Shawano Leader News

Administrator: about $300,000 at stakeBy: 

Grace Kirchner, Leader Correspondent

The sale of an assisted living facility in Clintonville apparently violated the terms of a tax incremental financing district payback plan and could cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Interim City Administrator Chuck Nell told the Common Council last week that the sale of the Angelus Retirement Community, an assisted living facility, to MHDC Clintonville, LLC, parent company of Aster Retirement Community, violated the terms of the TIF.

Nell said the development agreement required Angelus to maintain tax payments to the city until the debt for the TIF borrowing was eliminated and precluded Angelus from selling the property to a tax-exempt entity without council approval.

The sale was not brought to the Common Council for approval.

“The TIF agreement has been turned over to the city attorney to handle this and have them make good on what they signed,” Nell said. “It was agood agreement that protected you.”

At an earlier meeting, Nell said the loss in TIF revenue could cost the city $300,000 over the course of the payback term (four years).

Nell said MHDC has proposed paying about 50 percent of what the city’s tax rate would have provided in taxes, or about $20,000 per year.

Aster Retirement is located at 35 Anne St. and is the former Clintonville Hospital.

TIF districts are areas where municipalities invest in infrastructure, such as sewer and water, to attract development where it might not otherwise occur, or to make improvements, such as eliminating blight.

Whatever increase in tax revenue that results from development in those districts goes to paying back the debt the municipality incurred from making improvements to the district.

The district would have no effect on taxes unless improvements are made to a property that raise that property’s assessed value.

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Shawano Police Department

Feb. 16

Police logged 17 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Police responding to a suspicious vehicle complaint at Sturgeon Park, 811 S. Water St., cited a 17-year-old Keshena male for operating after suspension. He and a female passenger were also cited for curfew violation.

Warrant — A 25-year-old Shawano man was taken into custody on a warrant at the probation and parole offices, 1340 E. Green Bay St.

Warrant — A 30-year-old Shawano man was taken into custody on a warrant in the 1400 block of East Green Bay Street.

Warrant — A 55-year-old Shawano man was taken into custody on a warrant in the 1300 block of East Lieg Avenue.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Feb. 16

Deputies logged 35 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Lake Drive in Wescott.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Webb Street in Wittenberg.

Fraud — Authorities investigated a fraud complaint on Green Bay Street in Bonduel.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Cedar Road in Aniwa.

Warrant — A 35-year-old Gresham woman was taken into custody on a probation and parole warrant on Fischer Street in Gresham.

Disorderly — Authorities responded to a lewd and lascivious behavior complaint on Hemlock Road in Wittenberg.

Assault — Authorities investigated an assault on Hemlock Road in Wittenberg.

Accidents — Authorities logged an injury accident on County Road A in Bowler and one deer-related crash.

Clintonville Police Department

Feb. 15

Police logged five incidents, including the following:

Fire — Authorities responded to a chimney fire on Bennett Street.

Warrant — A 49-year-old man was taken into custody on a warrant and cited for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

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Shawano Police Department

Feb. 15

Police logged 14 incidents, including the following:

Reckless Driving — Police responded to a reckless driving complaint at Green Bay Street and Airport Drive.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 300 block of South Washington Street.

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious person complaint in the 900 block of East Randall Street.

Feb. 14

Police logged 20 incidents, including the following:

OWI — A 56-year-old Shawano man was arrested for operating while intoxicated at Danks and Franklin streets.

Disturbance — Police responded to a domestic disturbance in the 400 block of Humphrey Circle.

Threatening — Police investigated a complaint involving a spectator who threatened a referee at Olga Brener Intermediate School, 1300 S. Union St. A warning was issued to the spectator.

Shoplifting — Charlie’s County Market, 521 S. Main St., reported a shoplifting incident.

Theft — Luigi’s Pizza Palace, 607 S. Main St., reported someone trying to leave without paying.

Feb. 13

Police logged 30 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance at Billy’s bar, 1100 S. Main St.

Accident — Police responded to a two-vehicle property damage accident at Green Bay and Lincoln streets.

Juvenile — Police logged five truancy complaints from the Shawano School District.

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint in the 600 block of West Picnic Street.

Prowler — Police investigated a report of a prowler in the 1100 block of South Smalley Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Feb. 15

Deputies logged 27 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on Anderson Avenue in Wescott.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Cecil Street in Bonduel.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on Lake Crest Drive in Wescott.

Warrant — Authorities took three people into custody on outstanding warrants after responding to a vehicle fire on state Highway 29 in Waukechon.

OWI — A 35-year-old Shawano man was arrested for operating while intoxicated on Lake Drive in Wescott.

Juvenile — Authorities responded to a juvenile problem on U.S. Highway 45 in Tigerton.

Feb. 14

Deputies logged 25 incidents, including the following:

Vandalism — An Alliant sub station was reported vandalized on Evergreen Road in Belle Plaine.

Drug Offense — Authorities investigated a drug complaint on Spruce Road in Angelica.

Fraud — Authorities investigated a fraud complaint on Green Bay Street in Bonduel.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Prouty Street in Wittenberg.

Accident — Authorities responded to an injury accident on Sunrise Road in Waukechon.

Feb. 13

Deputies logged 47 incidents, including the following:

OAR — A 49-year-old Shawano man was cited for operating after revocation on Fox Lane in Wescott.

OWI — A 28-year-old man was arrested for operating while intoxicated after an accident on state Highway 29 in Wittenberg.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Westgor Avenue in Wittenberg.

Warrant — A 28-year-old Shawano woman was arrested on a warrant on Hiawatha Court in Wescott.

