Shawano Police Department

Dec. 17

Police logged seven incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Police responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint in the 300 block of South Main Street.

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

Burglary — Police responded to a reported burglary in the 400 block of West Division Street.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem on Humphrey Circle.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Dec. 17

Deputies logged 44 incidents, including the following:

Fraud — Authorities investigated a telephone scam complaint on Lake Drive in Wescott.

OAR — A 43-year-old woman was cited for operating after revocation on state Highway 29 in Seneca.

Juvenile — Authorities logged a truancy complaint from Bowler School, 500 S. Almon Road.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on County Road E in Green Valley.

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious person complaint on Town Line Road in Hartland.

Accidents — Authorities logged 13 accidents, including six deer-related crashes.

The Shawano County Board of Supervisors voted 16-10 Wednesday against holding all of its meetings at night.

The measure, because it would have changed County Board rules, required a two-thirds majority of the board (18 votes) to pass.

The board meets at 6 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday from May through September and at 9 a.m. the remaining months. Some supervisors have said they would have difficulty attending day meetings because of their jobs, prompting the proposal to move all meetings to 6 p.m.

The resolution passed the Administrative Committee on Dec. 9.

Supervisor Bert Huntington, who had to leave the meeting shortly after the vote, said the demands of his business make it difficult for him to stay at daytime meetings.

“I own a business, and I’ve got to get on the road,” Huntington said. “I love serving on the board, but this is crazy. If we’re going to have day meetings, let’s start them at seven in the morning.”

“When you took out your papers, you knew the times,” responded Supervisor Robert Krause, a farmer. “Either this County Board job is interfering with your business, or your business is interfering with your board job, one or the other. I have the same problem.”

Krause pointed out that when he attends night meetings during the summer, he still has to work in his fields, occasionally until 2 a.m.

Supervisor Bonnie Olson said it would be unwise for the board to change the schedule to accommodate current supervisors.

“I think when you find people you want to run for the board, and you keep them, and you change things just to make it easy for them, you’re playing politics, and I think it’s a dangerous thing,” Olson said.

Supervisor Deb Noffke, who said she prefers night meetings, suggested that the board should consider the public, too, noting many residents work during the day and have to ask for time off if they want to attend a board meeting.

“If you want to attend a meeting because there’s something that the board plans to act on and you’re a working member of the public, you have to take a day off also,” Noffke said.

Supervisor Dennis Knaak, who was against all night meetings, suggested that if the public is a factor, the board should consider changing its schedule from Wednesday nights, when churches traditionally hold evening services or other activities.

“Schools do it,” Knaak said. “For most families and businesses, Wednesday is a church night. The day should probably change to Tuesday or Thursday.”

Supervisor Gene Hoppe argued that having all night meetings would give more people a chance to run for public office.

At least one supervisor — Sandy Steinke — is not running for re-election because of the daytime meetings. County Board Chairman Jerry Erdmann explained Steinke, who was absent Wednesday, recently changed jobs, and her new employer is not as “forgiving” about juggling her schedule to attend county meetings.

Erdmann said the board should include people from various walks of life to effectively carry out the public’s business.

“You can’t just be a board of retired people anymore,” Erdmann said.

Several supervisors also questioned whether committee meetings also should be held at night. Some supervisors serve on two or three committees, which meet at different times of the month.

“We have 20-some committees,” Supervisor Marvin Klosterman said. “It would be almost impossible for all those committees to meet in the evening because of all the employees of the county who are needing to attend. What are we profiting by having the board meet at night but still having the committees meet in the daytime?”

The Shawano County Board of Supervisors agreed on Wednesday, by a 25-1 vote, to spend $42,000 on a wage and job classification study for the county.

The action ends months of discussion whether to hire an outside firm to do the study or to do it in-house.

The board selected Madison-based Carlson Dettmann Consulting LLC to do the study.

“Pay is something that everyone has an opinion about,” said Charlie Carlson, a partner with the consulting firm. “Essentially, for the last four decades, pay determination in government in Wisconsin has been driven by collective bargaining. When Act 10 passed, the rules on how we did things were thrown away, and nothing was put in its place.”

Act 10 drastically cut collective bargaining rights of public employee unions, prompting many of them to dissolve and forcing municipalities to deal with issues formerly covered in union contracts.

Supervisor Gene Hoppe, who had previously opposed spending money on a wage study, praised Carlson Dettmann, pointing out that the firm did similar studies in Oconto and Waupaca counties.

However, Hoppe questioned how much work would be required in the study for Shawano County.

“The job classifications should be the same because the counties are the same, aren’t they?” he asked.

Carlson said the counties don’t all operate the same way. Waupaca County’s Highway Department, for example, was tasked with building roads, while Calumet County — another county where Carlson Dettman did a wage study — is required only to maintain roads, he said.

Supervisor Deb Noffke said she wanted to see Carlson Dettmann provide guidance on how to effectively institute a pay-for-performance plan. Noffke noted a previous plan was not properly implemented.

Carlson said he was not going to say the county had to adopt any particular plan, but he would offer an opinion if he thought the plan would be a good fit.

