The healthy food and neighborly spirit of a community garden could be coming soon to Bonduel.

Village officials and gardening enthusiasts are asking Bonduel residents if they would be interested in joining what would be the village’s first community garden.

Such a concept involves dividing a large open area into small individual gardens where people can raise their own fruits and vegetables while sharing the gardening experience with others.

The concept has yielded successful gardens in Shawano and Gresham, and proponents in Bonduel hope it will find strong support there, too.

A public meeting is planned Monday night to gauge interest within the community.

Todd Lorbiecki, the village’s municipal operations director, said that if enough people want to participate, the village could identify a location and get the garden started this spring and summer.

“If there’s a good show of interest, we could get this going,” he said.

In Shawano, one community garden created more than 10 years ago at Zion Lutheran Church has grown steadily from 21 plots to about 130 plots.

The concept is popular with apartment dwellers and others who have little space for gardening around their homes. It also attracts participants who want to spend time working among other gardeners, either to pick up helpful tips or just to make new acquaintances.

Jamie Patton, head of the University of Wisconsin-Extension in Shawano County, said a community garden combines healthy food with social interaction and physical exercise.

“You get out, and you get the sunshine and the fresh air,” she said. “It’s very therapeutic.”

Patton plans to attend Monday’s meeting in Bonduel to offer encouragement and guidance to those trying to plant the seeds for a new community garden.

Bridgett Dingeldein, who is one of the Bonduel residents pushing the idea, said she was inspired by a couple of relatives she saw enjoying the healthy benefits of growing their own food. She would like to see more people in Bonduel eating better by raising fresh fruits and vegetables.

Dingeldein said she, too, grows a small garden outside her house, raising fresh tomatoes, asparagus, carrots and other food for her family.

“It makes us more conscious to eat healthier,” she said. “We don’t buy as much of the snacky junk food any more.”

Under a typical community garden arrangement, participants pay a nominal fee of $10 a year or less to rent their share of the community garden. Such details have not been sorted out yet in Bonduel, as proponents first want to see whether there is enough interest to move forward.

Lorbiecki said he is certain the village could find a good location for a garden, and also would make water available for participants to keep their gardens irrigated. Although the investment is not likely to be significant, he said, officials want to make sure the garden is well-organized.

“I think it’s a very good thing for the village,” he said. “To do it right, I think we want it to be a good start-up.”

Shawano Police Department

April 20

Police logged 20 incidents, including the following:

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

Theft — Police investigated a property theft complaint in the 700 block of South Main Street.

Accident — Police responded to a property damage accident at Lincoln and Richmond streets.

Warrant — A 20-year-old man was taken into custody on a warrant in the 200 block of South Sawyer Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

April 20

Deputies logged 40 incidents, including the following:

OWI — A 24-year-old woman was arrested for operating while intoxicated on U.S. Highway 45 in the town of Birnamwood.

OAR — A 56-year-old man was cited for operating after revocation on Fourth Street in Mattoon.

Theft — Authorities investigated a property theft complaint on Pioneer Road in the town of Belle Plaine.

OAR — A 51-year-old woman was cited for operating after revocation on Highway 47 in the town of Red Springs.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance at the Shawano County Jail, 405 N. Main St., Shawano.

Clintonville Police Department

April 20

Police logged eight incidents, including the following:

Theft — A retail theft was reported on South Main Street.

Juvenile —Police responded to a juvenile problem on Harriet Street.

Allegations that two properties owned by the Samanta Roy Institute of Science and Technology have been stealing power from Shawano Municipal Utilities is more likely to become a civil issue than a criminal one, according to authorities.

Shawano police were notified in February of a theft complaint involving meter-jumping at two ostensibly vacant SIST properties: 201 N. Main St. in the city, the former Muehls Furniture building, and N5791 Riverside Drive, a vacant residence in the town of Wescott.

SIST representatives could not be reached for comment.

A contractor doing construction work at the Wescott property had requested SMU remove the utility meter, which is how SMU discovered that the meter had been tampered with to bypass the meter and provide power to the property.

