On Wednesday, December 14, 2022, the Minocqua Police Department was informed there was a suspicious vehicle in the area. When officers went to the scene, the vehicle was gone.
Since a license plate number was reported to the police, they found the vehicle was registered to Cody J. Huebner, 32, of Shawano. He had a Probation Warrant for his arrest.
Minocqua Police Department officers were able to locate the vehicle in a business parking lot. They attempted to make contact with Huebner, who was entering the vehicle. When approached, Huebner, continued to get into the vehicle and led law enforcement on a high speed pursuit southbound on Highway 51. In the Hazelhurst area, Huebner crashed his vehicle. He then ran on foot into the woods. Huebner pointed a handgun toward of one of the pursuing officers, telling the officer that he was not going back to jail.
In the on-foot pursuit, Huebner attempted to enter a home but was unable to gain entry. He then found an unlocked vehicle in a driveway. It had keys inside, and Huebner stole the vehicle.
While driving away, Huebner struck one of the deputies, who received injuries that are not life threatening.
Huebner led law enforcement on an eight mile chase, which reached speeds in excess of 80 miles per hour on ice covered roads. Huebner then exited the car and ran into the woods near Little Bearskin Lake.
After approximately two hours, Huebner and was arrested in the area of South Shore Road and Pollnow Road, which is in the Town of Cassian.
Huebner was taken to the Oneida County Jail where he is at this time. He is being held for a Probation Warrant. Charges related to this incident will be added in the next few days.
Personnel from the Minocqua Police Department, the Woodruff Police Department, the Rhinelander Police Department, the Vilas County Sheriff’s Office, the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, the Oneida County Emergency Services, and the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office were involved in the situation that led to Huebner's arrest.
In late September, Category 4 Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida. Its destruction left one Phillips resident, Sandy Krueger, without her summer home that she purchased in July 2022. It was located in Port Charlotte, northwest of Fort Myers. It was eight miles from the house of her eldest son, DJ, who is a graduate of Prentice High School. DJ's house survived the hurricane.
Sandy was raised in Wisconsin, but moved to Florida as a young woman to work for a cruise line. Thirteen years later, her home at the time, located in Davie, Florida, survived Hurricane Katrina but was destroyed by Hurricane Wilma. She moved back to Wisconsin a number of years ago and wanted to stay long enough that her youngest son, Andrew, could complete high school in Phillips. He will graduate in 2025. Upon his graduation, her plan was to make her summer home in Florida her permanent residence. With the loss of her Florida home, however, Sandy was undecided if she would rebuild or not.
Seeing the devastation in Florida when she visited her property, Sandy decided to reach out to the schools to see if they could help collect dry goods and personal hygiene items that she could deliver on her next trip to Florida. Schools in Phillips, Prentice, and Medford, along with a line dancing class in Stetsonville, filled up her truck with donations of all kinds. She delivered the items to Floridians who could not get to food distribution centers due to having their cars underwater with no way to travel.
Two months later, more destruction hit, this time in the form of a fire that destroyed their permanent residence on Raskie Road in Phillips. Fortunately, no one was home the night of the fire. Sandy explained they were not home that night, because "we had a problem with the water heater and I’d been meaning to call the electrician all week for problems with lights in the kitchen." Her son did not want to stay at the home with the lighting and hot water heater issues, so they went to a nearby motel. That night they got a call that their house was on fire.
Sandy added, "My life’s theme song is from a show called 'Hee Haw.' The song goes, 'If it weren’t for bad luck, I’d have no luck at all.'"
The luck they did have, though, is that no one was injured in the blaze. However, the home is a total loss. Sandy shared, "The worst part is my husband passed away last year, and all my memories of him were in the house."
Not only did they lose their personal belongings, but Sandy lost the inventory for her Lego business. She has been selling new and used Legos by piece or as whole sets plus selling the empty boxes and instruction manuals since 2018. She said she loves her job but wasn't aware of her insurance needs. "I didn’t know I needed separate insurance for my Legos, so none of that is covered."
When My Price County / My Northern Wisconsin reached out to Sandy, she wasn't sure if she should ask to raise funds. "It’s hard being the one who needs help. I’m always the one who is there to help others," she admitted. However, her son stated it might be nice to get help replacing the Christmas presents they lost. Sandy said monetary donations would also help them with temporary lodging and re-starting her Lego business. To donate, you can contact Sandy at 715-657-0867, send checks to Sandra Krueger, W6908 Raskie Road, Phillips, WI 54555, or donate on GoFundMe at https://www.gofundme.com/f/63fhv3-house-fire.