OWI — A 27-year-old Shawano man was arrested for operating while intoxicated and a warrant at state Highway 29 and County Road U near the Brown County line.

Disturbance — A 30-year-old Shawano man was arrested on charges of strangulation and disorderly conduct after a disturbance on Broadway Road in Richmond.

Accidents — Authorities logged 11 accidents, including three deer-related crashes.

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Menominee walking in support of Kenosha casinoBy: 

Lee Pulaski, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski Menominee Nation supporters leave the tribal offices Friday morning armed with signs urging Gov. Scott Walker to reconsider his rejection of a proposed casino in Kenosha. Among the marchers were students and staff from Menominee Tribal School who carried signs signalling that a Kenosha casino might help to improve the school.
Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski More than 200 Menominee tribal members walk along state Highway 47-55 in Keshena on Friday morning with signs showing their support for a Menominee casino in Kenosha and urging Gov. Scott Walker to reconsider his rejection of the project.

Many members of the Menominee Nation are unhappy with Gov. Scott Walker’s rejection of a proposed $800 million casino in Kenosha, so they’re marching to Madison to have a word with him.

The rub is that Walker’s office in Madison is 156 miles from the tribal offices in Keshena, where the march started Friday morning.

That is not deterring tribal officials from marching for a casino they believe would be the catalyst to help lift the tribe out of poverty. More than 200 tribal members marched from the tribal offices to the College of Menominee Nation, and about two dozen are continuing the trek for the rest of the way, armed with signs urging Walker to reconsider his decision, tribal drums and a spirit staff adorned with eagle feathers from seven tribal families.

Walker told The Associated Press in January that approving the casino would put Wisconsin at risk of losing hundreds of millions of dollars due to terms of a compact with the Forest County Potawatomi Tribe that prohibits a new casino within 30 to 50 miles of the Potawatomi’s lucrative Milwaukee casino, the state’s largest.

The Potawatomi oppose the Kenosha project, saying it would cut into their profits, and last year withheld a $25 million payment to the state when it appeared the Kenosha casino may be approved.

The Menominee Nation offered to put up a $275 million bond to protect the state from any losses.

After Walker rejected the Kenosha plan, the Menominee Nation offered to pay the state’s contribution, estimated at $220 million, for a new arena for the Milwaukee Bucks if Walker reversed his decision on the casino. Walker said the arena is needed to keep the Bucks from leaving the state.

Menominee leaders say the casino revenue is needed to provide health care, education, housing, justice and infrastructure to more than 9,000 of its tribal members.

At a rally held before Friday’s march, Joey Awonohopay, director of Menominee Language and Culture, said that the journey to Madison was a historic event similar to the tribe’s fight for sovereignty. Walker’s rejection of the Kenosha casino is a threat to the tribe’s sovereignty, he said.

“Over four decades ago, our grandfathers, our grandmothers, our uncles, our aunties, our moms and our dads marched to Madison, and they fought for our self-determination and our right to be re-established as a sovereign nation of this state,” Awonohopay said. “Back then, it was a senator from a different state that put the roadblocks up in front of our people. Today, it is the governor of our own state.”

It is not the Menominee way to hate those who have wronged them, Awonohopay said, and tribal members are hoping the march will be seen as a sign of friendship with the state.

Gary Besaw, Menominee tribal chairman, said the march is not meant to be a protest but rather a sign of tribal members’ determination to move into the future.

“This is a march to call attention to the misinformed and misguided decision handed to our people,” Besaw said. “It’s a march to Madison to remind Governor Walker that we are a sovereign nation, the longest continual residents of Wisconsin, and deserve to be treated on a nation-to-nation basis.”

The tribe is expecting to pump $1.2 billion into the state’s revenues if a casino is accepted, and a new casino managed by Hard Rock Cafe, based in Florida, is expected to provide more than 10,000 jobs, Besaw said. The jobs would benefit Menominee County, which has the highest unemployment rate in Wisconsin, as well as the counties in southeast Wisconsin, he said.

Besaw said that much of the path tribal members will travel over the next several days will be ancestral Menominee land. He pointed out that the tribe is resolute to lobby for reconsideration right up until the Feb. 19 deadline Walker has for a final decision.

“When things go wrong, when things go bad, we know that we stand up for each other and that we are one,” Besaw said.

Prior to the tribe’s decision to march to Madison, officials with the Walker administration had indicated a change of heart from Walker was unlikely.

“The governor made a decision, and we’ve moved on,” state Department of Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch told The Associated Press.

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Hortonville village administrator resignsBy: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

A former Hortonville village administrator facing child porn possession charges in Outagamie County was the subject of a similar investigation when he was Shawano County’s planning and development director in 2001.

Patrick M. Vaile, 60, of Hortonville, was charged in Outagamie County Circuit Court on Wednesday with 16 counts of possession of child pornography.

Vaile resigned from his post in Hortonville after his arrest Tuesday. He was ordered held on a $75,000 cash bond.

According to the criminal complaint, the state Division of Criminal Investigations (DCI) received a cybertip concerning Vaile on Monday from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

DCI agents searched Vaile’s home computer and a flash drive Tuesday. They discovered 169 images of child pornography on the devices, and two boxes with printed images of child pornography in Vaile’s bedroom and garage, the criminal complaint states.

Shawano County authorities confirmed Friday that they assisted the DCI with an investigation into child porn allegations against Vaile in 2001.

