Amish ingenuity and hard work have brought a new shopping experience to Shawano County for consumers who are looking for something a little different.

Da Ess Sach Blatz, which translates as “The Food Place,” offers shoppers near Bonduel deep discounts on a wide variety of merchandise that is slightly imperfect.

Known as a bent-and-dent store, the retail outlet at W4519 Porter Road features groceries and other products that have minor packaging damage or are near the end of their shelf life.

For consumers who appreciate a good bargain, Da Ess Sach Blatz is a welcome option for filling their shopping carts without emptying their wallets.

“They’ve got a lot of everything,” said Sue Wright, of Shawano, who visited the store Thursday with her husband, Tim.

The store, which opened Sept. 2, is owned and operated by two Amish couples, Eli and Martha Mullet and Floyd and Elvesta Schmucker, both of whom have farms not far away. Martha and Elvesta are sisters.

Martha Mullet said the two couples both wanted to supplement their household incomes, and both liked the idea of creating a place where their older children could work close to home. The two families work side by side to keep the store clean and organized, stock the shelves and greet customers.

The idea for Da Ess Sach Blatz hatched when a similar retail outlet operated by another local Amish family closed about two years ago.

“We had this in our minds,” Mullet said. “A lot of their customers were waiting for us to do this.”

Using a section of the Schmucker farm with frontage along Porter Road in the town of Hartland, the two families spent more than a year developing their plans and erecting the new building.

Da Ess Sach Blatz joins several other Amish businesses in the Bonduel area, which is home to more than 300 people living the traditional, religious Amish lifestyle.

Ken Natzke, who takes visitors on Amish tours in the area, said the Amish farms, shops and other businesses are popular spots because shoppers appreciate the friendly atmosphere and good customer service. Amish merchants are astute and organized, Natzke said.

“They’re very good business people,” he said.

For tips on getting started, the operators of Da Ess Sach Blatz reached out to friends who run a bent-and-dent store in Kentucky. They also connected with distributors who are able to keep the store supplied with inventories of groceries, housewares, toiletries, office supplies and more.

The store delights customers with such bargains as cat food for 25 cents a can, breakfast cereal for $1.50 a box, laundry detergent for $3.75 a bottle and disposable cameras for $4.50 each.

Carl and Phyllis Schucknecht traveled about 20 miles from Sugar Bush to check out the new place.

Carl Schucknecht said the couple appreciates Amish-owned businesses because, he said, Amish people generally seem honest and dedicated to quality service. The couple filled up their shopping cart at Da Ess Sach Blatz with groceries and then some.

“They have a great selection,” Carl said. “It’s a good buy, and it’s something you wouldn’t have thought about buying.”

Mullet said she and her partners have high hopes for establishing a place that will serve thrifty Shawano County shoppers for many years to come.

Based on the strong response so far, she said, the formula of deep discounts on quality merchandise seems to have found an enthusiastic audience.

“It’s amazing,” she said. “People are just getting a fit about our prices. So I guess it’s OK.”

The city of Shawano plans to work with surrounding townships on a border plan that could influence what kind of future development takes place around the city’s edges.

The Shawano Common Council on Wednesday approved a resolution authorizing city staff and the mayor to begin negotiations on a cooperative plan aimed at “guiding and accomplishing a coordinated, adjusted and harmonious development of the territory covered by the plan.”

The plan is also intended to follow the future development goals already established in each municipality’s comprehensive plan.

Townships involved are Wescott, Waukechon, Belle Plaine and Richmond.

City Administrator Brian Knapp said discussions arose among city officials, particularly on the industrial and commercial development committee, about future growth in the corridor between County Road B and state Highway 29.

“It seemed that was the area most likely to fire off in terms of development in the future,” he said. “How do we control that?”

Officials were concerned about the impacts of that area becoming home to big box and large retail stores, Knapp said.

“How would the impacts of that type of development in that area affect our downtown and East Green Bay Street businesses?” he said.

“We realize we don’t have any authority or any control over that area,” Knapp said, “so we felt it was necessary to start discussions with our neighbors to talk about how to control what we believe will be the eventual development of that area.”

Knapp said informal discussions have been going on for nearly a year, as the city sought to overcome some initial skepticism.

“There was a concern that the city was making a land grab; that we were only interested in this as far as expanding our footprint as large as possible,” Knapp said. “But hopefully I think we’ve got a relationship now that’s fairly trusting.”

Knapp said the intent is to come up with a plan beneficial to all parties.

“It’s an attempt to look at the concerns of the city, city residents and city business interests and how we integrate our interests with those of the adjoining townships,” he said.

“Obviously, the townships want to retain as much of a footprint as they can and they want tax base growth in their communities as well,” Knapp said. “There are going to be gives-and-takes.”

The next step will be to move to formal discussions and begin “putting pen to paper” to draft a plan, which will eventually be reviewed by the Shawano Plan Commission and City Council, as well as by the townships.

The Shawano County Planning Department will facilitate those meetings, which will be noticed and open to the public.

Knapp said city staff would also be returning to the plan commission and council for guidance as those talks continue.

Shawano Police Department

Sept. 8

Police logged 40 incidents, including the following:

Accident — Police responded to a property damage accident in the 100 block of South Main Street.

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint in the 100 block of North Lafayette Street.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem in the 900 block of South Lincoln Street.

