WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2016
Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897
VOL. 119 NO. 03 www.osceolasun.com $1.00
SPORTS: Osceola tennis beats Ashland. PAGE 10
Jorgenson, Hacker to compete for Polk County Clerk seat Feingold, Duffy win statewide competitions BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
Republican Sharon Jorgenson and Democrat Mary Jo Hacker will vie in November to replace retiring Polk County Clerk Carole Wondra. The clerk’s chief duties are to oversee countywide Hacker elections and keep minutes Jorgenson and other records for county meetings. Wondra has said that computer skills and a desire to work with the public are needed to succeed in the position. Jorgenson, who beat competitors Deanna Boettcher and Michele Gullickson, has worked in the county’s Clerk of Courts office since 2012. Before that, she did clerical work for Polk-Burnett Electric for two decades. She earned an accounting degree from WITC in 2014 and has working knowledge of standard office software. Hacker, who won the Democratic contest over Tracy LeBlanc, has more than 25 years of experience in office management, including 15 years as an economic support specialist for Polk County. Hacker was the only primary candidate with experience working in the County Clerk’s office, and has worked extensively with the public and prepared election materials for the county, municipalities and schools. Hacker is proficient in a wide range of software, including federal and state programs. Statewide contests–House Republican incumbent Sean Duffy will face Democrat Mary Hoeft in the November race for Wisconsin’s 7th Congressional District. Duffy, a former reality TV star and lumberjack perDuffy Hoeft former, has served in the po- Duffy sition since 2011. He boasts that his legislation, the RESTRICT Act, served as the foundation of a law outlawing insider trading among government officials and staff. His competitor, business-owner Don Raihala, had criticized Duffy for being an “establishment politician that chooses to vote the way House leadership dictates and not listen to the wants and desires of his constituents.” Hoeft, a professor at the University of Wisconsin— Barron County, took a strong lead over competitor Joel Lewis, a Marathon county board member. Hoeft has accumulated numerous awards for excellence in teaching, was a Fulbright Scholar and Wisconsin-Idea Fellow, has served six years on the Rice Lake School Board and was president of the board of directors of Barron County’s restorative justice program. Senate Russ Feingold won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Feingold, who served as a State Senator from 1983 to 1993 and a U.S. Senator from 1993 to 2011, has built his campaign on standing up for middle class Johnson families, criticizing the in- Feingold fluence of the billionaire SEE PRIMARIES, PAGE 6 Koch brothers in Wis-
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Addiction, recovery and the ‘Church of Felons’ Documentary to premier Aug. 26 Addiction grips much of the population of Wisconsin and many parts of Minnesota. But in Polk County, Wis., addiction seems to have become the rule rather than the exception. Polk has one of the highest percentage of addicts in the state with more alcoholism, meth use, and meth lab activity than much of the country. If arrest rates are an accurate reflection of drug-related criminal activity, Polk County is the primary drug gateway between Minnesota and Wisconsin. Thus, Minnesota plays a large role in access to a multitude of illegal substances Wisconsin
addicts crave. The highly anticipated documentary “Church of Felons” exposes the problem and cost of addiction, uncovering the methods of a heavy-handed judicial system attempting to crack down on rising rates of addiction. “We have a problem, and it’s just under the surface.” says Director Jordan Mederich. “Many don’t realize how extremely dangerous it’s become. You’re either actively addicted yourself, or you know someone who is. That’s the truth across the board.” The film tells the stories of four multioffense felons and their respective searches for a second chance. MedSEE DOCUMENTARY, PAGE 6
Local teen becomes pageant state finalist BY JESSICA ANDERSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Eighteen-year-old Osceola native Mckenzie Boerboom has recently been announced as a Wisconsin state finalist in the National American Miss Pageant. National American Miss organizes pageants for five age groups, ranging from 4 years old to 20 at the national level. To qualify for the national pageant, state finalists compete to represent their home state. In 2014 Boerboom
served as First Princess of Osceola. Through this she began volunteering in the community, specifically at an Osceola Medical Center (OMC) Gala where she and the other volunteers collected their tips at the end and donated them to the medical center. “I really enjoyed helping people,” she stated. Regarding her inspiration for entering the National American Miss Pageant, Boerboom said, “I think this pageant will be a huge stepping stone for me. I want
to help empower young women to get involved in community programs, become more confident, and encourage self-growth.” Her goal for the future is to graduate from the Winona State University Registered Nursing program. Boerboom has many local businesses sponsoring her through this event. She will compete Aug. 2628 at the National American Miss Wisconsin Pageant 2016 at the Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells. Mckenzie Boerboom
Trial date set for Osceola brawl BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
A four-day jury trial has been set for Paul Krueger, who was charged with second-degree attempted homicide and other crimes after what seems to have been a drunken brawl last February. Tipped off to the fight by
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neighbors, police found another man severely beaten in Krueger’s Osceola apartment in the early morning hours of Feb. 2. Krueger has since moved. The trial is scheduled for Jan. 10 – 13 under Polk County Judge Jeffery Anderson. Krueger also faces felony charges of aggravated battery
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and possession of marijuana with intent to sell, and a misdemeanor charge of obstructing an officer. In April, Krueger’s attorney, Kate Murtaugh, requested that the attempted homicide charge be dismissed on the grounds that not enough evidence was supplied to support it. Judge Anderson denied the motion last month.
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