BURNETT COUNTY
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2016 VOL. 54 NO. 47 www.burnettcountysentinel.com $1.00
WEBSTER CENTENNIAL: Celebrate the history of Webster. INSIDE
Braham man held in Siren shooting BY STEVE BRIGGS BURNETT COUNTY SENTINEL
SIREN—A Braham, Minn., man is being held in Burnett County Government Center Jail following a shooting in Siren. A 35-year-old male was shot once in the upper left thigh at about 5:15 p.m. Sunday, July 17 at his home in Siren. The police report alleges Jack Garcia, 42, of Braham threatened the victim and girlfriend, pointing his pistol at both the victim and girlfriend’s heads before firing one shot into the victim’s thigh. Garcia then left the scene. Responding to a 911 call from the residence, Burnett County deputies provided first aid for the victim until a North Memorial ambulance took him to Burnett County Airport, where he was transported by medevac helicopter to North Memorial Hospital in the Twin Cities. The victim described the shooter’s clothing for police and said he recognized the shooter, but didn’t know his name. The report says Garcia allegedly entered the home through a sliding door and confronted victim and girlfriend, claiming the victim had stolen items from Garcia’s cousin. The victim denied the theft. The police report says after the shooting, Garcia took property from the victim’s home and departed, driving a red Cadillac. A manhunt ensued, involving Siren and Webster Police, St. Croix Tribal Police, Burnett County Sheriff’s Department and Wisconsin State Patrol. St. Croix Tribal Police Officer Cliff Casady provided a license plate number and description for the red Cadillac and driver’s license information for Garcia, as Casady had conducted a traffic stop on the driver earlier that afternoon. Within an hour of the shooting, Webster Police spotted the red Cadillac parked near a Webster residence. As police arrived, they saw a vehicle with female driver leaving the scene. The police report states they later learned the female driver had learned of the shooting, driven to Webster and picked up Garcia on a nearby street. Garcia allegedly laid down in the back seat of the car, out of sight, and left the scene undetected. The report states this driver took Garcia to Clam Dam and dropped him off. There he allegedly attempted to steal a bicycle, but the tires were flat, so he then took another bicycle and was riding away from the dam when apprehended by Burnett County Sheriff’s Detective Jameson Wiltrout. Authorities obtained search warrants for the Webster home and Garcia’s Cadillac. Charges against Garcia submitted to the District Attorney’s office by Siren Police Department include aggravated assault, aggravated battery with intent of great bodily harm and injury by negligent use of a weapon, as well as with failure to appear on an outstanding warrant, theft of items from the shooting victim and a felon in unlawful possession of a firearm.
MIKE HOEFS | COUNTY HWY COMMISSIONER
Culvert failure on County Road T in northern Burnett County. Old pipes with deterioration allowed water to scour soils around the pipes, creating voids under the roads, and in some instances, allowing the road to collapse. Burnett County Highway Department staff assessed the situation and made the appropriate repairs that same day. Pictured are Corey Laqua (left) and Jeremy Burton (right).
Burnett townships await rain-repair aid $450,000 estimated damage to county’s culverts, roads SIREN—Town Board officials throughout Burnett County are awaiting word from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) whether they will receive federal aid to help repair their
rain-damaged roads and culverts. On July 12, the county sustained about 50 road washouts after what the National Weather Service (NWS) website termed “a thousand-year flood.” The towns hope to hear from FEMA by mid-August whether they qualify for federal repair aid. Burnett County Highway Com-
missioner Mike Hoefs and County Emergency Management Director Rhonda Reynolds spoke to the town board officials Thursday evening at Burnett County Towns Association meeting. Hoefs told them it is “very likely” the money will come through. SEE REPAIR, PAGE 2
Unique playground takes shape alongside Webster Dog Park BY STEVE BRIGGS BURNETT COUNTY SENTINEL
WEBSTER—A project more than two years in the making became a reality Friday afternoon as an unusual playground was assembled adjacent to the Webster Dog Park. It’s official name is “DSI Accessible Playground.” The playground equipment is accessible to people in wheelchairs. Hard-surface paths of asphalt and concrete will allow wheelchair users to roll up to a hand cycler or a dirt scooper and play like anyone else. They will be able to transfer from their wheelchair to a “saddle spinner” and experience the joy of twirling to dizziness. They can wheel up a wood ramp to join able-bodied people on the “Sway Fun®,” a giant glider (tee-
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ter-totter) that holds up to eight people at once, swinging up and down and back and forth. The playground meets all handicap-accessibility and safety requirements set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Wheelchair users will have access to two types of swings. One lets them roll their chair onto a platform and start swinging. The other lets them transfer to a green chair big enough to hold an adult. That’s the point of this playground – it’s meant for adults as well as kids – adults and kids with physical challenges playing right along with everyone else. Some work remains before the playground has its grand opening at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 24.
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STEVE BRIGGS | SENTINEL
DSI Director Joe Wacek and another volunteer work to assemble the Sway Fun glider at the new playground.
SEE PLAYGROUND, PAGE 6
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