According to the Price County Sheriff's Office, the cause of the fire is under investigation.
The Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a multiple vehicle crash on December 10, 2022 at 3:21 p.m. It was reported the crash had injuries. Emergency services, including the Sawyer County Sheriff’s Office, the Sawyer County Ambulance Service, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the fire departments of Bass Lake, Stone Lake, Town of Hayward and City of Hayward, responded to State Highway 27 near the Henks Road intersection in the Town of Bass Lake.
According to the Sawyer County Sheriff's Office, "Initial investigation and eye witness statements indicated that a 2001 Mitsubishi Montero operated by Sarah M. Cleeton, 64, of Exeland traveled northbound on State Highway 27. Cleeton lost control of the vehicle, crossed the centerline, and collided head-on with a southbound 2015 Chevrolet Malibu operated by Terrell J. Boettcher, 72, of Hayward. A 2008 Ford F-150 operated by Jared T. Lane, 37, of Hayward, which was also northbound, collided with the rear of the Chevrolet Malibu and entered the ditch of State Highway 27.
"A passenger in the Cleeton vehicle, John E. Peterson, 77, of Ojibwa sustained life threatening injuries and was transported to the Hayward Area Memorial Hospital where he was later pronounced deceased."
Sustaining serious injuries, Cleeton and Boettcher were transported to the Hayward Memorial Hospital. They were later transferred to a Duluth area hospital, but the extent of their injuries are unknown to police at this time. The driver of the Ford F-150 did not sustain any injuries in the accident.
The accident remains under investigation but weather conditions appeared to be a factor.
A favorite event from the past is returning to the Price County Fair, which will be held from August 23 to August 27, 2023.
"We've been listening, we've been hard at work over the years, and the wheels behind the scenes have been turning and burning the last few months," board members of the Price County Fair announced.
On Saturday, August 26, 2023, fair goers will have a big night of entertainment in the grandstands with the return of the demolition derby known as the Smash 'n Crash Dirt Dash and Demolition Derby.
Along with the demolition derby, where FWD and unibody vehicles will compete, dirt dashes will also take place. There will be five events. Participants can build one car, pay one entry fee, and run one or all five events, as follows:
The demolition derby and dirt dash events are not the only entertainment coming to the fair in August 2023. The fair has also secured The Dweebs, who will be performing on Thursday, August 24, 2023. The band sings hits from the 1960s through the 2020s. Sunday, August 27, 2023 will bring a polka performance by Richie Yurkovich & Polkariety plus Roger Lee will feature 1970s and 1980s country music. The full schedule will not stop there.
The fair board is lining up more exciting events and entertainment, but they can always use some extra assistance to have enough funds to make a great fair. If you'd like to help with their fundraising efforts, you can either donate an item or money to them or purchase one of one hundred squares for $20 per square. The current item to be won is a CenterPoint Amped 425 crossbow, and anyone who purchases a square has a one in 100 chance of winning the crossbow. Contact the Price County Fair on thePrice County Fair's Facebook page. to purchase a square.
Reports received by the police departments in Price County for the month have been condensed and summarized.
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PRICE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
10/31/22 - Park Falls: A man called stating his girlfriend had stolen his kitchen cabinets, clothes, tools, and a cell phone charger. He texted the woman asking her to bring the items back to the house.
10/31/22 - Catawba: A man reported poachers in the field near his residence.
11/3/22 - Phillips: A woman reported she was out of town on vacation from October 18th through October 25th. When she arrived home, she noticed there was something wrong with her entry door. When she had her neighbor look at it, the neighbor noticed marks that looked like they were made with a screwdriver like someone had attempted to break into the woman's house while she was gone. She did not believe they succeeded nor did it appear anything was missing.
11/3/22 - Park Falls: A man reported noise in the former paper mill as if someone was driving a forklift around. An intrusion did occur and things had been moved around in the building, according to an officer.
11/12/22 - Prentice: A woman reported she was in a car accident. She hit a tree. She reported that she and her passenger had injuries.
11/13/22 - A woman reported hitting a patch of ice and sliding off the roadway. She stated she was about 15 feet off the road in a tree line and could no longer see the road.
11/13/22 - Fifield: A man reported seeing a male and female in a business with flashlights.
11/13/22 - Phillips: A man reported a two-vehicle accident with an injury.
11/13/22 - A woman reported sliding off the road into the ditch.
11/14/22 - A tip was received reporting concern for the welfare of several animals.
11/14/22 - Fifield: A person reported a dog seen chained up outside for days without shelter that looked malnourished.
11/14/22 - Phillips: A woman reported sliding into the ditch.
