Serving Polk County’s St. t Croix C i Valley V ll since i 1897
WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2015 VOL. 127 NO. 50 www.osceolasun.com $1.00
SPORTS: Osceola Braves lose to Pirates. P15
Teen drowns in St. Croix
There and back again Wood thrush connects St. Croix Valley to Latin America
BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
In the forested calm of Warner Nature Center, tall oak, maple and aspen shade visitors. The combination of the trees’ shelter, understory and fallen leaves make the site welcoming to one visitor in particular: nesting wood thrush. With a population in decline since the 1980s, the songbird has captured the attention and imagination of researchers, who have begun tracking the species’ migration out of the St. Croix Valley and back again with lightweight tracking technology. SEE THRUSH, PAGE 23
SUBMITTED
Data collected from the first recaptured wood thrush show a relatively direct route south to a wintering home west of Veracruz. On the way back, the bird swung east through Tennessee and Kentucky before returning to Minnesota.
Acre-Kendall requests dismissal Cites ‘castle doctrine’ BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
The 19-year-old Cambridge man charged with fatally stabbing a St. Croix Falls man at Interstate Park has requested that charges be dismissed. According to reports, the July 2 motion filed by Levi Acre-Kendall’s attorney, Eric Nelson, suggested that the stabbing of Peter Kelly was legal in Wisconsin under the state’s “castle doctrine.” The law allows for the use of SEE ACRE-KENDALL, PAGE 22
Healing across borders BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
For two weeks in October, RaNaye Schrantz and a handful of other locals will travel to Uganda to help victims of war-related trauma find healing. Schrantz, who lives in East Farmington, will be working through Tutapona, a nonprofit organization founded by a man from her church, Carl Gaede, who moved to Africa with his family in 2008 to start the project. According to Schrantz, “tutapona” means “we will heal.” Drawing on a cross-cultural curriculum that addresses forgiveness, bitterness, community and overcoming the past, the organization works with local leaders, churches and other organizations to offer healing services to trauma survivors living in refugee camps. Schrantz has been curious about Tutapona since its inception. “Carl was at our church before they
moved to Uganda,” she said. “So when he got this idea and started talking about it at church, I was interested. … I’d always wondered, how do people overcome some of the atrocities witnessed? I can’t imagine having your family murdered before your eyes. How do you overcome that and move on with your life? You’re sitting in a refugee camp and your physical needs are taken care of, but what about your emotional needs? I really felt like I wanted to be involved in that.” The organization is Christian-based, but Gaede has worked to make the optin program culturally sensitive, said Schrantz. “Within the camp it’s optional to come,” she said. “It’s up to them if they want to engage or not. The way Carl does it, there’s no expectation. He gives them information and they’re free to make that choice or not. ... Some do and some don’t. Either way they’ve gotten
Stop in and check out our recent updates! New Gas Pumps
More to Come!
A 14-year-old girl from St. Paul drowned Sunday, July 12, after being drawn into deep water by the St. Croix River’s current south of Interstate Park. The 911 call rang in the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 3:21 p.m., according to a release from the sheriff’s office. County deputies responded with help from the Wisconsin DNR, National Park Service, Chisago County Sheriff’s Office, Interstate Divers, Dresser, Osceola, Franconia Township and St. Croix Falls Fire. The dive team found and recovered the body of Taw Meh at 5:48 p.m. According to the sheriff’s release, Meh was canoeing on the river with a sibling and friends when the group stopped at a sand bar. Meh ventured into the river, where the current swept her into deeper water.
New Registers
the trauma counseling first.” Many who have gone through the program have turned around to volunteer for Tutapona, working with others who have experienced trauma. Several have been hired as staff in the growing program, which has expanded throughout Uganda and into South Sudan. Gaede returns to Schrantz’s church about once a year to update the congregation on Tutapona’s work. This year Schrantz felt called to join him. “It’s been a cool thing to watch over the years,” she said. “This year he talked about putting a team together to go out. I felt like God was saying to me, ‘Go to that [informational] meeting. When the meeting was over I was terrified, … but I felt like God was telling me to go. I don’t have all the information, but I feel like I’m supposed to be on this trip.” While professionals handle the trauSEE SCHRANTZ, PAGE 2
Wide Variety of Wine, Beer and Spirits 115 State Road 35 South, Dresser, WI • 715-755-3851
Fresh Meat & Produce • Fresh Bakery • Beer Cave • Tobacco • Wine & Spirits • Live Bait • Gas & Diesel Fuel NEWS 715-294-2314 editor@osceolasun.com
ADVERTISING 715-294-2314 sales@osceolasun.com
PUBLIC NOTICES 715-294-2314 sales@osceolasun.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS 715-294-2314 office@osceolasun.com
BREAKING NEWS, UPDATES Whenever, wherever you are! Scan me with your smartphone