Shawano Leader News

Large turnout possibleBy: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

Judging by the level of absentee voting in the city of Shawano, turnout for Tuesday’s primary election could be huge.

Shawano Deputy Clerk Lesley Nemetz said absentee voting in the city as of Friday had surpassed even the presidential primary in 2012.

There were 214 absentee voters in that election, and 215 as of Friday afternoon for Tuesday’s.

There are few statewide choices for Republican voters to make on Tuesday.

Democratic voters have a few contested primary races to decide, including picking the Democratic choice to challenge Gov. Scott Walker in November and the attorney general candidate who will challenge Republican Brad Schimel.

Tuesday’s main event for Shawano County voters, however, appears to be the Republican primary race between incumbent Sheriff Randy Wright and Shawano police officer Adam Bieber.

“Obviously, it’s a huge draw,” said Nemetz, who called the absentee voting levels “impressive.”

The city mailed out 101 absentee ballots. Another 47 voted at city nursing homes.

The most telling numbers as far as predicting voter turnout Tuesday might be those who physically turned out at City Hall to cast their absentee ballots. Thirty-nine voters did that in the 2012 presidential primary; 67 have done that for Tuesday’s election.

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

Voters who haven’t already done so can register to vote the same day. They will have to show proof of residence, such as a driver’s license, utility bill or bank statement.

Nemetz said because this is a partisan primary, the ballots are a little tricky.

“You have to pick a party and stick in that party,” she said.

Voters in the Republican primary race for sheriff will see the names of three candidates, including one who is not running.

Shawano Sheriff’s Department Capt. Tom Tuma withdrew from the race, but made his exit too late to keep his name off the ballot.

Tuma has asked voters not to vote for him.

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Youth intervention, fighting drugs keys for BieberBy: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

Shawano police officer Adam Bieber recalls sitting in math class in his high school sophomore year when the class was having a candid discussion with the teacher.

Bieber told her, “it must be great to be a teacher. You get summers off,” he said. “I grew up on a dairy farm, working all the time. No vacations.”

The teacher told him if he wanted to be a teacher, he could do it, which Bieber said got his mind rolling.

“I could go out and do whatever I wanted to do,” he said.

What he wanted to do didn’t turn out to be teaching.

“I always had a heart for serving others, protecting others,” he said.

It was a trip to Texas where his uncle was a border patrol agent that got Bieber interested in law enforcement. That’s where he’s been for 14 years; 10 of those years with the Shawano Police Department.

Now he is looking to move up to sheriff and is challenging incumbent Randy Wright in Tuesday’s primary.

Bieber said he will bring a change in attitude to the department.

“I think I have a different mindset about working with people,” he said. “I don’t get too upset if things don’t go my way.”

Bieber, who has coached youth baseball and wrestling, said a high priority for him is intervening in the lives of children early on, before they get into trouble.

“We shouldn’t be focusing on the end result,” he said. “We should try to be a positive role model for them and a positive impact on their lives.”

Bieber said he would like to rearrange the Sheriff’s Department’s patrol staff to get more officers into the schools, working with juveniles. He also wants to focus more on efforts to get drugs off the streets and educate youth about their dangers.

Bieber believes this can be accomplished with a more efficient use of tax dollars. He said the people he has talked to while campaigning are primarily concerned that the county is using their money wisely.

“When I go door to door, they’re not telling me, ‘Hey, make me safe,’” he said. “They’re concerned about their dollar and what we’re doing with it.”

Bieber said keeping the public safe should be law enforcement’s goal, but it’s not always possible.

“We’re not there to save people’s lives,” he said. “We’re going to try, but that’s not going to happen. Statistically, 99 percent of the time we’re going to be there to pick up your dead body, unfortunately.”

Bieber said the public has to take steps to protect itself.

“With freedom comes responsibility.” he said. “You have to take steps to protect yourself. We’ll be there to help, but it’s your responsibility for that.”

Bieber, whose personal Facebook page features links to conservative groups and icons like the Tea Party Patriots and Glenn Beck, said he would not bring a political philosophy to the job of sheriff.

“I’m a conservative; that’s the only political agenda I have in my mind,” he said.

Part of that mindset, he said, is the belief that the public is responsible for its own safety.

“I want to make sure people understand that,” he said. “That law enforcement cannot save you.”

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Wright calls teamwork, safety highest prioritiesBy: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

Coming from the small town of Suring instilled a philosophy in Shawano County Sheriff Randy Wright that he said he still lives by today.

“Your word and a handshake was as good as a contract, if not better,” he said. “That’s the philosophy I grew up on.”

Wright said the people he’s talked to going door-to-door as he seeks another term as sheriff know that about him.

“They know me. They understand that if I say I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it,” he said. “That’s what’s going to get me through this campaign.”

Wright said this has been a rougher campaign than his last two runs for office, but not just because of the politics involved.

On the personal side, his grandson Noah was born premature and his father-in-law and his wife’s cousin both passed away.

“It’s been very hard to juggle family, work and getting out and doing the campaign,” Wright said.

After nearly eight years in the job, Wright said he hesitated before deciding to seek another four-year term.

“Before I took my papers out I gave it a long hard thought,” he said. “But I just don’t see myself retired yet. I’ve got 10 grandkids now. I could be out fishing and playing with them.”

Wright said he still loves getting out meeting and being with the people of Shawano County.

“I just can’t see myself doing anything different,” he said.

Wright has been in law enforcement since he was in tech school, he said, balancing his education with work as a part-time deputy for both Oconto and Brown counties.

He then worked as a part-time deputy for Shawano County while getting his associate degree and joined the department full-time in 1976, moving from jailer to dispatcher to road deputy.

