BURNETT COUNTY
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2018 VOL. 56 NO. 46 www.burnettcountysentinel.com $1.00
SUICIDE PREVENTION WEEK: Takes tens of thousands of lives, affects thousands more. P32
Siren police buying new body cameras JONATHAN RICHIE EDITOR@BURNETTCOUNTYSENTINEL.COM
SHANNON WEBSTER
Siren band makes trip to Camp Randall Far left Cameron Decorah Front row from left: standing Adam Ruud, Mo Richter, Daniel Rognrud,Lucas Stiemann, Bryn Anderson, Emma Aubert, Stephanie Gerhardson, Ashley Gerhardson.Back row from left: North Hinze, Trevor Stanford, Jordan Webster, Brady Kosloski, Zayden Anderson, Jalynn Nelson, Zack Doriott, Russell Cook Jr. More photos from trip on page 16.
Public Safety focuses on enhancing services LINDA LUHMAN SENTINEL STAFF
GOVERNMENT CENTER—On Thursday, Sept. 6, the Public Safety Committee heard reports on several advancements designed to enhance current operations. Child Support Department Manager Shelly Hatch reported to the board that texting software was implemented to enhance communications with clients. Hatch anticipates the office will also be able to use the software to deliver canned blast messages out to contacts, saving the time it takes for staff to call each person in a list. “Everyone has cell phones now. But when we call SEE PUBLIC SAFETY, PAGE 2
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SIREN–– The Siren Police Department has accepted a check from Karlee Sybers that will allow the department to purchase new body camera’s for the officers. She raised the $400 from a car wash held over the summer in Siren. Sybers, of the National Honor Society at Siren High School, told the board about the car wash and explained that it was “a huge success in giving back to the community.” She then presented the check to her father, Chief of Police Chris Sybers. He said that the department currently has body cameras that are six or seven years old. Sybers stuck around at the meeting to give his police report which centered around a flower thief that has allegedly been going around and stealing flower baskets from the village. Two flower baskets were stolen in the last few weeks. The baskets cost about $60 each. Village President Dave Alden said charges SEE VILLAGE BOARD, PAGE 2
Thomas found guilty in McKenzie Landing slashing case JONATHAN RICHIE EDITOR@BURNETTCOUNTYSENTINEL.COM
BURNETT COUNTY–– Allen G. Thomas, Pepin, 55, was found guilty on both charges of aggravated battery with the intent of causing great bodily harm. He will be sentenced in November and faces up to 30 years in prison and $100,000 in fines. The two victims were sitting in the front row in the courtroom when Washburn County Circuit Judge Eugene Harrington stated he was finding Thomas guilty of slashing their throats outside of McKenzie Landing Bar and Restaurant in the Town of Scott in July 2016.
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Thomas claimed on the first day of the trial that he had been involuntarily drugged while at the bar by a “punk rocker with dreadlocks”. He said that when he was allegedly drugged he had a flashback and thought he heard the victims speaking Russian. ThomAllen Thomas as served in the military during the Cold War and was a scout on the German-Czechoslovakian border. After slashing the two men’s
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throats, Thomas fled the scene and went home to Pepin to drink himself to sleep. Judge Harrington said Thomas’ job in the military would have been to observe, report and defend the border. By fleeing the scene, Thomas was not showing the attitude of a soldier. Harrington added that he spent the previous night trying to come up with some kind of reason for why Thomas would commit this crime and admitted that he hadn’t come up with any reason. After Harrington said Thomas was guilty, he ordered a SEE THOMAS, PAGE 2
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