The Road Ban will go into effect in the Town of Fountain on Monday March 5th, 2018

Mauston Man Charged With Strangulation, Suffocation, Disorderly Conduct

(Town of Germantown, WI)  —  A 38-year-old woman tells authorities the father of her children tried to strangle her, telling her he would kill her and saying, “I want you dead.”  A Juneau County Sheriff’s deputy arrested 40-year-old Jeremy Resler of Maustin.  Resler is accused of placing his hands around the woman’s throat during an attack this week.  Resler was apparently upset with the woman for not spending enough time with their children.  The two were no longer a couple, but they still lived together because neither could afford to move.  Their children, ages two and three, were present while the woman says Resler slammed her against the wall and put his hand around her throat.  Resler’s initial court appearance is scheduled for March 14th.

During a traffic stop in New Lisbon on November 21, 2017, Londyn  L. Forsythe age 42 of Elroy was arrested for a probation hold and Failure to Appear warrant.  New Lisbon Police officers also found during the investigation several bags in the backseat of the car.  The bags were removed from the vehicle and placed behind it.  The canine handler for the City of New Lisbon was also on scene and brought the drug detection canine “Bongo” out of his squad.  “Bongo” sniffed the bags and drug materials for manufacturing  and drug paraphernalia were found in them.  During an interview with Forsythe at the Juneau County Sherriff’s Department, he admitted to knowing about and providing information about what was in the bags.  Forsythe has been charged with Possession of Materials for Manufacturing Methamphetamine, Repeater and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Repeater.

Monroe County Sheriff Scott Perkins wants to make the public aware that the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office is changing the color of its uniform.  This transition will take place over the rest of the year for 2018 into early summer of 2019.

The new uniform is a silver tan shirt with black pants.  You may also see this uniform worn with a black tactical vest.  Attached is a picture of the present and new uniform worn by Sgt Ryan Lee and Sheriff Scott Perkins (the Sheriff is wearing the new style uniform). 

A new shoulder patch is also being implemented as well.  This change has just started and the Sheriff wants the public to be aware so when they see the new colors they will know it is a Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy. New Shoulder Patch 2018-1

The Tomah Memorial Hospital Foundation has donated just over $1400 to the Monroe County Health Department to help fill a funding gap for its car seat program.  Health Department assistant director Pam Rainwater says the donation will help reduce the number traffic fatalities and injuries involving children.  Families must meet income requirements to qualify for a car seat.  Rainwater said the department plans to distribute about 100 car seats - a number that has held steady over the years..  It is the second consecutive year the foundation has donated to the car seat program.

(Tomah, WI)  —  As many as a dozen people are looking for a new place to live after a Sunday afternoon fire destroyed an apartment building in Tomah.  One of the residents is a Vietnam veteran who just had a leg amputated and lost several pet cats in the fire.  Firefighters say flames had engulfed the building as they drove up on the scene and the fire was already out of control.  People living nearby say the residents of the apartment building likely lost everything they own.  Investigators are trying to determine how that fire started.

The Town of Clearfield will have road bans in effect as of today Monday Maarch 5th, 2018

Carrie Winneshiek, age 42 of Lyndon Station, was charged with Harboring or Aiding a Felon for an incident that occurred last October.  The criminal complaint states that Winneshiek’s boyfriend was doing drugs and became unresponsive. EMS was called, but before they arrived the boyfriend regained consciousness and Winneshiek allegedly took him away from the residence because she knew he had an arrest warrant out for him.  She was found in a ditch hiding from authorities trying to return to her residence.

Darren Brookins, age 25 of Wisconsin Dells, was arrested for sending computer messages threatening injury or harm and two counts of felony bail jumping.  Brookins had a no-contact order but sent dozens of threatening electronic messages via social media using his accounts and other accounts after he was blocked by the victim.

Chris Davis, age 19 of New Lisbon, was arrested last Thursday in the city of New Lisbon for possessing meth and drug paraphernalia.  He was stopped for speeding on State Highway 12 and 16.  Authorities noticed Davis was extremely nervous and sweating even though it was 35 degrees outside.  Juneau County K9 Officer Timo, on a walk around Davis’s vehicle, indicated the presence of Narcotics.  Crystal meth was retrieved from the vehicle during a search.  After his arrest, Davis told authorities he had hidden a pipe on or in his person.

At the January New Lisbon school board meeting, the board voted unanimously to ask the district voters two referendum questions at the regular spring election, Tuesday, April 3rd.

Referendum Question 1: To exceed the revenue limit by $525,000 a year for four years beginning with the 2018-2019 school year and ending with the 2021-2022 school year, for non-recurring purposes consisting of ongoing educational programming, security upgrades and maintenance of facilities and grounds.

Referendum Question 2: To borrow an amount not to exceed $1,500,000 for the purpose of paying the cost of outdoor athletic facility improvements.

