Shawano Police Department

April 4

Police logged 30 incidents, including the following:

Hit and Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run in the 200 block of South Airport Drive.

Truancy — Police logged three truancy complaints from Shawano Community High School, 220 County Road B.

Arrest — A 37-year-old man was taken into custody at the probation and parole offices, 1340 E. Green Bay St.

Accident — Police responded to a two-vehicle property damage accident at Lakeland Road and Richmond Street.

Disturbance — A 50-year-old woman was cited for trespassing after police responded to a disturbance in the 500 block of South Cleveland Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

April 4

Deputies logged 39 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Authorities investigated a suspicious person complaint on Oak Drive in the town of Wescott.

Suspicious — Authorities investigated a suspicious person complaint on U.S. Highway 45 in the town of Grant.

Burglary — Authorities investigated a report of a burglary on Apple Road in the town of Richmond.

Assault — Authorities investigated an assault complaint on Mork Avenue in the town of Wescott.

Suspicious — Authorities investigated a suspicious person complaint on Lemke Street in Cecil.

Disorderly — Authorities responded to a disorderly conduct complaint on Cherry Avenue in the town of Wescott.

Clintonville Police Department

April 4

Police logged 14 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — A suspicious Incident was reported on North Main Street.

Truancy — Truancy was reported on Eighth Street.

Truancy — Contributing to truancy was reported on South Clinton Avenue.

Truancy — Truancy was reported on West Green Tree Road.

Disorderly — Disorderly conduct was reported on West Green Tree Road.

A former Shawano bar operator was sentenced to more than 20 years in prison on four counts of child sexual assault and other charges after a hearing Tuesday in Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court.

Darwin R. Davis, 48, was found guilty after a weeklong jury trial in November of having sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl in the basement of a Shawano tavern he once operated and on multiple occasions at his home in 2012.

He was sentenced to 20 years on those counts and an additional 1 1/2 years on two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child for trying to get his two children, who were 13 and 11 at the time, to lie to authorities about his relationship with the girl.

Davis will also have to serve 10 years of extended supervision after his prison sentence.

Assistant District Attorney Catharine White had asked the court for 41 1/2 years in prison and 20 years extended supervision.

White said the most important aspect of the case was the youth and vulnerability of the victim.

“He flattered her, he gave her attention, he told her he loved her,” White said. “He groomed her because he saw her as vulnerable.”

The girl’s father read statements from the girl and the girl’s mother, along with a statement of his own, detailing the psychological toll the relationship with Davis had taken.

“She is scared. She does not trust people,” he said, reading a statement from the mother. “I am asking the court to put away this monster for a time period that he will never get out to steal another little girl’s childhood.”

The girl’s statement asked the court to “please put him in prison forever. If you let him out, regardless of his age, there will be another victim.”

Davis said he felt bad for the victim, but in his statement to the court continued to maintain his innocence.

“By no means do I want to downplay anything,” he said.

Davis said that as a business owner he “brought friends and family together in a safe environment” and held benefits and made donations that benefited the community.

“I’ve worked hard to be a good person,” he said.

Davis blamed his wife for influencing his children to testify against him and asked that “God and this court have leniency on me.”

Judge James Habeck said, however, that he and God had different duties.

“I believe God is always willing to forgive, but my function is different — it’s to impose consequences,” Habeck said.

Davis was also sentenced on a number of other counts, including felony counts of possession of marijuana and bail jumping, and misdemeanor counts of possessing drug paraphernalia and resisting or obstructing an officer. Those sentences were imposed concurrently with the others.

The trial garnered particular attention because of Davis’ connection to a Shawano woman who went missing in 2013.

Heather Szekeres, 32, disappeared in June 2013 after last being seen at the Final Lap Tavern, the bar Davis operated.

That case remains under investigation.

Davis was previously convicted of second-degree sexual assault of a child in Langlade County in 1994 and was sentenced to five years in prison.

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of five articles profiling winners of the Celebration of Giving awards presented annually by Shawano Area Community Foundation Inc. for outstanding volunteerism. The winners will be honored at a gala April 12.

Garbriela Krueger, 18, a senior at Shawano Community High School, has been selected to receive the Shawano Area Community Foundation Youth Volunteer Award. She has volunteered for activities in school and in the community.

“It was quite a surprise to me,” she said. “I didn’t know I was nominated. It’s an amazing honor. I think it’s incredible. I was speechless and I cried when I found out.”

Carol Krueger is understandably very proud of her granddaughter.

“She has always seized every opportunity to volunteer without hesitation,” she wrote in a nomination letter for the award. “I am biased, but in my 80-plus years of life, I have never met anyone who gives so much of herself at such a young age.”

All that she does is important to Gabriela, but helping Big Brothers Big Sisters is especially important to her. She started this past year with her “Little,” McKenzie. Gabriela wanted to show her how important she is and to make her feel special.

“I can see a change in the little girl,” Gabriela said. “It’s incredible to me.”

When Gabriela graduates in June, she is going to college at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. She wants to keep in contact with McKenzie and carry on their friendship.

“I’ve grown really close to my little sister,” she said.

