A Mauston man has pleaded no contest to one count of first degree intentional homicide and one count of first degree attempted homicide. 29-year-old Cody Treul with his attorneys appeared in court yesterday before Judge John Roemer. Treul’s attorneys told the court that Truel pleaded no contest against their advice. Truel faces the possibility life in prison. He was charged in the shooting outside a Mauston bar last year that killed 29-year-old Gail Howland of Mauston and injured 23-year-old Ebony Lasher of Mauston. There will be a status hearing in June regarding the presentence investigation being conducted, which will guide the judge’s decision in sentencing.

A former aide to U.S. Senator Ron Johnson has announced his candidacy for Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District. Chris Anderson, who currently resides in the township of Shelby located just outside of La Crosse, said his commitment to public service through his tour of duty in the armed forces and his time in Washington has prepared him to serve Western Wisconsin in the House of Representatives. According to a press release, Anderson says the reason he’s running is because he thinks that current Representative Ron Kind is out of touch with voters. Anderson said, “Since being elected to Congress 18 years ago, Ron Kind has helped the U.S. debt rise from just over $5 trillion to over $17 trillion, he was an advocate for the passage of Obamacare, and Wisconsin needs a representative who will work to replace or reform bad legislation like the Affordable Care Act.”

An inmate at the New Lisbon Correctional Institution charged with battery has been found guilty due to an Alford plea. At his plea hearing on Tuesday, Nick Warthan appeared in court before Judge John Roemer. In entering an Alford plea, Warthan maintains his innocence, but admits that the evidence the prosecution has would be likely to persuade a judge or jury to find him guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Warthan and his cell mate allegedly had a fight that resulted in injuries for both men last September. Warthan was sentenced to six months in jail, which is to be served consecutively with his current sentence.

There has been an accident in the Town of Lisbon on Highway 12&16 from County Road B. On Wednesday, Jennifer Larson of New Lisbon was traveling east on the highway and was going around a curve when the vehicle hit some ice that was covering the road. Larson tried to maintain control of the vehicle, but it went into the ditch and came to rest after it struck several small trees. Though the vehicle had moderate damage, Larson was not injured in the accident.

Nancy VanderMeer of Tomah has announced her bid for the state’s 70th Assembly District seat.  Two years ago, VanderMeer made her first bid for public office, coming up 144 votes short out of the nearly 29,000 votes cast for the seat. She is running again because she feels the district needs better representation and a strong voice for jobs and economic growth. In a press release, VanderMeer says her top priorities are providing tax relief, promoting agriculture, limiting government spending and strengthening our economy in order to create new and greater opportunities for Wisconsin families. The 70th Assembly District includes northwestern Portage County, rural Wood County, southeastern Jackson County and the northern half of Monroe County.

An Ocala Florida man has been charged with disorderly conduct. According to the criminal complaint, in February, the Mauston Police Department was to a parking lot near the Park Oasis for a domestic disturbance. A witness told the officers when they arrived that he observed a man grabbing a woman in the sleeper area of a nearby semi-truck and the woman was struggling and pushing on the horn. The officer went to the truck and made contact with 41-year-old Jeffrey Gross. He told the officer that he and his girlfriend were arguing but nothing physical happened. When the officer talked to the woman, he noticed blood on her mouth and several injuries on her body. He asked how she got them and she told the officer she didn’t know. Gross was arrested and transported to the Juneau County Jail. He is currently out on a 650 dollar cash bond and has an initial appearance later in April. Law enforcement also say Gross is innocent until proven guilty.

There has been a two vehicle accident in the Town of Dell Prairie. Last Wednesday, 22-year-old Nicole Yazzie of Wisconsin Dells was westbound on 13^th Avenue from Highway 13 and failed to yield right of way to 27-year-old Bonnie Gunderson of Wisconsin Dells, striking her vehicle. Gunderson’s vehicle left the roadway and came to rest on the shoulder and Yazzie’s vehicle came to rest behind it. Police say that no one was injured and snowy road conditions may have played a factor in the accident.

A Necedah man has been cited for impersonating a peace officer and disorderly conduct. On Wednesday, the Adams Police Department received several complaints of a male subject flashing a badge at motorists, giving them the impression that he was a police officer and wanted them to stop. One of the witnesses told the police that he got out of his vehicle and started yelling at her for road rage and she didn’t have any idea of what he was talking about. She was able to give them a license plate number and it came back to 37-year-old Randin Divelbiss. An officer made contact with him and noticed that Divelbiss was wearing a jacket that had a badge. Divelbiss told the officer he had a security guard job in Wisconsin Dells. He told Divelbiss of the complaints the police had been receiving, and Divelbiss admitted to making contact with one driver to discuss her driving, but that he had never flashed a badge at anyone. The officer arrested Divelbiss for disorderly conduct and transported him to the Adams County Jail. Later, police added the charge of impersonating a peace officer, after other victims gave statements identifying Divelbiss’ vehicle as the vehicle that the male suspect was driving when he wanted them to stop.  Law enforcement advises that Divelbiss is innocent until proven guilty.

