Local authorities have busted up yet another large-scale drug ring operating out of Shawano County, this one being blamed for a significant increase in crack cocaine, meth and heroin trafficking in the area.

The case, in which eight parties have been charged, comes two years after authorities began prosecutions in a marijuana trafficking conspiracy that had been called the largest Shawano County had ever seen.

This time, a variety of drugs were involved, mostly brought into the city of Shawano from Milwaukee County, including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, Fentanyl, synthetic marijuana and Ecstasy pills.

Shawano police and sheriff’s deputies over the past week arrested seven suspects in the case, with one more named in criminal complaints not yet in custody.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled Tuesday for the man authorities say was the center of the conspiracy.

Jaral R. McCollum, 39, of Shawano, faces 15 felony counts, including conspiracy to distribute and deliver heroin, meth and cocaine; possession with intent to deliver synthetic marijuana; possession with intent to deliver Fentanyl; multiple counts of possession or delivery of drugs near a school; two felony counts of maintaining a drug trafficking place; and several felony counts of possession.

Each of the three conspiracy counts carries a maximum possible penalty of 40 years in prison if convicted, and a $100,000 fine, though that penalty could be enhanced because of McCollum’s previous criminal convictions.

McCollum waived his preliminary hearing and was scheduled for arraignment on May 13. He is being held on a $75,000 cash bond.

According to the criminal complaint, McCollum and another alleged co-conspirator, Desiree Webster, 21, of Suring, made 50 trips to Milwaukee between January and June 2018, bringing back an estimated 7.14 ounces of heroin, 2.57 pounds of powdered cocaine, 2.57 pounds of crack cocaine and 1.34 pounds of meth.

During the course of the investigation, which began with a tip from an informant in August 2017, authorities learned McCollum’s alleged drug activity also stretched to Forest and Winnebago counties, according to the complaint.

According to Webster’s statement to authorities, McCollum was making $4,000 to $5,000 a week from dealing drugs and had “many customers in Shawano.”

In May 2018, McCollum also started selling synthetic marijuana “because it was in high demand on the Menominee reservation,” Webster told authorities.

Webster also told authorities McCollum wanted to move out of heroin and sell more meth because of recent heroin overdoses and because meth was available in Milwaukee and in high demand locally.

Webster faces felony charges of conspiracy to distribute heroin, meth and cocaine; possession with intent to deliver cocaine, meth and synthetic marijuana; possession with intent to deliver Fentanyl; felony possession of marijuana; one count of maintaining a drug trafficking place; and seven felony counts of bail jumping.

In addition to McCollum and Webster, others charged as part of the conspiracy, all of them from Shawano, include:

• Georgia Johnson, 56, who allegedly allowed McCollum and Webster to stay at her Shawano residence rent-free to operate his drug dealing business and received “payment and other items” in exchange. She faces charges of conspiracy to deliver or distribute heroin, meth and cocaine, and one count of maintaining a drug trafficking place.

• Christine Hensel, 30, a user and seller of meth and heroin, according to the criminal complaint, is charged with three counts of conspiracy to deliver or distribute heroin, meth and cocaine, and one count of maintaining a drug trafficking place.

• Conjetta Lazzaro, 27, also a user and seller of meth and heroin, according to the complaint, faces the same charges as Hensel.

• Kyle Collins, 30, who was allegedly a regular customer of McCollum’s and worked in cooperation with him to bring in new customers, according to the complaint is charged with two counts of conspiracy to deliver or distribute meth and cocaine, and one count of maintaining a drug trafficking place. Collins remained at large as of press time. A warrant has been issued for his arrest.

• Craig Johnston, 43, a major customer of McCollum’s for powder cocaine and meth, according to the complaint, put down payments on drugs before McCollum traveled to Milwaukee to purchase them. He faces two conspiracy counts for the delivery or distribution of meth and cocaine, and one count of maintaining a drug trafficking place.

• Andrea Hokenstad, 41, who was known to obtain drugs from McCollum for resale to others, according to the complaint, is charged with conspiracy to deliver meth and cocaine, and one count of maintaining a drug trafficking place.

Hensel, Hokenstad, Johnson and Johnston all had initial court appearances Tuesday.

Hensel was ordered held on a $40,000 cash bond. Her next court date is April 24.

Hokenstad was ordered held on a $20,000, with her next court appearance on April 29.

Johnson was ordered held on a $30,000 bond, with her next court appearance on May 6.

Johnston was ordered held on a $25,000 cash bond. His next court date is April 22.

The investigation was conducted by the Shawano Police Department, Shawano County Sheriff’s Department and Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal investigations.

High-speed internet is almost at hand for thousands of Shawano County residents, a representative from Bertram Communications told the Shawano County Board on Tuesday.

Currently, there are holes in broadband internet service in the county, and getting into the fast lane of the information superhighway can be very expensive or impossible for some rural residents. Bertram Communications, of Random Lake, is partnering with SCEPI to serve the rural areas in the county.

The project is totaling over $680,000, with $274,000 coming from a state grant that Shawano County Economic Progress Inc. secured.

Mark Dodge, Bertram’s director of business development, said that sites are almost secure in five areas. The town of Seneca and Cecil were secured Tuesday afternoon just prior to the board meeting, while the towns of Richmond and Pella and Caroline were finalized recently. There are nine sites in place, with five more expected to come in the near future.