At school, Gabriela is on student council, where she helps with blood drives, pep rallies and other fun activities.

“There is so much to do,” she said. “You develop relationships with those you wouldn’t get to know.”

She is a member of the Science Society and the Med Maniacs, which sometimes provides hands-on medical learning experiences. Recently students from UW-Madison Medical School shared human hearts, livers and a brain with the Maniacs. Gabriela plans to study pediatrics or pharmacy in college.

She is also a member of the National Honor Society, which means more volunteer hours at school functions, along with keeping good grades.

Gabriela helps at the registration table at the high school blood drives.

“It’s cool how many people want to try to help,” she said.

She is a member of Bridge to Success, a mentor program for incoming freshmen.

“I let them know that they have someone to talk to,” Gabriela said.

She is a member of the Spanish Club and helps with Shawano Hockey.

Gabriela’s English teacher, Jaimie Okusko, also nominated her for the SACF award. She wrote: “I have always been greatly impressed with her work ethic and dedication to the task at hand. I can honestly say that I have worked with few adults who show the kind of maturity that I have seen in this young lady.”

Okusko noted how as a sophomore Gabriela helped other members of her English class who were struggling by just stepping in to quietly give assistance, treating them with dignity and respect.

Outside of school, Gabriela helps the Optimist Club with its bike rodeo, Pure Essence with its walk/run and Taste of Shawano with ticket sales. She has helped clean up highways and rang bells at Christmas for the Salvation Army.

A member of Zion Lutheran Church in Shawano, she helps with Sunday School.

Being involved in so many different activities has given Gabriela perspective on how to handle her time.

“I just prioritize,” Gabriela said. “It’s good to have learned early on.”

Gabriela is the daughter of Jay and Rhonda Krueger. She works at Dreier Pharmacy three or four times a week.

She will give her award of $1,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters.

The Youth Volunteer Award is sponsored by the Shawano Optimist Club and Shawano Rotary.

Rank defeats Skarlupka; Skarlupka also wins

Incumbent Judy Rank appears to have held onto her seat for another two-year term representing the village of Cecil and town of Washington on the Bonduel School Board.

Rank was being challenged by Kara Skarlupka, who was also running as the unopposed incumbent for the two-year, at-large seat on the board. Skarlupka has said she will accept only one of the seats.

District Administrator Patrick Rau reported that with six out of nine precincts reporting, Rank had won 566 votes to 246 for Skarlupka.

1 incumbent, 2 newcomers win seats on MISD board

Only one incumbent survived the race Tuesday for three seats on the Menominee Indian School Board.

Nicole Fish handily defeated incumbent Chuck Goetsch for an at-large seat, 457-242, according to unofficial results from Menominee County.

Geradette Richmond won a close race again incumbent William Waubanascum for a seat representing Neopit, 352-297.

Mary Wayka is the only incumbent who will serve another term, defeating Toni Caldwell for a seat representing Keshena, 346-320.

All of the seats are three-year terms.

Eland voters choose refurbishing

Voters in the village of Eland decided Tuesday to refurbish the old Village Hall rather than build a new one.

Faced with two referendum questions, voters decided 64-42 to refurbish the existing Village Hall on Main Street.

A separate question to build a new Village Hall on Pine Street was defeated 60-45.

The old village hall needs to be brought up to code for handicapped accessibility and has a failed septic system, according to Village President James Stoltz. A new roof, furnace and electrical upgrade are also needed, along with other utility improvements.

The referendum questions are advisory, meaning the final decision will still be up to the Village Board.

Sixty-three percent of the eligible voters went to the polls in Clintonville on Tuesday and voted for change.

Three incumbent alderpersons and one incumbent School Board member were ousted.

In the District 1 Common Council race, incumbent Jim Krause was defeated by newcomer Lance Bagstad, 151-144.

In District 2, incumbent Gloria Dunlavy fell to Charles Manske, 147-84.

In District 4, incumbent Mary-Beth Kuester lost to Mike Hankins, 193-105.

Voters, however, supported Acting Mayor Lois Bressette, who defeated Jonathan Bayless in the mayoral race, 867-386.

Bressette has filled the mayor’s chair since former Mayor Judith Magee resigned, effective Jan. 1, to settle a complaint filed against her by local resident Tricia Rose alleging misconduct in office.

Magee’s decision followed months of rancor within the council, which led to the resignation of the city administrator and the city’s first recall election, removing Greg Rose from the aldermanic seat that Bressette then filled.

District 3 Alderperson Amy Steenbock was the only incumbent to survive on Tuesday. She was not opposed.

Magee also decided not to seek re-election to the Clintonville School Board.

On Tuesday, the other incumbent, Dirk Weber, was defeated in his bid for re-election. Weber received 1,050 votes and finished third in the race for two seats. Mark Zachow and Lori Poppe were elected, with 1,931 and 1,228 votes, respectively. Larry Czarnecki finished fourth with 815 votes.

Results are unofficial until being reviewed by the Board of Canvass.

Shawano School Board member Bruce Milavitz was apparently ousted Tuesday in a four-way contest to fill three board seats representing the city of Shawano.

