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FREE PRESS MESSENGER AMERY

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 2016 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 33,2,2222

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SPORTS: Granica sets school record in upset win of St. Croix Central. PAGE 26

Former Amery Fire Chief gets 30 years COUNTRY

BY JESSICA DE LA CRUZ EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM

It was an emotional two hours Monday afternoon, as family, colleagues, victims, and community members waited to hear the fate of one who many had once referred to as a “good family man,” Darryl Christensen. In the end, Judge Eugene Harrington’s thirty-year sentence was an ending much different than anyone had hoped for, including Christensen. “How did you come up with eight and a half years?” was the question Judge Eugene Har-

rington asked again and again, of both the defense, and the prosecution. In November, former Amery Fire Chief and Polk County Jailer, Darryl L. Christensen, 49, of Amery, admitted to having sexual intercourse with five female inmates while he was employed as a jailer, pleading guilty to five counts of Second Degree Sexual Assault by a Corrections Staff. Each count would be punishable by up to 40 years in prison, for a maximum sentence of up to 200 years. Prosecutor Robert Kaiser of the

Wisconsin Department of Justice, and defense attorney Aaron Nelson had reached the seemingly arbitrary 8 ½ year total sentence during that plea hearing. And that was their agreed-upon recTHURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 33, 2222 ommendation. VOL. 131 NO. 19 www.moraminn.com $1.00 Harrington opened the discussion saying that 8 ½ years total seemed, to him, “unduly depreciated” given the seriousness of the crimes. Suddenly it was difficult to determine the prosecution from the defense. Kaiser, in perhaps the JESSICA DE LA CRUZ|AMERY FREE PRESS more unusual position, spoke Darryl Christensen returns to the courtroom after a short re-

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cess. The former jailer was sentenced to 30 years on Monday.

Polk County Clerk, Register of Deeds to retire

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 33, 2222

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Candidates sought FREE for upcoming election

COUNTY ST FREE

ISANTI-CHISAGO

BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM

R

When it comes to announcing one’s retirement, few must give as much notice as Polk County Clerk Carole Wondra and Register of Deeds Laurie Anderson. With both of their terms ending Jan. 2, 2017, they’ve given voters – who will choose their successors in the November election – a year’s notice. They need plenty of time to get the word out so that their would-be replacements have time to fi le for candidacy. And since no one within their respective departments has expressed interest, the opportunity is wide open. The shoes of both women will be hard to fi ll. Before Jim Doyle, then-governor, appointed Anderson to her position in 2003, she’d been working in the county’s deed office for almost 20 years. She was elected to the position in 2004, but January marks her 32nd year with the county. Wondra was elected clerk in November 2008 and came to the position after five years spent working for Polk County Abstract Co. But she’d

JESSICA DE LA CRUZ|AMERY FREE PRESS

Commonly confused for migrating Tundra Swans, a pair of Trumpeters quietly make their way along an open flowage off County Road F near Lake Wapogasset. Once nearly extinct, Native Trumpeters have been seen locally in growing numbers thanks to statewide recovery efforts and open water that remains accessible.

Return of the Trumpeter

THE SUN BY JESSICA DE LA CRUZ EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM

The sight of regal, white birds swimming in open water has become a common occurrence in our area, especially during our recent mild weather. From Clear Lake and the Apple River to Lake

Wapogasset and beyond, spectacular flocks 20-30 or more have been reported. But what are they? Why here? And why now? Be careful what you call them. This is a ‘bird city’—after all. With our bird guide in hand, these definitely are not Snow Geese. And, although possible,

chances are you’re not looking at a Tundra Swan either. According to DNR sources, what we are seeing in large numbers is a bird that would have been quite foreign to any of us who grew up here—the Trumpeter Swan. According to retired DNR Bird

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