He went over to the Shawano Police Department in 1981, working as a patrolman there for 25 years until he ran for sheriff in 2007.

“By that time I’d already handled everything from dog and cat complaints to homicides,” he said.

Wright said his philosophy in leading the Sheriff’s Department has been one of teamwork.

“The sheriff’s office is going to be only as good as the people you have working with you,” he said. “I’ve got a great bunch of people working for me. They come to me with their ideas, they present things to me, I look at them. It’s an exchange. There’s no I in the word team.”

Wright said his highest priority has been keeping that team and the public safe.

“I know I can’t save the world, but I will try my best to keep people safe and secure,” he said. “Keeping (the deputies) safe, the public safe and everybody safe. That’s been my goal.”

Wright said he considers himself a conservative who doesn’t want to see taxes go up.

“But yet if there’s a need here in the county, I’m going to stick to my guns,” he said.

That stance has sometimes made the last eight years a rough ride.

“Have there been some bumps and bruises? I’ve got to say there was,” Wright said. “But I’m ready to do it again.”

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Noffkes' notices based on drug searchBy: 

Tim Ryan, [email protected]

Two Shawano County supervisors have put the county on notice that claims might be forthcoming against Sheriff Randy Wright as a result of a search warrant executed at one of their homes in April.

District 1 Supervisor Deb Noffke and her father, District 14 Supervisor Marlin Noffke, each filed a separate notice of injury or circumstances with the Shawano County clerk.

The notices, which have been referred to the county corporation counsel, are the first step in a process that could be followed by claims of civil rights violations or a civil suit seeking damages.

Noffke has also asked the Shawano-Menominee County district attorney’s office for an investigation into the circumstances that led the Sheriff’s Department to obtain a warrant from Langlade County to conduct a search of her home.

District Attorney Greg Parker said it would be a conflict of interest for his office to decide whether there should be an investigation. However, Parker said the matter should be reviewed by another prosecuting agency in the interests of public integrity.

“I have been in contact with the attorney general’s office regarding this request and will be sending the information to that office for their review,” he said.

Shawano County sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant at Deb Noffke’s home on April 15 after an anonymous tip and a search of her garbage turned up what the Sheriff’s Department claimed was evidence of marijuana.

The warrant request was reviewed by the Langlade County District Attorney’s Office and granted by a Langlade County judge.

Wright said the request was taken to Langlade County to avoid any conflict of interest.

The search warrant was executed but turned up no marijuana or any signs of drug activity.

Wright said Thursday he couldn’t comment on the Noffkes’ claim notices.

Wright said, however, that he still feels the search warrant was justified.

Timing questioned

Wright also said he found the timing of the notices suspicious.

“It’s very strange,” he said. “Here it is only four days away from the election. It makes a person wonder.”

Wright is facing Shawano police officer Adam Bieber in Tuesday’s Republican primary for sheriff.

The Noffkes are both supporting Bieber, and Deb Noffke has contributed to his campaign.

Deb Noffke said Thursday her filing took so long because she was awaiting documents requested from the Sheriff’s Department that would support her claim.

In her notice, filed Thursday, Noffke called the April 15 incident an “unreasonable search” of her home that included her “detention, seizure and holding” two hours before she was due for a reorganizational meeting of the County Board and election of board chairman.

Marlin Noffke’s notice, filed Tuesday, claims the search was timed to keep both away from the meeting.

“I believe Sheriff Wright thought I would come to Deborah’s aid and we would both be detained and unable to provide the majority votes needed to elect Jerry Erdmann chairman of the Shawano County Board,” Noffke wrote in his notice.

Noffke also claims Wright subsequently made “false and malicious statements to the press,” which Noffke said were intended to defame him and damage his reputation.

Ethics complaints filed

Noffke also cites an ethics complaint Wright filed against him on May 6, “which was deemed baseless and rejected by the Shawano County Ethics Committee.”

That ethics complaint was one of four filed against county supervisors in recent months and obtained by the Leader through an open records request with the corporation counsel’s office. Ethics complaints can be released if the subject of the complaint waives the right to confidentiality.

In the May 6 complaint, Wright sought the resignation of Marlin Noffke from the County Board because of an alleged pattern of “threatening, malicious and vindictive” comments aimed at Wright and the Sheriff’s Department.

Those include a statement allegedly made while the search of Noffke’s home was in progress on April 15.

Noffke was allowed to use her cell phone during the search provided the phone’s speaker was on, according to reports by a Shawano County detective and a Stockbridge-Munsee police officer who participated in the search.

She called her father to inform him her house was being searched.

According to the reports, Marlin Noffke said Wright had more to worry about, “like me shooting him with my shotgun.”

Wright also cites statements stretching back to 2007, shortly after he took office, including Noffke’s statement at a County Board meeting that sheriff’s deputies were out of shape and too fat to run and catch criminals.

Also on May 6, Wright filed an ethics complaint against Erdmann, citing comments Erdmann made to the Leader in the wake of the search warrant incident.

Erdmann told the Leader he had replaced two members of the Public Safety Committee, which oversees the Sheriff’s Department, because they had been too sympathetic to Wright’s requests and replaced them with supervisors who would hold him accountable.

Wright’s ethics complaint alleges Erdmann has been “malicious and vindictive towards myself and my office.”

Wright said Thursday he had hoped the complaints would change the dynamics on the County Board.

“What I was hoping to accomplish with those was to have some kind of change of attitude,” Wright said. “It came to a point as to how much further would it go, how much more was there to take?”

Two more ethics complaints were filed in June.