Brian Knapp, city administrator and SMU general manager, said it was then felt prudent to inspect the meters at other properties owned by the same property owner.

In doing so, SMU discovered alleged meter tampering at the Main Street property in the city.

Shawano police investigated the alleged meter tampering in the city and referred the Wescott case to the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department.

Shawano police issued a citation for theft to SIST on March 17 and referred the matter to municipal court.

“The complaint is closed on our end,” interim Police Chief Dan Mauel said.

The case remains open at the county level, Chief Deputy George Lenzner said, but “it’s hard to prove anything more than a citation.”

He said that’s because it’s difficult to prove when the property became vacant and who is actually responsible for the theft.

The Wescott residence has been vacant for about two years, according to the sheriff’s department.

“It’s going to take a little more investigation,” Lenzner said, but, he added, it’s most likely to end up being a civil issue.

SMU has “back-billed” SIST for the power, even though there’s no way of knowing how much power has been used.

If the bill isn’t paid, the properties would be subject to disconnection and the due amount put on the property owner’s tax bill.

Knapp said SMU is treating this as the utility would with any other customer.

The back-billing is based on a calculation recommended by the state’s Public Service Commission, which allows the billing to go back to when the meters were installed or the last time they were inspected.

Knapp said that would amount to about $19,000 between the two properties, if the alleged thefts began after the last meter inspections, which would have occurred in the mid-2000s.

However, he said, there’s no way to know when it really began or how much was stolen, which is why SMU is using the PSC guidelines for its billing.

If necessary, Knapp said, the matter could be taken to court.

“We’ll do what’s necessary to meet our obligations to the rest of our customers,” he said.

Game over, or possibly game on, depending on the possible fight ahead, but as far as the city is concerned, the clock has run out on a couple of properties owned by the Samanta Roy Institute of Science and Technology.

The Shawano Redevelopment Authority on Tuesday initiated proceedings that could lead to the condemnation of a long-vacant and blighted property at 214 S. Main St., along with another vacant property attached to it, though SIST representative Darlene Sense informed the committee it would be hearing from SIST’s attorney.

The RDA had been poised last month to move forward with a resolution of necessity regarding that property and another at 143 S. Main St., but instead granted SIST more time to provide plans to raze or repair those structures.

According to the city, there has been no correspondence since then.

The resolution of necessity is basically the first step in exercising the city’s right of eminent domain over the property.

The city conducted a court-ordered inspection of the 214 S. Main St. property last year that showed it was a health and safety hazard and was structurally unsound.

The RDA last month gave SIST 30 days to show that it had hired an engineering or architectural firm to develop the plans, proof that those plans have been submitted to the state, an appraisal of the property and engineering estimates for restoration of the entire structure, SIST’s intentions for the building after it has been renovated, a timeline for moving forward with the reconstruction, and proof of financing showing that SIST can afford to do what it says it will do.

Thirty days after that initial deadline, SIST would have had to show the RDA the full, state-approved plan, which would include how SIST intends to make the building habitable and would cover any lighting, electrical, plumbing, heating and construction work that needs to be done.

The RDA also gave SIST 60 days to come up with plans for its vacant property at 143 S. Main St., which is also considered blighted but not in as bad a shape as 214 S. Main St.

“It would be difficult to redevelop one without the other,” City Administrator Brian Knapp said.

However, Building Inspector Brian Bunke said that if one of the properties were to be razed, the other would have to go as well, given the deterioration of the inner wall at 143 S. Main St.

“If it comes to tearing the building down, there would be no wall left (between them),” he said.

Both properties are within one of the priority areas designated by the RDA for addressing blight in the city.

The next step will be for the city to get an appraisal of the properties, and have an engineer look at whether either of them can be saved.

After that, an offer would be made to SIST for their purchase.

If a price cannot be agreed upon, the matter can be expected to go to court, Bunke said.

Meanwhile, the RDA is still waiting to hear plans for 143 S. Main St., which has a deadline of another 30 days. So far, there has been no communication, according to the city.

Shawano Police Department

April 25

Police logged 17 incidents, including the following:

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

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

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

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

April 25

Deputies logged 30 incidents, including the following:

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

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Huntington Court in the town of Wescott.

