Shawano Leader News

Shawano Police Department

July 1

Police logged 32 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint at the intersection of Eagle Street and Franklin Street.

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint in the 100 block of Northridge Drive.

Disorderly — Police responded to a complaint of an intoxicated female in the 400 block of Picnic Street.

Threatening — Police responded to a complaint about threatening telephone calls on Homewood Avenue.

Fraud — Police investigated a complaint of fraud in the 300 block of South Franklin Street.

Disturbance — Police responded to a domestic disturbance in the 200 block of East Center Street.

Theft — A cellular phone was reported stolen from a vehicle in the Walmart parking lot, 1244 E. Green Bay St.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

July 1

Deputies logged 25 incidents, including the following:

Burglary — Authorities investigated a burglary in the 100 block of East Park Street in the town of Hartland.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint at North Star Casino, W12222 County Road A in Gresham.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on Big Lake Road in Red Springs.

Juvenile — Authorities responded to a report of a juvenile runaway in the 700 block of South Webb Street in Wittenberg.

Accidents — Authorities logged three accidents, including and injury accident on County Road MMM in Richmond and two deer-related crashes.

Clintonville Police Department

July 1

Police logged five incidents, including the following:

Property — Police investigated a report of damage to multiple mailboxes on Seventh Street.

Accident — Police responded to an accident involving a deer and car at the intersection of West Madison Street and West Street.

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Shawano Police Department

June 30

Police logged 32 incidents, including the following:

Hit and Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run at Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St.

Disturbance — Police responded to a verbal dispute at the Four Seasons Resort, 201 N. Airport Drive.

Accident — Police responded to a property damage accident at Aldi’s, 1253 E. Green Bay St.

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint in the 200 block of River Heights.

Fireworks — Police responded to a fireworks complaint at Lincoln and Maurer streets.

Disorderly — Police responded to an intoxicated person complaint in the 200 block of South Washington Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

June 30

Deputies logged 38 incidents, including the following:

Trespass — Authorities responded to a trespassing complaint on Hiawatha Court in Wescott.

Theft — Fire wood was reported stolen from a trailer on Springbrook Road in the town of Washington.

Burglary — Authorities investigated a burglary on Oak Ridge Lane in Red Springs.

Vandalism — A mailbox was reported vandalized on Schoenrock Lake Road in Belle Plaine.

Fireworks — Authorities responded to a fireworks complaint on County Road A in Richmond.

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

Accidents — Authorities logged two deer-related crashes.

Clintonville Police Department

June 30

Police logged 10 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Officers were requested for an unwanted subject on West Campus Drive.

Accident — A property damage accident on South Main Street was reported.

Disturbance — Officers responded to Bennett Street for a reported uncontrollable juvenile.

Disorderly — A disorderly conduct incident was reported on 17th Street.

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July 23 meeting will review survey resultsBy: 

Jason Arndt, [email protected]

Cecil residents can help decide the future of their post office at a meeting with U.S. Postal Service representatives July 23.

Residents last month were mailed a survey asking them to choose between maintaining the office with reduced hours, providing delivery service using rural carriers or highway contract routes, seeking out a business within the community to establish a Village Post Office or merging with a nearby post office.

“Most of the time we keep the office open because we don’t like to close them down (entirely),” USPS spokesperson Sean Hargadon said. “We rarely close offices, less than 1 percent.”

Cecil’s post office hours are from 7:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8-10 a.m. Saturday.

A reduction in hours could result in weekday hours being cut by two hours daily, while maintaining Saturday hours.

“The impact will be very small,” Hargadon said. “We are making adjustments based on community needs and desires. We will still be able to provide the same retail sales.”

Village residents will have until July 9 to submit their surveys by mail indicating which of the four options they prefer.

Postal officials will tally results and present the findings to village residents at the meeting July 23. The USPS will make a final decision after the meeting, where residents are encouraged to ask questions and clarify details with Postal Service representatives.

While there are no official records available of how long Cecil has operated a post office, the first postmaster was installed in 1884.

The post office is one of 13,000 rural offices set to be reviewed under the Postal Services’s 2011 realignment program.

The realignment plan was initiated in response to a 50 percent decline in Postal Service revenue since 2004. Postal officials initially planned to close 3,700 of the 13,000 offices in 2011, but most of the closings have been postponed twice in the last three years.