The DCI was working with law enforcement in Brown County, where Vaile lived at the time while working for Shawano County.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department Detective Sgt. Gordon Kowaleski said there was evidence collected and statements that were taken in Shawano County and were turned over to the DCI for possible referral to the district attorney’s office in the Brown County case.

No charges were filed in Brown County as a result of that investigation and it was unclear whether the probe ever led to charges being referred.

Vaile was Shawano County planning and development director from August 1996 to September 2001. He was hired as Hortonville’s administrator in 2011.

Vaile is due back in Outagamie County court Thursday for further proceedings. He could face 25 years in prison and a $100,000 fine on each count of child porn possession if convicted.

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Incumbent faces 2 foes with government experienceBy: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

Voters in Bonduel will cast ballots Tuesday to narrow their choices for village president in the spring election.

It’s one of two primary elections being held in the area Tuesday. The other is in Bowler, where three candidates are running for treasurer.

In Bonduel, incumbent Village President Melvin Wendland is seeking another two-year term against challengers Sharon Wussow, a trustee on the Village Board, and former Village President Grant Staszak.

Wendland has been president for six years and served as a trustee for more than 30 years.

Wussow has had a couple of stretches on the Village Board totaling 12 years; she has served for six years this last time around.

Staszak served two terms as president before leaving for a term on the Shawano County Board six years ago. He left that to operate the Amico’s restaurant in Belle Plaine.

Staszak said that with his business venture behind him, he now wants to return to working on behalf of the Bonduel community.

“It’s a passion of mine,” he said.

For Wendland, another term as president would maintain continuity on the board, he said, at a time when things are working well and steps are being taken to look to the future.

“There are no major problems,” Wendland said.

He noted that the village two years ago adopted a 20-year plan that will address some of the village’s infrastructure needs, and efforts are in place to resurrect a local business association along the lines of a chamber of commerce to promote local businesses.

Wussow said business promotion is also one of her priorities. She said more needs to be done to market the village and encourage the more than 60 businesses in the village to work together.

Wussow said she wants to explore whether there is money available from the county or Shawano County Economic Progress Inc. to aid those marketing efforts.

Staszak said improving the business climate and drawing more businesses to the downtown and the industrial park was a top priority among residents he has talked to while campaigning. He said he would like to see what kinds of incentives can be offered to attract new business.

Staszak said he has also been hearing complaints about the village’s utility bills.

“That’s the number one issue I hear,” he said.

Staszak said he wants to look at ways of decreasing utility bills.

However, Wendland said, there is little the village can do to lower those bills, partly because there are outstanding sewer and utility bonds that have to be paid off.

Wendland said those bills might seem high in Bonduel, but other communities are beginning to raise their rates as well.

“All the other communities are catching up,” he said.

Wendland also said there is nothing special a village president can do to control utility rates.

“The village president is just a regular board member,” he said, with an equal vote like the board’s trustees. “He runs the meetings, but anything he does has to be approved by the board. He can’t make executive decisions.”

Wussow agreed with that view of the president’s authority, but, she added, there is an additional leadership role.

“Your job is as a leader to help steer the board toward what’s best for the village,” she said.

Wussow agreed with Staszak that utility bills are too high and some ideas need to be explored to see if they can be lowered.

Wussow said there are other ideas that should be explored, including collaborative efforts with other communities to provide services the village doesn’t provide, such as leaf pickup.

Wussow, who has been involved with activities at the Bonduel School District, said she also wants to see more involvement by younger people in local government.

“Getting younger people involved means different ideas,” she said.

Wendland said the community organizations he has been involved in — including the Lions Club and Civic Association — have already been promoting youth involvement.

“All board members should be part of community organizations instead of just talking about it,” he said.

Wendland said his experience in office separates him from the other candidates, though Staszak said he also has experience in that role.

Wussow emphasized her lifelong affiliation with the community.

“My heart has always been here for the village,” she said.

Polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday and close at 8 p.m.

The area’s other primary, in Bowler, pits incumbent Treasurer Colleen Cortright against challengers Jessica Paiser-DuFour and Kerry Breitrick.

The top two vote-getters in Tuesdays primaries will advance to the spring election on April 7.

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Shawano Police Department

Feb. 12

Police logged 25 incidents, including the following:

Shoplifting — Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St., reported a shoplifting incident.

Code Violations — Police logged eight complaints of snow and ice not cleared from sidewalks.

Disorderly — Police responded to an intoxicated person complaint at Farm Inn on Main, 123 N. Main St.

Disorderly — Police responded to a lewd and lascivious behavior complaint of a man urinating in public in the 900 block of South Washington Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Feb. 12

Deputies logged 24 incidents, including the following:

Disorderly — Authorities responded to a disorderly conduct complaint at Bonduel High School, 400 W. Green Bay St., Bonduel.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on Rolling Hills Drive in Belle Plaine.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on Lake Drive in Wescott.

Reckless Driving — Authorities responded to a reckless driving complaint on state Highway 29 in Belle Plaine.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on Oak Park Road in Wescott.

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Tribe celebrates grand opening of new casino facilityBy: 

Lee Pulaski, [email protected]

Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski Crystal Chapman-Chevalier, Menominee Indian Gaming Authority chairwoman, gets some help from Gary Besaw, Menominee tribal chairman, in cutting the ribbon and officially welcoming the public to its new 25,000-square-foot casino.
Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski Smokeytown Singers, a Menominee drum group, performs a welcome song for guests during Thursday’s grand opening at Menominee Casino Resort.

The Menominee Nation on Thursday celebrated the grand opening of the second phase of the Menominee Casino Resort — a 25,000 square-foot casino facility that will complete the building project started eight years earlier.