Suspicious — A suspicious vehicle was reported on Frailing Road in the town of Wescott.

Suspicious — A suspicious person was reported on Birch Street in Tigerton.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Springbrook Road in the town of Washington.

Accident — Authorities responded to an injury accident on Elm Grove Road in the town of Maple Grove.

Ben Huber was elected president of the Clintonville School Board at its organizational meeting Monday.

Former President Jim Dins was elected clerk. Lori Poppe was elected vice president. Clyde Tellock was re-elected treasurer, a position he has held for several years.

Poppe was also named to the CESA8 Board of Control and will serve as a delegate to the CESA 8 annual convention June 7.

Newly election board member Kris Strauman was designated a delegate to the Wisconsin Association of School Boards’ Delegate Assembly.

The Clintonville Tribune-Gazette was named the official newspaper for the district.

Regular board meetings will continue to be held at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Mondays of the month in the Information Media Center at Clintonville Middle School, 255 N. Main St.

The city of Shawano picked up its 23rd annual Tree City USA award Wednesday in a ceremony at Franklin Park, where umbrellas outnumbered the trees.

Mayor Jeanne Cronce saw a silver lining in the downpour, however, noting that the precipitation was necessary for planting and growth.

“We do need the rain when we do plant, so I guess somebody knew what they were doing when it started raining,” she said.

Cronce read a proclamation honoring Arbor Day, which is actually Friday, which noted that trees help clean the air and water, produce oxygen, reduce storm water runoff, reduce heating and cooling costs, moderate temperatures and provide food and habitat for wildlife.

She also noted that trees unify neighborhoods and provide joy and spiritual renewal.

Cronce also announced certificates of appreciation to longtime and now retired members of the city’s Tree Advisory Board, Fred Ponschok and Geraldine Stephens.

Tracy Salisbury, regional urban forester for the state Department of Natural Resources, presented Cronce with a flag and plaque marking the city’s status as a Tree City.

She also presented awards to Shawano Municipal Utilities for its efforts protecting tree lines and promoting tree growth.

SMU devotes $2,000 in its budget each year for tree planting.

Nature’s Friends awards were also presented to Stephens and to Scott Paiser of OakHaven S&C.

Park and Recreation Director Matt Hendricks and Matty Mathison also announced that a cherry tree would be planted at Franklin Park in honor of Curt Knoke.

The ceremony was attended by fourth-grade students from Olga Brener, St. James and Sacred Heart schools.

Each school will receive a 3-year-old seedling courtesy of the DNR.

Plans had called for a ceremonial tree to be planted Wednesday, but Tree Advisory Board Chairman Bill Erdmann said “it’s too wet and muddy.”

Two days before he was expected to go to trial, a traveling basketball coach accused in Shawano of attempting to facilitate a child sex crime pleaded guilty.

Nicholas R. Bennett, 25, was arrested in October 2015 after arriving for what he expected would be a sexual rendezvous with a 13-year-old boy, according to the criminal complaint.

He was charged with using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime and child enticement.

He pleaded guilty Tuesday to the computer sex crime charge. The charge of child enticement was dropped but can still be considered by the judge at sentencing June 23.

Bennett could face a maximum 40 years in prison and $100,000 fine.

Bennett had also been charged with 201 counts of child porn possession that were thrown out of court.

After his arrest, authorities executed search warrants to obtain electronic devices Bennett had with him when he came to Shawano for a basketball camp at Sacred Heart Catholic School.

According to authorities, the devices located in a duffel bag and backpack in a motel room stored thousands of videos and images of child pornography.

Defense attorney George Pappas questioned whether detectives had the authority to conduct the forensic analysis of the laptop and other items, arguing it was outside the scope of the original search warrant, which was limited to securing possible evidence for the computer sex crime charge.

Shawano County Circuit Court Judge James Habeck eventually dismissed the child porn charges.

Bennett was a basketball coach with Pro Shot Shooting Systems, which offers basketball camps and clinics in various venues across the U.S.

According to the criminal complaint, Bennett struck up an acquaintance with a 13-year-old boy during the Shawano camp, asked for the boy’s cellphone number and began texting him the next day.