OWI — A 31-year-old Shawano woman was arrested for operating while intoxicated and possession of paraphernalia after a traffic stop at Lincoln and Schurz streets.

Disturbance — Police responded to a verbal dispute in the 400 block of South Weed Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Sept. 8

Deputies logged 29 incidents, including the following:

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

Drug Offense — Authorities investigated a drug complaint at the Ho-Chunk Casino, N7198 Highway 45 in the town of Wittenberg.

Theft — Authorities responded to a property theft complaint on state Highway 160 in the town of Angelica.

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

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

Clintonville Police Department

Sept. 8

Police logged 11 incidents, including the following:

Theft — A theft was reported in W.A. Olen Park.

Accident — Police responded to a two-vehicle property damage accident at Madison and Auto streets.

Disorderly — Disorderly conduct was reported at 12th and Anne streets.

The city is looking to purchase a recycling property near downtown Shawano in an exchange that would allow the business to move into the industrial park, but the business owner said Friday he hasn’t yet made up his mind on the offer.

Rich Belongia, owner of R&R Recycling, 123 E. Elizabeth St., said he was still considering the offer and would be discussing it with an attorney. He said he expected to have an answer by the middle of next week.

Belongia, who unsuccessfully ran for Shawano mayor during the primary race earlier this year, has been at odds with the city for several years over fencing issues at the property.

City codes require recyclable materials to be kept out of sight, either stored in a building or fenced off from public view.

City officials say that was one of the conditions imposed when Belongia was granted a conditional use permit.

Belongia said he was given contradictory information regarding fencing requirements that changed after Building Inspector Brian Bunke took over the job from former inspector Mike Miller.

City Administrator Brian Knapp said nothing changed between the two administrations. He said the rule was always that recyclables needed to be kept out of sight, and if they couldn’t be stored in the building, a fence was required.

Knapp said Belongia’s conditional use permit was granted two or three years ago when the property was in a general industrial zoning district.

The city has since updated its zoning code and the property is now in what is intended to be a “redevelopment district,” Knapp said.

He said a use for the property could be found that is “more appropriate for the downtown area.”

Knapp said the city’s Industrial and Commercial Development Committee felt that it would be “good to remove that activity from that area.”

One possibility being considered is additional parking for Memorial Park.

The city is offering to purchase the property for $40,000 — a “relocation incentive” that would be funded through the city’s Tax Incremental Finance district, Knapp said.

In exchange, R&R Recycling would be given a parcel of up to three acres in the industrial park at no cost, and would put up a facility that would constitute roughly $500,000 in improvements to the site.

Belongia said that one of the issues to be considered is that the recycling operation would be out of business for at least six months while the new facility was being built.

Traffic along the southern shore of Shawano Lake would be slowed considerably under a proposal endorsed by local officials to improve safety on state Highway 22 between Shawano and Cecil.

Officials in the towns of Washington and Wescott are supporting a push by residents to reduce the speed limit from 55 miles per hour to 45 mph, and perhaps down to 35 mph in some areas.

The plan also calls for establishing no-passing zones to eliminate safety hazards that have made some residents fearful of pulling out of their own driveways.

“It’s a nightmare,” resident Carol Pampel said. “The traffic is getting worse all the time. It’s just insane.”

With a petition signed this summer by about 100 property owners along Highway 22, supporters of the traffic crackdown have taken their plea to both the Washington and Wescott town boards.

In both cases, town board members voted to support seeking improved safety measures from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, which has jurisdiction over state highways.

Tony Kemnitz, traffic safety engineer for the state, said he encouraged concerned residents to seek backing from their local elected leaders. If the town governments want the state to take action, Kemnitz said, the state will conduct a study of the situation.

“We’ll move forward,” he said.

Kemnitz said the study would take into account traffic speeds, crash history, land uses and other factors on the two-lane highway between Shawano and Cecil. Reducing a speed limit as much as 20 mph — from 55 mph to 35 mph — is atypical, but possibly not unprecedented, he said.

“It’s fairly uncommon,” he said. “Not to say that it hasn’t happened.”

Residents leading the push for traffic safety improvements also hope for support from Shawano County officials.

Among the problems they cite because of traffic moving 55 mph along Highway 22 are difficulty for motorists to turn safely onto the highway or off the highway, as well as hazards for pedestrians crossing the road to reach mailboxes, and gravel and other debris flying up from the road.

With vehicles allowed to pass on several portions of the two-lane road, some residents also have experienced near collisions as they have tried to pull into traffic, not knowing there was no safe lane to enter.

“I think it’s quite dangerous,” said Kris Moderson, another resident active in the petition drive.

The Washington Town Board endorsed the group’s proposal last month, and the Wescott Town Board added its support earlier this week.

Residents say they have been concerned about Highway 22 traffic for years, but the problem has gotten worse lately. What was once a quiet country road, they say, has become a busy thoroughfare where accidents have occurred already — and more could follow.

“It’s only a matter of time,” resident Jill Cone said. “And I hope it’s not me or someone I know.”

Shawano police officers have a new contract, nine months after the last one expired, after differences were resolved over plans for 12-hour work shifts.

Patrol officers will go to 12-hour shifts under the new contract, something the city thought had been agreed to back in January, according to City Administrator Brian Knapp.

