As pleas for a referendum on the Monroe County's proposed $30 million justice center increase, some supervisors are concerned about the cost of holding a special election.

At last week's monthly county board meeting, Supervisor Pete Peterson speculated holding a special election for a referendum would cost $40,000.

In addition, Peterson said his constituents have expressed concern over the number of jail studies that the county has paid for over the years, and he believes a referendum is just another study.

Sparta Supervisor Harv Simmons, however, continued to push hard for at least an advisory referendum on the justice center.

Supervisors on both sides of the issue contend they have the support of their constituents, but Simmons said the best way to find out what county residents want is to ask them in the form of a referendum.

To date, Simmons' pleas have fallen on deaf ears, but a glance at the letters to the editor in Monday's Sparta Herald reveal that momentum for a referendum may be increasing.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
Monroe County Democrat July 2, 2009 issue

    It looks as if the second time around will be a charm for Monroe County and its efforts to hire a county administrator.

Administrative and executive committee Chairman Pete Peterson told the full county board last week that the hiring process is going well.

This is the second go-around for the county as far as hiring an administrator is concerned, because the first candidate tapped by the hiring committee decided not to take the job.

That may have been a blessing in disguise for the county.

County officials conducted the first hiring process themselves, and only received 16 applicants for the position.

After the top candidate turned down the job, the administrative and executive committee decided to seek the help of a professional hiring firm.

Peterson said the latest attempt to hire an administrator, conducted by Dr. Stephen Hintz of Public Administration Associates, drew 50 applicants from 21 states.

The applicant field has since been pared down to 13 candidates, many of whom have experience in the field of public administration.

"We are quite pleased with the applicant field," said Peterson.

"We have 13 semifinalists, and all have some type of major league experience," he continued.

According to Peterson, six semifinalists have substantial experience as county administrators, while one has served as an assistant county administrator and another has experience as a municipal administrator.

In addition, three have municipal management experience and two have management experience in other large scale organizations.

"It's quite a good problem to have," Peterson said of the experienced candidate pool.

"This is our first-ever county administrator," he continued. "This person is going to have to make (his or her) own way, and it will be helpful to have been through the wars before."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald June 29, 2009 issue

 Venture Architects gets paid and Monroe County's $30 million justice center project moves another step forward.

That's what the Monroe County Board - by the slimmest of margins - decided at Wednesday's monthly gathering of supervisors.

The board voted to authorize a short-term loan from the Community State Bank of Norwalk in the amount of $900,000 to pay Venture for its work on the project.

The resolution passed Wednesday says the loan, secured at an interest rate of 2.65 percent, will be paid off from the bonding of the justice center, which has yet to be approved by supervisors.

"This will pay off the total amount of money we owe Venture," said Supervisor Teresa Pierce. "We only owe them about $500,000 now, but we need to make sure we get the bidding done...we need to pay them."

While county officials were looking to secure the loan to pay Venture, the discussion Wednesday focused more on the entire justice center project.

About a dozen members of the public were on hand to voice their concerns over the project, and the discussion became a heated one almost from the start.

Monroe County Sheriff Dennis Pedersen was asked by County Board Chairman Dennis Hubbard to tame a couple members of the crowd when the discussion came to a boil.

Pedersen told spectators that they were to follow the instruction of Hubbard, or risk being asked to leave the meeting.

Early in the meeting, an unidentified spectator accused county officials of conspiring with city officials to raise taxes in order to pay for the justice center.

While the argument had no credence, the spectator said the sole reason for the recent revaluation in Sparta was to pay for the justice center.

Hubbard ruled the man, who had been recognized to speak by Supervisor Simon Wells, was out of order and asked him to take his seat.

Supervisors opposing the loan said accepting it was the point-of-no-return for the proposed justice center project.

While he admits the county needs a new jail, Supervisor Keith Kenyon is opposed to the costly plan some supervisors are pushing right now.

"We can build a jail, and Venture is going to get paid, but they don't need it all right now," he offered.

"We've got to come to our senses here people, we're going to be hung with these bills, but we can't afford them," continued Kenyon. "We've got to look at something else. If we approve this tonight, you're committing to $30 million."

Other supervisors voiced concerns over the fact that Venture has yet to speak to Sparta officials about the project, which will be completed on county land that lies within the city limits.

Supervisor Harv Simmons said he spoke with several city officials prior to Wednesday's meeting, and all confirmed they have not had in-depth discussions with Venture officials concerning the project.

The city has to approve the design of the facility and issue the proper zoning permits before the project can begin.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
Monroe County Democrat June 25, 2009 issue

    What was billed as a listening session on the Rolling Hills Nursing Home last Wednesday, ended with a local businessman leveling accusations at several Monroe County Board members.

 County board supervisors Cedric Schnitzler and Harv Simmons held the listening session in the county board meeting room, where Rolling Hills Nursing Home Administrator Lauriann Grosskopf gave a presentation on the care facility.

 However, Eugene Treu, an outspoken critic of the county board and the county's plan to construct a $30 million justice center, requested information from Schnitzler and Simmons on how to register an Open Meetings Law complaint against a group of supervisors.

 Those supervisors include county board chairman Dennis Hubbard, vice-chair Julie Radke and supervisors Simon Wells, Chuck Bluske and Kyle Gibbens.

 Treu alluded to a gathering of those supervisors after the April 22 Monroe County Board meeting where justice center proponents, who include all five of those supervisors, were victorious in resuscitating the project after a four-month moratorium.

 Treu said the five supervisors were seen dining together at the Sparta Pizza Hut. He later said that information came from another county board supervisor, who confirmed witnessing the gathering.

 Wells, Bluske and Radke are members of the county's highway committee and constituted a quorum of that body. Highway committee chairman Cedric Schnitzler and committee member Jim Kuhn weren't present.

 Treu also pointed out that Gibbens is an employee of Scott Construction, which the highway committee awarded over $500,000 in paving material bids two days later.

 One of those bids resulted in a $213,785 contract for asphalt pavement for a Cty. Hwy. Z project, even though Scott Construction's bid was nearly $13,500 higher than that of Mathy Construction and Highway Commissioner Jack Dittmar recommended the committee take the lower bid.

 Radke, who made the motion to accept the Scott bid, said she preferred the rock Scott would be using in the asphalt because it comes from the Menn quarry and is reputed for its hardness.

 She added Cty. Hwy. Z hasn't been redone in several decades and has a good deal of truck traffic. Wells was the only dissenting vote on that bid, while Schnitzler was absent from the meeting.

 In a subsequent conversation with the Herald, Radke insisted the gathering at Pizza Hut was innocent.

 "I really have no idea what we discussed," she said. "All we did was go eat.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald June 22, 2009 issue

 The Sparta City Council Tuesday passed a resolution declaring support for continued use of the courthouse in downtown Sparta.

 The declaration states that the courthouse has been a significant presence in downtown Sparta for more than a hundred years and the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) has recommended it be maintained and used for appropriate county governmental purposes.

 The resolution shows the city supports Monroe County and the continued maintenance of the historic courthouse building in downtown Sparta.

 It passed unanimously, but not without plenty of discussion about the proposed justice center expansion itself.

 Alderman Gary Peterson, chairman of the HPC, said he brought the resolution to the council because the HPC feels council approval is needed to encourage county officials to keep the jail, courthouse or both downtown.

 Several aldermen relayed that citizens in their wards are not against a justice center. They are against moving a justice center out of town. 

 Alderman Ed Lukasek said that's the word from his constituents. 

 "They want the functionality here in the city of Sparta and they don't want it out of the city limits," he said. 

 Alderman Ron Button called the courthouse downtown's "core" and also felt the council needed to make an official statement of support.

 "If the council is neutral to support the downtown, then they shouldn't be here," he said.

 From the audience, Reinhard Mueller, who as a construction designer has offered to help the county find alternatives in order to keep the facility downtown, said a message needs to be sent to the county from Sparta officials.

 "There needs to be a clear message out there that Sparta is not against this," he said. "Architecture is not dead. There are ways to construct an addition there," he added, noting it could be done along "K" Street.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
Monroe County Democrat June 18, 2009 issue

    The City of Sparta may be asked to take an official stance on where it would like to see the county build its justice center.