The first phase of the resort, finished in 2010, was the conference center and hotel. Plans for the building were first hashed out in 2007, according to Jim Reiter, general manager for Menominee Casino Resort, but the tribe could not afford to do the whole project at once.

Reiter told a crowd of more than 100 at Thursday’s ribbon cutting ceremony that the focus of the second phase was to connect the hotel with the casino. The old Bingo hall, first built in 1982, was demolished and moved into where the casino had been previously, and the new casino was built between the old gaming facility and the hotel.

The casino facility includes new slot floors, table games and poker area, guest service area, box office and guest shop. There will also be a new cafe, called the Autumn Leaf Cafe, for guests to relax in, Reiter said.

“A day like today is a very joyous occasion for our company, our people, our players and our vendors,” Reiter said, adding that the occasion is bittersweet for him, as he plans to retire June 30.

Reiter credited the Menominee Tribal Legislature and the Menominee Indian Gaming Authority with having a vision for the tribe’s financial future.

“Our Legislature recognized that we needed to do something to improve on our situation. We’ve been adding on and adding on all these years, but it was time we needed to move forward,” Reiter said.

Gary Besaw, Menominee tribal chairman, noted that the $8.3 million project was finished on time and under budget. Miron Construction constructed the new casino area, while LSE Architects from Minneapolis, Minnesota, designed the facility. Wisconsin Bank and Trust furnished the financing to build the casino.

However, he credited a good share of the project’s success to patrons and tribal members, who gave their ideas about how to design the facility.

“You gave great recommendations and insight that provided the decisions that resulted in what we see today,” Besaw said. “Along with the hotel and conference center, it has created what you — the customer and tribal member — have asked for, a connected and exciting one-stop shop.”

The Menominee and other tribes in the state depend on casinos and gaming facilities to provide the funding that covers reservation needs.

“This casino facility is counted on to provide most of our tribal budget,” Besaw said.

Crystal Chapman-Chevalier, chairwoman of the Menominee Indian Gaming Authority, noted that the rural Indian casino market has become very competitive, and it is important to keep the tribe’s gaming facilities up-to-date.

“The opportunity and stability of tribal gaming is worth fighting for,” Chapman-Chevalier said. “I truly that Indian gaming establishments stand as beacons of self-determination and resiliency and are a promise of sustainability and future prosperity to tribal nations across this country. A stronger casino makes for a stronger nation.”

Chapman-Chevalier noted that 70 percent of the tribe’s programming revenue comes from the Keshena gaming facility. The new facility also has a state-of-the-art air quality system and more appealing atmosphere, which she said will help improve employees’ work experience and customer visits.

“Happy employees make for happy customers,” Chapman-Chevalier said. “Our customers, whether they are long-time loyalists or first-time visitors, now have a more synergistic gaming experience that provides all the convenience of our amenities and entertainment under one roof.”

Even as the tribe celebrates the completion of one casino project, it is preparing for a fight on another.

Tribal officials and other Menominee citizens plan to march from Keshena to Madison, starting at 8 a.m. Friday, as a gesture to urge Gov. Scott Walker to reverse his January decision to reject a new tribal casino in Kenosha.

FYI

A brief history of gaming on the Menominee Reservation:

1982: The tribe opens its first Bingo hall in Keshena at the current Menominee Casino Resort.

1987: The tribe opens its gaming facility and becomes the first Wisconsin Indian tribe to offer Las Vegas-style gaming.

2007: At the direction of the Tribal Legislature, the Menominee Casino Resort begins planning for a full destination resort, including a modernized gaming facility.

2010: The conference center and hotel portion of the Menominee Casino Resort are completed.

2015: A new 25,000-square-foot casino is built to complete the Menominee Casino Resort. The former Bingo hall is demolished, and Bingo facilities are moved into the original casino.

Source: Gary Besaw, Menominee tribal chairman

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Gauthier volunteering time to improve group’s curriculumBy: 

Jason Arndt, [email protected]

A Green Bay-based management consultant has volunteered his time to help Leadership Shawano County improve its curriculum.

Cecil area resident Greg Gauthier, a partner with Foxwood Associates, a Green Bay management consulting firm, began working with the local leadership program last summer. The new curriculum was introduced with the leadership class that started in September.

There are 18 members of the class slated to graduate from the program in May.

“The goal was to develop leadership skills in the participants that would have a direct and positive impact on their employer companies,” Gauthier said.

Gauthier previously worked with the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Green Bay.

“Foxwood’s association with the chamber and its strong reputation in the local business community for leadership program development made it a natural choice for enhancing our curriculum,” said Wendy Crawford, program coordinator for Leadership Shawano County.

Crawford said she started mulling ways to enhance the curriculum of the 15-year-old program while attending state leadership conferences. She met Gauthier through a community project last year.

Gauthier specializes in executive coaching, leadership development, strategy and culture transformation for organizations.

“My goal is to help Wendy integrate content into her program in a way that makes it impactful and relevant for the participants,” Gauthier said. “I also provide guidance to Wendy on methods and techniques she can use to facilitate the learning experience.”

The methods include more panel discussions on community concerns and more conversations about real-life business experiences among the program participants.

“We reinforce the concepts through shared stories because we all have our certain business experience,” Crawford said. “Everybody has them. Business stories can also be about what not to do.”

The discussions and training, as well as the continued focus on community topics and projects, hopefully will inspire class participants, she said.

“Leadership is developed through that process,” Crawford said. “People generally align themselves to something they feel passionate about. They step forward and get involved and use their skills.”