Concerns arose about how those shifts would be scheduled, and whether the contract was specifying officer hours or they would be left to the discretion of the police chief.

“There was some language that became unacceptable,” Knapp said, ”so we revisited the letter of agreement.”

Knapp said subsequent negotiations produced a “fair exchange,” in which both the city and the Shawano Professional Police Association moved on some of their demands.

“They have a few more protections than were in our original language and we have a little more flexibility,” Knapp said.

Union officers have been working under the terms of the expired contract since the beginning of the year.

Under the existing schedule, officers work 7 1/2-hour shifts for six days in a row before getting three days off. As a result, they end up getting a weekend off only once every five or six weeks.

Under the 12-hour shifts, officers would work two days in a row, followed by two days off, then three days on and two days off, followed by two days on and three days off.

The department’s three police lieutenants went to that schedule in May in spite of the uncertainty over the union schedule.

At a January meeting, when the original agreement with the police union was proposed, Knapp told the Common Council that the current work schedule was a problem for many of the officers.

“It has been a source of frustration and concern by many of the department staff,” he said. “For many of our younger and newer employees, the current schedule interferes with family life considerably.”

Under the 12-hour schedule, “they’ll never work more than three days in a row and have every other weekend off,” Knapp said.

Officers will get a 2 percent pay increase retroactive to the start of the year under the new contract, which expires in January 2018.

The Common Council approved the new contract Wednesday.

Shawano Police Department

Sept. 13

Police logged 29 incidents, including the following:

Accident — Police responded to a two-vehicle property damage accident in the 100 block of South Main Street.

Accident — Police responded to a two-vehicle property damage accident at Lieg Avenue and Main Street.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem at Hillcrest Primary School, 1410 Waukechon St.

Arrest — A 27-year-old woman was taken into custody at the probation and parole offices, 1340 E. Green Bay St.

Hit and Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run in the parking lot of the Department of Motor Vehicles, 1340 E. Green Bay St.

Shoplifting — Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St., reported two female shoplifters in custody.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Sept. 13

Deputies logged 53 incidents, including the following:

Theft — A toolbox was reported stolen from a garage on Poplar Road in the town of Richmond.

Auto Theft — A vehicle was reported stolen on Vinal Street in Wittenberg.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Shepley Road in the town of Wittenberg.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Cedar Lane in the town of Herman.

Disorderly — A 57-year-old Shawano man was arrested for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and bail jumping after authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on Chic-a-Watha Circle in the town of Wescott.

Burglary — A burglary was reported on Old Shawano Road in the town of Pella.

Burglary — A burglary was reported on Lake Drive in the town of Washington.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on First Street in Eland.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Willow Road in the town of Wittenberg.

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

Clintonville Police Department

Sept. 13

Police logged 14 incidents, including the following:

Theft — A theft was reported on Ruth Street.

Accident — Police responded to a two-vehicle property damage accident at West and Waupaca streets.

Burglary — A burglary was reported on McKinley Avenue.

By this time next year, city officials expect they will have put an end to the safety hazard of uncontrolled intersections in Shawano.

The Department of Public Works will purchase and install 132 yield and stop signs over the course of the next 12 months at a cost of $9,240.

Public Works Coordinator Eddie Sheppard said concerns have been raised not just by residents, but also by the Police Department about the potential traffic dangers of uncontrolled intersections.

Police were unable to provide statistics for accidents that have occurred at those intersections, but Sheppard said police have told the DPW and city’s field committee that there have been “some close calls.”

Sheppard said most motorists driving through an intersection will assume that if their direction of travel isn’t controlled, cross-traffic at the intersection probably is.

“So everybody assumes they have the right-of-way,” Sheppard said.

Sheppard said the DPW budgets for sign purchases each year and will start phasing in the purchases with this year’s budget and will see what’s still needed as the 2017 budget is drafted.

The plan is to begin sign installations in the northwest corner of the city and move to the south over the course of the next 12 months.

Traffic volume will determine whether stop signs or just yield signs are needed.

The plan calls for signs to be installed in at least two directions at four-way intersections, either north-south or east-west, and at least one sign at three-way uncontrolled intersections.

Sheppard said most of Shawano’s uncontrolled intersections are located in the older part of the city, north of Lieg Avenue and south of Green Bay Street, and west of Main Street to the river.

The DPW had to overcome one roadblock in moving forward with its plan — a city ordinance on the books that would have required the Common Council to approve control sign changes at each and every one of the intersections.

The council resolved that issue last week, approving an ordinance change that allowed those decisions to be made at the discretion of the DPW and police chief.

Members of Boy Scout Troop 24 in Bonduel are well known around town for performing community service projects and lending a hand at special events.

But what the Scouts did this summer when a bad traffic crash occurred in Bonduel was so extraordinary that it surprised even those who have seen the boys in action before.

On Wednesday, village leaders recognized members of Troop 24 with a public ceremony and a special citizenship award for the entire troop.

“We’re very proud of you,” Village President Sharon Wussow told the Scouts assembled inside the Village Hall.

The boys, ranging in age from 10 to 15, were honored for their assistance when a serious traffic incident involving a group of out-of-town Boy Scouts occurred shortly before 10 a.m. July 23 on the south edge of Bonduel, .

Two vehicles carrying Scouts home to the Racine area — after a camping trip up north — collided and landed in a ditch near Cecil Street and state Highway 29. Five children and three adults were hospitalized, and many other passengers were traumatized.