“This way, we don’t have to spend all the money on greenfield, or what I call starting from scratch,” Dodge said. “We have enough for an additional site.”

Winter weather has slowed down progress, Dodge said. The snow has not been as much of a hindrance as the freezing rain, and he pointed out that one of his towers had horizontal icicles on it one time, and a technician climbing the tower took three hours to get the work done instead of the usual 45 minutes.

Once complete, the service will be extremely reliable because of redundant sites helping to keep connections alive.

“Three or four very bad things have to happen before we lose connectivity to the world,” Dodge said. “It’s taken two years to engineer that, but we’re at the point where it’s ready to connect into the rest of the network.”

Dodge said some sites can be ready in less than a week, but more complicated areas could take up to four months before they’re up and running.

“It’s hard to predict which ones are going to be what,” he added.

Bertram has put its main entry point down in Chicago so that area internet service can be captured a little closer to home instead of bouncing from a variety of sites around the country, Dodge said.

“We are 100 feet away from Netflix and every major supplier of information with Fox Sports, ABC and NBC instead of all over the world and back to Shawano,” he said. “In laymen’s terms, when you hit your mouse button or you hit “Enter,” that information comes back in milliseconds versus seconds. Normally, you get a second of response time; we’re down to 0.09 (seconds) response time in Shawano as of two months ago.”

A proposal to disband the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Board and People with a Disability Committee was pulled from the Shawano Common Council’s agenda Tuesday at its re-organizational meeting.

Alderwoman Sandy Steinke made a motion at the outset of the meeting to pull those items off the agenda for further review.

The motion passed unanimously and without any discussion.

Mayor Ed Whealon said in an interview last week he was recommending disbanding those entities after consulting with city staff.

He said there has been a lack of interest among people who have been sought to serve on the youth board and the disability committee.

It has also been some time since either have been active.

According to records available on the city’s website, the People with a Disability Committee’s last meeting was June 5 of last year.

The agenda shows that the only action taken was the election of officers.

The website has no record of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Board, which, Whealon said, has not met in a couple of years.

Both the youth board and the disability committee were established during the tenure of former mayor Lorna Marquardt, who left office in April 2016.

“I thought they were two sectors of the community that weren’t as well-represented as I thought they should be,” Marquardt said in an interview prior to her departure in 2016.

According to Whealon, activity by the board and the committee have since languished and finding people willing to serve on them has been a problem.

“There’s just no interest,” Whealon said.

He said he reached out to Shawano Community High School and spoke to a couple of the teachers about filling the youth board seats.

“The kids just don’t want to do it,” Whealon said. “When Lorna was mayor, she had quite a few kids that would apply for it. Now, it’s hard to drum up any interest with the kids.”

Whealon said the disability committee had been involved in such things as making city street crossings more handicapped-accessible.

However, he said, “a lot of the stuff we were already doing.”

Whealon also said that as disability issues come up, they can be addressed by other standing committees, such as the field committee or park and recreation commission.

Whealon said he is not opposed to keeping the youth board and disability committee.

“If council feels we should keep them, then we’ll keep them,” he said.

Shawano Police Department

April 15

Police logged 25 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — A disturbance was reported at SAM’s House Emergency Shelter, 213 E. Green Bay St. Police also responded to a disturbance in the 200 block of South Sawyer Street.

Hit and Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run in the 100 block of Aspen Court.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

April 15

Deputies logged 35 incidents, including the following:

Drug Offense — Authorities investigated a drug complaint on County Road Y in the town of Belle Plaine.

Vandalism — Multiple items around gravestones, including flower pots, flags and a wreath were reported vandalized at St. Paul’s Cemetery, 240 E. Green Bay St. in Bonduel.

Theft — A license plate was reported stolen on Jefferson Street in Bonduel.

Trespass — Trespassing was reported on Farmall Lane in the town of Grant.

OAR — A 31-year-old Gresham man was cited for operating after revocation on Sunset Avenue in Shawano and a 19-year-old Shawano female was cited for OAR on Main Street in the town of Belle Plaine.

Clintonville Police Department

April 15

Police logged 12 incidents, including the following:

Burglary — A burglary was reported on East 12th Street.

Fraud — Fraud was reported on 10th Street.

The Bonduel Sewer and Water Utility and one of its longtime employees were recently honored by the Wisconsin Rural Water Association.

The sewer and water service received the statewide Conservation Award, and 33-year veteran Jim Welcing received the District 1 Operator of the Year award, announced Todd Lorbiecki, Bonduel’s director of public works.

The rural water association, of which the Bonduel utility is a member, is a nonprofit organization representing most of the water and wastewater systems in the state.

The conservation award shows “that we are looking to do the improvements more efficiently, which ultimately saves the residents and users from having to pay higher rates” Lorbiecki said. “It means we are putting the time in to make sure things are working correctly.”

Bonduel’s reduction in “non-meter water loss” by 50% is probably the reason that the utility won the conservation award this year, Lorbiecki said.

“Houses, businesses have meters that show how much water they use,” he said. “But water can be lost before it gets to a meter.”

Water may leak through a connection between pipes or a failure in a pipe underground, according to Lorbiecki.

That water has been pumped, stored and treated, Welcing added. Those are expenses that are wasted on water that is not used by the public.

To help identify leaks, the utility uses “leak loggers” — devices that sense the noise made by a leak underground. They help operators identify where leaks are occurring, even if the water does not bubble to the surface, he said.

