Advertisement The year 2008 was filled with many stories that not only wrote another year in history but will also shape the future.
In this special section, we reflect on some of the top newsmakers and photographs that best capture 2008. We hope you enjoy looking back with us at the events that defined another year.
— Jackson County Chronicle staff
January
A Hartland man was identified as the pilot killed in a small plane crash Dec. 20, 2007, in a remote part of Jackson County.
Ross M. Franke, 26, started his flight from Watertown and dropped a passenger off at the Eau Claire airport. His single-engine aircraft apparently then went down in the town of Bear Bluff in extreme southeastern Jackson County.
Eau Claire airport staff indicated the weather was deteriorating when Franke left at 5:30 p.m. His final destination was not known, officials said. A town of Bear Bluff resident reported hearing a low-flying aircraft about 6 p.m. Dec. 20 but did not hear a crash, according to the sheriff’s department. A hunter discovered the wreckage three days later.
After 16 years on the Jackson County Board of Supervisors, Steve Dickinsen announced he would not seek another term. Dickinsen was elected chairman 13 years ago when then-Chairman Keith Ferries died.
About the same time, Black River Falls Mayor Joe Hunter announced he would not seek a fifth term as mayor.
Friends, family and government officials gathered Jan. 9 to honor Douglas Greengrass’ Jan. 10 birthday and to surprise him with a gift to remember — a new Bronze Star.
Greengrass, a sergeant with the Marine Corps, put his own safety aside to rescue five wounded people who had been hurt by exploding mines in the Vietnam War. His actions that day earned him a Bronze Star, but several years later, that medal was lost after Greengrass allowed an organization to borrow it.
“Words can’t express, you know, what I feel,” he said. “All the veterans deserve the same treatment as me.”
Snowy conditions and slippery roads led to a crash involving more than 20 vehicles and closing a portion of Interstate 94 near Black River Falls on Monday, Jan. 21. The crash occurred at milepost 114 near an Interstate overhead, which may have been icy, according to Jackson County Sheriff’s Department officials. Occupants in two of the vehicles had to be extricated and three individuals were transported to Black River Memorial Hospital. A sheriff’s department squad car also was struck and damaged in the collision. The eastbound lanes of I-94 were closed between Hixton and Black River Falls for more than three hours and traffic had to be re-routed. A Black River Falls School District bus was used to transport those not injured in the crash.
Two separate fires destroyed a home and rental property in the town of Brockway causing major damage at both locations.
On Jan. 20, Black River Falls firefighters responded to the home of Jim Campbell at 508 Gebhardt Road. Campbell, his daughter and her three children ranging from 8 years old to 7 months old were home when a town maintenance worker who was passing by alerted the family to smoke coming from the roof area. The family left the home uninjured.
On Jan. 21, another fire was reported at a rental property at N6517 Bagan Road in the town of Brockway. Those living at the residence exited the home without injury.
Mary Lent spent a good share of the past 22 years leading the Black River Falls Public Library through many changes, but on Jan. 31, she embraced the next big change in her life — retirement.
The many changes in Lent’s 22 years as director could’ve been overwhelming, but she didn’t see it that way. All things new were challenges that she welcomed with open arms.
“Twenty years ago, who would’ve thought we’d have Internet or books on tape,” Lent said.
Staff and students at Black River Falls Middle School grieved the loss of one of their sixth-grade math teachers. Kelly Mauck, 42, of Hixton, was pronounced dead at the scene of a one-vehicle crash shortly before 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26. The 2003 Ford F250 truck she was riding in rolled into a median while traveling on Interstate 94 near Osseo. Mauck was traveling with her parents Clifford and Joanne Mauck, both 66 and residents of Sagola, Mich., who were transported to area medical facilities.
A man who robbed the Black River Crossing Oasis BP convenience store at knifepoint was sentenced Jan. 28 in Jackson County Circuit Court. Matthew A. Sanborn, 24, formerly of Black River Falls and most recently of Sturtevant was charged with armed robbery with use of force; he was sentenced to three years in prison, followed by five years of extended supervision.
