A treasurer with the Shawano FFA Alumni has been charged with stealing $32,000 from the organization, according to a criminal complaint filed in Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court.

Elizabeth A. Pahlow, 32, of Clintonville, is accused of taking money from the fund for her own use between February 2017 and February 2018, according to the complaint.

Pahlow could face a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine if convicted of the felony count of theft in a business setting.

Pahlow took over the office of treasurer in February 2017, at which time the alumni account had a balance of $30,737. In February of this year, the account was down to $141, according to the complaint.

FFA officials became suspicious when they saw the treasurer’s report that was to be presented at an annual banquet in February and contacted the Shawano Police Department.

According to the complaint, Pahlow had confessed to taking the money with the intention of paying it back.

The complaint alleges Pahlow wrote 18 checks from the account ranging from $100 to $3,000 over the course of a year, as well as two online transfers from the account of $500 each.

Pahlow is free on a signature bond of $25,000.

She is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on the charge on May 22.

Shawano school officials and local law enforcement offered a refresher course, and a few updates Thursday to security precautions in place and options available in the event that a school and its students and staff are ever faced with an active shooter situation.

The presentation began with a recap of the ALICE program, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate.

Shawano Community High School Principal Scott Zwirschitz explained those steps are not necessarily sequential.

“You use them however you can,” he said, adding that evacuating is always the first choice if possible.

Zwirschitz said the Shawano School District, along with private schools in the city, have all adopted safety plans that include stages of potential threats.

The first would be notification of any incident off school grounds of which staff needs to be aware.

Other stages include clearing a room, whether it be for medical or disciplinary reasons, or a building notice, under which no one is allowed in or out.

After that comes the “secure hold,” often erroneously referred to as a lockdown, in which hallways are cleared and classroom doors are locked.

The highest phase is the alert.

“This is what everybody’s most concerned about,” Zwirschitz said. “This when there’s someone on our property looking to do harm.”

Zwirschitz said security and safety are important to the district.

“We aren’t just being reactionary,” he said. “We’ve been doing stuff all along that we’ve been doing for quite a few years.”

Zwirschitz said the school safety committee has been meeting on a monthly basis to discuss issues, staff has been trained in various responses, including ALICE and there has been additional police presence.

He said one area where there might need to be improvement is doing a better job of involving students in the training, something that gets tricky when younger students are involved.

One item that was not already known by all of the roughly 30 people who attended was where to go in the event of an incident.

Though the schools have individual safe locations to go to in the event of an incident, it was not widely known that the reunification spot for parents and their children is Hope Community Church, 302 Tristan Drive.

Zwirschitz said the location was chosen to keep traffic out of the way of whatever might be going on.

Shawano Police Department

April 26

Police logged 24 incidents, including the following:

Drug Offense — A 23-year-old Keshena woman was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia after a traffic stop at Sawyer and Main streets.

Trespass — Police responded to a trespassing complaint in the 200 block of North Airport Drive after a man was found sleeping in a shed. The man fled the scene.

Truancy — Police logged two truancy complaints from Hillcrest Primary School, 1410 Waukechon St.

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

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

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

April 26

Deputies logged 50 incidents, including the following:

Theft — A utility theft was reported on Primrose Lane in Tigerton.

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

Disorderly — Authorities responded to a disorderly conduct complaint on Webb Street in Wittenberg.

Disorderly — Disorderly conduct was reported on Capitol Drive in the town of Belle Plaine.

OAR — A 38-year-old woman was cited for operating after revocation at Main and Mills streets in Shawano.

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

Clintonville Police Department

April 26

Police logged 13 incidents, including the following:

Assault — Two sexual assault complaints were under investigation.

Harassment — Harassment was reported on Anne Street.

Disorderly — Disorderly conduct was reported on Olen Park Road.

It will be at least August before the Shawano Redevelopment Authority is able to take any action on two vacant and blighted downtown properties owned by the Samanta Roy Institute of Science and Technology.

A condemnation review hearing that had been scheduled for May 24 has been moved to Aug. 1 due to a scheduling conflict in Shawan0-Menominee County Circuit Court.

In the meantime, however, SIST has contacted the city to take out permits for building improvements to 143-145 S. Main St. and 214-216 S. Main St., the properties the RDA is looking to condemn.

The pending litigation does not preclude SIST from making repairs.

