Corporation Counsel Suspended in Light of Sauk County Board Investigation

TRUTH JOUR THROUGH NALISM VOL. 4, WK. 6 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020 $1.00 Corporation counsel suspended in light of Sauk County Board investigation by HEATHER STANEK Supervisors John Dietz and none for this gathering were tee violated the law when they tee’s agenda. public interest and whether or Contributing Writer Thomas Kriegl cast the two no available as of the newspaper’s met in closed session on Jan. The official complaint states not actions taken would be rou- votes. Numerous supervisors deadline. The agenda also did 7. The complaint cites super- that, as a result of the meeting, tine or unusual. Agenda items An attorney for the county were absent and thus did not not include details, only that the visors Vedro, Thomas Kriegl, supervisors Marty Krueger, for closed session must not be is on paid administrative leave vote. They included Charles board would convene in closed William Hambrecth and David Wally Czuprynko, Carl Gruber too vague, as was proven in and a former Reedsburg Inde- Whitsell, Patricia Rego, Glen session to discuss possible liti- Riek. Czuprynko is not listed and Tim McCumber were is- the case of Buswell vs. Tomah pendent editor has filed an open Johnson, Kristin White Eagle, gation. because, according to Seering, sued subpoenas. Sauk County High School. In that instance, meetings complaint regarding Shane Gibson, Peter Vedro, he was asked to leave the room Clerk Rebecca Evert was also an agenda simply listed a an investigation taking place John Miller, Tim Reppen, Former editor files com- during the closed session and issued a subpoena, according closed session item as “purpose within the county. Scott Von Asten, Jean Berlin, plaint was not involved in the viola- to the complaint, which was of consideration and/or action Following a closed session Kevin Lins, David Riek, Wil- Certain actions in the in- tion. forwarded to the state attorney concerning employment rela- of the Sauk County Board liam Hambrecht and Tony De- vestigation have prompted the According to Seering’s com- general. tions with district personnel.” of Supervisors last week, the Giovanni. former editor of the Reedsburg plaint, the committee violated Seering pointed to Open That agenda item ended up board voted to suspend Daniel Reasons for the suspen- Independent to file an open open meetings law when it Meetings Handbook rules, being a contract with a teachers Olson, who serves as corporate sion were not available by the meetings law violation. Jeff voted to give Vedro the au- which dictate when a gov- union. The court found in favor counsel for the board. Accord- Reedsburg Independent’s dead- Seering, a Reedsburg resident thority to issue subpoenas to ernmental body may go into of Buswell, stating the agenda ing to the vote tally, Olson is line. County board meeting who headed up this newspaper county board supervisors and closed session. The handbook description was too vague and to cooperate with what is being videos are normally posed on for many years, claimed four county staff. No such action indicates that leaders must con- called “the Lighthouse investi- the county’s website however members of the E&L commit- item is listed on the commit- sider whether the issue is of SEE SAUK, PAGE 9 gation.” Sauk Prairie High School Does the planning work? evacuated after bomb threat School districts train for active shooter situations by MATT GEIGER world has always been a diffi- items. In recent years, local by JOE BLOCK bomb would go off in one curing the buildings. We will News Publishing Co. Editor cult undertaking. It is no differ- students and teachers have been hour from the time the call be sharing communication as ent today, with experts across instructed by administrators to was made. Administration information is known.” Sauk Prairie High School In the middle of the 20th cen- the country in disagreement hold regular drills in which to made immediate contact No information was pro- was evacuated Jan. 28. due to about how to prepare for the prepare for a variety of “critical with law enforcement, and, vided to the general public tury, American schools used to a bomb threat. An hour and possibility of a mass shooting. incidents,” as mandated by state as a team, determined it best by the police. run “duck and cover” drills in a half after the students were to evacuate high school stu- At 1:44 p.m. the District which students were taught to Public schools in Wisconsin law. In nearby Middleton-Cross evacuated, they were allowed dents to the middle school to again e-mailed parents giv- hide beneath their desks under are spending millions of dol- Plains, the district’s emergency back into the school. Accord- clear the school to allow for ing the all