All of the injured parties survived the crash.

While police and paramedics cared for the wounded victims and investigated the incident, Troop 24 members showed up unannounced to offer help. They gathered scouting gear lost at the scene, and they comforted the visiting Scouts.

At the nearby Kwik Trip convenience store where crash victims had found refuge, Troop 24 members waited with the young visitors until family members arrived.

“They were comforting and compassionate,” Bonduel Police Chief Todd Chaney said during Wednesday’s ceremony. “They pitched in without question.”

Chaney read aloud the citizenship award, which was presented to Troop 24 on behalf of the Village Board and the village’s police, fire and emergency medical services.

Speaking before about 30 parents, community leaders and others, Chaney said the assistance rendered by the Scouts helped investigators to expedite their work, and also helped instill a sense of calm among the crash victims.

“They went way above,” he said of the Scouts.

Troop 24 senior patrol leader Jake Lecheler accepted the framed award certificate from Chaney, drawing a round of applause from all those in attendance.

Outside the Village Hall later, Lecheler, 14, said that although he was grateful for the recognition, he said the opportunity for he and his fellow Scouts to have been of service was its own reward.

“It’s more about what we did that truly matters,” he said. “I just feel good about what we did.”

The troop includes 14 boys in fifth grade through 10th grade.

Troop Scoutmaster Michelle Tubutis said she has grown accustomed to seeing her Scouts step forward and roll up their sleeves when it comes time to fix up a public park or prepare the village for a special event. When she heard how they responded to the traffic accident, she knew they had fully absorbed the meaning of community service.

“I am so proud of every one of them,” she said.

The group involved in the traffic incident, Troop 225 in the Racine area, has previously extended thanks back to the local Scouts and others who helped after the traffic accident.

Nobody from Troop 225 attended Wednesday’s event, although representative Katie Clark said in an interview that she was glad to hear the Bonduel boys were being honored for their assistance.

“Scouts are quite amazing people,” she said. “They go, and they pitch in, and they lend a hand.”

Shawano Police Department

Sept. 14

Police logged 29 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious person complaint at Shawano Community High School, 220 County Road B.

Harassment — Police responded to two harassment complaints at Shawano Community High School, 220 County Road B.

Disorderly — Police responded to a lewd and lascivious behavior complaint on Alpine Court.

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint in the 800 block of South Kadletz Street.

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint in the 400 block of Humphrey Circle.

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

Hit and Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run in the 700 block of East Fifth Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Sept. 14

Deputies logged 35 incidents, including the following:

Burglary — Authorities responded for a burglary alarm on First Street in Aniwa.

Disturbance — A 20-year-old Birnamwood man was arrested on four counts of disorderly conduct after a disturbance on Tamarack Road in the town of Aniwa.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on Woods Road in the town of Wescott.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a domestic disturbance on Northwestern Avenue in the town of Angelica.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Ho Chunk Road in the town of Wittenberg.

Hit and Run — Authorities responded to a property damage hit-and-run on Cecil Street in Bonduel.

Accidents — Authorities logged three deer-related crashes.

Clintonville Police Department

Sept. 14

Police logged eight incidents, including the following:

Theft — A theft of a purse was reported.

Disorderly — A citation for disorderly conduct was issued at Ninth Street and Clinton Avenue.

A report released this week by the state Department of Transportation puts Shawano County in the top tier of the number of motorists in the state who buckle up before driving, but local authorities feel there’s still some ways to go before seat belt use is where it should be.

According to the DOT, seat belt use in Wisconsin reached an all-time high of more than 88 percent this year, compared to 85.8 percent last year.

Wisconsin’s safety belt use rate still lags behind neighboring states, whose rates exceed 90 percent, the DOT said.

The national average for safety belt use is approximately 89 percent, according to the DOT.

Although safety belt use in Wisconsin has increased, approximately half of the drivers and passengers killed in state traffic crashes last year were not wearing a safety belt, the DOT said.

In 2015, there were nearly 55,000 convictions in Wisconsin for failure to fasten a safety belt.

The DOT survey included Shawano County among 20 counties in the state in the highest stratum of seat belt use, at 88.9 percent.

Shawano Country Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy George Lenzner said those results were probably the result of the department’s active enforcement of seat belt laws.

Even so, the high numbers surprised him.

“It’s amazing we came out that high,” he said.

Lenzner said seat belt use is generally good on major highways in the county, including state highways 29, 47 and 22.

But on local roads, say in the areas of the villages of Wittenberg and Cecil, Lenzner said, “it’s not as good.”

Lenzner said there’s still a feeling among some motorists that they don’t need to buckle up if they’re not traveling on a major highway.

“People have a misconception that they don’t need to use a seat belt if they’re not driving at highway speeds,” Lenzner said.

But even at speeds of 25 mph, serious injuries can occur, he said.

“We still see a lot of people losing their lives,” Lenzner said.

The sheriff’s department has also issued a number of citations for operating a vehicle without a seat belt that would seem to conflict with the state’s statistics.

Lenzner said the department issued 739 citations for failure to use seat belts through July, a significant increase over the 470 citations issued during the same period last year.

“With that many, there’s a lot of room for improvement,” Lenzner said. “I’d like to see those numbers go down.”

