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WJFW News

Monico Vacation Home Vandalism Update Submitted: 01/30/2013

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MONICO - Piece by piece and memory by memory, a family with a vacation home in Monico is recovering. Their home was viciously destroyed by burglars. We showed you their vandalized home last week.

The Oneida County Sheriff's Office arrested all three suspects in this incredible act of vandalism. But the Wierzbicki's will need a lot more than that to pick up the pieces.

This week they struggled to figure out where to even begin.

"We had to inventory each item on each one of these pages," says Brian Wierzbicki, while paging through an itemized list of personal items that were destroyed. Three hundred of them in all.

That doesn't include the major structural damage to the property. There isn't a wall, ceiling, floor, or light fixture left intact.

The family has already put in 60 hours of work cleaning up their home. But for every layer of destruction they clear, they find another.

"They used a pick axe and a wood axe and chopped up the concrete. Many, many things were discovered beneath mattresses and things like that," says Wierzbicki.

The Wierzbicki's are still in limbo with their insurance company. Brian says he'll have to wait and see how the case plays out in court before he'll feel any better.

"There's a really seriously strange mindset that would allow them to do this much damage, with this much violence, for this amount of time, and then just move on to something else," says Wierzbicki.

One of the suspects, 17-year-old Jeffrey Stefonik was in Oneida County Court Wednesday. He's charged with six felonies, including burglary and criminal damage to property.

A 15-year-old is being charged in juvenile court.

Seventeen-year-old Anthony Briggs is also charged in this case, and out on bond.

Surprisingly, we reported Briggs was allowed to participate in a Three Lakes High School wrestling match Monday.

"Something I enjoyed has been destroyed and it's amazing that they're able to participate in something that they enjoy," says Wierzbicki.

We asked Superintendent Dr. Karling why Briggs hadn't been suspended from the Wrestling team, and he declined to comment.

WIAA rules state a player can be suspended for tobacco, alcohol and controlled substances. But it also says they can be suspended for violating the school's code of conduct. No word on whether felony criminal charges count.

Story By: Lyndsey Stemm

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 In Other News:
Kemp Street construction pushed back to July 8 Submitted: 06/18/2013

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RHINELANDER - Independence Day always brings a flood of visitors to the Northwoods.

Closing one of Rhinelander's major streets could create a big headache.

But we learned today that major construction on Kemp Street won't start until after July 4th.

The city and contractors decided today to start the Kemp Street part of their sewer project during the week of July 8th.

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Eagle River library presents new design Submitted: 06/18/2013

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EAGLE RIVER - You can put songs, books and even movies on a device smaller than your hand.

With that kind of technology, you wouldn't think real, brick-and-mortar libraries would be as busy or need as much space.

But in Eagle River, the Olson Library is busier than ever.

The library's foundation started planning for expansion in 2007.

It held an open house to begin its next step in fundraising Tuesday.

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Assembly Republicans want to restrict public access to mining site Submitted: 06/18/2013

MADISON - Wisconsin Republicans want to make sure protestors don't interfere with the mining exploration project in Iron and Ashland counties.

Representative Mark Honadel is trying to persuade Republican leaders to limit public access to the mining sites.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos said Monday the changes won't appear in the spending plan.

But he said Republican leaders are working on other options with the state Department of Natural Resources.

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Antigo looks to Langlade Hospital to take over ambulance service Submitted: 06/18/2013

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ANTIGO - The city of Antigo doesn't want to run an ambulance service anymore. It's just too expensive. Instead, the city's new hospital may take over.

"We have a great ambulance service now and that's our biggest concern here is being able to maintain that... As with a lot of people our problem is financial," said City of Antigo’s Mayor, Bill Brandt.

Each year it costs around 2 million dollars to run the ambulance service for Antigo and 10 surrounding townships.

About half of that is paid by the city and county through taxes... The other half is paid by the user fees.

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Black bear attacks man in Burnett County Submitted: 06/18/2013

BURNETT COUNTY - A man survived a bear attack in Northwestern Wisconsin yesterday.

He's now recovering at a hospital in the Twin Cities.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says a black bear attacked the man in his yard.

It happened near Shell Lake in Burnett County last night around 9:30 p.m.

DNR carnivore specialist David MacFarland says the man's dog apparently had initiated contact with the bear before the man was attacked.


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City Council votes to recognize domestic partnerships Submitted: 06/18/2013

STEVENS POINT - Stevens Point moved one step closer to recognizing same-sex partnerships last night.

The city council voted to offer domestic partner benefits for city workers.

The change would allow city workers to cover their partners under their health insurance. It would apply to both same-sex and opposite-sex couples.

Milwaukee, Madison and Racine are among Wisconsin cities that allow something similar.

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Rhinelander Planning Committee makes organizing big events easier Submitted: 06/18/2013

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RHINELANDER - Not many people plan big events.

But in a tourist town like Rhinelander, parades, car shows and festivals are a big part of the economy.

Those big events need a lot of preparation.

That's why Rhinelander's Planning Committee wants to make events easier to organize.

The city's Protection of Persons and Property Committee is working on a new special event packet.

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