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— We now know the name of a truck driver killed in a Sheboygan County train crash
was driving a truck on Abbott Road when he was crossing a railroad and was hit by an oncoming train
neighbors told TMJ4 News they were concerned about the lack of signage near the crossing
This is a picture of what experts call an advanced warning sign
It's usually several hundred feet before a railroad crossing
If you’re in an area that you’re not familiar with
You don’t know what the tracks are going to be like
you don’t know what kind of visual you can see down the tracks
so you want to stop or prepare to stop to see if you can see down those tracks," Gary Koerner said
Koerner's the state coordinator of Wisconsin's Operation Lifesaver
a non-profit that educates people on how to be safe around railroad crossings
there are also white railroad crossing and yield signs as you approach the tracks
Watch: Railroad safety expert weighs in on crossing signs
there were 40 railroad-related crashes in Wisconsin
He said a third of them happened when signs
lights or even crossing gates were present at tracks
His team attributes those accidents to distracted driving
Koerner said it's crucial to pay attention to signage near railroad crossings
even on roads you drive every single day because you never know when a train is coming
You might see a train coming and you're thinking 'oh I'll beat it and well if I don't it's going to stop,' it could take more than a mile for that train to stop," Koerner explained
"By the time the engineer sees 'hey he's not going to stop,' he applies the emergency brake
it could take a mile before that train comes to a stop," he added
TMJ4 did speak with the family of Jeff Blankenheim
the man who was killed by the train Wednesday
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BAXTER — Spencer Syverston of Alexandria had one of the best finishes at Sunday's Lakes Area Triathlon
Duluth’s Josh Blankenheim posted a combined time of 56:00 to top Syverston by 16 seconds on Sunday
Blankenheim came out of the water in seventh with a 6:32 swim
Brody Engelstad of West Fargo was the top swimmer with a 5:51 time
Syvertson came out of the exchange area in first with Blankenheim fourth
Blankenheim cut into Syvertson’s lead by three seconds on the bike as he recorded the fastest time of 30:12
but Syvertson still held a 44-second lead on Blankenheim out of the second exchange area and into the run
The 44-year-old Blankenheim obliterated the time deficit as he finished the run in 17:45 to Syvertson’s 18:46
Jason Crisp of Carlton placed third thanks to the second-fastest run time
Brainerd’s Melissa Goble won the women’s triathlon in 1:08.44 and finished eighth overall
Pilar Dritz of Minneapolis finished with the fastest swim at 6:45
with Kayleigh Klardie of Minneapolis second in 6:49
but a good transition into bike had her in ninth
Goble passed up everybody on the bike with the 10th fastest bike time overall and the top female time to build a 1:24 lead over Lisa Hines of Waite Park
Goble’s 21:59 run was the fastest women’s time and was eighth among all athletes
Hines finished second in 1:13.44 followed by Jen Birkmeier of Andover in third
Susan Moen of Deerwood in fourth and Audrey Davison of Detroit Lakes in fifth
Wind and Water in 1:03.56 while the coed team of Alrighty Then won in 1:12.52
Sophia Kampen of Brainerd and Christopher Xu of Shoreview won the girls’ and boys’ 14-year-old youth triathlon Saturday
Lily Larson of Baxter won the 13-year-old girls’ division
She was followed by Brainerd’s Elizabeth Czeh and Baxter’s Maelle iske
Josiah Wagner of Pillager won the 13-year-old boys’ division
Leah Ploof of Brainerd and Finley Miller of Vadnais Heights on the 12-year-old divisions
Rosalie Flynn of Brainerd was second for the girls
while Tucker Skoglund of Fort Ripley and Rylan Paskewitz of Pillager followed Miller
Eli Kunesh of Deerwood and Hayden Bellefeuille of Hanska were the 11-year-old winners
Johann Wagner of Brainerd won the boys 10-year-olds followed by Chase Anderson of Baxter
Axel Groenwold of Baxter and Mick Quast of Fort Ripley
Presley Leonard of Baxter was the top 10-year-old girl followed by Brainerd’s Ilsie Anderson in second
Lydia Kampen in third and Addison Fox in fourth
Jack Pennington of Baxter and Alexis Dannison of Baxter captured the 9-year-old races
The 8-year-old titles went to Deerwood’s Cole Kunesch followed by Baxter’s Charles Tyra