“At any point in time, the property owners can make repairs to their own buildings,” said Assistant City Administrator Eddie Sheppard, who has been serving as a staff advisor to the RDA.

Sheppard said SIST “still intends to move forward” with those repairs and has contacted the city’s building inspector to take out permits.

SIST has filed two separate civil suits seeking to prevent the city from proceeding with the condemnation, but court records indicate there has been no activity in those cases since they were filed a month ago.

SIST representative Darlene Sense also appeared at an April 4 RDA meeting claiming that damage done to their properties was caused by the city.

She asked that the city leave SIST alone to do what they want with their properties, and said SIST would take its complaints about the city to the United Nations.

Sheppard said in an interview Friday that the RDA has sought to be a resource for property owners and wants to work with them to make improvements to their properties.

The RDA is offering $37,000 to SIST for the 214-216 S. Main St. property, using the figure SIST provided in its own appraisal, and offering $46,000 for the real estate and buildings at 143-145 S. Main St., along with relocation expenses of $28,000.

The Hunan Chinese Restaurant currently leases the building at 145 S. Main St. from SIST. The building at 143 S. Main St. is vacant.

Shawano Police Department

April 30

Police logged 31 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — A 33-year-old Shawano man was arrested for strangulation, battery, disorderly conduct and criminal damage to property after police responded to a disturbance in the 200 block of South Andrews Street.

Fire — A stove fire was reported in the 100 block of Madison Way.

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint at ThedaCare Medical Center, 100 County Road B.

Harassment — Harassment was reported at Shawano Community Middle School, 1050 S. Union St.

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

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

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance at Richmond and Lincoln streets.

April 29

Police logged 14 incidents, including the following:

OWI — A 23-year-old Shawano man was arrested for operating while intoxicated and a probation violation in the 1300 block of East Green Bay Street.

Auto Theft — A vehicle was reported stolen in the 1200 block of South Lafayette Street.

Disturbance — Police responded to a report of a fight in progress in the 400 block of East Green Bay Street.

April 28

Police logged 30 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 400 block of South Lincoln Street.

Vandalism — A glass bowl and bird feeder were reported vandalized in the 500 block of East Randall Street.

Threatening — Police responded to a threatening complaint at Shawano Community Middle School, 1050 S. Union St.

April 27

Police logged 20 incidents, including the following:

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint in the 500 block of East Randall Street.

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

OAR — A 39-year-old man was cited for operating after revocation at Sawyer and Division streets.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 100 block of Prairie Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

April 30

Deputies logged 42 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Sandy Drive in the town of Washington.

Vandalism — A sign was reported vandalized on Green Valley Road in the town of Maple Grove.

Theft — Cans were reported stolen from the Navarino town hall, W5041 State Highway 156 in the town of Navarino.

OWL — A 28-year-old man was cited for operating without a license on Birch Drive in the town of Maple Grove.

OWL — A 24-year-old man was cited for operating without a license on County Road Y in the town of Belle Plaine.

April 29

Deputies logged 35 incidents, including the following:

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

OAR — A 53-year-old Little Suamico man was cited for operating after revocation on state Highway 187 in the town of Navarino.

Vandalism — A truck was reported vandalized on Lake Drive in the town of Wescott.

Harassment — Harassment was reported on State Street in Bonduel.

Theft — A theft was reported at Ho-Chunk Gaming Wittenberg, N7214 U.S. Highway 45 in the town of Wittenberg.

April 28

Deputies logged 39 incidents, including the following:

Juvenile — Authorities investigated a juvenile alcohol complaint on Lake Drive in the town of Wescott.

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

Fire — Authorities responded to a vehicle fire on state Highway 22 in the town of Belle Plaine.

Disorderly — Authorities responded to a disorderly conduct complaint on County Road Y in the town of Belle Plaine.

Warrant — A 31-year-old Bowler man was arrested on a warrant on Rollman Street in the village of Bowler.

April 27

Deputies logged 38 incidents, including the following:

OWI — A 26-year-old Bonduel woman was arrested for operating while intoxicated on Birch Drive in the town of Maple Grove.

OAR — A 37-year-old Madison man was cited for operating after revocation and taken into custody on a warrant on U.S. Highway 45 in Birnamwood.

Warrant — A 38-year-old Gresham man was arrested on a warrant on state Highway 47-55 in the town of Wescott.

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

Drug Offense — A 32-year-old homeless woman was arrested for possession of methamphetamine and cited for operating after revocation on Cecil Street in Bonduel.

