METRO BRiEFS
by B.C. Kowalski
Ambulance crash
Police say a man died while the ambulance he rode in crashed in Wausau East side pub likely to have license revoked
The city could pull the liquor license of a pub on the city’s northeast side after it hasn’t been open much since August 2020. The Public Health and Safety Committee voted Monday to revoke the license of Sixth Street Pub. According to testimony in the hearing, the pub’s owner Allen Woller hadn’t opened the pub hardly at all since August 2020. By state statute, a pub with a liquor license must open more than 50% of the days in a calendar year to stay current with its license. Liquor licenses are expensive and in short supply, which is why the rule exists. Woller told the committee he’d been having health problems, which combined with COVID-19 and a difficulty in finding employees made it difficult to open. Woller had planned on selling the business but an interested buyer had failed to come up with the necessary funds, he told the committee. The committee came to the decision after a revocation hearing, in which the meeting takes the shape of a court hearing. The city council will make the final decision on the matter.
Man attacks deputies with spray in chase
A man sprayed deputies with bear or pepper spray in what turned into a high-speed pursuit in the Tomahawk area, deputies say. Deputies found a mismatch between the license plate and registration of a vehicle traveling on Hwy. 51 and pulled the vehicle over at the BP gas station on 51 and Hwy. 86. The driver pepper-sprayed the deputy and drove off, traveling at speeds of more than 95 miles per hour. A backup deputy pursued the vehicle while an ambulance attended to the injured deputy. The vehicle only stopped in a private yard near Merrill after running over numerous tire deflation devices, with all four of the vehicle’s tires flattened. The man sprayed another deputy and incapacitated him while three other deputies arrested him. Just as they were taking him into custody, the vehicle burst into flames. The 54-year-old La Crosse man is expected to face multiple felony charges related to the incident, including resisting arrest and battery to law enforcement.
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A former Wausau teacher pleaded not guilty last week to charges of possessing child pornography. Attorneys for Kirstophor Edwards filed not guilty pleas Oct. 27. Edwards, a 34-year-old Maine Elementary teacher at the time of his arrest, faces 20 counts of possession of child pornography. That’s a class D felony, which carries a penalty of up to 25 years in prison and $100,000 in fines.
From the Attorney’s Desk by Jason Krautkramer, J.D.
What is a Medicaid Compliant Annuity?
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Former teacher pleads not guilty in porn case
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After nearly three quarters of a year with the position empty, the Central Wisconsin Convention and Visitors Bureau hired a new director. The CVB last week announced that Tim White would be its new executive director. He replaces Dick Barrett, who retired last January amidst turmoil at the orTim White ganization following a row with city of Wausau officials. White, originally from the Wisconsin Rapids/Stevens Point area, spent 20 years working in Chicago and “Managed projects with NCAA, ESPN, Fox, NBC, Northwestern Mutual Trust, LPL Financial, TNT, CBS and more,” according to a release from the CVB. He also worked as a coach to small business CEOs and presidents, according to his online bio. His predecessor, Barrett, retired after an incident in which Barrett kept funds from Expedia that was supposed to go to the city of Wausau, which caused a blowback that led to numerous municipalities severing their contracts with the CVB. (Barrett claimed he always intended to turn the money over.) That put the organization’s existence into jeopardy and at one point few staff were left at the organization. Several municipalities have since rejoined with new contracts, which spell out greater transparency policies. According to the release, White will start meeting with area officials, oversee the renovation a new office along Highway 51 the organization recently bought, and start adding staff.
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CVB hires new director
A Medicaid compliant annuity is a Medicaid crisis planning tool. It is an annuity that meets Medicaid’s rules to not be considered an available asset and to not be considered a divestment. It can be used to convert assets over the asset limit to an income stream for a community spouse or an income stream to help cover the cost of care during a penalty period. In a community spouse situation, a Medicaid compliant annuity can result in almost immediate Medicaid eligibility. In an individual situation, a Medicaid applicant can gift a portion of the applicant’s estate and use the remaining funds to purchase a Medicaid compliant annuity that will provide an income stream to contribute towards the cost of care during the penalty period caused by the gift. Call us to schedule an appointment if you want to learn more about accelerating Medicaid eligibility.
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A 72-year-old man is dead after the ambulance he was being transported in crashed in downtown Wausau, police say. Police say the man was being transported by a Riverside Fire District Ambulance en route to a hospital when it crashed at the intersection of Scott and First streets. The man was pronounced dead in connection with the incident, according to police reports. The crash was severe enough to overturn the ambulance, resting on its side in the intersection following the crash. The ambulance was operating in emergency mode at the time of the crash. Police cited the ambulance driver for failing to observe a red light, according to the police report. Others involved in the incident, including the driver of the other vehicle and others in the ambulance were injured. Police say none of them were life-threatening. Although ambulance drivers have the ability by law to proceed through intersections at red lights and to exceed speed limits, they also must do so with caution and safety, and not endanger other drivers, Wausau Police Chief Ben Bliven explained. An ambulance driver, according to state statutes, must slow down as needed for safety before proceeding through a red light. Officials have not yet determined whether the patient of the ambulance died from the crash or from whatever led him to be taken by ambulance in the first place; or some combination thereof. The investigation is ongoing, police say.