11/17/22 - Phillips: A woman gave an informational report regarding a white Ford utility van being in the area, stopping at different residences asking about gas lines, stating they were from a utility company doing a survey of the area.
11/17/22 - Phillips: A woman called 911 to report a one-vehicle rollover accident. People were trying to get the trapped occupant out of the vehicle. Once freed, the occupant said they did not have any injuries other than being cold and wet. The same was true for the passenger of the vehicle.
11/17/22 - Phillips: A woman reported her daughter slid off the roadway and hit a tree. The girl was not injured but the vehicle was damaged.
11/17/22 - Fifield: A man reported a vehicle slid off the roadway but the driver was not injured. The vehicle had damage.
11/17/22 - Prentice: A woman reported a man came into a business where her son works, gave him $100, and told him to tell another worker there that he said "hello." However, neither of the employees knew the man.
11/18/22 - Phillips: A woman received a scam call from a person stating he was her grandson, Josh, and someone else who got on the phone, stating to be an attorney, said it was okay to send the money and provided a case number. The woman did not give any money to anyone on the call.
11/18/22 - A man reported statements made to him by another man while in the woods adjacent to his property. The man said, "You will not have a pleasant hunt tomorrow," and he was yelling and screaming.
11/19/22 - Brantwood: A woman called to report a fire. She believed it was a chimney fire with flames going up into the attic.
11/19/22 - A Price County Highway Department truck struck a light pole.
11/21/22 - Kennan: A man reported someone damaged the lock on his front door and broke into his residence. He believed it was broken into by family members.
11/22/22 - The Wisconsin Department of Corrections asked deputies arrest a man for violating the terms of his supervision as the man failed to have his monitor charged for one hour.
11/23/22 - A person reported 25 horses confined to a small fenced-in area. The person felt there was not adequate space for the number of horses.
11/26/22 - A police officer reported being on foot in pursuit of multiple subjects at the old paper mill in Park Falls. Other officers responded and three subjects were detained on the ground.
11/27/22 - Catawba: A person reported a bull walking around the area.
(Article continues after promotional message) SUPPORT LOCAL EVENTS: Support getting great entertainment at the Price County Fair and helping maintain fair equipment by purchasing a square for $20. Have a 1 in 100 chance of winning a crossbow! Contact the Price County Fair on thePrice County Fair's Facebook page to buy a square. The fair is coming to Phillips from August 23-27, 2023! Visit the Price County Fair's website for updates about the fair.
PHILLIPS POLICE DEPARTMENT
11/1/22: Police were requested to assist the Price County Sheriff's Department with a domestic abuse situation where the suspect was reported to have firearms in his possession. The officer responded, gathered information from the victim, and waited with the parties involved as the deputies made the scene safe. One male was arrested for multiple violations.
11/2/22: Received a report of a male individual who caused a disturbance at the Phillips School District pool in the City of Phillips. Officers spoke with the male individual at his residence and will be citing him for City of Phillips Municipal Disorderly Conduct.
11/4/22: Received a report of a vehicle that had failed to stop for a Phillips school bus stop arm and lights on November 3, 2022. An officer collected a statement form and was able to identify the vehicle and driver that had failed to stop. An officer issued a state citation for failure to stop for a school bus.
11/5/22: Responded to a report of a fire alarm going off at an apartment complex in the City of Phillips. After meeting with the tenant and checking the apartment, it was determined to have been set off by food cooking on the stove. An officer was able to reset the fire alarm.
11/5/22: Received a report of potential stalking and criminal damage to property. An officer met with the complainant. The matter is under investigation.
11/7/22: Received a report of students consuming alcohol on school grounds. One student was cited for underage possession or consumption of alcohol.
11/8/22: Received a report of sexually explicit material being shared by students at the Phillips High School. The incident is under investigation.
11/10/22: Noticed an overheating boiler at a city building. Officers contacted the Department of Public Work's and were instructed to shut the boiler down. Officers did this and returned to patrol.
11/11/22: Received a report of a suspicious person looking in vehicles at a local school. Officers responded and were unable to locate the person.
11/15/22: Phillips Police Department to report striking a utility pole while turning into an entrance of a business in the City of Phillips. Information was taken for a report. Damage appeared minor to vehicle and no damage to utility pole.
11/21/22: Received a report of a person falling through the ice on Lake Duroy. An officer responded and located a male juvenile who was fine and hadn't fallen through the ice.
11/22/22: Dispatched to an apartment complex in the City of Phillips for a report of an odor of illicit drugs being smoked from one of the apartments. An officer responded, confirmed the odor, and was able to identify which apartment the odor was coming from. An officer applied for a search warrant. One adult male was arrested for possession of THC, drug paraphernalia, and felony bail jumping.