In addition to Welcing, Lorbiecki credited utility operators Jeremy Morris and Rodney Hoppe, administrative assistant Katrina Schroeder and village clerk-treasurer Michelle Maroszek with a role in the water conservation efforts.

He said residents can contribute to the effort by buying new, water-efficient fixtures and appliances and making sure that outside spigots are turned off.

Lorbiecki said that while both awards reflect the hard work of the sewer and water team, Welcing’s award recognizes his additional commitment and passion for his work.

“He has made a great impact on this community,” Lorbiecki said.

Bonduel starts with good water, Welcing said.

“It’s the aquifer where we get it from,” he said. “The aquifer is 426 feet deep, in sandstone. It gets a lot of cleaning before we get it.”

After the water is pumped, he said, it is tested, treated and stored in a tower, aerated and finally delivered to customers. His role involves every aspect of that delivery system. He makes morning rounds on the wells, tests the system, adds chemicals and performs bacteriological tests.

Like Lorbiecki, he is a strong proponent of conservation.

“If people save water, yeah, that is money that is not going into us. But only 1% of the water in the world is drinkable,” Welcing said. “We need to take care of it.”

Welcing said he will hang his plaque in the utility work room rather than his office.

“‘Operator of the year’ — it’s a team,” Welcing said, “All four of us should have gotten that award.”

The long-vacant property at Main and Division streets in downtown Shawano will soon have new life in it.

City officials Tuesday signed off on a development agreement between the Shawano Redevelopment Authority and Cornerstone Chiropractic and Wellness, LLC, to locate a chiropractic center at 153 S. Main St.

Amy Stuber, who has a full-time chiropractic practice in Antigo, said she is looking forward to branching out into Shawano, where she has lived for the past 12 years.

“I would love to expand into this area,” Stuber told the Common Council on Tuesday. “I’m really excited about being on Main Street and being involved in the city. I love the downtown area and I’m looking forward to the project.”

Stuber said the chiropractic center would occupy the first floor of the building, with the possibility of renting or leasing out space on the second floor at some future date.

The center is expected to be up and running this fall.

The council’s approval Tuesday was technically not required. The RDA has the authority to enter into such agreements. The RDA has already approved the agreement with Cornerstone.

However, City Administrator Eddie Sheppard said, “we always like to bring things full circle and make sure that it’s fully communicated.”

Sheppard said there are still some minor details to be worked out that are “inconsequential to the agreement,” but approval was put on the fast track to allow Stuber to meet her timeline for getting underway.

According to the agreement, Cornerstone anticipates remodeling and renovation of the property at 153 S. Main St. by Oct. 1 and expects to put $863,000 into the project, including purchase of the property, demolition and construction, medical equipment and an operating line of credit.

The value of the property, currently assessed at $150,000, is expected to increase to between $435,000 and $590,000.

The RDA would provide Cornerstone with an $80,000 grant using funds from the city’s Tax Incremental Finance District 4.

The grant is subject to “substantial completion” of the project and documentation of Cornerstone’s actual investment in the project, according to the proposed agreement.

The RDA would also provide Cornerstone with a low-interest loan of $175,000 that would be paid back over the next 10 years.

The vacant building has been a headache for the city for several years.

In January 2015, the city entered into a development agreement with an investment group incorporated as 153 SMS, LLC, that promised potential tenants for the property as soon as that summer.

The development agreement called for 153 SMS to get a $140,000 low-interest loan from the city and a grant of $60,000 from TIF funds.

The tenants never materialized.

According to city officials, 153 SMS never got the $60,000 grant because the project was never completed and the investment group had been paying back the loan.

The property, which had been home to Qualheim’s, was purchased in 2001 by the Samanta Roy Institute of Science and Technology and languished vacant for years.

SIST lost the property in foreclosure.

Shawano Police Department

April 16

Police logged 35 incidents, including the following:

OWI — A 21-year-old Shawano woman was arrested for operating while intoxicated after police responded to a property damage hit-and-run in the 100 block of South Washington Street.

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

OAR — A 46-year-old Shawano man was cited for operating after revocation and having no insurance at Sawyer and Fifth streets. A 24-year-old man was also cited for OAR at Fifth and Andrews streets.

Harassment — Harassment was reported in the 400 block of East Division Street.

Vandalism — Vandalism was reported in the 100 block of South Franklin Street.

Disorderly Conduct — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint at Shawano Community Middle School, 1050 S. Union St.

Warrant — A 31-year-old Shawano woman arrested for an outstanding warrant in the 200 block of South Sawyer Street.

Theft — Police investigated a theft complaint at Community Alternatives, 503 S. Main St.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

April 16

Deputies logged 33 incidents, including the following:

Fraud — Authorities investigated a scam complaint on School House Road in Bowler.

Shoplifting — Dollar General, 380 Main St., Gresham, reported a shoplifting incident.

Theft — A license plate and cell phone were reported stolen on Fischer Street in Gresham.

Accidents — Authorities logged five accidents, including one deer-related crash and a vehicle versus goose.

Clintonville Police Department

April 16

Police logged eight incidents, including the following:

Accident — A two-vehicle property damage accident was reported at Madison and West streets.

Suspicious — A suspicious incident was reported on South Main Street.

The Fairest of the Fair is returning to Shawano County.

The position of Fairest of the Fair, the youth ambassador for the fair, was eliminated last year because of the decrease in applicants in the past few years, said Kerry Danley, the volunteer who took over the program this year.