The texts came to the attention of the boy’s mother, who contacted the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department. She told detectives the text messages were at first supportive of the boy’s athletic talent but gradually seemed suggestive.

Sheriff’s detectives took over the electronic communications with Bennett. As the conversations between Bennett and detectives continued, the texts became more suggestive and eventually sexually explicit, according to the complaint.

Bennett eventually suggested a meeting and was taken into custody when he arrived.

Habeck on Tuesday ordered a pre-sentence investigation and psychosexual evaluation to be done prior to sentencing.

Shawano Police Department

April 26

Police logged 28 incidents, including the following:

Fraud — BMO Harris Bank, 101 N. Main St., reported an identity theft complaint.

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

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint in the 2900 block of East Richmond Street.

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

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

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

April 26

Deputies logged 29 incidents, including the following:

Fraud — Authorities investigated an identity theft complaint on Ranch Road in the town of Waukechon.

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

Auto Theft — A vehicle was reported stolen on Maple Street in Birnamwood.

Juvenile — Authorities responded to a juvenile problem on Old Lake Lane in the town of Wescott.

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

Accidents — Authorities responded to an injury accident in Mattoon and logged five other accidents, including two deer-related crashes.

Clintonville Police Department

April 26

Police logged 10 incidents, including the following:

Disorderly — Police responded to disorderly conduct and suspicious incident complaints at the high school, 64 Green Tree Road.

Drug Offense — A juvenile was taken into custody for possession of drug paraphernalia on Garfield Street.

State Bank and Keller Inc. broke ground for a new 3,600-square-foot bank April 18 at 1213 E. Green Bay St. in Shawano.

State Bank has served the area since 1908 and offers services such as internet banking, ATM/check cards, Mobiliti (cellphone banking) and Remote Deposit Capture (cellphone check deposits) and bill payment for internet banking.

Construction is expected to be completed by September.

Keller Planners, Architects, Builders has offices in the Fox Cities, Madison, Milwaukee and Wausau. The firm specializes in new construction, remodel, retrofit and re-roof projects.

United Cooperative announced April 10 at its annual meeting in Beaver Dam that it is returning $28.7 million in total patronage to its members for 2016.

Forty percent of the patronage, or $11.5 million, will be distributed in cash to United Cooperative’s patron member owners in April. The remainder, or $17.2 million, will be retained in equity credits.

David Cramer, president and CEO, reported revenues for 2016 were $633 million. United Cooperative’s core cooperative businesses of feed, grain, agronomy and energy generated $25 million in profits, down $2 million from 2015. The investment United Cooperative made in ethanol contributed $14 million to its net income in 2016, up from the $11 million in 2015.

Patronage from regional cooperatives was down $1 million from 2016, at $6 million.

All combined, United Cooperative had a total net income before income taxes in 2016 of $45.5 million, virtually unchanged from 2015.

“United Cooperative invested millions in cooperative building projects in 2016 to benefit member access and profitability,” Cramer said.

Cramer noted that construction was completed last year on two feed manufacturing facilities at Shawano and Wilton; on a complete grain receiving and drying system at Westfield; a 1.2-million-bushel storage bin at Rock Springs; a 4,650-ton dry fertilizer plant and a new liquid facility at Auroraville; a 24-hour fuel pumping station at Hillsboro; and a maintenance shop at Hillsboro.

Employees recognized for their years of outstanding service with United Cooperative included Glen Hudson, Shawano feed, 35 years; Kevin Gunderson, Pulaski feed, 30 years; Michael Pericak, Shawano office, 15 years; Mark Yanke, United Cooperative, Shawano feed, 15 years; Eric Onan, Shawano feed, 10 years.

Formed in 1936, United Cooperative is a full-service cooperative offering feed, grain, agronomy, and energy products and services to Wisconsin farmers and consumers.

The library at Shawano Community Middle School is about to get its due.

It is one of the few areas of the middle school that were left untouched by a $10 million renovation completed last year following a successful referendum.

School officials now have identified funding for improvements planned this summer to equip the library with new shelving, furnishings, equipment, lighting and more.