 Last Thursday at a joint meeting of the Monroe County Property and Purchasing Committee and the city's Historic Preservation Commission (HPC), at least one city official was leaning toward a downtown project.

 "Personally, I would like to see it stay here (downtown)," said Sparta Alderman Gary Peterson. "It would be a tremendous loss to the downtown if it went to the dog pound (site)."

 HPC chairperson Sandy Perry echoed that sentiment and asked why the city hasn't taken a stance on where it would prefer a justice center be located.
 "The city council is not taking a position on it," said Sparta City Administrator Ken Witt, who also attended the meeting. "It's letting the county choose what it wants to do."

 HPC member Connie Anderson, a former city council member, took issue with the projected $30 million cost of the of the project the county is currently pursuing.

 "Thirty million dollars is a lot of money to one of the poorest counties in Wisconsin," she said, noting that residents on fixed incomes would be especially vulnerable to a property tax increase to fund the building.

 "I'm not in favor of my tax dollars going to a $30 million (justice center) when I need money for pills to stay alive," added Anderson.

 County supervisor Ed Westphal of Tomah, an opponent of the proposed justice center, pointed out the operational costs of the facility would force the county to exceed the levy limit. That would require the county to hold a referendum asking residents to approve a hike in their taxes.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald June 8, 2009 issue

There was some excitement in Sparta Wednesday night when a car landed in Perch Lake following a high speed chase.

 Sparta police responded to a driving complaint about 11:15 p.m. on the city's west side, according to information issued by the department.

 As Sparta police arrived, a Monroe County sheriff's deputy also spotted the suspect car and attempted to pull it over. However, the driver sped off and both the Sparta police and Monroe County Sheriff's Department deputy gave chase.

 The vehicle turned out to be stolen. It crashed through Ruth Dennison's yard at 649 E. Main St., then sped south through the Sparta VFW parking lot and plunged into Perch Lake. It came to rest about 50 feet into the lake, the report indicates.

 The driver, Joshua Fleming, 28, Prescott, abandoned the car, leaving his 45-year old passenger, a Cumberland man, as it began to sink.

 The passenger was trapped inside at first, but was able to free himself after the car sank. He then sat on top of the submerged car and was soon rescued by the Monroe County Dive Team.

 The passenger was not arrested.

 Fleming tried to swim across the lake -- away from police. He reached the middle of the water and yelled for help. 

 A fireman who lives nearby, Brian Van Wormer, responded with a boat. He took two Sparta police officers to the suspect in peril, and he was rescued. 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
Monroe County Democrat June 4, 2009 issue

   The Monroe County Building Project Committee last Friday awarded the Community State Bank of Norwalk the bid on a $900,000 short-term loan.

 The local lending institution offered the lowest interest rate of the five area banks that offered bids. Under its conditions, the county will pay 2.5% interest if it goes with a three-month loan and 2.65% if it chooses a six-month or 12-month term. There also is no penalty for pre-payment.

 The county is borrowing the money to pay accumulating bills from Venture Architects of Milwaukee, which is designing the controversial $30 million justice center.

 Building committee chairman Dennis Hubbard and committee member Julie Radke abstained from voting, citing financial ties to the Norwalk bank.

 The matter still needs to go before the full county board later this month where it will require either a three-quarters or simple majority vote to be approved. The committee is waiting for a determination from Corporation Counsel Kerry Sullivan-Flock on whether a super or simple majority vote is needed for the measure to pass.

 Supervisor Keith Kenyon, who is not a member of the committee but attended the meeting, was against borrowing the money.

 "If this goes to term, we'll pay $26,000 in interest. I'm not sure we need to pay Venture in advance," he said, referring to ambiguous language in the architect's contract. 

 The only committee member voting against awarding the bid to the Norwalk bank was Ed Westphal, who also doesn't believe the county should be taking on the debt.

 Voting in favor of the motion were Bruce Humphrey, Teresa Pierce and Chuck Schwarz.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald June 1, 2009 issue

  A measure to restore $20,000 in cuts to the Monroe County Corporation Counsel's 2009 budget will go before county supervisors when they gather for their monthly meeting Wednesday.

The resolution, which was forwarded to the full county board with a 4-1 vote of the finance committee, calls for the transfer of $20,000 from this year's county administrator's budget to the corporation counsel's budget.

If approved, the move will make up for $20,000 in cuts made to the department during the annual budget process last year.

County officials had looked into the possibility of contracting out for the services provided by Monroe County Corporation Counsel Kerry Sullivan-Flock after the cuts were made, but little progress has been made on that proposal.

Instead, the finance committee is recommending transferring the unused funds from the administrator's budget.

The county had hoped to have an administrator on board earlier this year, but the top candidate from the initial hiring search opted not to take the job.

County officials have since restarted the search for an administrator, and are planning to contract with a professional search firm in an effort to attract more and better-qualified applicants.

Also on the agenda Wednesday is an update on the hiring of a county administrator.

In other county business this month, supervisors will hear updates on the county's jail liability insurance coverage, as well as a facilities update on the current courthouse.

In addition, an update on the justice center building project will be given to supervisors, including a look at additional personnel, projected operating costs, utility hook-ups and a highway permit application.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald May 26, 2009 issue

Dozens of members of Sparta High School's Class of 2009 cashed in last week, receiving nearly $300,000 in scholarships to various colleges, universities and technical schools.

School officials and representatives handed out a whopping $286,995 to student at the school's scholarship and awards banquet last Wednesday.

Lacey Buchda topped the list for Sparta, receiving the $60,000 Ripon College Pickard Scholarship.

Catherine Stuntebeck cashed in to the tune of $50,400, earning a $27,600 University of St. Thomas Academic Scholarship and a $22,800 St. Thomas Award.

Skyler Erickson received a $24,000 scholarship from the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, while Natalie Larsen received a $20,470 scholarship from Cottey College and Dustin Crocker picked up an Extra Effort award worth $20,000.

Jeremiah Kremer received a $12,000 Mayo Foundation Scholarship, while Wisconsin All-State Scholars Buchda and Chelsey Oswald each earned an Academic Excellence Scholarship worth $9,000.

Buchda and Oswald earned the scholarship as the top two students in the class.

Other big winners included Josh Knoll with a $6,000 Viterbo University Athletic Scholarship and Ryan Deicher with a $4,000 Winona State University Music Scholarship.

Buchda and Oswald also received Sparta Academic Scholarships worth $1,000 apiece, while Ben Korte, Mollie Ostrander and Oswald each earned a Prescott O. Piper Memorial Scholarship worth $1,000.

Erikka Ashwell received the Mark D. Wall Rotary Memorial Scholarship worth $1,000, while Winona J. Haney Memorial scholarships worth $1,000 each went to Buchda, Larsen, Jordan Isensee, Samantha Ruedy, Chantal Skon, Antoni Walker and Rebecca Brooks.

Ruedy also earned a $1,000 scholarship from Cargill.

Aaron Freeman was the winner of the $1,000 Lee Wells Memorial Scholarship, while Ashwell and Alyssa Rybarczyk each earned a $1,000 award from the Auxiliary of Franciscan Skemp Healthcare.

Buchda earned a $1,000 scholarship from the Mabel Dupee Foundation, while Isensee took home a $1,000 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Freshman Honor Scholarship.
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
Monroe County Democrat May 21, 2009 issue

  Monroe County will look at short-term borrowing in effort to make good on an outstanding bill of nearly $1 million from Venture Architects for on its proposed $30 million justice center project.

Tom Poweleit of Venture told the county's building committee Friday that the design effort for the justice center is 51 percent complete.

Design work on the project was halted in December, when the county board voted in favor of a four-month moratorium on the project,

The project began again earlier this month, when supervisors voted 13-9 against stopping the $30 million project to look at less costly solutions to its jail overcrowding project.

Poweleit explained that the project can be let out on bids when the design work is 75 percent complete.

"That looks to me to be about eight to 10 weeks away," said Poweleit.

Poweleit, however, said Venture cannot proceed with the design phase until the county pays his firm at least $524,000 for work that's already been completed.

"Right now, we are in the most intense part of the design effort," he said.

The county has paid $300,000 on its Venture bill, but still owes an outstanding balance of $524,000.

In an effort to get the design phase of the project moving again, building committee member and finance committee Chairman Teresa Pierce recommended the county pay look at short-term borrowing from a county financial institution.

