Shawano Police Department

Feb. 28

Police logged 23 incidents, including the following:

Theft — Police investigated a theft complaint in the 400 block of West Fifth Street.

Truancy — Police logged two truancy complaints from the Shawano School District.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem in the 1100 block of South Franklin Street.

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

Trespass — Police responded to a trespassing complaint in the 800 block of East Richmond Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Feb. 28

Deputies logged 27 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Banner Road in the town of Morris.

Hit and Run — Authorities investigated a property damage hit-and-run on Fourth Street in Mattoon.

Fraud — Authorities investigated a fraud complaint on County Road MMM in the town of Richmond.

Disorderly Authorities responded to a disorderly conduct complaint on Spaulding Street in Tigerton.

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

Accidents — Authorities logged five accidents.

Clintonville Police Department

Feb. 28

Police logged 10 incidents, including the following:

Fraud — A worthless check complaint on South Main Street was under investigation.

Harassment — Harassment was reported on West Morning Glory Drive.

Theft — A theft on 10th Street was under investigation.

Disturbance — A 22-year-old Clintonville man was arrested for domestic abuse-related battery and strangulation on 17th Street.

Harassment — Harassment was reported on Flora Circle.

The Shawano Police Department is seeking to fill one patrol officer vacancy and create an eligibility list for future openings.

“We are looking for someone who is team-oriented with strong problem-solving and communication skills, and who reflects the vast diversity of our community,” the department said in a news release. “We want someone who can make a difference and is proud to serve the Shawano community.”

Starting salary for entry level is $47,610. Patrol officers work a 12-hour work cycle and are expected to work nights, weekends and holidays. Applicants with prior law enforcement experience might be eligible to start at a higher rate of pay with approval of the police chief.

For information on requirements and applications, go to http://www.cityofshawano.com.

Application materials, to include a cover letter and Shawano application, must be returned to the Shawano Police Department via U.S. mail or hand delivered by 4 p.m. March 15.

When ThedaCare speech therapist Meghan Gallagher was looking for an effective way to lose some extra weight, she knew ThedaCare’s intensive Lifestyle Intervention Program fit the bill.

“I’ve been a person who’s struggled with my weight during my adult years – especially after having kids – and was never successful with keeping the weight off,” Gallagher said. “I thought this would be an approach that would work for me, and it does. It works really well.”

Gallagher is one of 23 employees at ThedaCare Medical Center-Shawano enrolled in ThedaCare’s Lifestyle Intervention Program, launched in 2012 and offered free to ThedaCare employees and to spouses or domestic partners enrolled in the company’s health plan. The program also is available at a special rate to employers in the community.

“Our mission is to improve the health of the community, and it starts first with improving the health of our employees,” said Carey Grieves, health coach at ThedaCare Medical Center- Shawano.

The Lifestyle Intervention Program has now seen 22 cohorts of employees, which started in Appleton and has expanded to ThedaCare locations in Waupaca and Shawano. The program is designed to prevent, arrest or even reverse health risk factors such as obesity, cardiovascular problems or high blood pressure, as well as type II diabetes and other diseases. The comprehensive program helps empower participants to take charge of their health through a multi-directional approach, including exercise sessions, yoga classes, nutrition and culinary education, mindfulness and support groups.

“It’s a wonderful program, because we have everything at your fingertips that you might possibly want or need with wanting to improve your lifestyle,” Grieves said. “The goal is finding ways we can best support people and continue to provide what they need to help their health improve.”

Participants also work one-on-one with experts such as health coaches, dietitians and exercise specialists. Those who follow the program lose an average of 22 pounds and see significant changes in lab and biometric values such as blood pressure, cholesterol and inflammation markers.

Gallagher has lost more than 50 pounds since she began the program in June.

“I’m probably doing more cooking now than I ever did raising my kids, which I feel guilty about, but better late than never, right?” Gallagher said.

Because of the focused, long-term commitment required by the program, participants first go through a one-hour screening with a behavioral health specialist. Additionally, they undergo health evaluations and sign a contract committing to classes and sessions, which start with twice-weekly meetings in the early part of the program, later tapering off to monthly meetings.

The intensiveness is what drew Gallagher to the program. While she’s often motivated to lose weight by life events – including her daughter’s wedding in June – she hadn’t found the total lifestyle change that would help her to keep the weight off.

“This program has really offered me the formula and the different tools I need,” Gallagher said. “I really feel like it’s a lifestyle change for me that I can live with.”

Shawano lab technician Deborah Hoffman has been suffering with a likely auto-immune disorder for more than a year, trying several treatment methods to alleviate pain without much success.

“It took my life away from me,” Hoffmann said. “I could no longer do daily activities. I couldn’t go to a track meet or a football game and watch my kids compete in sports. The pain was never-relenting, and it changes everything.”

