WOLF RIVER WEEKEND SHAWANO LEADER WWW.NEWMEDIA-WI.COM Saturday, September 14, 2019 Volume 138, Issue 135 $2 Barker gets 4 1/2 years in child’s death Catherine Barker got 4 1/2 years in prison and fve more under extended supervision for concealing the death of her infant child. PAGE 2 Tribal clinic cuts narcotic doses by half Menominee Tribal Clinic announced Wednesday that the number of prescription narcotic doses have gone down in four years. PAGE 3 Skee-Ball still trendy when at the arcade Some arcade games last 3-5 years, but Skee-Ball is so popular that the Wisconsin Lottery created a ticket based on it. PACKERS COME HOME TO FACE VIKINGS PAGE 18 Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers makes a call while under center during the game against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 5 in Chicago. The Packers are back home this weekend as they face off against the Minnesota Vikings. SEE ALL THE DETAILS IN GREEN & GOLD EXPRESS, INSERTED IN TODAY’S ISSUE. GREG MELLIS | NEW MEDIA PAGE 2t/&8.&%*"twww.newmedia-wi.comtSATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2019 SHAWANO LEADER (USPS 492-120) Published Wednesdays and Saturdays Barker gets 4 1/2 years in by NEW Media Inc d/b/a The Shawano Leader Periodicals postage paid at Shawano, Wisconsin 54166 prison for son’s death POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Shawano Leader, 1464 E. Green Bay St., Shawano WI 54166 cared-for. Barker’s attorney, Jevon Jaconi, ar- Shawano woman The child’s gued for probation for his client, along death was deter- with the time she has already served Office pleads no contest to mined to be “infan- after being arrested. 1464 E. Green Bay St., Shawano, WI 54166 tile asphyxiation,” Jaconi said there was no malice in Telephone though how it Barker’s actions and that she was in 715-526-2121 trying to hide child occurred remains shock after the death of her son. FAX: 715-524-3941 By TIM RYAN in question. “She’s still in shock,” Jaconi said, Reporter According referring to medical and law en- to the criminal forcement reports indicating Barker Publisher SHAWANO — A Shawano woman CATHERINE BARKER complaint, Barker has shown little emotion about the Greg Mellis [email protected] accused of trying to conceal the death had sent text messages to two people, incident. Editor-In-Chief of her 2-month-old child and hide the telling them the infant had died of suf- Barker had no comment for the Carol Ryczek [email protected] corpse was sentenced Tuesday to 4½ focation from a blanket he had pulled court when asked for a statement prior City Editor years in prison. up over his face. to sentencing. Lee Pulaski [email protected] Catherine R. Barker, 22, will also Barker also said in one of her text Barker was initially found not have to serve fve years of extended messages the night before that the competent to stand trial in November Sports Editor supervision after her prison sentence. child was ill, according to the com- and was ordered to be temporarily Morgan Rode [email protected] Barker pleaded no contest in June plaint, but she did not seek medical institutionalized to receive treatment Obituaries to felony counts of failing to report the attention. and therapy that could make her [email protected] death of the child and attempting to Barker told police she had given the mentally competent in the future. She Classifieds/legal notices hide or bury the corpse. baby CPR and tried to revive him. She was subsequently ruled competent at a A third count, of neglect resulting [email protected] said she didn’t call 911 due to “pan- hearing on March 4. in the death of an infant, was dismissed icking and not knowing what to do,” Kussel said Barker’s mental health, Retail advertising as part of the plea agreement. according to the complaint. competency and level of intellectual [email protected] The infant, Brandon Barker, was In her text messages to the two peo- functioning were all at issue in consid- [email protected] her son. He was discovered by police ple she contacted, Barker stated she ering the sentence. However, he said, Calendar items (free) during a welfare check Sept. 28, 2018. was afraid to tell her family about the “she should have been able to under- [email protected] In passing sentence, Judge William child’s death and planned to bury the stand she should call the police” after Kussel Jr. said there was no evidence Subscriptions infant somewhere out in the country. discovering Brandon had died. Barker neglected the child; a view also She also stated she planned to leave Kussel also said that imposing only Subscription, delivery or payment question? supported by the state. the area after burying the child, ac- probation would diminish the serious- Call 715-526-2121 “She was doing everything she was cording to the criminal complaint. ness of Barker’s crimes. 