Santa visits Baldwin

Ashley Jones, daughter of Loretta Lindsey, was a bit shy but Santa made her smile during their visit on Sunday, December 6 at the Windmill in Baldwin. The event was sponsored by the Baldwin and Woodville Chamber of Commerce.

Rick Walton killed in farm accident

Well-known local farmer and entrepreneur Richard “Rick” Walton, Jr., age 50, was killed in a farm accident on Saturday evening, December 10.
According to emergency workers who were called to the scene of Walton’s farm in the Town of Rush River, south of Baldwin, about 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 5. Walton had been discovered on the ground next to a grain bin/dryer. It appeared he had slipped and fallen from the bin and the fall could have been from as high as 40 or 50 feet. Walton appeared to have suffered considerable trauma to his head and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Emergency workers said it appeared Walton had fallen a considerable amount of time prior to when he was discovered and emergency personnel were summoned.
Walton is best know as the owner of Rush River Meats, a direct sales meat market. Walton also had a large cash crop operation.
Funeral services for Walton have been set for Thursday, December 10 at 10:00 a.m. at Peace Lutheran Church, south of Baldwin on CTH N.

Charges dropped in car slashing; may be re-filed

The charges of first degree reckless endangerment for causing injuries to the driver of a cab that crashed into Greenfield Elementary on Monday, November 23 have been dismissed against a man who was a passenger in the cab.
After a preliminary hearing in the case on Wednesday, December 2, the reckless endangerment charge was dismissed but Cordaro D. Little, age 22, of Minneapolis, was instead charged with a felony count of possession marijuana. A preliminary hearing on that charge has been scheduled for Thursday, December 17.
The driver of the cab that crashed into the school, Abdi ASkar, 38, also of Minneapolis, has not been interviewed and remains in critical condition in Regions Hospital in St. Paul. He suffered internal injuries and slash and puncture wounds to his neck in the incident. He is still in Regions in critical condition and law enforcement officials have not yet been able to interview him.
According to Sheriff Hillstead, investigators are waiting for crime lab reports, including DNA testing, from the scene. He said although the initial reckless endangerment charge was dropped, as more pieces of the puzzle are put together, the charges “most probably will be re-filed.”
According to authorities, when police first found the cab crashed into Greenfield, neither man was inside it. Investigators believe the driver, Askar, jumped from the moving cab. He was found unconsious about 30 feet away from the cab on a sidewalk and was taken by ambulance to Baldwin Area Medical Center and then transferred to Regions in St. Paul.
The cab was totaled in the crash and first hit a garbage bin and then a parked vehicle before striking the school. Conditions at the site suggest that it crashed at a high rate of speed.
Little was seen running from the scene and was caught by an off-duty Roseville, Minn. police officer who had heard the car crash and was arrested about two blocks away from the crash site. A bloody knife was found along the route he took when he ran from the cab.
Little told investigators that he and the cab driver Askar argued over the fare from Minneapolis to Baldwin. Little said Askar increased the speed of the cab, locked the doors and pulled a knife wrapped in some sort of cloth. Little said he pushed the knife away from himself in self defense and that’s when the knife cut Askar’s neck, after which Askar apparently fell from the cab.
According to the original complaint, Little said that after the crash he ran away from the scene and as he was running he found the knife entwined in his clothing and threw it away.
Sheriff Hillstead said investigators are still trying to get a firm grasp on why the two in the cab were in Baldwin. He said information suggests that Little knew someone in the Baldwin area but “that person has not spoken with us and we’re having some difficulty making contact” and both Sheriff’s Department investigators and Baldwin Police Department officers are continuning to follow up on that aspect of the case.
In addition, Sheriff Hillstead said the cab lost contact with the company’s dispatchers about half an hour prior to the crash into Greenfield and investigators are trying to determine why that happened.

VIPs of Teaching recognized by MSOE

Former Good Shepherd Christian Academy teacher Jennifer Beierman, of Baldwin, now teaching at Red Wing High School, received the VIP Excellence in High School Teaching Award from Milwaukee School of Engineering on Nov. 21. Beierman was nominated by her former student Emily Knowlen, who graduated with high honors from MSOE with bachelor’s degrees in architectural engineering and construction management.
Each academic quarter, graduating students at MSOE are invited to nominate an individual from their own secondary school experience or their working experience -- someone who not only “knew her/his stuff,” but could communicate it, and whose commitment to others included encouragement of further educational and career goals. In more than a small way, these individuals had a positive and significant influence on the life of one or more students.
At a time of much concern over the educational skills and competencies of our nation’s young people, MSOE recognizes those who have had a significant influence on their students’ future educational achievement and career goals. Not only does MSOE shine a spotlight on its graduates, but also recognize and thank those, who in some important way, motivated them, inspired them and helped make it happen for them.

 In nominating Beierman for the award, Knowlen said, “Mrs. Beierman is an inspiration to me. I remember how she would answer any of our questions and do her best to ensure we really understood the subject matter. She instilled and nurtured in me an excitement for science and math and how they describe the world. Mrs. Beierman went beyond teaching me the academics I needed to know to set up a strong base for me to build on in college.”
MSOE is an independent university with 2,600 students. MSOE offers 17 bachelor’s degrees and nine master’s degrees in the engineering, engineering technology, architectural engineering and building construction, computer, business, nursing and health-related fields. The university has a national academic reputation; longstanding ties to business and industry; dedicated professors with real-world experience; and extremely high placement rates and starting salaries. MSOE graduates are well-rounded, technologically experienced and highly productive professionals and leaders.

From the Exchanges
   Interesting new items from
      surrounding communities

HUDSON STAR OBSERVER: A company that was contracted to collect bills owed to St. Croix Emergency Medical Services has sued the city of Hudson, claiming the city breached the contract. Lifeline Systems of Wautoma, which did business for Hudson as LifeQuest, is asking for up to $465,296 in compensatory damages, plus reimbursement for court costs and attorney’s fees. The complaint filed November 20 in St. Croix County Circuit Court alleges that the city didn’t notify LifeQuest soon enough that it intended to terminate its agreement with the company at the end of the three-year contract. According to the complaint, Hudson entered into an agreement with LifeQuest on April 1, 2006 to have the company provide a customized billing, collection and data management system that the city used to collect receivables for ambulance service. The contract required either party to give notice at least 180 days before the end of the term if it didn’t want it to renew for another three-year period, the complaint says. LifeQuest alleges that it wasn’t notified until March 20, 2008 that the city wanted to end the contract on April 8.

SUN-ARGUS (THE GATEWAY TO PIERCE COUNTY): One thousand pounds of produce? This is the amount of tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, onions, beets, squash and green beans, added to the plates of our friends, neighbors and families grown in the Plum City Community Garden. Our first year has been a great success. The plan, from our early spring meetings, was to go small and do well. It worked! There has been very little cost for the garden this year with all volunteer labor, most Wednesday evenings all summer, plus other days. The plowing and fertilizer, the tilling, mowing and trimming, the seeds and plants, the fencing and gates, the signage, the flower containers, were all donated and put to use. The Village of Plum City helped with the location and water tank, keeping it filled. People have stepped up to maintain, pick and transport produce and help with taking the material at the end of the season for compost. The produce was distributed through the Plum City Food Pantry, and surplus was delivered to the Food Shelf in Ellsworth. The Community Garden idea is a very old and historic way to grow food for your area. Many local communities are organizing to have a community garden of their own. A surprise benefit of the garden has been sharing garden tricks and tips and conversation.

THE SUN (OSCEOLA): A 62-year-old Luck man has been charged with murder in the apparent stabbing death of a former Edina, Minn., man last Saturday evening around 9:45 p.m. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office arrested Wayne Rouillard at his Bone Lake township home after a third party reported that there had been a stabbing. According to the sheriff’s office, the apparent victim, Stephen Dahlstrom, 61, of Bogota, Columbia, was found in the garage area of Rouillard’s residence. Dahlstrom suffered “severe blunt force trauma and at least one fatal stab wound,” the sheriff’s office reported. Polk County Sheriff Tim Moore said the department recovered a number of weapons all of which may have played a role in the incident, including a hammer, a large knife that was found still in the deceased’s body, and a splitting maul. “This is one of the more graphic scenes I’ve been on,” Moore said.

