has been the Hammond Town Treasurer for over 20 years. She also was the bookkeeper for her church for over 30 years.
Kathy received the 4H St. Croix County Living Memorial Award for 2008. She has been a leader of the True Blue 4H Club for 37 years as well as serving as a volunteer on various County committees.
Service has been a priority as a 4H Leader and parent. Kathy and her husband raised 4 children and all of them were 4H members. She has 16 grandchildren and all of them are also 4H members.
Community service has been the high priority as a 4H leader and parent. Activities to serve others include caroling at the Care Center and making Valentines for the residents’ food trays. She also takes part in the Care Center Pet Day by having the 4H members bring in pets for the residents to see.
Kathy helps with the Hammond Easter Egg Hunt and the planting of flowers in the triangle as you come into Hammond. She has served on her church Guild office at St. Mary’s Church and been a CCD teacher.
Kathy was a Postal Clerk in the Hammond Post Office for over 20 years. She was also a volunteer in school and church and in her community. Kathy has been a member of the Hammond Central Club for many years.
Kathy makes the best Swedish Krinkle that is highly sought after at the church Bake Sale.

From the Exchanges
    Interesting News Items from
        Surrounding Communities

THE SUN (OSCEOLA): For Polk County Sheriff Tim Moore, the dismissal of a lawsuit against him represents closure, and a chance to move his department forward. “Does it weigh on your mind? Absolutely,” Moore said during an interview at the Polk County Fair last Saturday. “I’m just glad that it’s over.” In a lawsuit filed last year in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, former deputy Jared F. Cockroft had accused Moore of unfairly demoting him and violating his First Amendment rights after he and his wife Jenifer Cockroft actively campaigned for Moore’s opponents — first, Arling Olson in the Democratic primary, then Republican Tony Grimm — in the 2006 sheriff’s election. Cockroft wrote letters of support to area newspapers and circulated e-mails that were critical of the sheriff. A federal judge granted a summary judgment in favor of Moore last Tuesday, however, holding that Cockroft “failed to prove that (his reassignment) was anything other than a lateral transfer” and that “(i)t appears unlikely that (Cockroft) could show that a person of ordinary firmness would be deterred from engaging in election campaigning by the three deprivations he suffered.”

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: On a calm, pleasant evening just before dark Elaine Baumann was at her home computer. It was almost time for bed and she was in her robe. What followed was a “pretty intense couple of minutes” after a roar shook the roof of her Town of Clifton house. Baumann, River Falls High School principal, opened the screen door and stepped on the patio. “It came so close and so low, it seemed like it was going to hit us,” said Baumann of a Cessna C185 piloted by Mark A. Campillo, who was flying back to Alaska from an Oshkosh air show. The sputtering plane zoomed over the Baumann home toward the Kinnickinnic River, banked and turned back, the pilot obviously trying to find space to land. The plane’s return again got Baumann’s attention. “I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s coming this way,’ and it was clear by the way his engine was cutting in and out that the plane was in trouble,” Baumann said. Two men from Wasilla, Alaska, walked away from the emergency plane landing last Wednesday night. Campillo, the 39-year-old pilot, wasn’t hurt. Passenger Miles S. Haisten, 53, was taken by ambulance to the River Falls Area Hospital where he was treated and released. The two landed several miles west of River Falls, south of County Road M, in the hayfield near woods on the 500-acre property of David and Karin Meyer. The Meyers custom raise dairy heifers for other farmers.

TRIBUNE PRESS REPORTER (GLENWOOD CITY): The jury trial of Vicki L. Christmas co-owner of the Wooden Nickel concluded last Thursday with the jury finding her guilty of obstructing an officer with the charges stemming from an event that occurred February 16, 2008. The incident began with Glenwood City Police Officer Joe Heath initiating a traffic stop within the Glenwood City limits and the driver of the vehicle pulling into the Wooden Nickel parking lot that sits outside the city limits just north of town on Highway 128. According to the report Heath was proceeding with the traffic stop when a female, who was later determined to be Christmas came up to him and began swearing at him to get off the property and the people were upset that he was there. Heath asked Christmas to step away from the vehicle and attempted to talk to her several times. Christmas continued to demand he leave the property and then said she wanted to make a complaint and Heath verbalized the steps she could take, according to the report. Heath told Christmas that he just needed to finish the stop and he would leave and repeatedly asked her to step away from his vehicle. Christmas continued to verbalize demands Heath eventually rolled up his squad car window and shut the door when Christmas opened the driver’s side door to the squad. Heath closed it to lock it when Christmas opened it again. At this time Heath placed Christmas under arrest and eventually physically assisted Christmas to the ground, according to the report.
MONDOVI HERALD – NEWS: A Mondovi man pleaded guilty to embezzling $21,000 while serving as treasurer of a 4-H fundraising organization in Buffalo County. John L. Gehrke, 57, pleaded guilty in Buffalo County Circuit Court July 29 to a felony charge of theft from a business setting. A criminal complaint said Gehrke stole funds by making cash withdrawals and writing checks issued to cash or business place. Gehrke Floral & Greenhouses of Mondovi. Some of the checks, according to court records, were made out to the Mondovi Church Softball League. Gehrke also served as treasurer of that organization. Gehrke pleaded guilty to a felony charge that carries a maximum sentence of up to ten years in jail and a $25,000 fine. Gehrke served as treasurer of the 4-H group for 16 years. He was removed from office in November after irregularities were found during an audit of financial records.

CENTRAL ST. CROIX NEWS (HAMMOND): MiKenna LaVenture of Hammond has a hard time putting into words her favorite part about riding in horse competitions, but her mom, Kara Amundson LaVentura, knows just the right phrase to describe it, “adrenaline rush!” “I don’t like going slow,” said MiKenna, who with her horse Andy, captured the title of Grand Champion Arabian Country English Pleasure Walk/Trot 10 $ Under at the 2009 Youth Nationals Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show held July 24-August 1 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. MiKenna also made it into the Top 10 of the Arabian Saddle Seat Eq Walk/Trot 10 & Under – a competition MiKenna said is not her specialty.