It’s out there
Clashing on the mat
Two-story outhouse is convenience, curiosity
Lakers go 4-2 at national duals
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SATURDAY, JANUARY 7, 2012
SAVAGE
PACER
Savage police officer still in critical condition after crash
SCOTT COUNTY BOARD
Vote to terminate administrator fails Commissioner Wagner cites ‘time for a change’
BY ALEX HALL ahall@swpub.com
A
3 9 -yea r- old Savage police officer is still in critical condition as of Friday morning after he lost control of his squad car on icy roads and struck a tree while responding to a call early Monday. Officer Frank Mackall, of Cottage Grove, was removed from the vehicle by Savage fi refi ghters and airlifted to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, where he remains in critical condition. A press release from the Savage Police Department said that Mackall suffered head injuries in the crash. The crash occurred just after 1 a.m. on Glendale Road near 137th Street, according to the State Patrol. Mackall’s squad car was northbound on Glendale and hit a tree on the west side of the road. A passerby saw the accident and called 911, according to Savage Police Capt. Dave Muelken, however another officer passed the scene prior to the 911 call and had already requested assistance. Police believe Mackall was on his way to assist fellow officers on a prowler call in the area of 131st Street and Glendale Road. As a result, “Officers were able to get there very quickly,” said Muelken. Mackall has been with the Savage Police Department since July 2008. He has a wife, Lisa, and three children. Mackall moved from Ohio to Minnesota in 2004. He worked as a
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BY SHANNON FIECKE sfiecke@swpub.com
Savage Police Officer Frank Mackall patrol officer with the Woodbury Police Department for six months prior to joining the Savage Police Department. “[Mackall] is very active within the department, and very popular within the department,” Muelken said, noting that Mackall has volunteered to serve as a crime scene technician and a property/
evidence technician for the department. Mackall is also among a handful of officers in the department that are trained in crisis intervention. “He’s a very good officer; he has to be to take on that extra responsibility,” said Muelken.
Mackall to page 2 ®
SHOWING OFF FOR THE SENATOR
PHOTO BY ALEX HALL / REPRINTS AT PHOTOS.SAVAGEPACER.COM
Sen. Al Franken watches as Burnsville High School’s FIRST Robotics Team operates their robot during his Thursday visit to the school. He also met with Brooke Delmont’s sixth period Algebra II class and Jeff Nelson’s Honors Algebra III class to talk about the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education in today’s evolving job market. Later in the day, Franken held a K-12 listening session at Burnsville Alternative High School where he asked for feedback on No Child Left Behind as the Senate prepares to reform the bill.
The gloves came off Tuesday morning at the end of a routine Scott County Board meeting after County Commissioner Joe Wagner of Jordan made a motion to terminate Scott County Administrator Gary Shelton and the vote was seconded by Commissioner Dave Menden of Shakopee. The move had been rumored for weeks, with Board Chair Tom Wolf of Credit River Township seen as the swing vote. Commissioners Barbara Marschall of Prior Lake and Jon Ulrich of Savage fought back, with Ulrich accusing Menden and Wagner of going after Shelton for personal reasons. “I’m aware, Commissioner Wagner, that you got yourself involved in a criminal investigation … and you interjected yourself improperly into a situation and you somehow came to believe that the administrator was behind this and wasn’t protecting you,” Ulrich told Wagner, referring to a child-injury case that involved Wagner’s relative. “This is absolutely offensive what you’re saying to me,” Wagner responded. “It’s offensive what you’re doing,”
COMMISSIONER JOE WAGNER WAS INVESTIGATED BY THE WASHINGTON COUNTY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE. SEE PAGE 6 Ulrich said. Wagner, who was hoping for a third vote from Wolf, made the motion to terminate Shelton without providing any rationale, although he asked County Employee Relations Director Jack Kemme to explain the process for termination within Shelton’s contract. Kemme told the Board that Shelton could demand written charges and a public hearing. Menden – a former County sheriff who acknowledged during his campaign to having differences with Shelton – was also short on specifics, although he stated he’s long had trust issues with Shelton. Prior to Tuesday’s meeting, Wagner was fairly tight-lipped, although he called Shelton a “bully” and made an issue of remarks Shelton has made about a side business he owns. “All I’m going to say is it’s time for a change,” Wagner said after Tuesday’s meeting. Ulrich – who made dozens of calls to leaders throughout Scott County in recent weeks to gather support for Shelton – said he talked with around 60 elected or higher officials, and “without exception they were shocked, dismayed and pretty angry about this course of action.”
County Board to page 6 ®
Trail Guide may help keep New Year’s goals A new tool from the city of Savage may help keep New Year’s exercise resolutions intact. The 24-page Savage Trail Guide suggests walking, running and bicycling routes that range from less than a quarter of a mile to nearly 2 miles in length. Funded by a grant from the Carver-Scott Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP), the free guide is intended to help residents incorporate physical activity into their daily lives. “The trail guide offers a variety of routes, so residents can plan walks and rides that match their schedules and fitness levels,” said Savage Recreation Supervisor Chris Dill. The pocket-sized booklet was designed so that it would be easy for residents to keep in their vehicle, stow in their bike’s storage pouch or carry in a backpack. The Savage Trail Guide is available upon request at Savage City
INSIDE OPINION/4 OBITUARIES/6 POLICE/7 LET’S GO/8-9 SPORTS/13-15 CLASSIFIEDS/20-22 TO REACH US SUBSCRIBE: (952) 345-6682 EDITOR: (952) 345-6376 OR E-MAIL EDITOR@SAVAGEPACER.COM.
Hall, 6000 McColl Drive and at the Parks and Recreation Office at the Public Works Building, 13770 Dakota Ave. in Savage.
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