The Lifestyle program has made an enormous difference for Hoffmann, who said the focus on a plant-based diet has helped improve the pain by reducing inflammation within her body. The mindful living and stress-reduction aspects have helped her to manage the remaining discomfort.

“The improvement has been immense – it’s absolutely night and day,” Hoffmann said. “I’m also learning to manage my condition better. I’m also more aware of subtle changes in my body so I can adjust what I’m doing to avoid another flare-up.”

ThedaCare earned the Platinum Well Workplace Award from the Wellness Council of America, the highest honor from the organization, for the program.

For information on the Lifestyle Intervention Program, contact Diane Schuh at diane.schuh@thedacare.org or 920-850-6235.

Yvette Hartman-Wilber’s new clothing store, Tumbleweed, opens Thursday at 203 S. Main St. in Shawano.

“I’m excited,” Hartman-Wilber said, while acknowledging it has been a lot of work.

The clothes are casual and contemporary as southern chic meets uptown classy.

“All my things are reasonably priced,” said Hartman-Wilber, who brainstormed with a friend to come up with the store’s name.

The sizes run from small to plus, all displayed in the store that has a rustic/urban feel. Also available are boots, jeans, jewelry, purses and belts.

Hartman-Wilber’s niece, Asanik, who has Down syndrome, will be designing and selling her jewelry there.

Jordan Hintz is the store manager.

“Since we’re carrying a broad variety, my hope is that when people walk in the door they feel welcome and comfortable to be here and find something unique to them,” Hintz said.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. For information, call 715-201-1400.

The Clintonville School District will hold two public information meetings this month to educate area residents about the $24.9 million referendum on the April 4 ballot.

The meetings will be held at 6 p.m. Monday and March 23 in the cafeteria at Rexford-Longfellow Elementary School, 105 S. Clinton Ave. Tours will be available.

A mailing will be going out to taxpayers next week inviting them to the sessions to learn more about plans to raze the existing school and to build a new elementary school on the Rexford-Longfellow site.

Because the new building would be located behind the present school, Rexford-Longfellow would continue to be used during construction.

The Dellwood Early Learning Center would be closed under the plan, and the new school would house grades 4K-4. The district is considering options for the Dellwood building if the referendum passes.

According to the school district, the plan would include a tax increase of no more than $98 per year for the owner of a $100,000 home for the first five years; the rate would decline after that.

A task force that studied elementary school needs in the district for several months recommended a new school as the best solution in November. A month earlier, a survey conducted for the school district found more residents supported building a new elementary school than renovating the current school. The school board approved the referendum proposal in January.

A section of the Rexford-Longfellow complex was built in 1918 as a high school. Additional classrooms were added in 1956. Classrooms and a gymnasium were added in 1964. A cafeteria was added in 1992, and offices were added in 1996.

The task force found that the structure needs tuck pointing, the windows and doors need to be repaired or replaced, a portion of the roof needs to be replaced, the heating system is aging, and parts of the building do not meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards or fire codes.

The Rexford-Longfellow infrastructure also does not support modern technology, according to a facilities assessment done by Bray Architects.

The 154,000-square-foot building is larger than what is needed to serve the current and projected student enrollment, and is more expensive to heat and operate due to age, the committee concluded.

At 104,000 square feet, the new building would be more energy efficient, with improved traffic flow and parking, according to school officials. A new playground would be built behind the new elementary school. A large parking lot and drop-off zone would be created along Eighth Street. A new bus drop-off would be added on the west side of the building along South Clinton Avenue.

Superintendent Tom O’Toole said the district would break ground in 2018, if the referendum is approved, and be in the new building for fall 2019. At that time, the 1918 building would be demolished.

Rexford-Longfellow Principal Tammy Bagstad said a new facility would provide a more secure entrance to the school. Presently visitors have full access to almost anywhere in the building without being seen.

“We want a safe place,” Bagstad said. “We want to educate children first. Parents are welcome. Parents can always help.”

The present school was built to accommodate high school students, not kindergarten to fourth grade, she said.

“It would be awesome to have a new elementary school. It would be good for the community,” said Scott Huff, assistant principal. He said he came to Clintonville partially because he knew the district was going to consider a new school.

Miron Construction has provided large display boards with information about the referendum question. The boards are on display at various locations around the community for the public to study. Information is also available on the district’s website.

But wait, there’s more!

The city will consider a new developer’s agreement with a craft brewery company looking to turn the the former Crescent Pitcher Show into a microbrewery, pub and entertainment venue now that the company has expanded its original plans.

The Shawano Common Council in September approved an agreement with Stubborn Brothers Brewery LLC, of Marion, to provide a low-interest loan and a grant to the brewery, with the money coming from one of the city’s Tax Incremental Finance districts.