SHERIFF JOHN SPEARS REPORTS THE FOLLOWING ONGOING ACTIVITIES FOR THE YEAR AND NARRATIVE EXCERPTS FROM THE WEEK ENDING March 17, 2014

3/11  Amy Mowery, Viroqua, swerved on a curve to miss a deer that ran out in front of her on Ames Road and struck a guardrail in the Town of Webster.  Mowery was not injured.

3/12  Matthew Stowell, Hillsboro, was traveling on Briskey Road in the Town of Hillsboro when a deer ran in front of him.  Stowell swerved to miss the deer and lost control of his vehicle, striking a fence and overturning twice.  Stowell was wearing his seatbelt and reported no injuries.

3/14  Verizon Wireless reported some copper was stolen from behind their building in the Village of Stoddard.

3/15  Sarah Buuck, Viroqua, reported damage to a fence on her Town of Jefferson property.

3/15  Susan Campbell, Westby, was backing out of a driveway onto Prairie Boulevard when she struck a legally parked vehicle owned by Kevin Buchholz, Wilton.  There was minor damage to both vehicles and no one was injured.

3/15  Roger Sterba, Hillsboro, reported tools stolen from one of his Town of Hillsboro buildings.

3/10                       2 reportable car/deer crashes:

Peter Bergquist, Westby, on County Road S, Town of Webster;

Connie Bekkum, La Farge, on Newburn Lane, Town of Stark

This past week                           Year to Date

Alarm Responses                                             14                          87

Animal Related issues                                      5                            74

Assisting Municipalities                                    68                          546

Crimes Against People                                     21                         208

Crimes Against Property                                  10                          154

Domestic Crimes                                              1                            22

Fire Responses                                                22                          136

K-9 Calls                                                         1                            13

Medical Responses                                          45                          437

Mental Health Cases                                         4                            46

Missing Person Investigations                            4                            31

Safety Escorts                                                   7                            67

School Walk Through                                       20                          92

Search and Rescues                                          0                           1

Security Check                                               146                          1406

Serving Legal Documents                                19                         299

Suspicious Activity Investigations                     11                         140

Threat Investigation                                        2                            9

Traffic Accidents                                            11                          349

Traffic Related Investigations                          91                          873

Vehicle Lockouts                                             7                            101

Weapons Investigation                                     1                           9

Unclassified Calls for Assistance                       48                          434

_____                         _______

TOTAL CALLS FOR SERVICE                      535                          5588

ADMISSIONS INTO COUNTY JAIL                 25                            206

IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION ON AN ABOVE CRIME, OR ANY CRIME, CALL CRIME STOPPERS AT 637-8477 OR 1-800-657-6868.

John B. Spears, Sheriff

There has been a report of fraud in the Necedah Township. The victim told a Juneau County deputy that he had received a letter from the IRS, stating that someone had filed a tax return using his information. The victim contacted the IRS and it is looking into his case. According to the IRS, it has seen a significant increase in refund fraud that involves identity thieves who file false claims for refunds by stealing and using someone’s Social Security number. For more information, here is a complete list from the IRS to learn more about identity theft.

There has been a two vehicle accident in the city of Mauston. Last Thursday, 36-year-old Elizabeth Probyn of Grand Marsh was traveling south on Highway 58 and 46-year-old Joseph Fessy of Mauston was traveling north. According to the accident report, Probyn thought that Fessy was turning right onto Highway 82 and entered into the intersection, and struck Fessy’s vehicle. There was moderate damage to both vehicles, but police say that no one in either vehicle was injured. Probyn was cited for failing to yield right of way.

Two brothers from Mauston have been arrested and have been tentatively charged with disorderly conduct. Police say that on Sunday, 21 year-olds, Dylan and Dustin Belk, had been arguing and yelling at each other at a residence on the 800 block of Division Street. Both were arrested and transported to the Juneau County Jail. At court hearing yesterday, a $5,000 signature bond had been set for both men. Online court records show that they have also been tentatively charged with bail jumping. An initial appearance has been scheduled for later in April for both men.

(Mauston, WI) – March 18, 2014– USDA Juneau County Farm Service Agency (FSA) Executive Director, Jon Williams, encourages everyone to take a moment to appreciate the hard working farmers in Juneau County on March 25, National Ag Day. This year’s theme is “Agriculture:  365 Sunrises and 7 Billion Mouths to Feed.” USDA is proud to stand behind the producers who rise before dawn 365 days a year in order to put food on the table for 7 billion people. “We recognize the importance of agriculture and hope that the recent passage of a new Farm Bill is a sign that 2014 will be a ‘banner year for the industry,” said Williams. There is no better way to show our support for farmers than to begin implementing a new Farm Bill – legislation that will provide farmers  and consumers alike supportive results.” While the American economy is rebounding and gaining strength, the agricultural economy has remained strong and at its best. Looking ahead, the U.S. has seen a trend towards aging farmers; however, according to the recent Census of Agriculture, the nation is beginning to reverse that trend. There is an increase in the number of farmers under the age of 35. And although the agriculture industry promises a bright future, many farmers are still recovering from natural disasters that occurred this year, including the continuing drought. Fortunately, these producers were still able to grow the commodities that Americans rely on in order to remain a food-secure nation. Our farmers have also continued their legacy of protecting natural resources and environmentally sensitive land through the use of conservation programs. Please join FSA in celebrating America’s farmers – a selfless group of individuals who make up less than two percent of the world’s population. They feed our country and make our nation secure.  And, they supply quality foods to the rest of the world’s seven billion people. From the clothes we wear, the foods we eat, the fuel we burn and the agricultural byproducts we use daily, American agriculture adds to the quality of our lives. None of the contributions of U.S. farmers should be taken for granted, because no one can live without agriculture. Ag Day is a project of the Agriculture Council of America.  For further Ag Day information and events visit www.agday.org . For information on programs administered by FSA, please contact your local FSA office or visit us online at www.fsa.usda.gov .