While the leadership curriculum has been adjusted for the current class, some segments remain unchanged, including sessions on fundraising methods, public speaking and working with multiple generations.

Crawford believes the new developments will keep the curriculum current, which provides an incentive for local employers to continue sponsoring employees to attend the monthly classes.

“What have we been doing has been working very well, but I feel that we owe it to our sponsors, we owe to the current employers, to stay current and to constantly tweak it to make it better,” Crawford said.

Leadership Shawano County is a program of the Shawano Country Chamber of Commerce and the University of Wisconsin- Extension in Shawano County.

Each September, the class kicks off with 18 to 20 participants who, through a series of monthly sessions, learn about social issues and challenges facing the Shawano area. In addition they are exposed to leadership education and training skills, and opportunities to become involved in community efforts.

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Officials won’t disclose proposed locationBy: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

City staff have identified a location for a possible future dog park in Shawano; something many residents have been panting for since 2012.

Park and Recreation Director Matt Hendricks said he isn’t ready to divulge the location, however.

“We still have a few more things to work out,” he said.

Hendricks and Department of Public Works Coordinator Eddie Sheppard have been looking at possible dog park locations for the last several months, Hendricks said.

About seven or eight city-owned sites were analyzed before settling on the location being considered now, he said.

“Each site had some positive things and some challenges, but now that we have a site identified at this point, we can begin to build a budget projection,” Hendricks said.

There was no time line for how soon dog owners would be able to romp in the park with their canines, but the city’s capital improvement projects budget for this year includes $50,000 that was set aside in hopes of partnering with other entities for the future establishment of a dog park.

A survey seeking public input from residents on Shawano parks in 2013 cited a dog park as something many respondents wanted to see.

Dog park enthusiasts approached the Shawano County Board on two occasions in 2012 to establish the park at a clay borrows site on Rosebrook Road in the town of Belle Plaine. It was voted down twice over concerns about the proposed lease, the expense and what entity would be responsible for it.

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The College of Menominee Nation’s applied research projects on solar energy are expanding to engage teachers and primary school students in the region.

With its new $197,128 grant from the National Science Foundation, CMN will introduce renewable energy concepts to children from high-risk schools in Green Bay and to area teachers for use in their classrooms.

The youth outreach project funded by the college’s grant is a cooperative effort between CMN and the Greater Green Bay YMCA’s after-school program. Children from grades 2 through 5 will learn about renewable energy in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs from March 31 through May 5.

The teacher education component will be planned on a train-the-trainers model that shows classroom teachers how to incorporate solar energy education units in STEM classes.

The two-year grant is a continuation of the ongoing solar energy research led by Lisa Bosman of the CMN faculty.

Bosman, a Gresham native, is concurrently working under a $413,000 NASA Innovations in Climate Education grant that expands on the college’s solar energy research activities. She and others of the college are also engaged in energy projects with Argonne National Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Madison and UW-Milwaukee, and the National Council for Science and Environment, among others.

CMN is one of several tribal colleges working to increase STEM instructional and research capacities for indigenous students and the communities the colleges serve. Grants awarded to the College of Menominee Nation are helping expand the research efforts of faculty and the opportunities of their students to pursue careers in STEM fields.

College students in CMN’s grant-funded projects gain hands-on experience in applied research and invitations to assist with STEM outreach programs.

In summer 2014, CMN students served as mentors to area high school students who participated in the college’s NASA Academy. The after-school program with the YMCA this spring will match CMN students one-on-one or one-to-two with elementary school students for renewable energy projects. In keeping with the college’s mission, many of the planned activities are culturally significant and encourage a community and generational appreciation for science and math while introducing students to careers in fields such as sustainable energy production.

The College of Menominee Nation is an accredited baccalaureate institution with campuses in Keshena and Green Bay. Information on CMN is available online at menominee.edu.

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Shawano Police Department

Feb. 11

Police logged 23 incidents, including the following:

Shoplifting — Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St., reported a shoplifting incident.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem on Humphrey Circle.

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint in the 700 block of South Main Street.

Shoplifting — Qualheim’s True Value, 1345 E. Green Bay St., reported a shoplifting incident.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 900 block of East Randall Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Feb. 11

Deputies logged 37 incidents, including the following:

Disorderly — Authorities responded to a disorderly conduct complaint on Oak Street in Bowler.

Theft — Authorities responded to a theft complaint on Cecil Street in Bonduel.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Cecil Street in Bonduel.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Fischer Street in Gresham.

Accidents — Authorities logged 11 accidents, including three deer-related crashes.

Clintonville Police Department

Feb. 11

Police logged six incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — A suspicious incident was reported on North 12th Street.

Fraud — Two worthless check complaints were under investigation.

Accident — A two-vehicle property damage accident was reported on South Main Street. One driver was cited for inattentive driving.

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Animal rights groups don’t like quick-reporting provisionBy: 

The Associated Press

A state legislator is planning to introduce a bill that would force anyone who videotapes or photographs incidents of animal abuse on a Wisconsin farm to report it to law enforcement authorities or face a fine.

Animal rights groups are vowing to fight what they are calling an “ag gag” that Rep. Lee Nerison, R-Westby, plans to introduce. They believe it’s aimed at disrupting undercover investigations that have brought embarrassment and financial pressure from customers to dozens of farms across the country after they were exposed for abusing animals.

Nerison’s bill is expected to force anyone with video or photographic evidence of animal abuse to take it almost immediately to police. His 96th Assembly District includes 11 towns and four villages in Monroe County.