Carlson promised he would have information ready in March for committee and board consideration. He also his firm would continue working on the plan until the board was satisfied with the information.

“When we take a project, our expectation is that we’ll get it adopted,” Carlson said. “We’ll stick with you until we get it right.”

A former Gillett woman was sentenced Wednesday to five years in prison for embezzling nearly $300,000 from Reinhart Foods to support what she said was a gambling addiction.

Barbara J. Wawrzyn, 61, will also have to serve another five years extended supervision after her prison sentence.

Wawrzyn pleaded no contest in October to seven felony counts of theft from a business. Four other counts were dismissed under the plea agreement.

Wawrzyn was a credit manager for the company when the crimes occurred between December 2009 and October 2010.

An investigation and company audit ultimately found $290,994 that was missing or unaccounted for.

“This is one of the more serious financial crime cases we’ve seen in this county,” said Shawano-Menominee County District Attorney Greg Parker during the sentencing hearing.

The court heard from company officials and two of Wawrzyn’s former fellow employees.

“Integrity is a hallmark of how Reinhart’s owners conduct business,” said Grace Schaff, vice president and general counsel for the company. “Barb Wawrzyn betrayed the values of our owners and the Reinhart organization over and over again.”

President and Chief Operating Officer Boyd Johnson told the court that Wawrzyn not only damaged the company financially, but caused jobs to be lost.

Reinhart centralized all of its financial operations in one location after the embezzlement incident, resulting in layoffs for people who had those duties at the company’s various divisions.

Sherry Raddant and Kathy Collins, both of whom worked under Wawrzyn in the Shawano division, were among those who lost their jobs.

Raddant said Wawrzyn needed to be held responsible for her crimes.

“She is not a victim. She did this,” Raddant said.

The court also heard from Sheila Gohr, a counselor at Bellin Health, who testified for the defense about Wawrzyn’s anxiety, depression and gambling addiction.

Wawrzyn’s attorney, Robert Sweeney, said the issue for the court in sentencing was really about “how we treat people in this community with a gambling addiction.”

Sweeney partly blamed the increasing prevalence of gaming in Wisconsin for Wawrzyn’s crimes.

“This is a hidden cost of what happens in the casinos,” he said, adding that Wawrzyn didn’t keep what she embezzled. “The casinos got the money.”

Wawrzyn apologized to the company, former co-workers, family and friends in her statement to the court.

“I am addicted to gambling,” she said. “It got to the point where I forgot about everything else.”

In passing sentence, Judge James Habeck said Wawrzyn was “100 percent to blame” for her actions. He also noted that Wawrzyn had never offered a confession during the investigation into her crimes, instead offering “multiple false stores” to cover up.

“Judge Habeck handed down a sentence that showed justice in my mind,” Parker said.

Company officials became suspicious in October 2010 about missing and late deposits from the Shawano and Marquette divisions of Reinhart Foods, according to the criminal complaint. Wawrzyn was credit manager for both divisions.

In emails between Wawrzyn and a Reinhart accountant during the summer of 2010, Wawrzyn gave a number of excuses for not promptly depositing the money, including vacation, picking up her grandchildren from day care and other family related concerns, according to the complaint.

Wawrzyn told company officials and Shawano police that the money had been stolen from the back seat of her car before she had a chance to deposit it.

Shawano Police Department

Dec. 18

Police logged 23 incidents, including the following:

Fraud — Police investigated a fraud complaint at Timber Pro, 1407 Industrial Drive.

Juvenile — Police logged six truancy complaints from the Shawano School District.

Accident — Police responded to a property damage accident at Sawyer Street and Zingler Avenue.

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile alcohol complaint at the Shawano Skate Park, 107 E. Elizabeth St.

Fraud — Police investigated a credit card fraud complaint in the 300 block of Alpine Drive.

Hit and Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run in the 1300 block of East Lieg Avenue.

Clintonville Police Department

Dec. 18

Police logged 13 incidents, including the following:

Juvenile — Police responded to two harassment complaints and three disorderly conduct complaints at the middle school, three harassment complaints at the high school and a truancy complaint at the elementary school.

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint on East Morning Glory Drive.

Harassment — Police responded to a harassment complaint on West Morning Glory Drive.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Dec. 18

Deputies logged 32 incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — Authorities responded to a suspicious vehicle complaint on Main Street in Gresham.

OAR — A 49-year-old man was cited for operating after revocation on U.S. Highway 45 in Tigerton.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Grand Avenue in Wittenberg.

Harassment — Authorities responded to a harassment complaint on Regina Road in Almon.

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Lake Drive in Wescott.

Shoplifting — Bonduel Kwik Trip, 102 Express Way, reported a shoplifting incident.

Accidents — Authorities logged six deer-related crashes.

It has been six months since a 22-year-old Michigan man was found dead of an apparent hit-and-run in Shawano County.

Authorities have still not located the vehicle involved, but the case remains open and active, according to the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department.

Timothy J. Meade, 22, of Stephenson, Mich., was found at 2:30 a.m. June 28 in the eastbound lane of traffic on County Road M at the state Highway 29 overpass in Shawano.