Unofficial final results show Milavitz finishing in fourth place, just nine votes behind newcomer Rich Belongia, who finished the night with 2,469 votes to Milavitz’s final tally of 2,460 votes.

Belongia recently made an unsuccessful attempt to become Shawano’s next mayor.

School Board incumbents Diane Hoffman and Derek Johnson were re-elected by relatively comfortable margins. Hoffman finished first with 3,431 votes and Johnson finished second with 2,655 votes.

Hoffman, who will be serving her sixth term on the board, said she was pleased that voters seemingly understood her position on school issues and that she is willing to listen. She predicted positive things for the district in the next three years.

“I see us moving forward in a positive direction,” she said.

Milavitz, a local business owner, was seeking his second term on the School Board.

Belongia, also a local business owner, pledged to bring new ideas to the school district and to work “side by side” with teachers to improve the schools.

The winners will each get a three-year term on the board. Members are paid $60 a meeting.

The district also had an open board seat Tuesday representing the town of Herman, to complete an unexpired term. Nobody filed to run for that seat, and there was no immediate indication if anyone won with write-in votes.

Six new faces are headed to the Shawano County Board after Tuesday’s countywide spring elections.

Voters unseated three incumbents and selected three other newcomers to clear the way for a bit of a reconfiguration on the 27-member board.

In District 21, incumbent Bert Huntington was defeated by Roger Miller, a member of the Stockbridge-Munsee Indian tribe. Unofficial results show Miller with 272 votes to Huntington’s 196 votes.

Miller said he believes he will become the first Stockbridge-Munsee tribal member ever elected to the County Board.

“It’s an honor, that’s for sure,” he said. “I’m feeling pretty excited. It’s a new adventure.”

Another incumbent, Richard Giese, lost his District 20 seat to challenger Tom Madsen, a former county administrative coordinator seeking to join the county’s legislative branch. Unofficial final results show Madsen finishing with 332 votes, just nine ahead of Giese’s final tally of 323 votes.

In District 4, incumbent Michael McClelland was defeated by challenger Aimee Zeinert by a margin of 199-163.

Other new faces emerged from contested races without incumbents.

In District 2, Mark Bolin defeated Wesley Bucholz by a vote of 233-149, after both of them finished ahead of incumbent Patrick Hoffman in the primary.

In District 5, Steven Borroughs handily defeated Lynnae Zahringer in another contest without an incumbent, while William Berkhahn was elected without opposition in District 15, where incumbent Marlin Noffke decided not to run again.

Eighteen other incumbents were re-elected Tuesday without opposition.

Three incumbents, meanwhile, survived challenges to retain their seats.

In District 27, incumbent Jon Zwirschitz turned back a challenge from Marion Wnek in what was a rematch of a race two years ago. Zwirschitz finished with 296 votes to 218 for Wnek.

District 17 incumbent Bonnie Olson also emerged victorious, defeating challenger Al Kuhn, 318-277.

In District 8, voters narrowly re-elected incumbent Rosetta Stern over challenger John Krizan, with Stern collecting 265 votes to Krizan’s 236 votes.

Gresham School District officials will have to go back to the drawing board to figure out how to fix a section of their school that is more than 80 years old.

Both questions in a $9.2 referendum proposal were defeated by voters on Tuesday.

A $6 million question to demolish the old section of the school and build new high school classrooms on the east side of the building was defeated by a vote of 481-314, according to the Shawano County Clerk’s office.

The second question, seeking $3.2 million for an additional gymnasium, track and soccer facilities, and a new community weight room, fell by a larger margin, 481-314.

The larger blocks of no votes came from the towns of Herman and Red Springs. Herman voters voted 150-87 against the $6 million question and 159-78 against the $3.2 million question. Red Springs voters voted 204-122 and 213-108 against questions 1 an 2, respectively.

In the village of Gresham, the first question lost by only a slim margin, 115-100. The second question saw less sympathy as 129 voters voted no and 85 voted yes.

Andy Schmidt, Gresham School Board president, conceded defeat on both questions just before 11 p.m. Tuesday and announced the district would have to take another look at how to address its ailing infrastructure.

“Any loss, of course, is disappointing, but we still feel we have a lot of support for the school,” Schmidt said. “During the community meetings, it was clear that most people understood that something needs to be done with our aging high school.”

District officials brought the request for $9.2 million to voters in the hopes of replacing the three-story section of the school that was built in 1934 and building additional one-story sections for the high school.

In some rooms in the old section, the temperature often exceeds 80 degrees; in others, students learn with their coats on in the winter. Part of the school is also out of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

If the referendum questions had been approved, the tax rate would have increased $2.07, from $10.44 to $12.51, per $1,000 of equalized valuation, which equates to $207 more annually for a $100,000 home.

At community meetings held by the district, some taxpayers questioned how much time had been spent considering all the options, such as renovating versus building. School officials said the costs to shore up the existing infrastructure would be the same as demolishing the 1934 section and building anew.

Although there was a consensus of the need, Schmidt felt voters did not understand the options to fix the school.

“The bottom line is that something needs to be done with the old high school,” Schmidt said. “We will need to reassess what the options are and possibly come back (to voters) in the fall with another question.”