Such a quick-reporting provision “cuts short investigations and sweeps animal abuse under the rug,” said Vandhana Bala, general counsel for Mercy for Animals, an advocacy organization that has used undercover investigations to document two apparent cases of animal cruelty on Wisconsin dairy farms over the past 18 months.

Undercover investigations seek to show a pattern of cruelty and who is responsible, Bala said, and rapid-reporting laws undermine that opportunity, adding that law enforcement officials are under no obligation to continue the investigation.

Opponents of such a bill also may be able to argue that it’s not constitutional. “It’s a blatant disregard of your right of free speech,” said Robert Drechsel, a University of Wisconsin-Madison journalism professor and expert on media law.

Nerison said the bill he plans to propose is different from controversial “ag gag” laws adopted in seven states because it wouldn’t prohibit anyone from going undercover on farms to investigate and use cameras to show examples of animal cruelty.

“It’s a focus on reporting abuse, not just recording abuse,” said Nerison, chairman of the Assembly Agriculture Committee. He said he has no timetable on when he’ll introduce the bill.

Bala said regardless of the mechanism, the intent of ag-gag bills is the same: to limit investigations.

A law with a quick-reporting approach was enacted by Missouri in 2012, but similar proposals were rejected in several other states, including California.

Reputations at stake

Nerison said he’s going to introduce the bill at the behest of farmers and others who told him their reputations have been put on the line by undercover investigators with poor knowledge of farm operations.

“It’s constituents who are worried about people coming on (their property) and shooting a video or putting it on YouTube when they weren’t doing anything wrong. That could affect the character of the person farming,” Nerison said.

“Just about every farmer I know will gladly let anybody come on (their farm), and they’ll show them their operation because they are proud of the operation and what they do,” Nerison added. “If you’re doing it according to the best practices and know how you have to do it, and then somebody takes a video and says its abuse and puts it out there, it affects the farmer’s reputation.”

Bala said an ag-gag bill in Wisconsin could further endanger animals in a state where law enforcement officials already have taken no legal action against the group’s reports of animal abuse.

Mercy for Animals last year conducted an undercover investigation at Andrus Dairy Farm in Shawano County. Video published in November shows workers kicking and punching cows and using garden shears to cut off cows’ tails.

Mercy for Animals reported the incidents to the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department, which conducted an investigation. The district attorney’s office declined to file criminal charges, saying the actions shown in the video do not constitute criminal abuse.

The abuse investigations can have financial repercussions for farms.

The Andrus Dairy Farm video led Great Lakes Cheese in Ohio to announce that it was halting purchases of cheese made from Andrus milk. Another Mercy for Animals investigation in 2013 led Foremost Farms to stop purchasing milk from Wiese Brothers Farm after video showed animal abuse at that operation in Brown County.

Some states shy away

Nerison told Assembly Speaker Robin Vos last month in a “term paper” that the bill proposal was going through final revisions. He said last week that he’s still crafting language for the proposal and would welcome input from representatives of animal rights groups.

What Nerison said he doesn’t want is a carbon copy of ag-gag laws passed in Iowa and other states that ban investigators from lying on job applications to gain access to a farm or shooting video or taking photos without consent. Last month, a Washington legislator introduced a bill similar to Utah’s ag-gag law that criminalizes undercover taping on a farm.

“I don’t think that’s the proper way to handle it here in Wisconsin,” he added. “I don’t like taking a bill from another state and just taking that language and putting it in Wisconsin. I’d rather have it fit for the state.”

Taking a different tack, Missouri in 2012 enacted a law requiring farm employees who videotape suspected animal abuse to report it to authorities within 24 hours.

Other states have rejected such proposals. In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Haslam vetoed a bill with a 48-hour reporting provision in 2013 after the state’s attorney general opined that the bill was constitutionally suspect under the First Amendment and also could violate the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.

Constitutional questions were a big reason why 17 states have defeated ag-gag proposals, Bala said. Despite those concerns, she said, Utah, Missouri, Iowa and Idaho — states with Republican-led legislatures like Wisconsin’s — have passed such bills since 2012. Iowa, Idaho and Utah also have Republican governors.

Bala welcomed Nerison’s invitation to offer input for the bill. So did Melissa Tedrowe, the state director of the Humane Society of the United States, who believes food safety, environmental protection and worker’s rights groups will join animal rights groups to oppose the bill.

“We want Wisconsin to be on the cutting edge of open and transparent, humane and sustainable agriculture. A bill like this is not a step in the right direction,” Tedrowe said.

Groups such as the Farmers Union said they are waiting to see the final language of a proposal.

“We have a lot of respect for Assemblyman Nerison,” said Tom Quinn, executive director of the Farmers Union.

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Spirit of Shawano work to be done firstBy: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

City officials Wednesday adopted final plans for the development of Franklin Park and Spirit of Shawano Park, with money also approved to put the Spirit of Shawano plans into action first.

“It’s more of a streetscape renovation project,” Park and Recreation Director Matt Hendricks said of the Spirit of Shawano Park project.

It will include new trees, plantings and landscaping, he said.

“The theme is to give a good impression to not only the people of Shawano, but (also) people passing through,” Hendricks said.

The park is located on the northeast and southeast corners of the intersection of Green Bay and Main streets, and currently features statues paying tribute to farming and logging.

“The monuments will stay,” Hendricks said, but their locations might shift.

The names of more than 1,300 donors cut into stone blocks at the site will be re-engraved on some other type of surface.

“The stone they’re engraved into now has degraded too much,” Hendricks said. “The names will be re-engraved into granite or some other substance to honor those original people that gave to the park.”