Meade was visiting friends in the area and was headed back to their residence after leaving a nearby drinking establishment, the Sheriff’s Department said.

He left the establishment sometime after 1:30 a.m. and several witnesses reported seeing him walking.

“We’ve contacted an enormous amount of people,” Detective Wade Wudtke said. “We’ve collected traffic information and data that we’ve been following up on as far as who takes that road of travel and everything. We’ve knocked on a lot of doors, talked to a lot of neighbors, followed up on a lot of leads.”

For all that, he said, “we haven’t come up with anything.”

Wudtke said the department is still hoping someone will come forward with information.

“We’re trying to plead to anybody out that knows anything about this to come forward, because there’s a family that lost a loved one that we’re trying to give closure to,” he said.

Wudtke said it will be particularly hard on the family in the coming week as they face their first holiday season without him.

“This isn’t anything about prosecuting anybody right now. We just want closure for the family,” he said.

Chances are the driver who struck Meade on June 28 was unaware that it even happened, Wudtke said.

Initial autopsy results indicate Meade was lying down in the road at the time he was struck sometime between 1:30 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. Authorities believe the vehicle involved was a sports utility vehicle or similar with a higher chassis.

“We aren’t looking to maliciously go after somebody who didn’t know what they hit, or don’t realize what they hit,” Wudtke said. “We want to get closure and help the family heal their hearts.”

The Sheriff’s Department can be reached at 715-526-3111.

Authorities on Wednesday arrested a 21-year-old Weston man accused of coming to Wescott for a sexual rendezvous with what he believed would be a 15-year-old girl.

The Shawano County Sheriff’s Department said it would be referring a charge of using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime to the district attorney’s office.

“The Sheriff’s Department became aware of an individual who was soliciting whom he believed to be an underage female for sexual purposes,” Detective Sgt. Gordon Kowaleski said. “A meeting was arranged between the two and, when the individual showed up, he was arrested.”

The suspect also had an outstanding felony warrant, Kowaleski said.

Kowaleski said the man had been sending emails and text messages of a graphic sexual nature to the girl.

Authorities made a similar arrest last month, also in Wescott. In that case, Ryan L. Zempel, 19, of Coleman, had allegedly arranged to meet a 15-year-old boy for sexual purposes when he was instead arrested by sheriff’s deputies.

Zempel is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Jan. 23 on a charge of using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime. He could face a maximum 40 years in prison and $100,000 fine if convicted.

Shawano County finally has a revised employee and administrative handbook, more than two and a half years after the state enacted Act 10, which stripped most collective bargaining rights from the public employee unions.

The County Board voted 15-9 Wednesday, with three supervisors absent, to adopt the handbook. The board had rejected the first revision with a 13-13 vote in September. Many of the supervisors at that time found the handbook’s wording to be unfriendly and even harsh toward employees.

Since then, the Administrative Committee met with county department heads and made enough changes to bring the handbook to the board for another vote. By board rules, the same issue cannot be brought back to the board for another vote until significant time has passed or significant changes have been made.

Andy Phillips, a consultant with Phillips Borowski in Mequon, which worked with the county on the handbook, told the board Wednesday that the handbook has received a thorough review.

“This has been through the committee process. This has been through various channels and various people, and I think it’s safe to say that it’s been fully vetted by many, many people within the county,” Phillips said.

After Act 10 was enacted in 2011, the county developed a Transition Committee to review the handbook and make changes to incorporate issues previously covered by union contracts.

The handbook will take effect March 3, which gives the Finance Department time to make changes to the payroll process.

Phillips pointed out that the handbook should continue to be revised.

“You can pass any manual, but if you put it on a shelf, it doesn’t do you any good,” Phillips said.

Supervisor Gene Hoppe, chairman for the Administrative Committee, was one of the most vocal proponents of a revised employee handbook.

“It’s very instrumental that we get this passed. We need it,” Hoppe said. “If we care about the county, I think we have to pass it.”

The changes added by the Administrative Committee included language about providing holiday pay (1 1/2 times) to corrections officers and dispatchers working on holidays.

Also added was wording about allowing department heads to administer discipline to employees except for major infractions such as theft and fraud, which would be handled by the Administration Department.

Shawano Police Department

Dec. 19

Police logged 17 incidents, including the following:

Juvenile — Police responded to a juvenile problem in the 700 block of South River Street.

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

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

Disturbance — Police responded to a domestic disturbance in the 400 block of North Lafayette Street.

Disturbance — A 45-year-old Shawano man was arrested on a charge of domestic violence-related disorderly conduct on Prospect Circle.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Dec. 19

Deputies logged 39 incidents, including the following:

OWI — A 29-year-old Shawano man was arrested for operating while intoxicated and resisting an officer on Old Lake Road in Wescott.

Criminal Damage — A charge of criminal damage to property was referred against a 35-year-old Aniwa man after an incident at the Ho Chunk Casino in Wittenberg.

Hit and Run — Authorities investigated a property damage hit-and-run involving a school bus that was struck on Oakcrest Drive in the town of Washington.

