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Wausau cemetery shooting suspect faces numerous charges, $10 million dollar bond set

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A hefty bond has been ordered for the suspect of the Pine Grove Cemetery shooting in Wausau.

Henry West, 64, of Schofield has been charged with 17 counts for the murder shooting death of Patty Grimm. He is facing 11 counts of attempted homicide, arson, 3 counts of attempted arson, and obstructing an officer. During the initial appearance, the judge raised West’s bond from 1 to 10 million dollars.

According to court documents released today West is accused of rigging the apartments at 117 Fullmer St. for an explosion by damaging the natural gas line and placing containers with gasoline around it. The document estimates there would have been enough natural gas in the apartments that if it had combusted it would have caused an explosion capable of killing several to hundreds of people.

Documents also reveal that the manager of the apartment complex said West told them a week before he was set to be evicted that he was “going to make the news big time.” West had also previously made death threats to cemetery management as he was very upset with his firing in 2012.

The shooting happened on October 3rd as Grimm was shot multiple times and killed inside the doorway of the cemetery office. The other two victims, William Buhse and Rosemelia Short were also shot. Buhse is still in the hospital recovering from a shot to the head. While Short was released after being treated for her injuries.

West will next appear in court for a pre-trial hearing on November 21 at 9:20 a.m

WSAU

Climate crisis is global focus on Friday

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WRN photo

Young people are taking their climate change fears to the streets on Friday. Around the world, across the U.S. and in Wisconsin, they’ll be out for the Global Youth Strike for Climate. Sophie Guthier is executive director of Wisconsin’s Youth Climate Action Team.

“We’re going to continue fighting for this. They don’t get to just ignore and hope that we won’t say anything after this. This is going to be an ongoing fight, an ongoing struggle where we’re going to continue disrupting the status quo, until we get what we need to survive.”

Guthier says young people hold both political parties responsible for the failure to address the climate crisis, and after rallying at Madison Gas & Electric, they plan to occupy the Capitol.

Scott Blankman, Director for Energy & Air Programs with Clean Wisconsin, said climate change is already making itself felt in Wisconsin.

“We’re already seeing some of the impacts of climate change here in Wisconsin, with the historic flooding that we saw last summer, and even the flooding that we’re continuing to experience here in late August and into September her in Wisconsin as well as throughout the Midwest.”

In addition to Friday’s Global Youth Strike for Climate, the United Nations Climate Action Summit begins in New York City on Monday.

State Democrats introduce ‘red flag law’ bill, already face stiff opposition from Republicans

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State Democrats gathered at the capital on the anniversary of a mass shooting near Madison to push for gun control policies.

Governor Tony Evers says the bill will enact what’s called Extreme Risk Protection Orders, or so called ‘red flag laws’.

“In a state where nearly three of four gun deaths are suicide, having an ERPO process could be an important tool in helping us address firearm related suicides in Wisconsin.”

Evers says those ideas have broad support in the public, but not with elected Republicans. “Each and every day officials choose ideologies and false dichotomies over doing what’s right, that’s a choice that has consequences.”

In a joint statement in response, Assembly Speaker Robin Vos and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald are calling it a non starter. “It’s widely known that we believe this legislation poses threats to due process and the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.”

Vos and Fitzgerald pointed instead to the 100 million dollars they passed in the budget that improves school safety, and say that they’re committed to improving mental health programs to prevent gun violence.

State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald announces run for Congress

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State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald told WISN’s Jay Weber on Tuesday morning that he is running to fill Republican Jim Sensenbrenner’s seat in Congress. 

“I’ve been kind of watching and waiting for Congressman Sensenbrenner to see when he would actually think retirement was a good option for him. So as soon as I heard the news, I reached out to my wife and family members and supporters, and it didn’t take long for me to say I’m in this, 100 percent.”

Fitzgerald says he’s got the chops to make an impact in Washington DC. 

“I’ve driven a lot of conservative policies over the last 25 years, 12 years as Majority Leader. And I’d love the opportunity to be able to go out to Washington and hopefully make that same kind of impact.”

The announcement makes Fitzgerald the first to officially announce a run for Sensenbrenner’s seat. A number of other Republicans have floated their names as possibly making a run in the 5th District.

Data reveals impacts of suicide in Wisconsin

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If you or someone you know is struggling, call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1.800.273.8255 or text “HOPELINE” to 741741.

New data shows the impact of suicide in Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has released findings from its most recent analysis of state suicide deaths and suicide-related injury. It’s part of an effort to update Wisconsin’s suicide prevention plan and reduce the number of suicide attempts and deaths.

This analysis found:

The state’s suicide rate rose 40% between 2000 and 2017.
From 2013-2017, suicide rates in Wisconsin were highest among individuals ages 45-54.
Of all state deaths by firearm from 2013-2017, 71% were suicide deaths.
In 2017, the majority of individuals who died by suicide in Wisconsin were male.
In 2017, suicide was the second leading cause of death among adolescents in Wisconsin.

Tuesday is Suicide Prevention Day, and September is Suicide Awareness Month.