There have been no recent closures of any post offices in Wisconsin under the plan.

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She allegedly robbed grocer at knifepointBy: 

Leader Staff

Brenda S. Webster

A Gillett woman accused of robbing a Main Street grocery store at knifepoint Friday made a quick change as part of her attempted getaway, but was spotted dumping her clothes into the garbage, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday.

Brenda S. Webster, 56, could face a maximum 40 years in prison and $100,000 fine if found guilty of armed robbery.

Webster allegedly entered the Guerrero Grocery, 520 S. Main St., shortly before 6 p.m. wearing a black ski mask and threatened the store owner with a steak knife.

The complaint alleges Webster took a money bag containing about $4,000 from behind the counter and started to leave the store.

According to the complaint, Webster dropped the money bag on her way out of the store, and the store owner tried picking it up, but Webster allegedly pushed her over and fled with the bag.

Webster is also charged with misdemeanor battery for causing injury to the store owner.

Moments after police got the call about an armed robbery, another call came in reporting a suspicious person behind the 400 block of West Sawyer Street.

A witness told police she saw a woman come into her yard. The woman took off her socks and crawled in and out of a garbage bin. Then she fled, running north.

Webster was arrested moments later on East Randall Street, four blocks away from the crime scene.

Police later found dark-colored clothing, shoes, a pair of white socks and a blue glove in the garbage bin, according to the complaint.

Webster was ordered held on a $15,000 cash bond after an initial appearance in Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court on Monday.

She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Monday.

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By: 

Grace Kirchner, Leader Correspondent

The Clintonville Police Department received a report of a full-grown black bear sighting near Clintonville Middle School at 8:41 a.m. Saturday.

Clintonville officers and a State Patrol trooper monitored the bear as it made its way through the community. The bear was last seen at 3:45 p.m. Saturday going east toward the wooded area along Pigeon River on 16th Street, near the industrial park.

Bear sightings in the community are rare and generally occur around the same time of the year. There were two bear sightings in Clintonville in 2013.

Residents are asked to notify police if a bear is spotted and to stay clear of the area to let police handle the situation. In the past, the bears made their way back to the woods outside the community.

— Grace Kirchner, correspondent

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Shawano Police Department

June 29

Police logged 17 incidents, including the following:

Bail Jumping — Police investigated a bail jumping complaint in the 300 block of East Stevens Street.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 700 block of South Lincoln Street.

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint in the 100 block of South Lafayette Street.

Assault — Police investigated an assault at the Skate Park, 107 E. Elizabeth St.

June 28

Police logged 13 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint in the 700 block of South Lincoln Street.

Vandalism — A pool was reported vandalized in the 1200 block of East Ridlington Avenue.

Theft — Flowers were reported stolen from a grave at Woodlawn Cemetery, 100 Woodlawn Drive.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 300 block of East Maurer Street.

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious person complaint at Zingler and Cleveland streets.

June 27

Police logged 23 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 500 block of West First Street.

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint in the 800 block of East Ridlington Avenue.

Disorderly — Police responded to a lewd and lascivious behavior complaint at Elizabeth and Evergreen streets.

Theft — Money was reported stolen from a purse left in a dressing room at Goodwill Industries, 300 Lakeland Road.

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

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

June 29

Deputies logged 40 incidents, including the following:

Vandalism — A vehicle was reported vandalized at the Shawano County Fairgrounds, 900 E. Green Bay St. in Shawano.

Warrant — A 30-year-old Shawano woman was taken into custody on a warrant on Putnam Lane in Bowler.

Drug Offense — A 29-year-old Green Bay man was arrested for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia on Warrington Avenue in Cecil.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance involving a juvenile on Amber Lane in Belle Plaine.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a report of a fight in progress on Old Lake Road in Wescott.

Burglary — Authorities investigated a burglary to a residence on Brotherhood Lane in Tigerton.

Accidents — Authorities logged an injury accident in the town of Washington and two deer-related crashes.

June 28

Deputies logged 46 incidents, including the following:

Trespass — Authorities responded to a trespassing complaint on Witt-Birn Town Line Road in Birnamwood.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Fourth Street in Mattoon.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Upper Red Lake Road in Red Springs.