Warrant — A 36-year-old man was taken into custody on a warrant at the Shawano County Courthouse.

Juvenile — Authorities investigated a juvenile alcohol complaint on Warrington Avenue in Cecil.

Accidents — Authorities logged nine accidents, including four deer-related crashes.

Clintonville Police Department

Dec. 19

Police logged eight incidents, including the following:

Fraud — Two worthless check complaints were under investigation.

Disorderly — Disorderly conduct was reported on South Main Street.

The hallmarks of the Christmas season of peace and goodwill are not on everyone’s minds during the holidays, and there are those who may be looking to rob some families of their Christmas cheer.

That’s why the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department is offering a few tips to help ensure people spend their Christmas opening presents instead of reporting them stolen.

“Property crime is on the rise in Shawano County, and we believe that has a direct correlation with all the drug activity that we’re seeing,” Capt. Tom Tuma said.

While burglary and theft are year-round problems, the Christmas season often gives the bad guys some additional opportunities for crime.

“People know people are gone during the holidays,” Tuma said. “People leave great big boxes worth lots of money underneath Christmas trees, and everybody’s Christmas tree wants to be visible from a window or a road.”

Tuma advises not making your tree and your presents so visible, or at least making sure the drapes are closed when you’re not home.

“Don’t give people a free preview into your home,” he said. “And don’t leave large packages that you know are worth a lot of money sitting right out in the open.”

Tuma advised keeping a list of values and serial numbers of expensive property in a safe place so stolen items can be identified if they turn up at a pawn shop or in storage somewhere.

Tuma also suggested leaving your lights on when you’re away, or set to a timer to suggest activity, and having your neighbor keep an eye on the place.

You can also request an extra patrol from the Sheriff’s Department.

“We do house checks,” Tuma said.

Tuma said it’s also a good idea to have somebody plow your driveway if you’re going to be gone for an extended period of time.

“If somebody passes an unplowed driveway to a nice home, you are sending a huge signal that no one is here right now,” he said.

Tuma said it’s also a bad idea to post on social media like Facebook and Twitter that you’re leaving home for the holidays.

Christmas shopping can provide other opportunities for the bad guys.

“People know people are coming out of stores with large amounts of gifts,” Tuma said.

Tuma recommends parking underneath a light, even if it means walking a few extra yards, and not loading yourself down with packages.

“Always try to keep your dominant hand free with your car keys in it, so if something happens, you can get in your car,” he said. “Make multiple trips out of the store if necessary.”

Gifts should be put in the trunk, not left on your back seat, Tuma said, and personal information shouldn’t be left in the vehicle, either.

“Don’t leave anything that will tell criminals where you live because they know you’re away from home,” he said.

Tuma said shoppers also need to be careful with their credit cards to make sure numbers, expiration dates and security codes don’t end up in the wrong hands.

“It’s really important that in the months following Christmas, you keep an eye on that credit card bill,” Tuma said. “Make sure you’re not just paying it blindly because you know you spent a lot of money. Make sure there’s not extra charges on there for purchases at stores you didn’t make.”

A Green Bay man who allegedly planned to meet a 15-year-old girl for sex in Wescott on Wednesday is a registered sex offender who had cut off his monitoring bracelet and gone missing earlier in the week, according to a criminal complaint.

Brandon J. Voelz, 21, was taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies at the scene of an arranged rendezvous site where authorities said he expected to meet the girl.

He was charged Friday in Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court with a felony count of using a computer to facilitate a sex crime.

Judge William Kussel Jr. ordered Voelz held on a $25,000 bond.

Shawano County authorities had gotten information on Sunday about sexually graphic emails and text messages being exchanged between Voelz and a 15-year-old girl.

“The Sheriff’s Department became aware of an individual who was soliciting whom he believed to be an underage female for sexual purposes,” Detective Sgt. Gordon Kowaleski said. “A meeting was arranged between the two and, when the individual showed up, he was arrested.”

Voelz arrived at the meeting spot with liquor and a 12-pack of condoms in his vehicle, according to the criminal complaint.

Voelz also had an outstanding felony warrant, the complaint states.

Local authorities contacted the state Department of Corrections and were told Voelz had a previous conviction for first degree sexual assault of a child, according to the criminal complaint.

The complaint states Voelz was living in Green Bay and cut off his monitoring bracelet shortly before midnight on Sunday. According to the complaint, communications between Voelz and the 15-year-old had started that afternoon.

The complaint states Voelz also had a room key from a Super 8 motel in Wausau, where he had apparently been staying until Tuesday with another male subject who the Department of Corrections said was another juvenile sex offender. Voelz showed up at the rendezvous in Wescott in a vehicle owned by the other male, according to the complaint.

Voelz could face a maximum 40 years in prison and $100,000 fine if found guilty. He is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 14.

A state appeals court this week rejected a Shawano man’s claim that police unlawfully invaded his privacy by checking his license plate, which led to his arrest for operating while intoxicated.

The District III Court of Appeals rejected Daniel R. Folkman’s argument and found that he had no reasonable expectation of privacy in the vehicle and the driver records maintained by the state.

