Spring, What a lovely time!
 

Oh, it makes the soul leap when everything turns green, fresh with new life, and the temperature, for the first time in many months, is warm enough for shirt sleeves. Calves frolic by their mothers, trees try on their green coats. It’s an acknowledgment that we survived another year. A time of promise, excitement and anticipation of the coming summer.

Threat of firearm on SWTC campus brought police action
 

Fennimore, WI, Wednesday May 7th, 2008 - The Fennimore Police Dept. released the following statement: “Today, at 7 a.m., the Fennimore Police Department was contacted by officials at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College that a student had received a threatening voice mail message that involved a person possibly bringing a firearm to campus.
  While the matter remains under investigation, it has been determined that no further threat to SWTC students or staff exists in relation to this incident.
  The Fennimore Police Department takes threats of this nature very seriously and is pursuing the matter as a high priority.”
  Perhaps these things naturally happen in spurts (see story below) or it’s a sign of spring coupled with our kids watching too much television, but we don’t need more school scares than we have experienced across the country, of late.  
  Update - It has been reported that the SWTC Administration lied to the students and community that the reason for closing the school was due to maintenance on pipes rather that a person with a possible firearm.
  Update - May 8, 2008 - A charge of Disorderly Conduct has been filed in Grant County Circuit Court against Jeremy L. Heins, 24 of Platteville, WI, in relation to this incident.
  Mr. Heins allegedly left the following message on Jennifer Nodolf’s cell phone; “I’m giving you warning, don’t go to school now, somebody is taking a gun.” 
  Mr. Heins said that he left the message the night before as a joke after having a few cocktails. That he had no intentions of taking a gun to the Technical College, and he had no intentions of causing harm to anybody. The defendant said he told Jennifer not to go to school the next day, and that he did not remember saying anything about a gun or bomb.

Boy threatens fellow student,
find hand grenade in car
 

Boscobel, WI - May 6, 2008 - The Boscobel School System is home to an Alternative School program for area high school students that have had difficulty learning in the regular school environment. The students are provided with special educational opportunities with a lower student to teacher ratio.
  Yesterday, May 5^th, 2008 two students had some type of verbal altercation. Today, the Alternative School teacher, Jeff Novinska, heard one of the boys tell the other that he, “Had a birthday present in the car for him.”
  Mr. Novinska felt that it was said as a threat and immediately informed the District Administrator Dr. Steven Smith. Dr. Smith along with the High School principal, Mr. Bell , who oversees the program, went out to the student’s car and observed a hand gernade on the front seat. They than called the Boscobel Police and kept everyone away from the car until the police arrived.
  The police removed the grenade, that still had its pin in the handle. After close examination by the police the grenade turned out to be a fake. The police took the 17 year old away in handcuffs.
  There was another incident with the Alternative School, about a year and a half ago, when a boy had a clip and 22 caliber bullets in his pocket and made threatening comments in class that he had a rifle in his car.
  The Alternative School classes are held in the grade school building, due to lack of space at the high school. This further raises concern for security.
  These incidences seem enough of a reason for Dr. Smith to close the Alternative School program indefinitely pending a meeting with the school board.

Man gets 20 years for
sexual assault of a child
 

Grant County, WI - May 5, 2008 - On March 18th Timothy J. Jackson, 42, appeared in court and plead guilty to one count of engaging in repeated acts of sexual assault of the same child, and another count of 1st degree sexual assault of a child - sexual contact with a person under the age of 13.
  These charges followed an investigation into incidents which occurred in the Village of Bagley in 2007. On April 25, 2008 Jackson appeared in front of Grant County Judge George Curry, and was sentenced to 16 years in the Wisconsin State Prison System and 10 years extended supervision for the charge of repeated acts of sexual assault of the same child, and 4 years in prison and 2 years extended supervision for the charge of 1st degree sexual assault of a child - sexual contact with a person under the age of 13.

Gray wolf shot in SW Wisconsin
 

May 3, 2008 - A turkey hunter shot a gray wolf in the Mt. Sterling/Seneca, WI area, thinking it was a coyote. After he shot the animal he noticed it had a radio collar and called the DNR. It is unusual for a wolf to be as far south as Crawford County.

Friday - Sunday, May 9 - 11th, 2008

Myanmar authorities seize aid for cyclone victims

Link to CNN.com

Other Top Stories

Motorcycle accident, fatality

Lancaster man dies in accident

Boscobel man arrested on drug charges

Rep. Kind urges Bush to halt filling up
the federal gas tank

Charges filed against two Cashton men for armed robbery

It’s Nuts!