A proposal to build an apartment unit for residents with developmental disabilities was rejected Jan. 30 by the Black River Falls Plan Commission. The commission, by a 5-2 vote, denied a conditional use request by Lutheran Social Services before a capacity crowd, which was vocal in its opposition to the project.
The project got a second chance in March, but the commission again voted it down in a 4-2 vote that came after more than an hour of questions and comments from commission members and many of the more than 50 people attending the hearing.
February
Paul E. Blanford was named the new district administrator of the Black River Falls School District on Feb. 11. The announcement brought to a close a search for a district administrator nearly a year in the making after Dennis Richards announced his retirement in February 2007; Richards later retired on June 30 after serving 23 years as district administrator in Black River Falls.
A brawl at the Full Moon Saloon in Alma Center on Feb. 17 sent the bartender to the hospital and required numerous cops to break up the melee, police said. The police log said all available officers were en route — even two from Clark County — and the fight was escalating, with people smashing windows and injuries that required an ambulance. Bartender Erika Swenson, 28, of Hixton, had been struck in the head with a beer bottle and was knocked out for more than a minute, witnesses said. She was taken to the hospital by a private party.
Thanks to intense competition, drivers in Black River Falls were enjoying some of the state’s lowest prices despite surging gas and fuel prices. Prices in Black River Falls were 10 to 12 cents cheaper in late February than in larger nearby cities of La Crosse and Eau Claire. Flying J truck stop’s $3.02 per gallon was among the cheapest in the state.
A large underage drinking party was broken up by Jackson County authorities the morning of Saturday, Feb. 23, resulting in dozens of citations to partiers from throughout the region.
Jackson County Sheriff’s Department Capt. Cal Smokowicz said police were given an anonymous tip at 12:30 a.m. of an underage drinking party at W11851 Thomas Road in the town of Albion. People inside the home refused entry to authorities, so a search warrant was obtained and served at 3:35 a.m., and police from the town of Brockway and Wisconsin State Patrol helped to process the scene.
Eighteen people between the ages of 16 and 20 were issued underage drinking citations. Along with the underage drinking citations, eight people were charged with violating court-ordered bonds, two were charged with marijuana possession, two were charged with obstructing an officer, there were two warrant arrests and one probation/parole hold. Two people also were charged with knowingly permitting an underage party.
Jackson County resident Bryan Byerlay received a state heroism award for helping to save 7-year-old Brenda Rave from being buried alive Aug. 15, 2007.
Rave had been playing with friends near her home at the Maplewood Court Apartment Complex when a sandy hillside collapsed around her. Byerlay, a neighbor, was alerted to the situation and dug with his hands into the 30-foot washout area, and with the help of others, found Rave, according to law enforcement officials. When Byerlay pulled Rave from the sand, she was not breathing, and he administered rescue breathing, before carrying her from the washout area.
The Wisconsin Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs Association presented the Citizen Heroism Award to Byerlay at the annual winter conference Feb, 5 in Wisconsin Dells.
The Black River Falls/Melrose-Mindoro hockey team flashed its talents during a 7-1 triumph over La Crosse Aquinas/Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau/Holmen in a Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association regional final Feb. 14. The Tigers later fell to Onalaska to end their season.
It’s not the kind of record anyone hoped for, but the winter of 2007-08 went down as the most expensive in Jackson County history. Through the end of February, the county spent $488,000 on winter maintenance costs since Oct. 1, 2007, according to figures in the highway department’s annual report — which was more than the $410,000 spent in 2000-01.
Making his second trip to the state tournament for the Mel-Min/G-E-T wrestling squad, senior Tommy Dobbs finished his high school career with a fourth-place finish.
The Melrose-Mindoro girls varsity basketball team finished the 2007-08 year with a 10-3 record Dairyland Conference play, earning their first conference title since the 2000-01 season. La Crosse Aquinas ended Melrose-Mindoro’s season with a 38-28 win in a Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 3 regional quarterfinal game Feb. 26.