The traffic stop that resulted from accessing vehicle records did not infringe on Folkman’s constitutional right against unlawful search and seizure, the court concluded.

Folkman’s attorney, Alf Langan, said he wanted to the Wisconsin Supreme Court to take the case, arguing that police should not be allowed to randomly check license plates without a good reason.

“This is an invasion of our privacy. The Patriot Act allowed increase surveillance of the public, the (National Security Agency) is tracking phone calls and emails gathering metadata … Big Brother is watching us,” he said Wednesday.

Folkman, 33, was driving on North Warrington Avenue in Cecil in May 2012 when Shawano County Sheriff’s Department deputy Ben Klenke ran a registration check on the vehicle through a computer in the squad car.

Learning the car was registered to Folkman, Klenke ran Folkman’s name through the computer system and discovered his license was expired.

Klenke stopped the vehicle, and after Folkman refused to take a breath test, subsequently arrested him for OWI.

Langan asked Circuit Judge William Kussell Jr. to throw out the blood-alcohol test evidence against Folkman, arguing that Klenke lacked reasonable suspicion to initially check on Folkman’s license plate.

“The sheriff’s deputy saw (Folkman) driving at night, but there was nothing remarkable about the way he was driving,” Langan said. “He wasn’t breaking any law. The police, in my theory, which hasn’t been denied, had nothing else to do so they ran the plate.”

It is an inappropriate use of police power to check a license plate for no other reason than to prevent an officer from becoming bored at work, Langan said.

Kussell refused to suppress the evidence against Folkman, who pleaded no contest to OWI second offense.

Kussell put Folkman on two years probation with five days in jail, revoked his driver’s license for one year, and assessed $1,150 in costs and fees, according to online court records. The sentence was stayed pending appeal.

District III Appeals Judge Michael Hoover upheld Kussell’s suppression ruling Tuesday, agreeing that Folkman had no right to privacy since state law requires license plates to be displayed.

On appeal, Assistant District Attorney Scott Niemi defended the conviction, arguing that Folkman was trying to invoke a right to privacy that does not exist.

Hoover agreed and said checking on license plates differed from the government reading emails and monitoring phone calls.

“That individuals have an expectation of privacy in personal emails and telephone conversations that were collected through ‘hacking’ does not mean individuals have the same expectation of privacy in vehicle registration and licensing information, which, as the circuit court observed, is information that individuals are required to submit to the state,” Hoover wrote in the nine-page opinion.

Niemi didn’t return a call seeking comment on the decision.

Langan said he will consult with Folkman about asking the state’s high court to take the case.

Costs will go up in January for patients of Shawano Medical Center and those visiting four other ThedaCare hospitals in the region.

ThedaCare’s Board of Directors this week approved a 3 percent hospital rate increase for SMC, Appleton Medical Center, New London Family Medical Center, and Theda Clark Medical Center in Neenah. Rates for Riverside Medical Center in Waupaca will increase by 2.5 percent.

The new rates are effective Jan. 1.

The average state price increase for 2014 is 4.97 percent, according to the Wisconsin Hospital Association.

ThedaCare CEO and President Dr. Dean Gruner said the price increase is modest and represents efforts to eliminate redunadancies and improve the way hospital staff members take care of patients.

He said those efforts have kept costs under control.

“As everyone knows, health care is going through many changes, but through that chaos ThedaCare is a leader when it comes to cost containment,” Gruner said. “We continue to find ways to take unnecessary steps out of delivering care to our patients that not only improve the care we provide, but also lowers costs.

Gruner said ThedaCare has received national attention for its participation in a pilot Medicare Accountable Care Organization that has kept costs down while improving care for Medicare patients.

“We also know there is still more room for improvement and we continue to look for ways to control costs,” he said.

Gruner noted that in the past five years, rates rose 14.64 percent at Appleton Medical Center, Theda Clark and New London Family Medical Center; 15.65 percent at Riverside Medical Center; and 14.0 percent at Shawano Medical Center, which, he said, showed ThedaCare’s consistent and predictable cost restraint.

Shawano Police Department

Dec. 22

Police logged 15 incidents, including the following:

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint at McDonald’s, 1202 E. Green Bay St.

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint at Taco Bell, 1266 E. Green Bay St.

Disturbance — Police responded to a domestic disturbance in the 300 block of East Zingler Avenue.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance at the Super 8 motel, 211 E. Waukechon St.

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

Hit and Run — Police responded to a property damage hit-and-run on Prospect Circle.

Dec. 21

Police logged nine incidents, including the following:

Suspicious — An intoxicated male was taken to the hospital after a suspicious person complaint that someone was outside a residence moaning on Northridge Drive.

Noise — Police responded to a noise complaint on Acorn Street.

Accidents — Police responded to property damage accidents at Washington and Richmond streets and Franklin and Richmond streets.

Dec. 20

Police logged 17 incidents, including the following:

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

Theft — A camera was reported stolen from a vehicle in the 300 block of South Sawyer Street.

Accident — Police responded to a two-vehicle property damage accident on East Green Bay Street.

Hit and Run — Police responded to a property damage hit-and-run on Woodlawn Drive.