Drug Offense — Authorities investigated a drug complaint on Lake Drive in the town of Wescott.

Clintonville Police Department

April 30

Police logged 13 incidents, including the following:

Accidents — Property damage accidents were reported on South Main Street and West Madison Street.

Fraud — Fraud was reported on South Main Street.

Drug Offense — Possession of marijuana was reported on West Green Tree Road.

April 28

Police logged 13 incidents, including the following:

Theft — A theft was reported on West Morning Glory Drive.

OAR — Citations were issued for operating after revocation and failure to install ignition interlock device after a traffic stop on West Morning Glory Drive.

Disorderly — Disorderly conduct was reported on North Clinton Avenue.

April 27

Police logged nine incidents, including the following:

Theft — A theft was reported on Fifth Street.

Disturbance — Police responded to a domestic situation on South Main Street.

Harassment — A warning was issued for harassment on North Main Street.

Strangulation

A Shawano man has been charged with three felony counts of strangulation and suffocation as a result of an alleged domestic incident that occurred in the city last month.

Jesse M. Martin, 35, could face a maximum six years in prison and $10,000 fine on each of the three counts if found guilty.

He is accused of using an electrical cord and a leather belt to choke a woman three times during the April 21 altercation, causing her to lose consciousness on one occasion.

He is also charged with a misdemeanor count of domestic abuse-related battery.

Martin was ordered held on a $10,000 cash bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on the charges on May 10.

Strangulation, intimidation

A Shawano man is facing felony charges of strangulation, intimidation and false imprisonment after an alleged domestic abuse incident in the town of Richmond in March.

Lee E. Lindner, 30, is accused of choking a woman during a domestic disturbance on March 10, threatening her to keep her from reporting the incident and preventing her from leaving by holding her down, according to the criminal complaint.

Lindner could face a maximum possible penalty of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted of strangulation and suffocation, 10 years and a $25,000 fine for felony intimidation of a victim and six years and a $10,000 fine for false imprisonment.

He is also charged with misdemeanor counts of domestic abuse-related battery and bail jumping.

Lindner is scheduled for an initial appearance on the charges on May 7.

Battery by prisoners

A Wittenberg teen is facing multiple felony counts after fighting with Shawano County Jail staff during an incident last month.

Sebastian Phillips, 17, has been charged with four counts of battery by prisoners for allegedly causing injury to three staff members during the April 8 fight. The charges each carry a maximum possible penalty of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

He is also charged with attempted battery to another officer, which carries a maximum of three years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Phillips is also charged with five felony counts of spitting on public safety workers at the jail. Each of those counts carries a maximum of 3 1/2 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Phillips is being held on a $10,000 cash bond and is scheduled for a pre-trial conference on May 15.

Motorists on westbound state Highway 29 can expect to encounter a single lane closure and a reduced speed limit between Shawano County MMM and Spruce Road beginning Thursday. The lane closure is necessary for crews to complete pavement maintenance operations.

All work is scheduled for completion before noon May 25. The schedule is subject to change based on weather conditions and construction progress.

Motorists are reminded that using handheld cell phones in Wisconsin work zones is illegal.

For information regarding traffic impacts, transportation news and improvement project updates in Wisconsin’s north central region, visit https://projects.511wi.gov/weeklyupdates-nc.

A Cecil man is facing felony charges of child sexual assault and child enticement, along with a felony drug charge.

William A. Carstens, 61, is accused of having sexual contact with an 11-year-old girl and enticing the girl with the intent to have sexual contact, according to the criminal complaint.

The incident allegedly occurred on April 18 in Cecil.

Shawano County sheriff’s deputies on April 21 executed a search warrant of Carstens’ residence, during which they allegedly found numerous baggies of marijuana in his basement.

In total, according to the criminal complaint, officers located 28 baggies of suspected marijuana, totaling 585.5 grams, or about 1.29 lbs. Also located was a metal box containing a scale commonly used to measure marijuana, the complaint states.

Carstens could face a maximum possible penalty of 60 years in prison if found guilty of first-degree child sexual assault, 25 years and a $100,000 fine if convicted of child enticement, and six years and a $10,000 fine if convicted of possession with intent to deliver marijuana.

The case was given over to a special prosecutor and is being handled in Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court by the Outagamie County district attorney’s office.

