Baldwin-Woodville Chamber opens new office

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

Man charged with shootings

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

Man killed after truck hits bull

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

Citizens State Bank receives FDIC order

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

From the Exchanges
  Interesting News Items from
    Surrounding Communities

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

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

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

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

New staff at B-W introduced

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

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

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

Wes Haney won BASS Federation Nation Northern Divisional

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

Jessica Christner being sought for questioning

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

From the Exchanges
   Interesting News Items from
      Surrounding Communities

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

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

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

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

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

Dachel assumes reins of Athletic Director/Transportation Director position

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

Woodville man guilty in traffic death

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

Sheriff Hillstead reports leads on Wilson shooting

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

Local seniors recognized for volunteer work

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

From the Exchanges
    Interesting News Items from
        Surrounding Communities

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

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

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

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

John and Judy Newton are Hammond Parade Marshals

John and Judy Newton have been living in Hammond since 1960 and since then they have been involved with many aspects of the community’s activities and development. This year they have been named the Marshals in the Hammond Heartland Days celebration Grand Parade on Sunday, August 9. The parade begins at 12:30.
John Newton was raised on the Newton family farm south of what is now I-94. His brothers are Verlyn, Earl and Duane and his sister is Delores (Lind). After graduating from Baldwin High School he worked first for Farmer’s Elevator and then for Lloyd Eggen at Eggen’s Supermarket as a meat cutter.
Judy Sather, also a Baldwin High School graduate, worked for Northwest Airlines after high school and then for Chet Nelson at the Baldwin Creamery.
Judy and John were married in 1960. “I was looking at the meat market in Hammond,” related John, but wasn’t able to come to terms. Instead, he was approached by Edwin Larson who had a grocery and general merchandise store. John and Judy bought the store and converted it to just groceries and meat. That store was where the bank in Hammond—Associated—is now. The Newtons added on to their store once and then in 1976 they built and moved into a new store. During the years they had a grocery store they worked together while they raised their three children.
In 1986 the Newtons sold the store. John worked in River Falls for awhile before he took a position with Donaldsons where he worked for 14 years before he retired. Judy worked for St. Croix County at the Register of Deeds office for 16 years before she retired. After her retirement she worked part-time for the Register of Deeds office and also looked after a lady who was in the Heritage Care Center.
John has been involved with the Hammond Golf Club since it started—and even before. “We started working on it in 1967 but didn’t get it built until 1970,” he said. “I’m the only one left of the 32 who were the original charter members,” said John. “But you know at that time we had a lot of good businessmen who helped with a lot of things. We had a lot of businesses and could do a lot of things.”
That’s been one of the biggest changes in Hammond, like in a lot of small towns, said John. Hammond had a hometown owned bank, a doctor, feedmill, pharmacist. “They were all good workers.”
John said he was also a member of the Hammond Development Corp., which only had four or five members. But the Development Corp. bought some land, built a building and sold some of the land back and also donated some of the land as a village park.
Although retired, the Newtons stay active. John said he golfs about four or five times a week and also does volunteer work at the Hammond Golf Club, including spraying and trimming. He enjoys ice fishing in the winter.
The Newtons were originally members of Gethsemane Lutheran Church but were involved in the establishment of Trinity Lutheran Church in Hammond in 1972. The Newtons remain active in Trinity. Judy also golfs, but not as much as John. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in April.
“Our grandsons are a big part of our life,” said Judy. Their children are Jay, and his friend Barbie, who lives in Roberts and has three sons, Jonathan, Zachary and Logan; Jayne Murphy and her husband David of New London and their three boys, Mike and Jake and Luke who died tragically at the end of March. Their other daughter Jennifer is married to Louie Johnson of New Hope, Minn.
The Newtons expect all three of their children to attend the parade Sunday and will wave to them when they go by.

Wilson couple recovering from shooting, home invasion
Suspect still at large; public asked for help

A Wilson couple is recovering after both were shot during a home break-in late Saturday night.
According to the St. Croix County Sheriff Dennis Hillstead, the couple, Thomas Erickson, 28, and Maria Erickson, 27, of 640 Main Street, Wilson, were both wounded by bullets but both are expected to make a full recovery.
Maria Erickson was treated Saturday night at Regions Medical Center in St. Paul for a “through and through” bullet wound to one of her calves, and then released. Her husband Thomas was shot in his stomach. The bullet lodged in his abdomen and doctors decided not to remove it, said Sheriff Hillstead. Thomas Erickson is listed in good condition, Sheriff Hillstead added.
Phone calls to the Erickson residence on Monday to check on their status were not answered.
The incident that led to the Ericksons’ wounds began late Saturday evening. According to a press release from Sheriff Hillstead, the Sheriff’s Department was notified about 11:00 p.m. Saturday, August 1 of a home invasion at 640 Main Street in Wilson and that two persons had been shot.
Upon arrival, deputies found Thomas and Maria Erickson. “Thomas had sustained a gunshot wound to his abdomen and Maria had received a gunshot wound to her lower leg.” Deputies performed first aid until arrival of EMTs from Baldwin Ambulance Service. Both Ericksons were transported by ambulance to Regions.
According to the press release, “investigation revealed that at approximately 11:00 p.m., Maria and Thomas and their three-year-old child were asleep in the bedroom which is located in the basement of the house. Maria was awakened by the sounds of loud banging and a crashing sound. She awoke Thomas and they both left the bedroom and were confronted by a person at the bottom of the steps. “The subject was wearing a cap, had a mask on his face, camouflage pants and a black t-shirt with the word ‘Sheriff’ on it.” The subject pointed a rifle at them.
The subject said “Sheriff’s Department, get down on the ground,” the press release said. “The subject then ordered the Ericksons to give him the money and drugs.” Thomas and Maria began to question whether the subject was a law enforcement officer. “After some arguing, Thomas got off the floor and confronted the subject. The subject began to back up to the stairs and attempted to ascend them. At this point Thomas engaged him in a struggle half way up the stairs. Maria was at the bottom of the steps. During the struggle five shots were fired.”
One of the shots hit Maria in the leg and one shot hit Thomas in the abdomen. “Upon being shot, Thomas fell to the bottom of the steps.” Maria entered the downstairs bathroom and called 911. The man ran out the kitchen door.
The Sheriff’s Department press release said “examination of the scene and recovery of forensic evidence is consistent with the statements of the victims. The Eau Claire Leader-Telegram quotes St. Croix County Chief Deputy John Shilts as saying five .22 caliber rifle casings were found at the scene.
The statement by the Sheriff’s Department also said the child in the home was not injured. Sheriff Hillstead said the child is being taken care of by relatives and Maria is staying at the same residence, at least temporarily.
The immediate aftermath of the incident resulted in a search of the area, including with K-9 units, and with help for the St. Croix County Sheriff’s Department by the Dunn County Sheriff’s Department to secure the area and roads around Wilson, and the Wisconsin State Patrol with tracking. The State Patrol also used an airplane equipped with infrared cameras to search the area in and around Wilson. The search as of Monday afternoon has been unsuccessful.
Sheriff Hillstead noted that investigators are working on several promising leads in two areas. “We have some pretty good information that’s been developed today,” he said Monday, and investigators continue sifting through leads and interviewing people. He said the investigation process can be arduous for an incident that lasted only about five minutes, but he hopes the process will lead to getting the suspect off the street.
“Obviously, he’s a dangerous individual, a person who would knock a door down, was in a struggle and fire five shots.” At the same time, said Sheriff Hillstead, “we believe the attack was not random and that the person had either direct or indirect knowledge of Thomas Erickson’s activities so we do not think the general public should be overly concerned, but the suspect is a dangerous person and we want him off the street.”
The Leader-Telegram quotes Shilts as saying a small amount of marijuana was found in the residence. He said Maria had a good look at the man who was described as white, mostly bald with a two days growth of beard. He was about 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed between 150 and 180 pounds.
The news release said the public is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 1-715-381-4320 or St. Croix County Dispatch at 1-715-386-4701 or 684-2112 if they have information about the incident.