Arrest — A 49-year-old man was taken into custody at the Probation and Parole offices, 1340 E. Green Bay St.

Accident — Police responded to a property damage accident involving a vehicle and a semi in the 1300 block of East Green Bay Street. Both drivers were cited, one for speed too fast for conditions and the other for failure to yield. No injuries were reported.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Dec. 22

Deputies logged 47 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a disturbance on Gumaer Road in Wescott.

OAR — A 41-year-old Keshena man was cited for operating after revocation on state Highway 47 in Red Springs.

Vandalism — A charge of criminal damage to property was referred against a 24-year-old Shawano man after an incident at the Shawano County Jail.

Accidents — Authorities logged 24 accidents, including two deer-related crashes.

Dec. 21

Deputies logged 62 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Authorities responded to a report of a fight in progress on Warrington Avenue in Cecil.

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

Theft — Authorities responded to a property theft complaint on Koonz Lane in Red Springs.

Disturbance — Charges of disorderly conduct and possession of paraphernalia were referred against a 17-year-old Birnamwood male after a disturbance Sugar Bush Road in Aniwa.

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

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

Assault — Authorities investigated a reported assault on Lake Drive in Wescott.

Accidents — Authorities logged 25 accidents, including seven deer-related crashes.

Dec. 20

Deputies logged 59 incidents, including the following:

OWI — A 44-year-old Mountain man was arrested for operating while intoxicated on state Highway 29 in Hartland.

OAR — A 53-year-old Shawano man was cited for operating after revocation on Airport Drive in Shawano.

Warrant — A 33-year-old Shawano woman was taken into custody on a warrant and cited for operating after revocation on East Green Bay Street in Shawano.

Warrant — A 22-year-old Wittenberg man was taken into custody on a warrant on Reed Street in Wittenberg.

Accidents — Authorities logged 22 accidents, including an injury accident on state Highway 32 in Angelica and seven deer-related crashes.

Some motorists who visited Walmart on Monday for a little last-minute Christmas shopping ended up with a Christmas gift of their own.

Ten drivers who had the foresight to buckle up before hitting Monday’s snowy, slush-covered streets were each awarded $10 in cash and a “Buckle Up to Save Lives” T-shirt.

Shawano police and Shawano County sheriff’s deputies joined Dr. Brian Grieves in selecting random motorists for the honors as part of a seatbelt check program that is now in its eighth year.

“We’re trying to save lives and reduce serious injuries,” said Grieves, who initiated the program with the Shawano Police Department and Shawano County Sheriff’s Department.

Buckling up is a simple thing that many people tend to overlook, Grieves said.

Grieves noted that traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for children and many of those deaths could be avoided if seatbelts had been used.

Drivers who don’t use their seatbelts can face a fine, but Monday’s effort was aimed at drawing positive attention to those who do buckle up — emphasizing the carrot instead of the stick, according to Grieves.

“We’re trying to be positive,” he said.

Nearly $5,000 in cash has been handed out to conscientious drivers over the past eight years, and 500 T-shirts have been handed out.

Grieves puts up the cash himself, while the T-shirts are donated by the Police Department.

Grieves said that 90 percent of drivers nationwide buckle up, but the average is lower in Wisconsin at about 80 percent.

Seatbelt use is even lower in Shawano County, he said. Depending on which study one goes by or when it was done, the county average is anywhere between 66 and 80 percent of drivers, Grieves said.

Drivers were a little more prepared than usual Monday. It took about 10 minutes to hand out cash and T-shirts to 10 motorists.

Usually, Grieves said, there is a lot more waiting around until someone wearing a seatbelt goes by.

“It’s amazing the number of people who don’t wear seatbelts,” Grieves said.

Grieves said those who got the cash and T-shirts were pleasantly surprised when they found out why they were being stopped.

“People were blown away,” he said. “It’s a lot of fun to do this program.”

Seatbelt checks are also done around Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July.

A Circuit Court judge last week granted the foreclosure of the Family Dollar property on East Green Bay Street, which was being purchased through a land contract by a subsidiary of the Samanta Roy Institute of Science and Technology.

In a separate civil suit, the court also granted foreclosure of nine residential lots and an outlot in the town of Wescott that were also being purchased on a land contract by the same subsidiary, Midwest Properties of Shawano, LLC.

The suit over the Family Dollar property at 229 E. Green Bay St. argued that Midwest defaulted on the land contract entered into with Julie Krueger, of Sayner, in November 2004 at a purchase price of $350,000. The agreement called for monthly payments until November 2007, when full payment was due, according to the suit.

Midwest does not operate the Family Dollar business, which is a tenant on the property. The business will soon be moving into the former Country Store property on South Main Street.

A separate suit filed by Fireside Construction and Electrical, of Sayner, and registered agent Brian Krueger contended that Midwest defaulted on a $300,000 land contract to purchase properties in the Wolf View Estates. That land contract was also entered into in November 2004. Full payment was due by November 2010, the suit alleges.

Shawano-Menominee County Circuit Court Judge William Kussel Jr. granted summary judgments in both cases on Friday.