Stubborn Brothers has since expressed interest in purchasing the property just to the south of the old theater at 220 S. Main St., according to city officials.

The vacant property at 224-226 S. Main St. was once a shoe store, but Stubborn Bothers is now looking at building out from the former Crescent building to add a kitchen, and create a storefront for the south side of the building.

The brewery also wants to create a beer garden behind the former shoe store property, according to Assistant City Administrator Eddie Sheppard.

The proposal was discussed by the Shawano Redevelopment Authority last month and is expected to be on the Common Council’s agenda in April.

The original developer’s agreement, when it involved only the former Crescent Theater, called for the city to provide Stubborn Brothers with a $270,000 10-year loan at a 4 percent interest rate, and a grant of $80,000.

For its part, Stubborn Brothers was expected to put about $547,000 in remodeling costs into the project.

It was expected the building would have an assessed valuation of $500,000, including personal property, once the remodeling and renovation is done. If it falls below that figure, Stubborn Brothers would have to make a payment to the city in lieu of taxes to make up the difference in property tax revenue.

It was originally anticipated the remodeling and renovation of the former theater building be completed by June.

Motorists seemed a little less prepared than usual for the double dose of rain and snow that moved through the area Tuesday night and into Wednesday.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Capt. Tom Tuma said shifting road conditions were a contributing factor.

“Road conditions changed drastically and quickly,” he said, with rain turning to snow overnight and hiding patches of glare ice.

High winds blowing drifting snow out of open fields and onto the roadways made travel even more treacherous, he added.

“Town roads are probably in the worst condition,” he said Wednesday afternoon.

The sheriff’s department reported 37 accidents between midnight and 2 p.m. A county dispatcher said at 6 p.m. the roads had improved since then, and there were no further accidents reported.

Two accidents hampered travel and caused detours early Wednesday.

A van rolled over outside of Shawano on state Highway 29 near County Road T just after 6 a.m. The driver was a 35-year-old Sheboygan man.

Tuma said the Jaws of Life were used to extricate him from the vehicle, but no further information was available.

The crash closed eastbound lanes for about two hours.

Then, just after 10 a.m., a semi driven by a 25-year-old man from Georgia jackknifed on U.S. Highway 45 near Lone Maple Road in Tigerton, closing lanes in both directions until about noon.

No injuries were reported.

The weather also forced early closings of schools throughout the area and cancelled numerous other events, including some Ash Wednesday services.

Shawano Police Department

March 1

Police logged 29 incidents, including the following:

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

Shoplifting — Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St., reported two female shoplifters fled the store.

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

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 600 block of East Schurz Street.

Shoplifting — Pick ‘n Save, 190 Woodlawn Drive, reported a shoplifting incident.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

March 1

Authorities logged 66 incidents, including the following:

Fire — Black smoke was reported coming from a water heater on Knollwood Court in the town of Wescott.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on Roosevelt Road in the town of Seneca.

Assault — Authorities investigated an assault complaint between inmates at the Shawano County Jail, 405 N. Main St., Shawano.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Goldenrod Drive in the town of Maple Grove.

Accidents — Authorities logged 40 accidents, including injury accidents in the towns of Hartland and Waukechon, and two deer-related crashes.

Clintonville Police Department

March 1

Police logged seven incidents, including the following:

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

Disorderly — Disorderly conduct was reported on North 12th Street.

The Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin last week filed a petition for a contested case hearing on the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality’s approval of a mine permit for the proposed Back Forty Mine.

The Menominee petition was filed Friday with the Michigan Administrative Hearing Office. The petition is the first step in challenging the MDEQ’s decision to approve the mining permit, which was issued Dec. 28.

“The MDEQ and Aquila Resources Inc. are well aware of the Menominee Indian Tribe’s close cultural connection to this area and our serious concern in regards to our cultural resources and mounds, including our ancestral burial sites located within the impact area of the proposed mine,” Menominee Tribal Chairman Gary Besaw said in a statement released by the tribe. “Despite these valid and well-documented concerns a full evaluation of the cultural resources and mounds threatened by this project never occurred.”

Aquila Resources Inc. has proposed investing $261 million to build open-pit and underground mines for the gold- and zinc-rich deposit near the Menominee River. The mine is expected to have a 16-year life and create more than 250 jobs.

Aquila also has said the mine will generate more than $11 million annually in revenue for state and local governments.

Construction on the mine won’t begin until all permits have been issued for the project. The mining permit is one of four required; two additional permits are under consideration before the MDEQ.

The proposed site is about 150 feet from the banks of the Menominee River, which forms the boundary between Upper Michigan and Wisconsin and is the place of origin for the Menominee Tribe.