BAMC announces Clint Semrau, D.O. to medical staff

The Baldwin Area Medical Center announces the addition of a full-time general surgeon to the medical staff. Dr. Clint Semrau began seeing patients at BAMC on August 3.
Dr. Semrau is trained in general surgery with a special interest in minimally invasive/laparoscopic surgery. He attended medical school at Des Moines University in Iowa and completed his internship at the Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center in Lancaster, Pa. He then completed a General Surgery residency at Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital in Pontiac, Mich.
“This is a new era for Baldwin Area Medical Center,” states Alison Page, CEO. “Having a full-time surgeon on staff will result in better service to our patients. Dr. Semrau has been trained in the latest, non-invasive, surgical techniques which result in better outcomes and shorter recovery times for patients.”
BAMC is a community-based organization providing comprehensive health services to the communities of Baldwin, Woodville, Hammond and surrounding areas. Services include primary and specialty medical care, emergency care and inpatient services.
Dr. Semrau is excited to start his practice in the community of Baldwin. For more information or to make an appointment with Dr. Semrau

Dr. Price entering 40th year of dental practice in Baldwin

In August, Dr. Raymond Price, DDS, will mark a milestone few dentists reach: he will begin his 40th year of dental practice. He started his practice in Baldwin in August 1969.
Dr. Price graduated in the spring from dental school at the University of Nebraska, and just prior has passed his Wisconsin dental boards. One of his friends in dental school was married to a woman from Eau Claire and wanted to practice there. He interested Dr. Price in Wisconsin and a letter to the Wisconsin Dental Association provided information on communities that were searching for dentists. Among them was Baldwin, which had two dentists—Dr. Spears and Dr. Arnquist—who were both seeking to retire.
Dr. Price visited both dentists and received a warm welcome and an invitation to locate here.
He visited another area community in a neighboring state and received a less than cordial welcome and thus Baldwin it was.
Dr. Price, a Wyoming native, initially had his sight set on an engineering career. But the Vietnam War and the U.S. Army draft board interrupted his education and led to a change of course.
Dr. Price had completed two years of engineering school at the South Dakota School of Mines, but then had to take a year off in 1963 to work and save money to pay for further education. He checked with the draft board and was told he was down on the draft list and once he was back in school after a year off working he would again be eligible for a deferment. But he was surprised that November when he got a letter and was drafted. “There was no way I could avoid it,” he said.
Dr. Price got his physical. But then a twist was added: he was told he was eligible for counter-intelligence. But there was a catch: he had to enlist for three years instead of serving two years if drafted. “I thought initially, ‘I don’t want to be here in the first place and I’m not going to sign up for another year,’” he said. But after mulling the choice over, including the ability to wear civilian clothes and live in civilian housing, he changed his mind.
And that decision was the impetus that eventually led Dr. Price to a dental career which eventually led him to Baldwin.
After an interview and tests, Dr. Price was accepted into counter-intelligence. He went through basic training and counter-intelligence school in Maryland for five months. He was assigned to the 902 Intelligence Corps in Washington, D.C., primarily, he said, because he had completed two years of electrical engineering in college. Dr. Price’s assignment had a world-wide mission and he was located at Maryland for the remainder of his time in the Army except for an assignment of four months.
Dr. Price said that to be in the Intelligence Corps it was necessary to be at least 22 years old and have at least two years of college. “So it was a different group of people—older with more education,” he said. “That allowed me to work with a bunch of professionals and we didn’t have to do the usual military things, except for some security duty at first. It was more of an office job. I lived in an apartment and rode the bus to work.”
The Intelligence Corps “was a fun experience,” said Dr. Price. “The fact is that when it came time to get out, they gave me the re-up speech and I considered extending it to fall before I went back to college, and I thought about it but I didn’t.”
While in the Army, Dr. Price went in for a routine dental exam and the dentist—Captain Brown, Dr. Price remembers—asked what his plans for the future were. He also asked Dr. Price whether he considered being a dentist. Dr. Price said the answer was no and there were several reasons: 1. dental school was expensive; 2. dental school takes a lot of time; and 3. he was putting himself through school and didn’t have the money. Captain Brown said government loans were available for dental school, but still, Dr. Price said he wasn’t interested. But at a second dental exam later, Captain Brown asked the same questions.
“It was put in my mind two times” and Dr. Price went back to Wyoming to work in the engineering division at the Highway Department. He visited a library to learn more about dental school. He picked 10 dental schools and requested a catalogue from each. “As it turned out, the two that were the closest were the University of Nebraska and the University of Minnesota.” However, Minnesota had a large enrollment and Dr. Price was acquainted with another engineer at the Wyoming Highway Department who had a nephew in the pre-dentistry program at Nebraska who had a similar background to Dr. Price and he promoted the University of Nebraska. “So I decided, yes, I’d go to Nebraska. So the question was whether I’d be accepted and I applied and was accepted and the rest was history.”
