Shawano Leader News
Public Record
Shawano Police Department
April 16
Police logged 24 incidents, including the following:
Theft — A GPS unit was reported stolen from a vehicle in the 200 block of East Fifth Street.
Trespass — Police responded to a trespassing complaint in the 700 block of South Main Street.
Theft — Lebakken’s, 1200 E. Green Bay St., reported two separate complaints of rented property that was not returned.
Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint in the 1800 block of Estates Lane.
Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 300 block of East Maurer Street.
Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious person complaint in the 1100 block of East Richmond Street.
Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem in the 700 block of East Center Street.
Shawano County Sheriff’s Department
April 16
Deputies logged 35 incidents, including the following:
Reckless Driving — Authorities responded to a reckless driving complaint on state Highway 29 in Richmond.
Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on County Road A in Bowler.
Fraud — Authorities investigated a fraud complaint on Webb Street in Birnamwood.
Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on High Line Road in Hartland.
Juvenile — Authorities responded to a juvenile problem on Hemlock Road in Wittenberg.
Accidents — Authorities logged two minor accidents.
Clintonville Police Department
April 16
Police logged 10 incidents, including the following:
OAR — A driver was arrested for operating after revocation after a traffic stop on Hemlock at Ninth Street.
Accidents — A minor accident report completed for a two vehicle-accident at Sixth and Main streets.
Juvenile — Warnings were issued to three juveniles for malicious mischief at Riverwalk Park.
Bail Jumping — A felony bail jumping complaint was under investigation.
Rate this article: Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5 No votes yetJerky that makes your tongue sing
Lee Pulaski, [email protected]
Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski Lora and Mike Nitschke, owners of Mike’s Country Meats, lay out strips of beef in one of the early steps of making their jerky. Mike’s Country Meats opened in Tigerton last month in a facility nine times bigger than its previous location in Campbellsport.
Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski Some of the finished hot Jamaican beef jerky that Mike’s Country Meats makes sits in a plastic tub waiting for packaging. Lora and Mike Nitschke say it takes at least a day to process the jerky and get it just right.
Shawano County is known for its agriculture, its barn quilts and its lakes.
Now, the county can claim “Wisconsin’s Number One Jerky” on its turf.
Mike’s Country Meats, which makes a variety of the dehydrated meat snacks and other animal-based products, moved into its new home in Tigerton in March, and owners Mike and Lora Nitschke are working to turn a former veneer factory into a meat processing plant and retail shop.
Besides bringing a new selection of meat products to the county, the Nitschkes also bring the potential for up to 20 jobs at their facility.
The decision to move the processing operation from Campbellsport was spurred by an inability to expand at its existing facility, a home operation that started in 1984 as a wild game processing area behind the Nitschkes’ house.
“We started up in our garages. We didn’t have a fridge or freezer, but we had a cooler, and all we did was process deer,” Lora Nitschke said. “Then we saved up money, and he bought equipment. We built a plant specifically for deer processing.”
She said their deer hunters wanted the Nitschkes to make venison sausage, so they became state certified, which allowed them to branch out into other meats as well.
Mike Nitschke grew up around meat processing and knew he wanted to run his own business someday. He worked construction to help pay the bills when he wasn’t processing deer meat, but when Lora was laid off from her job, they decided it was time to try and make a go of it full time.
“I always liked it. It was neat,” Mike Nitschke said.
Once the Nitschkes were able to focus their energies on meat processing, they started to perfect their beef jerky. Mike Nitschke noted that there was a lot of trial and error to make the jerky stand out from other products.
“My sons were in high school, and their buddies were the guinea pigs,” Lora Nitschke added. “They always tasted the jerky and let us know which was good and which was bad and what we should do different. That’s how we perfected our jerky.”
Mike’s Country Meats produces a regular jerky, hot Jamaican jerky and pepper beef jerky. The Nitschkes recently added a jerky flavored with ghost peppers, which are made in Bangladesh and considered to be the world’s hottest pepper.
The Nitschkes are looking at adding at least two more different flavors to their repertoire.
“This is only our fourth week here, and right now we’re in supply-and-demand on our jerky. We were a little backed up on our orders,” Lora Nitschke said, noting that the operation was completely shut down for three weeks in the beginning of March as she and her husband moved everything to Tigerton.
When it became clear that the operation needed to grow to keep up with an ever-increasing demand, the Nitschkes began looking for a new place for “Wisconsin’s Number One Jerky.” The home operation was in a 1,500-square-foot building with only enough room for seven employees, and it was not possible to expand or come up with other products besides the beef jerky.
After not finding much support in Fond du Lac County, the Nitschkes decided to expand the search for a new home. In May 2013, the Nitschkes learned a building was for sale in Tigerton, and the rest is history.
“The village put a nice (incentive) package together, and we’ve found Shawano County very receptive to what we wanted to do,” Mike Nitschke said.
More than a year of renovations have gone into the building, making it suitable for meat processing. A retail store will be part of the building, which the Nitschkes hope to open in a month.
The Nitschkes have a handful of local employees, along with family members, working at the facility. They hope to have 15 to 20 workers by the time they have the building fully operational this summer.
Mike’s Country Meats distributes its products over three-fourths of the state, according to Lora Nitschke. She and her husband are working through the process to set up interstate distribution.
With the new facility at almost 14,000 square feet, the Nitschkes won’t have to worry about building another facility for some time.
“It was either get bigger or get out,” Mike Nitschke said. “We’re not ready to retire yet, and we’ve met a lot of nice people up here.”
AT A GLANCE
WHAT: Mike’s Country Meats
WHO: Mike and Lora Nitschke, owners
WHERE: 800 County Road M, Tigerton
PHONE: 715-535-4741
WEBSITE: www.mikescountrymeats.com
Rate this article: Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5 No votes yetParents speak against start time proposal
Lee Pulaski, [email protected]
A public forum regarding school start times in the Shawano School District was sparsely attended Thursday, but many of the dozen people present made it clear that the committee recommendation to push the times back 30 minutes for all schools was not palatable.
