February is American Heart Month, designated to encourage people to focus on their cardiovascular health. That focus came one month earlier, in January, for Kim Kaletka when she noticed she was experiencing shortness of breath and wheezing. "Just walking into school or work, I was out of breath," Kim shared.
After debating if these symptoms were something she needed to take seriously, she called the clinic, and they directed her to go straight to the emergency room. Doctors considered she might have a blood clot or be having a heart attack, but tests revealed those options weren't the case. Instead, Kim had fluid on her lungs. She was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. She spent three days in the hospital with moderate to severe readings for heart failure.
She was discharged from the hospital but had to wait three weeks to see a cardiologist. Given she would break out into cold sweats and have trouble breathing with too much activity, Kim could not continue her work at the nursing home. She also could not do much around the house except think. She had time to think about the worst possible scenarios and to think of the bills that were mounting.
Her insurance company made her wait for eight weeks, leading her to believe she would get awarded her short-term disability claim, but in the end they denied her request. Their reason for denial was because she had shortness of breath in October when she was diagnosed with pneumonia. Therefore, her insurance company decided she may have had a pre-existing condition. However, Kim said, "It's more than clear in my records I never had congestive heart failure before this." She is going to appeal their decision.
In the meantime, Kim has to wait. She has to wait to go back to work and wait to see if her heart is healing when she receives her next scan.
Kim has had to play the medical waiting game in the past. Six years ago her son, Thomas, won the battle against cancer. "With God's help I made it through watching my son battle cancer. Somehow, someway, I'll make it through this. Most days I just don't see how, but I will."
Kim shared, "It's a scary situation that you never expect is going to happen and then, boom, it does." She said that, as a single mom to Thomas and Lexi, she had a lot of expenses as single moms do, and with the cost of living increasing, it was difficult for her to get ahead to have a "rainy day" fund, so she has to work to accomplish that now. This week, she is most concerned about having enough money to make her car payment so she will have a vehicle to go to medical appointments and eventually back to work. "You just don't think of all the things you rely on when life runs smoothly. And I cannot get a loan because my credit is not great these last months because I haven't been able to pay my bills."
Given My Price County shares information about those in need during difficult times, we reached out to Kim asking if we could help by getting her situation more attention. She agreed but said, "I'm not just looking for people to give me money." Therefore, if anyone is wanting to help Kim with living and medical expenses to get her through this difficult time, she has listed some items for sale at this link. She will be adding more items in the near future. Otherwise, cash donations can be given on Venmo at @Kim-Kaletka or at her GoFundMe page.
Kim will have more scans and possibly need medical treatments. She currently is taking a number of medications. Kim is going through a lot, but she said, "It will make me a stronger person."
If you or a loved one are in need due to a tragic event, such as a fire or medical situation, reach out to My Price County so we can help get your information to the public.
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Submitted photo. Ad created by My Price County. Authorized and paid for by Justin Lindgren.
Justin Lindgren grew up in Rhinelander but his roots are in Phillips. His great grandparents came to America from Slovakia, settling into a farm east of Phillips. Throughout his childhood, Justin enjoyed spending his summers in Phillips at that farm, then owned by his grandparents, Paul and June Pilch. "I loved being in Phillips," Justin shared, and his love of the community continued into adulthood.
Upon high school graduation, following in the footsteps of his mother, Linda Lindgren; sister, Becci Lallemont; great aunts, Ruth Pilch & Anna Dureno; cousin, Andy Pilch; and other family members, Justin got his college degree in education. He worked in Ely, Minnesota for eight years, but the love of Phillips called him back to the area, and he took a teaching position in the School District of Phillips for twelve years. During those years, he was the coach for middle school cross country and high school track and field, plus he worked at the community pool, in the grocery store, and at a gas station. He is currently working in the Public Works Department for the City of Phillips while continuing to advance toward a degree in Education Administration through UW-Superior. He remains active in the community by participating in the various races and other events offered, plus he has been involved with the Northwoods Players productions either as an actor, conductor, or director.