Danley, who had shared Fairest duties as first runner-up several years ago, said she felt the position contributed both to the fair and the skills and experience of the winner. She advocated bringing it back and the Shawano Area Agricultural Society, which sponsors the fair, agreed.

“It just felt like something we were missing,” she said.

In the past, the position was limited to applicants who were ages 18-23. This year, the position is open to those ages 16-23, she said.

“At age 18, they have jobs, they are off to college. Even a part-time job may be too big of a commitment because of the hours they can work,” Danley said. She said that by dropping the age to 16, they will find applicants who are involved in the community but have enough time for the outreach that the position requires.

Danley noted that the position is open to men and women. If the winning candidate is male, Danley said, the Shawano County Agriculture and Extension Committee would look at whether or not to keep the “Fairest” moniker or, at the candidate’s request, select an alternative.

“We’ll wait until that happens, and until then, we will leave it ‘Fairest of the Fair,’” she said.

The Fairest of the Fair will represents and promote the fair through education, agriculture, social, cultural and commercial activities at local events throughout the year, according to the position description. Included in that calendar are appearances at Brunch on the Farm, the Bonduel July 4 parade and the Pulaski Polka Days parade. The winner will also make daily appearances at the Shawano County Fair.

After all of the duties are completed, the Fairest of the Fair will receive at least $1,000. Some mileage compensation is also available.

Application deadline is May 31.

Individual and group interviews will be held June 15 at the Shawano County Fair office. Coronation will take place on June 23 at the annual Brunch on the Farm.

For more information, contact Danley at kerry.danley@treehousefoods.com.

Shawano Police Department

April 17

Police logged 30 incidents, including the following:

Shoplifting — JMerchant, 128 Woodlawn Drive, and The Store, 404 E. Green Bay St., reported shoplifting incidents.

Disorderly — Disorderly conduct was reported at Oak and Ellis streets.

Fraud — Police investigated a fraud complaint in the 600 block of South Hamlin Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

April 17

Deputies logged 32 incidents, including the following:

Juvenile — Authorities investigated a juvenile tobacco complaint at Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School, 400 W. Grand Ave. in Wittenberg, and a juvenile alcohol complaint on state Highway 156 in the town of Navarino.

Intoxicated Person — Authorities responded to an intoxicated person complaint at the 22 Shell, N4543 Highway 22 in the town of Belle Plaine.

OAR — A 37-year-old man was cited for operating after revocation on U.S. Highway 45 in the town of Aniwa.

Clintonville Police Department

April 17

Police logged 10 incidents, including the following:

Fraud — A fraud incident was reported on Seventh Street.

OAR — A citation for operating after revocation was issued at Third and Cedar streets.

Disorderly — Disorderly conduct was reported on South Main Street.

The long-awaited saddle replacement project on Main Street got underway this week, beginning north of Main Street up to Third Street for the first phase.

The entire project will cover Main Street from just south of the channel to the end of the 200 block of South Main Street.

At issue are stainless steel saddles (a type of metal sleeve) that hold the service connection to the water main. They were installed during the Main Street reconstruction project in 2002 and 2003. The project stretched from the channel to the Mountain Bay Trail at Oshkosh Street.

The Shawano Common Council approved borrowing up to $180,000 from the Shawano Lake Sanitary District to cover the cost of replacing 71 saddles along Main Street.

The loan will be paid back over a five-year period with an interest rate of 3 percent.

The project is being done by DeGroot Inc.

Funding for the project will come from the Department of Public Works’ water utility fund, though the utility will borrow the money from the State Trust Fund.

Main Street will remain passable during the project, but traffic will be cut to single lanes, with parking prohibited.

Public Works Director Scott Kroening said each phase of the project should take three to five days, depending on the weather.

Work south of Main Street should begin some time next week, he said.

Water will be cut off to most properties during at least a portion of the work day, but, Kroening said, public works and the contractor are working with businesses to make sure they have water when they need it and, in some cases, like restaurants and hair salons, ensuring they will have water at all times.

The project was supposed to take place last September, but due to weather and the contractor falling behind on other projects, the work was delayed until now.

A corroded saddle was blamed for a water main break outside Dreier Pharmacy at 117 S. Main St. on Jan. 4 of last year, the latest in a series of saddle failures over the last several years.

The city has been plagued with failing saddles since 2009.

Two water main breaks occurred in the 100 block of North Main Street in February 2009 and December 2010, only about 50 to 75 feet away from one another. Another saddle failed in the 200 block of South Main Street in September 2013.

It was determined that high levels of chloride in the soil were responsible for those saddle failures.

Random soil tests were done in 2015 by Mach IV Engineering, of Green Bay. Out of 20 locations sampled, chloride levels above 500 parts per million were found at three locations. Five others had chloride levels above 300 ppm.

The stainless steel used in the saddles could start to deteriorate at chloride levels over 300 ppm, according to city officials. At levels above 500 ppm, the deterioration is much faster.

Chloride levels in the area of the three previous water main breaks were in the range of 900 ppm, as a result of years of street salt seeping into the soil.

The new saddles, which will be brass this time, will be wrapped in heavy plastic, and additional backfill will be added to protect the saddles from the chloride.

The Samanta Roy Institute of Science and Technology has agreed to sell two blighted downtown Shawano buildings to the Shawano Redevelopment Authority, ending months of inaction as SIST fought condemnation proceedings in court, Shawano City Administrator Eddie Sheppard announced at the Shawano Business Improvement District annual meeting on Thursday.