clear. the pretext that doing so would lars to prepare for the possi- preparedness manual has bal- ing to Jerry Strunz, Chief of law enforcement to conduct a The message said, in part: protect them from an atomic bility of an attack. Classrooms looned to 155 pages. the Sauk Prairie Police De- thorough search of the build- “Law enforcement has com- bomb. The A-bomb didn’t and corridors are now places of While there are many types partment, the FBI is involved ing. High School staff were pleted the search of the high end up dropping in the United surveillance cameras, locked of emergencies for which in investigating the incident. directed to stay with their school and has indicated all States. It was Japan that felt the doors, safety glass and drills schools prepare, from fires to Only residents with chil- students at the middle school is clear.” in which students and teach- gas leaks, one potential trag- dren in the district were no- brunt of those blasts. But today, to ensure their safety and A Madison news sta- ers barricade themselves inside edy – a shooting - inspires the tified at via e-mail at 12:10 it’s widely acknowledged – and well being.” tion received a tip about the p.m. The message read: even commonly joked about – their classrooms. most fear, and often the most It ended with, “We ask that bomb threat and posted a “Today, at 10:55 [a.m.], that hiding under a miniature In the Mount Horeb Area disagreement about how to pre- families do not come to the photo of the e-mail to their the high school received desk is unlikely to shield any- School District, the largest pare children. Everyone agrees high school or middle school website. By 12:46 p.m. Mad- a phone call during which one from a nuclear attack. spending referendum ($38.5 that school shootings are trag- at this time so as to allow law a bomb threat was made. Yet those drills show that million) in the district’s his- edies that must be stopped, but enforcement to focus on se- The threat indicated that the SEE BOMB, PAGE 2 keeping young children safe tory recently passed, including from the violence of the outside multiple “safety and security” SEE PLAN, PAGE 10 Sauk Prairie Middle School students don’t mispell words very often On Jan. 14, 16 Sauk Prairie Middle School students competed to secure a spot in the SCRIPPS Regional Spell- ing Bee. Sebastien Friou and Charlie Endres were the top two spellers and will advance to the Regional Meet, which will be held in Portage on Feb. 4. On Jan. 16, Grand Avenue School held its school bee. 26 students vied for the top seven spots. Advancing to Portage from Grand Avenue (in the order of placement) are: Gabriela Galvan, Brayden Breunig, Ella Stephan, Kendalyn Brickl, Soren Hansen, Calvin Bolton, and Eliana Graham. Above, pictured left to right: Kendalyn Brickl, Ella Stephan, Soren Hansen, Brayden Breunig, Eliana Graham, Gabriela Galvan, and Calvin Bolton. Right, Charlie Endres and Sebastien Friou. PHOTOS CONTRIBUTED PAGE 2 STAR NEWS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2020 OBITUARIES Wisconsin Heights Education Foundation Leanita “Kay” death by two brothers, Monroe ters, Lucille (John) Bratton of has new board members Cretney Behling (Mildred) Nolden, Marvin (Ar- Mt. Horeb, WI, Betsy Noggle mella) Nolden, and her sister, of Mazomanie, WI; his four Lillian (Sylvan) Breunig. nieces Randi Noggle (Jess Funeral services were held Ingalls), Crystal (Frankie) at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Janu- Padilla, Jessica Noggle and ary 28, 2020 at the Lake Mills Destiny Noggle; his two neph- Moravian Church. ews Donald Bratton and Tyler Friends could call after 9 Noggle; his three great nieces a.m. on Tuesday at the church Abby Niederklopfer, Natalia until the time of service. Lara and Evalyn Padilla and his Burial will be in Rock Lake great nephew Tyrus Lara. Cemetery. A funeral service will be held If desired, memorials may be at 11:30 am on Saturday, Febru- made to Meals on Wheels or the ary 15, 2020 at Hooverson Fu- Leanita “Kay” Cretney Beh- Clarence Bean-Warren George neral Home, Mazomanie, WI. ling, 91, Lake Mills, died on Lake Mills American Legion A visitation will be held at the Thursday, January 23, 2020 at Post #67 Auxiliary. funeral home from 10 am until Alden Estates in Jefferson. *Special thanks to Doug the time of the service. She was born on August 21, and Linda Karas and Agrace The family would like to 1928, in Prairie du Sac, WI, the Hospice for helping with Kay’s thank Heartland Country Vil- daughter of the late Conrad and care* lage and SSM Health at Home Philomena (Blum) Nolden. www.claussenfuneralhome. & Hospice for their support and Kay married Ernest Cretney com compassionate care during this of Dodgeville on April 10, difficult time.

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