Davi Ahlquist of Brainerd and Sydney Anderson of Brainerd were first and second on the girls’ side
Jude Ahlquist of Brainerd and Grace Dennison of Baxter won the 7-year-old events
Emmytt and Myles Flaten were the girls’ and boys’ winners in the 6-year-old race and Leah Anderson of Brainerd won the girls’ 5-year-old race followed by Tenley Klimek of Baxter
For complete results of the Lakes Country Triathlon and the YMCA Kids Triathlon visit pickleevents.com
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Culture & History
Everett "Doc" Wood (l) in Vietnam and Jim Blankenheim (r) at Phu Loc 6 where they were about to move their battalion to Phu Bai Combat Base during Mardi Gras in February 1968
(Photos courtesy of Everett Wood and Jim Blankenheim)
Indiana are friends who served together during the Vietnam War
Marine Corps and Wood was a member of the U.S
the struggles of integration after returning home
and the excitement of forging one’s path in life
Blankenheim and Wood shared their experiences as part of StoryCorps’ Military Voices Initiative, which is made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Jim Blankenheim: My name is Jim Blankenheim
My partner here is a corpsman that was with me in Vietnam
The relationship to Jim is he was a forward observer with us and called in artillery airstrikes and tried to help us out during the bad times when we needed help
made the comment that he thought that I’d never amount to s—
I said “I’ll show you.” Not only would I join the military but I would join the toughest branch they had
I got out of high school and didn’t know what I wanted to do in life
My parents didn’t have very much money and I didn’t want them to help me through school
I just wanted to be on my own and try to find my own direction so I joined the Navy
That was probably the bloodiest battle we saw
EW: That was the worst I had ever gone through
(We) walked up in the mountains on what they said was going to be a three-day patrol
JB: We had no place to put the bodies or the wounded so they all laid right in the middle of our mini perimeter
JB: He lasted four days before we could medivac him out
We went to a reunion in Ohio and he showed up there and I went “You’ve got to be kidding me
you don’t know if they are alive or dead
JB: I could not tell my mother what was going on over there
you know what it was for us for a typical day.” That’s all I called it
I came home and I walked in the door and my dad was totally unaware that I was even coming home
After seeing all the stuff we went through
I’m glad we made it through that experience together
This story came from a partnership between StoryCorps and Wisconsin Public Radio with the mission to preserve the stories of veterans and their families
Thiry-eight conversations were recorded and preserved from August 24- September 4
Some will be airing on WPR’s “Wisconsin Life” throughout 2021
Rebuilding connections: Navigating life after losing a loved one
‘The Largest Gathering of Norwegians in Northwestern Wisconsin, Probably: Gierefest’
UW-Stout video game maker makes board game bestseller
Grieving the loss of his parents, author imagines time traveling back to his childhood home
Love Wisconsin? You’ll love Wisconsin Life, a place for engaging stories of the people that make Wisconsin feel like home. Produced by Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin
© Wisconsin Public Radio and PBS Wisconsin, services of the Educational Communications Board and the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.
Student spotlight: Brittany BlankenheimPost CrescentName: Brittany Blankenheim
Career program: Occupational Therapy Assistant
Attended FVTC: Spring 2013 through present
What are you learning about your career field that you find interesting or rewarding? Many people do not realize how many different facets OT has. Hospitals, schools, mental health facilities, prisons, homeless shelters, skilled nursing facilities, home-health care, and so many more places offer OT services. To be a part of a field that is so multi-functional is overwhelming as a student at times, but it also reminds me just how important OT is for everyone.
How did Fox Valley Technical College help you change your life? This question could be answered for days but to keep it short and simple, I’ll say this: this college has given me so much more than an education. Before attending FVTC, I never thought I could be successful or smart. Today, I believe I am both of those, and I will be forever thankful for having attended FVTC.