Justin said, "My experiences have provided me great insight into the Phillips School District from multiple perspectives. I have a strong knowledge base on the role of a school board member and education administration. To best serve as a school board member, I believe it is important to have a balance of school system knowledge and an openness to hear from everyone in the community. My involvement in the community, as a teacher and an active community member, has helped me to build this balance that I would intend to apply if elected to the board."
Justin went on to state that the environment in the Phillips School District has changed drastically in the recent past. "The students, in my experience, are not happy. The staff members are not happy. Morale is at one of its lowest points in the memory of a lot of the staff who have been there for many years. We all agree that the direction the school district is headed is not one that a lot of us can agree with, and that's why you see this massive turnover in teachers and staff all of a sudden. We have kids that are leaving the district in larger numbers to do things like online school and things like that, which the school district is still responsible for financially, so we end up paying money out for the students to have other teachers, not even ours, and that's not fiscally responsible. The frustrating part is that the school board has not looked into any of this, and they are surprised when told morale has been extremely low." Justin wonders why the school board members are not asking the staff for feedback to bring a resolution to the issues within the school district. He feels there is a disconnect between the school board, administration, parents, students, and the community, and he would like to work to correct that if elected as a school board member.
"The school and the community need to be very connected, and I feel there is a big disconnect between the school and community, which benefits neither."
"Phillips once had some of the longest longevity in regard to teachers but that is not the case anymore." Justin stated the turnover, hiring of people who do not have education degrees, low morale among staff, and other factors do not create a stable environment. "The students deserve a stable education, and right now things are not stable. The staff needs to feel supported instead of being afraid of facing retaliation if they speak up and ask questions."
"Phillips is a wonderful place and has a lot to offer. But with the things going on in the school and people just being extremely frustrated with it, that doesn't bode well for our community. We need to be on the same page; we need to function as a cohesive unit. There needs to be that transparency between the district and the town with 'what are we doing' and 'why are we doing it.' We need to feel confident in our leadership. We need to feel we can talk to people in the school. We need to feel that the people in the school are talking to us. There has been that disconnect for the last few years."
Justin feels he is qualified to be a school board member because he has been a teacher and is currently working on a degree in education administration. He feels he has the insight on both sides to see what needs to be fixed. He is calling for change, transparency, and communication on the school board. "I have spent the past 12 years serving both the community and the school district, and I would be honored to have the opportunity to continue this." Justin Lindgren is asking for your vote on April 2nd. You can learn more about Justin via his Facebook page.
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The Planning Commission has been working on the comprehensive plan for the City of Phillips.
A summarized Comprehensive Plan Overview is as follows:
However, the 108-page draft contains information regarding issues & opportunities, housing, transportation, utilities & community facilities, economic development, natural resources, intergovernmental cooperation, land use, and implementation. It can be viewed by clicking on the document at the end of this article. Shelby Kosmer, the city clerk/treasurer, advised this is only a draft as there have been some grammar changes and business name changes. This is a working copy that has not yet been finalized. (The plan was updated on 4-2-2024; a new copy was added to this article.)
There is a public informational meeting where final updates will be discussed before the plan is set to be adopted. The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at 174 South Eyder Avenue in Phillips on Thursday, March 28, 2024 beginning at 5:30 p.m. (This meeting was changed from Monday to Thursday due to inclement weather.) The public is invited to attend.
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In 2015, Dollar Tree acquired Family Dollar for about $8.5 billion after a bidding war with Dollar General. Even though Family Dollar stores were renovated about four years ago, the new ownership struggled to boost the brand to its standards. After almost a decade of ownership, the company announced that close to 1,000 stores will be closed.
In regard to the closures, the company stated, "As previously disclosed, in the fourth quarter of 2023 we initiated a comprehensive review of our store portfolio to identify and address underperforming stores and invest in improved store standards and growth. Our review identified approximately 600 Family Dollar stores for closure in the first half of 2024 and an additional approximately 370 stores to be closed over the next several years during the normal course of lease expiration. Family Dollar and Dollar Tree stores are important to thousands of communities across this country. We owe it to those we serve to position all of our stores for success and meet the expectations of our valued customers and associates."
Unfortunately, for Price County, the store in Phillips closed about two years ago. According to the manager of the store in Park Falls, it will be closing in April 2024.
