BURNETT COUNTY
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 VOL. 54 NO. 1 www.burnettcountysentinel.com $1.00
RASPBERRIES: New pest threatens soft-skinned fruit crop. P2
Bus driver arrested for OWI
LUCK—A Siren bus driver has been arrested for operating while intoxicated after a concerned citizen called in a complaint last Tuesday. According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, a caller stated a bus driver that had just been observed walking out of a tavern in the Village of Luck exhibiting signs of intoxication and then getting into a school bus and driving away. The witness also added that the bus struck the curb as it drove away. A Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy did locate the bus in the Luck High School parking lot.
The deputy made contact with the lone occupant of the vehicle who was asleep in the driver’s seat of the bus. The driver was awakened and identified as Jeramia J. Marek, 39, Danbury. Marek denied consuming alcohol, but an odor of intoxicants was detected by the deputy. When field tests were administered, Marek was unable to successfully complete them and was subsequently placed under arrest. SEE BUS, PAGE 6
Jeramia Marek
Recreational drugs found in Siren SIREN—”Is there a drug problem in Siren?” It was a question Dave Alden, village president, posed to police chief Chris Sybers after the latter opened his monthly report during the Siren Village Board meeting Thursday afternoon by displaying a bag of marijuana and a bag
of methamphetamine found within the village in the past few months. “I wouldn’t say we have a drug problem — let’s call it a ‘drug-issue,’” Sybers replied. “It has not gone away — it’s probably not going to go away.” Rather than the bags being inconspicuously ‘dropped’ as a
means of trafficking the drugs, Sybers believed it was just a matter of the bags inadvertently falling out of the owners’ pocket. The street value of the found drugs was placed at a couple hundred dollars. SEE DRUGS, PAGE 7
Rod joins staff as intern GR ANTSBU RG — Grantsburg High School senior Meg Rod has joined the staff of the Burnett County Sentinel as an intern for fall semester. “It’s a passion of mine,” Rod said about the chance to write for a professional publication. “I love to write.” While she hasn’t been published, she’s no stranger to the written word. “I’ve written a few articles for the school newsletter,” she explained. “Plus, in my classes I’ve written short stories and poems. I’ve had my teachers tell me I’m good at essays too.” Not that Rod will be writing any essays for the paper. She’ll be writing on a wide variety of assignments — from interesting people and their accomplishments, new businesses in town, and whatever else we find for her. She’ll dabble a bit with InDe-
Meg Rod
sign, the software the newspaper uses when designing pages to send to the printer. We’ll also give her a camera and send her on photo-assignments. She only started Monday and she has already been on the phone setting up interviews
for upcoming stories. She’s looking forward to her four months at the Sentinel. “I want to pursue something writing-related in college,” she reasoned. “I think it will help that I have taken it upon myself to do this internship and to learn about the everyday life of a newspaper.” Rod is considering continuing her education at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities but has also looked at the College of St. Thomas. And to answer any lingering questions, yes, chances are you read the same headline about a year and a half ago and no, it isn’t a typo. That’s because Meg’s older sister, Kate, interned with the Sentinel back in the spring of 2014. By Todd Beckmann, Sentinel.
GLEN SKIFSTAD | SENTINEL
Who, me? Morgan Meyer gives a little brown chicken some love at the petting zoo during the annual fall festival at Trade River Evangelical Free Church on Saturday. More photos on Page 12.
Sesquicentennial means 150 GRANTSBURG— Plans to celebrate Grantsburg’s Sesquicentennial – its 150th birthday, will coincide with the Grantsburg Chamber of Commerce’s 7th annual fall festival, Grantoberfest. Sesquicentennial celebration events on Saturday include a historical transportation display, the Blueberry Special 5K/10K (starting at 8 a.m.), a vintage photo booth, a medallion hunt, burying a time capsule, a Legislative Proclamation by Senator Sheila Harsdorf (at 2:30
p.m.), as well as displays by local businesses and organizations showing the history of their businesses/industry. On Sunday, September 20, you can watch a vintage baseball game at 1 p.m. at the Grantsburg School’s JV field (free admission with free-will donation). Help Grantsburg celebrate its 150-year heritage. The event will be held at the Grantsburg fairgrounds on Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and is free to attend.
Amery | Clear Lake | Luck | Turtle Lake
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