RIVER FALL JOURNAL: Hailed as a “significant partnership,” UW-River Falls officials are expected to announce a joint deal with Racine-based Case IH and Value Implement of Menomonie/Osseo this Wednesday morning, December 2. The deal is predicted to greatly benefit students in the university’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Services (CAFES). “We are grateful for this partnership which will provide (CAFES) with access to state-of-the-art equipment and will help prepare our students well for careers in agribusiness,” said UW-RF Chancellor Dean Van Galen. “This equipment will be technologically advanced and more efficient and ‘green’ than what our students currently have access to. These hand-on experiences will enhance the education of our students, which will also result in a brighter economic future for our region and state.” CASE IH is a global production of farm equipment – from tractors and combines to harvesters and tillage tools. Value Implement is a farm equipment distributor and CASE IH dealer in western Wisconsin.

DNR purchases 155 acres adjoining Casey Lake State Wildlife area

Left to right are Harvey Halvorsen, Mike Soergel, Brett Olson and Ryan Brathal, all with the Wildlife area at the DNR office in Baldwin, standing near the new signs at the 155 acre addition in public land next to Casey Lake State Wildlife Management Area. The state-owned area is available for public use for hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking and cross-country skiing.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has purchased a 155 acre tract of land adjoining the 210 acre Casey Lake State Wildlife Management Area. The property is at the corner of 200th Street and 130th Avenue north of Baldwin in the Town of Erin Prairie.
The property was purchased from a pair of Minnesota men for a price of $465,000, or $3,000 per acre.
According to the information used to review the proposal to purchase the parcel, the 155 acres “will consolidate state ownership, provide addtional recreational opportunities, and allow habitat restoration and management of the area for wildlife in conjunction with the Western Prairie Habitate Restoration Area project.”
The sellers are Lowell Bliss and William Potts, of Burnsville, Minn.
According to Wildlife Biologist Harvey Halversen of the Baldwin DNR office, “I was really happy that we were able to make the acquisition.” He said the land is an important part of the Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Project [WPHRA] in western Wisconsin that spans an area from River Falls to Osceola and points east, including all or parts of 15 towns in St. Croix and Polk counties.
Within the Western Prairie Habitat Restoration Project area of about 350,000 acres that was started in 1999, the goal is to eventually acquire 20,000 acres of land and restore it to pre-settlement condition. The project is a collaboration of the Department of Natural Resources, local governments and non-profit conservation organizations. The goal of 20,000 acres will protect approximately 10% of the landscape of the original prairie from pre-1850. In addition to prairies, the project will protect pothole lake areas and marshes. Those areas are important for pheasant and waterfowl production. Currently about 5,000 acres are owned by the state, local government and non-profits as part of the project.
The impetus for the WPHRA was “based upon comprehensive research of biodiversity and ecosystem management practices. Restoration of viable grasslands and wetlands to provide habitat for waterfowl, pheasants and grassland birds is the primary objective of the WPHRA project. The intent is to widely scatter suitable habitat throughout the area, rather than concentrating the habitat in one place. Reductions in habitat quality and quantity because of land use changes have contributed to the decline of grassland nesting wildlife populations. In addition, wetland loss or degradation has been an important factor in the decline of many wetland wildlife species. Ten species of birds known to occur in this area are state-listed as endangered or threatened and 19 species are listed as special concern.”
Casey Lake State Wildlife Managment Area contains the headwaters of the Kinnickinnic River and contains an important Great Blue Heron rookery. Acquistion of the Bliss/Potts property connects “Casey Lake to the subject’s uplands, thus increasing the brood and nesting success of the birds. Along the east side of the property is a complex of forested wetlands. Further to the east is Pine Lake. Pine Lake has protected shoreland via easement through the West Wisconsin Land Trust. The lake offers good brood-rearing habitat for waterfowl. The connected complex of wetlands and uplands of Casey Lake, the Bliss/Potts property, the forested wetlands and Pine Lake creates a vital association of nesting areas in this area.”
According to the proposal review material, of the 155 acres of the Bliss/Potts property acquired by the DNR, 110 acres is in grassland and 45 acres is “lowland woodland.” Prior to public ownership, the land had been in the Conservation Reserve Program [CRP], said Halvorsen, with much of it planted in native grasses. It will be burned next spring if the weather cooperates, said Mike Soergel, Wildlife Management, of the Baldwin DNR office. Plans for the lower areas of the property, on the south side, may include a dike to create a pond.
“The property will be open to the public for all nature-based outdoor recreational activities to include hunting, fishing, trapping, hiking and cross-country skiing.”
Halversen said another 240 acre parcel in the vicinity is in the process of being purchased.

Fire destroyed building at Emerald Dairy

A Sunday morning fire at Emerald Dairy about seven miles north of Baldwin on CTH G destroyed a building that housed the manure digester for the large dairy.
John Vrieze, owner of Emerald Dairy, said the cause of the fire appeared to be a fan malfunction in the distiller in the building. No one was injured and no animals were lost as a result of the fire. However, the building appeared to be a total loss.
The manure digester produces natural gas from manure produced on the dairy.
Called to the scene was the Glenwood City Fire Department. United Fire and Rescue Department of Woodville, Baldwin and Hammond were called for mutual aid to protect buildings on the south end of the digester building.
Vrieze said he has insurance for the loss.

Christmas kick-off in Baldwin this weekend
Horse parade is Saturday; Santa visit, lighting is Sunday

As is traditional, the kickoff to the Christmas season in Baldwin will be this coming weekend.
The Baldwin-Woodville Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a visit by Santa Claus and Festival of Lights on Sunday, December 6.
The events will be held at Windmill Park. Santa’s visit will begin at 5:30 p.m., and he will continue chatting with children until 7:00 p.m. A warming tent will be set up and there will be refreshments for children and adults.
The Festival of Lights will also be at Windmill Park. The Windmill and the Christmas Tree at Windmill Park will be lighted at 6:00 p.m.
The 20th Annual Christmas Spirit Horse and Wagon Parade will be held Saturday afternoon. The horses and wagons festooned for Christmas are expected to parade down Main Street at 1:00 p.m. The Christmas Spirit Horse and Wagon Parade is sponsored by local merchants. Contact person is Mike Smith.
A number of additional Christmas sales and events are also planned in the area.

News from the exchanges
   Interesting items from the
      surrounding communities

PIERCE COUNTY HERALD (ELLSWORTH): A Spring Valley man was charged earlier this month in Pierce County Circuit Court with intentionally abandoning animals. William Gokey, 53, is looking at misdemeanor charges carrying a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or nine months in jail if found guilty. According to court records: Pierce county sheriff’s deputies were called to an animal complaint on September 26 near N48870 410th St. in Spring Valley. The homeowners were alleging they saw a truck stop, drop its tailgate and dump a dog. They were able to track the truck into the Village of Spring Valley where the police were notified. After a few minutes, they saw a male walking to the truck, where he was identified as Gokey. Deputies asked him if he had been in the Town of Gilman earlier that day and was the driver of the pickup. He said yes to both. He was then asked about being involved in the alleged dumping incident, a charge he denied saying, “I would never do that. I would shoot a dog before I dumped it in the middle of nowhere.” He also denied seeing a stray dog on his route to Spring Valley or that he would pick up a stray and drop it off again. Four days later, sheriff’s deputies got a call from an anonymous tipster who said she heard Gokey talking at a bar and saying his son called him four days ago, told him there was a stray dog on his property and asked his father “to get rid of it.” The caller then said Gokey was bragging about dumping the dog in the middle of nowhere and getting away with it. Law enforcement went to Gokey’s residence where he initially denied knowing anything about the incident. Gokey the admitted to picking up the stray dog from his son’s home and taking it to the place where he dropped it off. He kept denying the charge because he thought they were only asking about dogs he owned. A few hours later, sheriff’s deputies were notified the stray dog had returned to Gokey’s son’s home.

HUDSON STAR-OBSERVER: Zachary Wiegand was sentenced to 25 years in prison Friday morning for the Wisconsin portion of a crime spree he went on six years ago. The sentence will be served in addition to more than 12 years in prison that he was given in Minnesota for convictions on charges of first-degree attempted murder and second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon. St. Croix County Circuit Judge Eric J. Lundell handed down the Wisconsin sentence after the 32-year-old Wiegand, a 1995 Hudson High School graduate, pleaded guilty to armed robbery five days earlier. Wiegland’s robbery of an armored car outside of Citizens State Bank in Hudson on the morning of May 29, 2003, came near the end of an episode that had started the previous evening in Lake Elmo, Minn. A 42-year-old Lake Elmo woman was shot four times by Wiegand in that attempted car-jacking. When another woman stopped to help the shooting victim, Wiegand stole her van at gunpoint. Judge Lundell also sentenced Wiegand to one and a half years in prison for an arson charge that resulted from him setting fire to the stolen van that he used as a get-away vehicle in the armored-car robbery. The arson sentence will be served concurrent with the other sentences.