A court filing appointing a special prosecutor states that, “The district attorney determines that a conflict of interest exists regarding the district attorney or the district attorney staff.”

There was no explanation of what the conflict of interest might be.

Carstens is free on a $50,000 cash bond and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on the charge on May 24.

A few new wrinkles came up Tuesday in what was expected to be a final review of a proposed master plan for downtown Shawano, necessitating at least one more meeting for the steering committee tasked with crafting the plan.

The committee, made up of members of the Shawano Redevelopment Authority, is looking at creating a new vision, marketing plan and implementation strategy for Shawano’s downtown based largely on community feedback.

Some of that feedback, gleaned from an open house meeting last month, identified concerns not fully addressed in the previous draft of the plan.

Some community members felt the downtown currently lacks two items that will be in great demand when downtown Shawano becomes the bustling, event-filled destination spot that many people envision — public restrooms and parking space.

Restrooms are already planned across from the farmers market as part of the Franklin Park improvement project, but addressing the parking issue is a little trickier.

“We have plenty of parking, but it’s not all in the right place,” said committee member Charlie Harvey.

The city has several public parking lots located behind the businesses that front Main Street.

There was a feeling from some committee members that those lots don’t make for an attractive option because of the condition of some of those properties on the back end.

It was felt property owners should be encouraged to make their rear entrances as aesthetically appealing as their storefronts.

Committee member Starlyn Tourtillott said the downtown plan should also do a better job of reflecting the area’s cultural diversity.

“As far as our rich history, with the three tribes that are near or within the county, I feel as though we need to have some artwork regarding that history in our downtown space,” she said.

Assistant City Administrator Eddie Sheppard agreed, saying many visitors to Shawano don’t realize that it’s a diverse community.

“We should be pointing that out, that we are diverse,” he said.

The steering committee will take another look at the plan later this month before sending it on to the plan commission and Common Council for approval.

The plan would include “a new vision and identity for the downtown” that would highlight the area as a pedestrian-friendly destination spot, recommend highest and best uses for downtown properties, seek to preserve historic and community-significant buildings, set standards for site and building design, and develop an implementation plan to help the city achieve its goals.

The project is being overseen by Madison-based planning consultant Vierbacher.

Shawano Police Department

May 1

Police logged 41 incidents, including the following:

Shoplifting — Walgreens, 401 E. Green Bay St., reported a shoplifting incident.

Disturbance — A 45-year-old Shawano man was arrested for disorderly conduct, battery and felony child abuse after a domestic disturbance in the 400 block of West Division Street.

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

Disturbance — A 36-year-old Shawano man was arrested for bail jumping, throwing or discharging bodily fluids at public safety workers, resisting arrest and disorderly conduct after a disturbance at ThedaCare Medical Center, 100 County Road B.

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

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

May 1

Deputies logged 47 incidents, including the following:

Fleeing — A fleeing incident was reported on South High Line Road in the town of Maple Grove.

Fire — A grass fire was reported on state Highway 29 in the town of Hartland.

Threatening — Authorities responded to a threatening complaint on Meadowview Road in Cecil.

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

OWL — A 55-year-old man was cited for operating without a license in the 1200 block of East Green Bay Street in Shawano.

Warrant — A 23-year-old woman was arrested on a warrant at Main and Fourth streets in Shawano.

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 house fire on Hennig Lake Road in the town of Aniwa.

Accident — Authorities logged five deer-related crashes.

Clintonville Public Works Director Kray Brown said he pulled out all his resources to fight the surprise snowfall in April.

It was to be a costly expense as well. The cost for the storm cleanup from April 13-20 was $142,523.43.

Snowfall amounts ranged from 33-35 inches of snow, causing major delays, store closings and cancellations. Due to the nature and time of the year, it was not only the amount of snow but the issue of the water content, according to Brown.

It was a heavy snow and caused major issues in clearing the roadways, he said. Other factors were winds causing drifts in excess in some areas of 6-12 feet in height.

On April 13, all television forecasts were predicting 1-3 inches of snow overnight. There was nothing major in preparing for this snowfall, according to Brown. Due to the potential storm conditions, discussions took place in the city on Friday to have a snow emergency in place from Saturday at 6 p.m. to Monday at 8 a.m.

At about 3:15 p.m. that day, a significant freak hailstorm blanketed the streets. Clintonville received about 1½ inches of hail/sleet with the diameter of the balls the size of a dime. Brown said he was still at work, and he called in another member of his crew to blade the streets and add material due to the slick conditions.