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Pictured left to right: Logan Heizler, Chase Schmidt, and Nicholas Matthewson
The Phillips Middle School has announced the Students of the Month for February 2024.
Logan Heizler, son of Jodi and Mike Heizler, has been selected as the sixth grade Student of the Month for February. Logan enjoys playing with his animals and sitting around listening to Johnny Horton. He thinks he was chosen as the Student of the Month because he’s social. Logan’s favorite part of middle school is switching classes, and he thinks his teachers are pretty great, as well.
Chase Schmidt, son of Dani and Josh Schmidt, has been chosen by his peers as the seventh grade Student of the Month for February. Chase enjoys running and playing basketball, football, and baseball. The best parts of Chase’s school days are eating lunch, going out for recess, and participating in gym class.
Nicholas Matthewson, son of Jamie Kjos, has been named the eighth grade Student of the Month for February. Nicholas' favorite part of middle school is participating in activities and seeing his friends. When asked why he thought he was chosen for this honor, Nicholas said, “Because people like me.”
NORTHERN WISCONSIN GRASS FIRE REPORTED AND GOTTEN UNDER CONTROL BY PASSERSBY
Fires spread quickly from sparks, discarded cigarette butts, and other fire-causing events and agents. Jason and Tammy Hastings came across this fire on Hwy. 182 near Cutoff Road. Tammy reported, "Jason put this fire out while we waited for emergency crews to arrive. It's unreal how fast this fire spread. It was just a few flames when we came upon it."
Video by: Tammy Hastings
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FIRE DANGER REMAINS HIGH AND VERY HIGH IN NORTHERN WISCONSIN
Image Credit: Wisconsin DNR
Due to the elevated fire danger throughout the state, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is asking the public to avoid burning this week.
Warm temperatures, low humidity, and breezy conditions, and no precipitation are causing the fire danger to be high or very high in the northern part of the state.
"On windy, dry days, embers from any fire, especially burn piles and campfires, can easily escape control and cause a wildfire if not properly extinguished.
"The DNR has already responded to over 50 wildfires across Wisconsin this week alone, bringing the yearly total to 193 fires burning 356 acres. For reference, the DNR had only responded to seven wildfires across Wisconsin at this point last year. The majority of these recent wildfires have been related to debris burning," stated the DNR.
The DNR is asking people to avoid all outdoor burning, including debris burning. The use of campfires and bonfires should be limited. "Be sure to discard hot ashes from woodstoves or fireplaces in a metal container until cold. Outdoor enthusiasts should also use caution with any off-road vehicles or equipment that can create a spark and start a fire," the DNR advised.
The DNR is also suspending annual burn permits in all DNR protection areas across the state due to current and forecasted conditions.
Fire danger and burning restrictions change every day, so the DNR is reminding people to check conditions before burning. The DNR also gave the following fire safety tips.
FIRE SAFETY TIPS
Report fires early by calling 911.
Avoid outdoor burning until conditions improve. Burn permits for debris burning are currently suspended in many counties.
Operate equipment (chainsaws, off-road vehicles, lawnmowers, etc.) early in the morning or late in the day to avoid sparks at peak burn hours.
Secure dragging trailer chains to avoid creating sparks.
Do not try to suppress a fire by yourself.
Never operate drones or unmanned aircraft over or near fires; it endangers the lives of pilots and firefighters and interferes with fire suppression operations.
Check current fire danger, wildfire reports, and burning restrictions on the DNR's website.
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The February RED winners from Park Falls Elementary School of the Chequamegon School District are from Mrs. Olson's kindergarten class. The students read the most minutes out of all the classes in the elementary school for February 2024.
February 2024 Eagle Award winners from Park Falls Elementary School of the Chequamegon School District distinguished themselves as being "friendly" at school.
Front row, left to right: Luna Flak, Ar-Joe Santiago, Layla Rauschenbach, Azaeliah Christensen, Elliana Singer, Greysen Hawn, Jase Palecek, and Tyler Treviranus
Back row, left to right: Bella Eggleston, Auna BeBeau, Carter Schuelke, Khloe Brinegar, Sirina Ben-Fraj, Rowan Fuller, Adeline Branch, and Angel LaPlant
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Reports received by the police departments in Price County for the month have been condensed and summarized.