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: Police continue to look for an armed man who held up a female Schwan’s truck driver around 8 p.m. Friday, November 20 in the city’s industrial park. The woman had returned from her route to the Schwan’s depot, 1050 Benson St. About to plug her refrigerated truck, she was confronted by a man holding what police describe as a “steel rod.” River Falls Police Sgt. Jon Aubard said the man demanded money. The driver tried to give him her business wallet, but he told her not to look at him and to remove the cash from the wallet and hand it over.

Crash into Greenfield remains under investigation

A Blue and White cab was crashed into a parked vehicle at Greenfield Elementary Tuesday night. Law enforcement has an individual in custody and another man is hospitalized at Regions Medical Center in St. Paul as a result of the incident.

A crash of Minneapolis cab at Greenfield Elementary School took place Monday night, November 23.
According to a press release from Baldwin Police Chief Jim Widiker, the Baldwin Police Department was notified at 6:40 p.m. of a one-vehicle accident on Maple Street at 14th Avenue at the Greenfield Elementary parking lot. When Baldwin officers arrived they discovered a man identified as Abdi Mohamed Askar, age 38 of 211 W. 28th Street, of Minneapolis, Minn. lying on the sidewalk on the north end of the Greenfield Elementary parking lot. Askar was identified as the cab driver and had picked up a fare in Minneapolis and had driven him to Baldwin.
It was then discovered that a Blue and White Minneapolis cab had crashed into a street light pole, then struck a parked vehicle near the receiving entry at Greenfield, near the gym.
Baldwin officers were notified that a second individual was seen fleeing from the accident scene and was being followed by two citizens. Officers found the fleeing individual approximately two blocks from the scene of the accident.
The investigation at the scene indicated that the cab had been traveling above the posted speed limit and that Askar had jumped out of the cab prior to it striking the light pole.
Askar had numerous injuries and was transported to Baldwin Area Medical Center and from there transferred to Regions Hospital in St. Paul.
The passenger of the cab, who is not being identified by law enforcement at this time, is also a resident of Minneapolis. He being held in custody pending further investigation by the Baldwin Police Department and St. Croix County Sheriff’s office.
Police Chief Widiker indicated that an intense search of the area was conducted in an effort to gather evidence. He did not reveal what evidence was being sought or whether any was found.
Observations at the scene revealed that St. Croix County K-9 units and then later dozens of United Fire and Rescue volunteers participated in the search.
Several areas were cordoned off with yellow police tape during the search and the Greenfield bus driveway remained off-limits due to police tape on Tuesday morning. However, the tape was removed shortly after 8:00 a.m. Police tape remained in the front yard at a residence on the south side of Maple Street, south of Baldwin-Woodville High School.
Chief Widiker said there appeared to have been some sort of verbal altercation that led to the incident.
Those with inquiries about the incident are directed to call the Baldwin Police Department at 715-684-3856.

Area Boy Scouts to receive highest award


Pictured from left to right, Zac Humphrey, Nick Huston and Mark Serier will receive the Eagle Scout Award on Sunday, November 29 at Peace Lutheran Church.

On Sunday, November 29, Boy Scout Troop 110 of Baldwin and Woodville will present the Eagle Scout award to three area Scouts.
Zach Humprey, Nick Huston, and Mark Serier have earned the rank of Eagle, Boy Scouting’s highest award. Each Scout enters at the rank of Scout and progresses through the ranks of: Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class, Star, Life and finally Eagle.
A variety of requirements must be fulfilled including 21 Merit Badges which provide more in depth study in a variety of skill and interest areas. Each Scout also provides service to the community, learns outdoor camping, cooking and survival skills, studies citizenship and strives to work together in leadership building activities.
Service projects for the community have included: highway cleanup, Baldwin American Legion Chicken dinners, Woodville American Legion Flag burning ceremony, cleanup for community Christmas and Halloween parties, Woodville Lion’s Pancake breakfast, and Salvation Army bell ringing.
A major portion of the Eagle award involves coordinating a project that benefits the community. The Scout needs to develop the plan, arrange for needed funding, and coordinate volunteer workers to complete the project.
Zach Humphrey’s Eagle project was to build an outdoor worship area for Peace Lutheran Church.
Nick Huston’s Eagle project was to install permanent benches and trash receptacle holders throughout the parks in Woodville.
Mark Serier’s Eagle project was to clean up the 10 acres surrounding the Rush River recycling center.
The community is welcome to attend the Eagle Ceremony on November 29 at 3:00 p.m. at Peace Lutheran Church in Baldwin. A special invitation is extended to any Eagle Scouts living in the area to attend this ceremony. Refreshments will follow.
Cave Dahl American Legion Post 240 in Baldwin charters Troop 110.

Cindy Deringer to retire from Village’s administrator’s post

At last Wednesday’s Baldwin Village Board special meeting, the board heard not only about the budget for 2010. Village Administrator/Clerk-Treasurer Cindy Deringer also made the announcement that she will be retiring from the post she has held for nearly 13 years.
Deringer told board members that she will retire effective January 5, 2010. She started in the position in April of 1997.
When Mrs. Deringer started work for the village the office was located downtown in what is now the west portion of the Baldwin Telecom office. Baldwin’s population was hovering around 2,200.
Now the village offices, library, senior center and police offices are located in a new building on Cedar Street and the population of the village had grown by more than a third to about 3,560.
The village office had computers when Mrs. Deringer started work for the village, but now the internet is used extensively and electronic filing of reports on-line is commonplace.
Mrs. Deringer said she will use her retirement to do what she finds she enjoys the most—and some of that may be up in the air. What she does know is that she will be able to spend more time with her children and grandchildren. Other possibilities to take up her time include more time at the lake, traveling and hobbies that have been on hold for years. She also said she may attend graduate school; she is just short of the requirements for her masters in business administration. Her undergraduate degree is in broad area accounting.
Cindy said the village is in good shape fiscally. She added that long-term “I think we have a great location with the interchange and I-94 and USH 63.”

News from the exchanges
   Interesting items from
      surrounding communities

THE COURIER-WEDGE (DURAND) – Dunn County Sheriff Dennis Smith reported to a Rock Falls area home at approximately 8:15 p.m. Wednesday, November 4 after a shooting incident was reported. Allegedly an argument over the sale of some marijuana or a disagreement about a comment made about a girlfriend may have been the catalyst for the drive-by shooting, authorities said. According to the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram, the suspects wanted for the shooting have been arrested and face felony charges in Dunn County for being part of first degree reckless endangerment and discharging a firearm from a vehicle. Brent Skinner, a Dunn County reserve judge, set bond and also ordered the men not to have any contact with the family that lives in the home or go within a mile of the house. They also cannot possess any dangerous weapons. The Leader-Telegram also reported that deputies also found eight .22 caliber shell casings near the end of the driveway. A deputy also found a .22 caliber bullet on the floor of the kitchen.

TRIBUNE PRESS REPORTER (GLENWOOD CITY) – A 57-year-old North Dakota man pleaded no contest in Dunn County Circuit Court November 13 for possessing an untagged bear and was fined $4,140. Michael C. Graff of West Fargo, North Dakota, was originally charged with harming a bear in its den, shooting and killing a bear without a license and hunting bear during closed season. Graff was accused of shooting the bear on the Neil Schlough farm in a corn field near County Highway VV in the Town of Sheridan on November 25, 2008. Prior to the plea hearing, a November 24 trail had been scheduled in Dunn County Circuit Court. The charge of hunting or harming a bear in its den was dismissed and Graff was found guilty of possessing an untagged bear. Schlough initially assumed he had struck the bear and killed it with his combine while harvesting corn. In addition to the $4,140 fine, Graff’s hunting privileges were revoked for three years. Dunn county Circuit Court Judge William Stewart, Jr., ordered Graff to pay $100 per month toward the fine until the fine has been paid in full. According to a statement Graff gave to a North Dakota game warden in early January, Graff said he had been hunting by himself on November 25 last year when he saw something that looked like fur lying on the ground. Graff said he thought it was a big buck and shot it twice to make sure it was dead. When he found out it was a bear, Graff told his father about it, and Harold Graff recommended they get a license. The two men drove to Ridgeland but found out that bear season was closed.