Jeanne Cronce, a former Shawano School District teacher and principal, eked out a narrow victory over Jim Oberstein in Tuesday’s race for Shawano mayor.

Cronce was facing Oberstein, who retired from Johnson Controls in Milwaukee in 2010, in the race to replace incumbent Mayor Lorna Marquardt, who chose not to seek re-election after 14 years in office.

The results, which still need to be verified by the Board of Canvass were:

Cronce - 1,434

Oberstein - 1,290

“I’m humbled by all the support from the community,” Cronce said. “I will do the best I can to move Shawano forward.”

Oberstein congratulated Cronce on her win and thanked his supporters, campaign workers and his wife.

“It was a close race,” he said, adding that both candidates were well-qualified.

“I wouldn’t have done anything different,” he said.

Poll workers at City Hall saw heavy voter turnout throughout the day. Officials estimated 65 percent of registered voters cast ballots on Tuesday.

Cronce had emphasized her familiarity with the city and her lifelong ties to the community in her run for mayor, while Oberstein had touted his background of 45 years in business.

It was the first time in 14 years there had been a contested mayor’s race in the city of Shawano.

Though views differed on how the city should move forward, business development and job growth were key issues, along with how the city should deal with long-vacant buildings

In the mayoral primary in February, Cronce picked up 563 votes to 288 for Oberstein, with the remaining 397 votes spread out among the other four contenders.

Incumbent Common Council members Rhonda Strebel, District 2, and John Hoeffs, District 6, were also up for re-election for Tuesday with no opposition, along with Lisa Hoffman, who ran to replace District 4 Alderman Fred Ponschok, who chose not to run for another two-year term.

Incumbent City Attorney Tim Schmid was also be on the ballot and faced no opposition.

The Gresham community and friends raised over $21,000 at the annual Gresham Scholarship Fund banquet on Saturday.

“For a community just shy of 600 residents, that amount is incredible,” said Deb Schroeder Fisher, GSF board member.

Brothers Dan and Bert Huntington served as auctioneers, and another brother, Tom, was the keynote speaker. All three men graduated from Gresham High School in the 1980s.

Highlights included eight pies donated by Rick Giese and Bert Huntington selling for $2,472; $3,200 in raffle tickets for a gun donated by Lyle and Jeanie Grosskopf; and a vacation package donated by John and Diane Bauman that raised $825. Three people also matched a $1,000 donation by Ron Grosskopf for a total of $4,000. Grosskopf paid the initial $100 fee to get GSF accredited 15 years ago.

The banquet helps fund $1,750 scholarships awarded to all Gresham graduates who apply for the scholarship and have a C or better average.

The money is “a tidy sum that the students are grateful for,” said Gary Olsen, GSF treasurer, “but ideally we would like to make it a multi-year scholarship and the requires our endowment to continue to grow. I feel confident that some day we are going to be pleasantly surprised by a sizable bequest, and then our graduates will be elated!”

Bob Klopke, former principal and now president of GSF said: “For the past 15 years, I’ve been very pleasantly surprised at the generosity of community, alumni and friends of GSF. Large and small donations have combined to support our vision. It’s been unbelievably gratifying.”

The GSF also awards community scholarships.

For information, visit https://www.cffoxvalley.org/document.doc?id=1516

Shawano Police Department

April 5

Police logged 24 incidents, including the following:

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

OAR — A 48-year-old woman was cited for operating after revocation at Evergreen and Stevens streets.

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint at Richmond and Evergreen streets.

Threatening — Police responded to a threatening complaint in the 700 block of South Main Street.

Trespass — Police responded to a trespassing complaint in the 300 block of South Sawyer Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

April 5

Deputies logged 29 incidents, including the following:

OAR — A 27-year-old man was cited for operating after revocation on Old 47 Road in the town of Hartland.

Disorderly — Authorities responded to a disorderly conduct complaint on Country Lane in the town of Washington.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Tower Road in the town of Fairbanks.

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

Accident — Authorities responded to an injury accident on state Highway 22 in the town of Washington.

Clintonville Police Department

April 5

Police logged four incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — A suspicious incident on Morning Glory Drive was reported.

Accident — Officers responded for a property damage accident on Main at West Madison Street.

Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of five articles profiling winners of the Celebration of Giving awards presented annually by Shawano Area Community Foundation Inc. for outstanding volunteerism. The winners will be honored at a gala April 12.

When she first attended meetings for the Walls of Wittenberg arts organization, Elaine Diffor saw such an experienced and coordinated network of volunteers that she was unsure how she could contribute.

As a longtime school teacher, her opportunity came when the group set its sights on erecting one of its murals on school property — a significant communitywide effort for which Diffor rolled up her sleeves and got busy.

Among many other leadership roles that Diffor has accepted in the Wittenberg area, she now is a Walls of Wittenberg board member currently serving as vice president of the group and head of the Events Committee.

Retired from the school district, she has embraced the arts and civic improvement group almost as another career.

“It’s part of my life now,” she said. “Almost every day, I’m doing something.”