Last week, the University of Michigan confirmed the Menominee Tribe’s cultural affiliation with the site from remains taken from the Backlund Mounds and Village Site in the 1950s. It is just one of many culturally significant sites within the footprint of the proposed mine, according to the tribe.

A mixture of governments, environmental groups, citizens groups and grassroots groups are opposed to the mine and its impacts on the environment and tribal culture.

For information on the Menominee’s efforts, visit www.noback40.org.

A 20-year-old Shawano woman was airlifted to a hospital Thursday afternoon after striking a semi on state Highway 47 in the town of Navarino, the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department said.

Authorities said her injuries did not appear to be life-threatening.

The investigation and accident reconstruction are being handled by the Wisconsin State Patrol, but according to the sheriff’s department, which also responded to the incident, the woman was northbound on Highway 47 when she crossed the center line and struck the southbound semi.

Alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the crash, the sheriff’s department said.

The semi was driven by a 45-year-old Racine man who was not injured.

The accident occurred about 1:20 p.m. at Highway 47 and Old County W Road, shutting down traffic in both directions until about 6 p.m.

ThedaStar and Navarino Fire and EMS also responded to the incident.

Text messages that include alleged discussions of the marijuana operation she is accused of running with her husband were entered into the court record Thursday at a preliminary hearing for Wendy Hofman.

Hofman, 53, and her husband, Daniel P. Hofman, 52, both of Bonduel, are among 10 people charged so far in what authorities have called one of the largest drug cases ever seen in Shawano County.

Shawano-Menominee County District Attorney Greg Parker referred to Daniel Hofman as the hub of the conspiracy during a court hearing last week for allegedly being the supplier of marijuana and hash oil that was being bought and sold by the other defendants.

He allegedly made numerous trips back and forth from Shawano County to California where the marijuana was being grown, according to the criminal complaint.

Wendy Hofman is accused of helping run the drug business and faces a felony count of conspiracy to deliver marijuana.

The state entered three exhibits into the court record at her preliminary hearing Thursday, including photos of an extraction machine allegedly used to make hash oil and an invoice for its purchase.

The state also entered a series of text messages between the Hofmans taken from Wendy Hofman’s cell phone.

Those messages include discussions of travel plans — including a change in plans that Wendy Hofman considered risky, according to the court exhibit — a trailer set up for storage and what was apparently at the time the latest hash oil results from the extraction machine.

Daniel Hofman wrote that the oil was 75.1 percent pure and contained no mold fungus or pesticides, according to the exhibit, though he added he hoped the results would be better.

The texts also discuss amounts of money owed the Hofmans by various other parties, including two that Wendy Hofman advises her husband to “stalk” because of money that hasn’t been paid.

There is also discussion of a possible investor who Daniel Hofman was apparently hoping could bankroll his operation, according to the text messages.

Wendy Hofman, who is being held on a $20,000 cash bond, was bound over for trial after Thursday’s preliminary hearing and is due back in court for arraignment on April 10.

Another alleged conspirator in the case, Calvin W. Berndt, 22, of Stevens Point, waived his preliminary hearing Thursday and is also scheduled for arraignment on April 10. He has posted a $25,000 cash bond.

Daniel Hofman, who is being held on a $25,000 cash bond, is scheduled for an adjourned initial appearance on Monday.

Others charged in the alleged conspiracy include Daniel and Wendy’s son, Kody P. Hofman, 26, of Bonduel; Jordan L. Weiss, 26, of Bonduel; Joshua M. Natzke, 24, of Shawano; Seth W. White, 28, of Bonduel; Brandon D. Scray-Bass, 23, of Green Bay; Anthony B. Kotula Jr., 21, of Gresham; and Thomas J. Rotter, 30, of Krakow.

Each could face a possible maximum 15 years in prison and $50,000 fine if convicted of conspiracy to deliver marijuana.

Robin Wall Kimmerer doesn’t see the environment as a thing. She sees it as a living being.

Her relationship with that living being and her belief that everyone should see the earth as a member of the family inspired her to write “Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants.”

The book was read by area residents as part of the College of Menominee Nation’s Community Read program. The college’s Sustainable Development Institute partnered with the S. Verna Fowler Academic Library/Menominee Public Library to host Kimmerer on Thursday.

Kimmerer is a plant ecologist and professor with the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse. She is also a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.

Kimmerer has made several visits to the reservation, her first in 2002. She presented an audio version of “Braiding Sweetgrass” to library director Marie Escalante at the beginning of her presentation.

“I can’t believe ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ is part of the Community Reads,” Kimmerer said. “That is deeply touching.”

Kimmerer said her book describes the world as a gift, but it’s not a gift that many accept with gratitude. She pointed out that, when the world is a gift to humans, humans should find ways to give to the world.