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL - Accused of the Nov. 2 armed robbery at Dick’s Hometown Liquor, 17-year-old Blake Halverson has since been charged with two more felonies: Intimidation of a witness and bail jumping. Last Thursday night Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies arrested him at his rural River Falls home at N7923 870th St. and took him to jail. Halverson was to appear in circuit court for a preliminary hearing on the armed robbery charge Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 18. According to River Falls police investigator John Wilson, the latest felony charges against Halverson relates to his return to classes at the high school last week Tuesday. After paying a $2,000 cash bond, Halverson bailed out of jail the day before and then went to school the next day. He’s a high school junior. At school, he allegedly “verbally intimidated” a witness in the robbery case, a high school female student. Wilson said this violated conditions of Halverson’s bail. Both the witness intimidation and bail jumping, felonies, were added to the felony armed robbery charge and a misdemeanor charge for receiving stolen property. Halverson was only in school last week one day before being suspended.

HUDSON STAR-OBSERVER – A young Stillwater, Minn., woman whose small pickup lunged over the side of a freeway overpass in Hudson last January has died. Marissa Anne Saad, 21, passed away on Tuesday, November 10, following a decision by her family to take her off the live support systems that had been keeping her alive. In a post on Saad’s www.caringbridge.org website, her mother, Lori Babcock of Stillwater, said Saad died in her arms. “It is with unbelievable sadness, sorrow and grief that we have decided to let Marissa Anne go,” her parents and siblings said in a statement on the CaringBridge site a few days before she was taken off life support. Saad was on her way to work at the Freedom Valu Center on Coulee Road in Hudson on the morning of Jan. 28 when she came upon an accident and lost control of her 2000 Ford Ranger as she was attempting to avoid that crash. Her truck vaulted over a guardrail, went airborne and plunged nose-first into Front Street, which passes beneath I-94.

BURNETT COUNTY SENTINEL – Everyone knows the new Burnett Community Library in Webster is a work-in-progress but that work ran into a road block last Wednesday night. “I don’t have anything in writing and I just want it all to be legal but I don’t know how to go about doing that,” Terry Larsen told the Webster Village Board. At issue was Larsen’s donation of his former car dealership for the village’s new library and the fact he needs an appraisal for the write-off he plans to submit to the Internal Revenue Service. “I’ll retract the offer,” he threatened. “I have nothing to gain and everything to lose – there are a lot of IRS rules here and I need an appraisal which will stand up to the IRS. Part of the deal from the beginning was that I would get a tax credit for donating my building.” Larsen explained. That credit amount was called into question when village trustees talked about performing a “friendly” condemnation of Larsen’s building in order to obtain a liability exemption for the village. The liability exemption allows the village not to be liable for any site cleanup. The concern was raised after an environment site assessment of the Larsen property revealed a petroleum spill of some sort and questions who would be responsible for any clean-up efforts. Dave Rasmussen said the building owner can still apply for cleanup funds to get the site cleaned. Rasmussen is the engineer with MSA Professional Services, the company the village has been working with on the project. “How will the clean-up affect my donation price,” Larsen asked. “Your asking price is what the Department of Commerce is using,” trustee Tim Maloney answered. “They have already accepted the $225,000 asking price.” Because Webster has received a $360,000 grant for the library as long as the village matches that amount with local assets, the $225,000 price tag of the building can be considered matching funds.

MONDOVI HERALD-NEWS – Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced that Thomas A. Callaghan, Eau Claire, has agreed to pay fines and costs totaling $5,000 for his unlawful discharge of pollutants into the waters of the state without a permit – namely, metal shavings from Tremplo Manufacturing, Inc., into a storm sewer manhole that led directly to the Buffalo River. After the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conducted an investigation and referred the matter to the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) for prosecution, a criminal charge was brought against Callaghan for this 2006 violation of environmental protection laws. Callaghan pled no contest to the charge and was found guilty at a hearing on November 10, 2009. Trempealeau County Circuit Court. Judge John A. Damon approved the plea agreement entered into between Callaghan and the Wisconsin Department of Justice. In a related case, Callahan’s employer, Tremplo Manufacturing, Inc., which fabricates metal parts for industrial mixers has agreed to pay forfeitures and costs totaling $18,907 in a civil action arising out of the same discharge. Judge Damon approved this settlement on November 10, 2009.

Rumpel and Bonnstetter are Heisman High School State Finalists

Wendy’s has announced that two Baldwin-Woodville students are Heisman High School State Finalists for Wisconsin. According to a letter sent to them, both Bethany Bonnstetter and Edward Rumpel are State Finalists. The letter says that from November 19 through December 31 Wendy’s and Fox Spots Net will produce and air profiles of each finalist. The profiles will air statewide and be included in all WIAA programming.







School board votes 6-1 to bring pool up to code

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the outdoor swimming pool in Baldwin will be open for business next summer.
The Baldwin-Woodville Board of Education gave the go-ahead to fund the design and installation of new drain gates and sump pumps in order for the district to be in compliance with the federal Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act. The approval came on a 6-1 vote. Voting yes: Mike Bondarenko, Ann Hilmanowske, John Hinz, Dustin Klanderman, Jody Lindquist and Jeff Campbell. Voting no: Todd Graf.
Cost of the project is estimated at about $20,000 according to a proposal presented at the September meeting of the board by district Maintenance Supervisor Mike Timm.
Prior to the vote, local resident and former board member Tom Schumacher spoke in favor of keeping the pool open. “The pool is a significant asset to the community. Many students in the district benefit from the pool through swimming lessons, employment and recreation,” commented Schumacher. “If the pool is closed there will be costs involved
and it is unlikely to open again. We have this asset, we need to maintain it just like we do other district facilities,” he said.
“Swimming lessons are very important for all students,” said Superintendent Rusty Helland. “In my opinion, it’s important to open the pool for the community.”
In response to questions from board members, Helland explained that the district cannot charge for swimming lessons because it receives state aid for each participant. “We get about $14,000 a year in state aid, which is used to pay for instruction which costs about $7,000,” he said. Non-resident participants are charged for lessons, added district bookkeeper Pam Rose.
“We can charge what we want for open swim,” Helland said.
Board president Jeff Campbell spoke in favor of opening the pool and then exploring other options for the ongoing maintenance of the pool. “We need to be pro-active here and come up with a plan, instead of scrambling every time some big repair comes up,” he said.

Village Board approves new flood map

The Baldwin Village Board completed action on a new flood map that should remove all single family residences from the flood plain of the Baldwin Creek that was first created in 1988.
The action comes as a result, partly at least, of the new USH 63 bridge which will supposedly allow more storm water to pass quickly under the highway.
The flood plain in Baldwin was first created in 1988 by the federal government. In 1990 the size of the flood plain was reduced. The new map decreases the size of both the floodplain and the flood fringe. Passage of the village resolution decreasing the size of the flood plain is contingent on DNR approval.
“Thankfully, we can put the flood plain to bed,” noted Village President Don McGee. “When we started this I think we had 46 houses in it. There were lots of people who really worked hard and now the 46 houses are out of it.”
Although all homes that were in the flood plain are now out of it, some trailer homes remain within the flood plain boundary.
In other action at the meeting:
-Justin Juelich, who resigned as a member of the village’s Board of Appeals, was appointed to the Planning Commission, replacing Nancy Hable.
-The Board approved the annual fireworks seller permits for both Fireworks City and Fireworks and More, Inc.
-The Board authorized an alternative health insurance plan—a Simple Health Insurance Premium Pre-tax Plan—that will save the village money and does not have any annual reporting requirements.
-The Board voted to rezone the property at 670 USH 12 from local commercial to general commercial. Two trustees voted against the motion. The new zoning was requested by the owner to increase the options available for renting the property, including allowing spray painting.
-The Board approved a site plan for remodeling at the Kwik Trip at the intersection of USH 63 and Main Street. The plan includes a small addition on the east end of the building that will be used to enlarge the kitchen.
-Engineer Mike Stoffel of Ayres Associates reported that on Tuesday, November 3 boring under I-94 was commenced for a water main. After going 16 feet rock was encountered, so the boring stopped.
“As soon as we hit rock the boring costs go up tremendously,” Stoffel said. He said a company has been called to do some testing of the ground to see if the path for the bore hole can be moved up or down to avoid rock, or if that isn’t possible to move the boring to the west, which may require a new easement from a property owner. Stoffel assured the board the boring can be completed this year and the new utility locates will be done by Friday if the boring has to be moved west.