Disturbance — A 41-year-old Green Bay man and a 22-year-old Green Bay woman were taken into custody on outstanding warrants after a disturbance at Shawano County Park, W5785 Lake Drive in Wescott.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Morajega Road in Birnamwood.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a domestic disturbance on Plum Lane in Richmond.

Accidents — Authorities logged three accidents, including one deer-related crash.

June 27

Deputies logged 50 incidents, including the following:

Disorderly — A charge of disorderly conduct was referred against a 33-year-old Bowler man after authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on Moh He Con Nuck Road in Bowler.

OAR — A 31-year-old Oneida man was cited for operating after revocation on state Highway 29 in Waukechon.

OWI — A 47-year-old Luxemburg woman was arrested for operating while intoxicated on state Highway 29 in Richmond.

Disturbance — A 30-year-old Shawano man was arrested for disorderly conduct after a domestic disturbance on Sandy Drive in the town of Washington.

Warrant — A 24-year-old Keshena woman was arrested on a warrant and a charge of obstructing on Bartelt Street in Gresham.

Assault — A sexual assault on County Road R in the town of Washington was under investigation.

Accidents — Authorities logged an injury accident on County Road BB in Green Valley and three deer-related crashes.

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Few answers in Meade's deathBy: 

Leader Staff

Timothy Meade
Leader Photo by Tim Ryan Timothy Meade’s sisters, Autumn Edwards and Bobbie Jo Knaus, are embraced by Meade’s mother, Eileen Edwards, at a balloon release in Meade’s memory on the state Highway 29 overpass of County Road M in Richmond where Meade died one year ago.
Leader Photo by Tim Ryan Balloons launched in Timothy Meade’s honor float away from the state Highway 29 overpass of County Road M in Richmond where Meade died one year ago.

Balloons bearing messages of love and remembrance wafted up into the cloudy skies over state Highway 29 Saturday afternoon, sent aloft by family and friends of a Michigan man from the spot where he died one year ago.

“We just wrote little messages to him, little love letters to him,” said his mother, Eileen Edwards.

Timothy J. Meade, 22, of Stephenson, Mich., was found at 2:30 a.m. June 28, 2013, in the eastbound lane of traffic on County Road M at the Highway 29 overpass.

The case remains unsolved.

If Edwards could talk to the driver, she said there is only one thing she would say.

“What happened?”

Shawano County sheriff’s detectives have been able to piece together a few facts.

Meade had been visiting friends in the area and was headed back to their residence after leaving a nearby drinking establishment, they said. He left the establishment sometime after 1:30 a.m. Several witnesses reported seeing him walking.

Detectives determined Meade was struck sometime between 1:30 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. by an SUV or large vehicle that would have been headed eastbound on County Road M.

Autopsy results indicate Meade was lying down in the road at the time he was struck.

At a news conference prior to the balloon release, Sheriff Randy Wright detailed some of the investigative work that has been done over the past year, including “watching traffic patterns, witness interviews, checking video at car washes and repair shops, and checking tens of vehicles.”

But, Wright said, “we have no firm leads at this time.”

Wright implored the driver of the vehicle or anyone with information to come forward for the sake of the family.

“As with anyone who loses a loved one, they want closure to what happened and why it happened,” he said.

Wright, as well as lead investigator on the case, Detective Wade Wudtke, had previously said they did not expect any charges to be filed.

They previously speculated the driver might not have seen Meade given the dark conditions and the crest of the bridge at that location.

But Wright said Saturday he couldn’t rule charges out.

“I’m not going to say there’s no penalties or charges that may be coming, but it may not be as bad as what you think or have in your mind if you come in and talk to us,” he said. “We need to have the facts to determine the next step.”

The Sheriff’s Department can be reached at 715-526-3111.

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By: 

Leader Staff

Police arrested a 56-year-old Gillett woman for armed robbery and battery Friday after she allegedly used a knife to rob the owner of Guerrero Grocery Store, 520 S. Main St., in Shawano.

Police said the woman, dressed in all black clothing, including a black mask, demanded money from the store owner. The robbery occurred at 5:55 p.m. The suspect is being held at the Shawano County Jail.

The owner, a 59-year-old woman, was injured slightly when the suspect threw her to the ground during the robbery, police said. The store owner did not seek medical attention.

The suspect fled the store with an undetermined amount of money. Police apprehended her a couple of minutes later four blocks away.

Further information will be released on Monday, police said, as the incident is still under investigation.