Her motion to allow County Board Chairman Dennis Hubbard and Monroe County Clerk Shelly Bohl to work with local banks to secure the financing needed to pay Venture up to $900,000.

The total Venture bill - 6.75 percent of the total cost of the project - will be $1,716,225 when all design work is completed.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald May 11, 2009 issue

A flare-up of a hot spot caused major damage to a home in downtown Wilton early Monday morning.

According to Wilton Fire Chief John Dougherty, his department was called out twice to the home of Wilton veterinarian Miller Yoder on Walker Street.

Dougherty said the first call to Yoder's home came about 7 p.m. Sunday.

"We were there Sunday night to hit a hot spot in the attic, which we thought we got out," explained Dougherty. "It was a warm spot up in the attic."

The hot spot apparently flared up again later, prompting another call to the Yoder home at about 3 a.m. the following morning.

Dougherty said the fire coming from the roof was visible when his department arrived at the scene a second time.

"The roof was half on fire when we got there," he said. "We got it knocked down about 4:30 in the morning."

Dougherty said 22 members of his department responded to the second call, along with nine members of the Norwalk Fire Department and four firefighters from Kendall.

While the fire was severe, Dougherty believes his department was able to save some of Yoder's home.

"It burned the roof off of his house," offered Dougherty.

"We (saved) the upstairs, but there's a lot of water damage," he continued. "I think they'll try to salvage some of the house, but I haven't heard back from the insurance company on what their call will be."
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
Monroe County Democrat May 7, 2009 issue

  With the potential for swine flu cases to reach pandemic proportions, local officials aren't taking any chances.

 "We're preparing for the worst and hoping for the best," said Monroe County Health Officer Sharon Nelson. 

 The county health department has set up a command center in case the disease, now being called by its scientific name, the H1N1 virus, explodes in the county.

 Last Thursday, Governor Doyle declared a public health emergency and as of last Friday, the World Health Organization was in stage-5 alert with stage-6 being the highest.

 "That's a strong signal that a pandemic is eminent," said Nelson.

 However, as of this morning (Monday) the number of swine flu cases worldwide remained just below 1,000, with the majority of them in Mexico.

 A total of 226 cases had been confirmed in the U.S. as of today. Wisconsin has three confirmed cases, two in Milwaukee County and one in Adams County, and nearly 70 probable cases.

 Worldwide the death toll due to swine flu remains at 27, with all but one of those cases occurring in Mexico. The other death was in the U.S. but involved an infant from Mexico.

 Nelson said the H1N1 virus is spread just like the virus in a typical flu season, which comes to end around this time of year. The seasonal flu, Nelson, points out, accounts for thousands of deaths in the U.S. each year.

 Still, she is taking this strain of the disease very seriously because it is a "novel" virus and new to humans.

 "We have no immunity to it," she said. 

 Nelson is warning people to take the same precautions they would during the regular flu season. She pushes frequent hand washing along with the use of hand sanitizer gel as the best preventive measure.

 She also recommends sneezing and coughing into a tissue and then throwing away the tissue.

 Flu shots given this season won't provide immunity for the swine flu and Nelson doesn't expect a vaccine for H1N1 to be on the shelves until fall. Symptoms for swine flu are the same as the seasonal flu, which include fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, and possible nausea and vomiting.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald May 4, 2009 issue

One of the first actions of the new Sparta School Board Tuesday evening was to approve the retirements of four teachers with a combined service of 127 years. It also said goodbye to longtime board member, Dr. Mark Hemmerich.

 Hemmerich's 16-year stint on the board ended with well wishes by colleagues and superintendent John Hendricks, who presented the longtime board president with a plaque.

 "It's been a fun run. It really has," said Hemmerich. "I have enjoyed working with the administration, staff and board. I hope I've done some good."

 Hemmerich was appointed to the board in 1993 to finish out a term held by Jan Ward. He has been re-elected ever since, but decided not to seek re-election this year.

 During the reorganizing of the board, newcomer Lee Culpitt was welcomed into the fold and Joan Cook, who has been on the board since April 2003, took her regular seat at the table.

 Longtime board vice-president, Wayne Jenkins, was elected to serve as president in Hemmerich's vacancy. Jenkins has served on the school board since 2001.

 Taking Jenkins' spot as vice-president is Janet Horstman, who has never held office on the board. She was elected in April 2005.

 Paul Solberg was chosen to continue as clerk, a position he's held since 2003. He was appointed to the school board in November 2002. Gary Kirking will remain treasurer. He has been in that post since 2005 and a member of the school board since 2003. 
 Solberg will continue to chair the Personnel and Educational Initiatives Committee. Cook and Horstman continue to make up the remainder of the committee. 

 Kirking will preside over the Finance and Facilities Committee, with Culpitt and Theresa Burns-Gilbert making up the rest of the committee.
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
Monroe County Democrat April 30, 2009 issue

Despite overwhelming support from the members in the public in attendance, an effort to halt a proposed $30 million justice center in Monroe County came up shy at Wednesday's Monroe County Board meeting.

After a more than six-hour meeting, supervisors voted 13-9 against a resolution that would have stopped the project in its tracks.

The resolution, which was forwarded to the full board by supervisors Rick Irwin, Harv Simmons, Mary Cook, John Rusch and Keith Kenyon through County Board Rule 21, called for a halt to the project so other, less expensive, options could be explored.

Irwin has opposed the $30 million project since he was elected to the board in April of 2008.

Wednesday's resolution comes on the heels of one passed in December that placed a four-month moratorium on the justice center project.

Irwin explained that the resolution imposing the moratorium called for the county to look at and attempt to resolve four issues pertaining to the proposed justice center.

Those issues included the current economic conditions, the true cost of the proposed justice center, the disposition of the courthouse and an effort to find lower-cost alternatives.

Irwin told his fellow supervisors that none of those issues have been addressed to date.

Rusch has also been a vocal opponent of the proposed justice center, citing the county's current budget crunch as the main reason he is concerned about the project.

While Rusch conceded the county could construct the justice center by bonding for its cost, he believes running the new facility will be a difficult task because of state-imposed spending limits.

The spending caps do not apply to bonding for new construction, but they do limit the amount the county can levy for each year.

While a new justice center will eliminate an estimated annual expenditure of $1 million to house inmates out of county, Rusch believes the cost to run the facility will be an additional $1 million a year.

"I'd like to know where we're going to cut $1 million out of the budget to cover these expenses," said Rusch.

"No matter how you look at it, it's a whole lot cheaper to send them out of county," he continued. "If I was the guy in charge - if this was a dictatorship - I'd send them all out of county."

County Board Vice Chairman Julie Radke spoke out in favor of the project, saying county supervisors need to have a vision of the future.

While she realizes the cost of the proposed facility is high, she fears delaying the project at this point will only drive up the price.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
Monroe County Democrat April 23, 2009 issue

  A public gathering Thursday concerning the proposed $30 million justice center was little more than a rehash of past arguments.

 Around 30 people, including around a dozen county officials, attended the what was billed as a public input session hosted by Monroe County Board supervisors Cedric Schnitzler and Harv Simmons.

 Representing the proponents of the project was Teresa Pierce, the finance committee chairman, who believes the new facility would deal with the county's jail space needs, while addressing courthouse security and minimizing the county's exposure to liability.

 County board supervisor Rick Irwin, who opposes the project, argued the proposed facility's operational cost are beyond the county's financial capacity.

 Besides putting the county $1.5 million in the red by 2012, the proposed justice centers first full year of operation, Irwin said the project fails to address the current courthouse. Estimates to remodel it for use by other departments are between $4 million and $6 million.

 Irwin has intorduced substantially cheaper alternatives involving building onto the current courthouse, which he said will serve the county's needs.

 Sheriff Dennis Pedersen, who also attended the meeting, expressed his frustration over the lack of progress on the issue.

 "Two decades of debate has become absolutely absurd," he said, also noting that courthouse security is as important to him as the jail overcrowding situation.

 "We can't lose sight of these courthouse security issues," Pedersen added, questioning how the county is going to deal with another courtroom and judge that are due to be on board by August 2010.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald April 20, 2009 issue

A hot carbon particle from a tractor's exhaust is the likely cause of a woods fire that burned close to 250 acres west of Sparta Tuesday evening.