11/23/22: Received a report of a male individual who attempted to pass a counterfeit $100 bill at a local grocery store in the City of Phillips. An officer is investigating this matter.
11/24/22: Received information of possible drug activity at a residence in the City of Phillips. This matter is under investigation.
11/29/22: Responded to a report of an adult male being disorderly at the Phillips High School. Officers arrived and escorted the male off school grounds. The male was informed he is no longer allowed on school grounds.
11/30/2022: Police were advised by Price County Dispatch of a report of a sex crime. Phillips Police responded, and this matter is under investigation.
11/30/2022: Phillips Police assisted the Price County Sheriff's Department and the Phillips Fire Department with traffic control at a house fire just outside the City of Phillips.
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PARK FALLS POLICE DEPARTMENT
11/3/22: Received a report of subjects trespassing in the former Park Falls paper mill complex. It was determined that an intrusion had indeed occurred. A search of the building was conducted and photographs were taken.
11/2/22: An officer responded to a residence for the report of a deer that had been shot. The deer was located in the reporting party's back yard.
11/3/22: An officer responded to a residence due to a report of a dead deer laying in someone's yard. The officer observed the deer had been shot by an arrow and left. The deer was removed by the DPW.
11/4/22: An officer spoke with a subject who believed artificial intelligence (AL) had entered his phone and is possibly a security threat. The person was advised to contact the Federal Communications Commission.
11/11/22: It was observed, through a window, that a male was smoking illegal substances in a residence. A male was arrested and transported to the Price County Jail. Two other individuals will have criminal charges referred to the district attorney.
11/11/22: Patrons at a bar requested law enforcement due to an intoxicated male driving a UTV into a victim's vehicle. The officer located the suspect in his UTV as he had crashed into a pallet of wood at a business. The suspect received numerous citations and was arrested for UTV OWI.
11/12/22: A male was seen removing siding boards from a building owned by the City of Park Falls that is in the process of being torn down. The male was warned to leave the boards and not to enter the property.
11/20/22: An officer received information that juveniles had entered the paper mill building and set off fire extinguishers. A mill employee would like an officer to meet with him to provide camera footage.
11/22/22: An officer responded with an Ashland County deputy to a local business to speak with numerous victims and suspects regarding an Ashland County battery case.
11/24/22: Concerned citizens reported that a portion of the fence that surrounds the Park Falls airport appeared to be damaged. An officer responded to the location and found that someone had cut a portion of the fence.
11/26/22: A complaint of a deer carcasses being dumped in the ATV trailhead on Airport Road was received.
11/26/22: Due to two recent intrusions to the paper mill complex, an officer was conducting surveillance of the property and observed subjects on the property inside Gate 7. Later review of the surveillance cameras inside the complex shows the suspects once again entered the building. Three subjects were ultimately apprehended and taken into custody. Criminal charges were to be referred to the Price County District Attorney for this incident and two prior incidents.
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Most of us assume a library board meeting is going to be rather bland, but that has not been the case over the past few months at Phillips Public Library board meetings as books have been challenged and a budget has been approved.
At the last regular library board meeting, a budget was passed, which faced some support and some scrutiny in the public eye. Even though a subcommittee was formed and the board approved the budget, Becky Steinbach, the vice president of the library board, felt Becky Puhl, the library director, has gotten the brunt of the scrutiny. Some members of the public were stating that Director Puhl had a hand in passing the budget, which included a raise for her and her staff. The library director does prepare various budgets and present them to the library board. The library board votes to approve a budget.
Becky Steinbach called the special meeting for two main reasons. First, she wanted the board to consider making a statement that the budget was voted on and approved by the board to remove the target off Director Puhl. She stated there was a social media post that she felt needed to be addressed, as well.
Bruce Marshall, a long-standing library board member, asked if he could see the post, and Becky Steinbach passed out a social media post which was made by Scott Hueckman on both his personal and business Facebook pages. Scott is the husband of a board member, Meredith Hueckman.
The post made by Scott Hueckman on October 27, 2022 is as follows:
"Tonight, Becky Puhl, the Phillips Library director was awarded a 9% raise to $63,384 per annum. It was a raise of $5,232.24 (per annum, not including the addition variable costs that are incurred with a higher salary---paid by YOUR local tax dollars).
Meanwhile, the board cut the book budget from $32,000 (per annum) to $23,000--Becky Puhl creates and maintains the library budgets, which are then approved or disapproved by the board. To connect the dots, Becky Puhl suggested that SHE receive a substantial raise by cutting the book budget, which she received. There were other cuts to material, supplies, and media, while other raises were given.