She named the book “Braiding Sweetgrass” because her tribe sees sweetgrass as a sign of familial love. Tribal members braid the sweetgrass because it is symbolic of braiding a mother’s hair.

“You almost always see sweetgrass braided. Why is that?” Kimmerer said. “It is understood as the hair of Mother Earth.”

She grew up with the belief of nature as a living entity, with medicinal plants being her pharmacy and other plants serving as her library, but when she went to college, she almost failed freshman botany because academia viewed the ecosystem as a machine, where entities take in one thing while giving another. In the Western world, land is seen as property, capital or natural resources, not relatives or gifts.

“Land is a source of our identity,” Kimmerer said. “Land is the place where our ancestors live, where our grandchildren live. It is the place where we become an ancestor. It is the place for which we have moral responsibility.”

Kimmerer said it is the belief of the earth as a living entity that had Native Americans protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline, which is slated to go through the land where the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe resides in North Dakota.

Kimmerer received another reminder of how the Western world views the ecosystem when she tried to find a publisher. Her belief of the earth as a living entity led her to use the word “who” in conjunction with it, but editors were flagging the reference because, as a non-living entity, the word “that” would be grammatically appropriate.

“Suddenly, I was right back to college,” Kimmerer said. “Is the world alive? Is the world a person, or is the world a thing? All of those blue marks (on the manuscript) were telling me the world was a thing. It’s an example of how one tiny word can change a definition.”

Kimmerer finished her presentation by pointing out that it is important to let people know that humanity and nature are not a bad combination.

“There’s this tremendous delusion that humans and nature are a bad mix and always have been, that humans are just takers and consumers,” Kimmerer said. “Four hundred years, we’ve been living with this mentality. For the rest of history, we’ve lived as though the earth was kin, as though it was sacred.”

Christopher Caldwell, the institute’s director, said most people who have read Kimmerer’s book have insight into her, but anyone who has a connection with the earth has a connection with her, too.

“Robin really writes with that passion and that dedication that comes out in her a work, in a way that shares her personal story,” Caldwell said. “I think that is an example of braiding that indigenous wisdom with scientific knowledge together because knowledge and science is personal, a way to understand our home and our environment.”

Shawano Police Department

March 2

Police logged 29 incidents, including the following:

Fire — A dumpster fire was reported at Aarrowcast, 2900 E. Richmond St.

Arrest — A 29-year-old man was taken into custody at the probation and parole offices, 1340 E. Green Bay St.

Shoplifting — The Consign Shop, 124 S. Main St., reported a shoplifting incident.

Accident — Police responded to a two-vehicle property damage accident at Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St.

Shoplifting — A 27-year-old Shawano man suspected of three previous shoplifting incidents was stopped by security at Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St. He fled the scene on foot and eluded an officer. Police have identified the man, and the investigation is continuing.

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint on Humphrey Circle.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

March 2

Deputies logged 39 incidents, including the following:

Probation Violation — Authorities investigated a reported probation violation at the North Star Casino, W12180 County Road A, Bowler.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on state Highway 22 in the town of Belle Plaine.

Disorderly — Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School, 400 W. Grand Ave. in Wittenberg, reported a disorderly conduct incident.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on Weasel Dam Road in the town of Grant.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on Cedar Street in Tigerton.

Assault — Authorities investigated an assault complaint between inmates at the Shawano County Jail, 405 N. Main St. in Shawano.

Clintonville Police Department

March 2

Police logged 10 incidents, including the following:

Theft — A theft was reported on Green Tree Road.

Harassment — Harassment was reported on Flora Circle.

Burglary — A burglary was reported on Main Street.

Frances “Franny” Reiter, of Keshena, has been named the American Indian College Fund’s Student of the Year. The award annually recognizes a College of Menominee Nation student for high academic achievement and a strong record of community involvement and service.

Reiter is an enrolled member of the Menominee Tribe and is the daughter of Daryl and Burnell Reiter. She plans to graduate from CMN’s two-year business administration associate degree program in May and then continue studies at the Keshena campus for a Bachelor of Arts degree in education.

A full-time student and parent of a preschooler, Reiter has received all A and B grades at CMN while working part-time at the Oneida Casino. She has also interned with the college’s YMCA After-School Program, and her community service includes volunteer roles with Habitat for Humanity, youth baseball concessions, Rezzurect Ridez Club and Regalia Circle activities. Reiter is approaching her academic studies at CMN as preparation for an entrepreneurial career on the Menominee Reservation.

“My plan is to create my own day care business with a focus on our culture and arts, helping our nation’s children become lifelong learners, and giving local families who want to work another childcare option,” she said.