Under the ad-hoc committee recommendation, school would start at 8 a.m., instead of 7:30 a.m., for high school and middle school students. The elementary schools would start at 8:45 a.m. instead of 8:15 a.m.
Much of the committee’s motivation behind the change was to help high school and middle school students. Research showed that once children reach adolescence, they typically fall asleep around 11 p.m. and wake up around 8 a.m. — and are less prepared to learn early in the morning.
The committee also recommended keeping two separate bus runs before and after school. Having all the schools start at the same time would require an additional six buses and would increase annual transportation costs by about $200,000.
Research done on the other schools in CESA 8 showed that Shawano was the only district that started its high school and middle school before 8 a.m.
Parents at Thursday’s forum suggested having all schools start at 8:15 a.m., despite the cost, or flip the start times, with elementary schools starting earlier than the middle and high schools.
Tony Stuber, a parent with two children at Hillcrest Primary School, said he understood the rationale of changing the start times for middle and high schools, but questioned why there was no research into how a later start would impact younger children.
Stuber noted that when children become adults, employers are not going to move the start of work later to accommodate teens’ biological clocks.
“There are many kids that don’t go on to college. They leave high school and go to work,” Stuber said. “We’re getting them ready for the real world.”
Joan Urban, director of St. James Childcare, pointed out that changing school start times might increase the need for day care services, as parents’ work schedules often would not change.
“That translates into a lot of income lost for families,” Urban said. “We’re putting the burden back on the families. I understand that, but I don’t have to like it.”
Elisha Wagenson, principal at Sacred Heart Catholic School, said that the start times for the public schools would not alter her school’s start time of 8:05 a.m. Urban said that officials with St. James Lutheran School also plan to keep the start time the same, which would mean younger parochial students would ride with middle and high school students instead of with Shawano elementary students.
Shawano School Board President Tyler Schmidt said after the meeting that the ad-hoc committee is going to digest the information and meet in the next one to two weeks to decide whether to alter the existing recommendation to the School Board. A date and time for the meeting was not established.
Even before Thursday’s forum, the committee had received a number of comments on its recommended changes since they were presented to the board March 2.
Rate this article: Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5 No votes yetShort, intense spawning season forecast
Jason Arndt, [email protected]
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Dorsal fins from sturgeon protrude through the Wolf River at the Shawano dam Thursday.
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt From left, Don Osborne, of Oconto Falls, Linda Tyler and LaVera Tischauser, of Shawano, and othes watch the sturgeon swimming in the Wolf River near the Shawano dam Thursday.
Local residents could have small window of opportunity to watch the sturgeon spawning at the Shawano dam this year, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.
DNR sturgeon biologist Ryan Koenigs said spawning began Thursday in locations around New London and Shiocton, including Sturgeon Trail Park and Bamboo Bend.
The spawning should proceed quickly due to rising temperatures water temperatures in the Wolf River, Koenigs said.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the river’s temperature in New London jumped from 40 degrees April 10 to 55 degrees Thursday. The ideal temperature for spawning is about 54 degrees.
“Due to these conditions, I believe the fish will spawn very fast and we will have a short, intense run that may last less than a week,” Koenigs said.
Meteorologist Sean Luchs of the National Weather Service anticipates the warm weather to continue.
“In general, everything will remain sunny and there will be above normal temperatures through the weekend,” Luchs said.
At least a dozen sturgeon watchers, including 68-year-old LaVera Tischauser, were at the Shawano dam Thursday afternoon.
“I have been down here quite a few years,” Tischasuer said.”We always come down to watch the fish. … I like watching the children. They are fascinated by how big the fish are.”
Michael Skenadore brought his two children, Ella and Anna, after watching the Wolf River web cam online.
“My children enjoy it a lot,” he said.
The DNR on Thursday also deployed an additional two conservation wardens and seven volunteers of the Sturgeon Guard to monitor spawning sites in New London and Shiocton.
The Sturgeon Guard, created by the Department of Natural Resources in the 1970s and opened to the public in 1988, recruits volunteers to man popular sites to protect the sturgeon during the spawning season.
The DNR created the program to reduce the illegal harvesting of sturgeon, which includes poaching eggs for caviar, and increase awareness of the Wolf River ecosystem.
When the sturgeon are spawning along the rocky shoreline, they are fairly oblivious to nearby human activity and very susceptible to illegal harvest, according to the DNR.
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Shawano Police Department
April 15
Police logged 19 incidents, including the following:
Vandalism — Police responded to a vandalism complaint in the 700 block of South Franklin Street.
Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint at Lieg Avenue and Waukechon Street.
Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint at Lincoln and Green Bay streets.
Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem in the 400 block of Fairview Way.
Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 100 block of Prairie Street.
Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious person complaint in the 400 block of East Division Street.
OAR — A 33-year-old woman was cited for operating after revocation at Green Bay and Eberlein streets.
OWL — A 35-year-old man was cited for operating without a license at Randall and Hamlin streets.
Shawano County Sheriff’s Department
April 15
Deputies logged 35 incidents, including the following:
Disturbance — A 32-year-old Bowler man was arrested and charges were referred against a 28-year-old Bowler woman for disorderly conduct after a domestic disturbance on Moh He Con Nuck Road in Bowler.
Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on Hiawatha Court in Wescott.
Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Cecil Street in Bonduel.
Vandalism — Authorities responded to a vandalism complaint on Moh He Con Nuck Road in Bowler.
Disorderly — Authorities responded to a disorderly conduct complaint on Hemlock Road in Wittenberg.
Drug Offense — A drug complaint on state Highway 29 in Waukechon was under investigation.
Disturbance — Charges of disorderly conduct and bail jumping were referred against a 50-year-old man after a domestic disturbance on Broadway Road in Richmond.
Accidents — Authorities logged four accidents, including an injury accident on state Highway 29 in Herman and two deer-related crashes.
Clintonville Police Department
April 15
Police logged eight incidents, including the following:
Fire — The fire department was dispatched to a porch fire on East 12th Street.
Disturbance — A 38-year-old man was arrested for domestic abuse/battery.
