THE ROCKLAND TEEN ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING AN 11-YEAR OLD GIRL---WAS FOUND “NOT GUILTY” THURSDAY.  AFTER THE TWO-DAY TRIAL IT TOOK JUST HOURS FOR THE LA CROSSE JURY TO FIND 17-YEAR OLD CRAIG SCHWEMLEIN “NOT GUILTY” ON THREE COUNTS OF SEXUAL ASSAULT.  CRAIG SCHWEMLEIN HAD BEEN ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING THE GIRL AT A BANGOR HOME LAST MAY. 

A 13-YEAR OLD LAKE DELTON BOY HAS BEEN RULED “NOT COMPETENT” TO STAND TRIAL FOR THE MURDER OF HIS FATHER.  MICHAEL CRISAFULLI IS CHARGED AS AN ADULT  WITH FIRST-DEGREE MURDER IN THE SHOOTING DEATH OF 55-YEAR OLD ANGELO CRISAFULLI.  SAUK COUNTY JUDGE GUY REYNOLDS ORDERED THE BOY TO BE COMMITTED INDEFINITELY.  MICHAEL TOLD INVESTIGATORS HE SHOT HIS DAD IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD WHILE HE WAS SITTING IN A RECLINER. 

THE MAUSTON SCHOOL BOARD VOTED WEDNESDAY TO APPLY FOR CHARTER SCHOOL PLANNING FUNDS.  BOARD PRESIDENT CARRIE BUSS HAD EXPECTED TO VOTE “NO” ON THE ISSUE---BUT HER MIND WAS CHANGED AFTER BEING ASSURED IMPLIMENTATION COULD BE STOPPED BY THE BOARD IN THE FUTURE.     FOUR BOARD MEMBERS VOTED “YES” AFTER ASSURANCES THAT THE CHARTER SCHOOL COULD BE HOUSED IN EXISTING SCHOOL BUILDINGS.  LINSMEYER AND ARENS VOTED NO WITH CAULEY ABSTAINING. 

THE LA CROSSE CITY COUNCIL HAD A BUSY THURSDAY EVENING.  THE COUNCIL VOTED TO RENEW ITS PUBLIC INTOXICATION ORDINANCE WITHOUT AN EXPIRATION DATE.  AN ALCOHOL TASK FORCE AND OTHER COMMUNITY GROUPS BELIEVE THE ORDINANCE CURBS BINGE DRINKING.  THE CITY COUNCIL ALSO VOTED TO BUILD A “MILITARY LOUNGE” AT THE LA CROSSE AIRPORT.  CONSTRUCTION IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY TO REMODEL THE WAITING AREA FOR TRAVELERS.  THE $600,000 PROJECT IS BEING FUNDED BY STATE AID AND AIRPORT REVENUE.  THE COUNCIL ALSO UNANIMOUS VOTED TO HIRE A THIRD CITY ATTORNEY.  MAYOR HARTER THEN VETOED THE MEASURE.  THE COUNCIL COULD VOTE ON THE OVERRIDE IN THEIR MAY MEETING.   AND FINALLY—AFTER YEARS IN THE MAKING—THE CITY COUNCIL AGREED TO PAY NEARLY $2-MILLION FOR SEVERAL WATERFRONT ACRES OWNED BY THE PATROS FAMILY.  MAYOR MATT HARTER SAID THIS PAVES THE WAY FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT OF LA CROSSE’S NORTH SIDE. 