Lenzner said the county has secured a state grant that will help funds efforts next summer to work with Shawano police on stepped-up seat belt enforcement.

Some of the other findings of the DOT study included the following results:

— Occupants of sports utility vehicles were the most likely to buckle-up. Their safety belt use rate was 93.7 percent.

— Occupants of pickup and commercial trucks were the least likely to buckle up. The pickup occupants’ use rate was 81.5 percent, and commercial truck occupants’ use rate was slightly less than 80 percent.

— Females were more likely to buckle up than males. The female occupants’ use rate was 93.1 percent while the males’ use rate was 84.4 percent. However, this gender difference of 8.7 percent is lower than in past surveys, which had a difference of 10 percent or more.

If the internet is an information superhighway, as it was once known, Angie Schultz and her neighbors want to know why their computers move like jalopies rather than race cars.

Schultz and other residents in the rural Shawano County town of Richmond say their internet service is so sluggish that their home computers often are barely functional.

But rather than just shout at their electronic devices in frustration, Richmond residents are organizing and joining together to fight for better service.

A town hall meeting has been scheduled for Oct. 12 to deliver a message to Frontier Communications that folks in this rural community are tired of watching the Information Age pass them by.

“You just don’t have a decent connection,” said Schultz, who is organizing and promoting the town hall meeting.

Another resident, Donna Thomas, said she frequently must drive into the city of Shawano with her computer, because the internet service at her home is so limited and unreliable.

“It’s just maddening,” Thomas said. “There’s so much that we can’t do.”

Poor internet service in rural areas is hardly unique to Shawano County.

The federal government has announced plans to invest $10 billion nationally over the next few years to help telecommunications companies upgrade their services by wiring rural communities with the same sort of high-speed capability already enjoyed by residents in urbanized settings.

For its part, the state of Wisconsin is contributing $1.5 million annually under a similar program that started in 2013.

Frontier Communications, which expects to receive $186 million in the federal funds, is a provider of internet service throughout Shawano County and many other areas statewide.

Regional manager John Van Ooyen said the company has made many improvements in rural communities, and is working hard to reach other areas. He cautioned, however, that the federal government’s $10 billion comes with specific spending guidelines that might make some sections of Richmond ineligible for upgrades.

Van Ooyen, who plans to attend the Oct. 12 town hall meeting, said he frequently meets rural customers in similar settings. Not every such meeting has a happy ending for customers.

“Sometimes the answers they get are not to their best liking,” he said. “But they’re honest answers.”

For residents and others in the town of Richmond, the inferior quality of their internet service is an issue that goes far deeper than just convenience.

Town Clerk Rick Stadelman said he fears that a sluggish connection to websites and other online resources is slowing down local businesses — including farmers — and also making it difficult for school children to complete online homework assignments.

Stadelman said the problem seems to have grown worse in recent years, as the town’s population has increased to nearly 1,900 people. Not only that, but more residents have invested in computers in the hope of taking advantage of email, social media and other popular services.

As a result, the infrastructure that Frontier Communications has in place locally has grown overloaded to the point where customers faced frequent disruptions and agonizing delays. Residents who previously thought either their computers were substandard or that they lacked internet skills, Stadelman said, have come to realize that their service provider is the one responsible for leaving them isolated from a virtual world of online capabilities.

“They thought it was their technology,” he added. “Now they’re finding out that it’s everybody’s.”

At the town hall meeting next month, organizers are hoping for a strong showing among local residents and business owners to show Frontier Communications that the town of Richmond is badly in need of an upgrade.

Schultz, who moved here from Green Bay eight years ago, said she noticed the poor internet service right away — and has watched it grow worse over time. She tried investing in a better computer and software upgrades, but nothing seemed to improve her internet access.

When she began asking neighbors and others in the community just west of Shawano, Schultz realized that the problem was widespread.

“I heard the same story over and over and over,” she said.

Stadelman said only a small section of town situated close to the city of Shawano gets high-speed internet. That includes the town hall, where Stadelman works.

But when he goes home, the town clerk struggles just like everyone else, including when he tries to communicate online with a daughter currently working in Africa. The daughter’s internet connection seems fine; his fails repeatedly.

“It’s frustrating,” he said. “It’s a quality-of-life thing.”

Thomas, who has lived in the town for 16 years, said she uses her internet service for online shopping, email and social media. When it comes time to download photos or something more intensive, she usually ends up driving to Shawano to find a coffee shop or someplace else with better service.

Expressing frustration, Thomas said she does not even try to go online at home at certain times. When school kids get home from school or when they wake up Saturday morning, she knows they will be jumping on their computers in great numbers — slowing down the service even more for everyone.

“It’s bad all the time,” she said. “But at times, it’s very, very bad.”

Shawano Police Department

Sept. 15

Police logged 32 incidents, including the following:

Fraud — Police investigated a fraud complaint at CoVantage Credit Union, 911 E. Green Bay St.

Shoplifting — Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St., reported two shoplifting incidents.

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

Hit-and-Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run in the 600 block of South Union Street.

Accidents — Police responded to minor two-vehicle accidents at County Road B and Evergreen Street, and at Green Bay and Andrews streets.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Sept. 15

Deputies logged 36 incidents, including the following:

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

Disorderly — Authorities responded to a disorderly conduct complaint on Grand Avenue in Wittenberg.

