Spring Green, Wisconsin
Thursday, July 11, 2024 | Vol. 5, No. 14 FREE, Single-Copy
Inside this edition
Arena sells police equipment, hears from Sheriff
Community Calendar: Fairs, parades & live music
Constitutional questions on the ballot in August
Pages 1, 11
Pages 6, 7, 9
Pages 2, 4
Arena Village Board votes to extend Iowa County Sheriff's Office policing agreement, liquidate police equipment Luukas Palm-Leis, Editorial Intern At the July 2 regular board meeting, the Village of Arena Board of Trustees voted to extend its policing agreement with the Iowa County Sheriff’s office through 2025 and to liquidate surplus police equipment. In addition to discussing the on-going emergency services issues in the Village, the board also took action on a variety of public works issues, decided against a No Mow May ordinance and heard a report on a water services rebate with Arena Cheese.
Policing
Agreement Questions Extension
and
Iowa County Sheriff Mike Peterson attended the meeting and answered the board’s questions regarding the policing agreement with the Village — which was instituted after the complete resignation of the Arena Police Department earlier this year. Trustee Matthew Schroeder questioned
Photo by Luukas Palm-Leis, Editorial Intern Iowa County Sheriff Mike Peterson speaks to the Arena Village Board regarding policing for the village at the July 2 meeting. if the minimum of 4 hours of policing would be enough for the village. “My personal opinion is probably not, but it’s what’s available right now, not only what the village can afford, but what
I can supply for officer hours without having to hire more people,” Peterson said. Trustee BeccaRaven Uminowicz followed up Peterson’s response, asking
if this arrangement is sustainable for a long period of time for both the village and the Sheriff’s office “Four hours isn’t too tasking on our staffing levels,” Peterson said. “If we start getting into 10 hours a week, 15 hours a week and beyond, then yeah, then we would have to hire more people.” Peterson clarified for the board that the 1,375 calls for service per year statistic, which was discussed at a previous meeting of the board, was regarding calls directed to the Arena Police Department and not calls for service from residents of the municipality Trustee Melissa Bandell questioned the Iowa County Sheriff’s office current staffing levels, with 43 officers of the recommended 64, from the office’s own reporting. Peterson responded that the department would not be able to hire for a couple years. Following the discussion with Sheriff
continued on page 11
Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez Visits Local Businesses in Spring Green On Tuesday, July 2nd, Lt. Governor Sara Rodriguez toured four businesses in the Spring Green area, showcasing her dedication to supporting small businesses in Wisconsin. A former nurse and strong advocate for local enterprises, Lt. Governor Rodriguez began her visit at Brewhaha Roasters. Owners Matt, Pat, and Aaron welcomed her with a cup of their signature Bump N Grind coffee before taking her on a tour of their facility. They demonstrated the roasting and bagging process and engaged in a lively Q&A session. The Lt. Governor was particularly impressed by how the Brewhaha team manages the business while maintaining full-time careers as
educators. Following her visit to Brewhaha Roasters, Lt. Governor Rodriguez stopped by The General Store, Arcadia Book Store, and concluded her tour at Photo contributed by Pat Mahoney the AmeriLt. Governor Sara Rodriguez, at center, listens to Brewhaha co-owner Matt Snow as she vists local businesses in Spring Green can Players on July 2. Theatre.