For her volunteerism in Walls of Wittenberg and elsewhere over the years, Diffor is the 2016 recipient of the Wittenberg Community Service Award in the Celebration of Giving awards presented by the Shawano Area Community Foundation. The Wittenberg award is sponsored by Nueske’s Applewood Smoked Meats.

Diffor was nominated by Miriam Nelson, a fellow Walls of Wittenberg board member, who praises Diffor’s civic spirit and passion for art. In an organization that has grown more complex and dynamic, Diffor has exhibited strong organizational skills and a calm demeanor, Nelson said.

“She’s been a very constant and steady support for us,” Nelson said.

Diffor’s award brings with it a touch of tragic irony.

Just last year, she accepted the same honor on behalf of a Walls of Wittenberg colleague, Susan Hanson, who was too ill to attend the gala event. After Hanson died a few weeks later, Diffor stepped up her involvement in Walls of Wittenberg to keep the organization moving forward.

“She helped us make that transition,” Nelson said.

Diffor is splitting her $1,000 prize for the community foundation award between the Walls of Wittenberg and the Wittenberg Food Pantry.

As residents of Wittenberg since the 1960s, Diffor and her husband, Jack, raised three children during a time when Diffor worked as a stay-at-home mother. Volunteering as a teacher’s aide, she helped start Wittenberg’s first parent-teacher organization and became its first president.

She later earned a teaching degree and spent nearly 20 years in classrooms in Wittenberg and Birnamwood.

As her teaching career was winding down in 2007, she was drawn to Walls of Wittenberg out of curiosity because it seemed like a group of interesting people doing important civic work in the community.

Perhaps best known for the collection of outdoor murals that have made Wittenberg a tourist attraction, the nonprofit group also organizes other events and strives to promote Wittenberg, especially the community’s downtown.

Diffor is especially proud of an annual summertime art show featuring works of local students.

The combination of young talent and seasoned exhibitors, Diffor said, keeps Walls of Wittenberg vibrant with a critical mass of culture that enriches the community, not just with tourism but also with a sense of purpose that she hopes residents appreciate.

“I just feel like it’s worthwhile for our community,” she said. “I’m hoping that it’s something they take pride in.”

With an eye on finishing the job by August, crews have moved into Shawano Community Middle School and started an historic renovation of the 62-year-old building.

Construction workers are pulling late-night hours to avoid disruptions to students and teachers while the school year continues normally amid the renovation.

Crews start their day at 3:30 p.m. and work until 1:30 a.m.

“They’re just working late hours to stay out of the way,” said Jeff Easter, the school district’s director of building and grounds, who is overseeing the nearly $10 million project.

Voters in November approved a referendum to borrow $9.25 million — adding another $700,000 in district funds — to complete a long list of improvements at the middle school, which once served as the community’s high school.

A groundbreaking ceremony kicking off the project is scheduled for 3 p.m. April 14 at the middle school, 1050 S. Union St.

But construction management firm Miron Construction Co. moved equipment and crews into place starting last week, eager to get going with a complex job that will continue for more than four months.

“We’re off to a good start,” Miron project manager Jared Olk said.

By the time work is complete, the middle school at 1050 S. Union St. will be outfitted with a new main entrance, an enlarged cafeteria, new gymnasium locker rooms, an updated kitchen, a new heating system, improved band and orchestra rooms, and more.

After voters gave their approval in the November referendum, district officials executed the $9.25 million bond issue, structuring a debt plan that will cost the owner of a typical $100,000 house an average $51 in property taxes annually throughout the 15-year payback.

School administrators called the renovation long overdue and said it likely would keep the middle school functional for another 25 years or longer.

Easter briefed School Board members on the construction start-up earlier this week.

Crews began by tearing down hallway ceilings to start with overhead installation of the new heating and ventilation system. That will be followed by systematic demolition in other areas where school activities either will be relocated or will continue undisturbed as much as possible.

The building’s old heating-system boilers are scheduled to be shut down and removed starting in mid-April, weather permitting.

The school’s main gymnasium has been closed and converted into a long-term staging area for renovation equipment and supplies.

After the school year ends in early June, the entire building will be declared off-limits and will be transformed into a construction site, with all school employees and normal activities relocated for the summer while construction work kicks into high gear.

“There’s going to be a lot of bodies running around doing lots of stuff,” Easter told the School Board.

At its peak operational level, the construction site probably will have between 30 and 40 workers side by side, Olk said.

The project manager voiced optimism about an Aug. 19 date set as the goal for substantial completion of the project, which means the building will be functional and inhabitable, with some work still ongoing. Getting an early start during the current school year is helpful for meeting that deadline, Olk said.

He added that students and teachers have been understanding and tolerant of the construction crews in the building.

“Everybody’s happy to see the project moving forward,” he said.

Shawano Police Department

April 6

Police logged 29 incidents, including the following:

Juvenile — A juvenile was cited for underage drinking in the 1200 block of East Green bay Street.

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

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 200 block of South Union Street.

Disturbance — An 18-year-old man was cited for disorderly conduct and taken into custody on a warrant after police responded to a disturbance in the 100 block of South Smalley Street.

