12/31/24 – Hometown Broadcasting News – Tuesday
31 December 2024 News
TUESDAY NEWS
A woman charged in a deer poaching operation made her second court appearance on Monday morning.
36- year old Jessica Kroening is facing multiple charges, accused of illegally killing over a hundred deer in at least three Wisconsin counties.
She’s accused along with three teens.
Monday’s court appearance was a status hearing. During a hearing, it was stated that Kroening is currently unemployed, receives unemployment payments, and has six dependents, five under the age of 18.
A public defender has not been appointed to Kroening yet so Washington County court will hold another hearing in February.
Kroening and the teens are also accused of capturing and harassing other animals, including geese and turtles, before releasing them. According to the criminal complaint, when authorities searched Kroening’s vehicle, they found rifles with serial numbers scratched off and bloody tools.
Kroening said she threw one of the juvenile’s phones into the river and one of the juveniles said another teen deleted all of their Snapchat photos after they learned about the investigation.
The criminal complaint indicates the group hunted deer to make European mounts.
HEARING IS SCHEDULED FOR NEENAH CITY ATTORNEY DAVID RASHID
A hearing is scheduled for February to check in on the case of Neenah city attorney David Rashid, who is still charged with third and fourth-degree sexual assault.
Rashid was previously placed on administrative leave in May after the City of Neenah said it was made aware of a criminal complaint against him.
According to the criminal complaint, an anonymous email sent to police accused Rashid of abusing his ex-wife.
In August, attorneys for Rashid asked the judge to dismiss the case, claiming there was a lack of probable cause for the felony charges. The judge did not agree and refused to dismiss the case.
The city reinstated Rashid in August following an investigation. Action 2 News has requested a copy of that report on the investigation, which so far hasn’t been made public. Rashid’s attorney also requested it.
In a court hearing on December 20, online court records show Neenah Police were ordered by the court to hand over its investigation report.
Rashid‘s present bond continues. His next hearing is February 17.
HONORING OF THE PASSING OF FORMER U.S PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER
Flags across Wisconsin will fly at half-staff for the next month in honor of the passing of former U.S President Jimmy Carter.
Carter passed away Sunday at the age of 100. He was the longest living American president in history.
The governor’s order is effective immediately and ends at sunset on Jan. 28, 2025.
RETIRED MANITOWOC COUNTY SHERIFF’S LT. PLEADS NOT GUILTY
Retired Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Lt. David Remker pleaded not guilty Monday on a misconduct in office charge for allegedly improperly accounting for funds from drug forfeiture and other accounts.
Remiker also waived his preliminary hearing before Waushara County Judge Guy Dutcher. A status conference was scheduled for April 1. No trial date was set.
The judge and attorneys appeared by video, while Remiker appeared by phone.
Sheriff Daniel Hartwig summarized the charges in a news release:
The statute cited does not mention theft, but describes the alleged crime as someone who “intentionally fails or refuses to perform a known mandatory, nondiscretionary, ministerial duty of his office or employment within the time or in the manner required by law.”
The sheriff said the case is isolated to Remiker.
According to the criminal complaint, the investigation began in late January, after Remiker allegedly took a seat cover from an event in Oshkosh. He admitted to it, and was placed on administrative leave.
Remiker was a supervisor with the metro drug unit, leading to a broader investigation of his conduct.
The investigation determined Remiker would use funds from the drug account for personal use. Five sample cases surveyed “led to $5,735.00 unaccounted for,” the complaint states.
Other funds were reviewed as well, also finding discrepancies in the accounting, dating back to 2017.
WISCONSIN WOMAN WAS CHARGED WITH ARSON
A 36-year-old woman from Wisconsin was charged with arson after she reportedly told authorities the fire she was accused of setting was part of a satanic ritual.
Jail records show Charmilia Jeffries, of Milwaukee, was arrested Dec. 21 on one felony count of “arson of building without owner’s consent” after she allegedly started a fire in an apartment.
Citing a criminal complaint, WISS reported that Jeffries informed detectives “someone had been putting witchcraft traps around her house, and the fire is a satanic ritual they do around these times.”
According to the media outlet, the fire department and police responded to the scene. No one was hurt.
Jail records show “the court is advised by the defense there is reason to believe the defendant is not competent to proceed.” The records also show the case was transferred to the Mental Health Docket Calendar.
Jeffries is being held at the Milwaukee County Jail on $7,5000 bond. She is set to appear in court Jan. 24, according to jail records.
NEW DETAILS RELEASED REGARDING HOMICIDE INVESTIGATION ON THE MENOMINEE INDIAN RESERVATION.
Officials are releasing new details regarding a homicide investigation on the Menominee Indian Reservation.
In March, authorities confirmed human skeletal remains found in a forest October 30th, 2023, belonged to 31-year-old Dean Alegria-Ford, a descendant of the Menominee Indian Tribe.
On Monday, a search warrant in connection with the investigation — which was approved in June — was unsealed. FOX 11 delved into the warrant and determined it was requested by a special agent with the FBI.
The agent wanted to look at Facebook accounts of two people — including messages they may have exchanged with Alegria-Ford.
In the request for the search warrant, the agent suggested one of the individuals may have been the last person to see Alegria-Ford alive.
It is believed that Alegria-Ford lived on the Menominee Indian Reservation or in the city of Shawano at the time of his disappearance. Alegria-Ford had associates in the city of Shawano and on the Menominee Indian Reservation.
Anyone that may have information on Dean’s disappearance or his associates are asked to call the Menominee Tribal Police Department’s tip line at (715) 799-5806.
WISCONSIN-BORN PEREGRINE FALCON CHICK SPOTTED
A birder was treated to a rare sighting of a Wisconsin-born peregrine falcon chick in the wild.
Trapper the peregrine falcon was one of nine chicks born this year during a successful testing season for We Energies and WPS.
He was born at the We Energies Valley Power Plant nest box earlier this year and left the nest in June. After a peregrine falcon leaves the nest, sightings in the wild are rare.
Trapper was spotted by birder Braden Ribbens in early September over Sheboygan Falls. Trapper was able to be identified thanks to the band that was placed on the chicks’ legs before they left the nest.
All of this year’s chicks were named after Wisconsin Olympic medalists.
Trapper was named after Olympic bronze medalist trap shooter and Wisconsin native Madelynn Bernau.
A total of 453 peregrine falcons have been born at We Energies and WPS power plants since the program began in 1992. That means 20% of all peregrine falcons born in Wisconsin during that time hatched at We Energies or WPS facilities, helping the endangered species escape possible extinction.
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