According to Sparta Rural Fire Department Chief Mike Arnold, the fire started shortly before 4 p.m. Tuesday on a farm owned by Jack Buswell on County Highway BC.

Arnold said Buswell's brother, Mark, was operating a brush hogger behind a tractor when the blaze ignited.

"Mark had been out there for a couple of hours, and on his fourth trip around, he said he felt heat on the back of his neck," offered Arnold.

When Buswell turned around, he saw the brush was on fire, and the blaze was also present in the prairie grass behind the vehicle.

"He pulled off the field and called 911 immediately, but the fire was already off and running," said Arnold.

The call came in at 3:49 p.m. Tuesday, and Arnold said he knew there was trouble as soon as he saw the smoke and flames on his way to the blaze.

"As I turned up BC I could already see the fire was moving up the first ridge, and I knew we were going to have trouble with this fire," he said.

"There were 20 to 25-foot flame heights," continued Arnold. And, of course, the winds were coming out of the east at 10 to 14 miles per hour pushing the fire from east to west."

Arnold said several other factors led to the seriousness of the fire, including the extremely dry conditions and the terrain in the area.

"We tried to pinch it off, but we had a problem with the left flank," said Arnold.

"The hilly terrain made it so difficult, and the rocks and ledges," he added. "What really hurt us was that the relative humidity was about seven percent - that's very dry."

While Arnold estimated the fire burned between 200 and 250 acres, he was very pleased with the effort of all the emergency response teams involved in fighting the blaze.

In addition to the Sparta Rural Fire Department, Arnold said units from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in Tomah and Black River Falls, the Sparta City Fire Department, Fort McCoy Fire Department, Bangor-Burns Fire Department and Sparta City Fire Department responded to the scene of the fire.

"I can't thank everybody enough," he said. "We worked very well together."

And the effort paid off too. Arnold said despite some people being evacuated from their homes, no structures were damaged in the fire, and no one was seriously hurt or injured.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
Monroe County Democrat April 16, 2009 issue

  Opponents of the proposed $30 million justice center presented a case to the Monroe County Public Safety Committee Wednesday they hope will convince the county board to kill that project and reinvigorate an effort to build downtown.

 Supervisor Rick Irwin from the Town of Wilton, who is spearheading the effort, shot holes in the current justice center proposal at the dog pound site and offered alternative building plans for the downtown area that are estimated to be half the cost.

 Irwin and four other supervisors will be offering a resolution at the April 22 county board meeting, calling for a halt to the justice center project and looking at less costly alternatives. The measure also suggests that remodeling and adding on to the present courthouse should be among those options (see related story).

 Irwin reiterated a previous argument to the committee, essentially telling it that the numbers don't add up. According to his figures, which he backed up with abundant documentation, the county could build the $30 million structure, it just couldn't afford to operate it.

 He submitted numbers showing by the end of  2012, the first full year of operation for the justice center assuming it is built on schedule, costs associated with the new facility, including staff and main-tenance, will leave the county $1.5 million in the hole.

 Irwin points out that doesn't take into account wage and operating increases in other departments during the same time period, which could add substantially to the projected deficit.

 Local businessman Gene Treu, who also attended the meeting, presented other figures he said show county taxpayers aren't able to shoulder the burden of debt associated with the justice center.

 Treu compiled statistics showing delinquent taxes in the county had doubled in the past year while the number of foreclosures and the unem-ployment rate both had spiked by over 60% in the same time period.

 He also had data that indicated debt from bonding $30 million, combined with a dropping property values and a stagnant construction rate, would cause the county portion of the tax bill to jump nearly 40% by 2014.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald April 13, 2009 issue

Opponents of the sale of alcoholic beverages in Sparta earned another big victory at the polls during Tuesday's Spring Election.

A pair of referendums pertaining to the sale of beer and liquor within the city limits were once again defeated at the polls.

A referendum which would have allowed the sale of beer in city grocery and convenience stores went down 1,030 to 921, while a referendum concerning the sale of liquor in Sparta was soundly defeated by a margin on 1,133 to 809.

Eddie Habhegger, the owner of Fast Eddie's on Highway 21 northeast of Sparta, was pleased with the vote.

"I was praying all the time that we would win," Habhegger said.

"I had confidence in the people of Sparta," he continued. "I think the people realized what I've been talking about all these years - that alcohol belongs in bars and liquor stores."
Habhegger said most bars and liquor stores are family-owned, and the owners have better control over the sale of alcohol because they are the ones operating their businesses on a daily basis.

"I sure do thank the people of Sparta," concluded Habhegger.

Proponents of allowing beer and liquor to be sold in the city said they would attempt to pass another referendum in two years.

Chad Monty, a part owner of the Sparta Travel Center BP convenience store along Highway 16 on the city's east side, was disappointed with the defeat.

"It is unfortunate that, as a result of the 2009 referendum, Sparta's citizens, guests and neighbors will not have a choice in Sparta for retail beer, wine or liquor," said Monty.

"As long as I have customers whom my family-owned business cannot serve, I will fight for them," he continued. "It is a sad day in Sparta for many who believed that freedom of choice and free enterprise would win over the printed lies and scare tactics in a 46-year-old ban."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
Monroe County Democrat April 9, 2009 issue

 It was seven years ago on Easter Day that Connie DeGeorge and Kale Kvistad II went missing from their Douglas Street home in Sparta.

 They disappeared on March 31, 2002 and their skeletal remains weren't discovered until December 2004 in a wooded area north of Cataract, leaving investigators with the difficult task of trying to piece together evidence from a nearly two-year old crime scene.

 According to the lead investigator of the double homicide, Monroe County Detective Jeff Sullivan, the case has always been on the front burner.

 In fact, Sullivan has been working on the case since it landed on his desk five years ago. And his persistence has paid off.

 "We feel very confident that we're going to be bringing this to a conclusion in the near future," he said.

 With new revelations from witnesses as far away as Texas, Sullivan  feels sure charges will be filed in the case.

 "This case never went cold," he said. "It has been kind of a difficult case with the bodies being out in the elements for two years."

 The investigation also hit a wall, Sullivan said, when one of the two chief suspects in the murders, Troy Hogan, was found dead face up in Beaver Creek in downtown Sparta.

 His death, which was ruled a drowning by the state coroner, fed rumors that some sort of conspiracy was afoot. But Sullivan is certain no foul play was involved in Hogan's demise.
 While Sullivan was hesitant to release any new details in fear it could hamper the investigation, he did say new information from witnesses has reinvigorated the case.

 The other suspect previously named in the homicides, Larry Schaffer, 40, is currently in the Ozaukee County Jail, where he is serving a six-month sentence on eight counts of failing to provide child support.

 Prior to that, Schaffer, who was Hogan's brother-in-law, was incarcerated in Dallas, TX, after dousing his girlfriend with lighter fluid and attempting to set her on fire.

 Investigators said DeGeorge and Kvistad died from gunshots to the head.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald April 6, 2009 issue

 Two Sparta residents are calling for an investigation after discovering an apparent "deal" between the city and a local developer that has kept the assessments of the developer's properties stagnant for the past six years.

 Local Realtor Duane McClain and Tony Kiel, a professional assessor, have asked the Wisconsin Department of Revenue to look into why the city's assessors have kept the values of certain lots at Aspen Fields subdivision at $2,000, while other lots are being sold for more than $20,000.

  The developer, Dave Evanson of Onalaska, actually owns two subdivisions on Sparta's west side. The first development, Aspen Fields, lies to the south of Highway 16 and north of the La Crosse River.

 When it was built in 2001, it had over 100 lots, which at the time were assessed at $2,000 each. All but around 35 lots have been sold, and while the purchased lots have been reassessed in excess of $20,000 after their sales, the assessments for Evanson's vacant properties remain at $2,000.

 Jeremy Erickson, Monroe County's real property lister, caught the inconsistency while going through records after last year's city-wide reassessment.

 At that time he called Mark Sund, the city's assessor, to ask him if there was a digit missing from the property values of Evanson's lots. He said Sund informed him the figures were correct and that there was a "deal" between the city and the developer.

 Erickson said the word "deal" threw up a red flag because he knows any such arrangement would go against state law. That opinion was confirmed by a department of revenue spokesman.