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By: 

Leader Staff

A long-running investigation into numerous tavern burglaries in the area came to a head Thursday with the execution of a search warrant and the arrest of a Shawano man.

Stephen M. Childs, 30, has been charged with four felony counts of burglary.

A criminal complaint filed Friday indicates Childs was a suspect in additional tavern burglaries that were still being investigated, but Childs has not been charged with those break-ins.

Childs is charged with the burglaries of the Coachlight in Wescott on Nov. 21, the Golf Side Bar in Wescott on June 14, Salty’s Saloon in Richmond on June 17 and Billy’s Bar in Shawano on June 19. He is also charged with four counts of misdemeanor theft.

Childs could face a maximum 12½ years in prison and a $25,000 fine on each felony count if found guilty.

According to the criminal complaint, Shawano County sheriff’s detectives had been investigating a string of tavern burglaries stretching back two years.

The complaint states Childs became a suspect because of past burglary convictions and his familiarity with the taverns that were burglarized.

According to the complaint, all of the burglaries involved prying open a window with a small tool. Safes and ATM machines were also pried open during the crimes, according to the complaint.

A subject matching Childs’ description was also seen in surveillance videos from some of the break-ins, according to the complaint.

Video from another break-in allegedly captured images of a vehicle in which Childs had earlier been a passenger during a traffic stop, according to the criminal complaint.

Authorities also recovered a shoe print from one of the burglaries matching shoes that Childs was wearing during that traffic stop, the complaint alleges. It also alleges Childs had a shoulder bag during the traffic stop that matched one seen in surveillance videos.

On Wednesday, sheriff’s detectives conducted a garbage pick outside Childs’ residence in Shawano, during which they allegedly found numerous items associated with bar activity, such as football pool envelopes and drink tabs.

Sheriff’s detectives, assisted by Shawano police, executed a search warrant the next day during which burglary tools and other items were seized, according to the complaint.

Childs was ordered held on a $20,000 cash bond after an appearance Friday before Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court Judge William Kussel Jr.

He is scheduled for an adjourned initial appearance on Monday.

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County gets $15K-$35K in forfeitures annuallyBy: 

Lee Pulaski, [email protected]

The Shawano County Board this week approved a resolution for half of forfeited bond money collected to go toward courthouse security improvements.

Questions remain about who would handle the money and how a previous funding source would be affected.

The county collects anywhere from $15,000 to $35,000 annually from bail bonds that are forfeited when defendants fail to appear for hearings.

Until now, the forfeited bond money has gone into the general fund.

The Maintenance Department, meanwhile, has budgeted about $6,000 annually to help with courthouse security upgrades. Expenses beyond the $6,000 have gone through the capital improvement projects review process.

Supervisors on Wednesday were unsure whether the bond money approved in the resolution would be in lieu of or in addition to what the Maintenance Department provides.

“Do they get this $6,000 plus the 50 percent (in bond forfeitures)?” Supervisor Bonnie Olson asked. “I would like that question answered.

Supervisor Bert Huntington, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, said he was unaware of the Maintenance Department funds when his committee recommended the resolution June 11. Despite that, he said using bond money for courthouse security was a good plan.

Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court Judge James Habeck spoke in favor of the resolution. Habeck is chairman of the county’s Courthouse Security Committee, which is not a County Board committee but is mandated by the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Habeck indicated that the resolution would give his committee direct oversight of the funding.

“We would like to have a definite figure of what’s available,” Habeck said.

Several county supervisors did not see it that way, however. While the courthouse security money would be kept in a separate county fund, expenses would still need to be approved by the County Board after going through the Public Property and Public Safety committees.

“The judge seems to have a totally different idea of who is going to get this budget,” Supervisor Marlin Noffke said. “It seems to me that this should be sent back (to committee) for another look-see. There are a lot of different people with different ideas about where this should be going.”

A motion to send the resolution back to committee failed 16-11.

Supervisor Deb Noffke questioned whether the money collected from bond funds would be enough to keep the courthouse secure. She felt it would be more efficient to have the Courthouse Security Committee make requests to the board, which could allocate money from the general fund.

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Delivery of non-narcotics

A Shawano woman is facing four felony counts of delivery of non-narcotics for allegedly selling Ritalin to an Sheriff’s Department informant on four occasions.