There is a informational meeting presented by District Administrator Dennis Birr tonight at 7pm in the New Lisbon School Library.  It is open to the public.

Monroe County District Attorney Kevin Croninger announced today that the actions of Deputy Jesse Murphy of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office on January 07, 2018 were lawful and reasonable acts of defense of others. Therefore, there will be no criminal charges in relation to the incident resulting in the death of Skyler D. Burnette, on January 07, 2018 in the City of Sparta.

Wisconsin law allows all persons, including police officers, to use deadly force in an act of self-defense or defense of others if the person reasonably believed that he or another person faced an unlawful interference that created a risk of death or great bodily harm. If, as here, the person’s  actions are privileged under the law of self-defense and/or the defense of others they cannot be convicted of any crime.

At approximately 09:58 a.m. on January 07, 2018, the Monroe County dispatch center received a phone call from a distraught female on Saint Anne Street in the City of Sparta, the information provided by the female was not entirely clear. The female stated that the father of her children wanted to see the children and would “only stop if he sees his kids.” Screaming and crying could be heard on the phone call. Officer Marc Nelson and Officer Christopher Welker of the City of Sparta Police Department were the first officers to respond.

While officers were enroute, a separate call was received from another female caller. The caller advised her son had a knife to the throat of his girlfriend and the caller previously removed a different knife from the male. This information was immediately relayed to responding officers.

Officers were also advised that the male and female were still in the residence and that the second 911 caller was outside the residence.

Upon arrival at the residence, Officer Marc Nelson briefly spoke with the second female caller and then proceeded to the apartment. Upon arriving near the entrance to the apartment, Officer Nelson could hear a female screaming and crying within the residence. Officer Nelson and Officer Welker attempted to gain entrance to assist the female but were initially unsuccessful as the door was barricaded with a couch. Officers were eventually able to gain entry to the apartment. Within the apartment, officers observed Skyler Burnette holding a knife and holding a female hostage.

Officer Nelson, Officer Welker, Sergeant Booker Ferguson of the City of Sparta Police Department, along with Deputy Jesse Murphy of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office entered the apartment. Burnette and the female were seated on the floor near the hallway.

Over the course of the next 18 minutes or so, the officers attempted to deescalate the situation and negotiate a resolution with Burnette. Review of body camera footage of involved officers displayed that during that 18 minutes, law enforcement ordered Burnette at least 44 times to drop the knife, Burnette was also ordered numerous times to release the female victim. These orders were made while officers directed their firearms towards Burnette. Burnette consistently and repeatedly refused to do so, demanded to see his children and at times appeared to have delusions about what was occurring. Furthermore, Burnette told officers the female victim was pregnant and made comments about a suicide attempt and wanting law enforcement to shoot him.

During this time frame, officers were unable to exercise any type of force on Burnette as doing so would have endangered the life or safety of the female victim.

After approximately 18 minutes, Burnette appeared to further escalate the situation as he changed his position and held the knife in a manner as if he was about to attack the female victim.

Burnette’s movement created a line of sight for Deputy Jesse Murphy who fired a lethal shot to the right ear area of Burnette. Burnette was still holding the female victim hostage with a knife to her throat at the time he was shot. Burnette was immediately incapacitated by the round. Officers quickly moved forward, removed the now lifeless body of Burnette from the female victim and quickly removed her from the residence. First responders arrived in the apartment shortly thereafter. However, little help could be provided to Burnette, as it was immediately obvious the injury sustained was not compatible with life. In an interview following the incident the female victim indicated she believed Burnette was going to kill her.

An autopsy was conducted on January 08, 2018 at the University of Wisconsin Hospital Anatomic Pathology Laboratory by Dr. Robert Corliss. The autopsy revealed there was one gunshot wound to Burnette. This gunshot wound was to the head, through the right facial skull, pharynx, second cervical vertebra and upper left back. Initial toxicology results reflected that Burnette had methamphetamine (1020 ng/ml), amphetamine (92.1 ng/ml) and Cannabinoid THC-COOH (4.4 ng/ml) in his system at the time of his death.

The Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation conducted a thorough investigation into the shooting that resulted in the death of Skyler D. Burnette. District Attorney Croninger completed a thorough review of all evidence in relation to this incident. Based on that review, District Attorney Croninger has conclude that all officers involved, including Deputy Jesse Murphy were reasonable in their beliefs that there was imminent danger of death or great bodily harm to the female victim.

These beliefs were reasonable because of Burnette’s actions of holding the female victim hostage at knife point, his refusals to comply with any police orders including orders to drop the knife and orders to release the victim, and Burnette’s escalation of the incident in the moments immediately preceding the firing of one round by Deputy Murphy. The use of deadly force by Deputy Murphy was reasonable under the circumstances and therefore privileged under Wisconsin law.