Katelin Ebner, a senior from Melrose-Mindoro and a member of the Gale-Ettrick-Trempeal-eau/Melrose-Mindoro/Cochrane-Fountain City gymnastics team, was competing in her last gymnastics meet at state on Feb. 29. She nailed her routine on the balance beam and received a 9.217. That enabled Ebner to leave a jam-packed Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln Fieldhouse a state champion.
March
The Lincoln girls basketball team won its ninth game in a row March 1, capturing a Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 4 regional title in the process. Eleva-Strum topped the Hornets 49-31 in sectional semifinal game March 6 to end their season.
The Holmen School Board hired Black River Falls principal Robert Lecheler as the new principal of Holmen High School. Lecheler, who was a finalist for the Black River Falls superintendent’s job, had been principal at Black River Falls for the last four years.
In June, high school Assistant Principal Tom Chambers was named as Lecheler’s replacement.
The Black River Area Chamber of Commerce bestowed the 2007 Business of the Year award to Gaier Construction Corp. of Black River Falls, which has served our area for nearly 70 years. The 2007 Customer Service Award was given to Castle Hill Supper Club in Merrillan, serving the finest steaks and seafood in Jackson County for over 60 years.
Ian J. Whitegull was sentenced in Jackson County Circuit Court after pleading no contest in late January to vehicular homicide and four other felony counts. He will serve 10 years in prison for his part in the 2007 alcohol-related traffic crash that took the life of a teenaged male and left a teenaged female paralyzed.
Whitegull, 21, was convicted of being the driver in the accident that took the life of Lyle Krause III, 17, and seriously injured Gina Reinart, now 20, who is still unable to walk and lives in a nursing home where she must receive constant care. Corey Sprinkle, now 22, was the only person in the car wearing a seatbelt. He received minor injuries, but has regular mental and emotional problems because of the crash.
According to court records, Whitegull had a blood alcohol level of .29 percent when he was driving a car at speeds in excess of 120 mph along Highway 54 about 10 a.m. April 20, 2007.
Despite pleas from the other occupants to slow down, Whitegull continued to speed on the busy highway. He attempted to pass a logging truck but clipped the truck’s trailer with the passenger side door. The car skidded then rolled, ejecting Krause and Reinart.
During the sentencing hearing, Whitegull admitted there was no way to apologize for the pain he caused but said that was all he could offer.
A town of Franklin farmer was ordered to pay a fine of $10,600 for failing to obtain a building permit before adding on to his house.
Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Gerald Laabs issued a decision March 27 in the case of Amish farmer Daniel Borntreger, who began adding on to his house in 2006. The town contended Borntreger was actually building a new home, which required a building permit and the need to comply with the Uniform Dwelling Code.
Borntreger was found in violation of the building court during a court trial held Dec. 4, 2007. He was given additional time by Laabs to bring his home into compliance but had not yet done so as of early March. Laabs also urged the town and Borntreger to reach an agreement.
“The court is disappointed with the parties that a resolution short of this sentence could not have been reached,” Laabs wrote in his sentencing ruling. “Compliance was certainly the goal.”
Fifteen-year veteran of the Onalaska Police Department Mark Moan was the choice for the new chief deputy of Jackson County. Moan replaced Jamie Guttenberg, who resigned the previous fall to become the chief of police for Fort McCoy.
A 20-year-old Black River Falls man was killed in a rollover car accident the morning of March 24. Darus E. Pettibone was killed after his vehicle crashed on Highway 12 near Coffey Road in the town of Millston about 4:01 a.m. Pettibone had to be extricated from the vehicle and transported by medical helicopter to Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse, where he died from his injuries.
April
On Tuesday, April 1, Alma Center-Humbird-Merrillan School District voters narrowly approved a referendum question to allow the district to increase revenue limits by $300,000 a year for the next four years. The vote was 454 in favor and 428 opposed. The measure passed in six of the district’s eight voting precincts. Voters in the town of Hixton and the town of Mentor did not pass the measure.
Jay Eddy was elected Tuesday to the Black River City Council in the only contested race in the city. Eddy and Justin Dougherty were vying for a two-year term for the 4th Ward. Eddy, 48, received 53 votes to 23 for Dougherty, 28. Ron Danielson was elected the city’s new mayor.