State Representative Joan Ballweg says suicide remains a difficult topic for people to grapple with. “I think one of the things that prevents people from reaching out for treatment is that there is a stigma, that there’s something wrong with you that is not going to be solved, that people are not going to be able to overcome,” said the lawmaker, who chairs the Speaker’s Task Force on Suicide Prevention.

“Encouraging people to get into treatment, whether it is a behavioral health condition, or suicidal ideation, that conversation should be normalized.”

The task force held its last hearing this week. Members expect to have recommendations ready for the legislature to consider this session.

JFC and AG Kaul reach agreement on settlement scuffle

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A stalemate between GOP leaders and the state attorney general’s office might be over.

Joint Finance Committee co chairs Alberta Darling and John Nygren announced on Thursday that they will be signing confidentiality agreements in order to take part in settlements being negotiated by Attorney General Josh Kaul.

Kaul says he needs those agreements in order to read in members of the Committee so they can approve the settlements, as required by one of the lame duck laws. Republicans still say Kaul is trying to undermine that law. 

Representative Sean Duffy will resign from Congress

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Wisconsin Congressman Sean Duffy announced on his Facebook page Monday that he will resign, effective September 23. The 7th District Republican and his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, are expecting their ninth child in October, and Duffy said in his post that the child has a heart condition.

He wrote that “this is the right time . . . to take a break from public service in order to be the support my wife, baby and family need right now.”

Duffy defeated Democrat Margaret Engebretsen last November, to win his fifth term representing the 7th CD. A special election will need to be called to fill out the remainder of his term.

 

Sheriff says Chippewa County killer may have been inspired by Jayme Closs case

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Much more is now known, about a pair of shootings in Chippewa County that left a total of a five people dead. But the motive that drove 33 year-old Richie German Jr. may remain unclear. “What was the motive? Why did this happen? I don’t have that answer,” said Chippewa County Sheriff Jim Kowalczyk during a Tuesday press conference. “We’re working on that answer. That question may never be answered.”

German killed his mother, 66 year-old Bridget German, brother, 32-year-old Douglas German, and Douglas’ eight year-old son Calvin Harris, all at Bridget German’s Lafayette home. Kowalczyk said he believes all three were dead by Saturday morning.

German was arrested following a domestic incident at his mother’s home in 2006, his only known contact with police. Kowalczyk called him a “troubled individual,” and said there are no indications that  German had a job or a car.

Sunday night, German shot and killed 24-year-old Laile Vang and himself at a Lake Hallie home, after shooting through the front door with a shotgun.

Vang’s parents, who were wounded, told police they did not know German. Sheriff Kowalczyk suggested German may have been attempting to kidnap Laile Vang, and compared the case to that of Jayme Closs kidnapper Jake Patterson, serving a life sentence for the murders the Barron teen’s parents.

Kowalczyk said Ritchie had exchanged text messages with Laile Vang, but that she also apparently did not know him. Her parents, 39-year-old Mai Chang Vang and 51-year-old Teng Vang were both shot, and both had to have an arm amputated. The parents are expected to recover.

NWS confirm nine tornadoes in weekend storms

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National Weather Service forecasters have confirmed nine tornado touchdowns across Wisconsin from weekend storms.

Friday night’s storm near Mosinee produced one of the biggest, an EF-1 that was on the ground for nearly ten minutes. Officials say that one uprooted hundreds of trees and damaged at least one barn while tearing the roofs off several other buildings.

No injuries were reported. Another EF-1 was reported near Pelican Lake in Oneida County- but N-W-S officials haven’t pegged any damage on that storm.

Another EF-1 was reported near Tripoli as well. Two additional touchdowns were reported near La Crosse, four others occurred from eastern Waupaca County into the Fox Valley

WSAU

Walker’s new job precludes run for office in 2022

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Governor Scott Walker (WRN photo)

It’s a new gig for Scott Walker. Walker tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he has accepted a full time job running the conservative group Young America’s Foundation.

Walker lost his bid for a third term as governor to Democrat Tony Evers, and says his new job will preclude another run for that office, or for U.S. Senate.  A post on the Young America’s Foundation website praises Walker. “Governor Walker courageously advanced freedom in a state that once was a “progressive” bastion. He championed right-to-work laws, right-to-life causes, and defended Wisconsin’s wage earners from over-reaching bureaucrats and tax collectors.”

Walker told the Journal Sentinel that he will not assume the presidency of the organization until 2021, when the current president steps down, and has committed to serve at least four years.

“I hope Scott Walker’s new employers in the D.C. area have a good contract with him,” said Democratic Party of Wisconsin chair Ben Wikler, who noted that Walker launched his campaign for president in 2014, after earlier saying his plan was to serve as governor for four more years. “I’m not even thinking about taking Walker off the list of potential Republican contenders for the 2022 Senate seat.”

Young America’s Foundation was founded in 1969. The group’s stated mission is “to educate and inspire young people on Traditional values, Limited Government, Judeo-Christian values, and Conservatism”