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Man pleads not guilty to strangulation charges
A Rice Lake man accused of choking a woman with whom he had been in a relationship after she revealed alleged incidents that occurred between January 2021 and November 2023 to his probation agent has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Luke D. Bernstein, 28, was charged on March 15 in Barron County Circuit Court with three felony counts of strangulation and suffocation — domestic abuse, and one misdemeanor of misuse of GPS device. Bernstein entered the not guilty pleas at his arraignment on Thursday. He could be fined up to $10,000 or imprisoned for up to six years if convicted on the felony. He is slated for a plea hearing on June 28.
Man pleads guilty to recklessly endangering safety, OWI
A Sarona man who was driving under the influence with a 3-year-old child in a vehicle that was involved in a crash pleaded guilty to two charges, plus more in separate cases, on Thursday. Anthony J. Schaffner, 33, pleaded guilty in one case to a felony charge of second-degree recklessly endangering safety and misdemeanor first-offense OWI with a passenger younger than 16. A count of neglecting a child was dismissed, while operating w/PAC with a passenger younger than 16 and three bail jumping charges were...
Warrant issued for man accused of threatening students
An arrest warrant has been issued for man accused of circulating threats via Snapchat against Rice Lake students after he failed to make a court appearance on Thursday. Jenson A. Clements, 18, of Woodruff was charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct on Jan. 30 and pleaded not guilty to the count on Feb. 7 in Barron County Circuit Court. When Clements did not appear in court, Judge James C. Babler authorized...
Trial begins for woman accused of 1985 murder
POLK COUNTY, Wis. (WEAU) - The trial has begun for the woman charged in a cold case murder in Polk County. Mary Josephine Bailey, who is now 81 years old, is charged with one count of first-degree murder. She is accused of killing Yvonne Menke in St. Croix Falls in...
Why all the weeds?
Some years there seems to be more aquatic vegetation present in the water than others. This year is one of those years. Why is that? This winter, ice cover that measured less than a foot and a lack of snow caused by unseasonably warm temperatures provided ideal conditions for aquatic plant growth. The lack of snow and early ice out enabled the energy from the sun to penetrate deep into the lake much earlier than normal helping the aquatic plants grow and thrive for a...
Rettenmund recognized in April by Fortnighly Club
Rice Lake High School senior Lilly Rettenmund, daughter of Jodie Rettenmund, was recognized as a Senior Girl Honoree at the April 9 meeting of the Rice Lake Fortnightly Club. She has maintained a grade point average of 3.72 and joined the National Honor Society in her junior year. She has been very active in the Future Business Leaders of America and activities such as the Forrest Run, the Coaches versus Cancer basketball and Homecoming. She played volleyball her freshmen year. ...
Five new winners in Rice Lake Speedway action
One of the largest crowds in recent history jammed the Rice Lake Speedway on Saturday night for the annual Kid's Night celebration. On a beautiful night for dirt track racing more than 100 bikes and gift baskets were given out to the kids with donated items from racers and fans alike. On the track, 93 drivers from three states signed in to race, and the evening's action produced five new winners. Visiting victory lane for the first time in 2024 were Kevin Adams in the...
Red Cedar Lakes Association to host family-friendly program on ‘Wolves of Wisconsin’
BIRCHWOOD — The Red Cedar Lakes Association Nature Committee will host its annual nature program Saturday, June 1, at 10 a.m. at Loch Lomond Beach Club in Birchwood. The committee is thrilled to host Adrian Wydeven, wildlife biologist and chair of the Timber Wolf Alliance Advisory Council, as its guest speaker on “Wolves of Wisconsin.” To many of us, wolves remain a bit mysterious — we don’t know much about these complex canines. This program is a unique opportunity to learn more about these incredible animals, including how to identify a wolf, their behaviors, habitat and food requirements, how the species fits into our ecosystem, myths and much more. Come check out skulls, paw prints of several animals and free wolf posters during this free, family-friendly program. For more information, contact Nicole Engler at nicolebengler@gmail.com.
Lions Club picks up 18 bags of trash, calls Highway 48 'spotless'
Twelve members of the Rice Lake Lions Club made quick work of a four-mile stretch of the "now spotless" Highway 48 on Saturday. "We collected 18 bags of highway trash in approximately one hour, 15 minutes," Jon Anderson said. Highway cleanup is one of several ways each year that the Lions Club gives back and works toward the betterment of the community.
Hardscrabble Players invite public to 'Deathtrap'
“Deathtrap,” the classic comedy-thriller by Ira Levin, will open the summer season of the Red Barn Theatre on May 29 and run through June 8 with no Sunday performance. Shows begin at 7:30 p.m. Roger Sweeney of Shell Lake, who is well-known to Erika Quam Memorial Theatre audiences, directs a seasoned cast of Hardscrabble Players. A play within a play, “Deathtrap” was nominated for four Tony Awards and was also adapted into a film starring Michael Caine. When formerly successful playwright Sidney Bruhl, played by...
Novelist sets book launch and signing at Chetek
Author Stephenie Poeschel of Durand, a former Cameron resident, has announced the release of a second novel in a six-novel Strong Women series and an upcoming book signing. Each novel in the series is set in a different state in the upper Midwest and follows a different woman's journey. The first novel, "Trusting Her Heart" is set in Illinois and aims to resonate with women who have experienced any type of abuse in a relationship. Her newly-released second novel, "Following Her Rainbow," is set in...
Drug investigation results in four local arrests
HAYWARD - After a four-month investigation into drug activity throughout Sawyer, Washburn and Barron counties, four persons have been arrested, according to the Lac Courte Oreilles Tribal Police Department. Three individuals from Spooner were charged, and a Stone Lake area resident was arrested in Barron County after a traffic stop. Shane Miller, 46, Brandon Bartle, 31, and Kristin Root, 39, all from Spooner, have been arrested as a result of...
Menards denied rezoning request
Menards was dealt a setback over its proposal to build a self-storage facility on the southeast corner of South Access Road and Wisconsin Avenue. The Rice Lake City Council held a public hearing on Tuesday about rezoning a four-tenths of an acre parcel that would facilitate construction of 261 units, but councilmembers balked due to an apparent lack of communication with neighbors and poor access for fire emergencies. The Plan...
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