“It’s going to be much more of a modern library,” Principal Mary Kramer said.

School board members have agreed to spend up to $123,000 on the project, which will upgrade the library to match improvements made throughout the rest of the middle school last year.

Jeff Easter, the school district’s director of buildings and grounds, said some board members have questioned why the library was not included in the $10 million package approved by voters in November 2015.

Not only would that have driven up the price tag on the referendum and jeopardized the schedule for getting the project done on time, Easter said, it would have meant that the library was not available as a valuable space for storage during remodeling work elsewhere in the building.

“It was very helpful to not be messing around in there,” he said.

The referendum effort modernized the middle school, 1050 S. Union St., with a new main entrance, an enlarged cafeteria, new gymnasium locker rooms, an updated kitchen, a new heating system, and improved band and orchestra rooms, along with other improvements. Work was completed last fall, just before the school year started.

Easter later approached the library staff about some cosmetic touch-ups, and the plans grew from there.

Krisy Bogacz, the school district’s library director, said the middle school students need a library with suitable instructional space and modern facilities that inspire them to spend time in the library reading, thinking and interacting.

Bogacz said much of the existing library probably has been unchanged for the past 40 or 50 years.

“We’re teaching and we’re learning differently,” she said, “and this library kind of needs to evolve with that.”

In addition to such cosmetic improvements as new carpeting, painting, doors and lighting, the plans call for removing offices to create more open space, reconfiguring the layout, replacing bookshelves, acquiring new work-friendly furniture and installing inventory-control equipment.

Easter said although the footprint will not change, the remodeling will have a dramatic effect.

“It’s going to seem a lot bigger,” he said.

Work is scheduled to be completed over the summer, so that students and staff can enjoy the new library with the start of the 2017-18 school year. The middle school serves about 500 students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades.

School board members set the budget at $123,000 using funds from the district’s $27 million-a-year budget.

Easter said he has approached some contractors already, but he also is hoping to save money by performing much of the work with in-house staff.

Bogacz said she is confident that the library will undergo a significant transformation, even with the spending limits.

“We’re going to think creatively enough to get our teaching and learning goals met,” she said. “I’m very excited about the changes.”

If the Clintonville School Board decides to try another referendum to address its elementary school needs, it probably won’t be for another year or more.

“There is no general election in the fall, so if the district wanted to do a referendum this fall, we would be putting up a pretty hefty bill, so that’s not likely,” business manager Lynette Edwards said. “We are looking at least a year out if not a year and a half. From what I understand from talking with other school districts, that’s not too long to plan and prepare.”

On April 4, voters rejected the district’s proposed $24.9 million referendum, 1,140-733. The proposal to raze Rexford-Longfellow Elementary School and build a new school was endorsed by a 31-member task force that spent months studying the issue.

“I think it’s really important that we keep the discussion going about the elementary school,” Edwards told the board.

Residents who addressed the board earlier this month said concerns focused on the decision to replace rather than renovate or repurpose the existing facility, communication issues with the public, the number of teachers and district employees on the committee, the proposal to pay interest-only for the first five years of the loan, and the plan to invest in facilities rather than teachers and student performance.

After the board Monday asked Steve Reinke, buildings and grounds manager, to prepare a list of the most immediate repairs needed, Edwards urged the board to continue looking at the big picture.

“I pause at the ideas that we’re just going to start piecemealing that building year by year and then go back and talk about the referendum, because then we’ve pretty much sealed the deal that we’re not going to build a new school, and we’ve married ourselves to keeping that facility,” Edwards said.

Edwards said she met with the staff members of the elementary school and assured them that we were not giving up addressing their needs.

“I’m not giving up on the referendum,” she said. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, but I don’t think we just throw out the work that we’ve already done, which was to bring the community together and start discussing a referendum, a new build or a remodel.”

Board President Ben Huber also said the district should refrain from making costly decisions about the school before another referendum.

“I think we have to have a referendum question … at some point because we are not going to be able to fund the entire renovation through simply fund balance,” he said. “We need a referendum approval, and we shouldn’t be making major decisions before the referendum goes through,” he added.