Theft — Saws were reported stolen in the 1500 block of East Green Bay Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

April 6

Deputies logged 28 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Deputies assisted Shawano police with a disturbance in the 200 block of South Union Street.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint at the North Star Casino, W12180 County Road A, Bowler.

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

Trespass — Authorities responded to a trespassing complaint on River Road in the Bowler.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on Beech Street in Tigerton.

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

Clintonville Police Department

April 6

Police logged 11 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — A 28-year-old Neopit man was taken into custody on a warrant after a domestic disturbance on Wilson Street.

Disturbance — Police responded to a family disturbance on Coleus Court.

Two years after human remains were found in the town of Richmond, and one year after they were finally identified as Heather Szekeres, of Shawano, authorities have yet to refer any charges in the homicide.

Yet that case has been linked, perhaps circumstantially, to the child sex assault conviction of a former Shawano bar operator who was sentenced earlier this week.

Darwin R. Davis, 48, without any solicitation, made the connection himself during his testimony at his sex assault trial in November, maintaining that some of the testimony against him was the result of an affair he had with Szekeres.

Szekeres, 32, was expected to be a witness for the prosecution in the sex assault case before she disappeared in June 2013 after last being seen at the Final Lap Tavern, the bar Davis operated.

The alleged link became more pronounced at Davis’ sentencing Tuesday, when the father of the victim in the sex assault case called Davis the prime suspect in the Szekeres homicide.

“Mr. Davis is the primary person of interest in the murder of Heather Szekeres,” he said.

“Personally, I don’t think it was a coincidence that her remains were found 1½ miles from our home,” he said. “I don’t know if this was supposed to be a covert warning to my daughter to drop the charges, ‘or this might happen to you.’ But obviously it didn’t work if that was the case.”

Shawano County Sheriff Adam Bieber would not comment on the claim, saying only that the case was under investigation and was being handled by the state Department of Criminal Investigations.

The DCI has not divulged any information about the case.

Shawano Police Chief Mark Kohl directed questions to the district attorney’s office, which had no comment.

The Szekeres homicide investigation came up unexpectedly in November during Davis’ cross-examination in the sex assault trial.

Shawano-Menominee County Assistant District Attorney Catharine White asked him why his own daughter, as well as Heather’s husband, Robert Szekeres, and Heather’s mother, Laurie Waddell, all say Davis admitted to them that he was having sex with the girl.

“Rob’s wife had come up missing, and they believe that I had something to do with it,” Davis said.

Davis claimed he had a sexual affair with Heather Szekeres, citing it as another reason for Robert Szekeres’ statements and the testimony against him.

“As for Rob, one of the women I was engaging in sex with was his wife in the basement of the bar,” Davis said.

White noted that Heather Szekeres had given a statement against Davis to authorities investigating the sexual assault case.

That statement was not presented to the court, but White showed Davis the statement signed against him by Robert Szekeres, which was dated in April 2013, two months before Heather disappeared.

She suggested Davis’ rationale for Robert Szekeres’ and Laurie Waddell’s motivations didn’t fit the timeline.

“You’re aware that Heather didn’t disappear until June of 2013, correct?” she said. “You’re aware that you’re the last person who saw her in June of 2013?”

Davis denied being the last person to see Heather Szekeres.

Davis was found guilty after a weeklong jury trial in November of having sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl in the basement of the Final Lap and on multiple occasions at his home in 2012.

He was sentenced Tuesday to more than 20 years in prison on four counts of child sexual assault and an additional 1½ years on two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a child for trying to get his two children, who were 13 and 11 at the time, to lie to authorities about his relationship with the girl.

Davis will also have to serve 10 years of extended supervision after his prison sentence.

Davis was also sentenced on a number of other counts, including felony counts of possession of marijuana and bail jumping, and misdemeanor counts of possessing drug paraphernalia and resisting or obstructing an officer. Those sentences were imposed concurrently with the others.

A farmer who raises crops on property owned by Shawano County will not lose his lease, despite concerns among some county supervisors about how the lease was renewed.

Kraig Rosenow, who pays the county $35,000 a year to lease 284 acres in the town of Belle Plaine, was confronted with possible termination of the lease just weeks after it was renewed Dec. 31 for another five years.

Rosenow’s lease involves property that once housed the old county “poor farm,” located along state Highway 22 in Belle Plaine. The poor farm was dismantled in the 1990s.

Discussion of Rosenow’s lease came up up shortly after he spoke against a proposal by some county officials to sell most of the farm as a way of raising cash for the county and returning the land to private ownership, possibly for redevelopment. By some estimates, the sale could have netted the county more than $500,000.

The public property committee endorsed selling the property.

After hearing opposition from Belle Plaine town leaders and others, the County Board on Feb. 24 voted against pursuing the sale. Just before the vote, Rosenow urged county supervisors to block the sale.

One week later, the committee met to discuss terminating Rosenow’s lease. The timing and sequence of events caused some observers to question whether Rosenow was being targeted unfairly.

Members of the public property committee assured Rosenow on Thursday that they were concerned only with how the lease was approved, and were not reacting to the defeated attempt to sell the land.