Reiter said her daughter is the major influence in her life: “I want to be a good role model for her. By attending college, I know I’m providing hope for a better future for us.”

Reiter also sees her experience as a returning adult student as an example for others.

“I first attended university right after high school, but being young and naive my priorities shifted and eventually I just stopped going,” she said. “In the following six years I worked, married, became a mother and then became a single parent without many resources. Now I’m back in school and have a plan.

“Life puts up barrier after barrier, but we cannot let that stop us. I want to inspire other single parents, families and the community by demonstrating that anything is possible once you put your mind to it.”

A former classmate who nominated Reiter for the award noted the “positive attitude and big smile” that she brought to school every day despite many challenges. She called Reiter “a good role model not only for me, but for all single parents out there who feel they can’t handle going back to college, raising their children, plus working and commuting.”

She added that Reiter “truly is an inspiration.”

Shawano County officials are again considering the possibility of a new evidence storage building for the sheriff’s department, three years after the topic became a contentious issue in the sheriff’s race.

“The County Board believes now is the time to move forward with this project and I agree with them,” Sheriff Adam Bieber said.

The department has recently rented semi-trailers to provide additional evidence storage space at the highway department, which is driving up monthly expenses, Bieber said.

“It is also not the most efficient or proper way to store evidence of serious crimes,” he said.

Evidence storage needs have been a recurring issue for the county.

The existing storage room inside the sheriff’s department was called “grossly inadequate” by a consultant in 2005.

Ron Lefebre of Virchow, Krause and Co. delivered a report to the County Board in October 2005 in which he raised alarms over potential liability issues for the county because criminal evidence could be compromised by the space limitations.

Several proposals for a separate storage building were shot down by the board over the years, most recently in 2013 when the County Board approved a $710,000 evidence storage facility that was to be constructed next to the Huber Work Release Center, but failed to get the supermajority needed to approve borrowing the money for the project.

The storage crunch was eased somewhat in 2014 when some evidence was moved to a secure location in the courthouse basement.

It continued to be an issue during the election that year, with Bieber and former sheriff Randy Wright differing on the extent of storage space still needed.

Bieber said at the time he was open to working with the County Board to find a solution, possibly in collaboration with Shawano police to meet their needs as well, but that Wright’s proposal was too expensive.

Bieber said Friday he would still like to see a joint facility shared by the sheriff’s office and Shawano and Stockbridge-Munsee police departments. He said discussions with those departments about the idea are in the early stages.

Meanwhile, evidence storage needs have continued to grow over the past few years.

“We have had large scale burglary investigations in which over 70 weapons have been seized along with other property,” Bieber said. “We have had a growing number of drug cases, sexual assaults, vehicle crashes, all of which require us to hold evidence until a judge releases it. In some cases we need to hold the evidence for the lifetime of the suspect charged and convicted.”

Bieber said county supervisors are taking up the issue again because “they feel we are wasting taxpayer money by renting and not building something that is appropriate and efficient. The makeup of this board has been very progressive but also looks for ways to save taxpayer money, and in this instance the taxpayers would save money long-term.”

He said the current conditions are not efficient and friendly to budgets or the taxpayer.

“I believe our citizens expect the County Board to properly equip our service agencies so the citizens will be better served,” he said. “The taxpayers and our courts should have complete trust in our handling and storage of important pieces of evidence so cases are not jeopardized.”

County Administrative Coordinator Brent Miller said local design consultant Scott Nordin is reviewing previous building proposals and will bring back recommendations for a trimmed-downed design that is hoped will be less expensive than what was proposed before.

“Until we can get an estimate of what it’s going to cost, we can’t make a motion to go forward with it,” he said. “But the public safety committee and the public property committee and the (capital improvement projects) committee are all in agreement to move forward with getting the plans re-engineered.”

Miller said the county is paying nearly $20,000 a year to rent additional evidence storage space at the highway department along with trailers that can be locked and secured at another $200 per month.

Shawano Police Department

March 5

Police logged 23 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint in the 1200 block of East Evergreen Street.

Hit and Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run in the 1000 block of South Airport Drive.

Threatening — Police responded to a threatening complaint in the 1300 block of East Green Bay Street.

Shoplifting —A 36-year-old woman was cited for shoplifting at Charlie’s County Market, 521 S. Main St.

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

Theft — Medication was reported stolen in the 200 block of Teddington Lane.

Theft — A purse was reported stolen from a vehicle at Kwik Trip, 1241 E. Green Bay St.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 400 block of East Green Bay St.

March 4

Police logged 17 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 800 block of East Richmond Street.

Disturbance — Police responded to a domestic disturbance in the 600 block of South Weed Street.

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

Hit and Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run in the 700 block of East Green Bay St.