Imagine a library that has $330,000 yearly budget and only $23,000 of it is spent on books! You can stop imagining---it exists in your town.
Furthermore, in 53 libraries in the IFLS More Library systems, during 2020 and 2021, our library was shut down more than any other library in the system. The MORE Library systems are in west central Wisconsin and includes Eau Claire (3), Chippewa Falls, and Hudson. It also includes Ogema and Ladysmith and other local libraries, primarily to the west. Of the towns and cities, Phillips has one of the smallest populations and is in the lower 1/3 of the circulation of all of the 53 libraries. Yet, with this raise, Becky Puhl is the 11th highest paid library director in the system.
Becky Puhl received a large raise, while being quoted as saying (during a public meeting) she was "afraid" to go to work during the pandemic (while many other libraries were open).
Becky Pohl compared her salary to the city clerk Shelby Kosmer (desiring a similar amount). Shelby performed her duties as city clerk during the pandemic. Becky did not have the library fully open for 20 months during 2020 and 2021. All the while, her brethren from the city, the police, and other city services were fully open. Yet, she and others received full pay during all of those months, all while the circulation of the library plummeted.
But wait, there is more!!!
Becky Puhl gave herself the largest dollar raise out of any other employee on the staff (she drafts the budgets herself). She suggested cuts of $9,000 in the book budget (and other places in the budget) and presented in the library budget a large raise for herself and received a $5,304 raise. So, 59% of the book cuts, went to Becky Puhl's salary increase.
Voting YES for this were Rebecca Steinbach, Brittany Weisrock, Galen Azbell, Laura Tomaszewski, and Mark Peterson.
I ask the citizens of Phillips and Price County to call for her resignation. Also, I ask for the county board to investigate the current board to see if there is any collusion of board member appointments (AKA Becky Puhl hand selecting her own board)."
People commented on his social media posts, both in support of and against the content of the original post.
Becky Steinbach added that further comments were made to Director Puhl at a city meeting. Becky Steinbach felt Becky Puhl was getting threats, though she clarified they were not physical threats. Becky stated, "They are attacks on her integrity, on her position, on her standing within the library, and within our community." In reviewing the audio of the Common Council meeting from November 8, 2022, My Price County did not hear any threats being made or names being called during the meeting. There was, however, a discussion by city department heads about why the library staff members were getting pay increases and keeping the excess money from their budget every year when other city workers and departments were not keeping their excess funds or getting such pay increases. It was mentioned that property taxes may need to be increased to cover city costs. Scott Hueckman's Facebook post was not mentioned at the meeting. My Price County reached out to Director Puhl, inquiring about any threats she may have received; she stated she appreciated the concern but was advised not to make a comment.
"I don't see its fair for her to continually take the heat, and I would like for the board to clarify that," Becky Steinbach said at the special meeting, regarding the scrutiny she says Becky Puhl has faced in the community.
Bruce Marshall said, "I don't think it's our duty to absolutely defend our director. I think it is appropriate to point out it's not the director's budget; it's our budget."
Further discussion went on regarding the social media post in question. Meredith clarified that she did not write the post; her husband did.
Bruce added, "I don't care if this was Meredith's post. We didn't take an oath of fidelity or loyalty to the library or to the city or to the Wisconsin Library Association or the American Library Association, or anyone else. We are here as members of the public."
The second reason Becky Steinbach called the special meeting was to propose an ethics policy for removal of a board member if a board member chose to speak out against the library board. Bruce responded, "I think it's a terrible, terrible precedent to be going after or even thinking of going after any board member....If this had been Meredith's or my post, or Galen's, or yours. Becky, you posted some stuff awhile go that I didn't agree with." Bruce was referring to a social media post of Becky Steinbach where members of the public, including board members, expressed their opinions about library matters, such as challenged books and the views of library board members. On other social media posts and at library board meetings, some members of the community called those who challenged the books "bigots" and suggested the removal of board members. Strong opinions have been shown by all viewpoints of the topic; those opinions may not have always been expressed in a positive manner.
Talking about social media posts in general, and not any one specific post, Bruce explained that when a person writes down their thoughts, they should take a day to be calmer and cooler in thought so they can revise their message to be more appropriate. "Don't exercise your right to be an idiot, whoever you are," Bruce gave as sage advice. He advised a level of civility, which he believes the library board has been doing a good job of and followed during these times of differing opinions on the challenged books. "If we can attempt not to exercise our rights to the exact extreme and be constructive and civil....We can't deal with anybody sitting out here or anybody in the public or anybody commenting on social media. We can't control what they have to say. I would strongly urge all of us to attempt not to unnecessarily create problems."