In the Black River Falls School board there was only one announced candidate — incumbent Ramie Bakken — for two three-year terms. Bakken collected 779 votes and three write-in candidates received most of the votes. Laurel Sackett-Meeks received 51 votes to win the seat. The other write-in candidates were Char Onstad (33 votes) and Greg Blackdeer (30).
In the village of Taylor, where five candidates sought three two-year terms, incumbent Steven Roseth was ousted. The top three vote-getters were Kathy Rose 62, Cheryl Hanson 51 and Larry Lythjohan 44; Roseth had 37 votes and Beverly Hanson had 18 votes.
Brenda Lindberg and David Skroch were elected in the village of Hixton trustee race. Lindberg had 76 votes and Skroch received 75. The other two candidates were Gaylin West with 49 and Merlin Peterson with 41.
North Bend voters narrowly approved a referendum question to change the town clerk and town treasurer positions from elected to appointed by a 35-34 margin.
After more than an hour of questions and debate, the Jackson County Board agreed to pay for up to $500,000 for the Jackson County Fair Park project. A few minutes later, some of the same people who appeared on behalf of the project at the courthouse showed up in city hall to convince the Black River Falls Common Council to pay for its $250,000 share.
City council members voted unanimously for the contribution, while the Jackson County Board vote was 12-7 in favor of funding.
Dennis Eberhardt was elected Jackson County Board chairman. Eberhardt, who serves District 10, was elected by fellow board members in a secret ballot. He received 11 votes to eight for Ron Carney of Warrens who had served as the board’s vice chairman.
Two Melrose teens and two Mindoro teens were arrested in connection with explosives placed in three Melrose area mailboxes and against a traffic sign.
Mathias Marco, 19, of Melrose, and Daniel Sye, 19, of Mindoro, were arrested on charges of possession of explosives and damage to property by explosive. Anthony Dobbs, 19, of Melrose, and Benjamin Pfaff, 18, of Mindoro, faced misdemeanor charges of party to the crime of criminal damage to property.
On April 13, three of the devices exploded inside mailboxes and the fourth on a traffic sign April 20 in the town of Melrose and town of North Bend. One mailbox belonged to Melrose-Mindoro High School Principal Del Deberg and another belonged to Jeffrey Woodward, a teacher at the high school. A third mailbox belonged to Rodney Knudtson. No one was injured.
In September, Sye and Marco were sentenced to 90 days on electronic monitoring and a year of probation after they pleaded guilty to felony possession of improvised explosives and misdemeanor criminal damage to property, both as party to the crime.
Pfaff and Dobbs entered into deferred prosecution agreements in August on three counts of being party to the crime of criminal damage to property.
A section of McKenna Road was washed out and temporarily closed and a boat landing was destroyed April 13 when an earthen levee was breached by high water in the town of Knapp. A cranberry marsh in the path of the flooding sustained significant damage to numerous cranberry beds also, but no injuries were reported.
The Black River Falls School Board voted April 21 to start a 4-year-old kindergarten program for the 2008-09 school year.
May
Jackson County Circuit Court Judge-elect Eric F. Stutz died May 2. Stutz, 63, had battled cancer since 2006 and died while under hospice care at Black River Falls Memorial Hospital.
Stutz, of Black River Falls, was elected April 2 after running unopposed to succeed Circuit Court Judge Gerald Laabs, who chose not to run for re-election. Stutz was to be sworn in Aug. 1.
In July, Gov. Jim Doyle announced Thomas Lister will become Jackson County’s new circuit court judge. Other candidates for the post were attorneys James Ritland of Black River Falls, Ellen Healey, of Fitchburg, and Michelle Cleveland of Black River Falls.
Molly’s Grill closed its doors Saturday, May 24. Over the years, it has seen different names and different owners. Owner Jay Bublitz said the decision to close Molly’s doors was both unexpected and difficult to do.
The floodgates opened wide as more than 100 Melrose residents poured into a special village board meeting to discuss a proposed multi-million water project that would likely increase water rates.