Warrant — A 36-year-old man was taken into custody on a warrant on state Highway 29 in the town of Waukechon.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Spruce Road in the town of Wittenberg.

Warrant — A 22-year-old woman was arrested on a warrant and a charge of obstructing an officer on Big Lake Road in the town of Red Springs.

Trespass — Authorities responded to a trespassing complaint on Robin Road in the town of Wittenberg.

Theft — Authorities investigated a property theft complaint on Birch Street in Bowler.

Clintonville Police Department

Sept. 15

Police logged six incidents, including the following:

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

Warrant — A 25-year-old Clintonville man was taken into custody on a Marathon County warrant in Pickerel Point.

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

New rates for city of Shawano sewer service will likely go into effect as of Sept. 30, after a public hearing on the matter Friday failed to turn up any opposition.

No one from the public turned up for a telephonic hearing with officials from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, which is evaluating the Shawano Sewer and Water Utility’s request for an increase in sewer rates.

The brief hearing consisted mostly of city utility officials making their case.

According to city officials, the increase is necessary due to a 54 percent increase in utility infrastructure expenses and a 20 percent increase in operating expenses since the last full sewer rate case was completed in 2008.

The city has requested an overall increase in annual revenue of $219,140, or an increase of 12 percent over present revenue, though that percentage will vary depending on the type of customer.

According to City Administrator Brian Knapp, the current average sewer charge, based on the city average of 500 cubic feet of water used per month, is $30.37.

A 12 percent increase, if approved by the PSC, will raise the monthly sewer charge by $3.64 to $34.01.

However, Knapp noted, that will vary depending on classes of customers, which are broken into residential, commercial and industrial.

The PSC will determine the ultimate rates individual classes of customers pay.

The rates will go up at the end of the month, pending final approval from the PSC.

Susan Longmire, principal of St. James Lutheran School in Shawano, will be going to Washington, D.C., next month to receive an honor she says might better be reserved for the people who work with her.

“It’s always your staff,” she said.

That includes not only the teachers, she said, but everyone else who “works to make this an excellent school.”

Longmire was recently selected as the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod’s 2016 National Distinguished Principal.

“It’s an honor to be able to represent other principals,” she said. “I’m just one of many who deserved this honor.”

The National Association of Elementary School Principals established the program in 1984 to recognize and celebrate elementary and middle-level principals who set high standards for instruction, student achievement, character, and climate for the students, families, and staffs in their learning communities.

Longmire will have an opportunity during her Washington visit to meet with other top principals from around the country to discuss best practices, and she will have a chance to share with them the efforts undertaken at St. James.

“It’s a great way to collaborate,” she said.

Longmire will travel to Washington for two days of activities planned to honor and bring well-deserved recognition to the elementary and middle-level educators chosen by the states, the District of Columbia and private and overseas schools.

Criteria for selection of the principals require that the honorees are active principals of schools where programs are designed to meet the academic and social needs of all students and where there are firmly established community ties with parents and local business organizations.

With an emphasis on integrated technology, Longmire has collaborated on a parochial partnership with Sacred Heart Catholic School for a grant resulting in $150,000 to improve technology and fund professional development.

Longmire said that collaborative effort was probably one of the reasons she was nominated for the honor.

“It’s something you don’t see very often,” she said.

As a result of that collaboration, St. James classrooms are now equipped with smart boards, document cameras, projectors, Chromebooks and Nexus tablets, all maximized by a more robust wireless network.

Longmire teaches a section of eighth-grade math utilizing this technology to model 21st century teaching and learning.

Longmire was nominated for the award by the North Wisconsin District of the Missouri Synod and selected by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod through a national search process conducted by Terry Schmidt, director of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod School Ministry.

A graduate of Concordia University Chicago, Longmire previously taught at St. John’s Lutheran School in Ellisville, Missouri, and St. James. She has served as principal of St. James since 2006.

“At the helm of every successful school is a successful principal,” said Gail Connelly, NAESP’s executive director. “Our National Distinguished Principals program provides us with an opportunity to recognize the outstanding leadership of these principals and their commitment to creating successful learning communities. Because of them, students thrive academically, teachers grow professionally, and communities are strengthened.”

After three years of Longmire’s dedicated efforts, St. James was selected to participate in the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program.

The program provides funds to help the school become increasingly self-sufficient, allowing for the establishment of the St. James Endowment Fund, Adopt-a-Student Program and Education Fund to support families in need of financial assistance.

Longmire was named a Wisconsin Council of Religious & Independent Schools Principal of Distinction in 2007 and received the Herb Kohl Excellence in Leadership Award and a nomination to serve on the LCMS board of directors in 2016. She holds an associate degree from St. Paul’s College, a Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia University, Chicago, and a Master in Education degree from Concordia University, Nebraska.

Longmire and her husband, Ken, live in Shawano, and have five children: Erin Longmire, 36, Ben Vogel, 35, Drew Longmire, 34, Elizabeth Forney, 29, and Katherine Vogel, 25.

Administrative oversight in the Shawano School District would be reduced at the high school and boosted at the elementary school level under a consultant’s recommendations for organizational changes in the district.

The consulting firm found that inadequate staffing at Hillcrest Primary School and Olga Brener Intermediate School was forcing administrators to spend most of their time dealing with student behavior and disciplinary issues rather than providing leadership and guidance.