Rate this article: Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5 No votes yetWRBA Parade of Homes application deadline set
The Wolf River Builders Association is inviting members to participate in its first Parade of Homes in October.
The deadline to enter the parade, which is Oct. 3-4, is May 31. WRBA represents members in Shawano, Menominee and northern Oconto counties.
The event will enable area residents hoping to build, renovate or landscape their homes to view the newest in home and landscaping ideas and techniques. Participants have an opportunity to market themselves to potentially thousand of area residents.
WRBA builder members and landscape associate members are encouraged to participate. Builders may enter new or remodeled homes. Only WRBA members may advertise at the Parade of Homes.
“The Parade of Homes will be a welcomed event to our area,” said Mary Huntington, chair of the event. “It’s also a great opportunity for our organization to build membership and make the building industry stronger than ever.
“If you are a member of the WRBA, don’t wait, start planning now. If you’re not a member, now would be a great time to join our organization.”
For information, call Huntington at 715-526-3261 or the WRBA office at 715-853-2310, or visit the WRBA website at www.wolfriverbuilders.com.
Rate this article: Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5 No votes yetStatewide tornado drill is today
The National Weather Service says all Wisconsin offices are a “go” for Thursday’s statewide tornado drill. At 1 p.m., the National Weather Service will issue a statewide test tornado watch and at 1:45 p.m. a statewide test tornado warning. The drill ends at 2 p.m. There is no risk of severe weather in the state on Thursday with only a chance of scattered showers for southeastern Wisconsin.
Rate this article: Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5 No votes yetSex offender will move to New Era House
The Shawano Police Department is notifying the community that a sexual offender who will be released from prison April 21 will reside in Shawano.
August F. Klitzka, 60, was convicted in Shawano County in 1989 of first-degree sexual assault of a child and third-degree sexual assault. He sexually assaulted a child who was known to him, according to the police department.
Klitzka will reside at the New Era House, 105 E. Richmond St., Shawano. He will be under supervision with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections and is required to register with the state sex offender registry program for life.
Public notification of sex offender placement is required by state law.
For information, residents may contact Police Chief Mark Kohl at the Shawano Police Department, 715-524-4545.
Information about the sex offender registry program is available at www.widocoffenders.org.
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Attempted battery to an officer
A Bowler man has been charged with a felony count of attempted battery of a peace officer for allegedly trying to cause bodily harm to a sheriff’s deputy while resisting arrest Sunday.
Jerrold L. Hill, 49, could face a maximum three years in prison and a $5,000 fine if found guilty. He is also charged with misdemeanor counts of domestic abuse-related disorderly conduct and resisting an officer.
Authorities were called to a domestic disturbance in the town of Bartelme about 2:30 a.m. According to the criminal complaint, Hill slapped a woman and locked her out of the house during the disturbance.
The complaint alleges Hill kicked at a deputy while being taken into custody. Another deputy used a Taser to subdue him, according to the complaint.
Hill was ordered held on a $1,500 cash bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Tuesday.
Battery by prisoner
A Shawano County Jail inmate is facing a felony charge of battery by a prisoner after an altercation with another inmate last month.
Jonathon R. Butterfield, 18, is accused of causing a laceration to the other inmate’s eyebrow during a fight March 25.
Butterfield could face a maximum six years in prison and $10,000 fine if found guilty. He is also charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
A cash bond of $1,000 was set at a hearing this week. Butterfield is scheduled for an adjourned initial court appearance on Monday.
Possession of narcotics, methamphetamine
A Weston couple who allegedly fled the North Star Casino with stolen towels Monday are also facing felony charges of possessing drugs that were allegedly found on them while being arrested.
Ian M. Kellman, 47, was charged with a felony count of possession of methamphetamine, which carries a maximum possible penalty of 3½ years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Jennifer L. Hanson, 43, was charged with possession of narcotic drugs without a valid prescription, which carries the same possible penalty.
Both are also charged with misdemeanor theft.
According to the criminal complaint, security at the casino, W12180 County Road A, Bowler, tried to detain the couple for stealing towels and other items from their room.
The couple left the scene on a motorcycle and were pulled over by Stockbridge-Munsee Police about a half mile away.
The drugs were found on them during their arrest, according to the complaint.
Kellman was ordered held on a $1,500 cash bond and is scheduled for an adjourned initial appearance Monday.
Hanson posted a $500 cash bond and is due back in court for a preliminary hearing May 19.
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Shawano Police Department
April 14
Police logged 20 incidents, including the following:
Disturbance — Police investigated a disturbance between two tenants in the 800 block of West Picnic Street.
Accident — Police logged a two-vehicle accident in the 600 block of South Lincoln Street.
Accident — Police responded to a two-vehicle property damage accident at Lakeland Road and Richmond Street. No injuries reported.
Vandalism — Police investigated two vandalism complaints involving spray paint and broken glass in the 300 block of East Green Bay Street.
Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile tobacco complaint at Shawano Community High School, 220 County Road B.
Welfare — Police investigated a man passed out in a vehicle in the 100 block of Alpine Court.
Drugs — Police investigated a woman smoking a pipe in the 900 block of East Fifth Street.
Shawano County Sheriff’s Department
April 14
Deputies logged 53 incidents, including the following:
Domestic — Authorities responded to a juvenile domestic disturbance complaint on North Shore Lane in the town of Wescott.
Assist — Authorities assisted the Oconto County Sheriff’s in locating owners of stray cows on state Highway 32 and Middle Drive in the town of Angelica.
Suspicious — Authorities investigated a suspicious vehicle on Frailing Road and Oak Drive in Wescott.
Juvenile — Authorities responded to a juvenile problem on Lake View Drive in the town of Aniwa.
Suspicious — Authorities responded to a 14-year-old girl walking along County Road MMM and Locust Road in the town of Richmond.
Animal — Authorities logged a two vicious dog complaints, on Old Keshena Road in Wescott and Spruce Road in the town of Hutchins.
Vandalism — Authorities investigated vandalism to a wall at an apartment complex in the 500 block of South Webb Street in Wittenberg.
Animal — Authorities checked the welfare of two dogs and a cat on Honeysuckle Lane in Tigerton.