ANOTHER INTOXICATED UW-LA CROSSE STUDENT WAS FOUND NEAR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER LATE SATURDAY NIGHT.  LA CROSSE POLICE RESERVES AND OPERATION RIVER WATCH VOLUNTEERS STOPPED THE STUDENT WHO THOUGHT HE WAS IN SUPERIOR.  JUST AFTER 11PM SATURDAY---20-YEAR OLD CHRISTOPHER WIGHTMAN WAS RUNNING FROM A POLICE RESERVE OFFICER THROUGH RIVERSIDE PARK---WHEN HE RAN INTO TWO WATCH VOLUNTEERS.  CHRISTOPHER WIGHTMAN---WITH A BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVEL OF “.  14”—COULD HAVE SWORN HE WAS ON THE BANKS OF LAKE SUPERIOR.   WIGHTMAN WAS CITED FOR UNDERAGE DRINKING—BEING IN RIVERSIDE PARK AFTER HOURS AND POSSESSION OF ANOTHER MAN’S DRIVER’S LICENSE---THEN TAKEN BACK TO HIS DORM TO LIVE ANOTHER DAY. 

BRING YOUR PAINT BRUSH AND HELP PAINT LA CROSSE GREEN THIS WEEKEND.  NOT ONLY WILL THE CITY HOST A ST.   PATRICK’S DAY PARADE SATURDAY MORNING AT 10AM—RAIN OR SHINE—BUT THERE’S THE HOME AND GARDEN SHOW BEGINNING “FRIDAY” AT 5PM UNTIL 9-FRIDAY --SATURDAY FROM 10AM TO 6PM AND SUNDAY FROM 11AM TO 4PM---AND THE GOLF SHOW TAKES A “SLICE” OF THE WEEKEND AT THE LA CROSSE CENTER FRIDAY FROM 3-TO-8PM—SATURDAY FROM 9AM TO 6PM AND SUNDAY 10AM TO 3PM.  PRAIRIE DU CHEIN HAS A ST.   PATRICKS DAY PARADE SATURDAY TOO--ALSO STARTING AT 10AM.  . 

AUTHENTIC ARTIFACTS WILL BE ON DISPLAY AT VALLEY VIEW MALL SATURDAY.  THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY ARCHEOLOGICAL CENTER WILL HOLD ITS ANNUAL ARTIFACT SHOW—WHICH TYPICALLY ATTRACTS UP TO 3,000 VISITORS.  ARTIFACTS IN THE SHOW WERE RECOVERED FROM LOCAL EXCAVATIONS AND FEATURE PREHISTORIC ARROWHEADS AND POTTERY.  “NOVICE” ARCHEOLOGISTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO BRING IN THEIR FINDINGS.  THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE “POLITICIANS” WHO ARE CONSIDERED “PROFESSIONAL” ARCHEOLOGISTS—QUITE ADEPT AT DIGGING UP “DIRT” ON THEIR OPPONENTS. 

TWO TASK FORCES HAVE BEEN APPOINTED IN MINNESOTA TO EXAMINE A PROPOSAL FOR THE NEW HIGH-VOLTAGE POWER LINES CROSSING THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER NEAR ALMA.  THE CONSORTIUM CONSTRUCTING THE 150-MILE LINE FROM HAMPTON,  MINNESOTA TO LA CROSSE COULD IMPACT OVER 1,000 HOMES.  OTHER CROSSINGS “COULD” BE CONSIDERED BY THE TASK FORCES AS WELL AS BURYING LINES UNDER THE MISSISSIPPI INSTEAD OF OVER IT.  GOING UNDER WOULD COST ABOUT $90-MILLION WHILE LINES OVER THE RIVER---JUST $2.  5-MILLION. 

THIS IS NATIONAL CONSUMER PROTECTION WEEK AND WISCONSIN HAS GOOD REASON TO CELEBRATE.  THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU IS GETTING FEWER COMPLAINTS FROM OUR STATE THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE.  THE B-B-B HANDLED ABOUT 15,0000 COMPLAINTS IN THE BADGER STATE LAST YEAR—DOWN 8% FROM LAST YEAR---WHILE COMPLAINTS NATION-WIDE “ROSE” 10%.  COULD THE STATE’S STRONG CONSUMER PROTECTION LAWS BE THE REASON---OR--- THE FACT THAT --- WITH OVER $6-BILLION IN STATE DEBT—THE ONLY ONES SPENDING ARE LAWMAKERS IN MADISON.