Sheriff’s Detective Keith Sorlie filed a complaint over Deb Noffke’s wearing of a Bieber for Sheriff T-shirt at a May 28 County Board meeting.

Another complaint was filed by Terry Knope Sr. over a gathering of several County Board supervisors at the Studio Lounge restaurant in Shawano on May 28.

Knope alleges the supervisors discussed county business and one of them said deputies should not be issued gas cards “because they use them to buy coffee and donuts when they fill the squad cars with fuel.”

Wright said he was aware Knope was considering an ethics complaint, but he was not involved in it, and that he was unaware of the Sorlie complaint until he was shown it Thursday.

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Shawano Police Department

Aug. 6

Police logged 33 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious person complaint in the 1300 block of East Lieg Avenue.

Theft — Gas was reported stolen from a gas tank in the 1000 block of South Main Street.

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

Accident — A 16-year-old girl on a bicycle was reported hit by a car that left the scene in the 1300 block of South Union Street. The girl reportedly sustained bumps and bruises, but declined an ambulance.

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint in the 600 block of East Green Bay Street.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 100 block of Acorn Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Aug. 6

Deputies logged 23 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Elm Grove Road in Pella.

OWL — A 39-year-old woman was taken into custody for third-offense operating without a license.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a domestic disturbance on County Road Y in Belle Plaine.

Restraining Violation — Authorities responded to a complaint of a restraining order violation on Star Lane in Belle Plaine.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on Country Lane in the town of Washington.

Clintonville Police Department

Aug. 6

Police logged 11 incidents, including the following:

Disorderly — Damage to property and disorderly conduct were reported on Anne Street.

Burglary — A burglary was reported on 11th Street.

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Demo a response to political criticismBy: 

[email protected]

Leader Photo by Tim Ryan The Sheriff’s Department Special Response Team guides hostages to the safety of an armored vehicle during a demonstration Wednesday of a mine-resistant armored personnel carrier at the firing range in Shawano.
Leader Photo by Tim Ryan An active shooter scenario concludes with hostages climbing into the back of a mine-resistant armored personnel carrier after being rescued by the Sheriff’s Department’s Special Response Team during a demonstration at the firing range Wednesday.

An armored military vehicle similar to one the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department is hoping to add to its crime-fighting arsenal was put through the paces of two active shooter scenarios Wednesday.

The demonstration was primarily aimed at dispelling what Sheriff Randy Wright said is misinformation being spread about the vehicle, but also provided a training opportunity.

The MRAP, alternately known as a mine-resistant personnel carrier and a mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle, has become an issue in Tuesday’s Republican primary for sheriff.

Wright is being challenged by Shawano police officer Adam Bieber, who has questioned the need for a MRAP.

Members of Explorer Post 9371 played school children either being held hostage or trapped under the fire of an active shooter in the two scenarios acted out Wednesday.

The MRAP, borrowed from Waupaca County, allowed the Sheriff’s Department Special Response Team (SRT) to get as close as possible to the scene and safely evacuate the children.

“Ambulance, EMS, rescue will not go into a hot zone, so we have to have a way to get in there safely to get those people and get them out safely,” said Detective Richard Wright, the sheriff’s brother.

The back of the vehicle has room for 12 people, including eight SRT members.

“I think about the high school, I think about different businesses around, the hospital, things like that, such wide open areas,” Detective Wright said. “If you’ve got people laying down in the front there, laying there shot or hurt or anything like that and the gunman’s still inside, you can drive right up there, grab those people, get them to safety, get them help and you can deploy your team in there to take care of the shooter.”

The Sheriff’s Department has borrowed similar armored vehicles, called Bearcats, from Brown and Marathon counties six times over the past year. When they are available, wait times can be more than an hour.

The Sheriff’s Department last week dealt with a hostage situation in Tigerton and requested a Bearcat from Marathon County. It was not available because Marathon County had a gunman situation of its own at the time.

Three of the hostages in the Tigerton situation made it safely out the back door of the residence while the gunman was on the front steps, but another was barricaded in an upstairs bedroom.

The man eventually surrendered.

Detective Keith Sorlie said the MRAP would allow officers to get as close as possible to a situation — even allowing a negotiator to talk with a gunman via speaker from the vehicle — without being put in danger.

“It saves our team from having to run up a long driveway or something like that where they could come under fire,” he said.

Waupaca County has had its MRAP for a few months, Capt. Todd Rasmussen said. It replaced a 25-year-old armored vehicle and was obtained through federal funding.

It has been used so far on two high-risk drug-related search warrants, Rasmussen said.

The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department would get its MRAP by paying an annual $500 membership fee to Wisconsin Emergency Management, which will allow the department to obtain available military equipment.

The department has already been approved for the vehicle by WEM but also needs federal approval.

The department will also pay transportation costs to deliver the vehicle from Texas, and pay for outfitting the vehicle with radios and other equipment.

The roughly $10,000 in transportation and outfitting costs will be funded by asset forfeitures taken from drug dealers.

Randy Wright said the department has about $40,000 in that fund.

The department would pay an estimated $300 a year for maintenance, which would be done by the county Highway Department.

Waupaca County provided the MRAP for Wednesday’s demonstration at no cost. The Sheriff’s Department paid for the eight gallons of diesel fuel. The SRT time was covered by the department’s training budget.

Bieber could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

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By: 

The Associated Press

Six major Wisconsin health care organizations are forming a partnership to reduce costs and improve care.

They are Appleton-based ThedaCare, La Crosse-based Gundersen Health System, Wausau-based Aspirus, Milwaukee-based Aurora Health Care and Green Bay-based Bellin Health. Collectively, they serve nine out of 10 Wisconsin residents.