Vandalism — Authorities logged a smashed window complaint to a Frontier Communications vehicle in the 100 block of South Beech Street in Tigerton.
Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Hiawatha Court in Wescott.
Warrant — Authorities took a man into custody on a probation and parole warrant.
Accident — Authorities logged two deer-related crashes.
DNR — Authorities investigated a DNR violation involving disposal of bear hide on state Highway 153 and Bluebird Road in the town of Wittenberg.
Theft — Money was reported stolen from building on Middle Drive in Angelica.
Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Park and Ebert streets in Gresham.
Drugs — Authorities responded to an allegation of marijuana use in the 900 block of East Fifth Street in Shawano.
Burglary — Authorities investigated a burglary in the 1200 block of Ebert Street in Gresham.
Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance between a man and woman in the 200 block of East Green Bay Street in Bonduel.
Clintonville Police Department
April 14
Police logged eight incidents, including the following:
Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct incident at Clintonville High School, 64 Green Tree Road.
Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance on North Clinton Avenue, and a mental health commitment was conducted.
Theft — A gasoline drive-off was reported on South Main Street.
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Tim Ryan, [email protected]
Ryan Swadner
Leader Photo by Tim Ryan Friends and family of three teens killed in an Oct. 21 crash, many wearing shirts in their memory, gather in Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court on Monday as Judge William Kussel Jr. presides over a hearing in the vehicular homicide case against Ryan Swadner. Swander, who is not pictured, appeared by video from the jail.
The teenage driver in the October crash that claimed the lives of his three young passengers was charged Monday with multiple counts of vehicular and reckless homicide, along with multiple drug charges.
Ryan M. Swadner, 18, of Cecil, is accused of being under the influence of marijuana Oct. 21 when he swerved to avoid another vehicle stopped in his path on state Highway 22 in Belle Plaine and lost control on a gravel shoulder.
The Ford Mustang he was driving crossed into the path of an oncoming sport utility vehicle and was hit broadside, according to the accident report.
Two Shawano Community High School seniors, 17-year-old Cody Borsche and 18-year-old Tyler Welch, were pronounced dead at the scene.
A Bonduel High School sophomore, 15-year-old Paige Brunette, was transported to Shawano Medical Center for medical attention and later died.
Swadner was also hospitalized. The SUV driver sustained injuries that were not life-threatening.
According to the criminal complaint, authorities found nearly 12 grams of marijuana in six plastic baggies in Swadner’s vehicle, along with the pieces of a glass pipe and a digital scale.
Swadner made his initial appearance in Shawano County Circuit Court on Monday via video hook-up from the jail.
More than a dozen friends and family of the deceased also were in court. Swadner’s mother sat in the first row on the other side of the courtroom.
According to the criminal complaint, Swadner initially intended to loan his vehicle to Welch in exchange for marijuana on the day of the crash but later agreed to give Welch a ride.
The complaint alleges the vehicle was on its way to the Highway 22/29 Shell Station for “a narcotics transaction,” based on text messages included in the complaint that were exchanged with a “Drug Customer D.”
Judge William Kussel Jr. ordered Swadner held on a $10,000 cash bond. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing June 1.
Swadner’s attorney, Nila Robinson, unsuccessfully argued for a signature bond, citing Swadner’s medical needs as a result of the accident and his schooling.
“He’ll be graduating in three weeks,” she said.
Kussel said Swadner’s school assignments could be delivered to the jail and that the jail could accommodate his medical appointments.
Swadner is charged with three counts of homicide by use of a vehicle while under the influence of a controlled substance, and three counts of second-degree reckless homicide.
Each of those charges carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
He is also charged with felony counts of possession with intent to deliver marijuana and maintaining a drug trafficking place, which District Attorney Greg Parker told the court was in reference to the vehicle being used to traffic marijuana. The charges each carry a maximum 3 1/2 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Swadner is also facing misdemeanor counts of causing injury while under the influence of a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.
“This is a tragic incident,” Sheriff Adam Bieber said after the hearing. “I don’t like the fact that this is being called an accident. I think this was a preventable crash, and I think the facts of the case are going to show that.”
The charges were filed nearly six months after the crash.
“We wanted to make sure all the evidence was in,” Bieber said. “We wanted all the facts before any kinds of charges were brought forth. Those things take time.”
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Jason Arndt, [email protected]
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Celebration of Giving awards winners honored Tuesday include, from left, Dr. Jeff Zander, Bill Mielke Volunteer Educator; Kathryn Kugel, Youth Volunteer; Sue Dionne, Shawano Community Service; and Fred Pape, Health Care Volunteer. Dr. Susan Hanson, winner of the Wittenberg Community Service Award, was unable to attend.
Five area volunteers were honored Tuesday night at the sixth annual Celebration of Giving awards at the Gathering.
The event was presented by the Shawano Area Community Foundation, which is celebrating its silver anniversary.
“This is our 25th year, so it is a great time to celebrate,” board chairman Todd Raether said.
Event co-chair Wendy Crawford said the honorees serve as an example to the community.
“Although recognition is not what our award winners are looking for, the Celebration of Giving is a platform that promotes, encourages and recognizes our community volunteers,” she said.
One of the awards was renamed this year. The Wittenberg Community Service Award will now be known as the Bob Nueske Wittenberg Community Service Award in honor of the late Robert Nueske, former owner and president of Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Meats.
Nueske, who died in January, was among the early supporters of the Celebration of Giving and sponsored the Wittenberg award.
Crawford recalled a time when she and this year’s Wittenberg Community Service Award winner, Dr. Susan Hanson, met with Nueske to discuss starting the event.
“We discussed of volunteer work and the impact it has in our communities,” Crawford said. “(He) was passionate about volunteerism and supported our idea.”
The following volunteers were honored Tuesday:
• Dr. Jeff Zander received the Bill Mielke Volunteer Educator Award, sponsored by the Mielke Family Foundation, for helping Shawano Community High School students learn about anatomy and physiology through a Northeast Wisconsin Technical College program. Zander will donate his $1,000 prize to the SCHS science department.