March 3

Police logged 27 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint in the 200 block of Teddington Lane.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 1100 block of South Lafayette Street.

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint at the Super 8 Motel, 211 Waukechon St.

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

Trespass — Police responded to a trespassing complaint in the 800 block of East Richmond Street.

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

Theft — A Playstation was reported stolen in the 400 block of South Lincoln Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

March 5

Deputies logged 31 incidents, including the following:

OWI — A 23-year-old Shawano man was arrested for operating while intoxicated after a minor accident on Willow Creek Road in the town of Pella.

Trespass — Authorities responded to a trespassing complaint on Knollwood Court in the town of Wescott.

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

Disturbance — A 17-year-old Oconto Falls girl was referred on charges of battery, disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property on Bohn Road in the town of Green Valley.

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint Lake Drive in the town of Wescott.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Warrington Avenue in Cecil.

March 4

Deputies logged 30 incidents, including the following:

OAR — A 40-year-old man was cited for operating after revocation on County Road D in the town of Pella.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Richmond Street in Shawano.

Theft — Money was reported stolen on Paradise Lane in the town of Hartland.

OWI — A 32-year-old Appleton man was arrested for operating while intoxicated on Cole Road in the town of Navarino.

Accidents — Authorities logged seven accidents.

March 3

Deputies logged 42 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on Oak Park Circle in the town of Wescott.

Disturbance — Charges of battery and disorderly conduct were referred against an 18-year-old Neopit man after a domestic disturbance on state Highway 47-55 in the town of Wescott.

Auto Theft — A vehicle was reported stolen on U.S. Highway 45 in the town of Birnamwood.

OWI — An 83-year-old Wittenberg man was arrested for operating while intoxicated after an injury accident on Old Road D in the town of Aniwa.

Warrant — A 27-year-old man was arrested on a warrant on state Highway 29 in the town of Richmond.

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

Stockbridge-Munsee tribe threatens to stop casino payment

A local Indian tribe threatened Monday to withhold nearly $1 million in casino payments to the state because of a dispute with the expansion of another tribe’s gambling operation in Shawano County.

Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohicans President Shannon Holsey notified Gov. Scott Walker in a letter about the tribe’s intent to withhold a $923,000 payment related to its ongoing dispute with the Ho-Chunk Nation.

Withdrawing the money, due June 30, could result in the dispute ultimately heading to state or federal court for resolution.

The two tribes operate nearby casinos in Shawano County. The Stockbridge-Munsee run the North Star Mohican Casino and Resort in Bowler. The tribe argues the $33 million expansion of the Ho-Chunk casino 17 miles away in Wittenberg is a violation of both federal law and the Ho-Chunk Nation’s casino state compact.

The Stockbridge-Munsee want the state to stop the expansion. The tribe argues the Ho-Chunk casino expansion not allowed under a 2003 amendment to its compact with the state that allowed the Ho-Chunk to open the casino as an “ancillary facility” in 2008.

The Ho-Chunk are also operating the casino on land not eligible to be used for gambling under federal law, Stockbridge-Munsee attorney Dennis Puzz said.

But so far its arguments have not prevailed with Walker’s administration. The state Department of Administration determined in September that the Ho-Chunk expansion does not violate its compact with the state. And the threat from the Stockbridge-Munsee on Monday to withhold the payment didn’t change the administration’s position.

“Simply put, the Stockbridge is getting the deal it agreed to with the state in 2003,” Walker administration spokesman Steve Michels said in an email. “Likewise, the Ho-Chunk is getting the deal it agreed to with the state in 2003 as well. The state expects the Stockbridge to adhere to the terms of their compact.”

All 11 of Wisconsin’s federally recognized Indian tribes have compacts with the state setting parameters for their gambling operations and how much in payments they must make each year.

Holsey, the Stockbridge-Munsee president, said in a press release it was threatening to withhold its payment to the state as a last resort after failing to resolve the issues.

“Now we are being forced to pursue all legal remedies available to protect our 1,200 tribal members, hundreds of employees and the various local organizations who rely on our support,” Holsey said.

Holsey said she hoped to resolve the dispute “without expensive and protracted litigation.”

Puzz, the tribe’s attorney, said it can file a lawsuit if it can’t reach resolution with the state after 30 days, a deadline triggered by submission of Monday’s letter.

The Stockbridge-Munsee argue the Ho-Chunk expansion will take money away from its much smaller casino and be economically devastating. A study it commissioned that was released in January determined the tribe could lose 37 percent, or $22 million, of its gambling revenue each year due to the larger Ho-Chunk facility.

Under the expansion that began last fall, the Ho-Chunk facility will increase the number of slot machines from more than 500 to nearly 800, add an area with high-limit gambling, as well as an 86-room hotel and 84-seat restaurant and bar.