What type of job do you expect to find after graduation? I’m sure this answer is asking for a specific job title, however, I expect to find a job that rewards me in the same way attending FVTC rewarded me with opportunity to grow and learn and develop a passion for what I do every day. I can only hope that road is somewhere in occupational therapy in a skilled nursing facility or in a mental health setting.
For more information about the Occupational Therapy Assistant career, contact the Admissions Office at Fox Valley Technical College, 920-735-5645.
Fox Valley Technical College offers more than 200 associate degree, technical diploma and certificate programs, and instruction related to 20 apprenticeship trades, in addition to providing services to business and industry. Annually, the college serves about 50,000 people throughout its five-county district.
Join us for a 12-hour food drive Friday, 6am to 6pm, in Redding or Chico. Help stuff a RABA or B-Line bus at Les Schwab with food donations!
LIVE UPDATESPolice looking for missing Chico woman
— The Chico Police Department (CPD) is currently looking for Dawn Elizabeth Blankenheim
Blankenheim has not been seen or heard from since May 15
and it is unknown what she was wearing when she went missing
She stands 5'2" tall and has blonde hair with blue eyes
CPD officials say there are currently no indications of anything criminal occurring
If you see Blankenheim or have information on her whereabouts
by Wendy Todd | Jun 13
College of Optometry graduates Kathryn Schmandt
Kaleigh Albers and Paige Blankenheim all did rotations at Chickasaw Nation Medical Center
(Photos courtesy of UMSL College of Optometry)
Classmates Paige Blankenheim and Kate Schmandt were coming to the end of their fourth year in the College of Optometry at the University of Missouri–St. Louis and needed to complete their rotations
They both landed in Ada, Oklahoma – Blankenheim by choice and Schmandt by chance
Ada is a small town of about 16,000 people in Southeastern Oklahoma. It is home to the headquarters of the Chickasaw Nation
Blankenheim and Schmandt didn’t know what to expect
And based on previous experiences in other rotations
they weren’t sure how they’d be received as interns but they were willing to take a chance
The rotation at Chickasaw Nation Medical Center was coordinated by the Indian Health Service, a division within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Though the two weren’t sure of what to expect
the experience was better than they’d imagined
“Everybody was super nice at the clinic and welcoming,” Blankenheim said
Blankenheim and Schmandt stayed in an apartment provided by the Chickasaw Nation – a nice perk compared to other out-of-state rotations that require students to pay for their own room and board
With medical care being provided by the Chickasaw Nation
the patient treatment plan was not hampered by insurance coverage
and they were able to provide more comprehensive treatments than in other settings
“I wasn’t really sure what to expect going in
where the patients who came in didn’t necessarily need to have private insurance in order to be treated
Everyone was able to get the care that they needed – whatever tests we wanted to run
We could prescribe glasses without having to worry about what their insurance was going to cover or not cover.”
Blankenheim and Schmandt weren’t the only students who enjoyed their rotation in Ada
Kaleigh Albers and Riley Liss worked at Chickasaw Nation Medical Center as well
and I knew that I wanted to travel this year
I picked all of my rotations out of town on purpose
They communicated very well from the previous classes that it was a good one – that you learn a lot and have a good time.”
Liss hadn’t considered Oklahoma and was surprised when told her rotation would be there
“I didn’t know anything about Oklahoma,” Liss said
and that was probably the thought process.”
Regardless of the students’ initial thoughts about going to Oklahoma to work for a sovereign tribal nation
they were all interested in helping an underserved community
And because First Americans have a higher occurrence of diabetes and eye disease
the experience provided them many opportunities to learn and see a higher number of complicated cases than they would in a traditional medical setting
“I did see some severe cases of diabetes affecting their eyes
and it was really sad at some points,” Blankenheim said
where a surgeon was coming and doing injections for patients
To see people so young have issues from diabetes
I feel like there was more prevalence there.”