Attorneys for Brian and Julie Krueger argued that Midwest had not “argued any genuine issues of material fact,” only denials.

Kussel rejected a motion from Midwest seeking more time to respond to the request for a summary judgment.

Midwest was given a seven-day redemption period during which they could still make good on the debt and keep the Family Dollar property. The subsidiary was given a 15-day redemption period on the Wescott residential properties.

It was the third foreclosure ruling against a SIST subsidiary this year.

In January, Midwest Properties lost a foreclosure suit in federal court on the downtown property housing the El Mariachi Cantina and Grill, 635 S. Main St. U.S. District Judge William Griesbach ordered the property sold to pay off the balance of a $311,000 land contract entered into by Midwest in July 2005. The unpaid balance, along with interest and other legal fees, came to $263,242, according to court documents.

In February, Kussel granted foreclosure of the Kiryat Hotel, owned by SIST subsidiary Midwest Hotels and Motels of Shawano, LLC. According to that suit, $664,212 was due on the land contract for that property.

In October 2012, SIST and its subsidiary U.S. Acquisitions and Oil lost the USA International Raceway in Wescott in a foreclosure sale.

In October 2011, two apartment buildings in Shawano being purchased on a land contract by Midwest Properties were sold off in a sheriff’s sale. Midwest entered into the contract in 2004, according to court records, agreeing to purchase the properties at 463 Humphrey Circle and 1024 E. Fifth St. for $575,000.

Shawano Police Department

Dec. 23

Police logged 13 incidents, including the following:

Hit and Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run at Pine and Lafayette streets.

Arrest — A male subject was taken into custody at the Probation and Parole offices, 1340 E. Green Bay St.

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

Dec. 22

Police logged 15 incidents, including the following:

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint at McDonald’s, 1202 E. Green Bay St.

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint at Taco Bell, 1266 E. Green Bay St.

Disturbance — Police responded to a domestic disturbance in the 300 block of East Zingler Avenue.

Disturbance — Police responded to a disturbance at the Super 8 motel, 211 E. Waukechon St.

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

Hit and Run — Police responded to a property damage hit-and-run on Prospect Circle.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Dec. 23

Deputies logged 34 incidents, including the following:

OWI — A 25-year-old man was arrested for operating while intoxicated after a traffic stop on Cherry Street in Wittenberg.

Trespass — A trespassing complaint on Bartelt Street in Gresham was determined to be unfounded.

Warrant — A 28-year-old man was taken into custody on a warrant on County Road N in Birnamwood.

Accidents — Authorities logged 11 accidents, including four deer-related crashes.

Clintonville Police Department

Dec. 23

Police logged five incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — Officers assisted with removing an unwanted subject from a residence on Flora Way.

Disturbance — Officers assisted with a domestic situation on Brix Street.

Hit and Run — A hit-and-run property damage accident was reported at Main and 12th streets.

Accident — Officers responded to a three vehicle property damage accident on South Main Street at Fifth Street.

Accident — Vehicle versus pole accident was reported on West Greentree Road.

Dec. 21

Police logged seven incidents, including the following:

OWI — A-43-year old Clintonville man was arrested for operating while intoxicated after his vehicle was located in the ditch on Greentree Road and North Main Street.

Dec. 20

Police logged eight incidents, including the following:

Burglary — A burglary was reported on 11th Street.

Accidents — Police responded to two-vehicle accidents on South Clinton Avenue and on North Main Street.

Two races for the Shawano County Board in the spring election appear to be set, but six others were also looking likely as of Tuesday.

All 27 county supervisors will be up for re-election April 1. Potential candidates have until Jan. 7 to get their nomination papers and 20 signatures returned to the county clerk’s office.

All but one of the incumbents have taken papers out for another run.

District 5 Supervisor Sandy Steinke has said she is not seeking re-election due to time conflicts with her job. Two people — John Granchay and Billy Suprise — have taken out papers to fill the seat, which includes Wards 9 and 10 in the city of Shawano. Neither has returned nomination papers as of Tuesday.

A number of potential challengers for other seats have also taken out nomination papers, but as of Tuesday there were only two seats where both the incumbents and their opponents have returned their papers.

District 22 Supervisor Jerry Erdmann, who is also County Board chairman, will face a challenge from Ronald Grunewald. District 22 covers the towns of Seneca and Morris and Ward 2 of the town of Grant.

In District 23, which includes Fairbanks and Tigerton, incumbent Ray Faehling will go up against challenger Annette Rockey.

In two districts, challengers have already guaranteed a spot on the ballot by returning their papers.

David Korth, of Cecil, will be a candidate for the District 10 seat held by Robert Krause, of Krakow. Krause has not yet returned his papers. The district includes Ward 3 of the town of Washington and Wards 1 and 2 of Green Valley.

Former county supervisor Jon Zwirschitz, of Birnamwood, will be a candidate for the District 27 seat held by Marion Wnek, of Wittenberg. Wnek has not yet returned his nomination papers. The district includes the towns of Hutchins and Almon and the village of Mattoon.

Several other possible races are on tap where incumbents and challengers have taken out papers but not yet returned them.

