MONDAY AFTERNOON AROUND 2:30PM, A BOSCOBEL MAN WAS KILLED WHEN THE TRACTOR HE WAS RIDING WENT DOWN A STEEP EMBANKMENT AND ROLLED OVER, PINNING HIM. ACCORDING TO THE CRAWFORD COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT, 66 YEAR OLD JEFFREY C. GLASBRENNER WAS OPERATING THE TRACTOR ON PRIVATE PROPERTY OFF MEADOWBROOK ROAD IN MARIETTA TOWNSHIP WHEN THE MISHAP TOOK PLACE. HE WAS ON A LOGGING ROAD WHEN THE TRACTOR SLIPPED OVER THE EDGE AND DOWN THE EMBANKMENT. HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE.

A LA CROSSE LOGAN HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER WAS ARRESTED MONDAY AT HER HOME ON DRUG CHARGES. 40-YEAR OLD TRACI SMITH HAD CALLED POLICE MONDAY AFTERNOON COMPLAINING HER 19-YEAR OLD SON AND HIS WIFE WOULD NOT LEAVE HER REDFIELD STREET HOME. UPON ARRIVAL--TRACI’S SON TOLD THE OFFICERS—HIS MOTHER USES MARIJUANA ALMOST EVERY DAY. SMITH CLAIMED THE BONG OFFICERS FOUND BELONGED TO HER SON. TRACI SMITH IS FREE ON A SIGNATURE BOND AND FACES CHARGES OF POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHANALIA. NO COURT DATE HAS BEEN SET.

LA CROSSE POLICE HAVE RELEASED MORE INFO IN THE DEATH OF 19-YEAR OLD YOUA MOUA. 9MM CASINGS WERE FOUND AT BOTH THE FERRY STREET ADDRESS WHERE HER ESTRANGED BOYFRIEND LIVED AND THE BACK YARD OF HER HOME ON ELM DRIVE. SIMILAR SHELL CASINGS WERE FOUND IN A VEHICLE MOUA WAS DRIVING SUNDAY NIGHT. POLICE SAID MOUA DIED OF A SELF-INFLICTED GUNSHOT WOUND TO THE CHEST. A 9MM PISTOL WAS FOUND IN HER BACK YARD.  THE STATE CRIME LAB WILL DETERMINE IF THE CASINGS WERE FIRED FROM THAT WEAPON.

SPARTA RESIDENTS WERE USING CONTAMINATED WATER LAST MONTH. ON AUGUST 18^TH SPARTA PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR JORDAN SKIFF SENT A LETTER TO CITIZENS INDICATING A WATER SAMPLE SHOWED THE PRESENCE OF COLIFORM BACTERIA. THE LETTER STATED---“AS A PRECAUTION, WE HAVE INCREASED THE CHLORINE CONCENTRATION IN OUR WATER SUPPLY. ”THE CITY WARNED THAT THOSE WITH WEAK IMMUNE SYSTEMS, INFANTS AND SOME ELDERLY MAY HAVE BEEN AT RISK. ONLY ONE SAMPLE TESTED POSITIVE AND THAT WAS TAKEN DURING THE HOT AND HUMID PERIOD BETWEEN AUGUST 3^RD AND AUGUST 12^TH. SPARTA CITY ADMINISTRATOR KEN WITT SAID THIS WAS THE FIRST POSITIVE TEST IN 15-YEARS AND ALTHOUGH ALL TESTS AFTERWARDS  TESTED NEGATIVE--—THE DNR STILL REQUIRES NOTIFICATION. SPARTA RESIDENTS ARE ADVISED TO DISCARD ANY ICE CUBES, BEVERAGES, BABY FORMULA OR OTHER ITEMS MADE WITH WATER BETWEEN AUGUST 3^RD AND AUGUST 12^TH.  

THIRTY VERNON COUNTY RESIDENTS WERE STRUCK WITH SALMONELLA POISENING LAST WEEK. TUESDAY--THE STATE LAB OF HYGIENE CONFIRMED PATIENTS AT VERNON MEMORIAL HAD SALMONELLA—BUT IT WASN’T DUE TO EGGS. THE “30” HAD ATTENDED A PRIVATE PARTY—NO LOCAL BUSINESSES OR RESTAURANTS WERE INVOLVED.

“VALLEY PRIDE PACK” A MEAT PACKING FACILITY IN NORWALK --HAS BEEN FINED $370,000 BY “OSHA”. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR’S OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION FOUND FOUR ALLEDGED SERIOUS CITATIONS WITH PENALTIES TOTALING $280,000. THESE INFRACTIONS –FOUND AFTER TWO INSPECTIONS EARLIER THIS YEAR--WERE FOR FAILURE TO PERFORM HEARING TESTS ON EMPLOYEES AND FAILURE TO RECORD MORE THAN 125 INJURIES FROM ’07-TO-’09. IN ALL--“OSHA” FOUND A TOTAL OF 38 SERIOUS VIOLATIONS THAT INCLUDED IMPROPER FALL PROTECTION AND HAND RAILS—FAILURE TO PROVIDE FORK-LIFT TRAINING—LACK OF EYE-WASH STATIONS—IMPROPER HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL STORAGE—AMONG OTHERS. VALLEY PRIDE PACK IN NORWALK PRIMARILY PROVIDES BEEF AND OTHER MEAT PRODUCTS TO FAST-FOOD COMPANIES AND BUSINESSES THAT SUPPLY BEEF TO SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAMS. SINCE 1996—THERE HAVE BEEN NINE INSPECTIONS AND “24” CITATIONS ISSUED TO VALLEY PRIDE---ONE OF THEM WHEN A WORKER WAS ELECTROCUTED LAST YEAR. VALLEY PRIDE OF NORWALK HAS “15” BUSINESS DAYS TO COMPLY OR CONTEST THE “OSHA” FINES TOTALING $370,000.

HOURLY WORKERS AT TORRANCE CASTING IN LA CROSSE PLANNED TO GO ON STRIKE WEDNESDAY MORNING AT 12:01AM, THE LOCAL UNION HAS 80-EMPLOYEES INCLUDING 55-HOURLY WORKERS. WAGES ARE THE ISSUE—LOCAL 437-VOTED DOWN A TORRANCE CASTING CONTRACT OFFER SATURDAY. THE CURRENT CONTRACT DOESN’T EXPIRE UNTIL MARCH OF 2012—BUT IT HAS AN AGREEMENT TO RE-OPEN DISCUSSION OF WAGES. TORRANCE CASTING AND LOCAL 437-WERE NOT ABLE TO COME TO TERMS LAST WEEKEND. TORRANCE COMPANY OFFICIALS STATED LOCAL “437” HAD INDEED WALKED OUT AND AS OF 8AM THIS MORNING WERE STILL ON STRIKE. THE COMPANY SAID THEY WILL CONTINUE LIMITED PRODUCTION WITH THEIR NON-UNION WORKERS.