A welcoming sign that would stretch across Green Bay Street is also part of the plan.

The Common Council approved a $14,500 contract with Rettler Corp., of Stevens Point, to draft the design and construction plans.

The council also approved the finalized plan for Franklin Park, but no money has been set aside to begin work.

Hendricks said the theme of Franklin Park will be community involvement.

It will support activities such as the Shawano Farmers Market and also be supportive of the downtown, Hendricks said.

“Farmers market vendors could back into the stall and pedestrians could be on the interior, walking through the park,” he said.

The park will have a stage or performance area, with restrooms open to the public; a water fountain, with water jets on a timer; aesthetic landscaping; and a small playground at the south end.

There will also be new trees planted to re-create a memorial to World War I veterans. The trees originally planted in their honor were removed years ago.

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Students will be in school 10 minutes longer each dayBy: 

Lee Pulaski, [email protected]

Students in the Shawano School District will attend classes six fewer days in the 2015-16 school year than this year.

The rub is that they will be in school for a little longer when they are there.

Students will attend classes for 173 days next year. The calendar for the current school year is 179 days, but six of those days were half-days to allow teachers and staff to have additional time for training and collaboration.

Those half-days are going to be absorbed into the full days next year, according to District Administrator Gary Cumberland. As a result, the district will lengthen the school day by 10 minutes in order to comply with DPI regulations, which were changed in 2014 from days to minutes in school.

“Those half-days are going to be full days (off for students) to allow teachers to dig into their data to make sure they have the opportunity, if need be, to change what they’re doing,” Cumberland said.

The half-days did not provide sufficient time for teachers to look at the data collected and develop future lesson plans accordingly. In many cases, according to Cumberland, teachers had to look at data on nights and weekends to make sure students were not falling through the cracks.

“With the half-days, it was usually training. They did their training, and then they went home,” he said. “Now we can have the training plus a half a day of data analysis.”

Cumberland compares data analysis for educators to a doctor looking at symptoms and assessing patients. The doctor has to analyze results to figure out how best to treat the patient, he said, and teachers go through a similar process.

“We collect a lot of data on our students. Now we need to take the time to look at that data, analyze that data, and then we can become prescriptive, student to student — personalized learning,” Cumberland said. “The student is going to get what they need, and the teacher is going to be able to see what is working and what isn’t.”

The new calendar will help parents, as well, he said.

“I’ve been told that it’s been a struggle for some of our parents to deal with those half-days,” Cumberland said. “Kids come to school and parents work, and then to arrange for half-days of sitting is much more difficult than getting a full-day (sitter).”

The additional days off will also help as makeup days if the district has to close school too often because of bad weather, Cumberland said. The new calendar has three weather days, the same as the current school year.

The 2015-16 school year will begin Sept. 1 and end June 3.

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1978 stabbing in Clintonville one of the casesBy: 

The Associated Press

The Waupaca County sheriff says he’s optimistic that investigators will solve two murder cases from 1992 and 1978 in the next year.

Sheriff Brad Hardel told Post-Crescent Media that investigators have made progress on both cold cases.

In 1992, 23-year-old Tanna Togstad and her boyfriend, 35-year-old Timothy Mumbrue, were found stabbed to death in her Royalton farmhouse. Authorities said in February 2013 that a man who was convicted of rape in Wisconsin and killing a man in Oklahoma was a person of interest in the 1992 double homicide.

Officials said DNA testing tied the man to the case, but not much has been said since.

“We’ve got a few things we’re waiting on to come back from the (state) crime lab,” Hardel said. “But we’re not definitely convinced that he’s the only person (of interest). There’s a good chance there is someone else besides him.”

Togstad’s brother, Richard Togstad, said he last saw his sister a few days before her death.

“I want it solved,” he said. “I want this guy, or guys, in prison before they die of old age.”

In the other cold case, 26-year-old Marcella Carpenter was found dead in a burning Clintonville house in January 1978. She died of a single stab wound.

Hardel said “there is a good possibility of solving that one,” but declined to elaborate.

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Concealed carry among class topicsBy: 

Leader Staff

Beginning in early March, the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department will offer several training courses in the interest of promoting personal and community safety.

The courses include training in concealed carry, self-defense and providing emergency medical assistance.

“In today’s world the Sheriff’s Office believes it is essential that our communities are confident in their ability to protect themselves and assist others when needed,” Sheriff Adam Beiber said. “Taking a proactive approach in preparedness when emergencies arise replaces fear with a readiness to act when necessary.”

A small fee will be required to help off-set the expenses of the programming.

• A concealed-carry course will be offered from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 7 at the Shawano Lake County Park Pavilion, W5785 Lake Drive. There is a fee of $20. Gabe and Lisa Gutenberger will instruct the class. A limit of 35 participants has been set. Interested individuals can call 920-639-4214 or email [email protected] or [email protected] to register and make arrangements for payment.

• An American Red Cross certification in C.P.R./A.E.D. will be held from 5-9 p.m. March 2, 3 and 5 in the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office training room, 405 N. Main St. A $30 fee is needed to obtain this recognized two-year certification.

“With life-saving equipment available in many public places, having the skills and knowledge to make the most of these resources may save a life,” Bieber said. “This is also an excellent opportunity for those teens and adults who provide child care to be prepared in the event of an emergency.”

• A course on personal self-defense will be taught by an expert instructor from 6-8 p.m. March 3, 10 and 17 at the Shawano Community Middle School, 1050 S. Union St. The course requires a $10 fee.

