News

The Shawano County Library has many great programs and exhibits planned during January for many interests.

“Packers’ Century: 100 Years of Packer History” will be held at the Bonduel branch, 125 S. Washington St., Bonduel, on Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. Author and historian Jim Rice will take the audience back through history sharing stories of one of the NFL’s most successful franchises.

Soup Fridays will return to the Shawano main library, 128 S. Sawyer St., throughout January. Stop in each Friday beginning at 11:30 a.m. to warm up with a free cup of soup. Soups featured will be creamy tomato basil, chicken pot pie, taco, and Tuscan bean.

Jeff Kersten from the Bureau of Consumer Protection will share ways to identify and prevent identity theft as well as safeguarding personal information. Two sessions will be available on Jan. 14 — 3 p.m. at the Wittenberg Community Center, 208 W. Vinal St., Wittenberg and 6 p.m. at the Shawano main library.

The Clintonville Common Council has voted unanimously to have the city staff put together a proposal for an outdoor swimming pond and an outdoor pool, and to also explore funding for each.

The council took its action at its meeting Dec. 11.

The Common Council also approved “the vision to commit to an outdoor water facility in the city.”

The vote came after City Administrator Sharon Eveland told the council that it was four years ago that the fire destroyed the bath house at the outdoor pool in Bucholtz Park, making the facility unusable.

Eveland asked the council to provide direction by making a decision on whether the city will have an outdoor recreational swimming facility or instruct them to move forward with demolishing the existing facility. “This is what the people who elected you are asking you do do and I believe it is time for you to do it,” she said.

Shawano County supervisors who approved borrowing $1 million for a dispatch upgrade Wednesday also tossed in some opinions about where some of that money should come from.

“Aren’t we a shared dispatch with the city?” said Supervisor Tom Kautza. “Have they been approached for their portion? I would send them a bill.”

Several board members at the meeting murmured their agreement.

“Send them a bill if they’re using it,” Kautza said.

County Administrative Coordinator Brent Miller said the county couldn’t just single out the city, as other municipalities also depend on the dispatch services.

‘Then you have to go to Bonduel, Tigerton, Wittenberg,” he said.

However, Corporation Counsel Tony Kordus said the county could look at making the city pay more of a fair share.

“I don’t know why it hasn’t been approached in the past,” he said. “Maybe they’re paying something else for us, but we should. I’m surprised we haven’t in the past.”

Shawano County officials Wednesday added electronic cigarettes and other vaping devices to its ordinance prohibiting possession of tobacco by minors, but not before a lengthy discussion that included qualms about whether the penalty for violating the ordinance was too harsh.

Another issue for some board members was whether the county was trying to usurp the duties of parents.

“According to this resolution, they can’t be in the streets or even in their own yard doing it, even if they have the permission of their parents?” Supervisor Gene Hoppe said. “It should be up to the parents to guide them in the right way of life. We shouldn’t have to do this in the County Board.”

Board Chairman Jerry Erdmann agreed to an extent, but said not all parents are fulfilling their duties.

Present tense — or presents tension?

Either way, the time for getting holiday presents is running down and the deadline is getting awfully close to “right now.”

Fortunately, so is Super Saturday.

Dec. 22, “Super Saturday,” is expected to be even bigger than “Black Friday” in terms of retail sales, Bloomberg Television reports. They are estimating that 44 percent of U.S. adults will shop for holiday items on Saturday.

In an additional bit of good fortune, for those who live in the Shawano area, there are unique last-minute gift options that can be found in all corners of Shawano and Menominee counties. We couldn’t possibly list them all, so we are presenting a select assortment of Last-Minute-Local-Gift-Ideas-You-Might-Have-Overlooked. We found great ideas ranging from $4 to $29,950.

All are available between now and Dec. 25.

Cheese box, $18

Belle Plaine Cheese

Many of Clintonville’s longtime, dedicated employees received certificates of appreciation Dec. 10 from Mayor Richard Beggs.

“We have some good employees in the city,” Beggs said. “Thank them the next time you see them.”

One of those employees is Aaron Bilek, assistant fire chief. He has been a member of the fire department for 25 years and is the longest-serving member on staff. In addition to being department secretary and keeping notes for officer and department meetings, he tracks training and membership participation. Bilek also serves as the department’s unofficial technology go-to guy. He has served on multiple apparatus committees — including heavy rescue, most recently — and has donated several hours of his personal time for the benefit of the department and the Clintonville community.

Shawano Police Department

Dec. 19

Police logged 14 incidents, including the following:

OAR — A 30-year-old man was cited for operating after revocation at Lincoln and Maurer streets.

Accident — A minor vehicle versus pedestrian accident was reported at Main and Fourth streets. The pedestrian declined an ambulance.

Theft — A package was reported stolen in the 200 block of West Stevens Street.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Dec. 19

Deputies logged 26 incidents, including the following:

Disturbance — A 35-year-old Wittenberg man was arrested for battery and disorderly conduct after a domestic disturbance on Ho-Chunk Road in the town of Wittenberg.

Suspicious — A suspicious vehicle was reported on Flambeau Road in Bonduel.

OAR — A 46-year-old man was cited for operating after revocation on state Highway 117 in Cecil.

Shawano County officials Wednesday overwhelmingly approved borrowing up to $3.5 million to address near-emergency security concerns at the jail caused by outdated and increasingly failing technology.

The money will be used to upgrade the jail’s computer and software system and its door-locking, intercom and monitoring systems.

Sheriff Adam Bieber said the upgrades would enhance security and safety for jail staff and inmates and reduce the possibility of civil claims being made against the county.

“The safety of our correctional officers and our inmates is foremost in my mind,” he said. “That’s my main responsibility as sheriff.”

The jail has experienced more than three dozen failures in its technology system this year, including one incident that allowed several inmates to get out of their cells unnoticed and wander into an unsupervised hallway area.

The Shawano County Board Wednesday approved borrowing up to $1 million for an upgrade to its dispatch system that will replace existing obsolete equipment and firmware and make the system compatible with the upcoming move to the Next Generation 911 emergency system.

Communication Supervisor Bill McGlin told the board the borrowing proposal was being brought forward now because manufacturers are dropping technical support for the outdated system early next year.

County dispatch currently uses a conventional radio system that is not able to be upgraded, and manufacturers are also dropping support of the county’s obsolete radio equipment, according to McGlin.

The county had been hoping the state would pony up funding for upgrades from the telephone and computer fees that the state collects. Those fees are supposed to go into a fund for that purpose, but have been instead diverted to the state’s general fund.

Shawano Police Department

Dec. 18

Police logged 22 incidents, including the following:

Disorderly — Police responded to a disorderly conduct complaint in the 1200 block of East Green Bay Street.

Vandalism — A vehicle was reported vandalized in the 100 block of Maple Court.

Hit and Run — Police investigated a property damage hit-and-run at Aarrowcast, 2900 E. Richmond St.

Threatening — Shawano County Social Services, 607 E. Elizabeth Street, reported a threatening complaint.

Shawano County Sheriff’s Department

Dec. 18

Deputies logged 42 incidents, including the following:

Warrant — An 18-year-old Shawano man was arrested on a warrant on Emily Lane in the town of Washington.

OAR — A 23-year-old Cecil woman was cited for operating after revocation on Lake Drive in the town of Wescott.

Fraud — An identity theft complaint was reported on Cherry Drive in the town of Angelica.