W A S H B U R N C O U N T Y
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INSIDE
July 29, 2015
Wednesday, July 29, 2015 Vol. 126, No. 50 • Shell Lake, Wis.
We e ke nd w atch Humane society annual thrift sale @ Spooner Genealogical society meeting @ Shell Lake WTA District One rendezvous @ Danbury See calendar on page 6 for details
AEROBATIC PERFORMANCE
75¢
104th Washburn County Fair Pages 11-13
A Day in the Life: SLAC rock band and show choir Page 14
That was then this is now Page 24
BREAKERS
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Washburn County marriage license fee will increase Danielle Danford| Staff writer SHELL LAKE – Effective Jan. 1 2016, couples looking to get married in Washburn County will be paying $10 more. The fee increase was approved on a unanimous roll-call vote by the Washburn County Board of Supervisors at their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, July 22. The $10 increase from each marriage license approved will be forwarded to the Time-Out Family Abuse Shelter on a quarterly basis. Time-Out is a nonprofit organization that provides safe shelter and services to victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault in the tricounty area of Rusk, Washburn and Price counties with outreach offices in Shell Lake and Phillips; the main shelter and office is located in Ladysmith. According to Lolita Olson, Washburn County clerk, the county averages about 100 marriage licenses a year at a $75 fee which is below the state average of an $88 fee. Kelly Swan from the county’s health and human services department is one of 15 members on the Time-Out board.
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Laura Ernst thrilled the crowd of children and adults with her aerobatic show on Saturday, July 25, at the 104th Washburn County Fair. To get to where she is today, she had to attend a special college to learn the skills needed to perform carnival acts. More photos inside. – Photo by Larry Samson
Washburn County Board approves $1.25 million land purchase Danielle Danford | Staff writer SHELL LAKE – “The way we operate, we are very geared toward sustainable management of timber and it’s locally controlled, public land,” said Mike Peterson, Washburn County forest administrator, during his presentation to the Washburn County Board of Supervisors about an 822-acre land acquisition project to purchase properties in the Towns of Springbrook and Trego. The properties are just a portion of lands owned by a private company that owns about 5,200 acres of land in Washburn County. Those properties are now owned by a company called
Meteor Property Investments, a large land-owning company based in Atlanta, Ga. The property in the purchase includes sections 25 and 26 in the Town of Trego and sections 18 and 19 in the Town of Springbrook. Cover types on the property include 386 acres of 24-year-old red pine, 256 acres of 7-year-old red pine, 40 acres of 17-year-old red pine, 32 acres of 45-year-old jack pine, 10 acres of 45-year-old red pine and 53 acres of wetland. The total cost of the property purchase is $1,252,720, funded by a $761,925 stewardship grant and a $490,795 forestry aid project loan. See Board approves, page 3
Spooner Area School District hires dean of students and staff SPOONER — The Spooner Area School District has hired Dr. Brett DeJager as dean of students for the high school. He has a background as a school psychologist, which will support his role in serving students. “The district is thrilled to hire a professional with such profound knowledge in response to intervention,” said Superintendent Michelle Schwab. “His expertise with data, understanding students that struggle, and sharing researchbased practices will benefit all our students and staff.” “I look forward to getting to know the Spooner students and am eager to join the team,” said DeJager. “It will be exciting, creating systems of support and new opportunities for kids resulting in greater success for them.” DeJager received his doctorate degree in school psychology from Minnesota State University, Mankato, before moving to Wisconsin
where he was the school psychologist at the Barron Area School District the last two years. He’s worked closely with developing school-based initiatives and facilitating processes to help students catch up in their academics as well as plan positive reDr. Brett DeJager was inforcement and recently hired as dean of interventions for students for Spooner High students that strugSchool. — Photo submitted gle with social/ See Dean of students, page 3
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