FREE PRESS MESSENGER AMERY
TUESDAY,SEPTEMBER SEPTEMBER 2016 THURSDAY, 33,20, 2222
VOL.131 121 NO. NO.1912 www.theameryfrepress.com VOL. www.moraminn.com $1.00 $1.00
AMERY FALL FESTIVAL: Pictures and coverage SECTION B
Amery businessman injured in construction accident
COUNTRY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 33, 2222
Serving Marine-on-St. Croix, Scandia, May Township
VOL. 131 NO. 19 www.moraminn.com $1.00 BY JESSICA DE LA CRUZ EDITOR@THEAMERYFREEPRESS.COM
SENTINEL BURNETT COUNTY
JESSICA DE LA CRUZ | AMERY FREE PRESS
Pushing the buttons
The 67th Amery Fall Festival came to a close this weekend, and despite a few raindrops it was another huge success. Community Club Members pose during the Annual Fall Festival parade. Left to right are Ed White, Sally Klevgard, Tom Bensen, David Erspamer, Oralee Schock, Ed Flanum and Matt Johnson.
Apple River weed harvesting ends for the season
FREE
COUNTY ST
With recent cool evening weather, aquatic weeds in the Apple River Flowage have begun to die off. As a result, harvesting operations for weed control ended on September 9. Harvesting on the flowage began May 11th. This year, crews collected a total of 564 loads of weeds, totaling 2,531,786 pounds. This
amount is up from last year by about 56 loads and 300,000 pounds. Dale Richardson of the Apple River Protection and Rehabilitation District attributes the increase to unusually warm weather in August. “It seemed to make the Coontail and Duckweek grow much more aggressively than normal,” he
FREE
says. Richardson says that the next few weeks they will be performing some much needed maintenance on equipment, mainly their dump truck, to insure everything is ready to go again next May.
ISANTI-CHISAGO
The Amery Family Restaurant ran like a well-oiled machine during one of Amery’s busiest weekends of the year, but two important faces were very much missed. Chili Ilazi, who runs the restaurant with his wife Gzime, is counting his blessings this week after being seriously injured in a fall from a roof on Friday. Ilazi Emergency responders were called to the Ilazi home on LitTHURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 33, 2222 tle Falls Circle just shortly after 11 a.m. Friday VOL. 131 NO. 19 www.moraminn.com $1.00 morning. Ilazi was first taken to Amery Hospital and Clinic and then flown to Regions Hospital in St. Paul after falling three stories from his roof. The Free Press spoke with a very groggy but alert Chili, who was still at Regions Hospital on Monday morning, but in much better condition. Ilazi had been installing trusses on the roof of his new home. The wood was wet from a rain the night before when Ilazi slipped and lost his footing. “There was nothing to grab on to,” he says. “The height that I fell, I’m a lucky person.” Chili suffered several broken ribs, and also fractured his pelvis in two locations along with his L1 and L2 vertebrae. But thankfully, he
FREE
R
SEE CHILI PAGE TWO
Harsdorf entangled in Republican fundraising scheme
THE SUN BY SUZANNE LINDGREN EDITOR@OSCEOLASUN.COM
Sheila Harsdorf’s campaign dismissed Democrats’ claims last week that the state senator (R–River Falls) was involved in a “pay to play” scheme with lead paint manufacturers. The accusations came after The Guardian U.S., a branch of the British
newspaper, published a story linking Governor Scott Walker’s fundraising before the 2012 recall election to high-rolling donors — among them a lead producer facing lawsuits from children sickened by lead paint. According to emails leaked to the Guardian, Walker raised funds on behalf of himself and Republican senators facing recall due to their vote to
end collective bargaining, including Harsdorf. Harsdorf and others on the Joint Finance Committee later voted to give lead paint manufacturers immunity from lawsuits. Last week, Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling scolded Harsdorf and Sen. Luther Olsen (R–Ripon), saying the documents “highlight a disturbing pay-to-play scheme between
Serving Polk County’s St. Croix Valley since 1897
out-of-state lead paint manufacturers and Senate Republicans.” Diane Odeen, Harsdorf’s challenger for the District 10 Senate seat in the upcoming election, also chastised the senator. “Why did Senator Harsdorf choose to protect lead paint manufacturers instead of our kids?” she asked. “PaySEE HARSDORF PAGE TWO
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 33, 2222
VOL. 131 NO. 19 www.moraminn.com $1.00
We want to keep you and your kids happy and healthy. Amery Hospital & Clinic offers flu shots to everyone 6 months of age and older. Visit amerymedicalcenter.org for times and locations of walk-in flu shots. Amery | Clear Lake | Luck | Turtle Lake
Walk-in flu shots NEWS 715-268-8101 editor@theameryfreepress.com
ADVERTISING 715-268-8101 phumpal@theameryfreepress.com
PUBLIC NOTICES 715-268-8101 phumpal@theameryfreepress.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS 715-268-8101 dstangl@theameryfreepress.com