County Capsules INPUT SOUGHT ON ELEMENTARY OPTIONS: Community members in the Stevens Point Area Public School District have the opportunity to comment on proposals for options in the district's elementary schools in writing, via e-mail, by contacting a board member or by speaking at the Feb. 23 School Board meeting at 7 p.m. in the board room of the Bliss Educational Services Center in Stevens Point. David Schuler, superintendent of schools, presented recommendations for elementary options to the board on Monday, Feb. 9. He said the options were developed based on input from public hearings, elementary school parent meetings, parent and staff surveys, letters, e-mails, phone calls and other personal correspondence. Various components such as boundary lines, class ratios, redistricting, late registration, families who move during the school year and the SAGE program were taken into consideration during the discussion of options. The recommendations that were presented included: maintain 10 neighborhood schools; set a hard cap at two over the board-approved ratios for the 2004-2005 school year; base staffing on board-approved ratios; add an additional section for classes with more than two students above the ratio; and grant an additional four days of teacher time each semester or the monetary equivalent in educational assistant time, for each student above the board-approved ratio; Also, reduce class size ratios by at least two students for split grade-level elementary classes; develop a board policy for elementary redistricting every seven years beginning with the 2005-2006 school year; guarantee families a place in their neighborhood school if they register their child by Aug. 1 of the given school year; guarantee families a place in a district school, not necessarily their neighborhood school, if they register after Aug. 1 of the given school year; accommodate families who move during the school year whenever possible; and maintain the SAGE program with modifications to allow the district to run the SAGE program at or near zero cost to the district. The presentation on the options can be viewed in its entirety on the district Web site www.wisp.k12.wi.us under the 'District News' link. * * * STEVENS POINT NATIVE KILLED IN ACCIDENT: Stephanie L. Grubba, 23, Madison, a Stevens Point native, died early Monday when her van collided with a semi-tractor trailer on Interstate 39, about 15 miles north of Madison in Columbia County. Wisconsin State Patrol troopers said Grubba, the daughter of Charles and Laurie Grubba, Stevens Point, was southbound on I-39 about 12:10 a.m. when she lost control of her van, which collided with a semi driven by Henry E. Kehn, 47, Virginia, Minn. The van went into the median and rolled over, coming to rest on its side, troopers said. Grubba was wearing a seat belt, troopers said. * * * MUZZY BROADCASTING FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY: Muzzy Broadcasting, owner of radio stations WSPT-AM, WSPT-FM and WKQH-FM, has filed for bankruptcy in an attempt to gain relief from creditors. A release from Muzzy announced that the firm filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on its Stevens Point stations "while it continues to talk to four local banks to replace its current lender regarding the financing necessary to continue operations well into the future." Under Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the debtor retains possession of the business and continues to control its operation while submitting a business plan to come out of bankruptcy. A judge has to approve that business plan. The bankruptcy filing resulted in the cancellation of a sheriff's sale on a mortgage foreclosure scheduled for Monday and is the latest round of financial problems for the stations. On May 23, 2003, Portage County took a tax deed on the property owned by Muzzy Broadcasting LLC, for nonpayment of $31,923.07 in taxes. River Valley State Bank of Rothschild, which filed a mortgage foreclosure complaint against Muzzy Broadcasting, saying it was in default on three business loans for $455,174, later paid the county the taxes to reclaim the deed. On Oct. 10, Judge Thomas T. Flugaur ordered a sheriff's sale of property belonging to Muzzy Broadcasting LLC and its principal, Richard Muzzy, but the bank canceled previous scheduled sales because of reports about new financing. In 2002 a sheriff's sale was averted after Muzzy and Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) reached an agreement regarding a civil lawsuit Muzzy had lost to BMI for $44,290. Muzzy Broadcasting also has a number of other court judgments for almost $300,000 against it in Portage County Circuit Court. * * * JENSEN CENTER HOSTS FUND-RAISER: "A Little Help with Our Friends," a Valentine's dinner and talent show, will be held Friday, Feb. 13, at the Lettie W. Jensen Community Center, 487 North Main St., Amherst. The event will feature 25 different performances, including jugglers, comedians, pianists, singers, dancers and a children's choir. Only 250 advance tickets are available and dinner or show tickets may be purchased separately. The buffet dinner will include chicken, fish and assorted side dishes and prices are $10 for adults and $6 for children under 12. Serving is from 5 to 6:30 p.m. The Talent Show admission is $8 for adults and $5 for children