PRICE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
2-2-2024: A Park Falls man reported finding his roommate in the garage, and he believed the man was deceased.
2-2-2024: A Fifield woman received a call, claiming to be Walmart, which stated her $900 play set had been shipped. The recording stated she should press a number on her phone if she wished to report this as a scam. When she pressed the number, a man kept asking for her name, so she hung up realizing it was a scam call.
2-5-2024: A male reported a physical altercation outside of a bar in Park Falls.
2-7-2024: A woman reported seeing dogs locked in an abandoned house. The humane officer responded.
2-8-2024: An Ogema man stated damage was caused to his fence when a man driving a truck and hauling round bales of hay went off the road, dumping the hay bales onto the man's fence and knocking it down. The man who caused the damage was attempting to repair the fence.
2-8-2024: A Park Falls woman called to report her sister was attacked by her husband, who fled the scene.
2-8-2024: A Phillips woman stated someone in a silver truck was shining her field, and she heard a gunshot.
2-9-2024: A woman reported a single vehicle accident with all air bags deployed and someone still in the vehicle.
2-9-2024: A man reported a man fell through the ice and had not resurfaced for about two minutes.
2-10-2024: A call from an iPhone was received advising a crash was detected. Dispatch called the number several times and made contact with a man who stated he fell asleep behind the wheel after picking up his friend from the bar. The man advised his truck was on top of him. Emergency services responded and both men were gotten out of the vehicle.
2-10-2024: An Ogema woman reported that a man had sent her a message during the morning stating he was having chest pains and she should call 911, but she did not see the message until she woke up. She could not make contact with him, so she went to his home and saw him through the window. He was collapsed and purple. She stated the man was deceased.
2-10-2024: A Catawba woman stated someone used a screwdriver to pry rubber off her screen door.
2-12-2024: A woman reported a disorderly conduct incident at the February 8, 2024 Town of Flambeau meeting.
2-12-2024: A caller stated there were ducks all across the road north of Maki Spur Road. The ducks had been there for several days and caused people to swerve and slam on their brakes. One duck was hit by a vehicle. The caller believed the ducks were owned by a nearby resident. The humane officer responded. It was reported that several deceased animals were on the property, seen from the driveway.
2-12-2024: A man advised someone broke into a garage in Phillips. He was driving by when he observed the service door to the garage was wide open.
2-13-2024: An Ogema woman reported her teenage daughter was hiding in their home while someone was trying to break into the residence. The woman said the person does not have a vehicle, so she figured they would be on foot or on a bicycle. Officers arrived to find one male at the front door. People were in the back by the chicken coops. One person was taken into custody.
2-14-2024: A Prentice woman called to report someone had logged her property.
2-14-2024: A Butternut man provided his Medicare card information to someone over the phone. They asked him if he received his new plastic card to replace his paper one. He provided his name, date of birth, and an identification number.
2-15-2024: A Fifield man was shopping online when a pop-up appeared on his computer, claiming to be from Microsoft. He called the number on the pop-up, and the scammer gained full access to his computer. The scammer took a photo of the man's driver's license. The man said he may have given the scammer his Social Security number. The scammer tried to withdraw $25,000 from his bank account, but the bank blocked the transaction.
2-16-2024: A Prentice man suspected a break-in at his house given there were marks around his door, which he believed were made by crowbars.
2-18-2024: A Phillips woman reported a break-in at her residence. She believed two family members drilled out the locks because she caught them on the property in the past on her trail cameras.
2-19-2024: A Phillips man reported a two-vehicle accident he was involved in. There were no injuries.
2-19-2024: A Fifield man reported he was physically forced out of his residence by a woman and a guy he knew only be a nickname. The man said there were threats made but later stated they were assumed threats.
2-20-2024: A Catawba woman requested extra patrol by her house during a half hour period because she believed someone was on her porch the night prior and there has been a loud navy blue truck in the area that she and her neighbor do not recognize.
2-21-2024: A Phillips man reported he could hear gunshots on the north side of Musser Lake that had been occurring for ten minutes.
