Barron News Shield - News

County buildings security studied
Problems with groups leaving meeting rooms in disarray and property occasionally disappearing have motivated county officials to continue studying their options for clamping down on access to county buildings.
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Guilty pleas in beating death case




	David Makowski (left) and Bradley Tiegs

Two men facing a jury trial for a homicide that occurred in rural Barron in early 2009 have pleaded guilty to reduced charges. The jury trial was cancelled after a plea agreement between prosecutors and defense counsel had been reached.
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Alcohol sting was far from dry run
The Barron County Sheriff's Department conducted its third round of alcohol sales compliance checks Friday, Jan. 29. This time, not just bars, but also liquor and convenience stores were targeted in the sting operation.
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Koser's Poweram makes push to West Africa




	Bill Koser (right), of Koser Iron Works in Barron, recently sold one of his hydraulic Poweram pipe pusher-puller units to the Electricity Co. of Ghana, West Africa. Also standing beside the Poweram equipment is Darren Bjugsad, who flew to Accra, the capital of Ghana, to teach utility workers there how to use the equipment. Poweram is a division of Koser Iron Works, which is into its 41st year of manufacturing in Barron. The Poweram equipment is used mostly for the installation of underground utility lines.

Bill Koser of Koser Iron Works in Barron is doing his part to move the current U.S. trade deficit towards the positive side of the balance sheet. Koser and his wife, Mari, now into their 41st year of manufacturing in Barron, have just completed a deal that put one of their Poweram hydraulic pipe pusher-pullers
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Why should civil cases move forward? Judge rules remarks made by Hebert capable of defamatory meaning in civil cases filed by Mattison, Anderson
In a decision filed Jan. 22, Judge Eugene Harrington explained why defamation cases against Barron County and its former administrator, Duane Hebert, will be allowed to go to jury trial.
Harrington had indicated in December that the cases would be moving
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Almena may still get rail upgrade
Almena might not have missed the train after all as far as improvements to the area's rail infrastructure go.
Originally, the West Wisconsin Rail Transit Authority-an organization working to revitalize rail service in Barron and Chippewa Counties-had kept
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Budget error irks county board member
An error in Barron County's 2010 budget has drawn the ire of at least one supervisor who has since called the timing of a subsequent mistake notice into question.
The issue came up at Thursday's executive committee meeting where one
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Property taxes are due
Barron County Treasurer Yvonne Ritchie reminds taxpayers that real estate and personal property taxes are due to town, village or city treasurers. Payment for the full amount due or first installment payments must be received or postmarked by Jan. 31, 2010, to avoid interest and penalty
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Seek variety of food vendors for sesquicentennial
As plans for the Sesquicentennial continue to unfold, the Food Committee is now in the process of soliciting for food vendors for the milestone celebration. The invitation is open to all businesses, nonprofit organizations, church organizations, and/or individuals who would like the opportunity to
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