 Erickson also noticed that 80 other Evanson properties in his adjacent development called River Trail, which was assessed for the first time in 2007, had dropped from their full value of over $20,000 to between $12,000-$13,500 after the city-wide reassessment.

 Vacant lots in a third development called River Wood, which isn't owned by Evanson but is adjacent to his River Trail subdivision, are assessed at full value -- over $20,000.

 So who made the deal -- which apparently is that Evanson's unsold Aspen Hills' lots would remain at $2,000 for 10 years? No one seems to know. City Administrator Ken Witt said the city council made that deal with Evanson before he came to Sparta. However, he added, it was a verbal agreement and no written documentation of the deal exists.

 Even so, he agrees the "deal" isn't legal.

 "First of all the city council can't do that," he said. "Every property has to be assessed at full value."

 Witt said he first became aware of the discrepancy when Evanson's second subdivision, River Trail, was completed in 2006. He said Evanson complained that those lots were all assessed at full value and informed Witt of the deal on his Aspen Hills properties.

 Witt said he told Evanson the city couldn't honor the deal and that the tax rolls would be fixed the following year. That's when the Appleton firm Associate Appraisal Consultants, LLC, performed the city-wide revaluation.

 Apparently, Associated Appraisal had placed the assessed values of Evanson's Aspen Hills' lots at around $20,000. But sometime between open book and the Board of Review, the firm had changed those values back to $2,000.

 "We never had a chance to review those changes," said Witt. "The assessor said they made a mistake but no one will admit to it."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald March 30, 2009 issue

 A resolution to transfer more than $100,000 from the general fund to cover a shortfall in the 2008 clerk of court's budget will top the agenda when the Monroe County Board gathers for its monthly meeting Wednesday.

According to the resolution, the shortfall is the result of both an overage in expenses and a shortfall in revenue in 2008.

"The clerk of court's budget for 2008 did experience an overage in expenses in the amount of $25,940.82, and a shortage in revenue of $86,793.35," indicates the resolution. "Due to this overage, it is necessary for there to be a transfer from the 2008 general fund to the 2008 clerk of court's office budget."

The budget shortfall totals $112,374.17.

The resolution was forwarded to the full board from both the public safety and justice coordinating committee and the finance committee.

The public safety and justice committee voted 7-0 to recommend the resolution be passed by the full board, while the finance committee cast a 5-0 vote in favor of the measure.

Because the transfer is not part of the 2008 budget approved by the full board, the resolution to transfer the funds needs a two-thirds majority vote of supervisors to pass.

In other board business Wednesday, supervisors will hear a pair of updates - one on the justice center building project and a second on the hiring of a county administrator.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald March 23, 2009 issue

A fifth suspect in the rash of armed burglaries in rural Sparta was charged in Monroe County Circuit Court this week.

 David R. Ortiz, 19, 608 Maple St., was charged with two counts of armed burglary, four counts of theft of moveable property, and two counts each of criminal damage to property and misdemeanor theft. He is in jail in lieu of a $2,500 cash bond. 

 Ortiz, Skyelar Alm, 20; Charlie Richards, 19; and two 16-year olds, all of Sparta, are accused of breaking into a number of rural homes in the past several weeks.

 According to the criminal complaint against Ortiz, a Monroe County Sheriff's deputy was investigating the break-in of a Garland Avenue home February 24 when she was informed of another victim on Garland Avenue.

 At the home of the first victim, a full length glass window in an outside door was broken out. Inside, a baseball bat was sitting on the kitchen table. All of the cabinets in the kitchen had been rifled through, as well as drawers in other rooms, according to the complaint. Various containers of change were missing from several different rooms.

 The second victim said she came home from work and immediately noticed a service door to the garage was unlocked. The door between the house and garage was also open. When she entered the house, the homeowner saw drawers open with the contents on the floor.

 Closet and drawer contents throughout the house were disturbed and strewn about. A patio table had been thrown through a large picture window. Change, jewelry and other items were missing.

 Officers lifted shoe print impressions from both the scenes.

 Police were dispatched to a Falcon Avenue residence March 4 when the home's burglar alarm sounded. 

 When officers arrived, they saw two sets of footprints leading away from the house. More prints were discovered near the back deck, where a patio door was shattered. However, it did not appear as if would-be intruders gained entry. 

 Shoe and tire prints were taken from the scene. 

 Later that day, police were dispatched to a Jackpot Avenue home. Again, a patio glass door was shattered and drawers were disturbed. Old checks, cash, coins, a handgun and extra magazine, and a display case with antique guns were missing, the complaint indicates.

 On March 9, a resident on Hawk Road discovered her dog was locked in the garage. The dog is usually kept in the basement while the owners are at work. The homeowner found her house ransacked. Several electronic devices, including a video game console, an Ipod and digital camera, and two handguns were missing.

 The last burglary occurred on Cty. Hwy. Q March 11, but the alleged burglars were frightened away by a neighbor who spotted them. 

 The neighbor told police he saw a Ford van in the driveway and two male subjects inside the house. As he approached, the two suspects ran. One waved a gun in the air, toward the neighbor, before they both got into the van and left. 

 Hours later, a juvenile reported the same van as stolen. Eventually, the teen admitted he and another teen broke into the Cty. Hwy. Q residence, but left when the neighbor approached. He allegedly admitted he waved a gun at the man, which was taken from the Hawk Road residence. The teen told police he threw the gun in a ditch, which police later recovered.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
Monroe County Democrat March 19, 2009 issue

 As it stands right now, Grace Street property owners will not be assessed for the cost of a new sidewalk, but residents of the neighborhood still have concerns over a road reconstruction project planned this summer.

"I don't even want the project to happen," said Sherry Hininger of Warrens.

Hininger and her husband, Jeff, recently purchased a 34-unit apartment complex that abuts Grace Street at 1003 St. Anne Street.

"I understand the city needs to make improvements, but at whose cost?" asked Hininger.

While the Hiningers won't be assessed for the cost of a sidewalk, they will be responsible for covering the cost of curb and gutter for the project.

"It's still going to be $8,000 to $9,000 without the sidewalk," she said. "We can't afford that."

Hininger also is concerned the city isn't doing enough to inform the property owners about the project.

She was upset because property owners were not informed about a public works committee meeting held Wednesday evening concerning the project.

"Why are they not contacting us, when it's a huge issue for us?" she said. "We should be contacted anytime they're talking about the project because it concerns us."

Patty Danick, who lives at the intersection of Grace and St. Anne streets, also is upset with the way city officials are handling the project.

Like Hininger, Danick believes the city could have done more to inform area property owners about the project.

"They need to be listening to people," she said.

"I really think we have a right, before they get started, to have a say in this," continued Danick. "My biggest thing is how the city goes about it - they dictate."

A public hearing was held concerning the proposed sidewalk last month, and the city council voted against assessing property owners for its cost.

If the sidewalk is included as part of the project, the city will foot the bill.

City Administrator Ken Witt said officials will decide next month whether or not to construct the sidewalk.

The public works committee discussed the matter earlier this month, but decided to wait before making a final decision on the sidewalk.

According to Witt, the sidewalk is included as a line item in the project bid, so city officials could opt to accept a bid and exclude the sidewalk.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald March 16, 2009 issue

  A staffing plan for the 2009-2010 school year proposed at the Personnel and Educational Initiatives Committee of the Sparta School Board Tuesday included a reduction of five teachers at the high school.
 Four of the teachers cut would be from core academic areas.

 The staff reductions are needed to address a deficit projected to be $400,000 if state aid, enrollment numbers and other factors remain the same. 

 Superintendent John Hend-ricks said $100,000 of that could be taken off the top if the district and all staff members practice prudent spending for the rest of this school year. 

 He presented a plan to the committee that he called a ìmenu for considerationî. He urged the committee to listen to his explanation of proposal, then take comments from the audience, which included a dozen teachers who may be affected.

 The proposed reductions include cutting the entire driverís education program for a savings of $20,000. 

 That would displace the driverís education teacher, Larry Severson, who has been in that position for 11 years. Earlier this year, Severson learned he would not be up for renewal as football coach, either.

 Hendricks said just 75 kids enrolled in the course next year, a declining number. In fact, enrollment numbers at the high school are down significantly, which is why the majority of staff cuts are coming from the high school, he indicated. 