SIST agreed to the sale of the 214-216 S. Main St. properties for what Sheppard said was the original offer, $32,000 for both properties. That figure represents what was considered a fair market value for the buildings, he said.

The RDA is allowed to use Tax Incremental Financing funds for property acquisition, he said.

The announcement, and speculation that the buildings would come down this summer, brought a round of applause from the attendees, mostly downtown business owners, at the BID meeting at Angie’s cafe.

The Shawano RDA, a semi-independent panel tasked with addressing vacant and blighted buildings in the city, filed a condemnation petition in March against the long-vacant SIST properties at 214-216 S. Main St. and 143-145 S. Main St., citing building inspections that raised health and safety concerns.

The proceedings were scheduled for a court hearing in June. City officials had said they reached out to SIST to attempt to settle the matter out of court.

Sheppard called the negotiation process “long and arduous.” He said SIST representatives indicated they wanted to keep the 143-145 S. Main St. properties and the RDA agreed to allow more time to upgrade them in exchange for quicker action on the 214-216 buildings.

The agreement on the 214-216 S. Main St. buildings was reached last week, Sheppard said.

“We were pleased that we could come to an agreement,” Sheppard said. He said that recently, there have been “productive conversations” with the attorney for the SIST group.

The next steps, he said, will be to assess whether or not the buildings can be salvaged. If not, they will be demolished and replaced with a “green space” until the city decides what direction to take in downtown redevelopment.

At one point, the concept of a city plaza connecting the east and west sides of the 200 block of Main Street had been proposed, but without ownership of those properties, it was impossible to even discuss the proposals, he said.

Plans to recommend a holiday hunt over Christmas and New Year’s Day, along with extending the crossbow and archery season until the end of January 2020 were scrapped by the Shawano County Deer Advisory Council.

The council voted unanimously against holding a holiday hunt after many spoke out Wednesday against having an extended season that infringed on snowmobilers enjoying their winter sport. While there is no law that prevents snowmobilers from enjoying the trails any time there is snow on the ground, some private property owners do not opt to open trails on their land until hunters have left for safety reasons.

The CDAC had originally brought up the idea of extending the hunting season as a way of reducing an overswollen deer population in the county. James Weinmann said he had initially brought it up to give hunters more time to help trim the herd, which is estimated at more than 70 deer per square mile for Shawano County.

“You can look at me and blame me. I’m the chief proponent for proposing the holiday hunt and extending the bow season to Jan. 31,” Weinmann said. “We’ve realized what a huge blessing and curse we have in Shawano County to have this number of deer, and now we have too many deer, and we have to do something about it.”

It is preferable for hunters to get the deer and use the meat and skins as they see fit, Weinmann said. The alternative to that is seeing deer starve due to a limited food supply in the county during warmer seasons or potentially losing thousands of deer in a harsh winter season.

“Something like this we can avoid by being good stewards of the land,” Weinmann said.

Carl Barkow suggested that something be done to push for more private property owners to shoot deer on their land, as that is where most of the deer hide once hunters are permitted to hunt.

“Until you figure out a plan to get the private landowners to get the does off their property, this isn’t going to work,” Barkow said.

Carol Gruenewald, a county landowner and director of the Shawano County Snowmobilers Association, said she didn’t see the likelihood that hunters would continue hunting into January, and that the proposal would only hurt snowmobilers.

“As a landowner, I think I’m doing my fair share to shoot does. We shoot does before we shoot a buck,” Gruenewald said. “We’re trying to help the county out, but we have issues with people surrounding us who have tons of deer, who feed the deer who get caught, but then they come back on the snowmobile clubs and harass us by shutting the trails down.”

Gruenewald added that the new laws reporting kills online rather than at designated stations around the county have greatly reduced patronage at area bars, whereas snowmobilers help to fill hotel rooms and patronize gas stations, restaurants and other businesses.

“It’s more of an economic benefit to the county and for tourism to represent the snowmobile club, because we’re putting the money out there,” she said.

Sally Jo Stevens, a landowner in Germania and the general manager of a Wittenberg hotel, said that her hotel counts on snowmobile business in order to help get through winter months. Stevens also is president of the Shawano County Tourism Council and expressed concern that limited time for snowmobiling would make a dent in the economy.

“I feel that I would experience a drastic impact if the snowmobile trails were not opened,” Stevens said.

Kevin Marquette, of Shawano, urged hunters to resist the temptation to pursue only bucks and instead kill does as a better way to manage the deer population. He noted that, even if hunters have enough meat to suit their needs, there are organizations that collect meat and distribute to those in need.

“If you don’t want them all, there are programs like Hunt for the Hungry, where you can donate the deer to the food pantry,” Marquette said. “I personally collected over 800 pounds of meat one year for St. Martin’s in Cecil. It does go to good use.”

Although the CDAC voted down the extended hunting season, members hinted at looking at a doe-only season in 2020 in order to cut down the deer population.

On behalf of their state Legislative chambers, Senator Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau) and Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) have signed a new, four-year agreement with the WisconsinEye Public Affairs Network, ensuring the actions of the Legislature are accessible to citizens everywhere.

WisconsinEye provides live and archived coverage of state Capitol proceedings, including floor sessions, public hearings, committee meetings, news conferences, and other events in both houses of the legislature.