District 12 Supervisor Kathy Luebke could face competition from Ken Bierhals. The district includes the town of Maple Grove, Ward 2 of the town of Lessor and the part of Pulaski in Shawano County.

In District 18, incumbent Steven Gueths could be challenged by Cheryl Klapste. The district is comprised of Wards 2 and 3 of the town of Richmond.

In District 19 — which includes the town of Pella, Ward 2 of the town of Herman and Ward 1 of the town of Grant — board vice chairman Arlyn Tober could face a challenge from Leone Schneidewend.

Months after they were filed, two missing person cases remain open for city and county law enforcement, even though their trails have gotten colder and potential leads have gotten fewer.

Heather Szekeres, 32, of Shawano was last confirmed to have been at the former Final Lap Sports Bar and Grill in downtown Shawano at 11 p.m. June 21, not far from the apartment she shared with her husband, Robert, their 11-month-old daughter and Heather’s mother.

Where Szekeres went after leaving the Final Lap is still unknown.

Paul Hudson, 42, of Wescott, was last seen on July 9 by a family member walking in the vicinity of the Loon Lake boat landing.

Shawano County sheriff’s investigators said it was not unusual for Hudson not to have contact with the family for periods of time. The family reported Hudson as missing to the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department on Oct. 10.

In both cases, authorities are at the point where they are hoping for fresh information to come forward that could provide new leads to follow up on.

Shawano police officer Kurt Kitzman has been handling the Szekeres disappearance.

“Any information he gets, he’s on it right away,” Police Chief Ed Whealon said.

That has even included Facebook postings, which have so far produced nothing, Whealon said.

“We had a tip a while back that she was possibly in Michigan; that was a false lead,” he said.

Previous tips have put Szekeres in Texas and on the Menominee Indian Reservation. Neither panned out.

There is no foul play suspected in the case, but, Whealon said, the state Division of Criminal Investigations is involved.

“They’re doing some things behind the scenes I don’t really want to talk about,” he said. “We’re hoping with the help of DCI we can track some other stuff down electronically.”

Whealon said the DCI may also be able to assist with some out-of-state interviews, including in Tennessee where Szekeres was known to have been in the past.

The case is complicated by the fact that this is not the first time Szekeres has disappeared.

“There’s a history of this,” Whealon said.

Szekeres is described as a slender, 5-foot-4-inch brunette, but she has dyed her hair blond in the past.

Meanwhile, Shawano County authorities have similarly exhausted their leads so far in Hudson’s disappearance.

“We have done a number of searches through whatever semi-wooded areas in the town of Wescott that he frequented or may have walked through,” Detective Sgt. Gordon Kowaleski said. “No indicators of Mr. Hudson were found in those areas.”

The Sheriff’s Department said it has checked extensively with friends and relatives and investigated any first-hand reports of contact.

“At this time, we still have no idea where Mr. Hudson is,” Kowaleski said. “At this point, we’re asking anyone with any property in the area to please be on the lookout if you see anything that seems out of the ordinary to you. Please call us and we’d be happy to come out and take a look.”

Kowaleski said there are also health concerns involved.

“There are some concerns for his medical well-being, so we would certainly like to find him,” he said.

Hudson is described as a white male, 5 feet, 10 inches, 180 pounds, with blond, shoulder-length hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information regarding Szekeres should contact Kitzman at 715-526-6117.

Anyone with information regarding Hudson is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Department at 715-526-3111 or their local law enforcement agency.

Clintonville residents concerned about the trees that will be removed as part of the state Highway 22 reconstruction project got some good news this month.

In a report to the Common Council on Dec. 10, City Administrator Lisa Kuss said the state will pay for replacing many of the trees being removed.

“The state historical society has said a large portion of the northern end of the street is a historical district, which means they will replace the trees,” Kuss said.

According to Kuss, about 89 trees will be removed, and the state will pay for more than 60 new ones.

The city had expected to pay for the cost of replanting the trees and has funds set aside for replanting trees not covered by the state, Kuss said.

Kuss said the contractor that is selected to replace the trees also will provide care for them for two years. Trees that are not flourishing by then will be replaced.

Each of the property owners who loses trees will be reimbursed by the state, said Kuss, who suggested that the property owner then use that money for trees and landscaping on the property.

The reconstruction project, scheduled to begin in 2015 and estimated to cost up to $5 million, will be done in two phases. The trees in both portions of the project will be removed at the same time.

The DOT plans to reconstruct state Highway 22, Main Street in Clintonville, from 10th Street to state Highway 156. The first phase, which includes replacing the Pigeon River bridge and reconstructing the roadway between 10th Street and 13th Street, is scheduled for 2015.

During the reconstruction, traffic from the south will be detoured onto Seventh Street, to Lyons Street, past Seagrave on 12th Street, to SSGT Warren Hansen Drive and onto state Highway 156.

There may be some adjustments needed to the detour route to accommodate truck traffic, Kuss said.

The section of roadway between 13th Street and Green Tree Road is scheduled for construction in 2017, but may occur as early as 2016 if federal funds become available.