Gundersen Health System Vice President Mark Platt says the partnership is not a merger. The six organizations will remain separate but they may work together to buy equipment or hire information technology services so that they can get better deals and reduce costs.

Platt says the partnership, announced Wednesday, also will form a committee to share best practices and improve health care quality.

The most immediate effect is a new insurance plan offered by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and accepted by all six health care organizations.

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Candidates doubled spending in 4 weeksBy: 

[email protected]

The latest round of campaign finance reports filed by Shawano County sheriff’s candidates show incumbent Randy Wright catching up to within a few hundred dollars of what his opponent Adam Bieber has spent so far.

Bieber, a Shawano police officer, is challenging Wright for the Republican nomination in Tuesday’s primary.

Bieber’s financial report shows he has spent $4,506 on his campaign, out of $4,575 in contributions, leaving him with about $69 as of July 28, the end of the second reporting period.

Wright has spent $4,157 out of $4,474 taken in, leaving a balance of $317.

At the end of the first financial reporting period, which covered April through June, Bieber was outspending Wright by more than $700.

Both candidates roughly doubled their spending over the next four weeks.

According to his report, Wright has put more than $2,000 of his own money into the campaign, while Bieber made self-donations totaling $450.

Bieber also received donations from two sitting County Board members. District 4 Supervisor Michael McClelland contributed $400 and District 1 Supervisor Deb Noffke contributed $100.

The biggest expense for both candidates had been yard signs and materials during the first reporting period, but both ramped up spending on radio and print advertising in July.

Wright spent more than $1,800 for ads in area newspapers and on the radio, while Bieber spent just over $1,400.

Absent from Bieber’s first financial report was any accounting of T-shirts and campaign decals, even though both were apparently available at least as far back as May 14, when Bieber posted photos of both on his campaign Facebook page, along with links to Bolin’s Speedy T’s and DC Vinyl and Graphics.

The Bieber for Sheriff decal was the first cover photo posted on Bieber’s campaign Facebook page when it launched on May 8.

The T-shirts caused a minor controversy at a May 28 County Board meeting, when Noffke attended the meeting wearing one of the shirts and wore it during an official County Board portrait photo taken that same day.

The photo was altered to remove the “Bieber for Sheriff” message.

County rules prohibit employees, including supervisors, from political activity on county time.

McClelland also wore a Bieber T-shirt at a subsequent County Board meeting, but wore a jacket over it after he was informed by the corporation counsel that it was inappropriate.

Bieber has previously said the T-shirts were being offered by a private company, not by his campaign.

“I had no relationship with them,” Bieber said. “That was something they were doing.”

Government Accountability Board rules only require a candidate to claim an in-kind donation if there is some coordination between the candidate and the contributor.

Bieber’s latest financial report shows that his campaign did purchase Bieber T-shirts on July 1 for $190.

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By: 

Leader Staff

Two people were seriously injured in a three-vehicle crash that closed state Highway 22 in the town of Washington for several hours Tuesday.

A farm tractor and trailer, a passenger car and motorcycle were involved in the crash, which happened about 8:50 p.m., according to a news release from the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department.

A preliminary investigation shows the car struck the tractor and trailer. The motorcycle then crashed into those two vehicles, according to the release.

The motorcycle driver was taken to Shawano Medical Center before being flown by helicopter to St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay. An ambulance took the tractor driver to the St. Vincent Hospital.

The highway was reopened shortly before 2 a.m. Wednesday. The crash is under investigation.

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Shawano Police Department

Aug. 5

Police logged 42 incidents, including the following:

OAR — A 28-year-old man was taken into custody on an operating after revocation violation at South Lincoln and East Randall streets.

Assault — Police investigated assault of a female at the Wisconsin House Inn, 216 E. Green Bay St.

Disturbance — Police received a disturbance complaint in the 1200 block of South Smalley Street.

Theft — A purse and medications were reported stolen in the 1200 block of South Smalley Street.

Custodial — Police responded to a complaint of custodial interference in the 200 block of Eberlein Park Drive.

Disturbance — Police responded a disturbance in the 100 block of South Lincoln Street. Police issued a no trespassing order against subject.

Warrant — Police took a 25-year-old man into custody on a Probation and Parole warrant.

Threatening — Police investigated a complaint of threatening behavior in the 600 block of East Elizabeth Street.

Hit and Run — Police investigated a hit-and-run to a vehicle in the 700 block of East Green Bay Street.

Suspicious — Police investigated a report of a male hitchhiker in the 1000 block of South Franklin Street.

Noise — Police responded to a complaint of loud music in a vehicle in the 1000 block of East Lieg Avenue.

Suspicious — Police investigated a complaint of a suspicious male near Memorial Park, 909 S. Lincoln St.

Harassment — Police investigated a harassment complaint in the 700 block of South Union Street.

Fireworks — Police responded to a complaint of fireworks at Lincoln and East Richmond streets.

Vandalism — A window was reported broken and the screen was cut in the 800 block of East Richmond Street.

Suspicious — Police responded to a report of three suspicious males wandering near a property in the 1300 block of East Lieg Avenue.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Aug. 5

Deputies logged 56 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Authorities responded to an intoxicated individual on East Street in the town of Washington.

Theft — A campaign sign was reported stolen on Woods Road in the town of Wescott.

Fraud — Authorities investigated a report of credit card fraud on Tower Road in the town of Fairbanks.

Theft — A homemade aluminum shed was reported stolen on Spruce Lane in the town of Pella.

Vandalism — Authorities responded to a broken window at the Pella Town Hall, W11021 County Road M.