under 12. The show starts at 7 p.m. with two intermissions. All proceeds help support the Lettie W. Jensen Community Center, the Our Community Spirit newspaper and youth programs at Peace Lutheran Church in Amherst. Sweetheart flower sales will be available through the Boys and Girls Club of Amherst. Tickets are available at the Jensen Center at 824-5202 or the church at 824-5615. * * * UW-SP SPONSORS BLOOD DRIVE: The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UW-SP) will sponsor a blood drive on behalf of The Blood Center on Monday, Feb. 16, and Tuesday, Feb. 17, from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. both days. The blood drive will be held in the Melvin Laird Room of the University Center, 1015 Reserve St., Stevens Point. Anyone 17 or older in good health can donate blood, with donations usually taking about an hour. That includes registration, a mini health exam, a six- to 10-minute donation period and relaxing in the canteen. Donors can give every 56 days. The Blood Center is the sole supplier of blood to St. Michael's Hospital in Stevens Point. To schedule an appointment for the Feb. 16 and 17 blood drive or to seek answers to questions on donating, call The Blood Center toll free at 1-888-310-7555. * * * JANUARY IS DEADLY ON WISCONSIN ROADS: Last month was the deadliest January on Wisconsin roadways since the mid-1960s, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (DOT) reports. According to preliminary data from the DOT, 74 people were killed in traffic crashes last month, making it the third deadliest January on record. Only January 1964 with 82 deaths and January 1966 with 77 deaths were higher. Last month's 74 deaths was 14 above the number killed in January 2003 and 23 above the five-year average. According to the preliminary data, crashes last month killed 47 drivers, 24 passengers and 3 pedestrians. * * * JUNCTION CITY WAYSIDE WON'T REOPEN: The DOT has announced it won't reopen 50 waysides in the spring, including the one on Highway 10, about three miles east of Junction City. That is the only wayside remaining in Portage County. DOT Secretary Frank Busalacchi said a tight budget triggered the decision to not reopen about half of the rustic waysides in the state. The DOT has about 100 rustic waysides scattered across the state, primarily on rural two-lane highways. The waysides are open during the spring and summer, but are all closed for the winter by the end of the deer-hunting season in November. They typically have few amenities beyond a few picnic tables, hand-pump water wells and pit toilets. Busalacchi said it costs an average of about $14,000 per year to maintain each rustic wayside and the DOT should save approximately $700,000 by not reopening the 50. The waysides will be fenced off, then offered to other agencies for operation or may be offered for sale to the general public. The use of rustic waysides has waned in recent years and travelers have begun using nearby private services, such as convenience stores. * * * OBEY SCHEDULES FORUM ON PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, MEDICARE REFORM: U.S. Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wausau, will hold nine public meetings in his Congressional District next week, including one in Stevens Point, to brief people on what is happening in Washington on the recently signed Medicare prescription drug bill. The forum in Stevens Point will be held from 9 to 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, at Lincoln Center, 1519 Water St., Stevens Point. The forum is free and open to the public. * * * DENTAL CENTER TREATS 2,200 AREA LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS: In its first two years, Ministry Dental Center has treated 2,153 area low-income adults and children, and most of them are now receiving routine preventive dental care. The center opened in January 2002 to increase access to dental care to Medicaid and BadgerCare recipients living in Portage, Wood, western Waupaca and southern Marathon counties. "Every day we witness the physical pain and emotional distress people have tolerated because they didn't have access to affordable dental care," said Cherrie Marti, Dental Center manager. "We are very proud of both the relief we have provided patients and their response to the opportunity to receive regular preventive oral care." The center treated 1,353 patients in 2003 through 5,202 patient encounters, but Marti said that most first-time patients require four or five visits to treat their dental problems. In 2002, the Center treated 800 patients. She said the waiting list as grown to over 1,700 due to a combination of the center's success and the declining economy, and appointments are being scheduled into April. In response to growing demand, the center has added two operatories, with a third scheduled to open later this month, and two dentists (one full-time equivalent). Another half-time hygienist will join the clinic later this summer, bringing the staff total to three dentists (2 FTEs), two dental hygienists and three dental assistants. Two dentists are on duty every day, and with the addition of another operatory and hygienist, the Center's Board hopes to increase productivity by 25 percent, resulting in more patients being treated. The center will continue to offer emergency slots during the