Courier Press

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Fri

Jan

Norma L. Brown

Submitted by admin on Fri, 01/08/2016 - 14:12

Norma L. Brown, 93, of Bloomington passed away Thursday, Jan. 7, at the Prairie Maison Care Center.

She was born Sept., 16, 1922 in Bagley, the daughter of Jesse and Iva (Gelstrup) McCollough, where she spent most of her child-hood years. She married Delbert Brown on June, 17, 1939. They lived in Bloomington, all their married life. Delbert preceded her in death on Oct. 14, 1985.

Wed

Jan

Teen faces marijuana charges

Submitted by admin1 on Wed, 01/06/2016 - 11:59

A 17-year-old Patch Grove boy was charged in Crawford County Circuit Court on Jan. 4 with one count of the manufacture/delivery of marijuana and one count of possession with intent to deliver marijuana.
Walker Allan Rowcliffe faces up to $20,000 in fines and seven years in prison if convicted of both counts.

According to the criminal complaint, Rowcliffe was pulled over for suspected speeding in the city of Prairie du Chien on Dec. 17, 2015.

A search produced a plastic baggie containing suspected marijuana, a bag containing approximately $1,500 in cash, and a blue Tupperware container containing approximately one ounce of suspected marijuana, according to the complaint.

Wed

Jan

No injuries in collision with manure hauler

Submitted by admin1 on Wed, 01/06/2016 - 11:58

On Saturday, Jan. 2, at 10:34 a.m., the Crawford Sheriff’s Department was notified of a two-vehicle accident in Eastman Township on Highway 27 south of DuCharme Ridge Road.

A 1995 GMC manure hauler owned by Ideal Trucking and Foraging of Fennimore, and driven by Michael Fordney, 39, of Fennimore, was southbound on Highway 27 and intended on making a right turn into a private drive.

The Ideal Trucking vehicle crossed the center of Highway 27 and was operating on the opposite shoulder of the highway for a short distance when it re-crossed Highway 27 in the path of a southbound 2009 Ford owned and operated by Lee Jeffers, 75, of rural Gays Mills.

The Jeffers’ vehicle struck the Ideal Trucking manure hauler and several mail boxes.

There were no injuries.

The Ideal Trucking vehicle did not have any apparent damage.

The Jeffers’ vehicle had front end damage and was towed from the scene.

Wed

Jan

Vehicle hits guardrail, citations issued

Submitted by admin1 on Wed, 01/06/2016 - 11:57

On Sunday, Jan. 3, at approximately 12:54 a.m., the Crawford County Sheriff’s Department was notified of a one-vehicle crash on Tavern Road in the township of Clayton. It was reported by a passerby that the vehicle was unoccupied and halfway in the northbound lane of traffic.

The driver was found to be Laura Schaller, 28, Soldiers Grove. Schaller was operating a 2001 Chevrolet Prizm southbound on Tavern Road when she lost control of the vehicle, crossed the center line into the northbound lane of traffic, and struck a guardrail. The vehicle came to rest entangled in the guardrail. The vehicle sustained severe damage and was towed by Terry’s Tire and Tow of Boscobel.

Schaller was issued citations for driving too fast for condition, failure to notify police of an accident, no insurance, and possession of open intoxicants in a motor vehicle.

Wed

Jan

PdC mayor’s race contested, district 5 will need write-in

Submitted by admin1 on Wed, 01/06/2016 - 11:57

The nomination papers have been filed and the names are in for the Prairie du Chien Common Council spring election.

In the mayor’s race, incumbent Dave Hemmer will be contested by newcomer John Chaffee.

No other contested races will be on the ballot. However, a write-in may be named in the fifth district, where incumbent Jean Titlbach has filed a declaration of non-candidacy and will not seek re-election.

Other names officially on the ballot include: first district, Ron Leys; second district, Mike Jones; third district, Todd Crotty; fourth district, Karen Solomon; sixth district, Todd Myers. All are incumbents except Crotty, who is running in the district seat vacated by Kyle Kozelka.

Wed

Jan

Man faces fourth OWI in five years

Submitted by admin1 on Wed, 01/06/2016 - 11:56

A 33-year-old New Albin, Iowa man was charged in Crawford County Circuit Court on Dec. 31 of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated (fourth offense in five years).

Ben Allan Jones faces up to six years in prison and a $10,000 fine if convicted.

According to the criminal complaint, Jones stopped his vehicle well past a stop sign and almost into the middle of an intersection while driving on Nov. 25, 2015 in the city of Prairie du Chien. A police officer turned on his emergency lights and conducted a traffic stop and Jones pulled into a parking lot and ran away from his vehicle.

The officer caught Jones and took him down to the ground. Jones admitted to the officer that he had been drinking a lot, according to the complaint. Field sobriety tests were undertaken and Jones was arrested.

Jones has previously been convicted of OWI three times in Iowa.

Wed

Jan

Protesters traveling from Prairie du Chien to Madison for effigy mound protection

Submitted by admin1 on Wed, 01/06/2016 - 11:55

A group from the Prairie du Chien area plans to travel to Madison on Tuesday, Jan. 12, to protest a bill that would lift protections on some historic effigy mounds. Concerned citizens are invited to join this “attempt to save Native American burial mounds from further destruction,” according to Prairie du Chien resident Ericka Stubbs. The group will leave Driftless Edibles at 10 a.m. Tuesday for Madison.

According to a recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinal article, “landowners could excavate and possibly develop some of the surviving Indian mounds of Wisconsin—many dating back more than a millennium—under legislation by two lawmakers.

“The bill from Sen. Chris Kapenga (R-Delafield) and Rep. Robert Brooks (R-Saukville) would shift the balance of state law more toward private property rights and away from the preservation of one of the state’s unusual features.

Wed

Jan

Prairie du Chien tax bills increase

Submitted by admin1 on Wed, 01/06/2016 - 11:54

By Correne Martin

If you’re a taxpayer in the city of Prairie du Chien, your total bill for 2015 went up—on the simple valuation of a $100,000 home—by $27.81, to $2,918.76. Full payment, or at least the first installment of property taxes, should be delivered in person at the city office by Friday, Jan. 29, or postmarked by Monday, Feb. 1.

“Our trend in keeping taxes down has stopped,” City Administrator Aaron Kramer said, pointing to a graph showing increases in the school district, technical college, county and state portions from last year, and a small decrease in the city’s share.

“The city’s portion of the local tax bill has been pretty level since 2011. It’s down over $50, per hundred thousand, since I came here (in 2010),” Kramer stated, noting that the city’s change from 2015 was $1.05 less on a $100,000 home. “And that’s including a 30 cent per hour raise across the board.”

Wed

Jan

Rezoned Wyalusing site makes way for apartments

Submitted by admin1 on Wed, 01/06/2016 - 11:49

By Correne Martin

A request to rezone the former Wyalusing Academy property was granted by the Prairie du Chien Common Council Tuesday night, but not without dispute.

The council approved rezoning from low density residential to high density residential on a 6-1 vote, with Alderman Edward Hayes-Hall opposed, as Commonwealth Development Corporation, of Fond du Lac, hopes to redevelop the facility into an apartment complex. Hayes-Hall wanted to see the 14-acre property divided and only the developed portion rezoned, but his motion for such was never seconded. Alderman Ron Leys eventually proposed approval, which Jean Titlbach seconded, and the council passed.

Wed

Jan