Liss also saw the impact that residing in an underserved community has on health
Because health services can be difficult to access in the area
the service provided by the interns is greatly valued by the patients and optometry clinic
Blankenheim noted that patients are generally more tolerant of appointments that take more time than those in a private optometry practice
They are so happy to receive the medical care they need
“We’re so excited to have them,” Lane said
it’s great to have them before they embark upon becoming a full-time optometrist
There have been interns who’ve returned to the clinic after their rotation to work full-time
who worked with the latest round of UMSL interns
did a rotation at the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center as a student and was recruited for a full-time job after graduating in 2018
“We kept our eye on her during her rotation
Schmandt has kept the Chickasaw Nation Medical Center in mind and would happily return
just the way they’re able to practice
and that’s kind of my preferred style,” Schmandt said
“After my fourth year of clinical experience
Students from more than 20 colleges and universities across the Midwest attended the conference April 26-27 at the UMSL Science Complex
Brown spent three days in the nation’s capital participating in policy training
touring the National Mall and the White House and speaking with politicians such as Sen
More than 50 students participated in the annual symposium and shared research on topics ranging from biology and chemistry to history and music
University Marketing and CommunicationsUniversity of Missouri–St
Penney Building/Conference Center1 University Blvd.St
News and Media RelationsUMSL Experts Guide
Office Number: (314) 516-5000Admissions Toll-Free: 1-888-GO-2-UMSL
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BAXTER — Josh Blankenheim of Duluth and Baxter’s Jacquelyn Bacigalupi captured the Lakes Country Triathlon Sunday
Blakenheim won the overall race with a 58:31
The 43-year-old opened in fourth place after the swim
Alexandria’s Spencer Syverton of Alexandria was the top swimmer with a 6:21
Blankenheim posted the fastest bike time with a 31:21
But it was on the run where Blankenheim secured his win as he ran a 17:37
The next fastest time came from Carlton’s Jason Crisp at 18:43
Syvertson finished second and Crisp third overall
The top area male was Miles Krueger who posted a ninth place 1:09.05
who bettered female runner-up Melissa Goble of Brainerd
while Bacigalup won the female title in 1:10.00
Pilar Dritz of Minneapolis was the fastest female swimmer in 7:06
behind area athletes like Mata Agre of Nisswa and Jamie Wallace of Baxter
Goble was the seventh swimmer out of the water
Bacigalupi turned things around on the bike where she was the seventh faster overall in 36:30
Goble was the second female and 15th overall at 38:58
Agre posted the fastest female run time at 19:55
but Bacigalupi held on with a 23:10 run time
Many of you may remember the story of a little girl from the Philippines who sent me a question on my Bikes for Kids Facebook page
Her name is Kim Pablo. Her father had just taught her how to Google something. Kim had Googled “Bikes for Kids.” Who would have thought her Google search in the Philippines would have led her to me and my Bikes for Kids page in Redding
Ted Blankenheim founded Bikes for Kids 13 years ago to ensure underprivileged and foster youth had new bikes at Christmas. Click here to read Greg Greenberg’s story about Ted.
I explained to Kim that the bikes on the page were for poor and foster youth in Shasta County
She thanked me for the information and left matters at that
I wrote Kim back and asked her to have her father friend me on Facebook
long story short we bought that girl a bike
She would have to do something good for someone else someday
Kim and her family have been my Facebook friends
I get frequent pictures of Kim getting awards in school
but she’s earned a special note in her transcript for being “the most helpful” in the classroom
there’s more to the story that happened just last week
I got a photo from Kim of her with her niece
holding a sign that says “Bikes for Kids”
Kim has outgrown the bike and has gifted the bike to her niece
Kim sent me a note while I was traveling in Southeast Asia
She said that she had spoken to her parents and they agreed that I should visit the Philippines next time
What a much better world it is when we pay it forward
By Dave Bogener
Click here for more Photo Cafe
Two of the four candidates running for two seats on the the Erin Town Board are: incumbent Maripat Blankenheim (left) and Eric Casetta (right)
Jeff Millikan did not respond to us before the deadline
TOWN OF ERIN – Erin Town Board Supervisor incumbents Maripat Blankenheim and Jeff Millikan look to defend their seats against challengers Michael Stapleton and Eric Casetta in Tuesday’s April 5 general election
The top two vote-getters will fill the two board seats up for election
but did not receive a response before deadline
Why did you decide to run for Erin Town Board supervisor
Blankenheim: I’m running for re-election to continue to serve the residents of Erin
but it’s a responsibility I take seriously
supervisors do much more than just attend meetings
I oversee the town zoning department and am involved in the day-today activities
It provides me the opportunity to interact directly with residents
to help them work through their issues and to advocate for them when necessary
the roads in the township are less than good
So I went to a roads meeting to discuss the roads situation and after some questioning
it began to feel as though the existing board is handling the situation with very short-term solutions to a very longterm problem
It didn’t feel as though there was a plan..