Shawndell K. Flint, 41, could face a maximum six years in prison and $10,000 fine on each count if convicted.

According to the criminal complaint, Shawano County sheriff’s detectives set up drug buys through a confidential informant on two occasions in November, once in December and again in February of this year.

Flint allegedly sold a total of 91 pills during the four transactions.

Flint was freed on a $1,000 cash bond Monday and is due back in court for an adjourned initial appearance July 14.

Forgery

A Wittenberg man has been charged with two felony counts of forgery for allegedly passing bogus checks.

Bradley J. Fowler, 32, is accused of using a falsified check for $251 at the Leaky Roof Saloon in Gresham on June 1 and another for $350 at Vee’s Star Campsite in Aniwa the same day.

Fowler could face a maximum six years in prison and $10,000 fine on each count if convicted. He also faces a felony count of bail jumping, which carries the same possible penalty.

Fowler was ordered held on a $2,500 cash bond after a court hearing Thursday. He is scheduled for an adjourned initial appearance Monday.

Strangulation

A Bowler man is facing a felony charge of strangulation and suffocation in connection with an alleged domestic violence incident in Birnamwood last month.

Shawn L. Matson, 38, is accused of choking a woman during an altercation on May 17. He could face a maximum six years in prison and $10,000 fine if found guilty.

Matson is also charged with misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property.

He is due in court for an initial appearance July 21.

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Shawano Police Department

June 26

Police logged 31 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance at the Wisconsin House, 216 E. Green Bay St.

Burglary — Police were investigating four residential burglary complaints in the 800 block of South Richmond Street, 600 block of East Maurer Street, 900 block of South Kadletz Street and 700 block of South Maiden Lane.

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious person complaint in the 600 block of South Main Street.

Disturbance — A 22-year-old Shawano man was taken into custody on charges of disorderly conduct and domestic violence after a disturbance in the 1200 block of East Ridlington Avenue.

Arrest — A 21-year-old Rice Lake man who called police to say he was having a bad marijuana trip was arrested for a Probation and Parole violation at Green Bay Street and Eberlein Park Drive.

Fraud — Police investigated a fraud complaint in the 900 block of East Fifth Street.

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint in the 1000 block of South Cleveland Street.

Disturbance — A 46-year-old Shawano man was arrested on charges of domestic violence, battery, false imprisonment and strangulation in the 400 block of East Green Bay Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

June 26

Deputies logged 52 incidents, including the following:

Warrant — A 25-year-old Keshena woman was taken into custody on a warrant on state Highway 47-55 in Wescott.

Disturbance — Sheriff’s deputies assisted Shawano police with a disturbance at the Wisconsin House, 216 E. Green Bay St.

Burglary — Sheriff’s deputies assisted Shawano police with a burglary investigation in the 800 block of South Richmond Street.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint at the Kwik Trip in Bonduel, 102 Express Way.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Ebert Street in Gresham.

Warrant — A 64-year-old man was taken into custody on a warrant on County Road J in Fairbanks.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Third Street in Aniwa.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Basswood Road in Richmond.

Juvenile — Authorities responded to a juvenile problem on St. John’s Church Road in Belle Plaine.

Clintonville Police Department

June 26

Police logged eight incidents, including the following:

Arrest — Police responding to a harassment complaint took a female subject into custody on a Probation and Parole hold.

Accident — An accident report was completed for a two-vehicle property damage accident at Madison and Bennett streets.

Theft — A theft was reported on North Main Street.

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Appeals court overturned original sentenceBy: 

[email protected]

Leader Photo by Tim Ryan Christian J. Wilson, seated beside attorney Eileen Hirsch, awaits a new sentence on charges of child porn possession in Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court on Thursday. Wilson, originally sentenced to 27 years in prison was granted a new sentencing hearing by a state appeals court. He was sentenced Thursday to 18 years in prison.

A Shawano County man granted a new sentencing hearing last year by a state appeals court on possession of child porn charges was re-sentenced Thursday to 18 years in prison.

Christian J. Wilson, 29, was also ordered to serve another 10 years extended supervision after his release.

The new sentence knocks nine years off the 27 originally imposed, but was still harsher than defense attorney Eileen Hirsch hoped it would be.

Hirsch argued for a seven-year prison sentence, explaining that Wilson will have served four years of that term in October and could quickly be moved into a sex offender treatment program that would take up the final three.