2-22-2024: Multiple 911 calls were received. Dispatch heard a male say, "Someone got murdered." Dispatch could hear someone crying in the background before the calls were disconnected. When dispatch called back multiple times, a male would answer and then hang up when he found out dispatch was calling. Police responded.
2-22-2024: A man had a homemade weapon in his possession at the Price County Jail.
2-23-2024: While incarcerated at the Price County Jail, a woman made a threat to a witness in a case.
2-23-2024: A woman reported receiving a scam call from "Ernesto," who claimed to be the chief investigator for the FBI in Madison. He said he was calling her regarding an abandoned vehicle with drugs in it linked to her and that he was aware she had several bank accounts totaling 1.4 million dollars. He told her that since she brought drugs across the border, the FBI in Texas was also involved. He said her nursing license was under review due to this matter. When she said she would talk to local law enforcement, Ernesto advised her not to talk with anyone else about this as he was law enforcement who was trying to help her. She asked how her information may have been available for someone to use, and he said possibly through an alleged breach that the clinic had a few months ago. After the call, the woman contacted the FBI in Texas who informed her this was a scam.
2-23-2024: A bus driver in Phillips notified the bus garage that a student may have a firearm on the bus. Police responded. See related article.
2-24-2024: A Park Falls female called 911 to report someone tried to hang herself. The caller stated she found the person with a cord wrapped around her neck, but she was alert and breathing.
2-25-2024: A Prentice man reported a grass fire.
2-26-2024: A Park Falls woman called stating she received a Facebook message from a woman who asked her to call law enforcement because a man was at her residence yelling at her, causing a disturbance, and she was afraid she was going to get hit. The caller called back to state the woman told her she no longer needed law enforcement as the man had left. Dispatch attempted to make contact with the woman who needed the police but could not, so a message was left to call the sheriff's office. The woman called back and stated she was okay. She stated the man was a worker from the Town of Fifield and she felt he was overly aggressive when telling her she needed to pay her water bill. She said she intended to drop the payment off that night.
2-27-2024: A Park Falls woman reported suspicious activity on her property line. She believed her neighbor cut her trees, removed fencing, and burned tree stumps on her side of the property. She said her neighbor made a pond that was over her property line by nine inches.
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PHILLIPS POLICE DEPARTMENT
2-2-2024: Escorted the Phillips High School dance team out of town on their way to State competition.
2-3-2024: Notified by mail by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections that an offender was released into the community and will be housed at an address in the City of Phillips.
2-3-2024: Received a report from a male individual who stated his ex-significant other was contacting him when there was a court ordered no contact in place. An officer spoke with both parties involved and is investigating this matter.
2-4-2024: Arrested a female adult as the female had an an active commitment order warrant out of Price County. The adult female was not able to post the bond and was held at the Price County Jail.
2-13-2024: Received information from a local school district about a juvenile student who was making inappropriate comments to a school staff member. The student was disciplined within the school and a report for record was generated.
2-13-2024: Received a report of a battery incident that occurred a month ago in the City of Phillips between three male juveniles. An officer is investigating the incident.
2-15-2024: Dispatched to a report of a jack-knifed semi on Depot Street. An officer arrived and observed the semi was legally parked along the side of Depot Street. The driver advised he was unable to go up the hill due to the ice on the roadway. City of Phillips Department of Public Works responded and sanded the roadway. The semi left without issue.
2-16-2024: Received a report of vandalism at the Elk Lake Park Pavilion. An officer reviewed security footage and is attempting to identify three juveniles involved in the vandalism. An investigation is pending.
2-16-2024: Observed numerous bags of refuse in a yard on Jackson Avenue. An officer spoke with the occupant of the home. An adult male indicated that he would remove the bags of refuse. An officer issued a courtesy notice.
2-18-2024: Assisted the Price County Sheriff's Office with a complaint in the City of Phillips by gaining access to an apartment complex and stood by while an adult female was arrested for misdemeanor bail jumping and violating a court injunction.
2-21-2024: Assisted the Wisconsin State Patrol with a traffic stop in the City of Phillips. As a result, an adult female was arrested for operating a motor vehicle with a restricted controlled substance. The adult female was transported to the medical center for a blood draw.