• Sue Dionne received the Shawano Community Service Award, sponsored by the Don and Marion Nemetz fund within SACF, for her work with the the former Jaycee Women organization, Shawano/Wisconsin Women of Today, Safe Haven of Shawano and the Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign. Dionne will split her $1,000 prize between Safe Haven and the Salvation Army.
• Dr. Susan Hanson received the Wittenberg Community Service Award, sponsored by Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Meats, for her involvement in Walls of Wittenberg, Wittenberg Historical Society and Wittenberg Area Development Corporation. She will contribute her $1,000 prize to the Wittenberg Historical Society furnace fund.
• Kathryn Kugel, 17, received the Shawano Area Community Foundation Youth Volunteer Award, co-sponsored by Shawano Rotary Club and Shawano Optimist Club, for her involvement in the Waukechon Wildcats 4-H Club, National Honor Society, Students Against Destructive Decisions, student council, Bridge to Success and Future Business Leaders of America. She plans to split her $1,000 between St. Martin Catholic Church of Cecil and Shawano County 4-H.
• Fred Pape received the Shawano Area Community Foundation’s Health Care Volunteer Award, sponsored by ThedaCare, for giving his time to residents at Maple Lane Health Care and Birch Hill Care Center, shoveling sidewalks and donating clothes. He will split his $1,000 prize between the Wolf River Lutheran High School fund and VCY America, a Wittenberg-based Christian broadcasting station in need of a new transmitter.
Thirty-nine area volunteers have been honored since the Celebration of Giving began. The event also has raised $39,000 for various area nonprofit agencies over that time.
The SACF’s mission is to preserve and improve the quality of life in the community, including serving those in need.
The foundation holds 75 charitable funds with nearly $5 million in assets. The foundation awarded $195,000 worth of grants in 2014, according the annual report.
Rate this article: Select ratingGive it 1/5Give it 2/5Give it 3/5Give it 4/5Give it 5/5 Average: 5 (1 vote)Water nearly warm enough for spawning to begin
Jason Arndt, [email protected]
While the Wolf River is nearly warm enough, sturgeon had not yet started to spawn Tuesday at the Shawano dam, according to the state Department of Natural Resources.
Despite social media whispers that sturgeon have arrived, DNR fisheries biologist Ryan Koenigs said social media whispers regarding the sturgeon reaching Shawano were misleading.
“The sturgeon are not spawning at the Shawano dam yet, at least to my knowledge,” Koenigs said. “The report most likely stems from the fact that my crew and I were collecting fish with electrofishing.”
Electrofishing is a technique used to collect and study fish. An electrical current momentarily stuns the fish, prompting them to swim toward an electrical field where they are netted.
The technique primarily is used to determine the health and population of fish species by fisheries biologists and aquatic scientists. When done correctly, electrofishing causes no permanent harm to the fish.
Koenigs noted that while there might be sturgeon at the dam, they are not spawning.
“There are fish below the dam in the deeper water … year-round pretty much, but they are not spawning yet and not really visible to spectators, for that matter,” he said.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the Wolf River water temperature reached 52 degrees Monday in New London. The ideal temperature for spawning is 53 degrees.
Koenigs indicated there has been no activity at any of the spawning sites along the Wolf River, including New London and Shiocton. He expects to see progress within the next two to three days.
“The water temperatures are getting close to spawning range, and we will just have to wait and see until they get started,” Koenigs said.
Last year, Sturgeon did not spawn until early May due to cooler temperatures.
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Shawano Police Department
April 13
Police logged 28 incidents, including the following:
Burglary — Police investigated a burglary in the 800 block of East Richmond Street.
Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on County Road B.
Truancy — Police logged six truancy complaints from Shawano Community High School, 220 County Road B.
Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem in the 400 block of West Third Street.
Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem at Center Street Park, 635 E. Center St.
Burglary — Police investigated a burglary in the 700 block of South Union Street.
Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint in the 300 block of West Swan Street.
Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint in the 700 block of South Union Street.
Shawano County Sheriff’s Department
April 13
Deputies logged 27 incidents, including the following:
OWI — A 22-year-old Shawano woman was arrested for operating while intoxicated after a minor accident on County Road A in Richmond.
Theft — Authorities responded to a property theft complaint on County Road CC in Navarino.
Theft — Authorities responded to a property theft complaint at North Star Casino, W12180 County Road A, Gresham.
Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on state Highway 47 in Red Springs.
Trespass — Authorities responded to a trespassing complaint on Westgor Avenue in Wittenberg.
Accidents — Authorities logged two accidents.
Clintonville Police Department
April 13
Police logged 14 incidents, including the following:
Accident — A car versus deer accident was reported on Lakeshore Road.
Animal — An animal neglect incident was reported on Garfield Avenue.
Disturbance — Officers responded to a domestic disturbance on South Main Street.
April 12
Police logged 17 incidents, including the following:
Fraud — Ten worthless check complaints were reported on South Main Street.
Drug Offense — Drug paraphernalia was found on Park Lane and destroyed.
Theft — A bicycle was reported stolen in WA Olen Park.
April 10
Police logged 13 incidents, including the following:
Theft — A theft was reported on South Main Street.
Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint on North Main Street.
Disturbance — Police responded to a report of a fight in progress on South Main Street.
Disturbance — Police responded to a family situation on Harriet Street.
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Shawano Police Department
April 12
Police logged 13 incidents, including the following:
Burglary — Police investigated a burglary in the 1300 block of East Lieg Avenue.
Theft — A laptop was reported stolen in the 300 block of East Maurer Street.
Assault - Police investigated an assault in the 400 block of South Main Street.
Drug Offense — Police investigated a drug complaint in the 300 block of East Center Street.
Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint in the 200 block of South Sawyer Street.
April 11
Police logged 30 incidents, including the following:
Shoplifting — Charlie’s County Market, 521 S. Main St., reported a 14-year-old boy in custody for shoplifting.
Theft — A wallet was reported stolen at the New Era House, 105 E. Richmond St.
Burglary — Police investigated a burglary in the 300 block of West Picnic Street.