The committee also agreed Thursday to honor the farmer’s lease and to give no further consideration to terminating it.

Currently set at $125 an acre, the farmer’s rent payments have been used in recent years to fund maintenance of facilities on the county fairgrounds in Shawano.

Supervisor Sandy Steinke apologized to Rosenow.

“We’re going to let you go home,” Steinke said to Rosenow, who has leased the land from the county for at least 15 years. “It’s your land to use for the next five years.”

Supervisor Jerry Erdmann joined others in assuring Rosenow that he had simply gotten caught in the middle of an internal county disagreement about whether the farm lease was approved without going through proper channels.

“It’s nothing personal,” Erdmann said. “It’s just that our rules were not followed.”

Supervisor Deb Noffke described Rosenow as someone who got caught up needlessly in an internal procedural snafu.

County officials said their only concern with the lease had been the manner in which it was approved, which they said should have involved review by multiple County Board committees before being implemented.

The committee voted Thursday to recommend new procedures under which all such leases will be open to competitive bidding among prospective tenants before a lease is signed.

Rosenow, who previously made an emotional plea to county officials to keep his lease intact, left the committee meeting in smiles. He declined to comment.

Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of five articles profiling winners of the Celebration of Giving awards presented annually by Shawano Area Community Foundation Inc. for outstanding volunteerism. The winners will be honored at a gala April 12.

Heather Jauquet watches her former students advance toward professional careers much the way football coaches take pride seeing their star performers succeed in college or the NFL.

With Jauquet, however, the hot prospects are Shawano County farm kids who have grown into world-class agricultural experts.

As volunteer coach of the Shawano County Dairy Quiz Bowl team, Jauquet has groomed dozens of boys and girls to compete among the nation’s brightest rising stars in agricultural studies.

One former team member, Kaila Wussow, who now is majoring in dairy science at college, says her years of studying under Jauquet for Dairy Quiz Bowl competitions were formative in her subsequent career choices.

“She’s a really, really great role model,” Wussow said. “She taught me to figure out where I want to go in life.”

For her volunteer work with the countywide Dairy Quiz Bowl team and elsewhere, Jauquet is the 2016 recipient of the Bill Mielke Volunteer Educator Award in the Celebration of Giving awards presented by the Shawano Area Community Foundation. The award is sponsored by the Mielke Family Foundation.

Jauquet is donating her $1,000 prize to the Shawano County Junior Holstein Association, another group that holds quiz bowl competitions.

Jauquet, a dairy farmer and mother of three, says that for all the success her Dairy Quiz Bowl teams have achieved, she tries to emphasize for her students that they should enjoy themselves while learning about farming and while practicing for events.

“We focus on making it fun,” she said. “We try to let them be kids.”

It was about eight years ago that a Dairy Quiz Bowl coach asked Jauquet if she wanted to help with the team. Jauquet had three young boys of her own active in 4-H clubs — including one already involved in quiz bowl — so she agreed to lend a hand.

When she realized the volume of information that quiz bowl kids had to master, Jauquet began collecting newspaper and magazine articles and compiling them into a resource binder to help guide the team’s studies. Rather than just memorizing facts, she wanted the students to develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter.

“It was important to me that the kids learn the basic concepts,” she said.

In competitions, kids compete in four-person teams at various levels ranging from rookies aged 7 and up, to seniors aged 15 and older.

Soon, Jauquet inherited the coach’s role and had students gathering on weekends to practice and tackle new topics. Tapping into online resources, too, the team members pushed themselves further and broadened their expertise in dairy products, crops, calf-rearing, agri-business and other diverse subjects.

In 2015, the senior team made a run for national glory, finishing fourth in the nation at championships held in Louisville, Kentucky. That was followed soon after by a second-place finish at another national competition held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

For Wussow and the other team members, it was the culmination of years of work and learning under Jauquet’s guidance.

“That was just a great time,” said Wussow, who nominated her coach for the Celebration of Giving award.

“She wants us to do the best we can,” Wussow said, “and she helps us along the way.”

Jauquet said she enjoys seeing her quiz bowl students become immersed in topics that interest them, and then develop a competitive spirit about outperforming other students. She also takes pride in knowing that some former students have gone on to professional careers in agriculture.

With her own sons now aged 16, 14 and 12, Jauquet continues coaching the Dairy Quiz Bowl group, with hopes for future success and happy memories of past teams.

“There have been a lot of really fun moments,” she said.

Just three years into operations, Pigeon River Brewing has outgrown its 4,000 square-foot facility on U.S. Highway 45 in Marion.

Demand has grown for the brewery’s beer and soda, which are served at an on-site brewpub as well as being distributed to bars and restaurants throughout northeastern Wisconsin.

“The addition of the bottling line was the last straw to the facility’s already tight operations,” owner Nathan Knaack said. “We just can’t efficiently keep growing production in our current location. We need to be able to use a forklift in the brewery to move pallets of bottles and kegs to coolers and then to our distributor’s trucks.”

With promises to stay local, the brewery plans to move operations across Highway 45 to Northwinds Banquet Hall, 1103 N. Main St.