Theft — Authorities responded to a report of items being taken at a property on West Sandy Drive in the town of Washington.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a complaint about harassing behavior, including obscene gestures by a neighbor, in the 100 block of West Rollman Street.

Forgery — Authorities investigated a complaint of check forgery in the 100 block of South Mission Street in Wittenberg.

Theft — Tools were reported stolen on Draeger Road in the town of Grant.

Theft — Medications were reported missing on Oak Street in Bowler.

Accident — Authorities responded to an overturned tractor on County Road R and Lily Pond Road in the town of Washington. No injuries reported.

Drug — A report of drugs was made on West Town Hall Road in the town of Red Springs.

Disorderly — Authorities responded to a complaint of disorderly behavior on Old Lake Lane in the town of Wescott.

Suspicious — A suspicious vehicle was reported on County Road A and Hickory Road in the town of Richmond.

Disorderly — Authorities responded to a report of threatening behavior in the 200 block of North Cecil Street in Bonduel.

Domestic — Authorities responded to an intoxicated male causing a family disturbance on Stanley Court in the town of Angelica.

Harassment — Authorities investigated a dispute between two neighbors on Beilke Road in the town of Red Springs.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a fight in progress at Woz’s Polish Pickle, W105 State Highway 156, town of Maple Grove. Witnesses reported both subjects fled toward Green Bay.

Drug — Authorities received a report of drug use on Witt-Birn Townline Road in Birnamwood.

Disturbance — Authorities investigated a disturbance at Ho-Chunk and Witt-Birn Townline roads in Birnamwood.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a fight between three boys at Homme Home Journey Quest, W17998 Hemlock Road, Wittenberg.

Clintonville Police Department

July 5

Police logged seven incidents, including the following:

Accidents — Police responded to two two-vehicle accidents on South Main Street.

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Leopolis man faces auto theft, fleeing chargesBy: 

[email protected]

A Leopolis man was still on the run late Tuesday after an alleged weekend crime spree that authorities say included three stolen vehicles and a high-speed pursuit.

Criminal charges have been filed against Calvin K. Ossmann, 26, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest. He is accused of three separate incidents of vehicle theft, a felony count of fleeing an officer and numerous misdemeanors.

Ossmann’s troubles with the law started late Friday night when Shawano County sheriff’s deputies were called to a disturbance on Shawano Avenue in Leopolis.

A woman said a male party she knew as Ossmann was “burning rubber” in a red semi-tractor unit, was intoxicated and causing trouble, according to the criminal complaint.

Deputies found the semi-tractor abandoned behind a residence on Shawano Avenue where it had apparently come to rest after striking a stand of trees. The driver had fled the scene.

The vehicle was later determined to have been stolen from Hoffman Transit Co. in Gresham, where Ossmann works, according to the complaint.

Deputies responded to a second disturbance call at the same Leopolis address shortly after 10 a.m. Saturday.

The caller stated Ossmann was back on the property, this time in a different semi and had damaged a fence and another vehicle.

Ossmann drove off in the semi before authorities arrived. The vehicle was later determined to have been stolen from Hoffman Wood Fiber in Tilleda.

Yet another incident allegedly involving Ossmann was also subsequently reported to authorities.

A Leopolis man reported that Ossmann had been on his property on County Road D around 3 a.m. Friday and was driving the man’s pickup truck around the trees and through a free-stall barn, damaging a six-wheeler that was inside.

The man said he saw Ossmann on Friday afternoon and that Ossmann admitted to driving the truck through the barn, according to the complaint.

Shortly after 4 p.m. Sunday authorities spotted the semi reported stolen from Tilleda on northbound U.S. Highway 45 heading into Shawano County.

The driver ignored an attempted traffic stop and a chase ensued reaching speeds of about 80 mph, according to the complaint.

Spike strips failed to stop the vehicle as the chase continued through a corn field and into a hay field where it came to a stop.

As officers drew their handguns and attempted to arrest the driver, the semi went into reverse and backed into a sheriff’s squad, then pulled forward and backed into the squad a second time. The deputy was out of the vehicle at the time and not injured.

Deputies fired about 15 shots at the rear tires of the semi, according to the complaint. The semi started to drive off again, but at least one of the rear tires was starting to come off the rim.

The semi drove back through the corn field and finally came to rest against a tree. The driver fled on foot.

An aerial search and a ground search with multiple K-9 units failed to locate him.

Shawano County sheriff’s deputies were assisted by the State Patrol and Shawano and Marion police during Sunday’s chase and subsequent search.

Ossmann is charged with three felony counts of operating a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent. Each of the charges normally carries a maximum possible penalty of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine, but the penalty could be enhanced because of previous convictions.

Ossmann also faces a possible maximum of 3½ years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted of fleeing an officer.

He is also charged with five misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to property, as well as resisting an officer and disorderly conduct.

The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department describes Ossmann as approximately 5 feet, 11 inches tall and weighing 170 pounds. He has brown hair and hazel eyes. Authorities issued a mug shot of Ossmann taken at his booking in a previous case, but they said he has since cut his hair shorter and was clean-shaven at the time of this weekend’s incidents.

HOW TO HELP

Anyone who sees Calvin Ossmann or has information about where he might be is asked to call the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office at 715-526-3111.

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Local Biebs finds attention ridiculousBy: 

[email protected]

Local sheriff’s races don’t typically garner national attention, but Shawano police officer Adam Bieber’s bid to unseat incumbent Shawano County Sheriff Randy Wright became fodder this week for the gossip pages.