Shoplifting — Charlie’s County Market, 521 S. Main St., reported a female shoplifter in custody.
Vandalism — Police responded to a vandalism complaint in the 500 block of South Cleveland Street.
April 10
Police logged 21 incidents, including the following:
Trespass — Police responded to a trespassing complaint in the 1300 block of East Lieg Avenue.
Suspicious — Capital Credit, 1305 E. Green Bay St., reported a suspicious transaction.
Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious person complaint at Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St.
Drug Offense — Police investigated a drug complaint in the 100 block of South Smalley Street.
Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on Northridge Drive.
Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint in the 700 block of South Hamlin Street.
Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint at Maurer and Evergreen streets.
Shawano County Sheriff’s Department
April 12
Deputies logged 45 incidents, including the following:
OWI — A 55-year-old Oneida man was arrested for operating while intoxicated on County Road G in Red Springs.
Fire — Authorities responded to a grass fire on River Bend Road in Belle Plaine.
Disturbance — Authorities responded to a domestic disturbance on Camp 14 Road in Bowler.
Vandalism — Authorities responded to a vandalism complaint on Porter Road in Waukechon.
Theft — Authorities responded to a property theft complaint on County Road MMM in Richmond.
Accidents — Authorities logged five accidents, including an injury accident on River Bend Road in Belle Plaine, and two deer-related crashes.
April 11
Deputies logged 34 incidents, including the following:
Theft — Authorities responded to a property theft complaint at the Huber Center, 1240 Engel Drive in Shawano.
Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on Frailing Road in Wescott.
Fire — Authorities responded to a grass fire on Cloverleaf Lake Road in Belle Plaine.
Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Knoke Street in Gresham.
Trespass — Authorities responded to a trespassing complaint on Main Street in Gresham.
Accidents — Authorities logged seven accidents, including injury accidents on County Road K and state Highway 29 in Waukechon, and two deer-related crashes.
April 10
Deputies logged 42 incidents, including the following:
Disorderly — Authorities responded to a disorderly conduct complaint at North Star Casino, W12180 County Road A, Gresham.
Fraud — Authorities investigated a fraud complaint on Cloverleaf Lake Road in Belle Plaine.
Hit and Run — Authorities investigated a property damage hit-and-run on County Road E in the town of Washington.
Fraud — Authorities investigated a fraud complaint on Riverview Road in Birnamwood.
Theft — Authorities responded to a property theft complaint on Regina Road in the town of Aniwa.
Fraud — Authorities investigated an identity theft complaint on Birch Street in Tigerton.
Accidents — Authorities logged 10 accidents, including three deer-related crashes.
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A teenage driver involved in a crash that killed three young passengers last fall in Shawano County is facing criminal charges.
Prosecutors say 18-year-old Ryan Swadner, of Clintonville, was under the influence of a controlled substance when he lost control of his vehicle in Belle Plaine and collided with an SUV in October 2014. Fifteen-year-old Paige Brunette, 17-year-old Cody Borsche and 18-year-old Tyler Welch died in the crash.
Swadner was charged Monday with 8 felony counts, including reckless homicide and homicide by use of a vehicle while under the influence of a controlled substance. He was also charged with three misdemeanors, including possession of marijuana.
He's due in court Monday afternoon. Court records do not list a defense attorney.
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Jason Arndt, [email protected]
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt The 2015 Shawano County Agriculture Award winners are, from left, top row, Jason and Lindsay Ard, Young Farmer of the Year; Ashley Bergsbaken, Mikayla Maroszek and Kaila Wussow, Farm Bureau scholarship recipients; Hank and Shawn Wagner, Soil and Water Conservation; Jim Bergsbaken, Second Miler; front row, Alex and Abigail Ard, children of Jason and Lindsay; Joyce and Ken Natzke, Friend of Agriculture; Pam and Crystal Wagner, with son, Jackson.
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Lindsay and Jason Ard were named Shawano County's Young Farmer of the Year during the 58th annual Shawano County Agriculture Awards program Friday at the Main Event in Cecil. They have two children, Abigail, 10, and Alex, 8.
Jason and Lindsay Ard, of Angelica, both grew up around farming. When they married in 2007, they knew they wanted to establish roots in Shawano County.
On Friday, the Ards received the Outstanding Young Farmer award at the 58th annual Shawano County Agricultural Awards Banquet at the Main Event in Cecil.
“I would like to thank everybody that helped get this going, along with community for helping us get here, and I am very honored to get this award,” Jason Ard said.
The couple purchased their first farm, 120 acres on Beech Drive outside of Bonduel, in 1997. It has grown to 277 acres.
The Ards are members of the Shawano County Farm Bureau and involved in the conservation stewardship program. They utilize Tilth Agronomy for crop scouting, soil testing and a nutrient management plan.
In addition to working the farm, Jason Ard is a painter at Broadway Automotive; Lindsay is an office manager for Zernicke. They have an 8-year-old son, Alex, and 10-year-old daughter, Abby.
Other award winners Friday:
- Ken and Joyce Natzke, of Bonduel, who received the Friend of Agriculture award. The Natzkes, who have been dairy farmers for more than 40 years, were acknowledged for efforts with the Bonduel 4-H Club, FFA and instilling an appreciation of agriculture into their seven children.
- Jim Bergsbaken of Bonduel, who received the Second Miler award, which is given to a member of the community going above and beyond to promote agriculture Bergsbaken, who worked at Bonduel Oil Station for 30 years, assisted farmers with their equipment, including tire repairs. He later worked at Bay Lakes in Oconto Falls and Mid County Co-Op in Shawano.
-Russell Wendorf, recognized as Tree Farmer of the Year. Wendorf purchased his town of Morris property in 2010 at an auction. He has more than 9,000 trees, which include 56 acres of northern hardwood and 61 acres of cedar. Wendorf's efforts to maintain the tree population included installing mesh and wire fences to prevent deer and other animal species from damaging tree harvests.
- Wagner Farms, recognized for soil and water conservation by the Shawano County Land Conservation Committee. Hank and Pam Wagner purchased their 850-acre Green Valley farm in 1987 and have been involved in the Pensaukee Watershed Program, Farmland Preservation, the Conservation Stewardship Program and Environmental Qualities Incentives Program.
