WCR 10 24

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Register

W A S H B U R N

C O U N T Y

Wednesday, October 24, 2012 Vol. 124, No. 10 • Shell Lake, Wis.

Weekend watch

• Haunted Schoolhouse, SLAC. • Free community breakfast, Spooner. • Free Halloween party, St. Francis de Sales in Spooner. • Shell Lake FFA corn maze See Events page 8

wcregisteronline.co m

INSIDE

Oct. 24, 2012

75¢

Conquerors

Rest assured Page 20

SPORTS

Rails season ends at hands of Bears See pages 12-13 On top of their world. AJ Christner and Braiden Rau met at the top of the wall at Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center. Each took a different way and each had a different approach, but they both reached the same goal. The rock-climbing wall is a favorite of most students. More pictures of the trip on page 11. — Photo by Larry Samson

Nightmare at the Haunted Schoolhouse

Report card day

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BREAKERS

Got an idea for a story? E-mail us @ wcregister@centurytel.net

SHELL LAKE — Trick-or-treaters will be out and about. Wednesday, Oct. 31, is the time of year when costumed children will be walking around the neighborhood trick-or-treating. Shell Lake trick-or-treaters should be done visiting houses between 8:30 and 9 p.m. Residents of Lakeland Manor will welcome trick-or-treaters from 4-7 p.m. Starting at 4:30 p.m., the Shell Lake Area Fire Department personnel will be handing out fire-prevention and safety materials to adults as well as children along with treats. There may also be an opportunity to tour a fire truck. The Shell Lake Student Council will be trick-or-treating for the food pantry between the hours of 5 and 8 p.m. Members will cover the entire community of Shell Lake, but only approach those homes that have their porch light on. If you are interested in making a tax-deductible cash donation, please make checks payable to the Washburn County Food Pantry. If you don’t plan to be home on Halloween, and want to ensure the student council picks up your donation of food, coats, or cash, you may call 715-468-7814, Ext. 1231. Drivers need to be extra alert as there will be more children on the streets and sidewalks – and those kids may be focused on gathering candy and the excitement of the holiday rather than being careful while crossing streets. — with submitted information ••• STATEWIDE - Early, in-person absentee voting began Monday, Oct. 22, throughout Wisconsin. Municipal clerks are expecting a lot of traffic. In the last few presidential elections, Wisconsin voters had three full weeks and three weekends to vote early at their local clerk’s office. The Legislature changed that, and this year the window is just two weeks and one weekend starting Monday and running through Nov. 2. Despite the smaller window, Government Accountability Board spokesman Reid Magney says clerks are still bracing for high numbers of early voters, “I think we’re figuring it’s going to be about the same. The interest in early voting or in-person absentee voting goes up every major election.” This is especially true in larger cities. Neil Albrecht is the executive director of the city of Milwaukee Election Commission. He says there’s a good chance lines for early voting there will run outside of the building some days. “We don’t necessarily expect fewer people, but we feel that they will be pressed in a much smaller period of time.” Albrecht says 32,000

See Early voting, page 3

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Shell Lake, Spooner high schools and Birchwood elementary get high marks in DPI report

by Gary King Register editor WASHBURN COUNTY - Schools in Wisconsin received a “report card” from the state Department of Public Instruction this week and at

least three of the county’s public schools - Shell Lake High School, Spooner High School and Birchwood Elementary - will be proud to show them to parents in their respective districts. The report cards rate each school on a scale of 0 to 100 based on how well they did in five categories over the past three years - including student achievement and growth, closing gaps and college and career readiness. Shell Lake High School scored a 74.7, earning an “exceeds expectations” notation from See Report cards, page 3

Pinter committed

WASHBURN COUNTY - A 52-year-old Sarona man will be committed to a mental institution for 40 years after entering a no-contest plea to killing his brother in July of 2011 at the family home on CTH M near Long Lake. James Pinter told authorities that he suspected his brother, John, of trying to steal from him. John’s body was found in a camper with a shotgun wound

James Pinter

to his head. On Tuesday, Oct. 16, Pinter reached a plea agreement and entered a no-contest plea to second-degree intentional homicide. A criminal complaint filed in the case showed Pinter had mental health issues and had refused to take his medication after his mother passed away, causing him to act irrationally.

County’s property value down 4 percent Levy goes up slightly

by Jessica Beecroft Conner Register staff writer WASHBURN COUNTY – The Washburn County Board of Supervisors heard the 2013 budget and levy information presented by finance director Michael Keefe. According to Keefe, Washburn County’s tax levy rate indicates the actual-rated levy based on equalized value. “The tax rate is adjusted each year for the change in property taxes required in the annual budget in relation to the increase or decrease of existing property value and the added

value of new property development.” As of Sept. 1, 2012, the total equalized property value in Washburn County is down from last year by 4.32 percent, Keefe told county supervisors at their regular monthly meeting Tuesday, Oct. 16. Keefe presented the 2013 budget and levy information and noted that the value of all taxable property in the county is $2,410,305,400, a decrease of $108,880,500 from 2011. Countywide property values, as reflected in the equalized valuations, are decreasing in most See County, page 3


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