Edwards said other districts have followed a failed referendum with a survey, to learn why residents voted as they did.

Edwards said the survey “can’t be too soon. If we wait six months, it is too long.”

Huber agreed.

“Everyone in the community knows there is a need and we have to get it done,” he said.

The task force found that the 154,000-square-foot Rexford-Longfellow structure is larger than needed, 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, parts of the building do not meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards or fire codes, and the infrastructure does not support modern technology.

Shawano Police Department

April 27

Police logged 25 incidents, including the following:

Accident — Police responded to a property damage accident at Shawano Community High School, 220 County Road B.

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

Theft — A theft was reported at Hillcrest Primary School, 1410 Waukechon St.

Theft — Police investigated a theft complaint in the 2500 block of East Lieg Avenue.

Theft — Prescription drugs were reported stolen at Olga Brener Intermediate School, 1300 S. Union St.

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

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

April 27

Deputies logged 44 incidents, including the following:

Theft — Authorities investigated a theft complaint on Co-op Avenue in the town of Green Valley.

Fraud — Authorities responded to a fraud complaint on Herms Lane in the town of Washington.

Warrant — A 20-year-old man was arrested on a warrant on state Highway 29 in the town of Richmond.

Warrant — A female subject was taken into custody on a warrant on Witt-Birn Town Line Road in the town of Wittenberg.

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

Stockbridge-Munsee Police Department

April 27

Police logged five incidents, including the following:

OAR — A 31-year-old woman was arrested for criminal operating after revocation on Schabow Street in Gresham.

Clintonville Police Department

April 27

Police logged 14 incidents, including the following:

Auto Theft — A vehicle was reported stolen on Sixth Street and was later located.

Fraud — A bad check was reported on South Main Street.

Theft — Money was reported stolen on 10th Street.

Education got the red-carpet treatment Friday as members of the Shawano community turned out for the annual Shawano Dollars for Scholars gala banquet.

More than 200 people showed their support for the student scholarship program at the organization’s 24th annual gala at The Gathering banquet hall in Shawano.

The event is the largest fundraiser of the year for the organization, which provides scholarships annually to local high school graduates continuing their education.

The organization has awarded nearly $2 million in scholarships to hundreds of students since 1993.

Supporter Mike Van Rite said he has been a booster for years because he enjoys seeing charitable donations work in such a tangible way as helping Shawano kids continue their educations.

“What better way to contribute?” he said. “I think it’s a great way to spend some money.”

The gala, which raises about $20,000 a year, included a silent auction, raffles and endowment sponsorship sign-ups, in a festive atmosphere that had participants in high spirits.

Greeting the crowd were Dollars for Scholars President Troy Edwards and master of ceremonies Vincenzo Badalamenti.

Badalamenti told the crowd he was impressed by the Dollars operation, saying that during his high school days, he had little idea how scholarships worked.

“I thought scholarships came from trees,” he said. “This is super cool.”

Dollars for Scholars began with a small group of local business leaders and has grown into vast community network with an endowment large enough to support every high school graduate who applies. The organization received a donation of $7.5 million a few years ago from the estate of Judge Michael Eberlein and his wife, Joanne.

Other major sponsors of Friday’s gala included The Shawano Leader, BMO Harris Bank, Charlie’s County Market, Reinhart Foods, Cellcom and Christensen Publishing.

Supporter Mike Stupecky recalled that the program awarded scholarships to his sons, both of whom are currently attending college.

Stupecky called it important to keep the program flourishing for future generations.

“I just like to give back to something that’s given to my sons,” he said. “It’s for a great cause.”

Donna Baenen has been named 2017 Nurse of the Year and recipient of the Carol and Robert Bush Excellence in Nursing Award for her work at Bellin Hospital in Green Bay.

“It’s a very prestigious award,” said Baenen, who graduated from Shawano High School in 1983. “I’m incredibly honored and humbled.”

Baenen received the award April 19 at a ceremony at the Gather on Broadway in Green Bay. The Bushes, well-known philanthropists in Green Bay, have been giving the award to a nurse for 16 years.

