BURNETT COUNTY
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2017 VOL. 55 NO. 39 www.burnettcountysentinel.com $1.00
STORM DAMAGE: See more photos of the Sunday morning aftermath. P14-15
Sunday thunderstorm sweeps Burnett County
BURNETT COUNTY—A powerful thunderstorm swept a path through Grantsburg and other areas of Burnett County while worshipers were in church Sunday morning, causing damage from lighting strikes and high winds while dumping two to five inches of rain. Some estimated the strongest but spotty winds at 60-80 mph.
Catholic Church, Grantsburg
STEVE BRIGGS | SENTINEL
The ragged stump of a tall 150-year-old pine was the only remaining evidence Monday afternoon beside Dr. Greg and Kathy Palmquist’s Grantsburg home after the village crew removed the tree that fell over onto Wedin Street on Sunday morning.
Coach Washburn in tune with his players BY SEAN DEVLIN EDITOR@BURNETTCOUNTYSENTINEL.COM
Webster—In April 2013, Jarrod Washburn was on the front page of the Sentinel’s sport section— he was about to begin his first season as head coach of the Webster Tigers baseball team. And let’s not forget, just a few years before that, he closed out a successful 12-year career in the majors. Now in his fifth year with the team, Washburn and his boys are headed to State. This is the first time in school history. “It was pure joy,” were Washburn’s feelings after the last out was made against Eau Claire Emmanuel Lutheran on Tuesday, June 6, a game the Tigers won 13-0. SEE WASHBURN, PAGE 17
Crash claims life near Grantsburg MEDIA RELEASE: BURNETT COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
BURNETT COUNTY—On Friday, June 9, at 5:43 p.m., the Burnett County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a single-vehicle crash on Tennessee Rd. near Benson Rd. in the Town of Grantsburg. Investigation of this crash indicates that a 2002 Chevy Blazer operated by Tyson Wiegman, 35, of Grantsburg was northbound on Tennessee Rd. when he apparently lost control while negotiating a curve, entered a ditch and overturned. Weigman was not wearing a safety belt and was partially ejected from the vehicle; he was pronounced dead at the scene by the Burnett County Medical Examiner. His passenger, Tonya Owens, 35, of Grantsburg was not injured. Alcohol is suspected to be a contributing factor in this crash. The Grantsburg Fire Department and North memorial Ambulance also responded to this incident. Investigation continues by the Burnett County Sheriff’s office.
At the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, the west-to-eastward wind lifted metal flashing off a roof joint and allowed water to “pour down into the nave as church was letting out,” said usher Pete Lauer. Parishioners gathered by the main doors, Lauer said, “watching the torrential downpour.” Water collected in the parking lot high enough to cause many to remove and carry their shoes while walking to their cars. Lauer said Monday afternoon the church office had contacted the church’s insurance company in hopes of getting an adjuster on the scene quickly, amid concerns of more rainfall. Dark clouds formed in the west late Monday afternoon. “We had pots, tubs, buckets spread out everywhere to catch as much falling water as we could,” Lauer said, “but the entryway carpet became soaked.” When Lauer and his family arrived at their home on Little Wood Lake Road southeast of Grantsburg, two downed trees blocked their driveway. Lauer was also saddened that the wind broke off two stout, healthy maples about eight inches in diameter in his back yard. While Lauer’s home gauge showed two inches of rainfall, amounts varied around the county and even within Grantsburg. The DNR Station on State Road 70 reported the official total of 3.31 inches. Just a few blocks north on Wisconsin Avenue, some rain gauges showed 4.5 inches. Two Grantsburg churches reported finishing worship by flashlight or candlelight after power outages.
Wisconsin Avenue, Grantsburg
The Wisconsin Avenue (Long Street) homes and yards of next-door neighbors Greg and Kathy Palmquist and Bill Java and Barb Swanson both had damage. The Palmquists lost a tall pine on the east side of their stately home. From the tree’s rings, they estimated it was 130 years old. Several more from their yard were lost six years ago in the July 1, 2011 straight-line wind storm. Next door to the east, Bill Java said the wind was
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