BURNETT COUNTY
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2016 VOL. 54 NO. 17 www.burnettcountysentinel.com $1.00
ANIMAL ADVOCATE: Former volunteer baking all-natural dog treats. P2
‘It’s been a good year’ BY TODD BECKMANN SENTINEL
TODD BECKMANN | SENTINEL
Happy New Year Complete with noise-maker, Aminata Faye joined dozens of others at the Grantsburg Public Library Thursday for the “Countdown to Noon” celebration. More photos on Page 10.
SIREN—Burnett County Sheriff Ron Wilhelm has been in office for one year now and he took time last week to look back and reflect on the preceding 12 months. “My whole purpose of obtaining this office was to do a good job and make the department better, obviously, but I wanted to bring a peace and calming influence to this place,” Wilhelm reflected. Having lived through a lot of strife within the department over the past couple of years, that was number one on his list of goals. “I think we have accomplished that goal,” he stated. Better communication, both within the department and between agencies, creation of a Facebook page, continuing to try to curtail drunk driving, keeping officers safe and starting the initial investigation into creating a K-9 program are all on his list of successes for his first year in office. He also views improvements to the jail as a success. “The jail kitchen is completely revamped — stainless steel everything,” Wilhelm explained. “It’s a solid plus.” Tempering those successes are a challenge or two Wilhelm wasn’t expecting when he took office. “I knew nothing moves as fast as you’d like it to so learning how to work with the county board and the public safety committee, the committee which has jurisdiction over our department, has been a challenge — there’s a lot of red tape,” Wilhelm noted. “But they’ve all been great.” As a private sector businessman in a previous life, SEE WILHELM, PAGE 6
To Russia with love
‘Who’s J.J. Watt?’
BY STEVE BRIGGS SENTINEL
“The whole process started back in Aug gust,” Hoefs explained. “We thought it w would be nice to use the money to get pracWEBSTER—To say the Webster School ttice jerseys for the middle school football tteam —a way to give them an identity.” District is flush with cash would be extremely misleading but they do have an The process, which Hoefs completed onlline, went smoothly enough until he had extra $14,000 to spend on athletic gear tto submit a short essay on why the school thanks to a J.J. Watt Foundation grant c the district was awarded in December. could use the money. That prompted one board member, who “I thought they were looking for 1,000 w admitted she was a mother to a houseful words on why we need the grant,” Hoefs c of girls, ask “Who’s J.J. Watt?” continued. “So I started writing about our Scott Hoefs Watt, a defensive end who starred with sports programs and how they were lackthe Wisconsin Badgers before making a ing gear.” name for himself as a Houston Texan in Pretty soon the computer was no longer the National Football League, has given millions to registering his typing. schools in Wisconsin and Texas who can show a need. “It turns out they only wanted 1,000 characters, not News of the grant was shared by Scott Hoefs, Web- words — what a difference that made,” he lamented. ster’s Athletic Director, during December’s monthly SEE GRANT, PAGE 9 school board meeting.
GRANTSBURG—Grantsburg High School senior Delia Labatt will travel to Moscow, Russia later this month to attend a symposium for high school students on medicine. Labatt, who hopes to become a pediatrician, said the invitation to Russia resulted from a trip she and another GHS senior took last summer to China. Labatt and Audrey Lauer of Grantsburg were invited to the Ameson Chinese Elite program in Beijing last August to learn about China’s government and political systems. Students from France, England, Russia, the U.S. and other nations attended, plus about 300 Chinese students. While in Beijing, Labatt and Lauer met Marina Polovkova of Moscow. Polovkova is a high school SEE RUSSIA, PAGE 2
BY TODD BECKMANN SENTINEL
FIEDLER FIE IED DL LER ER FORD, FO OR RD D,, INC. IN NC C. C FIEDLER FORD, ORD, INC.
Fiedler Ford, Inc.
Welcome to 2016 at
Fiedler Fo!rd Countr y
Complete Ford Sales & Service
— The Quality And Service You’ve Come To Expect —
(715) 463-5367 • Downtown Grantsburg, WI
FIEDLER FORD, INC. FIEDLER FORD, INC. FIEDLER FORD, INC. FIEDLER FORD, INC. C. FIEDLER FIEDLER FI R FORD, FORD, INC. NEWS 715-463-2341 todd@burnettcountysentinel.com
ADVERTISING 715-463-2341 sales1@burnettcountysentinel.com
FIEDLER FIEDLE LE ER F FORD, ORD, IN INC.
FIEDLER FORD, INC.
FIEDLER FORD, INC. FIEDLER FORD, INC. FIEDLER FORD, INC. FIEDLER FORD, INC. C. FIEDLER FORD, FORD D, INC. IIN NC. C.
FIEDLER FIE ED DL LE ER R FORD, FO OR RD, INC. FIEDLER FIE IEDLER FORD, INC.
SUBSCRIPTIONS 715-463-2341 office@burnettcountysentinel.com
NEWS & ADVERTISING DEADLINE IS MONDAY AT NOON