I decided that it might be time to run to change the way we do things to bring transparency and accountability to the board
Stapleton: I am running to give the people a choice
I am a strong believer in term limits and a fresh approach
SIGN UP
Blankenheim: My priorities are aligned with why I’m running for re-election — working hard for the people of Erin
my priorities are helping residents enjoy living in our beautiful rural town while not giving up some of the benefits of a larger community
It’s why I worked directly with Charter Communications to bring wired broadband services to Erin
the pandemic confirmed that internet service is a necessity
all Erin residences and businesses will have access to wired broadband over the next two years
Another priority is providing safe town roads
I’ve learned our roads are deteriorating more quickly than we’re able to repair them
Working toward fixing and maintaining our roads isn’t just a priority
it’s important to make these things happen with minimal financial impact on our taxpayers
but it’s critical we work to keep property taxes reasonable so living in Erin continues to be affordable
Casetta: Get my head around the issues that the residents have in the township and see how we as a board can work with the residents to craft plans that can be executed
In addition to being able to build those plans and execute them
there should also be the communication and vetting of those plans (transparency) and measuring the success of the resolutions (accountability)
Stapleton: My top priority is to listen to the people
What is the first thing you are going to do if elected
the first thing I’ll do is thank the Erin voters who supported me and placed their trust in me and my ability to serve the town
Casetta: I think the first thing is to understand the issues of the township
those that the board already has on its plate as well as the ones being talked about in the neighborhoods
I would like to have some sort of town hall meetings
maybe formal or maybe informal but having a gathering of the concerned residents to discuss what is front of mind for people
common concern but I know there must be others that aren’t affecting me and my neighbors but that are out there
Stapleton: Better accounting of budget and where money is being spent
out of which budget items the money is being spent
For more spring 2022 election coverage, click here
10 things to know this week from the WOW counties (Waukesha
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A 57-year-old Milwaukee man was charged Tuesday
in Waukesha County Circuit Court with felony battery to a county employee after he allegedly head-butted a Waukesha County building inspector in the village of Lannon last month.
David Janczak was a worker at a home under construction when building inspector Bob Blankenheim paid a visit to the site and asked Janczak about the stonework they were doing
Janczak became aggressive and verbally abusive and chest-bumped Blankenheim
As this went on, Blankenheim pulled out his phone to call police
which is when Janczak allegedly head-butted Blankenheim
knocking off his Bluetooth headset in the process.
Lannon Police Chief Kevin Porter said Janczak was still belligerent when he arrived on the scene. The criminal complaint describes Janczak allegedly threatening to find out where Blankenheim lived and to run into Porter when he was off duty
Porter would be "ground up in the street."
Janczak has also been charged with a misdemeanor of disorderly conduct. Janczak's initial appearance in court is scheduled for July 2.
Janczak could face up to 3½ years for battery and up to 90 days for disorderly conduct
He could also be fined up to $11,000 for the two charges.
Janczak has three prior felonies in Milwaukee County
Two occurred in 2004 for driving a vehicle without the owner's consent and fleeing or eluding an officer in a vehicle. Janczak was also pleaded guilty in 2007 for a 2003 burglary of the Pass It On Club
a Milwaukee addiction recovery center.