Dr. Price said he remains partial to the University of Nebraska. “I got a really, really good education there. And today they’ve maintained their concept of what dentistry should be.”
Dr. Price needed another year of college at the pre-dentistry level before attending dental school. Then he had four more years of dental school. “One advantage I had was I was more mature and was a little older and had been around,” said Dr. Price. During his final year of dental school, the University instituted a pilot program stressing total patient care and Dr. Price and other older students were picked to participate. The program proved a success and was extended.
After Dr. Price graduated in 1969 he began his preparations for practice in Baldwin. He and his wife Jan first stayed in an apartment they rented from Wally and Anita TeGrootenhuis. He rented space in the building owned and used by Dr. Spears on Eighth Avenue for his practice. He ordered dental equipment, cabinets and supplies. “All of it came except the cabinets,” said Dr. Price. They were ordered from a dental speciality company whose workers were on strike. So, nearly ready to open his office, but without cabinets, he called Wevers Cabinet Shop and Clarence Wevers said he could build and install the same cabinets in a week, and he did, said Dr. Price. “So we were ready to open on August 4, 1969.
Both Dr. Spears and Dr. Arnquist practiced another year and then retired. Dr. Price was left the only dentist in the area and had more patients than he would deal with. “I had a six month waiting list,” he said. “I worked five days a week and Saturdays. One Saturday I worked from eight in the morning until nine at night. There were so many people and they knew that I was available.”
In 1972 Dr. Price received a call from Dr. Macfarlane. Dr. Macfarlane was a dentist practicing in St. Paul who saw a lady from Baldwin. He asked the lady why she came to St. Paul and was told she couldn’t get an appointment in Baldwin. Dr. Macfarlane called Dr. Price to ask if that was true and when told it was, Dr. Macfarlane came to Baldwin and rented from Dr. Spears in the same building. In the next several years new dentists also came to surrounding communities easing the shortage. “In a short period of time we went from me to four more dentists,” said Dr. Price.
Dr. Price said he was desirous of a new dental office so he engaged an architectural firm that specialized in dental offices to design one. Gene Nelson was hired to do the building and in 1978 Dr. Price moved into a new office on Eighth Avenue about six blocks south of his old office.
Dr. Price said dental school gave him a good fundamental education but he has always strived to keep learning. Not only to keep learning, he said, but “to keep learning from the best.” To do so he attends meetings and seminars and continues to advance his education.
Dr. Price said he has also been able to utilize his engineering background for his dental practice. “To this day I still design my own cases. I’m happy that is part of what I learned and part of what I do,” he said.
Dr. Price said he is skeptical of new techniques and materials until they have been proven. And in several instances his skepticism has been proved correct.
Corporate dentistry is a trend that Dr. Price said has more drawbacks than positives. As a positive he said it may allow some young dentists to break into practice and it may allow some patients the opportunity to see a dentist. But on the negative side, the bottom line with corporate dentistry is that profits come before the patient.
Retirement? Dr. Price said he has no thought of it at present. He said that for him to continue practicing he must continue to enjoy his work. “It has to be fun and exciting,” he said. And “I have to be able to deliver for my patients and have the skills to meet their needs. I don’t ever want to be a position where people say you don’t deliver the quality you used to.”
Dr. Price added that one trend today is shared practices in which “some people in my age group work less hard and have more time off.” That is something Dr. Price mentioned but did not rule out or endorse.

Page appointed to permanent position

Alison H. Page will serve as the permanent CEO of Baldwin Area Medical Center (BAMC) effective July 16. Julie Herman, Chair of the Board of Trustees announced the decision this week. Page, who has served as Interim CEO since January 15, has signed a three year contract with the Board of Trustees.
Page holds a Masters degree from the University of Minnesota in Healthcare Administration and was an administrator with the Fairview system in Minnesota from 1996 to 2008. “I am honored and excited to work with the Board of Trustees, the staff, and the communities served by BAMC, to ensure the people of this region have access to exceptional healthcare and service right here in Baldwin,” Page said.
The Board of Trustees will be working with Page and the medical staff to expand services in surgery and other specialty areas at BAMC. Over twenty-five specialists work regularly in Baldwin with the seven primary care providers based at the medical center. In addition, the Medical Center provides a wide array of necessary outpatient healthcare services like Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab, Physical and Occupational Therapy, Laboratory, X-Ray, CT, MRI, Nuclear Medicine, Chemotherapy, among many other local services. Baldwin Area Medical Center works with a variety of specialty care physician providers from the surrounding geographic region to offer local access to necessary specialty referral services.
Baldwin Area Medical Center is a community-based health care organization providing comprehensive health services to the communities of Baldwin, Woodville, Hammond, and surrounding areas. Services include primary and specialty medical care, emergency care, and inpatient services. BAMC employs over 240 people, making it one of the largest employers in the region.
Page can be reached at 715-684-8615. The Medical Center’s Board of Trustees, the Medical Staff and the employee’s are very proud to be “Your Trusted Health and Wellness Partner”.

