From Our Early Files September 14, 2022


 

 

 

25 YEARS AGO

September 18, 1997

An Independence teenager charged with killing his mother’s boyfriend has been convicted of a lesser charge, and may yet be sentenced as a juvenile. Ryan Bogdonovich pleaded no contest to reckless homicide with a dangerous weapon Thursday in Trempealeau County Circuit Court. Bogdonovich, 16, had been charged with first-degree intentional homicide with a deadly weapon in the May 17 shooting of Gerald Bisek. The plea bargain between Bogdonovich’s legal counsel and the county district attorney’s office was sealed less than three weeks before the Independence High School junior’s jury trial was scheduled to begin. Because the charge was first-degree intentional homicide, state statutes required that Bogdonovich be tried as an adult. The plea to a reduced charge opens the door for the case being disposed of as a juvenile matter. 

After about 18 months of planning and preparing, the replacement of Whitehall’s municipal swimming pool got the final go-ahead. The city council approved the financing that will pay for the $1.2 million “family aquatic center” that will be built on the site of the old pool. 

New teachers in the Whitehall School District this year are Donna Lindberg, Wendy Honadel and Erin Dressel. 

The Trempealeau County Sheriff’s Department made two arrests in drug-related incidents in the county. Eric Benjamin, 26, Ettrick, was arrested after he was caught selling marijuana at two residences in Arcadia. Law enforcement seized approximately 250 grams of marijuana. In a separate incident, 35 marijuana plants were seized when an anonymous tip led authorities to a location where the plants were being grown. After authorities spent a few days surveilling the location, they apprehended 43-year-old James Saether, who was observed tending the plants near Pigeon Falls. 

A talented team of young adults offering Christian, family oriented musical ministry will be in Arcadia on Oct. 2 at Christ Lutheran Church. The New Vision team members commit to year-long, full-time tour performing in hundreds of churches as well as schools, youth events, nursing homes and prisons in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. 

The anxiety level over whether the Galesville city Square will be ready for this year’s Apple Affair went up two more notches with city officials again telling festival organizers to have a “Plan B” ready, and the city attorney saying that tents on the Square could actually delay completion of work there. At the same time, a consultant advised the city that the contractor “may need some poking” to get it to finish Square improvements by the Oct. 3 completion date specified in the contract with the city. 

The word is out, officially: The city of Galesville is seeking prospective developers for two old dormitory buildings at the former Gale College site it acquired two years ago.

An unexpected federal grant and some creative financing are behind a new offer by Ettrick that would let 15 property owners hook up to village sewer and water for the same monthly rate as village residents. Gone from last year’s offer is a one-time assessment of $18,000, plus the quarterly use fee. With the grant, there would be no special assessment and quarterly payment would be about $109.  

50 YEARS AGO

September 21, 1972

The Whitehall district school board Monday night discussed appointing a new board member to replace the late Mrs. Livia Sletteland, who died Sept. 10 after serving 11 years on the board.

The state Department of Natural Resources has approved plans for an expanded sewage disposal plant for Whitehall, which is under DNR order to start construction of a new sewage plant by Nov. 18.

Barbara Mandrell will headline the country music show that will be put on Nov. 11 in Whitehall, under the sponsorship of the Lions Club. Gene and the Caballeros and Norm Herman, the Country Ambassador, will the preliminary acts.

Winona Construction Company, with a bid of $266,666, was the low bidder on the general construction of two eight-unit apartment buildings for senior citizens when bids were opened by the Arcadia Housing Corporation last week. Two other bids were received.

A building permit for a 220-by-100-foot addition to the Arcadia Furniture Corporation was granted by the Arcadia city council, which met in a postponed regular session Monday night. The addition will provide additional floor space for expansion. Construction will begin this fall, Ronald Wanek, the firm’s general manager, said. 

The youth serving youth program at Galesville Elementary School has begun with 17 students participating. This is the second year of operation on an extended scale. Changes this year include an attempt to more carefully match tutor and child being tutored. 

The Music Parents Association of Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau will hold their first meeting of the new school year on Sept. 27. 

75 YEARS AGO

September 18, 1947

Highway Commissioner Jens Klavestad received word this week that a contract has been let for the replacement of the Ecker bridge on Hwy. 53 one mile east of Whitehall.

Bennie O. Nelson went to La Crosse Tuesday afternoon to engage an architect to draft plans for the dry-cleaning and pressing plant he will erect on Scranton Street, on the lot just west of the Amble Jewelry Store. Work will commence as soon as possible, Ben says.

Standing on his head on his 73rd birthday had no ill effects on O.H. Settingsgaard, who in the spirit of fun demonstrated to his family that he could do it, and remained in that position long enough for his daughter to snap a photo of him. Still employed as bookkeeper by the Cooperative Oil and Produce Co., Ole was one of its incorporators and served as its manager for 17 years.

Henry M. Hanson was passing out unique corsages Tuesday: potato blossoms from vines that are blooming for the second time this season. He promised to bring around some of the potatoes, too, should the fall be conducive to their development.

