BURNETT COUNTY
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2018 VOL. 56 NO. 47 www.burnettcountysentinel.com $1.00
SHERIFF’S OFFICE : Body found at Crex Meadows last week. P6
Trial of man suspected of killing infant scheduled for next year JONATHAN RICHIE EDITOR@BURNETTCOUNTYSENTINEL.COM
BURNETT COUNTY–– The five-day jury trial of Jesse Paul Marek, 36, Frederic, is scheduled to begin April 29, 2019. Marek is facing one count of child abuse – intentionally causing great bodily harm, a class C felony, in the case of his 10-week old child’s death in 2016. If convicted, Marek faces 40 years in prison and up to $100,000 in fines. The judge for the case will be Judge Eugene Harrington of Washburn County. Samantha N. Stoeklen was also initially charged with child abuse –
intentionally cause great bodily harm, but those charges were dropped last November. The charges are based on a detailed autopsy report from the Ramsey County Medical Examiner’s Office, stating that the infant suffered many injuries including multiple fracJesse Marek tures of the ribs which most likely occurred from multiple events of trauma-—forceful squeezing and shaking. Marek told the authorities that, at
around 8:30 a.m. he found the infant limp, unresponsive and barely breathing. He then informed authorities that he performed three or four chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth CPR. He then rushed the infant to the Burnett County Medical Center. The infant then was transferred to St. Paul’s Children Hospital where he was pronounced deceased. The report reveals that the infant could have suffered 3-5 instances of trauma within the first three weeks of life. The report states, “None of the rib fractures appear old enough to be in any way associated with his birth.”
According to the criminal complaint, on or about Jan. 15. 2016, Marek told authorities that, at one point, the infant rolled off the couch. Despite being informed that 10-week-old babies do not roll, he insisted the infant rolled off the couch. He then admitted to having a “temper.” Stoeklen stated that the injuries could have been accidental and did not elaborate further. Online court records indicate Marek is currently out on a $5,000 signature bond. Judge Harrington will preside over a final pre-trial on April 1, 2019.
RHS’s hospice nurse Jan Hunter hangs up her cap LINDA LUHMAN SENTINEL STAFF
JONATHAN RICHIE | SENTINEL
Beer-drinkers enjoying the sun and their drinks on the patio outside of Brickfield Brewing, Grantsburg’s brand new micro-brewery.
Brickfield Brewing has successful opening weekend JONATHAN RICHIE EDITOR@BURNETTCOUNTYSENTINEL.COM
Thanks to Ben and Nicki Peterson, Grantsburg now has a micro-brewery. They serve their own beers and right now, they have got a milk stout, pale ale, saison and a kölsch on tap. You can try all the varieties with a tasting flight, grab a regular pint or
even take-home a 64-ounce growler. The building used to be the property of the Lion’s Club and before that, a creamery. The Petersons gutted and remodeled the inside over the winter and spring. Then in July, they hired head brewer, Matt Garcia, who used to work in Nevada at Alibi Ale Works. Brickfield Brewing held a soft-opening on Wednesday night for Grants-
burg Revitalization Operation (GRO) members. They officially opened on Thursday and Nicki said they had a great opening day. She also said the community has been very welcoming and supportive through their first weekend. “We were thinking of ways to SEE BREWERY, PAGE 7
SIREN—At her retirement gathering on Sept. 13, friends and coworkers celebrated Jan Hunter’s 20 years as a hospice nurse for Regional Hospice Services(RHS). During her time with RHS, it is estimated that she made roughly 10,000 home visits to patients. In addition to the cake, attendees were treated to stories of over a half-century of nursing. Hunter graduated from Abbott Northwestern Hospital School of Nursing in 1963, at a time when nursing students had to hide being married “and you did not get pregnant!” As Hunter recalled how the medical field was run in those days, her younger cohorts let out gasps of surprise. Bygone practices like washing glass syringes, standing up when doctors entered the room, and wearing the full nurse’s uniform SEE NURSE, PAGE 2
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