Man gets prison for killing girlfriend

A 30-year-old St. Paul man originally charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the shooting death of a woman in the St. Croix County Government Center parking lot was sentenced last week to 35 years in prison after being convicted of a lesser charge.
Christopher Soriano Ledesma pleaded no contest and was found guilty of second-degree intentional homicide. Judge Eric Lundell sentenced Ledesma to prison followed by 25 years of extended supervision.
The prison sentence will run consecutive to a five-year prison sentence Ledesma was given in Minnesota for a conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm and to a six-year prison sentence he was given June 25 in St. Croix County for violating probation conditions stemming from a first-degree reckless injury conviction in June 1996.
Ledesma was convicted in the September 20 shooting death of Kelly Lynn Dahm, 19, of Maplewood, Minn. He killed Dahm, an on-again, off-again girlfriend, by shooting her multiple times in a car registered to Ledesma in the government center’s upper parking lot.

County Fair is this weekend

The St. Croix County Fair kicks off at the Glenwood City Fairgrounds this Thursday, July23 and continues through Sunday. The fair starts at 10:45 a.m. Thursday with a Flag Raising and Opening Ceremony in Memorial Gardens (Near Croix Court). The Horse pull starts at 6:30 p.m. and the Fairest of the Fair Coronation starts at 8 p.m. The Alzen Family Blue Grass Band will perform at 8:30 p.m.
A fun-packed Friday begins the Kiddie tractor pull at 1:30 p.m. The WSCA Open Game Show and Championship Pulling Series Tractor and Truck Pull are at 6 p.m. The 4H/FFA Meat Animal Auction is at 6:30. Battle of the Bands starts at 7 p.m. and S&S Entertainment, Karaoke will be at the Beer Garden starting at 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Saturday starts out with ATV Mud Races at 11 a.m. The Draft Horse Hitch show starts and 4 p.m. 4x4 Mud Races and Team Penning/Sorting Tournament both start at 7 p.m. The Memories Vocal Group will perform at 8:30 p.m.
A non-denominational church service at 9 a.m. starts the Sunday events. Mud volleyball and Antique Tractor Pull start at 11 a.m. Ole & Elmer at 11:15 a.m. The Willow River Players perform at 12:15 p.m. and the Local Talent Show starts at 1 p.m.
Free entertainment on the stage will take place throughout the weekend as well as a petting zoo and pony rides.

From the Exchanges
   Interesting News Items from
      Surrounding Communities

THE SUN (OSCEOLA): Issues with the federal economic stimulus package are causing delays to facility improvements at the county-owned Golden Age Manor nursing home in Amery. While bids for replacing windows at Golden Age Manor came in lower than expected, county board chairman/administrative coordinator Bryan Beseler will hold off on seeking county board approval for the window replacement project until it is known whether or not the county’s application for stimulus package money is approved or rejected. Beseler and county finance director Tonya Weinert said that if the county were to begin the window replacement project before being awarded stimulus package money it would no longer be eligible for such federal funding for energy efficiency. Bids for the window replacement project ranged from $138,353 to $199,800. At its April meeting the county board authorized a grant application for new windows and a new roof, as well as the purchase of new carpeting for some of the building, with some of the nursing home’s 2008 profits to be used to purchase carpeting. Weinert said the deadline for stimulus package grant applications has been pushed back a full month, to the end of July. That means applications won’t be acted on until August, at the earliest. No bids were received for the carpeting, which now will be re-bid. Since it will take at least six weeks after ordering for the carpet to arrive, Golden Age Manor’s maintenance supervisor John Johnson said it appears it will be impossible to have the new carpeting in place by the time Golden Age Manor holds its 50th anniversary celebration Aug. 30.

MONDOVI HERALD-NEWS: An injured man was found lying in the middle of the road in the Town of Naples early last Friday morning. The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call at approximately 2:15 a.m. from an individual who came upon the man lying on County Rd. HH just west of Alleman Rd. The injured man was identified as Christopher M. Nelson, 38, and was transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire with numerous injuries. Investigation is continuing on the incident.

BURNETT COUNTY SENTINEL: Bonnie Niemi said it best Wednesday night. "I think it would be a crime if we don't take advantage of this grant opportunity," she said.
At issue was the community development block grant (CDBG) the Village of Webster was considering applying for on behalf of the library board for improvements to the library. Niemi is with the Friends of the Burnett Community Library in Webster. Webster trustee Tim Maloney agreed. "I don't think this opportunity will come around again," he said. "I think people will be generous once we get the ball rolling," resident Marie Bremer added. Some in attendance were worried there isn't enough money in the current building fund. "There's still an on-going campaign to raise money," Maloney pointed out. "We don't necessarily have to move forward with what we have in hand." For her part, library board president Laura Rachford said none of the businesses in town have been approached for funds, but her plans include touching base with them. "We will be seeking project donations," she said. "As we have a better plan, we feel people will have a better idea for what we are trying to do." She wasn't alone in that thinking.

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: It’s not marriage, but some say it’s marriage-like. There will be a waiting period and a fee, but no ceremony needed. In a couple of weeks, same-sex couples in Wisconsin will be allowed to declare domestic partnerships and take advantage of some of the rights and benefits extended to married. County clerks around the state are preparing to accept domestic partnership declaration applications starting August 3. The Domestic Partnership Law was included in the 2009-10 state budget signed by Gov. Jim Doyle June 29. The budget also includes domestic partner benefits for state employees. The application process, said St. Croix County Clerk Cindy Campbell, will be similar to applying for a marriage license. At least one of the applicants must have lived in the county for 30 days or longer, both must be of the same sex and at least 18, neither may be married or in another domestic partnership, the two must share a residence and they must not be nearer of kin than second cousins. Applicants must apply in person and there will be a five-day waiting period. Once the application is signed, it must be recorded with the county register of deeds. Campbell said she has no idea how many same-sex couples will register partnerships locally. She said Dane County, a larger county that already recognizes domestic partnerships has been registering about 30 a year. Under the new law, about 40 of the more than 200 rights and benefits extended to married couples will apply to domestic partners. Those include allowing domestic partners to take family and medical leave to care for a seriously ill partner, make end-of-life decisions, inherit the partner’s estate in the absence of a will had have hospital visitation rights.