“Simply having the knowledge and confidence that you could escape a personal attack and get away goes a long way in providing peace of mind,” Bieber said.

Space is limited in all these courses so early registration is recommended. To sign up, you may call 715-526-7903 or 715-526-7925.

“We will be offering additional informational courses in the near future, and scheduling more of these if the classes are needed to meet the interest in them,” Bieber said.

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Shawano Police Department

Feb. 10

Police logged 15 incidents, including the following:

Lewd — Police investigated a man who urinated near a residence in the 400 block of South Bartlett Street.

Domestic — Police investigated a domestic disturbance at a residence in the 400 block of West Picnic Street.

Pedestrian — Police investigated an incident involving a man and woman who punched a vehicle’s back window at Lieg Avenue and River Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Feb. 10

Deputies logged 31 incidents, including the following:

Weapon — Authorities responded to shots fired toward a residence on Bierman Road in the town of Aniwa. The shots did not hit the residence.

Warrant — Authorities took a 45-year-old man into custody on a probation/parole warrant on Lake Drive in Wescott.

Burglary — Authorities investigated a burglary of storage units on County Road MMM in Richmond.

Animal — Authorities responded to a complaint of stray horses on Geider Road in the town of Red Springs.

Disorderly — Authorities investigated disorderly behavior at North Star Casino, W12180 County Road A, Bowler.

Suspicious — Authorities investigated a suspicious vehicle on Wolf River Road in Richmond.

Accident — Authorities logged one deer-related and two single-vehicle accidents.

Clintonville Police Department

Feb. 10

Police logged 11 incidents, including the following:

Battery — Police responded to a battery incident at Clintonville High School, 64 W. Green Tree Road.

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct incident at Clintonville Middle School, 255 N. Main St.

Theft — A cell phone was reported stolen at Clintonville High School, 64 W. Green Tree Road.

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Men allegedly tried to kidnap young relativeBy: 

Leader Staff

Two men were charged Tuesday in connection with an armed home invasion in Wittenberg in which they allegedly intended to kidnap a young relative from his parents.

Paul M. Nueman, 59, and Benjamin D. Sheldon, 32 — both of Stacy, Minnesota — are each facing numerous felony counts, including attempted forceful abduction, armed burglary and reckless endangerment, as well as several weapons-related and drug-related charges.

The men arrived at a residence on Mission Street shortly before 9 a.m. Monday armed with a sawed-off shotgun and other weapons to demand custody of Nueman’s grandson, according to the criminal complaint.

The residents were Nueman’s daughter and son-in-law, who attempted to defend themselves with a crossbow, according to the complaint.

The complaint states Sheldon rushed the son-in-law and was able to get the crossbow away from him, after which he allegedly held a gun to his head. The complaint also alleges Nueman held a gun on his daughter when she tried to call police.

Nueman’s son-in-law was able to go upstairs at one point during the encounter and called 911.

According to the complaint, Nueman told the couple he would return and kill them if he didn’t get custody of the child.

Shawano County sheriff’s deputies arrived on scene as the men were getting back into their vehicles.

Deputies followed the vehicle a short distance until there was another squad on scene and conducted a traffic stop. The men surrendered without incident and were taken into custody.

Deputies found handguns on the men and numerous other weapons in the vehicle, according to the complaint, including a .380 caliber pistol, a .32 caliber Derringer pistol, a .357 revolver, sawed-off shotgun, a rifle with scope, a Ruger LC9 pistol, multiple boxes of ammunition and magazines, brass knuckles, a Smith and Wesson knife set, and several other knives.

Deputies also found a grinder and containers of suspected marijuana, along with smoking devices, according to the complaint.

Both men are charged with attempted forceful abduction of a child, which carries a maximum possible penalty of 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine; armed burglary, a maximum 15 years in prison and a $50,000 fine; first-degree recklessly endangering safety, a maximum 12½ years and a $25,000 fine; intimidating a witness, a maximum 10 years and $25,000 fine; and possession of short-barreled shotgun, six years and a $10,000 fine.

Both are also charged with misdemeanor counts of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia, and Nueman also faces misdemeanor counts of carrying a concealed weapon for the brass knuckles allegedly found in his pocket.

Nueman and Sheldon were each ordered held Tuesday on $50,000 cash bonds after initial appearances before Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court Judge William Kussel Jr. They are scheduled for adjourned initial appearances Monday.

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By: 

Leader Staff

A Green Bay man arrested Thursday in Shawano County’s latest sex sting operation has been charged with using a computer to facilitate a sex crime.

Ross W. Krueger, 32, could face a maximum 40 years in prison and a $100,000 fine if found guilty.

According to the criminal complaint, Krueger responded to a Craigslist ad on the Internet and began texting with what he believed was a 15-year-old girl.

The texts were sexual in nature, and Krueger at one point sent a photo of his genitalia, according to the criminal complaint.

The complaint alleges Krueger arranged to meet the girl for sex at a location in the town of Wescott. He was taken into custody when he arrived.

The Craigslist ad had actually been posted by a Shawano County sheriff’s detective who posed as the girl during the text exchanges.

Another deputy posed as the girl during two telephone conversations that took place while Krueger was on his way to the rendezvous spot, according to the complaint.

The arrest brings to 13 the number of people busted in computer sex sting operations in Shawano County over the past two years.

There have been five regional operations since fall 2012, resulting in 84 arrests in multiple counties. Shawano County authorities have also conducted several independent operations.

Krueger was freed Monday on a $5,000 signature bond after an appearance before Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court Judge James Habeck.

He is due back in court for an adjourned initial appearance Feb. 23.

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