Celebrity news web site tmz.com on Tuesday posted a photo of one of Bieber’s campaign signs, which reads, “Elect Bieber Sheriff,” along with a short story headlined, “Bieber running for sheriff in Wisconsin,” with the implication that the story was about singer-songwriter Justin Bieber.

The headline made the rounds on Twitter, with some linking to the tmz.com story and others offering their reactions, such as, “What has the world come to,” “Do you think he will win?” and “Great, so now Justice is Blind and Dumb.”

The tmz story takes a couple of paragraphs to make clear that it’s Adam Bieber, not Justin. It also includes a photo of Adam Bieber, apparently taken from his Facebook page.

“Adam’s creating confusion by not putting his first name on the signs,” the tmz story states. “Maybe it’s a way of attracting young female voters.”

The story also suggests that since Bieber has made drug-sniffing dogs a campaign priority, Justin Bieber might want to stay out of Shawano County.

Bieber — Adam, that is — said Tuesday the attention was “kind of neat, but it’s ridiculous when you think about it.”

The attention is apparently not stopping with tmz.com.

Bieber said he has also been contacted by E! Entertainment, which runs a basic cable channel and an entertainment news site, asking about his campaign platform.

He said he doesn’t know how these organizations are finding him, or why.

“I think it’s ridiculous,” Bieber said. “I’m sure there are a lot of famous people named Wright.”

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By: 

Leader Staff

Authorities are looking for a Pella man they say stole a semi tractor and damaged a patrol car during a chase Sunday.

The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department said Calvin Ossmann, 26, was involved a series of incidents and disturbances over the weekend culminating in a chase around 4:15 p.m. Sunday when authorities tried to pull him over in the stolen semi near Marion.

Authorities say Ossmann backed the semi into one of the patrol cars twice during the chase, which ended when the semi crashed into a tree around 5:30 p.m. and Ossmann fled on foot.

Authorities did not reveal the location of the crash. No injuries were reported.

The Sheriff’s Department describes Ossmann as approximately 5 feet, 11 inches, and 170 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. Officials ask that you call the Shawano County Sheriff’s Office at 715-526-3111 if you see Ossmann or know where he might be.

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Shawano Police Department

Aug. 4

Police logged 26 incidents, including the following:

Accident — Police responded to a two-vehicle injury accident at Airport Drive and County Road B.

Accident — Police responded to a two-vehicle property damage accident in the 1200 block of East Green Bay Street.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem at Washington and Presbyterian streets.

Warrant — A 24-year-old woman was taken into custody on a warrant at Waukechon Street and Timber Trail.

Fireworks — Police responded to a fireworks complaint in the 100 block of South Lafayette Street.

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint in the 800 block of South Park Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Aug. 4

Deputies logged 47 incidents, including the following:

Theft — Medication was reported stolen from a residence on state Highway 156 in Lessor.

Fraud — A Craigslist ad scam was reported on Murphy’s Road in Bowler.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on Leopolis Road in Seneca.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on County Road A in the town of Herman.

Disturbance —An 18-year-old Pulaski female was arrested for disorderly conduct after a disturbance on County Road S in Angelica.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Marble Avenue in Mattoon.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on on Rose Brook Road in Belle Plaine.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on state Highway 29 in Seneca.

Accident — Authorities logged two deer-related crashes.

Clintonville Police Department

Aug. 4

Police logged eight incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Police responded to a family disturbance on Eighth Street.

Disorderly — A juvenile was warned for disorderly conduct on East 12th Street.

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Board approves $287K to update switchesBy: 

Lee Pulaski, [email protected]

The Shawano School Board unanimously endorsed a request Monday to spend $287,000 from its fund balance to upgrade the district’s server switches to better handle computer traffic.

The last major upgrade of the server switches was in 2007, according to Craig Young, the district’s technology director, although yearly maintenance is conducted. There are concerns that the new computer-based statewide testing programs could squelch the existing 1 gigabyte bandwidth, which will be increased to 10 gigabytes when the upgrade is done.

“We just can’t squeeze any more out of the (switches) we currently have,” Young said. “I’m very mindful of how much this is going to cost to upgrade.”

There are already signs that the existing bandwidth is inadequate. Young said the number of problem reports increased at the end of the 2013-14 school year.

The district has, in the last few years, allowed students at the middle and high schools to bring their own technological devices for use in the classroom, which is one contributing factor. However, Young reported that the bandwidth has been taxed during the summer months with fewer students around.

There have also been discussions about the district implementing a one-to-one technology program, where every student has a district-purchased laptop or tablet to use. Bonduel School District adopted a similar program in 2007, and Gresham School District is in the process of implementing a program for all grades.

Young said the upgrade would take about two weeks to implement but did not know when it would commence. He said the upgrade work would be scheduled mainly outside operating hours, although there could be some service interruption.

Once the switches are updated, transponders can be added when the district reaches the 10 gigabyte limit. The transponders will cost less than what the district is paying now to update the switches.

“We have options without having to drop another $287,000 on another major overhaul,” Young said. “I do feel confident with the switches we’re putting in place and the expandability that we will be set for years to come and to handle the workload we’re expecting to get.”

Young said he was grateful that the board decided to take action.

“I think this is a necessary adjustment, and the whole district is going to benefit from it,” he said.

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Shawano Police Department

Aug. 3

Police logged 19 incidents, including the following:

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

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 100 block of South Main Street.

Theft — A bike was reported stolen in the 400 block of South Smalley Street.

Vandalism — Police responded to a vandalism complaint on Prospect Circle.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem on River Heights.

Drug Offense — Police investigated a drug complaint in the 400 block of West Picnic Street.

Aug. 2

Police logged 29 incidents, including the following:

OAR — A 35-year-old man was cited for operating after revocation in the 100 block of South Main Street.