Brittany Weisrock, a library board member, said Scott Hueckman's post was brought to her attention by someone else and they were just a little surprised because, "I just saw her. I thought we were mostly okay." She added that she agrees that anyone can post what they want as it is their right to do so.
Meredith added, "One clarification. Not to be picky, but it wasn't my post." A couple board members discussed if they should tell their spouses not to post such things on Facebook. Meredith stated she did not feel it was appropriate to tell her husband what to post as he is his own person. "Like Bruce said, it is our Freedom of Speech, the First Amendment. And I'm not going to tell him [what to do], good or bad, no judgement...." To add some humor, Bruce joked, "Please don't blame my wife for me!"
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Jenny Markle, a library board member, stated, "My personal response to social media is that I ignore it. It goes away. It's emotional. It's transient. And it goes away. And the more we give credibility to it by reacting to it, the longer it lingers."
Jenny then made a motion to not make an official response to the social media post but that when the official version of the budget gets passed, as there were some budgeting errors that need to be corrected on the one they last approved, that a statement can be made on the library's website stating the board is the one who approved the budget. Her motion passed.
The second item on the agenda, conduct, responsibilities, and removal of a board member, was then discussed more fully. Becky Steinbach passed out a two-page document entitled, "Special Meeting of the Library Board 11/10/2022 - Statement prepared by Becky Steinbach, Board Vice President" to board members regarding her thoughts on if Meredith Hueckman should be removed from the board given her husband's social media post. Becky's document stated the post was "beyond the scope of what is appropriate and ethical behavior, spurred on and potentially committed by a board member. The board member spoke directly against the board's majority vote decisions and spread half-truths and un-truths entirely about the Director and Board. In doing so, this put the library employees and Director in direct line of anger, vitriol, demands of resignation, and threats. The Director has faced criticism and hatred regarding matters that are of and for the Board, including being targeted at a City Council meeting regarding the board-passed budget, as well as being questioned by a County Board member regarding this and board policies and bylaws. The board member, in spreading this misinformation, has directly harmed and acted against the board and the library itself." She further goes on to say, "If we choose as a board, we could ask for her resignation based on behavior not befitting a board member." She stated, "Meredith spoke against the board's decision during COVID as well and any board member who attempts to undermine the vote of the board after the fact is only hurting the library. Being one of the driving forces behind challenging books (and asking for their total removal in challenge forms) is also counter to board member expectations for public libraries. The board's options in this situation: -Request Meredith recuse herself from the Board -If Meredith refuses, vote to send a request to the mayor to remove her from the board -Formally remind Meredith of the expectations and ethical considerations of being a board member - Nothing; continue as is."
There was no time given to discuss Scott Hueckman's post in-depth to determine if any of the content was "misinformation." There also was no time given to read Becky's document at the meeting, but to further explain the reasoning for her document, Becky Steinbach stated, "It would be a disservice to our board, to the library, and to the library director and staff to not adopt, at the very least, an ethics policy for our board members." She felt it was inappropriate and unethical to call for the resignation of a staff member, which had occurred in Scott's social media post. Because of it, Becky was giving the resignation or removal of a board member as an option.
Bruce disagreed about forming an ethics policy. He said anyone on the board can trash another board member if they want to given Freedom of Speech. He added that he feels it is a terrible idea to exercise that right, but everyone has that right. He added there is no legal authority to do anything to a board member.
Jenny reiterated, "She [Meredith] told us herself that she did not write that post, and her husband has taken full responsibility for that post."
Meredith said, "And I did not comment when other board members or their family members did....I stayed out of it."
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Bruce shared more of his thoughts. "Just reading this post, if this post is the sort of thing you are talking about, Becky, there are mistakes in there based on what we just got done talking about with the budget and all that." He went on to say that people in the public eye do face this type of scrutiny just like when people say road workers just stand around with a shovel and don't work, but people in the public eye need to expect both praise and criticism.
Bruce suggested that if board members wanted to make their own personal statements in support of Director Puhl, they could exercise that right, but Becky Steinbach countered that her voice doesn't matter to that group of people. Bruce replied, "Then it doesn't matter to that group."
Becky said, "What about being called a 'pedophile' and a 'groomer?' Because that stuff is happening to her constantly. How can we sit by as a board and let this happen to her?"