 Severson said the driverís education enrollment number is not entirely accurate, as it does not include students who enroll in the summer program. It also does not include students who are home-schooled or attend parochial or other private schools. 

 Also, the program is only available to students beginning their sophomore year. Severson suggested opening it up to second semester freshmen, who would certainly increase enrollment.

 The other cuts include a full-time high school English teacher, full-time high school math teacher, half-time high school social studies teacher, half-time LMC teacher, full-time High Point teacher, full-time middle school teacher and a reduction of a substitute-calling secretary, which is already in place.

 Hendricks said eliminating the substitute-calling secretary position would be a savings of about $45,000, but software to implement an automated system, already in place, is in the neighborhood of $20,000. 

 Other people affected would be high school English teacher Laura Veglahn and math teacher Rachel Wimer, although she could possibly move to another position as she is licensed in another background.  The social studies position being cut in half would affect Mark Bullen, who is a full-time teacher now. Sue Quale is the LMC teacher, but Hendricks indicated shifts in duties may allow her to retain full-time status. The actual person to be affected at High Point is unclear at this point, Hendricks indicated.

 ìThis is a reflection of declining numbers and how registration came out,î said Hendricks. He suggested the middle school position be reduced because a large class is moving out of eight grade. That person, Tom Nissalke, could move around to other grade levels instead, Hendricks indicated.

 Those involved in the reduction are due to a lower amount of students signing up for their classes next year. As for the LMC, Hendricks said that is due to a decline in use.

 The total amount saved by the reductions is estimated at $360,000, should the school board decide to adhere to Hendrickís proposed plan.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
Monroe County Democrat March 12, 2009 issue

 City aldermen decided last month not to levy a special assessment against property owners for a new sidewalk along Grace Street, but no decision was made as to the fate of the proposed sidewalk project itself.

That decision, in part, will fall on the Sparta Public Works Committee when it gathers for its monthly meeting Wednesday night.

Last month, following a public hearing on the matter, the city council voted 5-3 against the special assessment, but no decision was made on whether or not to construct the sidewalk.

"There are two separate issues," explained City Administrator Ken Witt. "Whether to charge the people (to construct the sidewalk) and whether to build the sidewalk are two separate questions."

Witt said the special assessment was the only item discussed by the council at last month's meeting.

"We didn't actually remove the sidewalk (from the construction) plan, so now we have to decide whether or not to leave the sidewalk in or not," he said.

"It's in the plan," Witt continued. "That's what was originally approved when we bid the project."

If aldermen decide to leave the sidewalk in the proposed street reconstruction plan, Witt said the city will be responsible for the cost.

"The other option is that we can leave the sidewalk in, because it's a line item, and we can remove it at that time," he offered.

"If we go forward with the sidewalk, the city will have to pay for it," continued Witt. "I think the biggest question is whether we want the sidewalk there because of the big hill there."

The proposed reconstruction plan includes renovation of Grace Street from Highway 16 to Jefferson Avenue.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald March 9, 2009 issue

  Developments learned at Monday's Sparta Park Board meeting may lead to a delayed swimming season.

 One involved the painting of the  municipal pool, and the two bids received for the work were oceans apart.

 The lower and ultimately successful offer of $18,950 to sandblast, pressure wash, acrylic patch, prime, paint and black strip the aquatic vessel came from Schanhofer Custom Finishing, 1401 S. Water St.

 The cost is for two coats of paint for maximum protection, which is recommended by the bidder. The $4,975 in materials will be discounted 5% if they are ordered this week. 

 Another local firm, B&T Contracting, LLC, 7610 Highway 27 North, submitted a $38,777 bid according to specs laid out by the parks and recreation department.

  Both contractors  figured the painting of the 20 by 30-foot baby pool in crunching their numbers. The main pool, measuring 176 by 56 feet, was last painted in 2001 by Schanhofer Custom Finishing, Cory Schanhofer, proprietor.

 The improvement could delay the Memorial Day weekend pool opening  if spring weather isn't cooperative, said Brad Gilbertson, parks and recreation director.

  Time to do the pool face-lift is tacked on to that needed to do  regular pool maintenance. At season's end, the pool is drawn down to a foot below the gutter to prevent the walls from heaving, drained in the spring and then refilled. The spring portion of this process can last a week, said Gilbertson.

 Another concern that could further delay local aquatics is compliance with the Virginia Graeme Baker Act requiring upgrading the drain system in both pools. No cost estimate for the new product, which is not currently on the market, is available. But engineering plans could run as much as $3,000.

 Non-compliance could mean a fine of $10,000 per day totalling $40,000 because the system has four drains, three in the large pool and one in the wading pool, which, incidentally, would be expensive to meet federal standards because of the  single drain.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
Monroe County Democrat March 5, 2009 issue

     What if Monroe County built a justice center and then couldn't afford to open it?

 According to more than one county supervisor, that's exactly the predicament the county will find itself in if it goes ahead with current plans for a $30 million justice center.

 And its not the cost of construction that will break the bank, said Supervisor John Rusch of Tomah, it's the cost of operating the facility.

 Rusch addressed the county board last week, pointing out that projected operational expenditures associated with the justice center will force the county to exceed its levy limits.

 Those operational costs include $900,000 a year in new spending for 16 additional jailers, and an increase of over $500,000 in maintenance requirements.

 Allowing for the savings realized by no longer housing prisoners in neighboring jails, Rusch believes the county still would be spending an additional $565,000 a year to operate the facility.

 If the justice center were to open as scheduled in 2011, the county's levy cap would only have risen by $400,000 -- that is if the Governor's proposed expansion of the levy cap, raising it from 2% to 3%, goes through.

 "That would be eaten up by other departments," said Rusch, noting the county board just approved one-year labor contracts amounting to $353,000 in added personnel costs -- and that doesn't include the increase for dispatchers whose union has yet to settle on an agreement.

 The only way the county could exceed its levy cap is to get taxpayer approval through a referendum.

 "The worst thing we could do is build the jail and then find out we couldn't operate it unless we got permission from the taxpayers," said Rusch, adding that he didn't believe it was likely such a referendum would pass.

 If the county chose to exceed its levy cap without a referendum, it would forfeit over $2 million in shared revenue from the state, according to Rusch. The state has already cut shared revenue payments to municipalities by 1% in order to deal with its own deficit.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald March 2, 2009 issue

 It was a deja vu moment at the Sparta Historic Preservation Commission meeting Wednesday afternoon.

 Rick Irwin, a Monroe County supervisor opposed to the plan for a $30 million justice center outside of the city, wanted the commission's  blessing to pursue a jail project on the courthouse square.

 Almost 10 years ago, the city body patrolling local aesthetics, voted down a proposal to do just that because it would encroach on the courthouse lawn.

 "At that time, we voted against building there, and there was a lot of public input on it," said Sandie Perry, a long time commission member. 

 Another member, Rick Kast, remarked the State Historical Society actually put the kibosh on the plan because of its inconsistency with the courthouse placement on the National Historic Registry.

 However, Irwin, who is from the Town of Wilton, was merely testing the waters this week. He added the footprint of the jail addition could be moved west so as to encroach on the courthouse green only minimally.

  Earlier in the week Irwin went on a fact finding mission,  visiting the updated Fond du Lac County jail which involved upward construction. He estimated a cost of $9 million if Monroe County did that or built downtown. The amount is less than one-third the expense of the $30 million project for which a construction moratorium exists through April.

 Irwin said momentum on the county board exists for downtown jail construction, and Carol Las, a county supervisor from Little Falls, underscored that perception. The tendency to proceed with a downtown project is prompted by the millions of dollars of infra-structure improvement in the retail district in the past year, she said.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
Monroe County Democrat February 26, 2009 issue

     Attitudes among a significant number of high school students and their parents are more relaxed toward alcohol than other drugs.

 That's according to Sparta High School students who took a survey conducted by the Sparta School District in 2008. 

 Results of the study, which school officials presented to members of the school board earlier this month, show that only 26% of students believe their parents think it is very wrong for them to use alcohol.

 That's compared to 75% who think their parents would strongly disapprove of their smoking marijuana and 60% who believe their parents are dead set against them using tobacco.