Drug Offense — A 41-year-old woman was cited for possession of marijuana at Fifth and Sawyer streets.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 100 block of Acorn Street.

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint at Division and Main streets.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem at Lafayette Street and Wescott Avenue.

Disorderly — Police responded to a lewd and lascivious behavior complaint at the Four Seasons, 201 N. Airport Drive.

Warrant — A 30-year-old Keshena man and a 21-year-old Keshena man were taken into custody on outstanding warrants on Acorn Street.

Aug. 1

Police logged 28 incidents, including the following:

OWI — An 18-year-old male was arrested for operating while intoxicated at Waukechon and Richmond streets.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem in the 800 block of Olson Street.

Accident — Police responded to a two-vehicle injury accident at Main and Fifth streets.

Shoplifting — Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St., reported a female shoplifter had fled the store.

Shoplifting — Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St., reported a male shoplifter had fled the store.

Theft — A bike was reported stolen in the 200 block of Presbyterian Street.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance at Evergreen Health Care Center, 1250 S. Evergreen St.

OWI — A 56-year-old Shawano man was arrested for fifth-offense operating while intoxicated at Main and Sawyer streets.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Aug. 3

Deputies logged 48 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Main Street in Bowler.

Disturbance — Authorities assisted Shawano police with a disturbance on Olson Street in the city.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a domestic disturbance on Moh He Con Nuck Road in Bowler.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Old Keshena Road in Wescott.

Drug Offense — Charges of possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia were referred against a 21-year-old Oshkosh man on County Road D in Pella.

Theft — A purse and wallet were reported stolen from a vehicle on Chickadee Lane in Aniwa.

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

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on State Street in the town of Herman.

Aug. 2

Deputies logged 38 incidents, including the following:

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

Auto Theft — A vehicle was reported stolen on Warrington Avenue in Cecil.

Drug Offense — Authorities investigated a drug complaint on U.S. Highway 45 in Aniwa.

Fire — Authorities responded to a vehicle fire on Main Street in Bowler.

Drug Offense — Authorities investigated a drug complaint on state Highway 29 in the town of Herman.

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

Arrest — A 41-year-old Bowler man was taken into custody on a warrant after authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a domestic disturbance on Buss Drive in the town of Washington.

Hit and Run — Authorities investigated a property damage hit-and-run on state Highway 156 in Maple Grove.

Aug. 1

OWI — Authorities assisted Shawano police with a K9 callout at a traffic stop at Waukechon and Richmond streets in the city. An 18-year-old male subject was arrested for operating while intoxicated.

Theft — A Pella man reported someone had come into his home and stolen his pants on Evergreen Road.

Theft — Equipment was reported stolen from a storage unit on County Road M in Wittenberg.

Theft — A checkbook was reported stolen at the Ho Chunk Casino, N7198 U.S. Highway 45, in Wittenberg.

Warrant — A 22-year-old Keshena man was taken into custody on a warrant on Lake Drive in Wescott.

Fire — Authorities responded to an electrical fire on County Road M in the town of Grant.

Disturbance — A 36-year-old Shawano man and a 36-year-old New London woman were arrested for disorderly conduct after authorities responded to a domestic disturbance on state Highway 22 in Belle Plaine.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Shawano Avenue in Pella.

Accidents — Authorities logged injury accidents on County Road B in Waukechon and Main streets in Shawano.

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Bieber says more cooperation needed with other agenciesBy: 

[email protected]

Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of stories drawn from recent interviews with Shawano County sheriff candidates Randy Wright and Adam Bieber.

Incumbent Sheriff Randy Wright, who faces Shawano police officer Adam Bieber in the Aug. 12 Republican primary, is touting experience as a key factor in the race.

Bieber maintains Wright’s poor working relationships with other agencies shows a need for a leadership change at the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department.

Bieber also argues that his experience as a patrol officer is equal to the experience Wright had back in 2006 when Wright first ran for sheriff.

“I have the same amount of management experience as Randy did when he ran for sheriff,” Bieber said. “He had more years of experience, but one could argue that a year is a wash-and-rinse. Every year is the same.”

Bieber has worked in law enforcement for 14 years and has been with the Shawano Police Department since 2003.

Wright started out at the sheriff’s office in 1976, working as a jailer, then a dispatcher and then a patrol deputy.

He then spent 25 years at the Shawano Police Department as a patrol officer.

“At the Police Department, I got further training,” Wright said, including training as an evidence technician. “I was officer in charge numerous times during my 25 years there.”

Officer in charge is basically the lead officer on duty, usually during the night shift and on weekends, when there are no lieutenants on duty.

According to the Police Department, Bieber, who generally works the day shift, has not served as an officer in charge, but has been lead officer during his shift.

Bieber does acknowledge that Wright had probably dealt with a wider variety of cases by the time he left the Police Department to become sheriff.

“I’m sure he’s seen a little bit more than me,” Bieber said.

Wright has been sheriff since 2007. But his tenure hasn’t been without controversy.

He has on occasion clashed with County Board supervisors, though Wright says that has been limited to a faction of the board, mainly over their opposition to spending on evidence storage solutions.

Wright acknowledges that his exchanges with supervisors have sometimes been “a little rough.” He said that comes from standing up for what he believes in.

“I’m straight-forward with things,” he said. “I see a need for what needs to be done and I stick to my guns with it.”

Bieber said he wants to improve working relationships with the County Board and other agencies that he maintains have suffered under Wright, including the Shawano Police Department and the district attorney’s office.

Bieber said he couldn’t be specific about problems he is alleging between the Sheriff’s Department and district attorney’s office.