“We are excited to continue providing nonpartisan, gavel-to-gavel coverage and insightful programming on state-related issues,” said WisconsinEye president Jon Henkes. “This independent, privately funded network would not exist were it not for the support of the Legislature. Our thanks to Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos for their commitment to Wisconsin’s tradition of accessibility to, and openness in state government.”

“WisconsinEye provides an invaluable service to Wisconsinites, and I’m excited that we’re continuing to partner with them to bring more transparency to the legislative process,” said Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald. “The Legislature’s activities will continue to be readily accessible for our constituents.”

“WisconsinEye allows for more public engagement in the legislative process by bringing the legislature to homes and cell phones across the state,” said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos. “I’m glad that we’re continuing this important public service.”

Senate and Assembly coverage is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the WisconsinEye website (wiseye.org) and Spectrum cable TV statewide.

Shawano Police Department

April 21

Police logged 26 incidents, including the following:

Burglary — An attempted burglary was reported at the Wisconsin House, 216 E. Green Bay St.

Disturbances — A charge of disorderly conduct/domestic violence was referred against a 29-year-old Shawano woman after a disturbance in the 400 block of East Division Street. Police also responded to a disturbance in the 300 block of West Division Street and a domestic disturbance in the 1300 block of South Evergreen Street.

Threatening — Police responded to a threatening complaint in the 200 block of East Randall Street.

Drug Offense — Police investigated a drug complaint in the 300 block of West Swan Street.

April 20

Police logged 22 incidents, including the following:

Theft — Medication was reported stolen in the 600 block of South Lincoln Street.

Drug Offense — Two juveniles from Marinette County were turned over to their parents after police investigated a drug complaint at Lincoln and Schurz Street.

Accidents — Police responded to property damage accidents at Fifth and Union streets and at Engel and Industrial drives.

Disturbances — Police responded to disturbances in the 100 block of Acorn Street and at Airport Drive and Green Bay Street, and a domestic disturbance in the 200 block of South Union Street.

Disorderly — Disorderly conduct was reported in the 900 block of South Washington Street.

April 19

Police logged 32 incidents, including the following:

Prowling — A 21-year-old Shawano woman was cited for prowling after a short foot pursuit.

Disturbances — A 21-year-old Shawano woman was arrested for disorderly conduct/domestic violence after a domestic disturbance in the 400 block of Humphrey Circle. Police also responded to disturbances on Mountain Bay Trail Drive and in the 600 block of South Cleveland Street, and domestic disturbances in the 400 block of West Picnic Street and 1700 block of Estates Lane.

Theft — Police responded to theft complaints in the 200 block of South Union Street and at CoVantage Credit Union, 911 E. Green Bay St.

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

Warrant — A 40-year-old man was arrested on an Oconto County warrant in the 2900 block of East Richmond Street.

Trespass — Police responded to a trespassing complaint at Quality Inn and Suites, 104 N. Airport Drive.

April 18

Police logged 40 incidents, including the following:

Fraud — Police investigated a fraud complaint at Kwik Trip, 1241 E. Green Bay St.

Trespass — Police responded to a trespassing complaint in the 200 block of South Sawyer Street.

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

Drug Offense — Police investigated a drug complaint in the 800 block of East Richmond Street.

Hit and Run — A property damage hit-and-run was reported at Aldi’s, 1253 E. Green Bay St.

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

Drug Offense — A 38-year-old Neopit woman was arrested for possession of Schedule II & III controlled substances and possessing a prescription drug without a prescription after police pulled over a vehicle for a loud exhaust at Andrews and Center streets. A 40-year-old Keshena man who was a passenger in the vehicle was arrested on a Texas warrant.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

April 21

Deputies logged 28 incidents, including the following:

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

OAS — A 30-year-old Shawano man was cited for operating after suspension on East Green Bay Street in Shawano.

OWI — An 18-year-old Bonduel man was arrested for operating while intoxicated on County Road A in Bowler.

April 20

Deputies logged 55 incidents, including the following:

Disturbances — A 31-year-old Wittenberg woman was arrested for a probation and parole violation after a disturbance on Genesee Street in Wittenberg. Authorities also responded to a disturbance on Primrose Lane in Tigerton and a domestic disturbance on Red Oak Lane in the town of Wittenberg.

OAR — A 26-year-old Shawano man was cited for operating after revocation on state Highway 29 in Shawano.

Warrants — A 35-year-old Shawano woman was arrested on a warrant on state Highway 47-55 in the town of Wescott and a 28-year-old Stetsonville man was arrested on a warrant on state Highway 29 in the town of Hartland.

Theft — Authorities responded to a property theft complaint on Potch Ha Chee Road in the town of Wittenberg.

OWI — A 22-year-old De Pere man was arrested for operating while intoxicated after a minor accident on Soo Line Road in the town of Lessor.

Accidents — Authorities logged three deer-related crashes.

April 19

Deputies logged 47 incidents, including the following:

OAR — A 33-year-old Marinette woman was cited for operating after revocation on Cecil Street in Bonduel.

Disturbances — Authorities responded to disturbances on state Highway 22 in the town of Belle Plaine, Cedar Street in Eland and Mill Street in Eland, and a domestic disturbance on Hillview Road in the town of Herman.

OWL — A 17-year-old Oneida male was cited for operating without a license on Cecil Street in Bonduel.

Burglary — A burglary was reported on Short Lane in the town of Birnamwood.