Bruce replied, "We can have discussions as a board if we want to put something out that says we absolutely believe there are mistakes being made or evil-intended statements by members of the public and that our library director is neither a pedophile nor a groomer...I think that's probably as effective as most lawsuits over libel and slander. They cause more harm by the repetition of what's going on than by what was initially passed along. You call me a name once; if I sue you and tell you I'm suing you because you called me a name, and now we are going to put the paperwork in the courthouse and now we're going to have a trial about it, now we're going to repeat it, and it becomes more dangerous and damaging than the initial remark had I just ignored it.....What the public says, we can't control that."
Bruce continued, "I wouldn't want us to be evaluating what every board member says. It would put us into really dangerous territory....As a member of the government, First Amendment rights tie in."
The board did not find grounds for removal or make a motion for removal, and Meredith Hueckman has retained her library board position.
After the meeting, My Price County asked Director Becky Puhl, Vice President Becky Steinbach, Scott Hueckman, and Board Member Meredith Hueckman for their comments. Becky Puhl and Becky Steinbach chose not to comment. Scott Hueckman stated he maintains that the board could not refute any facts in his post. Meredith Hueckman stated, "During this review process [of challenged books], the library board has reviewed over 30 children's books that have been challenged by parents and community members for age-inappropriate material. I have not voted to ban any of them, but I believe many should be moved to a more appropriate section in the library. Many have age-inappropriate material, including graphic sexual illustrations and content, anti-white racism, and anti-police propaganda. All of our challenged books had been shelved in the children's section of our library, making them accessible to elementary-aged children 0-12. A 7-year old can visit the library alone and check out any and all of these challenged books without a parent or adult present. I will continue in my efforts to protect the children of our community from inadvertent exposure to age-inappropriate and/or obscene material."
The meeting also brought about discussion of the existence of bylaws and a new Public Comment Policy. As of right now, no one is aware of any bylaws, and the board is considering adopting some in the future. As for public comments, they will now have a 30-minute window and a 3-minute time limit per speaker. There will be a sign-up sheet before the meeting, and the public will speak in the order in which they sign up. The board expressed that written comments are also welcome one week in advance of the scheduled meeting.
The next board meeting is Tuesday, November 29, 2022 at 5 p.m. in the City Council Room at the Municipal Center. While the agenda has not yet been posted, the last challenged book will be discussed with action taken. This book is entitled, "It's Perfectly Normal." The book was purchased by the library in Summer 2022, but it was first published in 1994, though it has been updated since then with new information. It has won many awards but has also faced much criticism. According to the American Library Association, this book has been one of the most frequently challenged books for the last two decades. These book challenges are not unique to Phillips and have been seen across the country. "It's Perfectly Normal" contains images that some find to be sexually-graphic and others feel are educationally-appropriate. The book is listed for ages 10 and up.
My Price County / My Northern Wisconsin could not find one good, unbiased source for our readers to review this book. It is available at the Phillips Public Library for review. We also randomly found some images and text from the book on the Internet. Some are partially blurred or blacked out, though they are not blurred or blacked out in the book. Some readers may find the following links and their images offensive. Click the links at your own discretion.
At a meeting in November, the Lincoln County Board voted to discontinue funding for most Lincoln County Extension Programs. The funding cut will happen starting in 2023.
Two programs will continue to receive funding. The 4-H educator position and 4-H program will still be financially supported. The FoodWIse Nutrition Education Program, which uses SNAP ED federal grant funding, will also still be supported by the county for low-income families.
"It is disheartening and unfortunate that the Board has chosen to eliminate most of its investment in Lincoln County Extension education. We recognize that the board has many difficult budget choices to make on an ongoing basis but the reduction in funding for Extension services will have ripple effects throughout Lincoln County communities," stated Art Lersch, Area Extension Director.
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A press release stated Lincoln County will no longer offer the following services:
"Health & Well – Being/Positive Youth Development Programs – Debbie Moellendorf (e.g. Strong Bodies; mental health related education to adults and youth; Social Norms project; Healthy Minds preventative and other education in conjunction with the Lincoln County Health Department; and AODA education; etc.).
Community Development Programs – Elizabeth McCrank (e.g. organizational assistance for nonprofits and businesses; organizational assistance for local governments; strategic planning for nonprofits; rural broadband expansion planning; housing expansion planning; community health assessment planning; etc.).
Agriculture Programs – Scott Reuss (e.g. Youth Tractor & Machinery Certification Course; Nitrogen enhancement product research plots/nutrient management education for farms to increase crop yields and protect the environment; Nitrogen and sulfur rate effects on winter wheat yield research plots; one on one and group farm consultations; etc.).