The path of the storm was narrow, encompassing from Third Street to Green Tree Road, and it was very slippery. With the temperatures of the road and air, crews only had to work about an hour and a half.

As the night progressed, Brown received a phone call from the police department that there were 3 inches on the ground and it was snowing hard. One vehicle was dispatched to take care of the main drags and emergency personnel if needed.

At 12:30 a.m. April 14, an employee noted there was already 4-5 inches on the ground and it was snowing harder. Brown and another employee went in to fight the snow. A couple of hours had passed and, seeing that it wasn’t getting better, he called all the employees in.

By 4:30 a.m. Clintonville had 6-8 inches of snow on the ground. Brown said he then called Mayor Richard Beggs and texted City Administrator Sharon Eveland and asked for the snow emergency to start immediately.

As the day went on, the snow kept coming and the crew was in full swing. Crews had major difficulty in plowing due to the snow being so heavy and the snow rate of 1-2 inches per hour.

Graders and the plow truck were rendered useless, according to Brown. They put chains on the graders to help get around the city. The salting system had failed in the early morning, so that truck was parked until they could look at it.

By nightfall on April 14, Clintonville had received 18 inches of more snow, more than what had been predicted.

Brown said he contacted the police department with his plan that if any emergencies would happen he would have someone to assist. He sent the employees home for rest knowing the worst was yet to come.

Brown also had the issue of food for the workers. Nothing was open.

“We did have some cheese and crackers and doughnuts brought in,” Brown said.

On April 15, the snow continued making things even more difficult for the street department. That day, crews were fighting the storm in blizzard conditions trying to stay ahead. By early evening, Public Works was able to open all streets for travel, but there was still major cleanup or areas that needed attention. They were unable to get to the alleys and some parking lots that day.

April 17 was the first time city crews were able to look at downtown and the surrounding streets for cleanup. They started at 2 a.m., hauling from the downtown area. Along with the two single-axle trucks and tandem, they had two quad-axle vehicles and a grain truck that was hired on. The removal lasted until Thursday, getting all of the downtown area and cul-de-sacs. Crews didn’t get some of the parking lots and a couple of the roads due to the temperatures predicted and having no more room for storing the snow. He estimated about 450 loads were hauled. Normally, they see about 150.

Earlier in the week, Brown said he had been informed that Waupaca County was looking at potential disaster relief. Brown kept records of the time and hours of equipment the city used and submitted it to the county. There may be some FEMA funds available, he said.

Brown used about 1,775 gallons of fuel to the tune of $5,750. Average employee hours were around 96 per person for the duration of the storm.

Shawano’s canine residents might finally get a chance to enjoy visiting at least some of the city’s parks, albeit with restrictions, under a policy being considered by the Shawano Park and Recreation Commission.

What began as a potential policy change to allow dogs to scare away nuisance geese at Smalley Park and Huckleberry Harbor quickly became a broader discussion of allowing them at other parks more associated with walking than sporting events or playground activities.

The commission at a meeting Wednesday ultimately decided on a six-month test allowing dogs to be walked on a leash at Kuckuk and Smalley parks and Huckleberry Harbor.

The proposed policy still needs to come back to the commission for final approval next month, so for the time being dogs are still not allowed.

The commission debated a number of options within the proposed policy aimed at dealing with the Canada goose problem that initiated the discussion.

Those options included allowing dogs to be unleashed during the prime hours when geese are settling in, between 4-9 a.m. and between 8-10 p.m.

Some commission members said that could be too confusing for the public.

“People aren’t going to remember,” said Bill Krenger. “There’s too many layers to it.”

City Administrator Brian Knapp said any measures are worth a try, but he had doubts that any measures would eliminate the geese, saying they usually return to land as soon as the dogs are gone.

“I’m very skeptical that you’re going to get residual effects from dogs or anything else that prevents them from coming back,” he said.

Though the geese problem has been limited to Smalley Park and Huckleberry Harbor, Kuckuk Park was included in the discussion because of its nature as a walking park and because there has been public demand to allow dogs.

It was noted that many people are already walking their dogs in the park in spite of the city prohibition.

Park and Recreation Director Matt Hendricks said there have been no complaints about animal waste at the park.

Allowing dogs at Sturgeon Park was also discussed but was dropped amid concerns it could be too dangerous for young children.