Man’s body recovered at Hudson marina

A man’s body was recovered floating in the water at a Hudson marina last week. Hudson police recovered the man’s body floating near a dock at St. Croix Marina on Friday.
The white male was believed to be in his late 50s. He was discovered at about 12:30 p.m. by an employee of the marina.
According to Hudson Police Sgt. Eric Atkinson, authorities believe they know the identity of the deceased man but are withholding his name until his relatives are notified.
Sgt. Atkinson said the man was believed to be a member at the Marina and had a boat there. The boat was taken into custody and will be examined after a search warrant is obtained.
The body was taken to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s office in St. Paul for an autopsy to be performed.
“With any death where we don’t know the cause of death, we make sure we do an investigation that tries to explain the manner in which the person died,” Sgt. Atkinson was quoted as saying. However, foul play is not suspected by authorities in the death. Both the Hudson Police Department and St. Croix County Sheriff’s Department are investigating the death.


Armagost bound over for trial

At a preliminary hearing held Monday, November 16, James Armagost was bound over for trial, according to St. Croix County District Attorney Eric Johnson.
Johnson said an arraignment for Armagost was set for Thursday, November 19, at which he will be given the opportunity to enter a plea.
Armagost, 45, was charged last week in St. Croix County Court with “repeated sexual assault of a child” and “use of computer to facilitate a child sex crime.”

From the exchanges
   Interesting items from
      the surrounding communites

HUDSON STAR OBSERVER: Wisconsin Municipal Mutual Insurance Company’s motto is “Strength in Members,” but other members see St. Croix County as the weak link and the county will pay a price. St. Croix has been notified that its liability premium for 2010 may be increased over 25 percent and that its self-insured retention, roughly comparable to a deductible, will be increased from $250,000 to at least $500,000 per loss. Actual costs will be determined in December. “From the other members’ perspective, we are not a good risk” summarized Kristin Ziliak, St. Croix’s risk manager. The most recent settlements involve a death in the county jail and a class action strip search lawsuit.

MONDOVI HERALD-NEWS: A rural Arcadia man died after falling from a silo on Wednesday, November 4, in the Town of Glencoe. The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Department was notified at approximately 10:45 a.m. that Daniel J. Kamla, 55, was found at the base of an 80-foot silo. According to the Buffalo County Sheriff’s Department, a farm worker had seen Kamla at the top of the silo checking to see how full it was. The worker then found Kamla at the base of the silo within minutes of seeing him at the top of it. The Sheriff’s Department says no one witnessed the fall. The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Department at the scene were the Arcadia Ambulance, Arcadia Fire Department and Arcadia Police Department.

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: A tip from an informant with no interest in a reward led River Falls police to the young man believed responsible for holding up Dick’s Hometown Liquor last Monday night. Blake Halverson, 17, a River Falls High School junior, was arrested at his home Friday night and taken to county jail in Ellsworth. Monday afternoon he was charged by the Pierce County district attorney with a felony armed robbery and misdemeanor for receiving stolen property. The first criminal charge carries a maximum sentence of a $100,000 fine and 40 years in prison. By Tuesday morning Halverson was back in school, having paid a $2,000 cash bond that was set by the judge. Police officers with a search warrant, went through Halverson’s home looking for evidence Friday night when he was arrested. Lead investigator John Wilson said the gun and cash stolen in the robbery have yet to been found. “W e have no clue where the gun is,” Wilson said Monday morning. “So, yes, we need help finding it if anyone has that information. Wilson said the gun used in the robbery is a black/blue semi-automatic pistol. Wilson said he was called at home last Thursday night by a person offering a key tip in the robbery. “That was the turning factor in getting this solved,” Wilson said, adding that Halvorson has not admitted to being the robber.

PIERCE COUNTY HERALD (ELLSWORTH): Three people in their early 20s were charged last month in Pierce County Circuit Court with burglary and attempted burglary. Valerie K. Vorwald, 21, Roberts, Justin D. Krizan, 20, Hammond, and Andrew J. Grisell, 20, Sarasota, Fla., are looking at a maximum $37,500 fine and nearly 19 years in prison if convicted of both felonies. The charges originate from an incident October 28 in which Pierce County Sheriff’s Department was called to a burglary at W4709 710th Ave. in the Town of River Falls. Daniel Frigo reported in the criminal complaint a red Sears Craftsman riding lawnmower, a red Swisher brand trail mower, a camouflage hunting chair and three red five-gallon gas cans were missing. Sheriff’s deputies also noted in their report several doorknobs were taken and found in a burn barrel. The following day, deputies were dispatched to that address again for an attempted burglary, as Frigo reported there was a truck at the house. The truck left as deputies were nearing the house, but they were able to stop it.

AMERY FREE PRESS: Tim Miller, district network technician at Clear Lake Schools, has been dismissed by the Clear Lake Board of Education at their regular meeting Monday evening, November 9. The board took the action after a nearly hour long closed session under Wisconsin Statute 19.85 (1) (b), where they heard from Miller before the action was taken. Miller was discharged for computer related misconduct reported last week. He was observed recently with pornography on a work computer. He has been with the district for approximately eight years.

B-W FFA is recipient of National FFA Alumni Grant

The five Baldwin-Woodville FFA members and their advisor, pictured above, left to right, are Tamika Branchaud, Liz DeVries, Taylor Hovde, Mrs. Kamm and Jordan Van Dien.

Five Baldwin-Woodville FFA members and their advisor Mrs. Kamm were the recipients of a National FFA Alumni Grant in the amount of $1,000 which they received at the FFA 82nd National Convention that was held October 15-18 in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The B-W FFA members are Tamika Branchaud, Liz DeVries, Taylor Hovde and Jordan Van Dien.
The grant application was written by B-W FFA Alumni Association President Megan Frye.
The grant theme was “Adventures in Agriculture.” The funds will be used to promote activities by the B-W FFA including growing poinsettias, which is in conjunction with the second grade classes; the petting zoo for B-W kindergartners; and participating in the parade and having a food booth at Baldwin’s June Bug Days.
Among the other activities in which the B-W FFA members participated at the national convention included attending a PRCA championship rodeo, hearing speaker Mike Rowe of “Dirtiest Jobs,” attending a concert by Toby Keith; two members taking an Indy Speedway tour; and a tour of Fair Oaks Farms, which includes ten farms with 30,000 animals between them. On the way home the FFA members visited a corn maze and haunted house. They bused to the convention with six other FFA chapters from the area with a total of 45 FFA members.

Farm-City Day wins national award

St. Croix County’s Farm-City Day has won a national award.
At the National Association of County Agricultural Agents annual convention held September 20 through 24 in Portland, Oregon, St. Croix County Ag Agent Lee Milligan was presented as the National Winner of the PRIDE award. PRIDE stands for Public Relations in Daily Efforts and was presented for the annual Farm City Day held in St. Croix County.
The award was presented at a banquet held Monday, September 21.
The 28th annual Farm City Day was held this year. According to Milligan, the annual event was started by Bob and Mary Zwald “who deserve the credit for getting it started.”
Milligan said there were 18 entries from across the country for the PRIDE award. A review process was followed for selecting the winner, he said.
Farm City Day involves 100 to 150 volunteers from around the county each year, Milligan said. “It’s been hosted by a different farm family each year.”
As an award winner, Milligan gave a presentation on Farm City Day. He said that of the nominees for the award, “I would say ours is the largest” event. He gave a presentation at the banquet on Farm City Day and there were people in the audience who “wanted to use elements from our Farm City Day and incorporate it into their events.”
“Really, when you get an award like this, it’s the volunteers and people who started it who should get recognized,” said Milligan. “I just happened to write it up and send it in.”
According to the program for the PRIDE banquet, the award is sponsored by the United Soybean Board, The National Rural Electric Cooperative Association as well as the National Association of County Agricultural Agents.

Man charged for sexual assault

A Hammond man has been charged with two crimes involving sexual activity with a child.
According to a criminal complaint filed in St. Croix County Circuit Court on Monday, November 9, James Lawrence Armagost of Hammond, 45, has been charged with “repeated sexual assault of a child” and “use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime.”
Armagost was arraigned Monday.
According to the complaint, the “defendant on and between February 1, 2009 and August 31, 2009 … did commit repeated sexual assaults involving the same child,….”
The count of “repeated sexual assault of a child” is a Class C felony and upon conviction may result in a fine of not more than $100,000 or imprisonment of not more than 40 years, or both. Use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime is punishable upon conviction and requires the court to impose a “bifurcated [separate] sentence including a term of initial confinement for at least five years. The Court may impose a sentence of less than five years or place the person on probation upon finding on the record that the Court finds the lesser sentence is in the best interests of the community and the public will not be harmed.”
According to the criminal complaint, a relationship developed between the defendant and the minor that “started with the exchange of email communication to her….”
The complaint graphically spells out the sexual contact, which did not include sexual intercourse, between the defendant and the minor.