Accidents — Authorities logged five deer-related crashes.

April 18

Deputies logged 44 incidents, including the following:

Fraud — A 34-year-old Green Bay man was arrested for theft by fraud and resisting arrest at Kwik Trip, 102 W. Express Way in Bonduel. Authorities also investigated an internet scam complaint on Ellms Street in Wittenberg.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Grand Avenue in Wittenberg.

Accidents — Authorities logged four deer-related crashes.

Clintonville Police Department

April 21

Police logged five incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Police responded to family disturbance on East 14th Street.

April 20

Police logged eight incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — A disturbance was reported on East Second Street.

A Keshena man was arrested Thursday in Shawano on a Texas warrant accusing him of smuggling illegal immigrants in that state.

Jason K. Pyawasit, 40, was initially arrested in McMullen County, Texas in May of last year when his pickup truck was pulled over by sheriff’s deputies for not displaying a front license plate.

Also in the vehicle were four men, all determined to be in the country illegally. Three of the men were found concealed in the truck’s bed under a soft cover, according to court records.

Pyawasit was also found to be in possession of methamphetamine.

The four men he was transporting were sent back to Mexico, according to authorities.

Pyawasit was a passenger in a vehicle pulled over Thursday by Shawano police at Andrews and Center streets for having a loud exhaust shortly before midnight.

Police said Pyawasit had an active warrant out of Texas for smuggling of persons and drug trafficking. He was taken into custody and is being held on the Texas warrant with a bond of $150,000.

Also arrested in Thursday’s traffic stop was the driver, a 38-year-old Neopit woman, taken into custody for possession of Schedule II & III controlled substances and possessing a prescription drug without a prescription.

Flooding issues that plagued some low-lying areas of Shawano County late last week, particularly in the northwest portion of the county, had subsided by Monday, but officials were keeping their eyes on another inch or so that was forecast to fall overnight Monday and into Tuesday morning.

Traffic hazards due to water flooding the roads were reported Thursday on a section of County Road A in the town of Herman, U.S. Highway 45 in the town of Birnamwood and County Road Q in the town of Aniwa.

South Cherry Street between Front and Vinal streets in the village of Wittenberg was also closed for a time Thursday morning as was a portion of River Road in the town of Aniwa.

Water was also reported coming up over the roadway by the Leopolis dam and pond at Shawano Avenue and Edwards street in the town of Pella.

Shawano County Emergency Management Director James Davel said it is typically the northwest portion of the county that is most prone to flooding in low-level areas.

“The Embarrass is typically the river in the county that we have the most difficulty with,” he said. “In Bowler on the Embarrass, we had some washouts from the rain. County crews had to go out there and fix some culverts Thursday morning.”

Though there were no county roads that had to be closed, Davel said, “we had one area of School House Road by Bowler that they shut down to fix a culvert.”

More problems were reported on Friday, when the Shawano Dam requested about 50 sandbags to protect the powerhouse on Poplar Road in the town of Richmond.

“They were getting some water in the powerhouse,” Davel said. “At no time was the dam in any kind of danger.”

The county highway department and emergency management both responded.

Davel said the problems began after the storms last Wednesday that dropped about two inches of rain in Shawano County.

“The problem we really had was north of us,” Davel said. “They got close to three or four inches. That affected the Wolf and the Embarrass rivers.”

Even the Red River was at highly unusual water levels before it began receding over the weekend.

“The Red is the highest it’s been in almost 50 years,” Davel said. “There were some homes on the Red that did get some water in. It started receding Friday and it’s been coming down steady.”

Davel said the big concern right now isn’t in Shawano County but along the Wolf River near Shiocton, which was already above flood stage and affecting homes and businesses in the area.

Davel noted that the county does not have to resources to assist private property owners that could be vulnerable to flooding.

“If you can get flood insurance, get flood insurance,” he said. “That’s the number one thing. Second thing is, you need to have a plan of where to go if your home starts flooding. If you live along the river,” you need to have a plan.”

Davel said the county can’t hand out sandbags that it might need and doesn’t have the manpower to protect homes.

“Each individual is responsible for their home, their property,” he said. “If they live on the river they should have their own set as a kit of sandbags.”

Davel said Shawano County has so far fared better than some other areas in terms of flooding.

“We’ve been very fortunate,” he said. “We’re in good shape.”

Meanwhile, flooding problems that Menominee County experienced last week have also subsided, according to Menominee County Emergency Management Director Shelly Williams.

“The river is still a bit high, but we’ve been fortunate. We haven’t had any horrendous flooding,” she said.

Rising water did cause some problems, however, including the closing down of state Highway 55 between County Road M East and County Road M West where part of the shoulder was washed away.

“They closed it, and our highway department, once the water calmed down a bit, ended up having to go out and lay new bedrock and gravel and basically rebuild the shoulder, which they did an awesome job,” she said.

Williams said a creek and culvert running under the highway got so much water so quickly that the culvert was overwhelmed.

In other areas, there was some sandbagging done by the Menominee Tribe in the area of state Highway 47 and County Road VV.

“We do have people who have been dealing with water in the basement,” Williams said.

Williams said things might have actually been helped by the depth of frost that set in during the winter.

“The frost line have must have dropped down fairly significantly because a lot of areas I see that are normally really muddy and really bad actually have dried out fairly decently,” she said.

A Shawano County supervisor arrested for alleged drunken driving in November has been scheduled for a plea and sentencing hearing.