Shawano Police Department

March 6

Police logged 25 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 900 block of South Maiden Lane.

Theft — Police responded to a theft complaint at Shawano Pawn Shop, 141 River Heights.

Shoplifting — Goodwill Industries, 300 Lakeland Road, reported a shoplifting incident.

Warrant — A 31-year-old man was arrested on a warrant in the 700 block of South Lincoln Street.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 1200 block of East Green Bay Street.

Auto Theft — A vehicle was reported stolen in the 600 block of South Weed Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

March 6

Deputies logged 38 incidents, including the following:

Drug Offense — Authorities responded to a drug complaint at the North Star Casino, W12180 County Road A, Bowler.

OAR — A 41-year-old woman was cited for operating after revocation on Lake Drive in the town of Wescott.

Disturbance — Deputies assisted Shawano police with a disturbance on Maiden Lane in the city.

Fire — Authorities responded to a report of smoke coming from a basement on County Road G in the town of Red Springs.

Accidents — Authorities logged five accidents, including an injury accident on state Highway 29 in the town of Morris after a windshield was struck by a turkey.

Clintonville Police Department

March 5

Police logged seven incidents, including the following:

OAR — A driver was cited for operating after revocation on Seventh Street.

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

A Wittenberg man shot by authorities during a disturbance in the town of Almon last month has been charged with felony counts of reckless endangerment and fleeing an officer.

Daniel W. Onesti, 53, is due in court Wednesday for an initial appearance.

Authorities responded on Feb. 17 to a report of a distraught individual who had allegedly made comments threatening violence.

A Shawano County dispatcher made contact with Onesti via cellphone. According to the criminal complaint, he said he had guns with him and would shoot the first cop he saw.

The Shawano County Special Response Team, including members of the Shawano Police Department and the Stockbridge Police Department, were dispatched. An armored vehicle, from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, was also called to assist.

It was believed Onesti was in a pickup truck in a field near his residence.

A drone was used to locate the vehicle, which was spotted a short time later on County Road D headed back to his residence.

A short chase ensued as Onesti returned to his property and begin driving around several barn buildings and a silo, according to the complaint.

The complaint alleged Onesti rammed a sheriff’s squad, pushing it back some 30 feet and injuring a deputy.

The complaint does not detail the shooting that followed.

Because that aspect of the case is still under investigation by the state Department of Criminal Investigations, the complaint does not include narratives from the two officers involved in the shooting.

Other officers reported hearing shots fired.

Onesti was hit in the shoulder, according to the complaint, and was still in his vehicle when he was taken into custody.

Onesti could face a maximum 12½ years in prison and $25,000 fine if convicted of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, and 3½ years and $10,000 if found guilty of using a vehicle to flee an officer.

Work for the North Main Street project in Clintonville is scheduled to begin on March 20 with tree removal.

Motorists can expect to encounter single lane closures and flagging operations along North Main Street as crews begin removing trees and the proceed with the street work, Mark Steidl, WisDOT project manager, said at a meeting with city residents last week at the Community Center.

From late March to late October, the street will be closed to through traffic between 13th Street and Highway 156. Traffic will be detoured via Seventh Street, North Lyon Street, East 12th Street, SSGT Warren Hansen Drive and Highway 156.

From mid-June to mid-August, the intersection of Highways 22 and 156 and Green Tree Road will be closed to allow the contractors to complete the reconstruction. Traffic will be detoured via Seventh Street, North Lyon Street, East 12th Street, SSGT Warren Hansen Drive, Highway 156, Industrial Avenue and Autumn Street.

Residents at the meeting expressed concerns about their water supply being cut off, but officials said residents would be notified if the water is temporarily shut off and it would not be for more than a half hour.

Alderperson Julie Stumbris requested that signs be put up to direct trucks off from Anne Street to 12th Street during the project. One of the problems has been when truck drivers use GPS rather than following the truck route.

Police Capt. Dennis Schroeder said the department would enforce keeping trucks off Anne Street.

Persons living from 240 N. Main St. north that have curbside mail delivery will need to remove their boxes, officials said at the meeting. The post office might set up a bank of boxes during construction, or residents might have to pick up their mail at the post office.

DOT officials plan to hold meetings with the residents every two weeks, and project leader Korey Boehm will be available at project headquarters (site still to be determined) to answer questions. Project staff will be on-site from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and are available to meet with residents after hours if prior arrangements are made.

Construction-related traffic routes are subject to change and are dependent on favorable weather conditions and construction status.

To learn more about the Main Street construction project, and to sign up for weekly email updates, visit the construction website at http://projects.511wi.gov/wis22clintonville.

For information, contact Mark Steidl at 715-459-2943 or Mark.Steidl@dot.wi.gov.