The selection of Baldwin-Woodville’s Jake Keefer to play in the nationally televised Army All-American Bowl in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas on Saturday, January 11 was hardly a secret. The official announcement came Tuesday afternoon, October 5 at a rally-pep fest at Baldwin-Woodville High School attended by hundreds of cheering fellow students.
Keefer, modest as always, thanked his coaches, teachers, fellow football players and students for his success after he accepted a US Army jersey with a number 11.
Keefer joins an elite groupe of All-Americans who will play in the Army All-American Bowl in the annual east versus west match-up.
“Jake is a talented athlete whose exemplary leadership and teamwork qualities have made him a standout at Baldwin-Woodville High School,” said Col. Derik Crotts, Director of Strategic Communications, Marketing and Outreach, U.S. Army Accessions Command. “The strength, dedication, leadership and teamwork skills necessary to succeed on the football field are the same qualities mirrored in the Army Strong Soldiers. We are proud to honor all of our U.S. Army All-American Bowl players and congratulate them on their selection.”
Keefer was selected by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee, which consists of All-American Games’ network of regional directors. U.S. Army All-American players are eligible for the U.S. Army Player of the Year Award, the Anthony Munoz Lineman of the Year Award, the Pete Dawkins Game MVP Award, and the Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard U.S. Army Awards.
As a result of Jake Keefer being selected to the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, his head coach Dan Keefer has been invited to travel to San Antonio and attend the U.S. Army Coaches Academy, an elite three-day learning experience featuring NFL and NCAA coaches, as well as participate in game-week activities.
The U.S. Army All-American Bown is the premier high school football game in the country held each January in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The game features the best high school football players in the nation and has helped launch the careers of Adrian Peterson, Mark Sanchez, Tim Tebow, Michael Oher (from the movie “The Blind Side”) and many other college and NFL stars since its inception in 2001. The game also crowns the U.S. Army Player of the Year during Bowl Week in San Antonio.
The U.S. Army Accessions Command (USAAC), a subordinate command of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, meets the human resource needs of the Army by transforming volunteers into officers, warrant officers, and enlisted soldiers. In providing the force, the 18,400 men and women of Accessions Command prepare these future soldiers and leaders for their initial military training. Commanded by Lt. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, SCAAC is located in Fort Knox, Ky.
Labecki presented sportsmanship award to Fusion
Wade Labecki, Deputy Director of the WIAA, was present at the start of Thursday’s B-W football game against Prescott to present the Sportsmanship Award to the Fusion hockey team for the second year in a row. The Fusion has also been the WIAA champion two years running. Labecki is center standing. Also standing from left are Assistant Coach Karl Erickson, Head Coach Matt Cranston, Labecki, Baldwin-Woodville High School Principal Eric Russell and B-W Athletic Director JR Dachel. Members of the team are in the front row.
Former Shrine patient attends Shrine festivities
Sarah French, of New Richmond, attended the festivities on the weekend of the Little East West Shrine Game in River Falls on Saturday, October 2. Sarah, who was a patient at the Shrine Hospital for Children from 4 1/2 years of age, now runs marathons. She is pictured with her father, Shriner and Mason Larry Wiegand of Wilson and her son Hunter. Photo by Milt Helmer
From the Exchanges
Interesting items from
surrounding communities
AMERY FREE PRESS: Thirty-four pounds of marijuana with a street value of about $190,000! That is the amount and value of marijuana taken in an investigation of information received by the Barron county sheriff’s department of a large quantity of marijuana harvested on Saturday, October 2, on property belonging to Michael Carl Field, 55, Clayton. A Polk county sheriff’s deputy headed toward where a Barron county deputy was enroute. Upon arrival an officer met Field’s vehicle driving away from the address and intercepted it when it turned north on County Line St. from CTH D. Field was driving with one male passenger. Upon contact a deputy detected the odor of marijuana from the vehicle. When patting Field down for safety, the deputy found a round object in his lift front pocket, the size of a chewing tobacco container. Field stated it was lip balm, but when asked to show the deputy, he said it was “weed.” The passenger admitted to the harvesting of marijuana. Field was arrested and transported to the Polk county jail without incident. A search warrant was obtained and executed at the residence and 35 complete marijuana plants were potted and under grow-type lights. There were several areas where buds had been harvested in different stages of drying and large quantities of grow chemicals and other paraphernalia for manufacture and preparing for the sale of marijuana. Numerous gallon-sized plastic baggies with harvested and dried marijuana were found in the residence, along with a digital scale. Polk County Sheriff Tim Moore, stated that numerous firearms were located in the residence, including, .45 caliber weapons, an AK-47 rifle and many had live rounds in the chambers. Some were found stashed near the marijuana itself.
PIERCE COUNTY HERALD: The first phase of a multi-phase project at the Ellsworth Co-op Creamery progressed last week. A new 17,000 square foot storage building for cheese was becoming visible just northwest of the present plant. General Manager and CEO Paul Bauer said the structure will include a 100-by-100 foot area for coolers plus another 7,000 square feet of room. “We were cramped for space,” Bauer said Wednesday. The project began in early June with the installation of footings, but heavy rains this summer set the work schedule back, he said. The creamery’s board had given a go-ahead this past spring. The facility will feature structural wall panels made of reinforced concrete with insulation in the center, he said. It will have a flat roof with refrigeration units on top and insulation underneath for a slight pitch. “The energy loss will be two-thirds improved, compared to our present building,” he said. Completion of the new structure is now projected for around the end of this year, Bauer said. The last cooler addition at the plant occurred 30 years ago in 1980.
RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: Lori Anderson admits it hasn’t been easy living without husband Mark since his death September 28, 2007, caused by an accidental fall. She says the dedicated father of 10, loving husband and gifted horticulturist was the backbone of Anderson Plant Farm in the town of Martell. “This is how we raised our family,” she said of the business. Anderson said the vision they’d begun 25 years ago, changed suddenly. That darkness, pain and mourning let to a seed that sprouted and grew: “The love of green things and all that is good and serene in this world.” The Anderson family’s thoughts and inspirations steered them to transform the plant farm into a natural atmosphere for healing, restoration and transformation called Mystical Rose Gardens. Located about 12 miles east of River Falls, Anderson said the plant farm began selling retail about three years before Mark died. She’s excited to share Mystical Rose Gardens, a retreat center available for weddings, wedding receptions and hobby retreats like scrapbooking and quilting.
THE SUN (OSCEOLA): Osceola and Dresser police officers seized a large amount of crystal methamphetamine and cash last week during a traffic stop in Dresser. According to an arrest report, Marvin C. Zehm, 40, of Dresser, was charged September 27, with possessing more than 10 grams of amphetamines with intent to deliver, a felony, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia after he was stopped for speeding on 240th St. near 100th Ave. After the Dresser officer observed Zehm to be “very twitchy and nervous” during the traffic stop, the report stated, the officer requested the assistance of Osceola’s K officer, Smokey, and his handler Samantha Byram. When the officers asked Zehm to step out of his vehicle, he initially refused telling the officer “you’re not getting in my vehicle, you’re not touching anything.” He later rolled up all his windows, turned the vehicle off and locked the doors, taking his keys with him as he exited the vehicle. During a search of the outside of the vehicle, Smokey indicated the presence of narcotics odor on the door of Zehm’s vehicle and on the large bundle of cash taken from Zehm during a physical search for weapons. Further search of the inside of Zehm’s vehicle revealed a large resealable plastic bag containing what appeared to be meth.