 Just under 20% of students said they didn't believe their parents thought it was at all wrong for them to use alcohol.

 "There is much more acceptance of alcohol and drinking than smoking," said Peggy Jadack, the school district's director of pupil services. "We continue to see that as a problem."

 Jadack believes the problem is rooted in Wisconsin's culture of alcohol. Even with the statewide social acceptance of drinking, Sparta high schoolers outpaced the state average in one category.

 The survey shows that 32.4% of Sparta high schoolers said they had their first drink of alcohol, other than just a few sips, before the age of 13. That is well above the state average of 23.5%.

 However, trends in the survey, which has been conducted five times since the 2001-2002 school year, show the frequency of alcohol consumption among Sparta students declining.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald February 23, 2009 issue

    A heated debate ensued at last Friday's Monroe County Finance Committee meeting after one of its members introduced a preliminary measure to rescind a moratorium on the justice center project.

 Citing an opportunity in the bond market and a decline in construction related costs, committee member Jim Kuhn presented a draft resolution, calling for the $30 million building project to be restarted.

 He said current bond rates were below 4%, which is what the county's bonding adviser said was an acceptable rate before the market tanked last fall and the county was looking at 4.55% at best.

 He also said any further delay could put ground breaking into next fall, adding to the project cost.

 "To delay it is going to cost the county more money," said Kuhn. "That's the bottom line."

 However, county board members Carol Las and Rick Irwin, both opponents of the project as it is proposed, contested the finance com-mittee's legitimacy in bringing the resolution forward.

 The county board passed the resolution implementing the four-month moratorium on December 23. The measure stipulated the public safety committee, on which both Las and Irwin sit, was to deal with the building issue during the postponement.

 The two insisted public safety was the committee of jurisdiction and any measure related to the building project should come through it.

 Before that could be settled, the discussion became accusatory.

 "I think we need a jail but I don't think we need a justice center," said finance committee member Keith Kenyon, an ardent foe of the $30 million project.

 "Nobody even knows what's in this. I'd like to see a detailed plan of the justice center."

 Finance chairman Teresa Pierce, a proponent of the project, responded saying the plan never was completed. "You shut it down," she told Kenyon, referring to the moratorium.

 Kenyon then voiced his mistrust of the county's architectural firm, Venture, which has told the county that any delay would result in an increase in building costs and a decrease in the scope of the project.

 "With Venture you're getting a high-pressure sale," he said. "If they're going to sell this bill of goods to the taxpayer then the county taxpayer is going to have to bite the bullet for it."
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald February 16, 2009 issue

   A 55-year old Sparta man died Friday in a one-vehicle accident in the Town of Greenfield.

 According to Monroe County Sheriff Dennis Pedersen, the driver, Scott A. Lenss, whose last known address was 402 1/2 Austin St., was traveling east on Highway 21 at around 10 a.m.

 He apparently lost control of his vehicle just west of Fireworks Avenue, where it entered the westbound ditch and rolled on its top before coming to rest against some trees.

 Lenss, the vehicle's only occupant, died at the scene. The Sheriff's Department, State Patrol and Monroe County Medical Examiner's office are investigating the incident.

 The Sparta Police Department is still awaiting the results of a State Patrol accident recon-struction report being compiled for a January 16 crash that cut a car in half.

 That accident occurred when 68-year old Daniel Steinbrink of Sparta drove from the Kwik Trip parking lot onto Black River Street and was struck broadside by Peter Lukasek, 52, also of Sparta.

 Lukasek's 2006 Honda, which was southbound, severed Steinbrink's 1992 Oldsmobile, sending the rear half into a snow bank on the other side of the street. Both men were injured, Steinbrink seriously, and transported to La Crosse hospitals.

 Sparta Police Chief Mike Kass said newer cars now carry black boxes similar to those in airplanes.

 "(The Sate Patrol) is trying to download data from the black box in the Honda," said Kass, noting the foreign make of the car makes the task more difficult.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald February 9, 2009 issue

 Monroe County experienced an 11% boost in foreclosure filings in January over the preceding month, resulting in the second highest month ever for that type of legal action in Wisconsin.

 According to Foreclosure-Alarm, a Madison-based soft-ware group created by Intelligent Solutions LLC, foreclosure filings in the county rose from 16 in December to 18 in January. 

 However, with the exception of Juneau County, neighboring counties recorded a decrease in foreclosures in a month's time with Vernon County logging the largest percentage drop, 20%. It edged down from six filings in December to five in January.

 In La Crosse County, the flow of foreclosures fell from 25 to 23 or 7% in a month's time, while actions to retake property in Jackson County slid 31%, translating to a drop from six to four filings. 

 Juneau County's 16 fore-closure filings over its 11 in December represented a 48% jump. Door County with many vacation homes reported the highest percentage increase in foreclosures, 140%, soaring from eight to 20 in the one-month period.

 Overall, 53 of Wisconsin's 72 counties reported a boost in foreclosures from December to January.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
Monroe County Democrat February 5, 2009 issue

  With spring elections just two months off, some of Monroe County's 24 townships are hotbeds of political activity.

 As a result of its Jan. 12 caucus, the Town of Ridgeville has a contest for every seat except treasurer. In the chairman race, incumbent Mike Luethe is being challenged by current supervisor Charles Neumann.

 Incumbent supervisor Steve Krueger is facing a challenge from Gerald Haney, a former patrolman for the township. Jerry Cooley Jr. and Ray Horns will compete for the supervisor's seat being vacated by Neumann.

 The clerk's race pits incumbent Inese Epstein against Rita Williams. Luethe appointed Epstein to replace Janis Stanek who resigned in the middle of  the current term.

 Incumbent treasurer Mary Fries, who also was appointed after her predecessor, Royce Kortbein, resigned, has no opposition.

 The Town of Wells experienced a big shakeup in its caucus earlier this month. Town Clerk Norman Kowitz, who has held the position for more than four decades, failed to make the ballot in a run-off of four candidates vying for the position.

 The top vote getters whose names will appear on the ballot are Alison Elliott, who is the Monroe County zoning administrator, and Deanne Schwartz. Beth Wells also failed to garner enough votes to make the ballot.

 Supervisor Don Ziegler is stepping down and his apparent replacement will be Ron Ziegler, who won't have any opposition after another nominee, Steve Berendes, chose not to accept his nomination.

 Town chairman Dennis Hemmersbach supervisor Gregory Schmitz and treasurer Simon Wells are unopposed. The town assessor's position, which is an elected seat in Wells, is held by Jim Shea, who also faces no challenger.

 The Town of Little Falls, which has abandoned the caucus method in favor of submitting nomination papers, will have a three-way race for one of its supervisor's seats.

 Town chairman Don Herr, who faces no opposition, said challengers Nancy Whitaker and John Christy entered their nominations for the supervisor's post after incumbent Dan Olson said he wouldn't seek reelection. 

 Olson, however, had a change of heart and all three candidates will be on the ballot. Running unopposed are incumbents Jim Pfaff, supervisor; Ron Storandt, treasurer; and Donna Heuer, clerk.

 In the Town of Adrian, supervisor Gordon Oswald isn't seeking reelection and Thomas Graber and Robert Amundson are vying for the seat. For the other supervisor's position, incumbent Richard Schmitz will face a challenge from James Giertych.

 Running unopposed are chairman Gail Chapman, clerk Kathy Schmitz and treasurer Cathy Bernhardt.

 In the Town of Clifton, a controversy over transferring part of the township from the Kendall Fire District to the Oakdale Fire District seems to have created interest in the April election. Kendall Fire Chief Tom Trepes is challenging incumbent Don Finucan for the chairman's post.

 Dennis Boeder and Donovan Riedesel will vie for the supervisor's seat being vacated by Paul Hoppmann. The town's former clerk, David Hansen is challenging the current clerk, Mary Cook. Supervisor Kevin Cook and treasurer Chris Woggon are unopposed.

 An upcoming vacancy in the chairman's post leads a full slate in the Town of Grant. Former Monroe County Solid Waste Manager Allan Roof is facing off against Douglas Lambert for the chairman's seat currently held by Troy Lambert.

 Incumbent supervisors David Frost and Lon Sutherland are being challenged by Fred Weiner and Wayne Hollingshead, respectively.

