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Second chance punishment
A Wausau landlord successfully appealed a nuisance property claim after giving a rehabbed drug addict a second chance
A Wausau landlord successfully appealed a claim that her property was a chronic nuisance following the drug arrest of one of her tenants.
Landlord Kiley Berg appeared before the Public Health and Safety Committee Monday over claims her property was a chronic nuisance, despite immediately evicting the tenant after she was arrested for drug off enses.
Berg rented to Kira Parker for several years without incident until Parker was arrested on drug charges in 2020, according to testimony presented in the case. Berg evicted her, but after getting numerous letters from Parker about how she was going through rehab and turning her life around, and knowing how hard it can be for someone in her position try to fi nd housing, decided to give her a second chance.
Berg told the committee she regrets that decision, since Parker clearly manipulated her.
Parker was arrested within a couple of months of moving back to the Emter Street property, in June, on charges of manufacturing and selling methamphetamine. Berg told the committee she gave neighbors on either side of the property her number with instructions to call immediately with any red fl ags came up prior to the incident. She received no calls.
After the second arrest, Berg immediately started the eviction process and Parker was evicted shortly thereafter.
Berg’s attorney, Cal Tillisch, pointed out that the limited case law generally considers a property a chronic nuisance when the landlord fails to abate the problem: Berg evicted her tenant and the property is currently being rented to someone who is responsible and taking care of the place.
Berg told the committee she keeps her rent aff ordable — the small single-family home in question rents for $600. Aff ordable housing is something plenty of people, including city council members, have argued is lacking in the city. Th e nuisance declaration would
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The new parking spots in front of where the mall was before it was demolished will provide more parking downtown.
Parking spots open on Washington Street
Brand new parking spots opened up on Washington Street in front of where the mall was just demolished.
Th e new parking spots are on either side of Th ird Street along Washington Street. Th e angled parking spots will add more spots downtown for folks to park.
Washington, along with several other currently one-way streets will eventually be changed to two way to allow better fl ow from traffi c, according to Wausau Opportunity Zone plans. WOZ demolished the mall and is working on getting developers for the now open site to develop mixed use housing.
have hampered Berg’s ability to get loans for future properties, which is her sole occupation, Tillisch argued.
Th e Public Health and Safety Committee appeared to agree. PHS Chair Lisa Rasmussen, in relaying the committee’s decision, said the committee didn’t feel that the situation rose to the level of chronic nuisance because of the swift action Berg took in evicting the tenant after there was a problem.
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Half of Aspirus COVID admissions led to ICU; most unvaccinated
Officials with Aspirus say that roughly half of all patients admitted to Aspirus with COVID-19 end up in the ICU; and most of those are unvaccinated.
Aspirus released data last week that Aspirus had 91 patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Of those, 43 — a little less than half — ended up in the intensive care unit of the hospital.
Aspirus officials say 80% of those admitted to the hospital with COVID-19 are unvaccinated; and in response to inquiries from City Pages, of those in the ICU, 88% were unvaccinated.
According to the latest data from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, the seven-day moving average for COVID-19 cases in Marathon County is 50, as the county has started to see a sharp drop off again following another mini-spike.
Merrill passes “vaccination freedom” resolution
A decision by the Merrill City Council means employees can’t be compelled to be vaccinated.
According to the resolution passed 5-3 by the city council last week, the city can’t mandate that employees be vaccinated, nor be “threatened, coerced or advised” to get the COVID-19 vaccination.
The resolution is a reaction to a vaccine mandate instituted by President Joe Biden, which requires employers at companies of more than 100 employees to mandate their employees get vaccinated.
The resolution calls the mandate “unconstitutional,” and ignores the science of natural immunity.
Mayor Derek Woellner has expressed support for Biden’s mandate, and it is believed he doesn’t plan to sign the resolution.
County supervisor Arnold Schlei dies
Marathon County Board Supervisor Arnold Schlei died Wednesday night, according to an online obituary and to a memo sent out to county board members late Wednesday.
Schlei died 11:08 pm Wednesday, Oct. 13 at Aspirus Wausau Hospital, according to his online obituary. He was a currently serving member of the Marathon County Board, representing District No. 12, which covers the towns of Wausau and Easton.
Schlei first took office on the Marathon County Board in 2010. He served in the Army Reserves and founded his own construction company, PfingstenSchlei Construction Co., in 1972. He took over the family farm in 1980, started in 1888, and raised veal until he retired. He also served as the town of Easton Chair and once as a president of the Wisconsin Counties Association.
Wausau West shut down Friday, student arrested with unloaded gun
Wausau West High School was locked down Friday after police discovered a student had taken a gun to school in his backpack.
School officials were alerted by another student Friday that the 14-year-old freshman had a gun in his possession. School officials called police and placed the school on a soft lockdown until the police arrived. Police found the student, discovered the gun in his backpack, and placed him in custody.
Police told City Pages the gun was a 9mm semiautomatic. There was no ammunition in the student’s possession and police don’t believe the student intended to cause any harm with the pistol, though they were careful to offer any potential motives for the student’s actions.
The student is being referred to Youth Justice Intake for possession of a firearm on school property. Wausau Police Capt. Benjamin Graham told City Pages it is not yet known whether he will be referred to adult court.
In another incident, Horace Mann was briefly locked down due to a police stop nearby the school Monday.
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