Shawano-Menominee County District Attorney Greg Parker reiterated his recommendation from the original sentencing of 15 to 18 years in prison and 20 years probation.

Noting Wilson’s two “hands on” sex offenses with 5- and 11-year-old girls when he was a juvenile, Parker called Wilson a danger to the public whose collection of child pornography perpetuates crimes against children.

Parker also criticized the defense for comparing Wilson’s sentence to lesser sentences handed down in other child porn possession cases.

“These are red herrings,” he said.

However, in imposing the new sentence Thursday, Circuit Court Judge James Habeck did compare Wilson’s offenses to another Shawano County child porn case, but not in the defense’s favor.

Habeck cited the case of Damon J. Anker, 35, who was sentenced in April 2013 to 34 years in prison on 111 counts of possessing child pornography.

He said the content of the child porn Wilson possessed was more extreme.

“His violations are frankly worse than Mr. Anker’s,” Habeck said. “What he was watching was worse.”

Habeck also noted that Wilson has continued to deny the charges, despite finally entering a no contest plea, and even maintained his neighbor had downloaded the porn and was framing him.

“I don’t believe there’s an ounce of remorse,” Habeck said.

Former Circuit Court Judge Thomas Grover imposed Wilson’s original 27-year sentence in June 2011,. He was also given another 27 years’ extended supervision.

That was the sentence recommended by a Probation and Parole agent in the pre-sentence investigation report.

In January 2013, Judge William Kussel Jr. upheld Grover’s sentence at a post-conviction relief hearing in Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court.

The District III Court of Appeals in November overturned the original sentence, concluding that its length would delay Wilson’s treatment and increase his chances of re-offending.

Key to the appeals court decision was testimony from Dr. Patricia Coffey, a clinical psychologist who also testified at Thursday’s hearing.

Coffey said sex offender treatment, which usually doesn’t begin until the last few years of a prison sentence, should begin as soon as possible to be effective.

In his sentencing, Habeck acknowledged that argument, but said Wilson would be older at the end of a longer sentence and less likely to offend because of his age.

“Judge Habeck should be commended for this sentence,” Parker said after the hearing. “I am pleased to see yet another child predator receive a lengthy sentence here in Shawano County. … The community will be safe for the next 18 years that he will spend in prison.”

Wilson was charged in 2010 with 31 counts of possessing child pornography based on images found on his computer that he downloaded in Wittenberg between January and June 2010, according to the criminal complaint. He pleaded no contest to 18 counts and had the remaining counts dismissed but considered for purposes of sentencing.

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By: 

[email protected]

Shawano police responding to a two-vehicle crash Wednesday arrested a Crandon man on a charge of seventh-offense operating while intoxicated, making it the city’s third multiple-offense drunken driving case in five days.

Lee White, 55, could face a maximum 10 years in prison and $25,000 fine if convicted.

According to the criminal complaint, White was the driver of a Chevy Impala that plowed into a Chevy Blazer on Lakeland Road at Green Bay Street about 10 p.m.

The driver of the Blazer said he was northbound on Lakeland Road when the Impala came around the corner and turned into him. No one was injured in the crash.

White allegedly tried to flee the scene in his vehicle, but it was no longer operable, according to the complaint, which alleges White then left the scene on foot.

A Shawano County K-9 unit assisted police with tracking White and taking him into custody a short time later in a wooded area between Lakeland Road and Walmart, according to the complaint.

The complaint states police found an empty bottle of tequila in White’s vehicle.

White refused to allow blood to be drawn for an OWI test, but a blood draw was taken after police obtained a search warrant, according to the complaint.

White was also charged with misdemeanor counts of hit-and-run, operating while revoked and bail jumping.

According to the criminal complaint, White has four prior OWI convictions in Forest County, one in Milwaukee County and one in St. Croix County.

White was ordered held on an $8,500 bond and is due in Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court for an adjourned initial appearance Monday.

Wednesday’s incident was the third multiple-offense drunken driving case in Shawano since Saturday, when Jerry A. Jarvis, 48, of Shawano, was arrested on a charge of eighth-offense OWI.

On Tuesday, James P. Rybicki, 55, of Shawano, was arrested on a charge of sixth-offense OWI.

Both arrests were made after anonymous callers tipped police about their driving.