“We had been approached by other cities who offered financial assistance to move operations there, but Marion is our home,” Knaack said. “It’s where we started brewing, grew with the support of the community, and it’s where we intend to stay and raise our family.

“When we started realizing the many restraints we had, Northwinds was the first place that came to mind because of the continued support the community has provided with that facility.”

Construction began early this year to convert the small side of the banquet hall to a brewpub complete with brewery, bar and dining area.

“We are very excited to be working together with an up-and-coming heavy hitter in the craft brewing industry,” Northwinds owner Dave Joerres said.

Joerres and Knaack share similar experiences and views. Both come from small towns and own small businesses.

“When talking business together, Nate had expressed the restrictions with his current facility and the growing need of the brewery,” Joerres said. “The situation presented an opportunity for both Northwinds and Pigeon River to join together, remain local, and offer a unique atmosphere and experience for people to gather.”

The new facility is designed to retain the rustic/industrial décor as the existing brewpub. There will be booths for comfortable private dining and possibly an outdoor beer garden.

The benefits of the expansion go beyond the brewery.

“We’re very constrained in our current location as far as parking space and the capacity of the kitchen,” Knaack said. “The kitchen at Northwinds is enormous. It’ll allow us to get food out much faster.”

The brewpub specializes in burgers, homemade pizzas and daily specials, and hopes to expand the menu in the future.

According to the Wisconsin Brewer’s Guild, there are more than 50 small breweries and brewpubs in the state employing more than 1,000 people, and those numbers continue to grow as start-ups come online and existing breweries expand. The Knaacks have been actively involved with the Wisconsin Brewer’s Guild’s efforts to foster a positive brewing environment in Wisconsin.

“Breweries have a lot to offer to their communities in the way of jobs and tourism if communities just take up the opportunity to embrace them,” Knaack said.

Knaack said he hopes to foster relations between Pigeon River and other businesses in the Marion area.

“We’ve done a lot of work with Dupont Cheese, which sells and markets a Scottish Ale beer cheese with our beer and jointly shares a billboard with us,” he said.

Knaack also sees Pigeon River’s presence at the Shawano County Fair as a step in the right direction and hopes to have Pigeon River featured at more community events in the future.

“We are very grateful to all of our patrons who have embraced our business and craft beer,” Knaack said. “We will continue to focus on quality beer, hand-crafted food and friendly customer service.”

Knaack and Joerres see the move as a mutually beneficial way to increase visibility for both the brewery and the banquet hall.

Northwinds is a 15-year-old full-service banquet facility offering weddings, parties, holiday buffets and catering. The brewery addition will not change any of its services or offerings.

“We will provide the same quality of service and experience at Northwinds during the expansion and afterwards,” Joerres said. “2016 looks to be a very solid year with weddings, sportsman banquets and business meeting conferences, which will only enhance the transition of Pigeon River and experience for our customers.”

A 29-year-old man has been indicted in federal court for allegedly stabbing another man last month at a Keshena tavern.

According to an affidavit by FBI Agent Sarah Deamron, Robert D. Clay was recorded on a video surveillance camera outside the War Bonnet Tavern pulling a knife after arguing with two men March 12.

A third man approached Clay in an attempt to defuse the confrontation, then circled behind him and grabbed his arm to get the knife. Clay swung the knife, striking the man in the shoulder.

The man was transported to and treated at ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano.

The man told a Menominee Tribal Police officer that he was stabbed trying to prevent a fight.

When a MTP detective and a FBI agent interviewed Clay on March 13, he initially denied having a knife, according to the affidavit. He admitted to having several beers before the incident.

Clay later said he might have pulled a knife and swung at several men on the porch as someone might have gotten too close to him. Clay said his memory becomes faulty when he gets angry.

Clay was taken into custody on March 22 and indicted Tuesday for assault with a weapon with intent to do bodily harm.

His arraignment is set for Monday before Magistrate James Sickle.

If convicted, Clay faces maximum statutory penalties of 20 years in prison.

Court records do not list an address for Clay.

Shawano Police Department

April 7

Police logged 32 incidents, including the following:

Arrest — A 52-year-old man was taken into custody at the probation and parole offices, 1340 E. Green Bay St.

Theft — Medication was reported stolen from Evergreen Care Center, 1250 S. Evergreen St.

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

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

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

Drug Offense — Police investigated a drug complaint at Sawyer and Division streets.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

April 7

Deputies logged 30 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Derby Lane in the town of Washington.

Shoplifting — Hanke’s Sentry Foods, 110 S. Mission St. in Wittenberg, reported a shoplifting incident.

Accidents — A 32-year-old Marion man was arrested for operating while intoxicated after an accident on County Road SS in the town of Fairbanks. Authorities also responded to a property damage accident on state Highway 29 in the town of Belle Plaine that caused road blockage for about an hour.

Clintonville Police Department

April 7

Police logged six incidents, including the following:

Truancy — Contributing to truancy reported was reported on South Clinton Avenue.

Disorderly — Disorderly conduct was reported at Clintonville Middle School, 255 N. Main St.

Fraud — A counterfeit bill was received on 10th Street.

Harassment — A harassment incident was reported on Robert Street.