2-21-2024: Received a phone call from an intoxicated female who was concerned that her ex-husband was attempting to contact her. The officer spoke with the adult female and determined that the adult female was upset that she was arrested a couple days prior for violating a court order.
2-22-2024: Requested by the Park Falls Police Department to locate and arrest a 17-year old male for possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia. An officer located the male and arrested him.
2-23-2024: Received a report of animal abandonment. An officer and Price County Human Deputy responded. The investigation is pending.
2-23-2024: Received a report of an intoxicated man that was causing a disturbance at a local laundromat. The officer responded and met with the adult male who was uncooperative. The man was arrested.
2-25-2024: Made contact with a man and woman. The officer was aware of a bond condition that the woman shall not have contact with the man. An officer reviewed the bond form and arrested the adult female on felony bail jumping. The female was booked into the Price County Jail.
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PARK FALLS POLICE DEPARTMENT
2-1-2024: An officer made a consensual contact with a suspicious male suspect in a convenience store parking lot who had entered and exited the store three times, back and forth to his vehicle. An officer later learned the male suspect falsified his identity to the officer by giving his proper last name but giving the first name of his fraternal twin brother. The name he gave did not have any outstanding warrants, so the officer let him go. The officer then did a search online and found the man did not look like the name that he gave, and while talking with an officer in Ashland County, who is related to the man in question, the officer learned his real name and found he is Class-D Suspended. The officer could not locate the man.
2-1-2024: An officer met a concerned citizen at the police department. They informed him that they were out at the dog park with their dog and could hear someone shooting what sounded like a small caliber rifle. The person stated that they could hear one of the shots ricochet off the fence surrounding the dog park. Officers couldn't locate the shooter or any signs that shots had recently been fired.
2-3-2024: Price County Dispatch informed an officer of a highly-intoxicated male thought to be under the influence of illegal drugs at the medical center's emergency room. The male was reported as being belligerent and continuously leaving his hospital room. An officer was able Tt de-escalate the situation.
2-4-2024: Price County Dispatch reported a disturbance of an unwanted male in a home. Upon arrival, an officer de-escalated the situation and gave an intoxicated male a ride to a motel where the male would be staying for the night.
2-6-2024: An officer conducted a traffic stop on a suspect semi, which had been speeding and operating with two blown-out tires. Upon investigation, the semi was learned to have extensive damage and had been stolen from Athens, WI by the suspect driver. One male suspect taken into custody. Numerous citations were issued and criminal charges were referred to the district attorney.
2-7-2024: A complaint of multiple individuals lurking around parked vehicles and using flashlights and headlamps to navigate in the dark was received. The suspects reportedly departed just prior to an officer arriving on the scene. The reporting party reported two separate suspicious complaints.
2-8-2024: Officers were dispatched by Price County Dispatch requesting assistance for a domestic in progress involving injuries outside the city limits. One male was arrested. The Price County Sheriff's Office took over the investigation.
2-9-2024: The Price County Sheriff's Office requested mutual aid for a single vehicle crash involving an occupant of unknown status. Upon investigation by police, one driver was arrested for OWI.
2-11-2024: Police responded to a two-vehicle accident without injuries. One man told the officer that he accidentally backed up into another vehicle near the entrance to the parking lot of a store.
2-14-2024: An officer spoke with one male reporting party who stated he believed he had been drugged at a local bar.
2-17-2024: A female contacted police stating that there are footprints in the snow around her home, and at one point the footprints stopped right under her bedroom window as if someone was looking in the window. An officer investigated and forwarded the report to the Price County Sheriff's Office.
2-17-2024: Received a report of a defiant 12-year-old child who was angry, disobedient, and hitting the parent en route from Phillips to Park Falls when she learned her cell phone would be taken away when she got home. An officer spoke to parent and child, though the child refused to exit the vehicle to talk with the officer.
2-18-2024: Received a request from Price County Dispatch to assist with a report of a one-vehicle accident on Hwy. 13 north of Park Falls. The suspect left the scene of the accident. Live electrical wires from the accident forced both lanes of Hwy. 13 to be shut down. Park falls officers stabilized the scene until Price County deputies arrived.