“I’m not sure of all the issues,” he said.“I don’t want to speak for them. I just think there’s an argument there between the two, a disagreement.”

The district attorney’s office has declined to comment on the sheriff’s race.

As for the Shawano Police Department, Wright disputes Bieber’s allegation that no cooperation is taking place.

“This baffles me because we work all the time together,” he said. “We work with them. We share equipment. We share different information with them.”

Wright said the city was also approached about going in on an evidence storage building; something Bieber said should be done before the county moves ahead on its own with evidence storage solutions.

Several sources at the city have confirmed that such conversations did take place between Wright and former police chief Ed Whealon, but there was no interest on the city’s part in getting involved in the project.

One collaborative effort that was put in place was the firearms training range located at the landfill — a project that included the Shawano police and sheriff’s departments, Menominee Tribal Police and Menominee County Sheriff’s Department.

While the facility is available to all those agencies, there is very little joint training. That’s something Bieber has taken issue with. He said he would push for more collaborative efforts like joint training and more sharing of resources.

The Shawano police and sheriff’s departments each hold a variety of training sessions and courses that other departments are invited to participate in, and the departments have collaborated on such things as active-shooter training.

However, according to sources at the Shawano Police Department who asked not to be quoted directly because of the sensitive nature of the race, some collaborative training efforts have been impractical because of scheduling conflicts and because the departments don’t always share the same policies and approaches toward training.

As for sharing resources, they said there has never been a situation when needed equipment, resources or assistance was unavailable to the Police Department and vice versa.

Incident lists provided to the media on a daily basis from both departments frequently show mutual assistance being provided, including the use of one another’s K9 units.

A memorandum of understanding has also been drafted that would allow the Shawano, Bonduel, Tigerton and Stockbridge-Munsee police to join the Sheriff’s Department Special Response Team. It’s currently being reviewed by Shawano’s city attorney.

Wright said the agreement is “very close to being approved.”

There were, however, some early hurdles.

The Sheriff’s Department initially intended to assess a fee for joining the SRT.

Wright said the fee was eventually dropped with the understanding that departments would provide their own equipment.

“Any other equipment would be shared,” Wright said.

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By: 

Leader Staff

A Birnamwood man charged with 10 felony counts of possessing child pornography was ordered held on a $30,000 cash bond after his initial appearance Friday in Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court.

Christopher J. Ehlenfeldt, 38, also faces an additional felony count of sexual exploitation of a child for allegedly distributing a child porn video.

Ehlenfeldt could face a maximum 40 years in prison and $100,000 fine if convicted on the sexual exploitation count. The other counts each carry a maximum possible penalty of 25 years in prison and a $100,000 fine.

According to the criminal complaint, Shawano County sheriff’s detectives scanning an Internet file sharing service known to traffic in child porn turned up an IP address in Birnamwood.

The complaint alleges that 27 child porn files were listed on the service as available for sharing from the Birnamwood IP address.

The address was eventually linked to Ehlenfeldt, who was making use of a nearby wireless network to gain Internet access, according to the criminal complaint.

A search warrant executed last week at Ehlenfeldt’s residence found 10 child porn video files on his computer , according to the complaint.

The videos allegedly show prepubescent children — some younger than the age of 5 — in sexually explicit acts, according to the complaint.

Ehlenfeldt is scheduled for an adjourned initial court appearance on Aug. 11.

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By: 

Leader Staff

A Tigerton man is facing felony charges in connection with a shooting incident that allegedly occurred during a domestic disturbance in Tigerton early Friday.

Jeremy A. Boivin, 36, has been charged with two counts of reckless endangerment, along with misdemeanor counts of operating a firearm while intoxicated and disorderly conduct.

The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department Special Response Team was called out shortly before 3 a.m. after authorities received a report that a male subject involved in a domestic disturbance had a semi automatic handgun and was firing it.

A woman and three children were able to flee the house, and authorities set up a perimeter around the residence.

The man, later identified as Boivin, put the gun away after a phone conversation with a sheriff’s deputy and was taken into custody, according to the criminal complaint.

Boivin could face a maximum possible penalty of 12½ years in prison and a $25,000 fine if found guilty of first-degree recklessly endangering safety. A second charge of second-degree reckless endangerment carries a maximum of 10 years imprisonment and a $25,000 fine.

Boivin was ordered held on a $2,500 cash bond and was scheduled for an adjourned initial court appearance Aug. 11.

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Shawano Police Department

July 31

Police logged 23 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious person complaint in the 800 block of East Richmond Street.

OAR — A 53-year-old Shawano man was cited for operating after revocation at Richmond and Olson Streets.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 1000 block of South Lafayette Street.

Theft — Money was reported stolen in the 300 block of East Division Street.

Reckless Driving — Police responded to a reckless driving complaint at Main and Mills streets.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

July 31

Deputies logged 40 incidents, including the following:

Fraud — Authorities investigated a telephone scam complaint on Emery Ansorge Road in the town of Washington.

Juvenile — Authorities responded to a juvenile problem on County Road Y in Belle Plaine.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Rollman Street in Bowler.

Vandalism — A mailbox was reported vandalized on Navarino Road in Navarino.

Drug Offense — Authorities investigated a drug complaint on Northwestern Avenue in Angelica.

Theft — A laptop and tablet were reported stolen on County Road E in the town of Washington.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance at Kwik Trip, 102 Express Way, in Bonduel.

Clintonville Police Department

July 31

Police logged 10 incidents, including the following:

Theft — A theft was reported on East 14th Street.

Warrant — A 26-year-old man was arrested on a Probation and Parole warrant on South Main Street.

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