In September, the Melrose Village Board unanimously approved the estimated $3.15 million project, which includes well construction, a water tower and a filtration system.
A man sought in a fatal shooting in southeastern Wisconsin drove to Jackson County and committed suicide May 31 in the woods south of Melrose. In a suicide note found with his body, David L. Spencer, 55, confessed to killing another man while his ex-girlfriend looked on at the Red Oaks Motel near Kenosha.
A handful of high school sports teams showed their mettle in spring sports. The Melrose-Mindoro softball team was crowned conference champs as was the Black River Falls golf team. Jake Koss had the best finish for the Mustangs at the state track meet with a second-place finish in the high jump.
June
The beginning of a string of burglaries resulted in the arrest of two men.
Mikel J. Koller, 20, of Black River Falls, and Dustin C. Baskin, 23, of Glenwood City, were charged with 10 and eight counts of burglary of a building, respectively after both were arrested in August. Koller is also charged with five counts of theft of movable property less than $2,500 and with criminal damage to property, all misdemeanors. Baskin is charged with four counts of theft of moveable property, as well as criminal damage to property.
According to Koller’s criminal complaint, the burglaries associated with these charges happened on three separate days. On Jun. 2, the two burglarized Jan’s Place Tavern and Full Moon Saloon in Alma Center, as well as Sunrise Cafe in Black River Falls.
On June 13, police responded to burglaries at Del Bean Coffee and Cheese in Brockway and Haag Gym and Sunrise Cafe again in Black River Falls. The Merrillan Cafe in Merrillan also reported a burglary on that date.
Finally, on July 8, burglaries were reported at six businesses in Alma Center, including Strawberry Square, AC Garage, the AC Laundromat, the Alma Center Meat Locker, Jan’s Place and AC Builders.
A third suspect, Corey L. Sprinkle, 22, of Black River Falls, was cleared of all charges shortly after his arrest in August.
Significant damage caused, in part, by high water tables forced nearly 11 miles of the Black River State Forest ATV trails to close until repairs were completed.
Deanna Lisota, of North Bend, won $350,000 in the Super Cash quick pick lottery. Although her bank account balance dramatically increased, the 64-year-old owner of The Consignment Shop in Black River Falls said she has no intentions of retiring any time soon.
“I have such faithful, loyal customers,” she said. “The store’s going to stay open.”
July
The Black River Falls City Council decided at its regular meeting July 1 to appoint a new city administrator by charter ordinance. A 5-2 vote was cast in favor of appointing the city administrator in April 2009 by council decision rather than putting it to a public referendum. The decision to hire a city administrator combines the roles of city clerk and city treasurer, two part-time positions both held by Bill Arndt for the last 30 years. A contract was later approved to offer Arndt the position.
A new Miss Black River Falls was crowned July 5 during the Festival in the Park activities. Austin Marg, daughter of John and Debra Marg was selected as Miss Black River Falls 2008-09. First Attendant is Emily Dunneisen, daughter of Judy and Todd Luttio and Jon Dunneisen; Second Attendant is Fawn Jessie, daughter of James Jessie and Cindy Jessie; and the Third Attendant is Elizabeth Cook, daughter of Jon and Mary Beck.
A fire of undetermined origin ripped through a landmark Palms Supper Club near Hatfield July 9, causing an estimated $600,000 in damage and destroying the restaurant.
Black River Falls Fire Chief Steve Schreiber said the investigation could not determine the cause of the fire, which was reported by a delivery person who was making a delivery shortly after noon. There was no one in the building at the time of the fire, which Schreiber said is not considered suspicious.
The fire appeared to have started in the older portion of the building, which dates to the 1930s. The 6,319-square foot building is owned by John and Peggy Hayden of Merrillan.
Six people were arrested for drug violations during the Effit musical festival.
Marijuana, LSD, Ecstasy, money and vehicles were seized. A total of 31 traffic stops resulted in 32 traffic citations, 28 equipment repair orders, 18 warnings, eight marijuana citations, six drug paraphernalia citations and one citation each for underage drinking and possession of tobacco.