Surrounded by lakes and forest growing up in Townsend in Oconto County
Blankenheim entered the Army National Guard and
where he earned a bachelor's degree in wildlife ecology
he is now a conservation warden in the Department of Natural Resources' southeast region and doing what he calls the greatest job in the world
That's one of the reasons I decided to do this
I always had the benefit of living in the national forest and hunting and fishing all of the time
it was my duty to help ensure that for the next generation
There is fishing and hunting or environmental violations
from littering to chemical spills to water regulation
Do you believe the average citizen understands what a conservation warden does
I don't think the public fully understands what we do
That can be one of the challenges to what we do
There is so much that we cover as a department in general
it isn't just being a warden and doing enforcement
It's a part of a larger department that touches so many aspects of your everyday life
What would you recommend someone do if they want to become a conservation warden
I would recommend that you do a ride-along with your local conservation warden
Go on patrol with a warden for a day or whatever you have time for
Get an idea of what we do on a daily basis
And then one of the more common things people do is make sure they have taken all of the safety courses so they are familiar with the laws
But a lot of what you need to know the department will teach you as you go
You need a two-year degree and two years of law enforcement experience
This is the latest in a monthly feature on careers in a dynamic economy
Compensation: The Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the average annual salary for fish and game wardens in Wisconsin at $54,790 in May 2010
To get in: A fish and game warden requires an associate degree in Wisconsin
Training as a police officer is necessary to becoming a game warden because the position involves law enforcement
there were 7,240 fish and game wardens in the U.S
of which 910 were state employees - including 140 in Wisconsin
This number is projected to grow slowly through 2016
The Land & Space Development Database follows newly completed and ongoing commercial projects throughout the Milwaukee area.
Recent national business updates from the Associated Press
Kenneth Carter is technology editor for The Birmingham News. He wonders if E.T. would have needed a Speak N Spell to phone home if he had dropped in on Elliott in 2011. Write to him at kcarter@bhamnews.com
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© Jörg Hempel“Here we have a design where the special significance and dimensions of this historic site are made legible in a generous, clear and simple manner, without needing to resort to historic pastiche.” (Jury comment).
© Jörg HempelThe landscape design will be completed in summer 2013 so that other former buildings and paths may again be brought to life
These will appear as graphic elements made of Corten steel
subtly distributed about the green landscape
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A 320-foot public communications tower in the middle of the town of Erin
close to the picturesque church on Holy Hill
"couldn't be at a worse location," said town Supervisor Maripat Blankenheim
Washington County was considering building a communications tower not far from that historic and scenic church near Highways 167 and 83
Because the county purchased land in that area
it could be built without the town's approval
More: Meet the man behind the elaborate Halloween display near Holy Hill
More: Check out these 11 Instagram-worthy spots for photos in the Milwaukee suburbs
But after residents packed the room and voice concerns during a special town meeting Oct
the county and the town took a small step toward locating the tower elsewhere.
Blankenheim said town officials sent Washington County a certified letter and an email granting it permission to conduct an environmental study on an alternative sight at 2291 Highway 83
a 40-acre area owned by the town that already hosts another tower
Blankenheim confirmed that the town owns this property
"We made residents aware of what is going on," Blankenheim said of the special meeting
"We have tried working with the county with that (new location) for the past year."
The communications tower is part of a project by the Washington County Sheriff’s Office to upgrade its communications systems
through Boston-based American Tower, would be used for squad radios
portable radios and communication from the dispatch center
Washington County Executive Josh Schoemann said he finds the letter a "good sign" and hopes it will lead to a lease agreement.
Blankenheim said that the town previously offered the county a 99-year lease agreement for $1
a deal the county refused earlier this month. Blankenheim said the town wanted the county to provide a hold-harmless clause under which the county would take responsibility if it were to be sued by anyone
Schoemann said town officials were concerned about potential legal costs if they were to be sued
Schoemann considers this a "poison" that needs to be ironed out. He also said the county needs to look further at the contract and may need to negotiate with the town on the lease agreement
He said town residents' concerns were a factor in the decision
"We are ready if the county is," said Blankenheim
Schoemann said he would like to get the lease in place without any restrictions
it's possible the lease could be signed in the next month or two
and the tower could be built in the next 12 to 18 months
Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @kozlowicz_cathy.