Public copies of the reports from the Wisconsin Division of Criminal Investigation are available at https://www.doj.state.wi.us/dci/officer-involved-critical-incident.

(Baraboo, WI)  —  A former substitute teacher in the Baraboo School District has invented a gunshot alarm system which would alert people in a building to the sound of gunfire, while simultaneously notifying emergency responders.  The concept is similar to a standard fire alarm.  Sensors set off the alarm when they detect and confirm the sound of a gunshot.  Those sensors help emergency responders by pinpointing the exact location of the sound.  Stacy Jax started working on her idea after the deadly 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.  The Trinity Gunshot Alarm System was tested last week at an indoor shooting range.

The WRJC.com News Department has announced a series of Candidate Forums in advance of the upcoming spring elections.  The Forum details are as follows:

• New Lisbon School Board Candidate Forum, Monday, March 26th, New Lisbon High School Library
• Juneau County Circuit Court Judge Candidate Forum, Tuesday, March 27th, Hatch Public Library
• New Lisbon Mayoral Candidate Forum, Wednesday, March 28th, New Lisbon City Hall
• Mauston School Board Candidate Forum, Thursday, March 29th, Hatch Public Library

Each of the Forums will begin at 6:30pm and last approximately 90 minutes.  Each Forum will be broadcast LIVE on NOW 92oneFM, on its internet stream, and its smartphone apps.  The public is invited to attend the Forums.  Forum attendees will not be permitted to ask questions directly of the Candidates during the Forum.  All are invited to submit questions in advance via email to news@wrjc.com or via USPS mail to the station at WRJC News Department, N5240 Fairway Lane, Mauston, WI 53948.  Please make sure to detail which Forum your submitted questions are intended for.  Questions will also be solicited by the sponsors and area news organizations in advance of the Forum.   All questions will then be compiled by the WRJC News Department, edited, rewritten, and organized.  Questions will not be shared with anyone, or either Candidate prior to the Forum.  The Moderator will pose all questions to the Candidates.  The Juneau County Anti-Domestic Violence Coalition is a co-sponsor for the Judicial Candidate Forum.  If any other organization wants to co-sponsor any of the Forums, please contact Jim Murphy at jim@wrjc.com.

Monroe County District Attorney, Kevin D. Croninger announced today
that he will not take action on a complaint filed by Attorney Jack Buswell of Sparta on
February 20, 2018. Buswell filed the complaint on behalf of 12 residents of the Sparta area
over concerns of how the Monroe County Board handled the process for deciding where a
new county nursing home facility would be constructed. Croninger emphasized in a letter to
Buswell on Monday, that declining to act was not a statement on whether Buswell’s complaint
had legal basis. Rather, District Attorney Croninger indicated that he declined to act on
Buswell’s complaint because doing so would likely lead to an appearance of impropriety, as
the Monroe County Board of Supervisors approves the budget for the Monroe County District
Attorney’s Office. Croninger stated, ”The people of Monroe County deserve to have these
issues addressed by someone who will have absolutely no appearance of impropriety or
actual conflict.”
Given Croninger’s decision, Wisconsin law now allows Buswell and the other
complainants to go forward with their complaint on their own if they so desire.
.
A copy of Croninger’ s letter to Buswell is include with this release.

Croninger Letter – Buswell – Walking Quorum

Saturday night, shortly after 10pm, Juneau County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a reported underage drinking party in Orange Township.  When deputies arrived many of the party goers scattered into the nearby woods or back into the residence.  Deputies located several in the woods and brought them to their patrol cars for further investigation.  Raymond Petska, age 22, eventually emerged from the house and made several false statements to deputies.  He also claimed he did not know whose party it was or who owned the house.  Deputies wrote citations for underage drinking and several more citations for parking violations.  The case has also been turned over to the District Attorney to consider Obstruction and Providing Alcohol to Minors charges against Petska.

(Black River Falls, WI)  —  A Black River Falls man will be sentenced on his guilty plea to a charge of homicide by drunk driving in June.  Thomas Jahnke’s trial was supposed to start in Jackson County Circuit Court Monday, but he stopped the trial by taking a plea bargain.  Investigators say Jahnke was drunk when he ran a stop sign at a high rate of speed in August 2012 and slammed into a second car.  The driver was injured and 24-year-old Kayla Koneman of Lyndon Station was pronounced dead at the scene.

Monday evening, just before midnight, Xavier Wales, age 24, of DeForest, was arrested after a traffic stop for a suspended registration due to unpaid parking tickets.  The traffic stop and subsequent investigation eventually revealed the presence of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Wales was charged on both counts as a repeat offender.

30 year old Matthew Virnig of Mauston, was arrested on Saturday as a result of an outstanding warrant.  During his arrest he was found in the possession of marijuana and was charged with one count of Possession of THC, 2^nd Offense.