Allowing the dogs would mean adding waste stations at the three parks in question with plastic bags and trash cans.

Hendricks said those could cost about $400 apiece.

Hendricks said the city has not dropped the idea of someday providing a dog park, something often requested by residents, but allowing dogs in some parks might alleviate the need.

“One theory is, if you make parks more accessible to dogs, you don’t need a dog park,” he said.

The commission had considered allowing dogs in parks before but had always rejected the idea prior to the geese debate.

A heavy spring snowstorm pushed the date off for a week, but the city of Shawano finally had a chance Wednesday to celebrate a belated Arbor Day.

The event at the new Co-op Park, 1000 E. Maurer St., was highlighted by the presentation of three awards.

The city picked up its 24th annual Tree City USA award, recognizing Shawano’s commitment to actively manage its urban forest, and its eighth growth award, acknowledging environmental improvement and higher levels of tree management.

“It’s what makes Shawano a great place to live,” said Scott Lyons, regional forester coordinator with the Department of Natural Resources.

Lyons also presented the Tree Line USA award to Shawano Municipal Utilities, the 15th time the utility has picked up that honor.

The award recognizes quality tree care, community tree planting and community education.

Rob Koepp, electrical supervisor and engineer for SMU, also presented a $2,000 check to the Tree Advisory Committee to help with planting trees.

Mayor Ed Whealon read a proclamation observing Arbor Day and calling trees “a source of joy and spiritual renewal.”

Fourth-graders from Olga Brener Intermediate School, St. James Lutheran School and Sacred Heart Catholic School were on hand for the event.

Whealon quizzed the students about what they know about trees and why they’re so important.

“Pay attention to the trees, we need them,” Whealon said.

The students were later given seedlings to take home and plant and assisted with the planting of two new crab apple trees at the new park.

Park and Recreation Director Matt Hendricks told the students that Co-op Park might not look like much of a park just yet, but would by later in the summer.

“If you come back in July and August, what you will see is a playground, with swings and a couple levels of slides and things and hopefully an open-sided shelter,” Hendricks said.

He said a bike path would also link the park to the adjacent Mountain Bay Trail.

The park was established in exchange for another city park that was discontinued to allow for an expansion at United Cooperative, which gave the city $160,000 to create Co-op Park.

Belmark Inc. donated 700 cubic yards of soil, worth about $15,000, from its new building site to be used at the park.

The Shawano Rotary planted trees at the new park last fall.

“It’s an example of how people in this community work together,” Hendricks said.

“The city is very supportive of planting trees, taking care of their trees and beautifying the city,” said Shawano Forester Mike Kroenke.

The ceremony also recognized Toni Knope, who donated 35 crab apple trees to the city in memory of her husband, Doug Knope, and handed out two Nature’s Friend Awards.

“We look for outstanding properties, with trees that are taken care of,” said Tree Advisory Committee Chairman Bill Erdmann in explaining how the winners will chosen.

Todd and Sarah Swedberg were given the residential award and selected a huckleberry tree to be planted in their honor at Smalley Park in the fall.

The commercial award went to National Information Solutions Cooperative, 1380 County Road B. The company will be planting a flowering lilac tree at their location to acknowledge the award.

Shawano Police Department

May 2

Police logged 13 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance at Shawano County Social Services, 607 E. Elizabeth St.

Theft — Garbage bins were reported stolen in the 1000 block of South Weed Street.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 800 block of South River Street.

Drug Offense — Police investigated a drug complaint in the 800 block of West Picnic Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

May 2

Deputies logged 31 incidents, including the following:

OWI — A 23-year-old Gillett woman was arrested for operating while intoxicated on Lake Drive in the town of Wescott.

Disorderly — A 66-year-old Keshena woman was cited for disorderly conduct at the North Star Casino, N12180 County Road A in the town of Bartelme.

Warrant — A 26-year-old Clintonville woman was arrested on a warrant on County Road Y in the town of Belle Plaine.

Trespass — Authorities responded to a trespassing complaint on County Road M in the town of Belle Plaine.

Theft — Authorities investigated a theft complaint at the Shawano County Jail, 405 N. Main St.

Trespass — Authorities responded to a trespassing complaint on Hofman Street in Cecil.

Drug Offense — Authorities investigated a drug complaint in the 800 block of West Picnic Street.

A Keshena man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in a fatal crash on the Menominee Indian Reservation.

