BURNETT COUNTY
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016 VOL. 55 NO. 4 www.burnettcountysentinel.com $1.00
ELECTION GUIDE: First of a 3-part series — this week, federal races. P8-9
Captured! BY TODD BECKMANN SENTINEL
Once nominated, Anderson, who has been a band teacher for 30 years, had to submit what she has achieved in the classroom as well as in the community, plus submit three letters of recommendation as part of her application.
SIREN—Captured! With that one word, the residents in the Grantsburg area could take a collective sigh of relief Wednesday night as burglary suspect Earl Baker was apprehended and jailed. “The end for Mr. Baker came when he crashed his vehicle following a high-speed chase last night,” Sheriff Ron Wilhelm explained to members of Burnett County’s Public Safety Committee Thursday morning. “A deputy had hidden a stop stick in a driveway covered with leaves — Baker ran over it and had four flat tires.” He still tried to avoid arrest. “Despite the flat tires, he tried to elude officers and led them on a high speed chase,” the sheriff continued. “At one point, one of his tires just shredded to nothing.” He ended up crashing into a ditch. “One of our law enforcement personnel took him down,” Wilhelm pointed out. “He was armed — he had bragged about not going Earl Baker easily when he was arrested.” Baker had been on the law enforcement radar for a long time for several thefts and burglaries in and around the Grantsburg area, but the situation really came to a head last month after Baker allegedly stole a skidsteer. “When our deputies were inventorying his residence, they discovered three vehicles, a couple of ATVs and 78 other items which had been reported as stolen,” Wilhelm indicated. He said he posted news of the capture on the Sheriff Department’s Facebook page and was inundated with responses. “I got a lot of replies along the lines of ‘Hey, now I can sleep at night knowing Baker is in jail,’” Wilhelm shared. The sheriff said Baker is a prime example of what happens when people get addicted to methamphetamine. “A case like this is where a sniff dog (K-9) would have been a big help,” Wilhelm explained. He said his department has been working on getting a K-9 and hopes to have a dog in place in 2017. “If we’re spending the money, why not get a drug dog and a bite dog?” committee member Don Taylor questioned. That argument made sense to Wilhelm. “We’d only be getting half a dog otherwise,” he agreed. Taylor said federal drug forfeiture funds the county has received could be used for narcotics enforcement. “We have already received about $11,000 in donations, so we’ll use that donation money first and then dip into those forfeiture funds if we have to.” Wilhelm went on to say the department has already
SEE BAND, PAGE 7
SEE BAKER, PAGE 6
GOOB COY| SENTINEL
Pilot-in-training Kids took to the pedal planes which were part of the inaugural fly-in on Saturday at Grantsburg Municipal Airport. More photos on Page 16.
Addressing meth concerns BY TODD BECKMANN SENTINEL
GRANTSBURG—There’s no doubt the words of a former methamphetamine addict had the biggest impact on the audience during a meth town hall event at Grantsburg High School last week.
The standing ovation when he was done speaking was proof of that, but his words carried a lot of weight. “Trying it (meth) was the worst decision I’ve ever made,” Scott Kobs told those assembled. “Out of the last 12 years, 10 of them I’ve spent behind bars.” He said the drug took every-
thing from him — friends, family, job and health. “I especially missed watching my kids grow up — that was tough,” he admitted. He talked of his house being raided, not once but twice, because of his addiction. SEE METH, PAGE 10
Strike up the band for Bryn Anderson BY TODD BECKMANN SENTINEL
SIREN—In a word, it was a humbling experience. That was Bryn Anderson’s reaction to being nominated for, and ultimately winning, a Herb Kohl Fellowship Award. “That there is somebody out
there thinking your teaching is worthy of recognition — it’s flattering,” the Siren High School band teacher remarked. “It’s very nice to be recognized.” Anderson was a Kohl recipient earlier this year — an honor for educators who are making a difference, both in the classroom and in their community.
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