of Juneau County
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THE AWARD WINNING OFFICIAL LEGAL NEWSPAPER OF JUNEAU COUNTY
VOL 14, NO. 36
THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 2013
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Man survives plane crash near Wonewoc BY EVA MARIE WOYWOD One Illinois man was counting his blessing on April Fool's Day after his Cessna went down in a swamp area just outside of Wonewoc. According to information from the Juneau County Sheriff's Department, the Wonewoc Fire Department had to use a row boat to pull the pilot out. The pilot had been unable to get out on his own as water levels were too high. That pilot was 29 year old Seth Pripps of Rockford, Il. Pripps called into the Juneau County Communication Center around
12:45 p.m. Monday afternoon after his single engine plane developed engine trouble and crashed into a swamp area near Bottom Rd. The incident occurred right after a take off from the Wonewoc airfield. Pripps, who was uninjured from the crash, was in the process of a flight from Park Falls, Wisconsin to St. Louis, Missouri. The Juneau County Sheriff’s Office, the National Transportation Safety Board and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources are the authorities investigating the crash.
Man crashes stolen jeep, arrested BY EVA MARIE WOYWOD A 23 year old, Jeffrey Uptain of Mauston, was charged in Juneau County Circuit Court on Monday with operating motor vehicle without owner’s consent, OWI (3rd), operating while revoked, and ignition interlock device tampering for an incident that occurred over the weekend on Saturday, March 30. According to the criminal complaint, Uptain is accused of stealing a 2003 Jeep Liberty that had been parked in a driveway on West State Street in the City of Mauston. The keys had been inside the vehicle. The complaint goes on to say that Uptain then crashed the Jeep at the intersection of Highway 12/16 and County
Jeffrey Uptain Road B. Responding to the accident were the Juneau County Sheriff Department, Mauston Police and the Mauston Fire Department. Uptain was the only occupant in the vehicle and sustained head and neck injures. He was transported to the Mile Bluff Medical Center. At the time of the accident he had been out on bail for an OWI charge in Adams County. After being released from medical care he was transported to the Juneau County Jail. On Monday, April 1, he was placed on a $1,000 cash bond with the condition that he maintain absolute sobriety.
Tadder charged with bail jumping and threats using a computer An Altoona, Wisconsin man who made headlines earlier this year for an interference with custody charge and outstanding warrants has once again been charged in Juneau County Circuit Court. Thirty-five year old Kevin J. Tadder was charged last week with a felony bail jumping and a misdemeanor charge of threatening injury/harm via a computer message. According to the criminal complaint, on March 21 Juneau County Deputy Michael Sickenger was dispatched to the Town of Fountain for a harassment complaint. Upon arrival the deputy met with Stacia Torkelson who stated that she and her boyfriend, Chase Huffman, had received threatening messages from Kevin Tadder. The complaint goes on to state that Tadder had called Chase out stating that he wanted to "finish what he started two years ago.....This time I'll knock you out ....Brian's b**** a** won't save you either cause I'm going to f*** him up too....I got something for you B**** ....See you don't check your messages so I'll put this on your wife's then...finish what I did to you two years ago. We all know I choked you out face to face....I can knock you out like the b**** you are." At the time the alleged threats were made Tadder was out on bond for a January 23, 2013 charge of felony interference with custody, a charge that came into play when the mother of their young child alleged that Tadder had not turned over the child to her, and had willingly kept the child from her. In February a $2,500 cash bond was placed on Tadder after law enforcement tracked him down to a residence in Altoona. Tadder does have a criminal history which includes a 2002 felony child abuse conviction. According to the criminal complaint for that case Tadder was accused, along with a female relative of his, of beating a eleven year old female child. That child was related by marriage to the female relative of Tadder. The criminal complaint states the child showed up to school in January of 2002 with bruises covering her buttocks. The police responding to the school's call documented that "each buttock was almost completely cov-
Kevin Tadder ered with dark brown bruising and there was also a smaller bruise on her right back thigh just below the buttocks." The child claimed that Tadder had hit her numerous times with a wooden paddle that had the child's name on it. Furthermore, she stated he swung the paddle like a baseball bat while hitting her buttocks. The child stated the reason for the beating was that she had been picking on her little sister. At the time the complaint was filed Tadder was charged with three counts of felony child abuse. Two of those charges were dismissed and he plead no contest to the other. For the most recent charges Tadder is scheduled for a May 1, 2013 initial appearance. In the interference with child custody case against Tadder he is scheduled for a June 6, 2013 plea hearing.