2-18-2024: A truck was observed parked, likely overnight, at a restaurant & bar. The registered owner is on probation, is a Tier 2 sex offender, has a revoked driver's license, and has one current criminal case for which they are on bail bond. The report was sent to the individual's probation agent in Rusk County.
2-18-2024: An officer observed a male pull into a driveway. The officer knew, from previous experience, that due to an injunction order and bond conditions, the male was not to be in contact with the victim or the residence. The male was arrested for offenses, and charges were referred to the Price County district attorney's office.
2-22-2024: An officer was requested to respond to the high school to retrieve an item of drug paraphernalia that had been found on the floor of a classroom. The item was a black cylindrical tube with a cap. The tube had a marijuana leaf on it and was clearly a marijuana product. Police were informed the item had been found on the floor of the art room earlier in the day. It is unknown who the item had belonged to.
2-22-2024: Assisted the Price County Sheriff's Office with multiple 911 calls that came in where a male stated he murdered someone and then would not answer dispatch upon call back. Upon an officer's arrival down the road, nothing could be heard from the area. Deputies arrived and cleared the scene. No one was found to be in distress. One male was subsequently arrested by the Price County Sheriff's Office for the charge of swatting.
2-23-2024: Officers were dispatched to the medical center for a female who brought suspected drugs into the hospital and attempted to conceal them on her person. Medical personnel took possession of the suspected drugs and held it until officers arrived. The suspected drugs were tested, which resulted in a positive test result for methamphetamine. The female was taken into custody and transported to Price County Jail.
2-24-2024: An officer was dispatched to the ice rink for a theft of $100 by an employee. Video footage captured the theft, and the money was eventually relinquished by the suspect. A citation and parent notification letter were issued. The suspect was barred from the property indefinitely.
2-24-2024: A woman reported she believed her neighbors were dumping food over the fence into her yard.
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Last week, someone described this winter season as “the winter that wasn’t,” after snowplowing for our township for over 30 years; I think this is a perfect description. This year has definitely been way beyond unusual.
……The Winters That Were
During our plowing years, winter's end was always an interesting time for us. As the snowbanks melted, we never knew what we might find. Usually, it was damaged mailboxes, busted-up sign posts, damaged lawns, grader parts lost while plowing, and a host of other issues. But a smashed-up car? And the humorous part of this story is that no one realized this until the spring thaw.
It was the spring of 1998, and as the snow began to melt and as the crocuses started peeking through the snow, we were shocked, to say the least, to see Grandpa Onchuck’s old Citation peeking through the snow bank, emerging from the mounds of snow, all smashed to smithereens.
Even though the old girl was a “beater” and had seen better days, she still had some life left, and Grandpa still used her when driving back and forth to his son's farm to help with the chores.
He had bought a newer car and that winter was allowing the Citation to hibernate. Not foreseeing the enormous amount of snow that winter would bring, pappy had parked it too close to the snowplow turnaround. So out of sight - out of mind, the grader operator, (this time not Dennis), had forgotten it was there. As the winter snow began building up, the snowbanks increased. The plowman, thinking he was pushing the snowbank back, was actually climbing up on top of the car. The grader’s engine noise muffled the sound of crushing metal and breaking glass.
Even though the old girl ended up "Off the Road," Dennis, the "King of Surgical Transplanting," managed to salvage the starter, heater, motor, headlights, tires, and just about everything else he could disassemble to donate to other vehicles. Thus, she became a "vehicle" donor who gave life to other cars before she went to that great "junkyard on Earth."
Sadly, Grandpa passed away the following winter, but we still have the pictures and memories that continue to bring us smiles and laughter.
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Davette Lynne Hrabak, CPA discusses rates, exemptions, and limits; education grants; standard deductions; and Health Savings Accounts. Each section is in bold for ease of finding the information you may need.
For a free, no obligation quote, call Davette at 715-339-6638. Her office is located between the lion statues at 164 South Lake Avenue in Phillips.