Baenen has been a nurse for 30 years, the past 26 yeas at Bellin, where she is a staff nurse in the emergency department.

After high school Baenen earned a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from Marian University in Fond du Lac. She is a registered nurse and has a certificate in emergency nursing.

“I embraced the staff role of nursing,” Baenen said. “I’m comfortable in this position and it’s what I do best.”

Baenen received a monetary award and a porcelain nurse statue. She was nominated by her boss, co-workers, doctors and educators.

Baenen said Bellin Hospital provides a platform for nurses to excel. She also gives kudos to the ER team.

“You’re only as good as the people around you,” she said. “ I’m thankful for the team in the emergency department.”

Baenen grew up in the town of Belle Plaine, the oldest of five daughters of Don and Diane Brandl. The couple owned Belle Plaine Cheese Factory, which is now a cheese store. All the girls worked in the cheese factory which Diane said gave them all a background in responsibility.

“I thanked my parents for teaching me the meaning of hard work,” Baenen said.

Diane Brandl said she is immensely proud of Donna.

“She always goes above and beyond and is very caring,” Diane said.

Baenen also does a variety of volunteer work with homeless people and with the Bellin Run.

Baenen and her husband, Pete, have three children and live in Green Bay.

A decision could come as soon as Thursday on whether a referendum creating a Mattoon school district will go before voters in November.

A hearing was held Tuesday at Antigo High School with the School District Boundary Appeal Board, a panel of 12 school board members from around the state appointed by the state superintendent of public instruction.

The board is expected back in Antigo on Thursday to convene in closed session and discuss the appeal, then come out of closed session with an answer, according to Zak Kickhaver, one of the organizers of the push to give the village of Mattoon its own school district.

Supporters filed a petition with the state in February seeking an appeal of the Antigo school board’s vote to deny letting the proposed secession go to a referendum.

The Unified School District of Antigo board voted 8-1 on Jan. 10 against the proposed referendum.

According to Kickhaver, 30 people spoke in favor of holding the referendum at Tuesday’s hearing and only one against.

“We feel it went very well and are cautiously optimistic,” he said. “Still, our only goal here is to get it on the ballot in November so we can vote on it.”

Efforts to create a Mattoon district, which would serve students in kindergarten through sixth grade, were spurred by the Antigo board’s decision last year to close Mattoon Elementary School.

There are 120 eligible elementary students within the boundaries of the proposed Mattoon district, though some of them could still attend the Antigo district through open enrollment. The boundaries are in line with the area served by Mattoon Elementary in the 2015-16 school year.

The plan would be for the Mattoon district to contract with Antigo schools for seventh though 12th grade classes.

Antigo school officials voted twice to close the elementary school. Some parents say the school board’s first vote in April 2016 was taken without any public notice. The board held a special meeting in June to vote again and came down to the same 5-4 decision.

The village of Mattoon sought a court injunction in May to keep the school district from closing the Mattoon school, maintaining the village and parents of elementary school students in Mattoon were blindsided by the decision.

Two parents of Mattoon elementary students joined the village as plaintiffs in the complaint.

The complaint alleged the school board’s vote to close the Mattoon school was retribution for the lack of support for the school district’s failed referendum in April of last year.

The $25.9 million plan would have closed five of the district’s seven elementary schools, renovated the remaining two, and built a new, centralized school in Antigo.

The referendum failed by a vote of 3,787-2,615.

The civil complaint maintained that the school’s closure will make the village of Mattoon a less attractive place to live, leading to a decline in population, business presence and economic vitality.

A court order issuing a settlement and stipulation to dismiss the suit was issued on Aug. 4, after the Mattoon school had already been closed.

Authorities on Monday released the name of a Pulaski man who was killed Saturday in a two-vehicle crash in the town of Belle Plaine .

Mark Kanzenbach, 38, died after being rear-ended on state Highway 29 near state Highway 22, according to the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department.

Kanzenbach was driving a pickup truck westbound on Highway 29 about 8 a.m. when a van struck him from behind. He was transported to ThedaCare Regional Medical Center-Neenah, where he died from his injuries.