Progress on the new St. Joseph’s Hospital is steady and each week the structure goes higher and higher. This week finds half of the second floor slab poured. If weather continues to remain favorable, the rest of the slab will be laid. 

Anton Senty, 81, founder of State Bank of Independence and Northern Investment, died in Whitehall from double pneumonia. Senty was the bank director in Independence for more than 50 years. He was born in 1865 in the Montana township to Mr. and Mrs. John Senty.

The 89th Trempealeau County Fair will soon be here. Frank Smith and Clarence Brown promise the best fair yet. 

Galesville will have a circus with elephants and other jungle beasts, performers and all that goes with a circus. 

Albert Gilmeister and son, Harold, were under treatment at a La Crosse hospital. The men were adjusting a tractor when the machine plunged into a 12-foot ditch, overturning and throwing Albert clear after passing over his body. Harold was underneath the machine with a load of hay and hay loader attached. Quentin Irvine saw the accident and summoned help. 

100 YEARS AGO

September 21, 1922

Two representatives of the Jos. S. Smith Publishing Co., Milwaukee, are in Whitehall arranging a “Boost Your Home Merchants” campaign. The plan has been tried out in several communities in the state in a very successful manner, and has been beneficial to business in a large degree. It is necessary to cooperate in this manner to combat the influence of mail-order concerns.

Chicken hunters who are reported in the sporting fields are Judge Hensel, C.B. Melby, F.D. Hopkins, Ed Erickson, W.E. Risberg, Dr. F.E. Van Sickle, Jack Lundstad, Louie Larson and Howard DeBow, all of Whitehall, and Theo Johnson of Pigeon Falls.

G.G. Eberhardt has been putting in part of the past week taking pictures of the children, and it is hinted that he snapped a number of the older “children,” and the mode they were in will be disclosed on the slides at the Opera House tomorrow night, when all the pictures will be shown in connection with a five-reel feature, “A Black Beauty.”

Clarence Kaas is slated for promotion to the position of secretary of the Pigeon Mutual Fire Insurance Co., to succeed G.H. Neperud, deceased. Mr. Kaas has been associated with the company for many years, and his appointment would be a recognition of merit.

Ole Sletten of Blair and Emil Huslegard of Borst Valley have purchased Fordson tractors and plow outfits this week from the Auto Sales Co. Orvil Eid at Pigeon Falls also recently bought one. Tom Mattson of Blair has one of the new style touring cars.

Sheriff Erickson reports several men in the county jail who are eligible for parole to farmers. Better see the sheriff if in need of help on the farm.

Fathers of school boys and pastors of churches met for a discussion of problems confronting the community. Topics included the evils connected with the pool halls in town and the ease in which “booze” and liquor of any form was passed out among the boys at many gatherings.  

Night hawks raided the storeroom of the Standard Oil Co. Friday night and made off with 50 gallons of gas, lubricating oil and tools. An attempt to break into the large storage tanks were unsuccessful. Wheel tracks and three different cars were noted in the soft ground.

Whitehall tennis sharks came to Galesville last week and competed with Galesville’s sharks. The contests were staged at the courts in the upper Table Park. 

Election speeches and many arguments about the election, which is three weeks away is heard. LaFollette is the main issue. For 20 years he has told people we needed power to quell the evils that threatened the common people. He has ruled the people of Wisconsin for 20 years. Now if you believe all he says, vote for him. If not, vote for someone else. Hearing speeches and reading pamphlets will get you nowhere. Don’t let any politician do your thinking – think for yourself. 

125 YEARS AGO

September 16, 1897

The crop of buckwheat in this section is about all cut and shocked. It is immense.

Dr. Parker moved his barn from Dodge Street on to his residence property on Main Street last week, James Mattson doing the work.

The Green Bay Gazette says that the man who wants to hunt deer in Wisconsin this year and do it according to law should lose no time in consulting an attorney. The law is worse than a high, board fence with spikes on the top.

A.J. McNaughton has acquired more space by the removal of Dr. Parker from the rear rooms in the drug store. A partition has been taken out, throwing 16 feet more room into the store and which, when repainted and papered, will make the Whitehall pharmacy a model dispensary.

W.G. Fuller came down from Sechlerville Saturday with more than a happy smile upon his countenance, in answer to a telegram announcing that his wife gave birth to bouncing twin boys early that morning. Mr. Fuller impressed the importance of the event to him upon the minds of his numerous friends in town, by a generous donation of cigars.

Miss Letitia Wright left at our office yesterday a couple stems containing strawberry blossoms and green and ripe strawberries, which were perfect as if grown in regular season. An unusual occurrence, an unusual occurrence in this section in the middle of September.

State Fish and Game Warden Ellarson has prepared a form of application for resident deer hunting and will forward the same to the county clerks of all counties in which the shooting of deer is permitted. Some of the hunters have been of the opinion that it would be possible to take out licenses in more than one county, but Mr. Ellarson has guarded against that. An affidavit is appended to the application, and the applicant is required to swear that he has not, and will not, make application in any other county. Two coupons, authorizing the transport of two deer, are attached to each license.

Special Sections

Comment Here