News 04.21.16
21 April 2016 News
The Fond du Lac County executive is celebrating a milestone. A special ceremony was held prior to Tuesday night’s county board organizational meeting to honor county executive Al Buechel’s 40th anniversary in county government. Hundreds of well wishers greeted Buechel at a reception in a meeting room at the government center including former congressman Tom Petri and former city manager Tom Herre. A 15 minute video was played with comments from several local and state dignitaries including former governor Tommy Thompson. State senator Duey Stroebel presented Buechel with a special plaque signed by area legislators congratulating him on 40 years of service. Buechel was first elected county board supervisor in 1976 and was elected to his first term as county executive in 1992. He is the longest serving county executive in the state. Buechel says he plans on running for re-election next year.
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A Kenosha County reverend is arrested and charged in connection with an internet child sex sting in Winnebago County. Reverend Joshua Scheil of Trevor is charged with felony counts of using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime, child enticement with sexual contact and causing a child under 18 to view sexual activity. Bond was set Monday at $10,000. The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office says an undercover analyst was contacted in March by Scheil on a teen website. During the contact, Scheil sent sexually explicit messages to the analyst, whom Scheil thought was a 13-year-old girl. He also stated he wanted to have sexual relations with her and sent sexually explicit photographs. The two set up a meeting on April 12th, and at the meeting place, Scheil was taken into custody. Police seized Scheil’s phone, which showed the conversation with the undercover analyst. A preliminary hearing has been set for May 2nd. Scheil, who was a pastor at Hope Lutheran Church in Twin Lakes, is no longer practicing in the church.
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Fond du Lac Police are investigating the death of an inmate at the Taycheedah women’s prison. Police were notified on April 11th at 6:30 p.m. about a fire and rescue ambulance call for an inmate who had collapsed. Assistant police chief Steve Thiry says the 34 year old woman, identified by The Department of Corrections as Crystal McClendon, was not in her cell when she collapsed and died. Thiry says their investigation is ongoing and nothing has yet been ruled out. He says they are waiting for results from the medical examiner’s office on the cause of death. The women’s prison is on the east side of Fond du Lac on Fond du Lac County Highway K.
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Allegations of abuse by staff at a troubled youth prison in northern Wisconsin have resulted in overcrowding and under-staffing at the juvenile detention center in Milwaukee County because local officials have objected to keeping young offenders at the Irma facility. An internal memo from Milwaukee County Health & Human Services Director Hector Colon to County Executive Chris Abele says the county’s juvenile facility has been overcapacity 33 times this year and youth have been forced to sleep on foam rubber mats. Colon says 49 youths were transferred from Lincoln Hills to Milwaukee County’s facility from January to March. State and federal investigators have been looking into abuse allegations at Lincoln Hills School for Boys and Copper Lake School for Girls at the campus 30 miles north of Wausau.
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The U.S. Navy is scrapping a recruiting mailer that promised women they could join while staying in touch with their feminine side. Navy officials say they made the decision amid criticism that the wording was condescending and perpetuated stereotypes. The mailer says the Navy offers women opportunities “most girls aren’t even aware of” in career areas that “aren’t just for the guys… all while staying in touch with your feminine side.” The mailer went out to about 202,900 people across several states, including Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin. Lt. Commander Nate Christensen says the mailer doesn’t reflect Navy values and was removed from a database of mailer templates. He says officials are now reviewing language in all templates.
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