By: Davette Lynne Hrabak, CPA, CFE, CBM, ATA, ATP, ABA, ECS, CGMA “When it comes to taxes, save the lion’s share; enter between the lions to get this special care.” https://www.DavetteLynneHrabak.com
2023 TAX YEAR QUICK TAX FACTS - RATES, EXEMPTIONS, AND LIMITS
Each year the IRS releases and revises various rates, exemptions, and limits, some of which are listed below:
Standard mileage rates are available to taxpayers in certain situations. The current rates for the filing of your 2023 income tax return are as follows:
Business Standard Mileage Rate: 65.5 cents per mile
Medical and Moving Standard Mileage Rate: 22 cents per mile
Charitable Standard Mileage Rate: 14 cents per mile
Gift Tax Annual Exclusion: $17,000
Each person’s tax situation is unique. Sometimes the only deduction available is a standard rate and other times the taxpayer has an option to choose to use standard rates or actual amounts. The circumstances of which is most appropriate to use must be looked at on a case-by-case basis for each taxpayer; rarely are any two taxpayers’ situations identical.
2023 STUDENT EDUCATIONAL GRANTS CAN BE TAXABLE
Many taxpayers are surprised to learn that some of the money that their children receive from scholarships and grants may be taxable.
It is true that there is a Scholarship and Fellowship Exclusion; however, this is only a partial exclusion based on how the funds are used, and, in order to qualify for that exclusion, the person must be a degree candidate. The degree candidate must also be a primary or secondary school student, a college undergraduate or graduate student, or a part-time or full-time student at an accredited educational institution that provides a program that is acceptable for full credit towards a bachelor’s or higher degree. The program that the school offers must be a program of training to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation.
If the person is not a degree candidate, all amounts received are generally taxable.
If the person is a degree candidate, then only amounts used on tuition fees, books, supplies, and equipment are tax-free. Any amounts spent on room & board and travel are taxable. This, at times, causes some confusion among many taxpayers and can result in some students inadvertently doing their tax returns incorrectly.
Scholarships and fellowships include items such as Pell Grants and other Title IV Grants that are need-based education grants.
There are, however, additional exceptions to this, including if the scholarship or grant was provided by a tribe subject to the Tribal General Welfare Act.
STANDARD DEDUCTIONS
Almost every year there are changes to the amounts for the standard deduction. As you probably know, if you do not itemize a tax return, you are entitled to take a standard deduction. If you are able to itemize, and if your itemized deduction is higher than your standard deduction, then you take your itemized deduction.
The standard deductions for this year are:
Married Filing Joint or Qualified Widow or Widower Filing Status: $27,700
Single Filing Status: $13,850
Head of Household Filing Status: $20,800
Married Filing Separately Filing Status: $13,850
Dependent Filing Status: $1,250
HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNTS (HSAs)
You may have heard about Health Savings Accounts. They are a savings account that is set up and used exclusively for paying for qualified medical expenses for the account beneficiary and/or dependents and/or spouse of the beneficiary.
They are a valuable tool to help assist in the costs of individual and family health care.
If you qualify for a Health Savings Account, there are differences in limitations based on self-only or family coverage.
For 2023, some of the limitation cut-offs are as follows:
For Self-only Coverage:
Contribution (deduction) limit: $3,850
Plan minimum deductible: $1,500
Plan out-of-pocket limit: $7,500
For Family Coverage:
Contribution (deduction) limit: $7,750
Plan minimum deductible: $3,000
Plan out-of-pocket limit: $15,000
There is an annual contribution amount increase of $1,000 for anyone who is age 55 or older.
Remember, if you have already filed but realize that you could have had a credit or deduction that you missed, it is not too late; you can always amend your return. If you need more information or believe you could qualify for them, I would be happy to give you a free quote on the preparation of your return.
When the right tax and financial advice is essential, talk to someone with an unmatched level of knowledge, experience, and education. A CPA understands the business of taxes and finance and can provide trusted advice and services during the tax season and throughout the calendar year.
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Davette Lynne Hrabak, CPA, located at 164 South Lake Avenue in Phillips, specializes in tax return preparation, business start-up services, consulting, bookkeeping, payroll, and all your accounting needs. Call 715-339-6638 or visit Davette's website. Follow her Facebook page.
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