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday supposed to do for this child,” District Parker recommended six years Barker’s prison sentence will be re- [email protected] Attorney Greg Parker said, including in prison, during which time Barker duced by the 342 days she has already bringing the infant to the clinic for could participate in mental health spent in custody since being arrested care when he was sick. RATES counseling and training in life skills. last year. Parker noted medical records Under that sentence, he said, “jus- Print indicating the child was being well tice for Brandon would be served.” [email protected] Print single issue: $1 Wednesdays, $2 Saturdays Prepaid nonrefundable 12 months: $119 Carrier; $127 Motor; $151 Mail - WI $164 Mail - outside WI Wisconsin joins Google antitrust investigation www.newmedia-wi.com MADISON petitive behavior that harms consum- privacy protections isn’t stifed.” 1-day. $0.99 — Attorney General Josh Kaul announced Monday that ers. Legal experts from each state Past investigations of Google un- 3-mo (90-day introductory offer) $12 Wisconsin is joining 49 attorneys will work in cooperation with federal covered violations ranging from ad- Month-to-month $10 general in a multistate, bipartisan authorities to assess competitive vertising illegal drugs in the United Prepaid 12 month, nonrefundable, $99 investigation of tech giant Google’s conditions for online services and States to now three antitrust actions Print plus online nonrefundable package business practices in accordance ensure that Americans have access to brought by the European Commis- $137 Carrier; $145 Motor; $173 Mail - WI; with state and federal antitrust laws. free digital markets. sion. None of these previous inves- “The tech sector is an important tigations, however, fully address the $189 Mail - outside WI The bipartisan coalition, led by Texas Attorney General Ken Pax- part of the U.S. economy, and tech source of Google’s sustained market ton, announced plans to investigate companies have access to a lot of power and the ability to engage in se- Member, Wisconsin Newspaper Assoiation Google’s overarching control of on- personal information,” said Kaul. rial and repeated business practices line advertising markets and search “We must ensure that competition with the intention to protect and trafc that may have led to anticom- over technological innovation and maintain that power. CORRECTIONS Accuracy is important to the Shawano Leader, and it wants to correct mistakes promptly. Call errors to our attention by phone at 715-526-2121, ext. 7018 SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2019 t/&8.&%*"tXXXOFXNFEJBXJDPNtPAGE 3 Tribal clinic cuts schedule II drug doses by half Providers required to utilize monitoring program before prescribing drugs By LEE PULASKI $JUZ&EJUPS KESHENA — The Menominee Tribal Clinic has been making an efort to cut down on the amount of schedule II drugs being prescribed to tribal members. Dr. Robert Chelberg, an optom- etry specialist who is expected to become a co-director for the clinic next year, announced the news Wednesday during a community meeting for Keshena held in the Tribal Legislative Chambers. “Obviously, you’ve heard of pre- scription drug issues, and health care providers are part of that,” Chelberg said. “Outside of that, there are law enforcement and other things that come into play, and we try to solve the problem. It’s a big problem for all communities in Wisconsin, in- cluding all tribal communities.” In 2015, Menominee County had the highest doses per capita of schedule II drugs, which include narcotics and stimulants, with 41 doses for every resident in the county, according to the Wisconsin Prescription Drug Monitoring Pro- gram. This year, that has dropped by almost half to 21.05. “Obviously, the physicians at our clinic are the main providers, but some of that data also comes from providers in Shawano County,” Dr. Robert Chelberg with the Menominee Tribal Clinic, holds up a graph showing how medical and behavioral health visits for narcotic addiction has more than Chelberg said. quadrupled between 2016 and 2018. Chelberg said this is a good sign that drug issues are being dealt with on the reservation, but it has maxed out available Chelberg said that providers at resources at the clinic. -&&16-"4,*]/&8.&%*" the clinic are now required to check patients on the PDMP before pre- said. “We want to make sure we’re areas,” Chelberg said. in Shawano, but do we still have any scribing drugs. Provider prescribing part of the solution, for sure.” JoAnne Gauthier, a Keshena meetings here to go to? It would be numbers are reported each month However, that efort has maxi- resident who said she has been in wise to look into this.” for comparison, and peer reviews mized the available behavioral recovery from drug and alcohol ad- Gauthier praised what the clinic take place to look at prescribing pat- health resources at the clinic, ac- diction for 23 years, suggested that has done in four years.