- Bonduel High School seniors Kaila Wussow, Mikayla Maroszek and Jennifer Krull, and 2014 graduate Ashley Bergsbaken, who received $500 scholarships from Debbie Mielke, of the Shawano County Farm Bureau.
“This is a very active Farm Bureau and we should all be proud of that,” Mielke said.
Banquet coordinator Tammy Styczynski noted all of the award winners were dedicated to agriculture.
“We appreciate ... you and everyone here works hard, and that is the reason why we celebrate agriculture,” she said.
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Jason Arndt, [email protected]
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Allen and Marjorie Michaelson, of Shawano, learn about the latest pillow products Saturday from Wolf River Builders Association members Bob and Debbie Moran during the WRBA Home & Cottage Show at the Crawford Center.
Leader Photo by Jason Arndt Kyle VanOrder and Philip Kersten, of Woodstock Hardwood Flooring and Design Center, educate a potential customer about the company’s floor products Saturday during the WRBA Home & Cottage Show at the Crawford Center. Woodstock was the show sponsor.
With sunny skies and temperatures climbing, area residents' thoughts turned to homes and gardens -- good news for vendors at the Wolf River Builders Association's 10th annual Home & Cottage Show.
“It looks like we have a good and steady flow of customers coming through, even with the weather so nice outside," WRBA executive director Diane Montour said. "We never know what (the weather) will do for us.”
The event, which opened Saturday and continues Sunday at the Crawford Center, features more than two dozen vendors, including show sponsor Woodstock Hardwood Flooring and Design Center.
Philip Kersten, owner of Woodstock Hardwood Flooring and Design Center, of Birnamwood, was pleased with the number of people browsing his firm's display.
“It is a very good turnout so far," he said. "It is going well. This is a nice a territory for us. We like meeting the people here.
“We actually had a few clients come in today to see if we had anything new, and they walked in and said they loved their bathroom, tile floors, their counter tops.”
Show attendees were able to meet with vendors specializing in areas such as windows, roofing, cabinetry, painting, concrete, insurance, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning.
Vendors new to the show included Menominee Tribal Enterprises, which also donated a hand-made cutting board for the bucket raffle.
Montour said the raffle, which was added to the show this year, drew a lot of people to the WRBA booth.
The prizes contributed by WRBA members included camping items from CoVantage Credit Union, a metal sign from the Shawano Community High School trades program, paint supplies from Sherwin Williams, maple syrup from Ted and Dorothy Foster, and goodie baskets from Crossword Custom Cabinetry.
“The bucket raffle is something people are attracted to, and it gets people excited because it is a new thing," Montour said. "I think we may bring it back, and believe it is going to be a hit.”
Montour credited Woodstock and seminar sponsor Apple Valley Nursery and Orchard with helping make the weekend event a success.
“We have always had great sponsors putting up a great display," she said, "and I think the promotion of them being out here is what brings more people in.”
Sunday's seminar topics are “Building a Habitat Home — What We Do, How We Do It and How You Can Help,” Kevin Culhane, Wolf River Habitat For Humanity, 10:45 a.m.; “Hardscape Installation 101,” Roy Brodhagen, Apple Valley Nursery, 11:45 a.m.; and “New Painting Ideas and Techniques,” Cindy Paholke and Pam Paholke, Creative Wallprinting Plus, 1 p.m.
WRBA formed in 2003, representing builders in Shawano, Menominee and Oconto counties. The show was launched in 2006.
AT A GLANCE
WHAT: Wolf River Builders Association Home & Cottage Show
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday
WHERE: Crawford Center, 990 E. Green Bay St., Shawano
ADMISSION: $3 donation to Habitat for Humanity or three canned goods for the Shawano Area Food Pantry and Resource Center
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Lee Pulaski, [email protected]
Photo by Curt Knoke Jeff Zander is the recipient of the Shawano Area Community Foundation’s Bill Mielke Volunteer Educator Award.
Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of articles profiling winners of the Celebration of Giving awards presented annually by Shawano Area Community Foundation Inc. for outstanding volunteerism. The winners will be honored at a gala Tuesday.
Dr. Jeff Zander has made a career out of creating bright smiles in the Shawano area. He’s a dentist, but some of those smiles come without the aid of fluoride.
Zander spends his Fridays at Shawano Community High School, helping students learn about anatomy and physiology through a Northeast Wisconsin Technical College science course. He also sits on the anatomy and physiology board for NWTC.
Zander’s longtime presence in the classroom earned him the Bill Mielke Volunteer Educator Award from the Shawano Area Community Foundation. Zander will receive $1,000 from the Mielke Family Foundation, which he will give to the high school science department.
“I would describe myself as pleased and surprised” about getting the award, Zander said. “I know that with school budgets as tight as they are, there’s a need for equipment and supplies in the science department. I figured that, since I already teach up there, it would be an appropriate place (for the donation).”
Zander selflessly donates his time to help students learn science and how to critically think about what they learn, according to a letter from SCHS science teacher Angela Kowalewski, who nominated Zander for the award.
“Because of his interaction with the students during laboratory experiments and classroom discussions, Dr. Zander has created a positive learning environment that nurtures students growth,” Kowalewski wrote. “Dr. Zander shares his passion for learning about the human body by bringing in current news, related stories and personal experiences to the curriculum.”
Outside the classroom, Zander has offered tours of his dental office on Woodlawn Drive to SCHS students in the Science Society. The students who visited participated in creating cast impressions of teeth and fillings on teeth that have been extracted, according to Kowalewski.
Zander has been a dentist in Shawano for 36 years, and he grew up in the community. Volunteering, he said, is a way to repay the community for believing in his ability to learn and become a productive member of society.
“I thought about what a valuable thing my college education was, because it led me into this wonderful career that was very successful. Then I thought about how that nine years of college was based on 13 years of education here in Shawano,” Zander said. “I don’t know what it costs to educate a student for 13 years in the Shawano schools, but it has to be a significant amount of money. I thought that there is a debt that needs to be repaid.”