Authorities arrested the event goers on charges of possession and manufacturing with intent to deliver marijuana, LSD and Ecstasy, operating after revocation and possession of drug paraphernalia. They were arrested and cited during traffic stops in the towns of Garfield, Cleveland and Northfield and near Osseo.
A 12-person jury found Jeremy Trusty not guilty on July 11 of threatening to kill Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Gerald Laabs.
The jury spent six and a half hours in deliberation before returning with the verdict. While they found him not guilty on the charge of battery or threat to a judge, they did find Trusty, 37, of Independence, guilty on a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.
Trusty’s charges stemmed from a Sept. 12, 2007, incident when Trusty was at a hearing.
Emily Jordan of Black River Falls was crowned Miss Jackson County on July 29. Hannah Dvorak of Black River Falls was named first attendant; Cera Boe of Taylor was named second attendant; and Allyson Rush of Black River Falls was named third attendant.
August
A Black River Falls man was believed to have drowned after his body was found at Perry Creek State Park Boat Landing. According to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, the body of David Ronald Orozco, 61, was found at about 4 p.m. on Aug. 7. Dispatch received a phone call concerning a missing canoeist just before 9 p.m. on Aug. 6.
A man and an 8-year-old boy were killed Aug. 11 in a car crash on Interstate 94 in Jackson County. Howard Fenske, 72, and Blake Fenske, both of Coloma, Wis., were westbound on Interstate 94 near mile post 115 when an eastbound vehicle driven by Phyllis Nicholson, 51, of Delaware, crossed the median and struck Fenske’s vehicle, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol.
Jackson County agreed to pay $10,000 to settle a lawsuit over a disputed piece of property that was condemned over two years ago.
The Jackson County Board of Supervisors voted 17-0 to pay Kenneth and Dianne Langan the lump sum, which is in addition to the $14,700 the county originally paid when it condemned a portion of their Highway F property in 2005.
Dozens of people gathered in a special garden Aug. 15 to honor the life of Mary Larkin, a long-time employee of Black River Memorial Hospital who died in February due to cancer. The garden, completed on the hospital grounds, was a gift from Milt and Lidy Lunda to honor the former patient care administrator and was designed to provide a place of beauty for patients, employees and visitors to utilize when at the hospital.
Badger Mining Corporation resumed normal operations following a partial failure of an earthen pond levee that caused the evacuation of a number of homes.
Badger Mining discovered the problem on a 2-year-old levee on the west portion of their property on Highway P at about 12:20 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 21.
No breach of the levee, injuries or off-site property damage occurred, but almost a dozen homes were evacuated as a precautionary measure. The residents were allowed to return home at about 5 p.m. that same day.
A Brodhead, Wis., woman died after her ATV was struck by a vehicle in Knapp Township.
Karen Gibson, 60, died after an ATV she was driving was struck by a vehicle on Fish Creek Road at about 4:22 p.m. on Aug. 23.
A female child passenger on the ATV received non-life-threatening injuries.
The operator of the motor vehicle — identified as Phillip J. Holloway, 23 of Warrens — was taken into custody and later charged with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, operating while intoxicated causing injury and operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated-second offense in Jackson County Circuit Court; the vehicular homicide charge was later dropped.
The band of Grammy Award-winning blues artist Koko Taylor was rushed to the hospital after the van they were in went over an I-94 overpass near Black River Falls. Five members of The Blues Machine and their driver and road manager were injured in the accident that occurred at about 6:50 a.m. on Aug. 23 at McNulty Road. According to Alligator Records, the band’s label, Taylor was not in the van at the time of the accident, and those injured did not receive life-threatening injuries.
Health concerns over the demolished Pines Motor Lodge caused the owner to get cited. To pursue cleanup, the DNR issued Rock Valley Holding Company two citations following an enforcement conference in August. The citations, each $1,483, were for failure to conduct an asbestos pre-inspection and failure to follow notification requirements.