Office Support – Becky Kludy (e.g. ability to answer customer questions; ability to sell plat books, ability to assist with food preservation questions and pressure canner testing; soil sample kits, water sample kits; ability to provide in office, email, and phone customer service related to a wide variety of topics; etc.)"
Furthermore, beginning December 12, 2022, the Extension office will not be open to walk-in traffic. Participants in 4-H and FoodWIse will need to make an appointment. For 4-H, questions can be directed to Melissa Yates at melissa.yates@wisc.edu or Art Lersch at art.lersch@wisc.edu or 715-218-5360. FoodWIse inquiries should be directed to Art Lersch at art.lersch@wisc.edu or 715-218-5360.
Lincoln County will no longer be able to access regional and state specialists within the Division of Extension - UW=Madison. Specialist and other educator advice and efforts are only offered to counties that continue to invest in the extension programs.
Deborah Moellendorf, Elizabeth McCrank, Scott Reuss, Melissa Yates, Becky Kludy, Jeni Burton, and Art Lersch, staff members of Lincoln County Extension, express their gratitude to the public "for the tremendous outpouring of community support that has been exhibited for Extension education in recent months, over the past few years, and for at least a century in Lincoln County. It has been our pleasure to serve you and to help create positive community change in local communities."
At the November 8, 2022 Common Council meeting, a motion was passed that will affect all City of Phillips residents.
In the past, city residents would buy a sticker and put the sticker on their garbage bag. Even though garbage pick-up was facilitated by the city, the cost of the sticker covered the cost of the garbage pick-up, and there was no garbage cost to the city. Once a sticker was on the bag and the recycle bin was set out on the curb, the garbage service would then pick up their garbage and recyclables one day per week.
Starting sometime possibly in December or January, (as the city doesn't have a set date yet), things will change. The city will still contract with the garbage service to pick up recyclables placed in bins as the city has a grant for this service. These pick-ups may be weekly or every other week; the schedule has yet to be determined.
However, garbage bags will no longer be picked up at the curb with a sticker. Instead, residents will need to contract with a garbage service to get their garbage collected on a regular basis. The city will no longer facilitate this. Mostly likely, yard carts or dumpsters will have to be put out by each resident.
The City of Phillips made this motion at the Common Council meeting on November 8, 2022. It was passed unanimously. Mayor Charles Peterson said some residents would prefer to have the charge placed on their water bill, for example. However, the garbage pick-up service did not like this option because if a city resident did not pay their water bill, they would have been picking up garbage for free for three months and never get paid, according to the deputy clerk-treasurer, Autumn Gedde, who was asked about this days after the meeting. Therefore, putting the garbage bill on the water bill was not an option.
The city plans to give more information to residents in the near future once the contract details get straightened out.
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The Price County Sheriff’s Office is now accepting donations for the 2022 Giving Tree.
Donations of new mittens, gloves, hats, and scarves are being accepted in the lobby of the Sheriff’s Office. Both adult and children’s sizes are being accepted. These items are available to anyone in need in the Sheriff’s Office lobby 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Monetary donations are also being accepted for the 2022 Giving Tree. Last year, local law enforcement agencies were able to help four families from the Park Falls, Phillips, and Prentice School Districts have a merry Christmas. This year, the Sheriff's Office is hoping to help even more families with the help of your generous donations. Please make checks payable to the Price County Sheriff’s Office (and put "Giving Tree" in the memo line), and send to P.O. Box B, Phillips WI, 54555. Donations can also be dropped off at the Sheriff’s Office 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Donations are being accepted through December 2, 2022.
If you have any questions about the program, please contact Alex Prill at 715-339-3011 #4.
After a six-month investigation, members of the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, the Northcentral Drug Enforcement Group (NORDEG), the Rhinelander Police Department, and the Wisconsin Department of Justice-Division of Criminal Investigations arrested David Lassiter, 39; Kimberly Baenen, 36; Ryan Culver, 37; and Jacob Simon, 41, all from Rhinelander, for Conspiracy to Commit Manufacture/Deliver more than 50 Grams of Methamphetamine, and they appeared in court on November 10, 2022.
The investigation involves a drug conspiracy that has occurred over this time period involving methamphetamine delivery in the Northwoods area. These subjects are believed to have distributed approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine. Records indicate that approximately $25,000 was sent to Mexico to the Mexican cartel for the purchase of methamphetamine. A stolen firearm was also recovered during this investigation. Quantities of methamphetamine seized during the course of this investigation have also tested positive for fentanyl.
The NORDEG is currently looking for Benjamin Somers, 35, in connection with this case. Anyone with information about Somers' location should contact the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office at 715-361-5100.
