BURNETT COUNTY
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2016 VOL. 54 NO. 21 www.burnettcountysentinel.com $1.00
VOTER IDENTIFICATION: The A, B, C’s of the new law effective this year. P2
Alleged embezzlement at Grantsburg church
GRANTSBURG—A former employee of Bethany Lutheran Church near Grantsburg is under investigation for allegedly embezzling aout $50,000. “I can’t comment because it is an on-going case,” Ron Wilhelm, Burnett County Sheriff, explained Monday morning. “It is a complex case. It’s about all our investigator, Jameson Wiltrout, has been working on for the last week.” Bethany Lutheran Church Pastor Jay Ticknor also declined comment for the same reason. The Sentinel will publish more as details become known. By Todd Beckmann, Sentinel
TODD BECKMANN | SENTINEL
More than just fishing This group shoveled a clearing on Burlingame Lake Saturday and good times were had by all as a game of pond hockey broke out. Oh yes, there was an ice fishing contest as well — more photos on Page X.
League of Women Voters returns BY STEVE BRIGGS SENTINEL
Playing B-I-N-G-O for cancer BY TODD BECKMANN SENTINEL
GR A N T S BU RG — It ’s not like the old days, when 60 people played bingo for baskets during a local cancer fundraiser. Last year, more than 250 people vied for those same baskets — the odds of winning have increased. It’s a good problem to have and exactly the dilemma the Hope for a Cure Longaberger Basket Bingo organizers have when they kick off their 10th annual event on Feb. 28. “After expenses, we raised about $900 our first year, back
Priscilla Bauer and Sandy Eng
in 2007, and it’s increased about $1,000 each year. Last year we raised about $10,000,” Sandy Eng,
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H Hope for a Cure organizer p pointed out. Some participants in the B Burnett County Relay for L Life were looking for an a alternate way to give, and b basket bingo was born. “Terry Giles, a friend o of mine, talked about the L Longaberger Basket and ttheir efforts with cancer rresearch,” Eng recalled. To date, Longaberger h has donated roughly $16 m million to the cause. “We could do a bingo session, give away a Longaberger basket, which are handmade, signed and dat-
ST. CROIX FALLS–Fifteen women and two men from Burnett and Polk counties met Thursday to form the League of Women Voters of Upper St. Croix Valley (LWV), a non-partisan group that encourages voting and active participation in all levels of government. Both men and women may join LWV. LWV was founded in 1920, only months after the Suffrage movement won women the right to vote. Wisconsin LWV Executive Director Andrea Kaminski of Madison was special guest and speaker. “Among our principles, we believe democracy is not a spectator sport,” Kaminski said. “Democracy is dependent on active and informed participation in government. The responsibility of good government rests on the shoulders of its citizens. Citizenship requires knowledge as well as the ability and the will to act. These are the missions of the League.” The Polk/Burnett group’s first action was to form four Voter Task Force Committees in four areas of the two counties. The goal is to help residents register to vote, and to prepare them to arrive at their polls with proper photo ID so they will be able to cast a ballot. The task force chairs and areas are: Merry Vinette of the Osceola/SCF area; Pam Davis of the Grantsburg
SEE BINGO, PAGE 7
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SEE LEAGUE, PAGE 6
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