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By: 

Grace Kirchner, Leader Correspondent

Cracks in the well of the diving pool have been filled and sealed, and the outdoor swimming pool in Buchholtz Park in Clintonville is expected to open Saturday.

Justin McAuly, Park and Recreation director, said the opening of the pool was delayed after leaks were discovered when the pool was filled.

“These cracks developed with frost. We weren’t expecting it. It was a harsh winter for the pool,” McAuly said.

A study by Neuman Pools last fall concluded there could be a million dollars worth of repairs and upgrading needed at the pool. The Park and Recreation Committee is considering whether the city should keep operating the pool after this season.

“The outdoor pool is a big draw. Not many communities are as fortunate to have one,” chairperson Gloria Dunlavy said at the committee’s meeting Tuesday. “The youth need it. They need to get outside to get their vitamin D.”

McAuly said youngsters prefer to swim at the outdoor pool in the summer rather than the Recreation Center’s indoor pool. He also said he knew of communities that are building outdoor pools.

The committee asked City Administrator Lisa Kotter and McAuly to get more detailed information on repair costs, as well as the cost of a new pool.

“We will have to do a fundraiser,” Alderman Jerry Jorgenson said.

Alderman James Krause suggested looking into a dome for the pool as one way to extend the life of the pool.

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By: 

Leader Staff

Shawano police are investigating a quick succession of residential burglaries reported Thursday morning.

The first was reported at 4:19 a.m. in the 800 block of East Richmond. A computer was reported stolen in that incident.

Another burglary was reported at 5:38 a.m. in the 600 block of East Maurer Street, followed by a third reported at 7:14 a.m. in the 900 block of South Kadlitz Street.

Police believe the burglaries are related, but no further information was available.

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Shawano Police Department

June 25

Police logged 27 incidents, including the following:

Disorderly — Police responded to a complaint of an intoxicated male in the 100 block of South Union Street.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 100 block of Mountain Bay Trail Drive.

Vandalism — A scoreboard at Memorial Park, 909 S. Lincoln St., was reported vandalized.

Warrant — A 30-year-old woman was taken into custody on a warrant after a traffic stop at Olson and Elizabeth streets.

OAR — A 25-year-old woman was cited for operating after revocation at Prairie and Main streets.

Warrant — A 38-year-old man was taken into custody on a warrant in the 600 block of South Union Street.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem in the 400 block of East Division Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

June 25

Deputies logged 30 incidents, including the following:

Vandalism — Authorities responded to a vandalism complaint on Lulu Lake Drive in Wescott.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on Frailing Road in Wescott.

Vandalism — A brick pathway was reported vandalized with a permanent marker on Railroad Avenue in Birnamwood.

Assault — A 20-year-old Bowler woman and a 30-year-old Gresham woman were arrested for disorderly conduct and battery after an assault on Ebert Street in Gresham.

Accidents — Authorities logged four accidents, including an injury motorcycle accident on state Highway 29 in Waukechon and one deer-related crash.

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Mayor: No decision has been madeBy: 

[email protected]

A proposed new facility for housing recently released offenders in the community is raising concerns less than a week before it was due to go into operation.

The state Department of Corrections has contracted with ATTIC Correctional Services for an eight-bed facility at 227 E. Richmond St. in Shawano, replacing the New Era House at 105 E. Richmond St.

New Era’s contract expires at the end of this month. The new contract with ATTIC goes into effect July 1.

However, the new location will need the city’s approval of a special exception to the zoning ordinance.

The Shawano Plan Commission will hold a public hearing on the matter at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, 127 S. Sawyer St., before deciding whether to recommend approval to the Common Council.

Shawano Mayor Lorna Marquardt, who chairs the Plan Commission, said she has gotten numerous calls raising concerns about the location and its housing of recently released sex offenders.

Though only about a block away from the New Era House, the facility would be that much closer to Peace United Church of Christ at 208 E. Maurer St.

“I’ve heard concerns about the home’s close proximity to a church where children attend classes, Scouts meet and kids are often seen outside playing,” Marquardt said.

“Several community members were under the impression the decision had already been made to allow this property to become a place that houses sex offenders,” she said. “Some of the residents who contacted me were upset and chastised the city for having made that decision. I explained no decision has yet been made.”

The DOC approved a two-year contract with ATTIC Correctional Services earlier this year. It calls for ATTIC to provide transitional housing services for convicted felons that are under the DOC’s supervision, including recently released sex offenders.