September
Despite a little rain on the opening night of Spanferkel, held Sept. 5-7, Mindoro’s annual celebration rebounded with good crowds, mostly sunny weather and strong food sales. The parade was a big hit and Chelsea Olson was named the new Miss Mindoro
The Black River Falls school board voted to pledge $100,000 to the Jackson County Fair Park project to be paid over a period of five years. The money for the pledge will come out of the district’s community service fund in the budget, starting in the 2009-10 academic year with a $40,000 payment. The donation could raise the 2009 tax levy by 6 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, then by 3 cents the following three years.
The Black River Falls Utility found the land on which it will build its new $3.5 million facility, and it will save utility customers nearly $320,000 and significantly reduce the overall cost of the project. The Black River Falls Utility Commission voted unanimously to acquire 17.3 acres of land from the Black River Falls Area Foundation Board of Trustees for $15,000 per acre, or a purchase price of $221,000.
October
Oktoberfest started with a good crowd, and 300 brats later it was undeniably a success. Black River Falls held its annual Oktoberfest on Oct. 4, and it’s estimated between 1,500 and 2,000 people came out to take part — triple the attendance from last year.
“It was a huge success,” said Barb Brower, executive director of the Black River Area Chamber of Commerce. “We were very happy with the number of people that showed up.”
A Black River Falls man was charged in a 2003 robbery that left a man injured.
Darrin D. O’Neill, 26, was charged in Jackson County Circuit Court with aggravated battery and robbery with the use of force in an incident where he reportedly knocked out the owner of an automobile service and tire repair facility in Black River Falls and took money.
The charges stem from an incident on July 30, 2003, when a citizen found Robert “Tubby” Krueger bleeding on the floor of his Water Street business. Krueger was treated for a compound depressed skull fracture to the back of his head and lacerations above his right eye, but he could not remember the incidents that led to his injuries. According to the criminal complaint, seven individuals have stated O’Neill confessed the crime to them or overheard O’Neill telling others he was behind the robbery.
Alma Center-Humbird-Merrillan School District Superintendent Bob Lambert announced he will retire at the end of the school year after six years.
Lambert said he began considering retirement about a couple years ago and felt now was the right time. He said he wanted to make his announcement early in the school year to give the board time to search for a replacement.
“I’m just getting older and thought it’s time to retire,” said Lambert, 61.
The village of Merrillan began the condemnation process of an old mill building in an attempt to acquire the land and restore its Oakwood Lake.
At a special meeting on Oct. 28, the village board approved a condemnation resolution that pertains to a 107-year-old mill on a three-tenths-acre parcel near a village dam.
Last March, a structural wall on the south side of the mill collapsed, which threatened the safety of the dam, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. A drawdown of Oakwood Lake was then ordered, which left the lakebed full of weeds and stopped the flow of the village’s scenic waterfall.
The mill had been a point of contention amid a plan to construct a $750,000 home on the property.
The Melrose-Mindoro girls cross country team won its third straight Dairyland Conference title while the Mustang boys took third.
The Mustang volleyball team was on fire and spiked its way to the top, earning themselves their first regional championship title since 2001. The Lady Mustangs fell to Eau Claire Regis in the sectional semi-final on Oct. 30.
November
A fire destroyed a single-story house Nov. 1 in the town of Brockway, leaving one man homeless and killing at least three dogs. The fire at 505 E. Second St. was reported about 3:15 p.m., according to the Black River Falls Fire Department. The home was rented by Philip Heimlich, who was not home when the blaze started.
Democrats held the night on Nov. 4, electing the nation’s first black president in Barack Obama as well as picking up seats in the 91st and 92nd state Assembly Districts. Incumbent Third Congressional District Rep. Ron Kind also was elected to his seventh term.
Among local elections, voters weighed in on the 92nd Assembly District race, electing Democrat Mark Radcliffe of Black River Falls to his first two-year term to the state Legislature. Democrat Chris Danou won the seat for the 91st Assembly District, fending off three other challengers
Douglas Sidie of Hatfield was charged in Jackson County Circuit Court with first-degree intentional homicide, hiding a corpse and eight counts of obstructing an officer in the death of his ex-wife, Alisha Sidie, 27.
Douglas, 39, reported his ex-wife as missing Nov. 8, saying Alisha had walked away from the Hatfield home they still shared about 9 p.m. the day before during an argument. She was intoxicated, he said and had taken her purse.