The driver of the van was Matthew Gershon, 39, of Manitowoc.

The crash is still under investigation. No other details have been released.

The sheriff's department was assisted at the scene by the Shawano Fire Department, Wisconsin State Patrol and Shawano Ambulance.

Shawano Police Department

April 30

Police logged 22 incidents, including the following:

Shoplifting — Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St., reported a man fled the store with a TV.

Theft — An iPhone was reported stolen at Lakeshore Lanes, 210 N. Airport Drive.

Theft — A briefcase was reported stolen from a vehicle at Pick ‘n Save, 190 Woodlawn Drive.

Shoplifting — Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St., reported one of its associates had been caught shoplifting.

Fraud — Police investigated a Facebook scam in the 200 block of West Richmond Street.

April 29

Police logged 22 incidents, including the following:

Accident — Police responded to a property damage accident at Airport and Engel drives.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 100 block of Sunset Avenue.

Hit and Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run at Taco Bell, 1266 E. Green Bay St.

Hit and Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run at People’s Express, 1206 E. Green Bay St.

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

Accident — Police responded to an injury accident at Airport Drive and Homewood Avenue.

Disturbance — A domestic disturbance was reported in the 700 block of South Lafayette Street.

April 28

Police logged 22 incidents, including the following:

Threatening — Police responded to a threatening complaint at McDonald’s, 1202 E. Green Bay St.

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

Theft — Vehicle break-ins were reported in the parking lot at Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St.

Vandalism — A vehicle was reported vandalized in the 400 block of West First Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

April 30

Police logged 24 incidents, including the following:

OWI — A 26-year-old Tigerton man was arrested for violation of absolute sobriety condition of his bond on County Road A in Gresham.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Marsh Road in the town of Aniwa.

Fire — Authorities responded to a fire call on Big Lake Road in the town of Red Springs.

Fire — A power pole was reported burning on Birch Drive in the town of Maple Grove.

Fire — Authorities responded to a barn fire on Ranch Road in the town of Herman.

April 29

Police logged 40 incidents, including the following:

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

Warrant — A 22-year-old Bonduel man was arrested on a warrant on County Road F in the town of Hartland.

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

Fraud — Authorities investigated a fraud complaint on Wildwood Road in the town of Navarino.

Fraud — Authorities investigated a fraud complaint on state Highway 156 in the town of Lessor.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Railroad Street in Bowler.

April 28

Police logged 39 incidents, including the following:

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

Drug Offense — Authorities investigated a drug complaint on Cedar Street in Tigerton.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Chrissie Circle in the town of Washington.

Burglary — A burglary was reported on Zachow Road in the town of Hartland.

Burglary — A burglary was reported on Almon Street in Bowler.

Shawano Police Department

May 1

Police logged 24 incidents, including the following:

Theft — A cellphone was reported stolen in the 700 block of South Lincoln Street.

Disorderly — A 32-year-old man was charged with disorderly conduct at the Super 8 Motel, 211 Waukechon St.

Truancy — Police logged two truancy complaints from Shawano Community Middle School, 1050 S. Union St.

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

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem on Riverside Drive.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem in the 300 block of South Andrews Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

May 1

Deputies logged 38 incidents, including the following:

Harassment — Harassment was reported on Grandview Street in Wittenberg.

Fraud — Authorities investigated an internet scam complaint on Valley Road in the town of Washington.

Harassment — Harassment was reported on Broadway Road in the town of Richmond.

Vandalism — Vehicles were reported vandalized on Hemlock Road in the town of Wittenberg.

OWL — A 34-year-old woman was cited for operating without a license on state Highway 47-55 in the town of Wescott.

Accident — Authorities responded to a three-vehicle injury accident on state Highway 22 near Swan Acre Road in the town of Washington. Further information was not available.

Stockbridge-Munsee Police Department

May 1

Police logged five incidents, including the following:

Truancy — Police logged a truancy complaint from Gresham Community School, 501 Schabow St., Gresham.

Clintonville Police Department

May 1

Police logged 12 incidents, including the following:

Fraud — A fraud complaint on North 12th Street was under investigation.

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct and trespassing complaint.