day, but some emergency patients may experience a wait before being seen. Ministry Dental Center is a partnership of St. Michael's Hospital, Delta Dental Plan of Wisconsin and CAP Services. A $600,000 federal Rural Health Outreach grant secured by U.S. Rep. Dave Obey provided the core funding to open the clinic and provides about one-third of the annual operating costs. This year is the final year of the grant, and multiple efforts are under way to secure long-term funding. CAP Services CEO and President Karl S Pnazek said the center has already received funding commitments from the United Ways of Portage County and South Wood County and Ministry Health Care, but additional funding will be needed when the federal grant ends. He said the project has demonstrated that the clinic is a cost effective way to provide adequate dental care to the Medicaid and BadgerCare population. * * * DMV CUSTOMER SERVICE CENTERS CLOSED MONDAY: The state Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Customer Service Center at 1001 Maple Bluff Road, Stevens Point, will be closed on Presidents' Day, Monday, Feb. 16, along with similar centers throughout the state so that customer service representatives can attend training sessions. The Wisconsin DOT's DMV phone centers will remain open so that motorists can make road test appointments and have their questions answered. The Madison central business office and all district business offices will also remain open. * * * NEW DEPUTY CORONER APPOINTED: Portage County Coroner Scott Rifleman has appointed a new deputy coroner. As of Jan. 1, Paul Mattlin has been serving as a deputy coroner for the Portage County Coroner's office. Mattlin is a lifelong resident of the Portage County area. He is employed as a paramedic/firefighter with the Stevens Point Fire Department and Portage County Ambulance Service. Mattlin was previously employed for five years as a paramedic in the emergency department at St. Michael's Hospital. He is a 1990 graduate of Stevens Point Area Senior High School. * * * POLICE MAKE DRUG ARRESTS: The Stevens Point Police Department arrested three people on drug charges Friday, Feb. 6, after executing a search warrant at 3500 Bush St., Apartment No. 13, at 9:08 a.m., a Stevens Point Police Department report said. The search warrant was obtained at the culmination of an ongoing investigation. Officers from the department's Emergency Services Squad assisted with the search. The three suspects were booked into the Portage County jail. Authorities found 59.6 grams of crack cocaine, most of which was individually wrapped into bindles; five grams of marijuana; miscellaneous drug paraphernalia; a 9mm pistol with ammunition; and $2,305 in U.S. currency, the report said. The street value of the drugs is estimated at $6,000. Police arrested a 21-year-old Milwaukee man and a 19-year-old Stevens Point woman on charges of possession of crack cocaine with intent to deliver, the report said. A 17-year-old Milwaukee man was arrested on charges of marijuana possession. * * * SEX OFFENDER RELEASE NOTIFICATION GIVEN: The Stevens Point Police Department has notified the public that a convicted sex offender was released into the Stevens Point area on Tuesday, Feb. 10, a report said. The offender, John L. Dominick, 42, was convicted in 1995 of attempted second-degree sexual assault of a child while armed as a habitual criminal and sentenced to prison, the report said. Dominick is completing his required sentence and will be supervised by the state Department of Corrections, the report said. Sex offenders have always lived in the community, police said, but it was not until the Sex Offender Registration and Community Notification Law was enacted that law enforcement was able to share this information with the public. Citizen abuse of this information to threaten, intimidate or harass registered sex offenders will not be tolerated. Visit the Stevens Point Police Department's home page at stevenspoint.com for a complete list of sex offenders released in the Stevens Point area under the Sex Offender Registration Program, the report said. * * * POLICE ADVISE RESIDENTS TO LOCK CARS: The Stevens Point Police Department is urging everyone to lock their unattended vehicles and always remove keys from parked cars, even if they're parked in the garage, a report said. "Making a routine practice of these common sense and simple actions greatly reduces the chance of victimization," said Capt. James Dowling, investigations coordinator. The warning follows the arrest Monday, Feb. 9, of a 19-year-old Stevens Point man for a series of break-ins, the report said. On the night of Sunday, Feb. 8, at least four garages and 40 cars were entered by a person on the city's west side. Items reported stolen from the vehicles consisted primarily of money, lottery tickets, and, in one case, drugs. "Very few of these entries were reported to police and the number of incidents is known only due to the efforts of patrol officers, who discovered the entries at approximately 2:34 a.m. and who, when alerted by a resident to suspicious activity, were able to follow recently made tracks in the snow," Dowling said. "Officers were unable to locate a suspect at that time." The suspect only entered unlocked vehicles and garages, the report said. He told police he found keys in some of the cars.