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Playoff games start Thursday

by Marty Seeger
Leader staff writer
FREDERIC - The WIAA regional baseball playoffs get underway this evening with St. Croix Falls traveling to play at Amery on Thursday, May 23, beginning at 5 p.m.
The Unity Eagles baseball team is also scheduled to play this evening, Thursday, May 23, at home against Cameron, beginning at 5 p.m. The winner between Cameron and Unity will move on to play at Grantsburg on Tuesday, May 28.
Other baseball games that will be played Friday, May 24, include Spooner versus Siren/Webster at Webster beginning at 1:30 p.m., and Luck/Frederic at Cumberland, which will also be played at1:30 p.m.
The Grantsburg softball team is also playing Thursday, May 23, for the regional championship against Turtle Lake/Clayton, at Grantsburg beginning at 5 p.m.

Three years in prison for Siren man
Confessed to sexual assault of mentally handicapped woman

Ron Potvin

by Sherill Summer
Leader staff writer
SIREN - Burnett County Circuit Court Judge Ken Kutz was first scheduled to sentence 73-year-old Ron Potvin of Siren in March, but didn’t. Back in March, Burnett County District Attorney Bill Norine and defense attorney Jim McLaughlin pushed for quick closure for Potvin’s case in which he admitted sexually assaulting a mentally handicapped woman on several occasions between 2011 and 2012. FULL STORY

Infamous murder site burns

by Greg Marsten
Leader staff writer
TOWN OF BONE LAKE – Firefighters from both the Luck and Milltown fire departments were called to a blaze on Monday, May 13, at the site of the gruesome 2009 murder of Stephen Dahlstrom in rural Luck. The home at 895 250th Ave. is believed to still be owned by convicted murderer Wayne Rouillard, 65, who is incarcerated at a maximum-security state mental facility for the 2009 murder of his "best friend," Stephen Dahlstrom, 61. FULL STORY

Hearing for fired deputies postponed

Culvey

by Gary King
Leader editor
BURNETT COUNTY - A hearing requested by two sheriff’s deputies who were terminated for allegedly covering up two instances of alleged domestic abuse by a fellow officer has been postponed.
The three-day closed hearing was originally set to begin Tuesday, May 7, at the Burnett County Government Center but was canceled when the selected arbitrator took a different job, according to Burnett County Administrator Candace Fitzgerald. A new arbitrator has been selected and a new hearing date is pending. Fitzgerald estimated a hearing could be reset for late June. FULL STORY

Wild Rivers Habitat Build-a-thon

Seventy-five AmeriCorps members came from all over the United States on Sunday, May 5 and gathered at Luther Point Bible Camp near Grantsburg. They are here for the week-long Habitat for Humanity/AmeriCorps Build-a-Thon being hosted by Wild Rivers Habitat for Humanity. See this week's issue of the Leader.

Harsdorf statement on budget surplus

NORTHWEST WISCONSIN - State Sen. Sheila Harsdorf (10th District) issued the following statement Thursday, May 9: “Today’s updated revenue estimates are encouraging and a positive development as we work on the state budget. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau’s memo showing $575 million in additional revenue over three years shows the value of the tough budget decisions we made last session to get our state’s fiscal house in order.”
“While this is good news for our state, it is important to make prudent decisions on spending as we work to protect taxpayers. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues on the budget-writing committee to pass a balanced budget that focuses on fiscal responsibility and putting people back to work.” - from the office of Sen. Harsdorf

Two new principals join Webster Schools

by Carl Heidel
Leader staff writer
WEBSTER - When the Webster schools resume classes in the Fall, two new principals will be on the staff. Josh Hetfeld will fill the high school principal position left open by the resignation of current principal Tim Widiker. Diana Lesneski will fill a newly-created position as middle school principal.
Hetfeld comes from the Luck school system where he is presently a math teacher. Lesneski is presently teaching in the Ashland school system.
Widiker resigned recently in order to take the superintendent's position in the St. Croix Central School District. He had been principal of a structure that combined grades 5 through 12 for the past few years.
But with Widiker leaving, the decision was made to return to the former structure of a high school for grades 9-12, and a middle school for grades 5-8. Widiker explained that this is a move that will create a more manageable situation for the principals, and it will provide more direct support for the teaching staff.

Recent stories

OBITUARIES

Obituary: Edward Joseph Arbuckle (Bizaanigiizhig)
Edward Joseph Arbuckle, (Bizaanigiizhig) age 69, a resident of Webster, died May 21, 2013 at St. Mary's Hospital in Duluth. Edward was born Dec. 31, 1943 in Hayward to parents Jane and Fred Arbuckle.
Funeral services were held Friday, May 24 at the St. Croix Tribal Center in Hertel and officiated by Clifford "Skip" Churchill. Arrangements were entrusted to Swedberg-Taylor Family Funeral Home, Webster. Online condolences can be made to swedberg-taylor.com.

Obituary: Bonnie M. Schwartz, 83
Bonnie M. Schwartz, age 83, a resident of Webster died May 21, 2013. A private family committal service will be held at Northern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Spooner. Arrangements were entrusted to Swedberg-Taylor Family Funeral Home, Webster. Online condolences can be made at www.swedberg-taylor.com

Obituary: Kathleen Ann Leonhardi, 58
Kathleen Ann Leonhardi, age 58, Danbury, died may 10, 2013 after a year-long battle with cancer. A memorial service will be held at a later date. See this week's Leader for full obituary.