 Dale Anderson is challenging incumbent Town of Byron Supervisor Barbara Meltesen, while the incumbent treasurer, Anna Krueger will face Julie Jacobson on the ballot.

 In the Town of Jefferson a race for a supervisor's seat pits incumbent Willard Brueggen against Jack Herricks.

 Barring any unforeseen circumstances, John Guthrie, who is running unopposed, should replace Jim Faulkner as supervisor in the Town of LaGrange. Katie (Sullivan) Schanhofer is also running unopposed for the treasurer's seat being vacated by Delores Spooner.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald February 2, 2009 issue

 Monroe County has a new county clerk.

Shelley Bohl, who served as deputy county clerk for the past two years, was given the nod to fill the seat vacated by former County Clerk Susan Matson's resignation earlier this month.

Bohl has served as acting county clerk since Matson left to take another position out of state, but the promotion became official with a unanimous vote of supervisors during Wednesday's monthly meeting.

Tomah supervisor John Rusch, a member of the administrative and executive committee that conducted the hiring process, said Bohl was selected from a field of 16 candidates.

Rusch said six candidates were tapped for interviews, and the committee ultimately voted to offer the position to Bohl, who was Matson's recommendation for the job.

Supervisor Nodji VanWychen asked if she could receive a little more background on Bohl before casting her vote.

"I feel awkward," said VanWychen. "I don't have a lot of knowledge about her."

Monroe County Personnel Director Ken Kittleson told supervisors Bohl has a two-year associate degree in accounting, and possesses a bookkeeping background.

"She spent eight years out a Rolling Hills as a payroll clerk in accounts payable, and moved into the deputy clerk position two years ago," offered Kittleson.

Sparta Supervisor Chuck Schwarz said he received a phone call from someone concerned as to whether there are minimum requirements for the position.

Kittleson said the job description called for someone with a bachelor's degree, or something similar as far as credentials are concerned.

"We took her accounting and bookkeeping background into account, which sufficed in meeting the requirement of a bachelor's degree," Kittleson said.

Bohl was officially sworn in noon today (Thursday) by Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Michael McAlpine.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
Monroe County Democrat January 29, 2009 issue

  A complaint brought against the City of Sparta by an employee of a controversial downtown nightclub has been dismissed.

 Scott Murphy, the brother of Dimensions III owner Patrick Murphy and a manager at the former Sparta night spot located at 210 S. Water St., filed the complaint on June 3, 2008.

 In it he claimed the city refused him a bartender's license because of a felony conviction record and discriminated against him for making a complaint under the Fair Employment Law.

 On January 20, the Equal Rights Division of the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development found there was no probable cause to hold a hearing on the complaint and dismissed it.

 According to Scott Murphy's complaint, he and his brother purchased the property in May 2007, and met with Sparta Police Chief Mike Kass to discuss applying for a liquor license.

 Scott Murphy alleges that Kass indicated he wouldn't recommend approving the license if Scott Murphy's name were on it, citing his 1988 felony conviction for issuing worthless checks. Scott Murphy also claimed Kass said he would oppose issuing him a bartender's license for the same reason.

 Patrick Murphy subsequently filed for a liquor license with only his name on the document, which the city approved in June 2007, despite Kass' objections. On December 31, 2007, Scott Murphy applied for a bartender's license which was granted him on January 3, 2008.

 According to Mark Robarge, an equal rights officer for the state who wrote the response to the complaint, therein lies the problem. He indicates that December 2007 was the first time Scott Murphy applied for a license and he later received it.

 "(Scott Murphy) is essentially alleging an act of discrimination that did not happen," wrote Robarge, noting the fact that the complainant's name doesn't appear on any earlier bartender's license applications nor any liquor license applications.

 Scott Murphy also claims Kass humiliated him because he included in press releases that he didn't want the establishment re-licensed because one of the owners was a felon. Those press releases concerned the death of David Endres, who died of injuries allegedly sustained in an altercation at Dimensions III on December 23, 2007.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald January 26, 2009 issue

 A residence at 503 South Water Street that served as a house of worship for a Sparta congregation will be given away and relocated to make way for a Morrow Home expansion project.

 The single story, frame dwelling was the meeting place for 53 years for what is now the Trinity Lutheran Church before construction of its current building on the 600 block of North Water Street.

 After that a Christian Science Society gathered there for a time. But for the past generation or so, the structure at the east end of Hill Street, most recently owned by Vern Kerling, functioned purely as a home.

 Michael Bonello, Morrow Home director, said the former church is one of four buildings in the way of a proposed Community Based Residential Facility(CBRF),  providing a level of care between assisted living and that of the regular nursing home. 

 Ground breaking for the $4.5 million endeavor, involving 15 new jobs, will be in the spring or summer. Specific plans are still sketchy and financing remains in the offing, said Bonello. 

 In the interim, other buildings that will be forfeited for the project are the Little Hotel, purchased from Jerry Vettrus, a house at 505 South Water Street, which was also obtained from Kerling, and an abode owned by Mark Pine at 427 South Water Street. 

 According to Bonello, the attempt to save the original home of the Lutheran congregation, the only one of the four buildings without asbestos, is because of its tie to local history and lingering resemblance to a church. Bible verses  were found etched on the rafters.

 "We're basically trying to give it away like we did with the administrator's residence, said Bonello. "We prefer to move it and not tear it down." He thinks the opportunity is ideal for someone already owning a vacant lot and willing to incur the expense of relocating a house. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
Monroe County Democrat January 22, 2009 issue

  Authorities are looking into the possibility that one of the vehicles involved in a crash that cut a car in half Friday afternoon may also have been involved in another accident just moments before.

Two Sparta men were injured in the crash, which took place shortly before 3 p.m. in front of Kwik Trip on South Black River Street.

According to a police report, a 1992 Oldsmobile driven by 68-year-old Daniel Steinbrink was exiting the Kwik Trip parking lot onto Black River Street when it was struck broadside by a 2006 Honda driven by 52-year-old Peter Lukasek.

The impact of the collision severed Steinbrink's vehicle in half, sending the rear half of the car onto a snowbank on the other side of the street.

Steinbrink suffered serious injuries, and was transported by Sparta Area Ambulance Service to Franciscan Skemp Healthcare in Sparta, and then transferred to Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center in La Crosse by Med-Link helicopter.

Lukasek also was transported to Franciscan Skemp Healthcare in Sparta by Fort McCoy Ambulance, and later transferred by ambulance to Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center.

Sparta Police Chief Mike Kass said this (Monday) morning that his department received a report of another accident in the area just moments before Lukasek struck Steinbrink.

"There's the potential that one of the operators may have been involved in another accident just prior to this one," said Kass.

"The witness gave a description that matched the description of one of the cars involved in the second accident," he continued. "We won't know until the investigation is complete, but I think when it's done we'll have a pretty clear picture of what happened."

As of press time Monday, no citations have been issued, but Kass said that was a definite possibility.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald January 19, 2009 issue

   A former Monroe County jailer has initiated a lawsuit against the county claiming he was fired from his job unlawfully.

 Ron Ebert, who spent over 17 years as an employee of the county, filed the claim in November, three months after his July 29 termination date.

 In the claim, Ebert accuses his ex-boss, Sheriff Dennis Pedersen, who also is listed as a defendant in the document, of making ìa series of public statements which were defam-atory to (Ebertís) professional and personal reputation.î

 In particular, Ebert alleges the sheriff stated that Ebert had committed ìmultiple felonious actsî and was a ìdumb farmerî unfit for public employment.

 Monroe County is listed as a separate defendant, according to the claim, because of its negligent failure to supervise and discipline Pedersen.

 Ebert is seeking $100,000 in damages against Pedersen and the county, claiming he has suffered the loss of his salary and benefits. He was making nearly $52,000 in total compensation at the time he was fired.

 He also maintains that his character and reputation have been hurt and that he has suffered emotional distress and  incurred attorneyís fees and costs.

 The document, which is signed by Ebertís attorney, Lawrence Albrecht of the Milwaukee law firm First, Albrecht & Blondis, leaves the door open for additional damages under federal law.

 The claim went before the Monroe County Finance Committee last Thursday, where Pedersen said he couldnít comment on the matter because he was a defendant in the lawsuit.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

To read this entire article please see the
The Sparta Herald January 12, 2009 issue

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