Cheri Morton combines her passions at Pine Lake Pastures

Cheri Morton leads a horse with Peyton, who has several disabilities and who is held by her daughter Hannah. Riding a horse has several benefits to children, including a calming effect and help with walking.

Cheri Morton has passion. She has a passion for helping people. She has a passion for horses. And at her small ranch north of Baldwin—”Pine Lake Pastures”—she combines her passions in a way that helps people and horses.
Four times weekly Morton’s family along with volunteer coordinator Nikke Hafemeyer and a host of volunteers, hold horse rides for children with special needs. In July there will be a total of 42 visits to the farm from families with a child, teen or loved one who has special needs. These special needs range from autism, Asperger syndrome, cerebral palsy (CP) to traumatic brain injury (TBI). There isn’t an age limitation to riding at Pine Lake Pastures—the youngest is about two years old and the oldest rider is a wonderful young woman of 38 years who has Down syndrome.
Saturday morning’s session featured a special treat with music from the McKinley family playing guitar and electric piano and singing. “We don’t have that for every session,” said Cheri.
When asked why horseback riding was beneficial, she replied that “the motion of the horse is calming, and the horse’s gait is the most similar to that of a human’s gait so it helps with walking.” A teen diagnosed with TBI rides every Saturday morning, said Cheri. When he first arrived at the farm months ago, it was in a wheelchair and now he is only using a cane. They believe that the horseback riding, along with his strong will, has contributed to his great success. “Horseback riding also opens up the diaphragm,” continued Cheri. “and therefore it helps with speech development. We have a lot of nonverbal children speak while riding a horse, sometimes for the very first time. It’s very exciting.”
Cheri said most of her clients come from St. Croix County but some also come from the Twin Cities area including Burnsville and Brooklyn Center because other programs located closer to them are filled and have waiting lists of up to 150 people. The sessions are scheduled for Tuesday evenings, Friday mornings and two times Saturdays. “We do it for no charge,” said Morton. To help defray the cost of the sessions and caring for the horses, Morton also gives horse riding lessons. In addition, Morton provides horse rescues. “We don’t go searching for rescues,” she noted. “They come to us.”
Special education departments of Hudson, Boyceville and numerous other schools have discovered the peaceful atmosphere of Pine Lake Pastures and visit the farm for their annual end-of-the-year field trips. “They are small groups and come to the farm for only an hour or two, but they have a wonderful day and enjoy the riding,” said Morton.
Morton said a goal of the program is to update the metal-sided barn on the property so the therapy sessions can continue through the winter without having to walk in the snow. She is always grateful for donations and volunteers are appreciated. She added that if people have “bomb-proof” (she said horse people will know what that term means) horses, they are welcome to bring them to help out. Currently, the program relies on four of Cheri’s horses that don’t spook: Chaun, Rocky, Diamond and Sam.
Pine Lake Pasture’s program started out with just Cheri, her husband Tom and their four daughters but it has now expanded to about 25 volunteers. Coordinating the volunteers is the job of Nikke Hafemeyer of New Richmond, who also boards her horse at the ranch. She said she started as a volunteer but moved on to scheduling. “I find it rewarding. I like to come to the therapy sessions and be back-up if necessary. It’s nice to help out and you really see the difference in the kids. Some were non-verbal but started speaking. When you see the difference it’s like Wow!”
Anyone interested in helping out with the program can contact Cheri or Nikke. Nikke said even people who haven’t been around horses are welcome to join and that Pine Lake Pastures offers training on how to be a volunteer. “You start as a volunteer and then develop a passion for it,” said Nikke.
You can contact Cheri or Nikke through their website at www.pinelakepastures.com.

Peace Lutheran group gardens

Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers (two kinds), zucchini, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi…the list finishes at the end.
A group of Peace Lutheran members has a large garden planted behind the church for the benefit of an area family located through the St. Croix Valley Family Resource Center.
But the garden has more benefits than to just that sponsored family. It can be a lot of work, explained gardener Joy Grognet, “but it is also a form of fellowship.” She added that “we enjoy it. Playing in the dirt can be therapeutic.”
The dozen or so gardeners gather once a week—late Sunday afternoon, or on Monday in the alternative—to weed, water and take care of the growing produce.
As a money-making venture to raise funds to pay for the expenses of the garden, and also to help pay for a garden shed that will soon be built, the group has a large pumpkin patch and sells the pumpkins in the fall. They also have a large sweet corn field which is planted with machinery.
Duane Newton does the spring tilling and plants the corn for the group.
The gardening group was recently the recipients of a donated tiller by the Hostvet family.
The group tries to use environmentally friendly practices including straw bale gardening which seems to be working and watering the plants with the use of timers. The group also had a donation of old carpet and they cut some up into strips and use it between the rows of vegetables to keep the weeds down. But cutting the carpet up into strips is a big job and not all the carpet is cut up yet. Another practice they have employed is weed burning, which proved to be a huge time saver.
The proceeds from the pumpkin sales will be used for the planned garden shed, which will be shared. The group is also open to donations of equipment and supplies and they have an area for people to have their own garden plot if they’re in a situation where they don’t have ground for their own.
The group is also open to new members but each member must make a firm commitments to be present at the weekly sessions. There is also a $20 fee which is used to help defray expenses.
Members of the gardening group include: Pastor John Hanson, Molly Lindus, Joy Grognet, John Vrieze, Gloria Rasmussen, Pam Vrieze, Kerri Stiller, Cyn Niebeling, Barb Hanson, Nancy Rowe and Jackie Arati.
…Oh, and the end of the list: peas, beans, beets, radishes, carrots, sweet potato, potato, onions, lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard and rutabaga.