Man arrested in Baldwin with stolen vehicle

One of the four men allegedly involved with and who has been charged in connection with the burglary of Fennern Jewelers last year was arrested in Baldwin over the weekend for another alleged crime.
According to Baldwin Police Chief Jim Widiker, Joshua Krinkie, 29, was arrested late Saturday night in Baldwin in a stolen truck that had stolen license plates. Krinkie was at the Custom Storage building on Baldwin’s north side when he was arrested.
Chief Widiker said Krinkie will likely be charged and prosecuted in Minnesota for allegedly stealing the truck.
Krinkie is allegedly one of the four individuals involved in and charged with the burglary at Fennern Jewelers last year in which the perpetrators made off with pendants valued at approximately $25,000. The burglars gained entry by kicking in the door on the west side of Fennern’s. The burglars had first cut power to the building, presumably to disable the burglar alarm; however, backup power set off the alarm.
The alarm resulted in Baldwin Police Officer Randy Lindquist reaching Fennern’s almost immediately where he found the door kicked in and power shut off after a lock on the power box on the back of the building had been cut.
Later that day, Boldt’s Plumbing and Heating co-owner Dale Hudson reported vandalism to one of his trucks parked at the rear of his store in Baldwin. An employee called for a service call, discovered the truck with the shroud pulled off the steering column and parts scattered through the cab. After Hudson was called and first called police, he looked around the area and found Fennern Jeweler display boxes and also some pendants with Fennern tags on them that were determined to be from the burglary earlier that day.

BadgerLink is available to Wisconsin residents

Baldwin-Woodville High School Librarian and District Media Director James Perkins displays the BadgerLink page on a computer at the library at the High School.

A valuable resource is available to Wisconsin residents through the internet and Baldwin-Woodville High School Media Director James Perkins says more people would perhaps utilize it if they knew about it.
BadgerLink is an internet service available to residents of the state of Wisconsin that supplies on-line data bases. “It’s a tremendous resource available to everyone in the state,” said Perkins. “It’s funded by tax dollars and it’s something everyone can take advantage of.”
Each computer has a unique address, an IP, short for internet protocol, and BadgerLink is available to every IP address in Wisconsin.
BadgerLink is a project of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning. The purpose of BadgerLink is to provide access to online information for Wisconsin residents. It can be accessed by simply typing BadgerLink in a search engine.
The DPI at present contracts with five venders to provide access to a large volume of information. “Essentially, what we have here are vast collections of information,” said Mr. Perkins. “It’s organized by type or broad topic, for example business or consumer health, literature and others.”
The DPI website about BadgerLink says “Users can search approximately 20,000 full-text magazines, journals, newspapers, reference materials and other specialized information sources. Included are over 8,000 full text magazines and journals, over 1,500 newspapers and newswires, and approximately 6,800 full text books. Full text articles are taken from 2,900 historical newspaper titles. In addition the BadgerLink vendors provide access to automobile repair manuals, company profiles, country economic reports, industrial reports and yearbooks, biographies, primary historical documents, charts, author video programs, book reviews or discussion guides and many other full text resources not available through regular internet search engines.”
Mr. Perkins noted that at times the information available on BadgerLink may be uneven and perhaps, for instance, the information available as an automobile repair manual may not be as complete as a standard manual. “But it’s worthwhile to check it out because it’s free,” he added.
Resources are available to both students in the form of information about a work of literature and to teachers as teaching guides.
The BadgerLink page said it will connect users to the online catalogue of Wisconsin library holdings, called WISCAT, and an international database of library holdings called OCLC World Cat, as well as directories of libraries and digitized library collections.
Not only is the information available for public use on personal computers, but according to the DPI website about BadgerLink, “Most libraries also provide access to BadgerLink from public access computers within the library.”

News from the exchanges
   Interesting items from
      the surrounding communities

HUDSON STAR-OBSERVER: Two Twin Cities people have been arrested in connection with four burglaries in Hudson last spring. Several of the victims identified items recovered from the burglaries that were found inside the suspects’ vehicle and in the motel room. Other items were recovered from Twin Cities’ pawn shops, second-hand jewelry stores, and storage rental units. Hudson Police Department Det. Jeff Knopps said they were contacted recently by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Department with information about a burglary ring that may have been responsible for the thefts in Hudson between May 6 and June 15. Ramsey County deputies said that a credit card was one of the items taken in a burglary there and that when it was used at a nearby convenience store for a car wash, they were able to track down the vehicle and the suspects using the store video surveillance. Knopps said some of the stolen property was found in the Ford Explorer which is registered to a River Falls man. The two suspects who were arrested are a male, age 43 from St. Paul and a female, age 42 from Shoreview. Police are not yet releasing their names.

PIERCE COUNTY HERALD (ELLSWORTH): Pierce County Board members will vote next month on whether to give themselves or future board members a raise next spring. The proposal to increase regular pay for committee meetings from $35 to $47 and for county board meetings from $50 to $70 was introduced and discussed briefly at Tuesday’s board meeting. Chairman Paul Barkla, noting board pay hasn’t been raised in 12 years, said the suggestion to increase came from Supervisor Rich Purdy, Town of River Falls, who was not at the meeting. Barkla said Purdy recommended tying the board increase to the percentage increases negotiated for employees. “I’m opposed to it,” said Barkla, explaining the board has asked departments to cut back and streamline and should set an example. But if a board raise is considered in the future, he would favor linking it to the percentage increases given to employees, said Barkla. “It taints the process,” said Supervisor Jeff Holst, Town of Diamond Bluff, of tying supervisors’ pay to raises given to county employees. Holst and other supervisors said they are not in favor in increasing county board compensation when taxpayers are struggling financially. The proposal would also increase the pay for long meetings – those lasting over four hours – from $50 to $70; the pay for attending two consecutive meetings from $50 to $70; and the pay for attending three meetings in one day from $70 to $90. In 2008, the per diem and expenses paid to the 17 county board member ranged from $17,980 for Barkla, who served as both board chairman and interim administrative coordinator, to $1,423 for Supervisor Ben Plunkett, River Falls. The average paid to the 16 supervisory positions (excluding Barkla) in 2008 was $3,560.

CENTRAL ST. CROIX NEWS (HAMMOND AND ROBERTS): When she made her speech at the groundbreaking ceremony held for the new Hazel Mackin Community Library in Roberts, Library Board President, Dora Rohl said the project, for which fundraising has been going on in full force for more than two years, “really began in 1974 when a group of women said ‘What should we do for the village of Roberts?’ The big suggestion was a library.” The Hazel Mackin Community Library was established in 1975 with four shelves of books in a corner of the village hall. Soon the collection had outgrown its space. When the village offices moved to a new building in 1985, the former village hall was remodeled into the present library which opened in 1986. The library will soon be moving from that 1,600-square-foot location on Main Street to a 7,000-square-foot facility at the corner of Warren Street and West Boulevard (Hwy. 65 frontage road).

RIVER FALL JOURNAL: Tuesday afternoon Dick Rinehardt was still stunned. “We’ve never had anything like this happen in 27 years of being in business here,” said the local owner of Dick’s Fresh Market and Dick’s Hometown Liquor. “It’s a sad day in Mayberry. You cannot describe what this feels like until it happens to you.” A lone masked gunman robbed his liquor store on South Main Street at 10 p.m. Monday. Two male clerks, one a college student, were working. Neither was hurt. No customers were in the store. The medium-build white male suspect wearing a hooded sweatshirt and handkerchief over his face, held a handgun and asked for money. His actions were captured on surveillance cameras. After being given cash from a till, the gunman was seen walking north toward the grocery store. River Falls Police Sgt. Jon Aubart said the suspect may have had a car parked nearby to escape in. Rinehart was called immediately at his home where he was watching Monday Night Football. He got dressed and came to the crime scene within 15 minutes. “The police department’s response was fast and incredible,” he said. “There were squad cars all over. The store was quarantined while they waited for a St. Croix County police dog. I had to wait an hour myself to get inside. A perimeter with barricades was set up to block streets off.” Police had one suspect with local ties, but Tuesday afternoon Aubart said that person was cleared of any involvement and the investigation was back to square one. “We’re still working on things and have sent fingerprints to the state crime lab, but we’re also looking for the public’s help,” he said.

