BURNETT COUNTY
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2018 VOL. 56 NO. 12 www.burnettcountysentinel.com $1.00
SPECIAL ELECTION: See the results of the 10th District State Senate race. P2
K-9 unit visits Webster students JONATHAN RICHIE EDITOR@BURNETTCOUNTYSENTINEL.COM
WEBSTER––Tracker, the Burnett County Sheriff’s department K-9 unit went to meet with Webster 5th graders earlier this month and they finished their drug and alcohol prevention program. “This prevention program is sponsored by the BC Department of Health and Human Services,” said Restorative Justice program coordinator, Tammy Hopke. “This is the second year that DHHS has partnered with law enforcement and gone into the schools to work with 5th graders.” Hopke said the programs goes on for six weeks and is done at all three schools in the county. Students are presented with the facts about drugs and alcohol. She added they do not
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Sheriff ’s Deputy Olson explains to students how Tracker finds drugs in tight spaces.
use scare tactics, but present the students with facts and provide information on how to make good choices.
“You would not believe the number of our 5th graders who have had their lives affected by someone in their families
addicted to meth. It is heartbreaking,” Hopke said. She said on the last day of class Tracker and Sheriff’s Deputy Olson come to the school for a question and answer session. Olson also explains to the students how Tracker is used to find drugs. Lisa Slater of the Burnett County Law Enforcement Citizens Auxiliary said the kNOw METH program of Burnett County was very helpful with the program. “The HHS department and county board feel strongly that prevention is the key to keep our youth away from drugs and alcohol,” Hopke said. The students were also given the opportunity to wear “beer goggles” that simulate the affects of alcohol and then we’re given a kind of field sobriety test.
SIREN–– Siren police chief says theft and property to damage are up Siren Chief of Police Chris Sybers made his annual report to the village board last week. His main point was that the department was busy, but they are getting a lot done and not just letting it all pile up. “Thefts and burglaries went up 47 in one year, in 2016 we had 37 cases and in 2017 we had 84,” Sybers said. “Those cases take a lot of time. We investigate for weeks just trying to find the stolen property. We look at the internet and local pawn shops and it just takes time.” He was optimistic about all the property they had found. Of the $34,925 worth of stolen property, they recovered $23,901.
“The good news is, we’re finding a large amount of the stolen property, but it’s still a lot of work and hours,” Sybers said. Sybers also reiterated what he has said all year – cases are up, along with arrests and destruction of property. “Last year we had 17 cases in January,” Sybers said. “This year we already have 25 cases and it’s only the 11th of the month.” Sybers said that from 2016 to 2017 case numbers went up by 203, service calls went up by 182, citizen contacts went up by 1,663. He added that domestic incidents went from 3 in 2016 to 10 in 2017. Disorderly conducts doubled from 9 in 2016 to 18 in 2017. DSI Village President Dave Alden is sending a letter to Gov. Scott Walker and WHEDA Chief Operation
NEWS 715-463-2341 editor@burnettcountysentinel.com
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Webster students tried on “beer goggles” to learn and feel what being intoxicated is like.
County exploring options for campground
Siren police chief says theft and damage to property are up JONATHAN RICHIE EDITOR@BURNETTCOUNTYSENTINEL.COM
More information on Tracker can be found on the Burnett County Law Enforcement Citizens Auxiliary Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ Burnett-County-Law-Enforcement-Citizens-Auxiliary-1433342846903204/.
Officer, Brad Schimming about closing Diversified Services Inc. (DSI) in Siren. “DSI will be losing all their staff in a year’s time,” Alden said. “Of their 44 employees, 22 are handicapped.” Alden read the letter that expressed that this facility is highly effective and should remain active in Siren. “This letter states the facility, that is much needed, should stay open after January of 2019,” Alden said.
JONATHAN RICHIE EDITOR@BURNETTCOUNTYSENTINEL.COM
GOVERNMENT CENTER––At the natural resources committee meeting on Thursday Mike Kornmann, UWEX Community Development Educator gave his report on campground trends and conditions throughout the county.
Zoning lot discussion The board continued their discussion of changing the zoning of two lots on Third Avenue between County Road B and Bacon Street from commercial to single-family residential.
Existing county campgrounds Kornmann explained there are about 600 campground sites throughout the county, with only 100 being short-term sites for daily or weekly rental. The remaining sites are for seasonal use, typically open from May 1 – Oct. 15. He brought up Governor Knowles campground in Grantsburg, the Bashaw Lake resort in Eastern Burnett County, Voyager Campground in the Webster area and Eagles Landing in Danbury. “These are private short-term rentals in the county,” Kornmann said. The average rate is $30 -$35 for a typical hookup per night. That cost includes water,
SEE ZONING LOT, PAGE 2
SEE CAMPGROUND, PAGE 2
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