From the Exchanges

  Interesting News Items from

    Surrounding Communities

THE SUN (OSCEOLA): Issues with the federal economic stimulus package are causing delays to facility improvements at the county-owned Golden Age Manor nursing home in Amery. While bids for replacing windows at Golden Age Manor came in lower than expected, county board chairman/administrative coordinator Bryan Beseler will hold off on seeking county board approval for the window replacement project until it is known whether or not the county’s application for stimulus package money is approved or rejected. Beseler and county finance director Tonya Weinert said that if the county were to begin the window replacement project before being awarded stimulus package money it would no longer be eligible for such federal funding for energy efficiency. Bids for the window replacement project ranged from $138,353 to $199,800. At its April meeting the county board authorized a grant application for new windows and a new roof, as well as the purchase of new carpeting for some of the building, with some of the nursing home’s 2008 profits to be used to purchase carpeting. Weinert said the deadline for stimulus package grant applications has been pushed back a full month, to the end of July. That means applications won’t be acted on until August, at the earliest. No bids were received for the carpeting, which now will be re-bid. Since it will take at least six weeks after ordering for the carpet to arrive, Golden Age Manor’s maintenance supervisor John Johnson said it appears it will be impossible to have the new carpeting in place by the time  

MONDOVI HERALD-NEWS: An injured man was found lying in the middle of the road in the Town of Naples early last Friday morning. The Buffalo County Sheriff’s Department received a 911 call at approximately 2:15 a.m. from an individual who came upon the man lying on County Rd. HH just west of Alleman Rd. The injured man was identified as Christopher M. Nelson, 38, and was  transported to Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire with numerous injuries. Investigation is continuing on the incident.

BURNETT COUNTY SENTINEL: Bonnie Niemi said it best Wednesday night. "I think it would be a crime if we don't take advantage of this grant opportunity," she said. At issue was the community development block grant (CDBG) the Village of Webster was considering applying for on behalf of the library board for improvements to the library. Niemi is with the Friends of the Burnett Community Library in Webster. Webster trustee Tim Maloney agreed. "I don't think this opportunity will come around again," he said. "I think people will be generous once we get the ball rolling," resident Marie Bremer added. Some in attendance were worried there isn't enough money in the current building fund. "There's still an on-going campaign to raise money," Maloney pointed out. "We don't necessarily have to move forward with what we have in hand." For her part, library board president Laura Rachford said none of the businesses in town have been approached for funds, but her plans include touching base with them. "We will be seeking project donations," she said. "As we have a better plan, we feel people will have a better idea for what we are trying to do." She wasn't alone in that thinking.

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: It’s not marriage, but some say it’s marriage-like. There will be a waiting period and a fee, but no ceremony needed. In a couple of weeks, same-sex couples in Wisconsin will be allowed to declare domestic partnerships and take advantage of some of the rights and benefits extended to married. County clerks around the state are preparing to accept domestic partnership declaration applications starting August 3. The Domestic Partnership Law was included in the 2009-10 state budget signed by Gov. Jim Doyle June 29. The budget also includes domestic partner benefits for state employees. The application process, said St. Croix County Clerk Cindy Campbell, will be similar to applying for a marriage license. At least one of the applicants must have lived in the county for 30 days or longer, both must be of the same sex and at least 18, neither may be married or in another domestic partnership, the two must share a residence and they must not be nearer of kin than second cousins. Applicants must apply in person and there will be a five-day waiting period. Once the application is signed, it must be recorded with the county register of deeds. Campbell said she has no idea how many same-sex couples will register partnerships locally. She said Dane County, a larger county that already recognizes domestic partnerships has been registering about 30 a year. St. Croix Under the new law, about 40 of the more than 200 rights and benefits extended to married couples will apply to domestic partners. Those include allowing domestic partners to take family and medical leave to care for a seriously ill partner, make end-of-life decisions, inherit the partner’s estate in the absence of a will had have hospital visitation rights.

Band first at Edgar parade

The Baldwin-Woodville Marching Blackhawks placed first among marching bands in the Edgar parade held Sunday, June, 28. There were four other bands in the parade. In addition to winning the best overall band, the Blackhawks received awards for best percussion and best drum major.
The Blackhawks have two parades left in the summer marching season. Their drill camp is August 3-7.

Kind addressed full house

U.S. Congressman Ron Kind, who represents Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District, was in Hudson at the St. Croix County Government Center where he drew a full house to the St. Croix County Board Room. Kind discussed his “small business agenda” and some steps that are being taken to help small businesses through the current recession. According to literature available at the meeting, Kind is advocating affordable healthcare including deductibility of health insurance premiums by self-employed individuals and the Small Business Health Options Program that would provide federal tax incentives and encourage states to harmonize their insurance laws so that small business can pool together to purchase health insurance.
Kind also advocates modernizing small business rules under the S Corporation Modernization Act and making it easier for small businesses to offer savings plans to their employees.

YOF left for Guatemala June 30

Ten members of Peace Lutheran Church's youth group, "Youth On Fire," and nine adults left early Tuesday morning, June 30, for an eight-day mission trip to Guatemala. They will do some clean up, repair, painting and landscape work at a church and park in Retalhulau, Guatemala. They will also take a DVD projector purchased for the church. In Tulate, about an hour from Retalhuleu, they will donate chairs for their worship space. If time permits they will also be doing some much needed work on a public school in that community.
They have also prepared a short service with songs and skits to perform at a public school, a school for Down Syndrome children and adults and an AIDS hospital, as well as both churches. Thanks to the generosity of this community and the fellow parishoners at Peace and area churches, they have many suitcases full of shoes, coloring books, school supplies, tote bags, Frisbees, soccer balls, toothbrushes and toothpaste and many other items to distribute to the more than 400 children and adults they will meet there.
The idea for this trip started in 2007, when the Kevin Knutson family, of Baldwin, and the Roger Humphrey family, of Woodville, hosted exchange students from Guatemala. The two families worked with the program "Friends Around the World" based in Minnesota. Both Juan Pablo Coloma and Jose Juan Ucles attended school at B-W High School and the LOGOS program at Peace. They also participated in Youth on Fire. The group has been working closely with Juan Pablo's church in Retalhuleu to make this trip happen. When they land in Guatemala City the group will meet Jose Juan, he will travel with them and participate in the mission work in that community. In a subsequent trip back to Woodville last December, Jose helped the group with a fundraiser at Culver's.
According to the U.S. State Department website, Guatemala has about 71% literacy. Many homes consist of sheet metal walls and roofs with dirt floors. Near where the group is staying are ancient Mayan ruins which they will also get an opportunity to visit.
The Youth On Fire would like to thank the community and the members of Peace Lutheran for all their support in their fundraising efforts. Through the sale of gourmet, fresh-roasted coffee, a garage sale during June Bug Days, a quilt raffle and Culver’s fundraisers they have raised enough money to bless the people in Guatemala in many ways. Thanks are also extended to those individuals and organizations who have donated items to be taken to Guatemala.