Hiring an assistant principal at each elementary school is among the options presented by the consulting firm Springsted Inc., which was paid more than $20,000 for its analysis.

Shawano School Board members, who are scheduled to consider the findings Monday, were complimentary of the consultant’s work following an Aug. 29 closed-door briefing on the study.

“It’s a good study and a good starting point,” board member Diane Hoffman said.

Board member Derek Johnson agreed that the study provided a thoughtful analysis, saying: “They were very thorough. It was definitely good information.”

Among other findings and recommendations in the consultant’s 76-page report:

- Most administrators in the district feel underpaid and receive salaries below what their counterparts get in comparable school districts.

- Many administrators and support staff are confused about their job duties, in some cases citing an uncertainty about “who does what.”

- The district’s administrative staff is too spread out and should be centralized, along with certain functions that include student registration.

-Bills within the school district are not paid in a timely manner, making it difficult for administrators to monitor their budgets.

School Superintendent Gary Cumberland declined to comment on the study.

The school board voted April 4 to hire Springsted Inc. to conduct a comprehensive examination of the district’s administrative structure, with an eye on assessing the effectiveness of the district’s management as a follow-up to previous organizational changes.

The consulting firm was not asked to evaluate teachers or any classroom issues — only administrative oversight and support.

The Minnesota-based firm surveyed school district administrators and support staff, conducted interviews with some staff, and compared Shawano with 15 comparable school districts that included Pulaski, New London, Hortonville, Bonduel, Clintonville and Ashwaubenon.

The report found that Shawano Community High School has higher-than-average administrative staffing, while Hillcrest Primary and Olga Brener both are understaffed when it comes to administration. The consultants recommend looking at trimming high school staff while bolstering the other two schools so that their principals can focus on more than behavior and discipline problems.

Referring to the two elementary schools, the consultant reported: “We heard from administrative support staff that the building managers are often not available to provide direction and respond to questions when needed during the school day because they have to spend so much time on student discipline.”

If the district does not want to hire an assistant principal at each elementary school, the report suggests hiring one assistant principal to share between the two schools, or hiring other staff to handle behavior and disciplinary issues for the principals.

On the issue of administrative salaries, the report found that while the superintendent and a few others are paid above average, most are underpaid compared with their counterparts elsewhere — some as much as 20 percent below average. A survey of Shawano school administrative staff found than 70 percent characterized their salary and benefits as the least satisfying part of their jobs.

Some staffers told the consulting firm they fear the district will lose administrators because of low salaries. The report quoted one staffer as saying, “We are very much needed, but evidently not worth much in return.”

The report recommends conducting a review of administrative salaries in the district.

The consulting firm also suggests hiring a full-time human resources coordinator, increasing employee job training and working to improve a sense of teamwork among administrators and support staff.

On the issue of late bill payments, the report recounts a previous decision to eliminate an accounts payable staff position, and recommends increasing staffing to correct the problem. The district has been slowed in meeting its obligations, including paying other school districts for fees associated with athletic competitions.

“A lack of timeliness in accounts payable and accounting services, is creating administrative inefficiencies across the district,” the report states.

Acknowledging that some proposed changes could cost money, the consulting firm points to opportunities to reduce costs elsewhere, such as eliminating a communications/public relations position in the district office.

The consultants also cautioned officials against making organizational decisions based solely on cost considerations.

“Cost savings are often a desired outcome,” the report said, “but experience has shown that this should not be the sole determinant or consideration.”

Shawano Police Department

Sept. 18

Police logged 27 incidents, including the following:

Hit-and-Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run in the 300 block of West Richmond Street.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 200 block of West Second Street.

Hit-and-Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run in the 1100 block of South Main Street.

Hit-and-Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run in the 800 block of East Lieg Avenue.

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

Sept. 17

Police logged 15 incidents, including the following:

Hit-and-Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run in the 100 block of South Franklin Street.

Burglary — Police investigated a reported burglary in the 100 block of South Main Street.

Disturbance — A 54-year-old Shawano woman was arrested for disorderly conduct/domestic violence and a probation violation after police responded to a domestic disturbance in the 200 block of Mountain Bay Trail Drive.

Sept. 16

Police logged 27 incidents, including the following:

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

Warrant — A 29-year-old man was arrested on a warrant in the 1400 block of East Green Bay Street.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem in the 900 block of South Sawyer Street.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 300 block of Madison Way.

Shoplifting — Walgreen’s, 401 E. Green Bay St., reported a shoplifting incident.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Sept. 18

Deputies logged 38 incidents, including the following:

Disorderly — Authorities responded to a disorderly conduct complaint on Potch Ha Chee Road in the town of Wittenberg.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Hemlock Road in the town of Wittenberg.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Green Valley Road in the town of Green Valley.

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

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on U.S. Highway 45 in the town of Wittenberg.

Sept. 17

Deputies logged 47 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on County Road E in the town of Green Valley.

Disorderly — Authorities responded to a disorderly conduct complaint at the North Star Casino, W12180 County Road A, Bowler.

Theft — Medication was reported stolen on Third Street in Mattoon.

Hit-and-Run — Authorities investigated a property damage hit-and-run on Big Lake Road in the town of Red Springs.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Big Lake Road in the town of Red Springs.

Sept. 16

Deputies logged 34 incidents, including the following:

Theft — Mail was reported stolen on County Road MMM in the town of Richmond.