Contributed by Jonathan B. Williams - Juneau County Executive Director

50^th District Assembly Representative, Ed Brooks, visited the WRJC Studios Tuesday morning. Brooks talked about bills that were being worked on and a bill that was about to be voted on in the Assembly: Academic standards and school accountability. With the proposed bill about academic standards, Brooks said confusion caused some dissension between the Legislature and the Department of Public Instruction. “DPI felt that politics were getting too involved in the academic part of things and the reality was what the Common Core bill called for was to have a panel or a committee of non-legislatures appointed by Superintendent Evers, some by the governor, some by the Speaker, some by the minority leader,” said Brooks. “So, it would have been stakeholders in the education field and would have covered all schools, whether it be public schools, charter school, or a voucher school.” Brooks said the bill requires more work to eliminate the confusion. He says the bill will be brought back to the Assembly next session. With the school accountability bill, Brooks says one criticism is that not all schools, that receive state funding, are evaluated in the same way and this bill would fix that. “People are going to set standards for the testing, to make sure these schools are teaching children; that if you’re a grade or two behind that you start to go the right direction,” said Brooks. “Currently, we have a colored system. It’s not A, B, or C, but it’s ‘exceeds expectations,’ ‘fails to meet expectations’, or ‘meets most of them’ that sort of thing. That standard would be in place for a couple more years, but then it would be replaced by a different scoring system.” Brooks says the scoring system is to make sure students are making progress in their learning. He is confident that the bill will pass the Assembly.

It was a busy night for the Mauston School Board at its meeting on Monday night. There was a lot of discussion regarding finances. The board went over the CESA 5 contract, which is an annual contract that requires constant review of the programs in it. Doctor Christine Weymouth said that the cost of the contract will be smaller from last year because there will be alterations made to this year’s contract. The board will vote on the CESA contract in April. There was also a look at the 2014-2015 budget. Right now, the budget is showing a nearly $300,000 deficit. Doctor Weymouth said this is just a preliminary review of the budget and there might be some reductions in full time positions at all schools. With the reductions, some retirements, and the CESA contract reconfiguration, Doctor Weymouth said they should be able to balance the budget reasonably well. The board will review the budget considerations before its next meeting in April. Also at the school board meeting, the board took action on several items relating to a policy update, Girls Ice Hockey Co-op WIAA Participation, the 2014 Summer School Program, and Support Staff Wages for 2013-2014. The board voted unanimously on revising Board Policy – Responsible Use of Technology and Internet Safety for Staff, which set forth guidelines for staff to the computer network or electronic networked information resources. They also approved the girls ice hockey co-op W-I-A-A, which will have no cost to the school, and they approved the 2014 Summer School Program. With the Support Staff wage increase, the board also agreed to a 28 cent an hour increase. According Business Manager and Transportation Director Julie Lankey-Smallwood, this increase was already budgeted for this year and it was the CPI for this year. The next school board meeting is April 21^stat 7:00pm.

There were two vehicle break-ins in the City of Elroy on Monday. According to the police reports, both vehicles had a broken front passenger side window. Police believe that a rock was used in both cases to break the windows. In one of the incidents, the victim’s mother saw a small male subject in baggy clothes break into her daughter’s vehicle. Both victims had their purse stolen from the vehicles, but one told the officers that she had three prescription pill bottles in her purse. In each case, the victims said that they didn’t know who would have done it. If anyone has any information regarding these cases, they are encouraged to contact the Juneau County Sheriff’s Office at (608) 847-5649 or the Elroy Police Department at (608) 462-2424.

A New Berlin man has been charged with OWI – 2nd Offense and Operating with a PAC – 2nd Offense. Last Thursday, in the Town of Seven Mile Creek, a state trooper pulled over 28-year-old Karol Lagoda for speeding and defective rear license plate lamps. When the trooper made contact with  Lagoda, he could smell an odor of intoxicants emitting from the vehicle. Lagoda also displayed multiple signs indicative of impairment due to alcohol. He admitted to the trooper he had been drinking. Lagoda failed the field sobriety tests and his preliminary breath test was .12. He was arrested and transported to the Juneau County Jail without incident.