Saswaen Waukechon, 38, is facing an involuntary manslaughter charge in the death of a passenger in his vehicle that crashed in January in the Legend Lake area. Authorities allege Waukechon was driving while intoxicated.

The indictment returned by the grand jury earlier this week carries a maximum 8-year prison sentence upon conviction.

The FBI was among agencies investigating the case.

As the sturgeon begin reaching the Shawano dam for their annual spawning ritual, the Menominee Tribe is continuing efforts to return the fish to their natural spawning site at Keshena Falls.

That spawning run had gone on for thousands of years, according to the tribe, until the Shawano Dam and Balsam Row Dams prevented the sturgeon from migrating further north over the last century.

Since 1993, the tribe has been working with the Wisconsin DNR, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services on the Menominee Lake Sturgeon Management Plan to restore lake sturgeon to their original natural range up above the Shawano dams and on the Menominee reservation.

The DNR has been working with Menominee Tribe on releasing sturgeon below Keshena Falls.

Sturgeon reintroduction work to the upper reaches of the Wolf River near Keshena Falls has shown progress, the tribe said in a press release Thursday, and the Menominee Sturgeon Guard implemented in 2012 are watching over spawning activities as part of the reintroduction plan.

“This spawning at Keshena Falls gives the tribe hope that the tribe can achieve efforts to restore sturgeon to their entire historical range,” the tribe said.

“For thousands of years, the sturgeon have come back and provided for our tribe,” said Chairman Douglas Cox.

“They have taken care of us, and now it is our responsibility to take care of them,” he said. “We are pleased to see spawning below the Keshena Falls from the captured and transferred sturgeon. We hope to see the sturgeon spawn run return to its natural path to Keshena Falls.”

The tribe said it is working with federal and state partners to create fish passages at the Balsam Row Dam to re-establish the ancient natural spawning run and return the fish to their historic most-upstream point.

“The public is welcome to view this celebrated occasion at Keshena Falls,” the tribe said. “The Menominee Sturgeon Guard has been established and will be on site to monitor and protect the sturgeon.”

Mother Nature might have slowed things up a bit with a late winter snowstorm, but the annual sturgeon spawning ritual is underway in Shawano, albeit a couple of weeks later than usual.

The related ritual of onlookers gathering at the Shawano Dam at Sturgeon Park to get a glimpse of the fish is also increasing, according to Park and Recreation Director Matt Hendricks.

There were around 30 people earlier in the week, but that has been growing daily. There are generally “a couple hundred” by the time spawning season reaches its peak, Henricks said.

That’s expected to happen this weekend, according to the DNR, but some of the fish could already be spotted locally on the special underwater sturgeon camera set up by the DNR and available at the city of Shawano’s website at http://www.cityofshawano.com/412/Sturgeon-Cam.

Thousands of sturgeon swim north up the Wolf River each spring from Lake Winnebago or other distant habitats, racing upstream for the yearly mating ritual to the Shawano dam, the farthest point north they can go in the Wolf River.

“It’s a unique event and opportunity to celebrate the community,” Hendricks said.

The fantastic prehistoric creatures, some more than 6 feet long, are regarded as the oldest and largest fish in the Great Lakes.

The spring snowstorm and subsequent melting cooled waters down below temperatures that sturgeon prefer to spawn in, which is usually 50 to 60 degrees, Hendricks said.

“With so much ice water, the temperatures didn’t climb as quickly,” Hendricks said. “The storm definitely had an impact on the fish.”

The DNR fisheries crew was out tagging sturgeon Wednesday on the Wolf River between New London and Leeman, and on the Embarrass River in New London, according to the DNR web site.

One crew worked the New London area and handled 49 fish at Pfeifer Park along the Embarrass River and 19 at the Sturgeon Trail, the DNR reported. The second crew started their morning by handling 54 fish at Bamboo Bend in Shiocton before heading upstream to a site on private property in Leeman where an additional 18 fish were handled.

Spawning appears to be all but done at the Sturgeon Trail with the catch trailing off since Monday and spawning activity also seems to have decreased in intensity at Bamboo Bend, according to the DNR.

Spawning activity was checked at the Shawano dam Wednesday afternoon.

“Fish were sparsely observed, but present, on both the power house and Sturgeon Park sides of the river, but no spawning was observed,” the DNR reported.

The DNR anticipated spawning getting underway Friday in Shawano and going into the weekend.

About 50 percent of the fish tagged by the DNR each year are caught in Shawano.