From the Exchanges
  Interesting News Items from
    Surrounding Communities

HUDSON STAR OBSERVER: Victoria Bear may be coming home in a few days rather than spending four more years in state prison. Last week an appeals court found a St. Croix County judge exceeded his authority by effectively revoking the former Hudson woman’s probation before she began serving a year-long jail term for causing the death of Michael Strauch, Hudson. Her attorney, James R. Johnson, said that Bear is ready to move to the next phase of her probation, which involves finding a job so she can pay $17,000 in restitution and performing 200 hours community service. In the spring of 2008, Bear, 58, pleaded no contest to homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle for causing the death of Strauch Sept. 23, 2007. On July 2, 2008, Judge Eric Lundell placed Bear on probation for five years and ordered her to serve a year in the county jail. She would have had work-release privileges. But on July 8, the day before Bear was to report to jail, she was observed drinking with her ex-husband, Peter Bear, at a restaurant in Woodbury, Minn. Police there were called, and Victoria Bear’s blood alcohol level tested at 0.13. Ten days later, Judge Lundell vacated the original sentenced and re-sentenced Bear to five years in prison and five years extended supervision. During resentencing, Lundell acknowledged that he didn’t have authority to revoke Bears probation but said the drinking incident constituted a “new factor” and justified resentencing.

OSCEOLA SUN: The Osceola Chamber of Commerce/Main Street Board may soon be without a chamber director. At the Osceola Village Board meeting Tuesday, the board voted, in legally closed session, to terminate its cooperative funding agreement with the Chamber to provide for the Chamber director position. The agreement will end August 22. Under the terms of the agreement, the Village provides a staff position, facilities, equipment and funding for one-third of the director position, while the Chamber board funds the other two-thirds. The director works about 13-hours per week on Village projects under the agreement. Funding is the Village’s primary concern in making the decision, Osceola Village Administrator Neil Soltis said. Soltis said the Village’s Administration and Finance Committee recently undertook a concerted effort to reduce expenses and conserve its capital fund balance. “This is a step in that direction,” Soltis said.

PIERCE COUNTY HERALD: Findings of the Klass-Jonas Pool Committee formed by the Ellsworth School District have some heads swimming over the pool’s future. Committee members told the local school board last month they tend to favor continuing the current pool operation while working toward installing a permanent structure atop the facility and adding a fitness center. Yet, part of the area public is apparently reluctant to give up summertime outdoor swimming at the site, adjacent to the middle school. A number of residents also reportedly believe closing the pool could help ease the school district’s budget woes. However, the bulk of the pool’s operation comes from a school fund with a separate tax levy, outside the district’s general fund, and any savings realized from the former aren’t transferable to the latter. Meantime, the life expectancy of the present dome over the pool is estimated to be five-to-seven years at the most. But SDS Architects’ input shows the facility can’t be left uncovered and shut down in the winter without risking damage to it.

MONDOVI HERALD-NEWS: Alma is claiming breach of contract by the engineering company it hired to design plans and specifications for a dredging and boat landing project in the Mississippi River backwaters. The city council is seeking repayment of project money from Vierbicher Associates, Inc., of Reedsburg, Wis., and authorized hiring a hydrologist to survey dredged waters and compared findings with engineering plans. The council also wants an engineering hydrologist to measure and inspect grade of a new boat ramp facility and compare it to plans drafted by Vierbicher. Nearly $800,000 in local, state and federal funding was spent on a 2008 dredging and boat ramp project to open a boating channel through the Beef Slough and Buffalo River basin to provide an access route to the main channel of the Mississippi River at Alma. The narrow passage through the slough was opened to boating traffic in October and had to be closed this spring because of sand and silt build up. Plans called for a 5-foot channel depth with a couple of 100-foot long sediment traps dredged to depths of 10 feet. Recent inspections by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources found average channel depths of only 12 to 18 inches.

Water leak fixed

            A water leak discovered about 2:00 a.m. Monday was found and fixed by mid-afternoon Monday by members of the Baldwin village crew with help from Joe Anderson of Anderson Excavating and the Village of Hammond.

           The leak revealed itself just a few feet north of the railroad tracks on Sixth Avenue, raising fears that a crack in the main under the tracks, or even on the other side of the tracks, could be causing the leak. However, after digging in the vicinity of where the water reached the surface, a corroded connection was discovered and replaced with parts that were borrowed from the Village of Hammond.

 

DeMotts credited with save in 9-6 West win

             Baldwin-Woodville’s ace pitcher Dylan DeMotts is credited with a save in the West’s 9-6 win over South in the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association All-Star series. DeMotts came into the West/South game Saturday in the fourth inning and gave up three hits and no runs while striking out three and walking none.

            In hitting, DeMotts was 0-2 with a walk.

            In the game, the West scored six runs in the third, capped by a bases loaded triple by LaCrosse Central’s Drew Ghelfi, giving them a 7-6 lead. But, after West had at least one error from the second through seventh, the one-run lead didn’t seem safe. But LaCrosse Aquinas’ Bobby Kachel hit a two run homer over the left center field fence to make it 9-6 and give West breathing room.

            In the seventh, DeMotts faced bases loaded with no outs, but he worked his way out of the situation.

