of Juneau County
The Messenger HILLSBORO’S SECOND ANNUAL LADIES’ NIGHT OUT VOL 15, NO. 39
LOOK INSIDE FOR YOUR LOCAL NEWS:
Elroy: Page 6 Mauston: Page 4 County: Page 3
New Lisbon: Page 7 Wonewoc: Page 12 Hillsboro: Page 8
Classifieds: Page 13 Legals: Pages 14–16
THE AWARD WINNING OFFICIAL LEGAL NEWSPAPER OF JUNEAU COUNTY
Mauston takes steps for referendum BY EVA MARIE WOYWOD Years of budget cuts, aging buildings, and no surge of student enrollment on the horizon has left the Mauston School Board with few options on how to juggle resources while maintaining operating costs within a viable budget. Monday evening the board met with district administrators and representatives from Bray Architects for yet another workshop where the focus was a proposed plan on how to make the most of what they have with the district's buildings. As reported in prior issues of The Messenger, Bray Architects have conducted a building configuration study providing board members with options on looking to the future and how best to utilize district buildings. Those options vary but one consistent theme is the closing or re-purpose of West Side Elementary and Lyndon Station Elementary. The price of re-configuring where students and classrooms would be placed along with capital improvement projects comes at a cost that hovers around $10 million. Bray Architects stated that after speaking to a financial consultant from Baird and Associates the cost of doing business could be financed through a 20 year bond while it may raise the MIL rate for debt in the first five years, tax payers would see a drop come the 2020-2021 school year when other bond debt has been paid off. The increase property owners would see those first five years of the bond would be approximately $1.37 per $1,000 of accessed value. However, for the district to move forward with such a plan they will need the support from the community via a referendum, and board members Monday evening agreed to start the process for a referendum to go to voters this upcoming November during the gubernatorial elections. The re-configuration option being looked at would significantly change where grades will be housed starting with the 2015-2016 school year. West Side Elementary, which currently has a yearly operating cost of $255,538, would be closed. Closing the school would mean side stepping nearly $1.3 million dollars in operating upgrades over the next 10 years. Grayside Elementary would house the Early Childhood/Pre-K through 2nd Grade. Olson Middle School would become a 3rd through 6th grade building, and the high school would house 7th through 12th. One upper level wing on the north end of the high school would house the 7th and 8th grade classrooms, with the science classes for those grades being in the lower level of that wing. As for Lyndon Station Elementary and the status of the building, the plan calls for it to either be closed or re-purposed. Currently the district has an application submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for a charter school planning grant. If the application is approved and funds are granted the district would receive $150,000 each year for three years. The first year the money would be used for the planning process of a charter school housed at the Lyndon Station Elementary School. The following years, the money would be for the implementation of that charter school starting with the 2015/16 school year. The charter school would be based off of a Montessori model, being that it would be project based with structure. If implemented the first two years it would offer two classes, one for 4 to 6 year old students, and another for 6 to 9 years old students. In the third year they hope to include a class for 9 to 12 year old students. While all board members present for the Monday evening workshop expressed a need for change, many also expressed frustration. Board member Lynda Vinopal stated, "I am very frustrated. This makes me very nervous. I worry the buildings will be maxed out and there will be no room for growth. Whatever we do we better do it right." The district plans on implementing an awareness campaign to get information out to voters. Over the next few months board members will be meeting with Bray Architects for workshops at least twice a month with the next meeting/workshop scheduled for June 2nd at the district office.
THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014
$1.00
An emotional courtroom hears sentencing for Pierce BY EVA MARIE WOYWOD If the hands of time could be changed Terry and Ann Kruger of Mauston would be preparing for their daughter, Laura Kruger, to graduate from the UWStout. This was not the case as Tuesday morning they, along with family and friends, filled a court room at the Juneau County Justice Center for a reason that was anything but a celebration. The long awaited sentencing hearing for Justin R. Pierce of Arkdale was taking place. The crimes in which Pierce was convicted of resulted in the 2011 death of Laura Kruger. Pierce had plead no contest to homicide by use of a vehicle while driving with a prohibited blood alcohol level, and second degree reckless homicide for an accident caused by a deadly combination of drinking while driving and texting on a cell phone. In court with his attorney, Christopher Van Wagner, Pierce sat visibly remorseful. Sitting behind him and filling up the benches were his family and friends. Throughout the hearing tears on both sides were flowing as crying could be heard. A friend of Kruger's family read a victim's impact statement on behalf of Laura's parents and her sister. Jim Goldsmith shared with the court, words that described a loving and creative young lady who was looking forward to all that life had waiting for her. The statement spoke about the love a father had for his daughter, and how as a young woman she and her mother had bonded to the point of being best friends. Laura Kruger lost her life in 2011 after a vehicle The stark realization of just how tragic Laura's last crash. days were after that accident came when Goldsmith read that, in the short time she hung on to life, she The pre-sentencing investigation had a recommendarequired 159 units of blood. Goldsmith went on to express that since the accident the family has promoted tion of six years with three to be served as initial confinement and three on extended supervision. and helped to organize blood drives in honor of Laura, Judge Curran took his time in going over the options the life she lived, and how it was taken early. presented to him as he weighed other options that he In the family's statement there were no words of hate towards the defendant, rather it was a message of what could impose. He expressed he felt Pierce's remorse was they, and the community lost when Laura died. It was a genuine and deep, unlike many that come before him. "There is no satisfactory end to this," he stated. He statement that was peppered with insight to their deep then pointed to society and it's need to impose prison Christian faith. Pierce's attorney spoke about how his client has deep sentences on drinking and driving, as well as texting remorse, and feels a prison sentence is necessary. That resulting in such an accident. Many letters of support for Pierce were presented to remorse was evident as Pierce gave a statement to Juneau County Circuit Court Judge Paul Curran. He the court. Van Wagner offered that while those letters have a common theme of mentioning Pierce being a stood while he spoke with tears in his voice. He stated that not a day has gone by that he doesn't think about father to three young sons who would need him not to Laura and her family, wondering what she would be serve prison time, his client does not take that stand. He doing if she was still alive. On holidays, he stated, he went on to state that Pierce has told his sons that this is thought about her and wished she could be with her fam- his punishment for the crime that he committed. Judge ily. He told the court that he wants to learn more about Curran acknowledged it would be a natural reaction for Laura and who she was so he could live a life that would Pierce's supporters to point out about the children, however for the purpose of sentencing he could not use that honor her memory. Assistant District Attorney Clifford Burden expressed as a factor, that the Krugers had lost a daughter and a life has been ended. that both sides had reached an agreement prior to the In the end, Judge Curran went along with the agreed pre-sentencing investigation being ordered, and he felt upon four years in the Wisconsin Department of that the agreement was still the right direction to go. That agreement was a four year sentence with two years Corrections - two years of initial confinement and two of initial confinement and two years of extended super- years of extended supervision. He then ordered that durvision on both counts and to run concurrent. Pierce ing that time, Pierce donate blood at least two times per would be required to complete AODA treatment, and year. As for the community service and speaking at there would be absolute sobriety. Burden then added that schools, the judge ordered that Pierce at least attempt to he felt Pierce should be required to complete communi- make the effort by contacting five Wisconsin schools per ty service in the form of public service lectures at semester and offering to come in to speak to the stuschools on the dangers of drinking and texting while dents. Pierce's probation agent would oversee the community service. Pierce would need to provide a DNA driving. Van Wagner offered that originally when the two sides sample, complete AODA, and follow conditions of extended supervision. The family did not request any came together the community service aspect was not discussed, but then offered that the court could order Pierce restitution. Pierce is not allowed to have contact with the to donate blood in the memory of Laura. Van Wagner Kruger family unless they initiate the contact. was unsure if Pierce would be able to fulfill the speaking requirement as some schools do not allow convicted felons in to speak.