TRIBUNE PRESS REPORTER: Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced that the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed felony and misdemeanor criminal charges against John Rassbach of Glenwood City, Wisconsin. Rassbach, 53, is accused of defrauding customers of his business, Rassbach Oil Company, which contracts to sell fuel products to Wisconsin homeowners and farmers. The charges which include multiple felony and misdemeanor counts, arose out of an investigation conducted by agents of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture , Trade and Consumer Protection (DAPCP), Division of Weights and Measures in conjunction with the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Department. Rassbach, is charged with five felony counts of theft that stem from events occurring between April 20 and August 25, 2008 in which Rassbach, acting as Rassbach Oil Company, knowingly defrauded Paul Veenendall in the amount of $2,612.50, Randy Thompson in the amount of $3,098.70, Blackhawk Nutrient, LLC, in the amount of $4,400.55, Paul Wagner in the amount of $3,437.50 and Lee Seim in the amount of $5,161.20. All these charges, according to the criminal complaint, are for intentionally deceiving customers or attempting to deceive customers that he contracted to sell fuel products including LP gas, gasoline, and diesel/fuel oil in three general ways: (1) physically “shorting” the customer by pumping a portion of the fuel back into his delivery truck, (2) the use of fraudulent propane delivery invoices, and (3) issuance of duplicate and triplicate fuel delivery tickets by presenting the same ticket to multiple customers for a single fuel delivery.

120 years of service by Newtons

Three members of the Newton family of Baldwin have a combined total of 120 years of service on United Fire and Rescue Department and before that the Baldwin Fire Department.
Verlyn Newton, at right above, has been a Fire Department member for 57 years. During his tenure he served as a captain for many years. He remains active with the Department.
His sons Doug, left, and Gary, center, are also members of United Fire. Doug has been a member for 34 years and served as chief for a time and also as assistant chief. Gary, who is presently Baldwin Station Chief, has been a Fire Department member for 29 years.

B-W students perform in WI State Honor Choirs

Baldwin-Woodville students Jordan Lehman, Brandon Serier and Marah Kittelson were accepted into the Wisconsin Middle Level State Honors Choir. This choir is comprised of 100 seventh, eighth and ninth grade students from across the state. Marah is an eighth grader at Viking Middle School and Brandon and Jordan are 9th graders at Baldwin-Woodville High School.
These students auditioned in April and were invited to be a part of this choir in the summer. They will traveled to Madison on Friday, October 30 to rehearse and then perform in concert on Saturday, October 31 at the Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA) State Music Conference. More than 1200 students auditioned for the Middle Level State Honors Music Project. Three hundred-sixteen students were selected for the three ensembles – choir, band and orchestra.
Heather Aune was accepted into the Wisconsin High School State Honors Treble Choir. This 100 voice choir is comprised of students in grades ten, eleven and twelve. Heather is a senior at B-W High School. She auditioned last February and was notified in April that she was selected. In June she attended a three day music camp held on the UW-Green Bay campus.
Heather was in Madison on October 28 to rehearse with the choir and put the finishing touches on their music. The WI State High School Honors Choir Concert was Thursday, October 29 at the Overture Center in Madison as part of the WI State Music Conference. Over 1800 students auditioned for the High School State Honors Music Project. Four hundred-thirty students from across the state were selected for the five ensembles – mixed choir, treble choir, jazz ensemble, orchestra, and concert band.

Village budget seeks to hold the line

With the present economic times, members of the Baldwin Village Board were intent on holding the line on spending and not raising taxes for the 2010 budget. According to Village Administrator Cindy Deringer “based on the best assessment we have” of state figures regarding aids and property values, the village board will present a village budget for 2010 that keeps the same mill rate and the same dollar amounts as this year’s budget.
“The board, during these times, did not want to have any increases,” said Deringer about the meeting that was held last Wednesday, October 28.
This year’s budget has a mill rate of $7.98 per $1,000 of valuation and that same rate will be in effect for the coming budget “with some assumptions about how the state sets the assessment ratio,” said Deringer. “Our intent is that it’s the same.”
To accomplish the goal of holding spending to the same level, there were a couple of cut backs said Deringer. There are not as many street projects as in past years. The budget for the Baldwin Public Library was only half of the increase that was requested.
There was money put in the budget to pave the Baldwin EMS parking lot, with most of the money coming from a sinking fund that had been established for that purpose and an additional amount to cover the expected cost over the amount in the sinking fun.
There were some changes in parks outlay, said Deringer, including removing a pickup truck and some irrigation costs from the budget. For law enforcement, a new patrol car will not come from the budget but will be taken out of a sinking fund.
One increase in the budget was for new carpet for the Baldwin Library and Senior Center, said Deringer. In addition, there is money in the budget for park pathways paving.

News From the Exchanges
  Interesting items from
    Surrounding communities

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: The Hudson-River Falls Area Rail Group invites all residents to a public meeting “Bringing Trains to River Falls” 7 to 8 .m. Wednesday, November 4 at the public library in the ground floor meeting room. Group member and rail enthusiast William “Bill” Draves said the meeting will be a chance for people to learn the importance of trains for UW-River Falls, the top ten reasons to support train travel and the plans and options for passenger rail access for Hudson and River Falls. “It’s very exciting and important,” Draves said about area rail development. In the next four to six months, according to Draves, Wisconsin will submit funding proposals to the U.S. Department of Transportation for high-speed rail that would link to the Twin Cities and to many parts of Wisconsin. He says most of the local group’s interest focuses on the lines that would connect to the Twin Cities. The most immediate plan is for a line connecting Milwaukee to Madison; Draves said nearly everyone agrees it is needed. That will be the first line running. The second part of that route could be a Madison to Twin Cities line. While the exact route is not yet determined, it’s proposed to run along the river and through Winona stopping in Red Wing, Minn.

AMERY FREE PRESS: An employee at Super America on US 8 near St. Croix Falls saw three suspicious briefcases. The person called the Polk County Sheriff’s Department at 10:25 a.m. on Monday, September 26. The briefcases were located at two sites near the building. Sheriff’s deputies found four more cases across US 8 in the parking area of Wayne’s Café. All the cases were sealed with tape and left in plain view. St. Croix Fire Department was also called to the scene. Both businesses were evacuated. A request for assistance was made for the Marathon (Wausau) County Sheriff’s Department bomb squad. The unit arrived in the evening hours. The bomb squad utilized a robotic device to move the cases away from the building and opened them at a safe distance. All three cases were empty. A bomb squad member then suited up in protective gear and opened the remaining cases in Wayne’s Café parking lot. Those cases were also empty. The incident took over nine hours to resolve and included assistance from the St. Croix Falls Police Department. “This call was costly in terms of lost revenue to local businesses and law enforcement and fire department personnel, as well as the anticipated costs of the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office assistance,” said Polk Sheriff Tim Moore. “I am confident that we took all precautions to insure the public’s safety as our primary interest,” he said. The matter was concluded about 7:30.

HUDSON STAR-OBSERVER: As of Tuesday afternoon, Daniel Craig Christenson, 43, 1321 St. Croix Heights, remains in critical condition in an induced coma at Regions Hospital in St. Paul after being shot by police outside his house at the end of a seven-hour stand off on October 18. Nate Livermore, 15, of Hudson who was one of four teenagers who escaped the house after Christenson began shooting inside at around 5 p.m. on October 17 is recovering from surgery after being bitten by a police dog as he ran from the house. Livermore and Christenson’s son Zachary, 19, broke a basement window and helped a 13-year-old girl and another 15-year-old boy escape through the window before running to safety themselves. As Livermore ran from the house, he was set upon by the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Department police dog that latched onto his arm. The boy was treated for the dog bite at Hudson Hospital on the night of the incident but by Monday had developed a serious infection and was rushed to Regions Hospital for treatment. He underwent surgery on October 20 to replace a damaged artery in his left arm. He came home from the hospital on Friday.

TRIBUNE PRESS REPORTER (GLENWOOD CITY): For the fifth time in the last few months and for the fourth time in the past few weeks, another bank in this area was robbed. Bremer Bank in Elk Mound was the target of a robbery at around 2 p.m. Wednesday, October 21. According to a news release from the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department, a lone person entered the bank at 116 W. Menomonie Street (U.S. Highway 12) in Elk Mound, demanded money from bank employees and threatened that he had a gun. The news release also notes that bank employees did not actually see a weapon. The bank robber was described as a white male, approximately 30 years old, with a thin build and between 5’6” and 5’8” tall, wearing black-framed sunglasses with possibly a blue strip on the bows. He also was wearing a dark-colored baseball cap, green camouflage jacket with a hood up over the baseball cap, dark pants and dark shoes or boots.