An extensive search launched Nov. 9 in the Hatfield area continued until Nov. 15 when Douglas — who earlier in the week had helped hundreds comb the woods for Alisha — confessed he had killed his ex-wife Nov. 7, according to the complaint.
The couple — who divorced in September 2007 but were reconciling — were arguing on the sidewalk outside their home when he removed a .22 caliber revolver from his waistband and shot her in the head, according to court documents.
An autopsy showed Alisha died from a single gunshot through her left eye, according to the complaint.
After the shooting, Douglas drove her body in his red 1996 Chevrolet S-10 pickup to a wooded area on Waterbury Road in the town of Komensky, the complaint stated.
On Nov. 15, he led law enforcement back to the area, where they found her remains, a pair of latex gloves and her purse, the complaint stated.
A sheriff’s department dive team recovered the handgun from Morrison Creek in the same town.
Those with fur hit the jackpot during an animal food drive challenge at Black River Falls’ Majestic Pines Casino and Tomah’s Whitetail Crossing. Almost 7,200 pounds of animal food and nearly 200 pounds of cat box litter was raised during the employee-driven fundraiser. The proceeds were distributed among animal shelters in Jackson, Monroe and Clark counties.
“It was amazing,” said Lynette Streff, executive administrative assistant at Majestic Pines. “It was an incredible amount of team spirit and generosity. We know we helped a lot of fur people.”
It took firefighters from eight departments five hours to battle a smoky blaze that destroyed a Chippewa Bi Products building and left Alma Center temporarily without power.
Employees of Chippewa Bi Products and Countryside Hides, located on Lea Bros Road in Alma Center, noticed smoke coming from a loading area at about 2:30 p.m. on Nov. 20. Firefighters attempted to extinguish the fire through the roof of the building, but flames inside the building began to shoot out.
“It was one of the biggest fires we’ve ever had,” said Alma Center Fire Chief Jeff Gaede.
Melrose-Mindoro cross country coach Deb Schaefer stepped down as head coach after six years and after more than likely saving the program. Schaefer’s resignation was announced at the Mel-Min School Board meeting Nov. 24. Schaefer took over the boys and girls cross country teams in 2003 when there were just four students out for the sport; last year’s team had 23 athletes.
December
An Ettrick man was charged with arson after he reportedly set his ex-girlfriend’s garage on fire after she wouldn’t talk to him. Allen O. Johnson, 49, was charged in Jackson County Circuit Court last week with arson of a building in addition to attempted arson after he reportedly tried to start a car on fire. He also faces charges of criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct in the Dec. 2 incident.
Two people were arrested on drug related charges following the execution of two drug-related search warrants on Dec. 4. Patrick G. Berg, 22, Merrillan, and Sarah L. Zillmer, 21, Black River Falls, were arrested for possession of cocaine and marijuana following the search. Zillmer is also being charged with maintaining a drug trafficking house and Berg is also being charged with felony bail jumping.
Milt Lunda made a fortune building bridges and then quietly gave it away. The prominent Black River Falls businessman and philanthropist died Dec. 11 at age 88.
Lunda was the former president and chairman of Lunda Construction, which built bridges on Interstate 94 from Milwaukee to Minneapolis.
He gave millions of dollars for community projects in Black River Falls. His contributions are visible throughout the city: the fitness center on one side of the middle school, the theater on the other. The high school gym. The park that bears his name.
“You can just go on and on,” said Mayor Ron Danielson. “It’s a big loss for the community.”
Patrick LaBarbera, who spent 19 of his 33 years in law enforcement with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department, retired as a lieutenant.
A fire at Levis Creek Forest Products that caused almost $1.4 million in damages was electrical. According to Black River Falls Fire Department Chief Steve Schreiber, the cause of the Dec. 13 fire that occurred at the Levis Creek Forest Products —located at W9888 West Bauer Road in Black River Falls — has been narrowed down to a bathroom fixture. A damage estimate for the structure and contents was placed at $1,357,000.
Advertisement 