Shawano Police Department

May 3

Police logged 31 incidents, including the following:

Theft — Money was reported stolen at Birch Hill Care Center, 1475 Birch Hill Lane.

Hit and Run — A property damage hit-and-run was reported at People’s Express East, 1206 E. Green Bay St.

Vandalism — A vehicle was reported vandalized in the 800 block of South Washington Street.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance at Walmart, 1244 E. Green Bay St.

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

Disturbance — An unruly student was reported at Olga Brener Intermediate School, 1300 S. Union St.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance in the 1300 block of East Lieg Avenue.

Fraud — Police investigated a fraud complaint in the 300 block of Fairview Way.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

May 3

Deputies logged 35 incidents, including the following:

Trespass — A 28-year-old Shawano man was cited for trespassing and charges were referred for resisting or obstructing after authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on Waukechon Road in the town of Waukechon.

Disorderly — Authorities responded to a disorderly conduct complaint at the Shawano County Courthouse, 311 N. Main St. in Shawano.

Juvenile — Authorities responded to a juvenile problem on Grand Avenue in Wittenberg.

Theft — A TV and PlayStation console were reported stolen on Cecil Street in Bonduel.

Juvenile — Authorities responded to a juvenile problem on Pike Street in Cecil.

Accidents — Authorities logged five deer-related crashes.

Clintonville Police Department

May 3

Police logged 12 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — A domestic situation was reported on Anne Street.

Accident — Police responded to a two-vehicle accident at Main and First streets.

Disorderly — A warning for disorderly conduct was issued on West Street.

Disorderly — Warnings for disorderly conduct were issued on East Morning Glory Drive.

Theft — A theft from a vehicle was reported on Spring Street.

Sturgeon spawning has picked up within the Wolf River watershed since Thursday, including at the Shawano dam, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

The DNR had two crews out tagging fish Thursday.

One crew handled 180 fish at a private site in Leeman and 18 fish on the mill side of the Shawano dam, the DNR said. The other crew handled 33 fish at another site on private property in Leeman, 17 fish at State Highway 156, and 13 fish at the Shawano dam.

“The story of today is that the fish have moved in at the Shawano dam,” said fisheries biologist Ryan Koenigs in a post on the DNR website.

“There have been fish visible there for the last couple of days, but the fish have now begun spawning there,” he said, adding that Saturday should be a big tagging day at the dam.

“I suggest heading towards Shawano if you want to see fish spawning in the next couple of days,” he said.

A Shawano couple is facing felony charges of child neglect that allegedly occurred while they were using meth in the city last month, according to a criminal complaint filed in Shawano County Circuit Court.

Ryan L. Koeller, 20, and Morgan M. Vretenar, 18, have each been charged with child neglect resulting in bodily harm and possession of methamphetamine as a result of an incident in the city on April 10.

Shawano police and county sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a domestic abuse incident in the 1300 block of East Lieg Avenue shortly after 4 a.m.

Authorities found Koeller, who admitted he was doing meth, and was sweating heavily and rolling around on the ground, according to the complaint.

Authorities also found Vretenar inside the apartment, along with a baby lying on its back crying on the floor. A nearby crib had apparently been knocked over, the complaint states.

According to the complaint, both subjects appeared disoriented and hard to understand, and Vretenar appeared to be delusional.

EMS were called to check out the child and Koeller’s mother was called to take care of the infant because the couple “didn’t appear to be concerned with her welfare or location,” according to the complaint.

The complaint states Koeller “admitted to ‘spearing’ or tackling Bonnie’s crib and he made repeated statements that he did it and that’s how Bonnie ended up on the floor.”

The baby was found to have a severe rash and large blister, the complaint states, and had not had her diapers changed. It also appeared the baby was withdrawing from drugs due to the prior drug use of her mother, according to the complaint.

The Department of Social Services subsequently took custody of the child.

Authorities located a backpack in the apartment that contained numerous syringes and other drug-related items, according to the complaint.

Koeller and Vretenar were each ordered held on $7,500 cash bonds.

They could each face a maximum of six years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted of child neglect resulting in bodily harm, and 3½ years and $10,000 for possession of methamphetamine.

They are also charged with misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct.

Koeller is scheduled for an adjourned initial court appearance Monday.

Vretenar waived her preliminary hearing at a court appearance this past Monday and is scheduled for arraignment on June 19.