Supervisor Kenneth E. Capelle, 78, was pulled over shortly after 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 29 after a sheriff’s deputy spotted his vehicle going through a stop sign at Freeborn Street and Warrington Avenue in the village of Cecil, according to the deputy’s report.

The report states Capelle failed a roadside sobriety test and a preliminary breath test showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.14 percent, almost twice the legal limit.

Capelle refused to submit to a blood draw to determine his blood/alcohol count. A warrant was obtained to get a blood sample.

Capelle represents County Board District 9, which is comprised of Cecil and Ward 1 of the town of Washington.

He had initially demanded a jury trial in the case and a pre-trial conference had been scheduled for last week.

He is now scheduled to enter a plea and be sentenced on June 6, according to court records.

Capelle is facing a citation for first-offense operating while intoxicated, which is a forfeiture and carries a fine of $937.50, as well as failing to stop at a stop sign and refusing to take a test for intoxication.

An additional citation was issued against Capelle on Dec. 22 after the results of the blood test were known. According to the state crime lab, Capelle had a blood alcohol level of 0.168.

The new citation is for operating a vehicle with a prohibited alcohol count greater than 0.15 percent, according to court records.

That is also a forfeiture carrying a $937.50 fine.

Shawano Police Department

April 22

Police logged 27 incidents, including the following:

Intoxicated Person — Police responded to an intoxicated person complaint in the 100 block of Acorn Street.

Juvenile — Police investigated a juvenile alcohol complaint in the 600 block of East Randall Street.

Auto Theft — A vehicle was reported stolen in the 700 block of West Richmond Street.

Arrest — A 41-year-old man was taken into custody at the probation and parole offices, 1340 E. Green Bay St.

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

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

April 22

Deputies logged 42 incidents, including the following:

Warrant — A 37-year-old Birnamwood woman was arrested on a warrant after authorities responded to a disorderly conduct complaint on U.S. Highway 45 in the town of Aniwa.

Warrant — A 55-year-old Keshena man was arrested on a warrant on Lake Drive in the town of Wescott.

Accidents — Authorities logged two deer-related crashes.

Clintonville Police Department

April 22

Police logged seven incidents, including the following:

Disturbances — Police responded to disturbances on West Street and on Sixth Street.

A Shawano woman accused of handing out marijuana-laced cookies during the St. Patrick’s Day festivities in the town of Wescott last month waived a preliminary hearing in court Monday and entered a plea of not guilty.

Cathleen K. Krause, 57, is facing two felony drug charges in connection with her alleged activities. She is scheduled for a pre-trial conference on Aug. 6.

Krause was arrested after Shawano County authorities received a call reporting that a woman was handing out drug-laced cookies during the annual holiday parade in Wescott’s Mooseyard.

According to the criminal complaint, a sheriff’s deputy was told that a woman wearing a green St. Patrick’s Day hat and wearing a leather coat had handed out a cookie that she said had marijuana in it.

The reporting party had taken a picture of the woman, later identified as Krause, and showed it to the deputy, who located and questioned Krause.

The complaint states Krause was visibly intoxicated, and her breath smelled of alcohol and marijuana.

After being asked about the cookies, Krause pulled out a large gallon-sized bag of cookie crumbs and consented to a search, according the complaint.

During the search, a number of prescription pills were found along with a package of gummy candy, the complaint states.

According to the complaint, the cookie that Krause allegedly gave to the person who reported it to authorities and the gummy candy tested positive for marijuana.

It’s unknown how many marijuana cookies Krause allegedly handed out.

Krause is facing a felony count of manufacture and delivery of marijuana for allegedly handing out the cookies, and a felony count of possession of marijuana for the drug-laced gummy candy.

Each count carries a maximum possible penalty of 3½ years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.

She also faces three misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance for being in possession of amphetamine and Alprazolam and Tremadol without a valid prescription.

According to court records, Krause was previously convicted of a misdemeanor count of possessing marijuana in Shawano County in 2015.

A Cecil man pleaded guilty Monday to three counts of embezzlement for false representations made to investors in a fishing lure company.

Andrew J. Reyment, 38, is scheduled for sentencing June 21 at the Brown County Courthouse.

Reyment was charged with embezzlement and is accused of a theft scheme in which he made false representations to investors about his fishing lure company and then illegally converted the investor funds for his personal use.

Reyment posted on multiple social media sites that he was seeking investors for his corporation, Screamline Lures, according to the state Department of Justice.

As a result of the posts, several individuals responded to Reyment, and based upon false representations, they ultimately invested in Screamline Lures.

The victim investors, located in Wisconsin, Illinois, and Italy, were interviewed by the DOJ Division of Criminal Investigation.

During the investigation, special agents found that Reyment had made several false representations to investors and then embezzled their money.

“One of the many ways that the Wisconsin Department of Justice works to make our communities safer is by investigating and prosecuting financial crimes,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “Embezzlement is a serious crime, and I’m glad that DOJ’s work on this case has resulted in a conviction.”

The Shawano County Sheriff’s Office assisted DCI agents with the arrest of Reyment in Shawano on May 23, 2018, and he was transferred to Brown County Jail on May 24, 2018.

Reyment’s crimes hold a penalty up to $75,000 in fines and up to 30 years in prison. Request for restitution to victims totals $350,518.40.

The case is being handled by DOJ Criminal Litigation Unit Assistant Attorney General Rich Chiapete.