WOODVILLE LEADER: The congregation of the First Baptist Church of Woodville held their regular service Sunday morning, but the message from Pastor Dennis Tapp held a special significance because Sunday was their much anticipated ground-breaking day for a new church. First Baptist was founded in 1885 and the original section of the church building was erected ten years later in 1895. That section with several additions still stands to day and has become a cramped space for the active congregation of 100 faithful parishioners. The architect and general contractor for the project have been selected with the work to begin as soon as possible to allow for winter construction and completion to occur in late spring or early summer. The old church will be offered for sale, the new church site is just south of Viking Middle School.

“Clear Lake, WI” showing in Menomonie

Dustin Booth, left, and Brian Ide, attended a question and answer session at Baldwin-Woodville High School for media classes last Friday. Booth was the executive producer and lead actor in Clear Lake, WI. Ide directed the movie and was the “featured dead guy.”

Due to overwhelming response from audiences – gaining it the top weekend moving billing, the Midwest special screening of the feature film titled “Clear Lake, WI” has been extended to additional cities.
The film stars Clear Lake, Wisconsin native Dustin Booth, Michael Madsen, as well as accomplished actors Paul Ben-Victor and Audrey Wasilewski.
The premiere at the Hudson 12 theater on October 9 was sold out and all week long the film was the number one box office draw beating out “Couples Retreat,” “Zombieland,” “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” and “Toy Story 3D.”
Continuing on its amazing journey through Wisconsin, it will run at the Stadium 7 Theatre, 2521 Highway 25 North in Menomonie from October 23 with multiple showings a day through October 29. Call 715-232-8844 for show times.
The film is set in 1993 when residents of the small town of Clear Lake fell victim to a strange and horrible disease. As fear spread through the town, an influential local preacher called the outbreak a supernatural punishment for the sins of the people and promised a way to stop the spread of the disease. The story picks up fifteen years later when a Minneapolis documentarian traced down four surviving students to tell their story and dig up the past

Seussical the Musical Creating Connections with Kids: Reading at the library on November 3

Seussical the Musical is welcoming all children to join in on the fun this year! The musical, presented by the B-W High School, is a great activity for children of all ages. The cast and crew have created many special projects for kids of all ages in order to get the children of the community involved and excited for the musical this year.
To kick off the creative spirit of Dr. Seuss, students at Greenfield participated in a creative coloring challenge. The elementary classes received coloring sheets to create their own Seussical creations. Another way that the children are getting excited for the musical is through their art classes. I heard from a certain Whovillian that there are crafts being created! These creations, lead by Greenfield art teacher Erin Johansen, as well as the coloring challenge creatures, will be on display in the lobby during the show.
Children of all ages can join cast members at the Baldwin Public Library for a special Dr. Seuss story time November 3, from 6:30-7:15. As Dr. Seuss once said, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” Come with your favorite child and expand your minds.
All these connections culminate when children from the elementary and middle schools attend a matinee on November 4. The cast of Seussical the Musical is ready to create smiles and laughs, so get ready for all the fun that is happening right now with Seussical the Musical!
Performances are November 6, 7, 13, 14 at 7 p.m. and November 8 and 15 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $6 for adults, $4 for students, and $2 for children and can be purchased by calling our box office at 715-684-3321, ext. 118.

Tudahl sentenced for traffic death

Steven D. Tudahl, 26, the man found guilty of several counts relating to causing a death and injuring others while driving a vehicle, has been sentenced to six and one-half years in prison as well as seven years of extended supervision following his release.
Tudahl, formerly of Glenwood City but now of Woodville, was found guilty of the felonies of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle and reckless driving that cause great bodily harm as well as a misdemeanor of reckless driving that caused bodily harm as the result of a traffic crash in March. According to the criminal complaint, on March 27 of this year Tudahl was driving a Ford Explorer going about 80 miles per hour that crossed the centerline of USH 63 about eight miles north of Baldwin in the town of Cylon and struck a 1998 Buick LeSabre head on.
Killed in the crash was Tudahl’s passenger, Larissa Christenson, 27, of Glenwood City. The driver of the Buick, Amy Dwyer, 26, of Clear Lake and her two children Noah, three, and Jaydin were injured. Noah suffered a severed spine resulting in permanent paralysis and had an intenstinal injury that had to be repaired by surgery. Jaydin suffered a broken leg and many bruises, especially to her face.
Tudahl had earlier been found guilty of the two felonies and one misdemeanor. After his prison sentence, Tudahl will be under seven years of extended supervision. He was also ordered to pay restitution and participate in eight hours of community service at a non-profit or charitable organization on the anniversary of the crash each year while on extended supervision.
According to the complaint in the case, when a tow truck driver arrived at the scene he heard a man yelling from the Explorer that was in the ditch. When deputies got to the truck there was no one inside. A Sheriff’s patrol dog tracked Tudahl from the crash site and he was captured among the buildings at Precision Agriculture.
Tudahl’s blood alcohol level was at 0.04 percent, under the legal limit of 0.08 percent.

From the exchanges

   News from surrounding communities

NEW RICHMOND NEWS: School officials in New Richmond are all smiles after being awarded a $111,650 grant to help plan a charter school in town. New Richmond was one of 11 districts to receive a planning grant. The state distributed about $2 million total for planning. “We’re pretty happy to have the funding to help us explore the option of a charter school,” said Morrie Veilleux, district administrator. New Richmond’s proposed charter school would offer different instructional strategies and a focus on the hands-on learner. Charter schools are still required to meet academic standards and must employ licensed teachers, involve parents, administer statewide tests and comply with federal regulations that govern all public schools. Now that the grant has been awarded, the next step is to visit some of the communities with successful charter schools Veilleux said. For the 2009-10 school year there are 206 charter schools opening in Wisconsin serving close to 35,000 students.

AMERY FREE PRESS: Three more defendants were sentenced Thursday, October 13 in the St. Croix Tribal drug investigation. U.S. District Judge James t. Moody, a visiting judge from the northern district of Indiana, sentenced the following for their role in distributing crack-cocaine on St. Croix Tribal lands from about January 2001 through September 2008. Judge Moody imposed the following sentences: Diana Martin, 44, Webster, nine years without parole; Margrette Cobb, 28, Cumberland, 13 years and four months without parole; Andrew Sonnenberg, 26, Red Lake, Minn., 17.5 years without parole. In his sentencing statement Moody stated this very serious crime was exacerbated because the defendants sold “poison” to members of their own, close knit community in northwest Wisconsin. Eleven defendants have now been sentenced as a result of this investigation into drug dealing on St. Croix Tribal lands. The three defendants sentenced on October 13 along with other members of the conspiracy, worked together to obtain and distribute crack cocaine on St. Croix Tribal lands. Each of the members at various times, traveled with Jean Sonnenberg to obtain crack cocaine from her sources in the Twin Cities area. The drugs were then sold to customers in Northwest Wisconsin.

THE SUN (OSCEOLA): An archery deer hunt with-in the Osceola village limits could be offered for the first time late this fall if a proposed ordinance is approved next month. Last week, the Osceola Village Board approved, in concept, an ordinance that would allow bow hunting on Village parklands and on private property with landowner permission. The Village’s ordinance committee will develop an ordinance for the program at its next meeting. During the board’s October 13 meeting. Osceola Police Department Chief Tim Lauridsen said that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has noted a “severe over-population” of deer within the Village limits. The quantity of deer is directly correlated to the number of vehicle-versus-deer accidents in the Village, Lauridsen said. The ordinance would allow licensed deer hunters to obtain a special kill tag from the police department. Existing Village ordinances don’t allow the discharge of a firearm or bow-and-arrow within Village limits.

CENTRAL ST. CROIX NEWS (HAMMOND AND ROBERTS): The former Haunted House of Hammond begun seven years ago as a fundraising project for a local Girl Scout Troop has found a new home as the Town of Tormented Souls in the Town of Warren on Hwy. 65 south of I-94. Last year, founder Tim Kraus was told just before their opening night in 2008 the project that took up nearly two-thirds of his home every fall had grown too big for him to run on his lot, which is zoned ag-residential in the Pheasant Hills development of the Town of Hammond. After a couple locations fell through, Kraus met up with Jim Zeller, who hopes to develop the former Country Store property into an events farm. Work to turn one of the barns on the property into the Town of Tormented Souls began in June with Kraus and two others doing the majority of it and many family members and friends pitching in. Doors opened on October 2. “It’s been pretty slow, but the closer to Halloween it gets the more people we have,” said Kraus’ second-in-command, Tony Klingler. The communities have been pretty supportive so far. There’s not much around here for families to do together. We’ve had a lot of people compare us to other haunted houses and say we’re by far the best around Minnesota and Wisconsin.