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SPORTS: Amery wrestlers earn three conference titles. PAGE 9
School threat remains under investigation
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BY JESSICA DE LA CRUZ
THURSDAY, EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM SEPTEMBER 33, 2222
Serving Marine-on-St. Croix, Scandia, May Township
called it a day. We asked him to reflect on the previous twelve hours and the issue of snowplowing in general. “Yesterday we readied all the trucks, greased them, and got sanders ready and plows attached,” he said. “Last night was perfect. It ended at 2:00, we were here at 1:00 and got started, and
VOL. 131 NO. 19 www.moraminn.com $1.00 Local law enforcement continue to investigate a bomb threat that took place at Amery School District on Thursday morning, although Assistant Police Chief Joe Vierkandt says the incident did not origninate locally, and is related to two similiar incidents in Wauwatosa and West Allis. The threat prompted one of the district’s first off-site evacuations of all students and staff. The following message was sent to parents Thursday morning: “A phone call was received at approximately 8:55 a.m. indicating that a bomb had been planted in ‘the school’ and that students needed to be evacuated ‘in ten minutes.’ Law enforcement officers have deemed this to be a non-viable threat, but we are usTHURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 33, 2222an off-campus evacing this opportunity to conduct VOL. 131 NO. 19 to www.moraminn.com $1.00safe locations. Lien uation drill pre-determined and Intermediate students are being transported to Our Saviors Lutheran Church and Middle and High School students are going to the Amery Public Library. When the drill is complete, students will be returning to their classrooms. Everyone is safe, and in good hands.” The language used by the district, which Superintendent Kuchta apologized for later in the day, confused many families who were unclear if the evacuation was real or simply a drill. With much of the student population on cell phones, rumors circulated throughout social media and complicated an already challenging situation. Amery and Clear Lake Police, Amery Fire and
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JESSICA DE LA CRUZ|AMERY FREE PRESS
Amery’s public works crew poses next to the city’s newest grader, which appears to have earned its own reputation. Left to right are John Rodke, Adam Jackson, Duane Riley, Nick Waterman, Jeremy Wood, Allen ‘Bones’ McCarty, Chanz Green, and Josh Buhr.
Amery’s Mean Streets What our plow drivers want you to know BY JESSICA DE LA CRUZ EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM
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credit, digging out Amery went about as smooth as it could have, according to Assistant Public Works Directory, Chanz Green. Wednesday, February 3 was a snow day in Amery, although most of the city streets had been cleared by around 6 a.m. When we finally caught up with Chanz in the early afternoon, most of his crew had already
COUNTY ST
According to the Twin Cities National Weather Service, last week’s February 2-3 snowfall was the fi fth largest February snowfall on record in the Twin Cities. Amery received a modest seven inches from that event. To our street department’s
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In AmTec’s war on hunger, every penny counts BY JESSICA DE LA CRUZ EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM
Each team gets a clear jar and a black jar. Pennies count for positive and go in the clear jar. But any other denomination, including paper money, goes in the black jar, and counts negative against the opposing team. “What happens is the employees get really competitive,” says Osero. “And you never know what’s in that black jar.” The competition runs for about a month. The winning team re-
ceives a bonus four hours of vacation time, and the losing team will get two hours. But they all win, and so does Amery Food Pantry. With matched funds from AmTec, this year’s ‘penny wars’ netted $1144.94 for the local food shelf. And they had a really good time doing it. By a wide margin, this year’s winner was team one, with a negative 28 cents.
THE SUN For the third year in a row, the 33 employees of Amery Technical Products have gotten competitive for a good cause. “When I forget about it, I’ll have employees say ‘When are we putting those penny jars out?,’” says AmTec’s Steve Osero. Names are drawn to divide AmTec employees into two teams.
Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897
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Amery Food Pantry’s Shirley Klopotek (left) receives $1144.94 from Nancy Sigsworth and Steve Osero on hehalf of AmTec. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 33, 2222
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