The repayment of the debt started as contributions to every school fundraiser possible, but then he realized that writing checks was an easy out, and he needed to do more.
“The really valuable thing is your free time,” Zander said. “That’s the most precious thing you’ve got.”
That’s when he met Kowalewski, who was organizing the NWTC anatomy and physiology class. He offered his services as a guest lecturer, and things took off from there.
“She asked, ‘Do you have the time?’ and I said, ‘No, but I’ll make the time,’” Zander said, noting it is not easy to juggle the dental practice, family time and his volunteer work. He’s found a way though, noting that “I’ve been there for eight years now.”
When he’s not working with high school students, Zander also volunteers for the Shawano Jazz Foundation, which manages the Shawano Jazz Festival every year, and helps with fundraisers for the SCHS auditorium. He is also involved with the Shawano Optimists, Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce and Shawano Dollars for Scholars, and when those entities don’t demand his attention, he is active with committees for the Wisconsin Dental Association.
“We’ve virtually been volunteers since the day we moved back to Shawano,” Zander said, noting his wife, Holly, also volunteers. “We moved back to Shawano in 1979, and we’ve both been up and running with various organizations right from the very start.”
While retirement is still in the distant future, Zander plans to increase his time helping at the high school once he bids farewell to dentistry.
“I want to get out into the other science classes, as well,” he said. “I have an interest in chemistry. I have an interest in physics. I want to spend some time helping out there, as well.”
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Lee Pulaski, [email protected]
Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski State Rep. Gary Tauchen, left, and Sen. Robert Cowles listen to local residents speaking on a variety of issues related to the proposed state budget during a listening session Friday at Shawano City Hall.
Two state legislators heard from local residents on myriad issues during a listening session Friday at Shawano City Hall, and there was a common message.
Leave local programs — and the funding for those programs — alone.
A crowd of more than 100 attended the forum, with 30 speaking to Rep. Gary Tauchen, R-Bonduel, and Sen. Robert Cowles, R-Green Bay, on a variety of issues, including education funding, property tax assessments and Family Care funding.
Georgia Stapleton, a retired nurse, expressed concern about the proposed cuts to Family Care on the eve of its introduction into Shawano County. Stapleton expressed dismay that the proposed budget does not provide adequate funding for the services and that it recommends bringing in for-profit companies to provide the services.
“There are 55,000 people in the state that are receiving long-term care services,” Stapleton said. “Some of these folks in Oconto, Menominee and Shawano counties have received services since the ’80s. They are trusting they will continue to have those services.”
Brent Miller, Shawano County administrative coordinator, was concerned about the proposal to have counties conduct property tax assessments, calling it a “bad idea” that puts an unnecessary burden on the county and limits public review.
Miller also had an issue with the budget recommendation to require welfare recipients to undergo drug testing, saying it was a shell game shifting funding from the state to the county.
Rebecca Fields urged the legislators not to eliminate funding that helps property owners to replace their aging septic systems. She noted that 21 local applicants will not be able to receive assistance to replace their systems if the proposal is passed.
“It’s a small drop in the bucket compared to the budget overall, but it affects so many low-income people in the state,” Fields said.
Tauchen said he is already working on a budget motion to keep the septic replacement funding in the budget.
Grant Bystol, Shawano County highway commissioner, expressed his opposition to the proposal to bond $1.5 billion in order to fund the state’s highway system. Bystol said it was more financially sound to increase the state’s general transportation aid instead of bonding, which only shifts the financial burden to a later date.
“I support a long-term, sustainable increase to the transportation budget,” Bystol said.
Greg Sturm, president for Shawano Pathways, urged legislators to advocate keeping alternative transportation funds in the budget. It would impact the ability of organizations such as Shawano Pathways to create bike trails and to educate others on healthy methods of getting from one place to another.
“We’ve been doing a lot of good,” Sturm said. “I would hope those funds could be restored.”
Shawano School Board member Michael Sleeper pointed out that the proposed budget leaves school districts in a deep financial hole. The Shawano School District expects to lose $950,000 in state aid in the next fiscal year unless the budget changes.
“The reduction of the per-student categorical aid, along with the limitations on revenue limits, really tie our hands,” Sleeper said.
District Superintendent Gary Cumberland echoed Sleeper’s sentiments, noting that the district has managed for more than 20 years to adhere to levy limits established by the state, but the proposal to freeze levy limits while cutting categorical aid for next year makes that extremely difficult.
Eddie Sheppard, Shawano’s public works coordinator, urged the legislators to not allow cuts in recycling grant funds, noting that recycling programs are successful right now.
“Recycling is not a money-making program anymore, so if we want to continue to have these programs in our state, I don’t think we should make these cuts and in fact should invest in our recycling markets,” Sheppard said.
County Supervisor Robert Krause, who sits on the agriculture and Extension committee, said he was opposed to the $300 million proposed cut to the University of Wisconsin System. It would include the elimination of 80 Extension positions, the equivalent of at least one per county.
“Our four educators we have here in Shawano County touch all areas of economics and livelihood throughout the county,” Krause said, noting that besides the 4-H program, UW-Extension educators have helped create programs such as Leadership Shawano County, Rural Health Initiative and Strong Bones. “This budget would be devastating to our local Extension office.”
Tauchen said there have been four statewide hearings on the budget, but he and Cowles felt it was necessary to get local input as they prepare to vote on it.
“We’re getting as much input as we can,” Tauchen said. “If there are issues that come up during the budget process, we’ll have the opportunity to be able to provide input to the people who are on the Joint Finance Committee.”
The Joint Finance Committee is expected to hold, starting Wednesday, about a dozen hearings on specific issues within the budget, but when the Assembly and Senate get to look at the budget, Tauchen said, it will be an up or down vote.
Cowles, who indicated he was against shifting the assessment process to counties and wanted K-12 education funding to remain where it has been the last two years, said he planned to make sure the budget Gov. Scott Walker proposed is not the one that is passed.
“It’s going to look a lot different. There’s going to be some changes,” Cowles said. “How many, we don’t know.”
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