Madison-Based ATTIC Correctional Services operates 16 facilities in the state, including Milwaukee, Madison, Appleton and Green Bay.

In December, the city revised its ordinance covering where convicted sex offenders can reside in Shawano as a precaution in the event the DOC contract with New Era House was ever terminated. The change removed the specific reference to the New Era House, replacing it with a generic reference to a transitional placement facility.

The city has a Sexual Predator Ordinance Committee that reviews placements of recently released sex offenders, but not all of them would need the committee’s approval.

Shawano Police Capt. Jeff Heffernon said the DOC can place at the facility offenders who are at a low-level risk of re-offending. The higher-risk level placements would have to go through the committee.

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Human Services Department could be functioning in 6 monthsBy: 

Lee Pulaski, [email protected]

Shawano County is looking at merging two departments — Social Services and Community Programs — into a single Human Services Department, emulating a vast majority of counties in Wisconsin.

The County Board voted 23-4 Wednesday to form an ad-hoc committee to look into the costs and procedures required to complete the merger. Four county supervisors and three county residents will comprise the committee.

County Board Chairman Jerry Erdmann will represent the county along with the chairs of the Finance Committee and Community Programs and Social Services board — Arlyn Tober, Rosetta Stern and Bonnie Olson, respectively.

John Hill, Ann Miller and Melissa Schuler will be the citizen representatives.

The county expects the departments will be merged by Jan. 2, according to Administrative Coordinator Tom Madsen, who has previously worked in social services departments for other counties.

Madsen said that Shawano is one of eight counties in the state that does not have a combined Human Services Department.

“We drew up an ambitious time line, but (state officials) said it could be done,” Madsen said.

Madsen said it is unlikely the state will oppose a feasibility plan proposed by the county.

The issue of combining the two departments has been on county officials’ minds for some time, according to Olson, but the recent retirement of Barb Larson-Herber, community programs director, was a catalyst for moving the idea forward.

“I think it’s a good idea because, with Family Care coming (to the county), this can all be done before it takes place,” Olson said.

The two departments combined are expected to cost the county more than $17.2 million to operate, more than one-third of its $50 million budget, according to the county’s 2014 budget report.

The Social Services Department is expected to spend almost $7.5 million in 2014, including the budget for the Office of Aging, while the Community Programs Department’s expenditures, combined with Lakeland Industries, are budgeted at more than $9.73 million.

Madsen pointed out that the consolidation would not save the county any money. While the two departments each have a director, human services departments in other counties usually have a director and a deputy director, he said, so no administrative positions will be eliminated.

Madsen said he and other county officials have been talking with employees in the two departments to explain the process.

“This county is ready for it,” Madsen said.

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By: 

Leader Staff

For the second time in less than a week, Shawano police on Tuesday nabbed an alleged multiple-offense drunken driver after being tipped off to his driving by a caller.

James P. Rybicki, 55, is facing a felony count of sixth-offense operating while intoxicated while driving with a child in the vehicle. He could face a maximum 12 years in prison and a $20,000 fine if convicted. He could also have his driving privileges revoked for up to six years.

Police were alerted about 6:30 p.m. that Rybicki was leaving the Shawano Medical Center, where he had visited someone, and getting into a vehicle. They said he was intoxicated and had a 5-year-old child with him.

He was spotted and pulled over at Green Bay and Eberlein streets.

According to the criminal complaint, Rybicki failed several field sobriety tests and a preliminary breath test showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.16 percent, twice the legal limit.

Rybicki was arrested and the child was turned over to a family friend, according to the complaint.

According to court records, Rybicki has two previous OWI convictions in Menominee County, two in Waupaca County and one in Shawano County.

He was sentenced on his most recent conviction in Waupaca County in 2001 to a year in jail as a condition of five years probation.

Rybicki was ordered held on a $4,500 cash bond after an appearance Wednesday before Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court Judge William Kussel Jr.

He is due back in court for an adjourned initial appearance on Monday.

Shawano police made an OWI arrest under similar circumstances Saturday when an anonymous caller reported that Jerry A. Jarvis, 48, of Shawano, was allegedly driving drunk.

Jarvis is charged with eighth-offense OWI and could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted. He is also scheduled for an adjourned initial appearance Monday.

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