Disturbance — A 55-year-old woman was arrested on a warrant after a disturbance on Main Street in Bowler.

Theft — Authorities responded to a property theft complaint on Smalley Street in the town of Wescott.

Assault — Charges were referred against a 38-year-old Neopit woman for battery, criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct, and against a 35-year-old Neopit man for battery, disorderly conduct, carrying a concealed weapon and pointing a weapon at another person on Ebert Street in Gresham.

OWI — A 44-year-old Suamico man was arrested for operating while intoxicated on Campground Road in the town of Seneca.

Shawano Police Department

Sept. 19

Police logged 18 incidents, including the following:

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint in the 100 block of North Airport Drive.

Shoplifting — Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St., reported a female shoplifter in custody.

Arrest — A 51-year-old man was taken into custody at the probation and parole offices, 1340 E. Green Bay St.

OAR — A 29-year-old woman was arrested for sixth-offense operating after revocation at Waukechon Street and McDonald Road.

Juvenile — Police investigated a juvenile alcohol complaint in the 200 block of West Fifth Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Sept. 19

Deputies logged 40 incidents, including the following:

Drug Offense — Authorities investigated a drug complaint at the Ho Chunk Casino, N7198 U.S. Highway 45, in the town of Wittenberg.

Fire — Authorities responded to a vehicle fire on Wolf River Road in the town of Richmond.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Green Valley Road in the town of Green Valley.

OWI — A 67-year-old Gillett man was arrested for operating while intoxicated on state Highway 160 in the town of Angelica.

Trespass — Authorities responded to a trespassing complaint on Mader Hill Road in the town of Red Springs.

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

Clintonville Police Department

Sept. 19

Police logged 10 incidents, including the following:

Trespass — A trespassing complaint was reported on Eighth Street.

Assault — A sexual assault complaint was under investigation.

Harassment — A harassment complaint was reported on Harriet Street.

A Keshena man was sentenced Monday in federal court to two years in prison and two years of supervised release for intimidating a witness who accused him of unlawful sexual contact.

According to court documents, while in the Menominee Tribal Jail on a pending domestic violence charge, Blaize Olson, 22, asked his grandfather to contact a woman who accused Olson of grabbing her and pulling off her underwear when she tried to leave their home in December 2015.

Olson pulled a tampon from the woman’s body by the string and threw her to the ground, telling her “you’re not going anywhere,” according to the plea agreement filed in the case.

After being charged with sexual contact for the purpose of humiliation or degradation, Olson had his grandfather call the woman and ask her to recant. Olson wanted her to say that she was mad at Olson for cheating on her and had lied to authorities.

Instead, the woman reported the conversation to authorities.

“The victim was intimidated by the request made of her,” Assistant U.S. Attorney William Roach said. “There was no finding of force used against her but enough … to make her feel intimidated.”

Law enforcement obtained a recording of Olson telling another man in jail that he was “pretty sure I got this case dismissed.”

Olson pleaded guilty to witness intimidation in June in exchange for dismissal of the sexual contact charge.

“The witness intimidation charge carries a higher penalty than the sexual contact offense in this instance,” said Roach, who asked District Judge William Griesbach for a sentence of two to three years in prison.

Olson was put on probation in Menominee Tribal Court for domestic abuse, which was part of the December 2015 incident, Roach said.

Olson served nine months in jail on the tribal charge and was taken into federal custody Monday to begin serving his sentence on the intimation charge.

Shawano School District taxpayers could see a 1.74 percent decrease in their property taxes after voters approved a $12.89 million tax levy for the 2016-17 school year Monday.

Property owners paid $10.32 per $1,000 of equalized valuation for school taxes for the 2015-16 school year, but that will drop to $10.13 per $1,000 — or 1.72 percent — if property values remain the same.

That means a taxpayer with property valued at $100,000 would pay $1,013 in taxes this year, compared to $1,032 last year.

Louise Fischer, district business manager, told the 30-plus residents at Monday’s annual school district meeting that there are indications that property values within the district could go up this year. The state will release final equalized values in October.

Fischer said preliminary estimates show a 1.3 percent increase across the district, although it could vary in individual towns and the city of Shawano.

“We give (the budget) our best guess,” Fischer said. “Some things we know. Some things we don’t know.”

According to figures provided by Fischer’s office, a 1 percent hike in property values would drop the tax rate to $10.04, while a 2 percent hike would make the tax rate $9.94.

“The economy is coming back,” Fischer said.

An additional $800,000 in school aid from the state also will help lower the tax rate, according to Fischer. In 2015-16, the district received $13.47 million, but the district is expecting $14.34 million for this school year, although those figures — based on the official enrollment count taken in September — will also not be available until October.

The district also plans to decrease its spending by 1.72 percent. Fischer said there are no new programs planned, and no existing programs will be eliminated.

The total proposed expenditure budget is $27.5 million, with 34 percent coming from property taxes. State aid makes up 52 percent and the remainder comes from federal aid, fees, open enrollment and interest earnings.

“For Shawano, open enrollment is a money maker. For other districts, it’s a cost,” Fischer said. “Some districts have more kids leaving their district than coming in.”

No open enrollment numbers were available.

Voters at the annual meeting also approved a resolution to sell the district’s surplus loose furnishings and equipment.