            The All-Star series is played by 72 of the state’s best seniors at Oshkosh. Among DeMotts’ fellow players were Trevor Morning of Bloomer, Joe Effertz of Ladysmith, who has been drafted, and Josh Meade of Hayward. “It is an honor to be selected,” said Grey Hush, Dylan’s high school coach. “Many of the kids on the teams willplay Division 1 college ball or have been drafted by major league baseball. It’s good experience.”

Crews continue to repair pavement blowups on I-94 in St. Croix County

         The high temperatures last week caused areas of pavement to buckle on I-94 near Hudson. On Tuesday county crews will be making additional repairs to the interstate, just east of Carmichael Road’s westbound off ramp to a blow-up that occurred last Friday.

         Beginning around 9 a.m., the right two lanes of west bound I-94 at milepost two will be closed while crews make temporary repairs to the roadway. They are expected to be there until approximately 3 p.m. County crews will make permanent repairs to the area after the fourth of July holiday weekend.

         Motorists should also be aware of the Move Over Law in Wisconsin. The law requires drivers to shift lanes or slow down in order to provide a "safety zone" for a squad car, ambulance, fire truck, tow truck or highway maintenance vehicle that is stopped on the side of a road with its warning lights flashing.

 Public information meetings scheduled for St. Croix River Crossing project

          The Minnesota and Wisconsin Departments of Transportation (Mn/DOT, WisDOT) will hold two public informational meetings to update the public on the St. Croix River Crossing project.

         Both meetings will follow the same format with an open house from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Staff from Mn/DOT and WisDOT and consultant staff will be on hand to address questions and share information about the project status. Comment cards will also be provided for attendees to submit written statements. There will be no formal presentations.

         The Minnesota open house is Wednesday, July 15, 5-7 p.m. at the Stillwater Area High School, 5701 Stillwater Blvd North, Stillwater.

         The Wisconsin open house is Thursday, July 16, 5-7 p.m. at Somerset High School, 645 Sunset Drive, Somerset.

         The meeting sites are handicapped accessible. Hearing impaired individuals may request special accommodations by calling Mn/DOT at 651-582-1176 or WisDOT (TDD) at 7-1-1.

         Next steps for the project include the development of the bridge design and construction criteria in preparation for a 2013 letting. To accomplish this, the project team will be performing technical studies to analyze the bridge depicted in the Visual Quality Manual, examining the constructability of the structure and developing detailed construction cost estimates.

         Additional information about the project is available from Amber Blanchard, (651) 366-4529, Todd Clarkowski, (651) 234-7714 at the Minnesota Department of Transportation and Paul Conlin, (715) 833-5364 at the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. Information regarding the St. Croix River Crossing is also available at the project website: www.dot.state.mn.us/metro/projects/stcroix.

From the Exchanges

  Interesting News Items from

     Surrounding Communities

SUN-ARGUS (THE GATEWAY TO PIERCE COUNTY): It was the annual ‘Sleep Under’ week-end Friday, Saturday and Sunday before last at Crystal Cave and this year there were about 25 spelunkers from the Minnesota Speleological Society. The spelunkers broke up into a couple of different work groups and dug at a couple of ongoing excavation sites on the Crystal Cave property. One is the Tree Fork and another is called south Portal, it was at Tree Fork that perennial spelunker “Digger Dave” made the link to the main Crystal Cave from this auxiliary cave. This year after working the South Portal for about two years “Digger Dave” with the help of the other volunteer spelunkers has excavated to another series of large rooms and given the large amount of air flow coming from inside the area of the dig is convinced that more open areas will be encountered in the near future.

MONDOVI HERALD-NEWS: A tentative plea agreement in a Buffalo County felony 4-H theft case was postponed because of disputes over the amounts of restitution owed for money allegedly stolen by the former treasurer of the organization. A defense attorney for 56-year-old John L. Gehrke of Mondovi said Gehrke wasn’t going to enter a plea or respond to the state’s plea offer until the restitution issue was resolved. A felony complaint accuses Gehrke of stealing more than $21,000 from club accounts while serving as treasurer of the Buffalo County 4-H Leaders Association, a non-profit group that raises money for 4-H youth programs. Gehrke is accused of stealing funds by making cash withdrawals and writing checks made out to cash or issued to his business, Gehrke Floral of Mondovi, or the Mondovi Church Softball League, of which he also served as treasurer. Gehrke’s defense attorney, Michael Cohen of Eau Claire and Buffalo County District Attorney Tom Clark clashed over the amount of restitution Gehrke would pay in a proposed plea agreement. Cohen said Gehrke disagreed with the numbers and wasn’t going to pay back more restitution than what was owed. Some of the money has already been returned, according to Cohen.

RIVER FALLS JOURNAL: A school bus driver with 21 years of experience was fired last week by the school board for failing to report an “accident” on Wednesday morning, May 6. The driver, Ruth Joy Anderson, a city of River Falls resident has appealed the termination. A still-to-be named state arbiter is expected to handle the case in a hearing this summer. According to the school district. Anderson had two four-year-old children in her bus. She was on her way to pick up a third to take them to Rocky Branch Elementary for an early childhood program there for “special needs” students. Driving a 36-passenger bus, Anderson was east-bound on Co. Rd. M between Meadows Drive and Liberty Road (just uphill from the golf course). It’s believed her speed had not quite reached the 55 mph posted limit. Anderson would claim a dog ran in her path. She swerved and braked to avoid it. Her bus – spinning 180 degrees – apparently crossed the center line three times, going into shoulders on both sides and hitting a mailbox before ending in a residential driveway on the opposite side form the east-bound lane she was traveling. Her two four-year-olds were still strapped in their seats and unharmed. Anderson herself was not hurt. She allegedly didn’t radio what happened to the bus garage but kept going to get the other children and then dropped them all off at Rocky Branch. It’s alleged that she made no mention of the incident to the teacher of the special needs students. There were three witnesses to the accident. One phoned the school district right away. School Transportation Supervisor Ron Weishaar immediately went to the accident scene for an inspection. Anderson returned to the bus garage, but allegedly said nothing about her close call. She had gone to her car when Weishaar returned. At that point he asked her about what had occurred on her bus route that morning.