May 15, 2008
Stories on the Front Page
Ryden honored in Madison
Former Prescott police Officer Jackie D. Ryden was among three Wisconsin law enforcement officers who were honored posthumously at the State Capitol in Madison Friday, May 9 during the 18th annual Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Service.
Officer Ryden died of a heart attack while on duty at a house fire on September 2, 2006.
The names of Officer Ryden and two other officers, one from Kinosha County and the other from Chippewa County, who also lost their lives in service to the people of Wisconsin in 2006, 2007 and 2008 were added to the granite memorial on the Capitol grounds.
Governor James Doyle and Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen spoke at the service, which attracted hundreds of police officers and sheriff's deputies from across the state.
"For thirty years, Officer Ryden served the People of Prescott," said Van Hollen. "The impact of an officer in a small town is immense. Jackie died and lived making a difference."
Honorable members of the Supreme Court, Assembly and Senate were also present.
Fifteen members of the Ryden family were honored guests at the solemn ceremony.
Prescott Acting Police Chief Mike Bondarenko and Prescott Officer Rob Funk represented the Prescott Police Department.
Chief Bondarenko was a member of the color guard and Officer Funk placed a red rose on the memorial in Officer Ryden's memory.
The ceremony marked the tenth anniversary of the dedication of the Wisconsin memorial.
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Man beats father
by Russ Dibb
Minutes after 7:00 p.m. Monday, May 5, Prescott police officers were dispatched to 616 Hilton Street.
Pierce County Sheriff's dispatch advised the officers that a medic alarm company informed them the voice responding to the alarm company stated that, "they had hit their father and needed an ambulance." The police report indicates that the voice was thought to be that of Craig Allen Johnson, 54, of Prescott.
Officers arrived at the residence and found the door ajar. When officers announced themselves a male voice responded, "Ya, come on in. I need to be arrested, I hit my father. I am going to jail."
According to the police report, as the alleged suspect, who was subsequently identified as Craig Johnson, was telling officers what he had done, they saw an elderly man sitting on the couch with a large amount of blood coming from his head. It also was noted that there was blood spatter on the floor.
While one officer placed Craig Johnson in handcuffs and took him outside, the second officer assessed the 90 year-old victim, identified as Gordon W. Johnson, father of the suspect.
The victim said the right side of his face hurt the most and it was noted that substantial bruising already was forming on his hands and face.
When the Prescott EMS arrived to render care and arrange transport for Johnson, the officer noticed blood on his walker. Photographs were taken of the walker and entire scene.
According to the report, the elder Johnson said when he told Craig to bring some stuff down from upstairs for him, Craig got mad and started hitting him all over his head. He said he was standing in the living room and pointed to the middle of the room.
The officer asked him if he fell down and he said he had. When asked what happened next, Johnson said, "He boxed me some more."
Johnson stated that the incident lasted several minutes and alleged that his son said he was done taking all the lies.
"I never thought it would have come to something like this," said Johnson, according to the police report.
Asked if he tried to defend himself he commented he couldn't do much because he has a crippled arm. The elder Johnson wears a medic alert alarm and, according to the police report, told the officers, "He stopped hitting me and then told me that I should push the button."
The officer noted in the report the swelling in Gordon's face was steadily getting worse as they waited for the EMS to prepare him for transport.
He was taken to Regina Hospital in Hastings.
Craig Johnson was transported to the Prescott Police Department, where prior to any questioning was read the Miranda form. He agreed to answer the officer's questions.
A summary of that interview states the alleged suspect, Craig Johnson, knew he was in custody because he struck his father.
He told the officer that he struck his 90 year-old father more than five times, but less than ten. He stated that he had slapped him with open hands and not with closed fists.
In a follow up interview with the victim, the elder Johnson stated that he had been struck with both open hands and closed fists.
The alleged suspect said the elder Johnson was sitting on a chair in the dining room and he hit him and knocked him out of the chair to the floor. He alleges that he then hit him one or two more times while he was on the floor.
Alleged suspect Craig Johnson further stated, according to police reports, that he then picked up his father and put him on the couch and had his father push his alert button and when the call center answered over the loud speaker he told the caller that he had struck his father and help was needed.
According to the report, the suspect told the officer several times throughout the interview that he was guilty of hitting his father.
When asked why he hit the elder Johnson, he replied he was tired of his father asking for more pills. He explained he takes care of his father's pills and his father has a tendency to take more pills than he should.
"I just lost it," Johnson said.
According to the report, Johnson said he got home from work around 1:45 p.m. He said he began drinking around 2:30 p.m.
Johnson informed the officer that he is an alcoholic, was sober for about ten years and recently began drinking again.
He said that he did not drink in his father's apartment, only in his own, upstairs. He thinks he had over six beers. He also told officers, according to the report, that this was the first time he had ever struck his father.
The victim, in his statement, concurred that this was the first time that he had been struck by his son.
Craig Johnson told the officer again, "I just lost it," and explained that once he started slapping his father he couldn't stop.
Johnson was transported to the Pierce County jail without
incident. He was booked and charged with battery, Wisconsin state statute
940.19(6)(a).
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Nesbitt's family business offers locally grown plants and trees
by Russ Dibb
Apples, spruce trees, shrubs, plants, pumpkins, greenhouse, gifts, art, books, coffee shop, cider, food and more. Nesbitt's Nursery has made a name for itself by identifying good ideas and following through.
"Obviously it wasn't always like this," said Leah Nesbitt-Miller, who along with her husband Sam Miller, brother Lee Nesbitt and parents Donna and Leon Miller run this diverse business located nine miles southeast of Prescott on Highway 35.
Leon, Donna and Lee organized the business in 1995, and in the spring of 1996 all the Nesbitt's got together and planted the first trees on the farm; 8,500 Colorado and Black Hills spruce and 100 apple trees.
Today they provide high quality trees and service to both
retail and wholesale customers around the region. A member of the Minnesota
Nursery and Landscape Association since 1996, their tree stock is inspected
and certified annually by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture. Offering
delivery and planting services, as their brochure explains, Nesbitt's believes
in exceptional service in addition to exceptional trees.
Miller and Nesbitt-Miller joined the rest of the family working full-time at the business in 2003, with apple orchards being their main focus.
Currently, Nesbitt's offers 14 varieties of apples for sale during the season. "More varieties are planted and will be bearing in the next one to four years," said Nesbitt-Miller.
Leah Nesbitt- Miller is shown with some of the hanging baskets in the new greenhouse of Nesbitt's Nursery. They are getting deliveries of locally grown bedding plants on a weekly basis so the greenhouse stays full. Photo by Russ Dibb. |
She is also excited about the addition of a kitchen in their retail space. It should be complete and operating by September. "We will be serving everything that has a connection to apples," said Nesbitt-Miller who has worked in the past as a restaurant chef.
Nesbitt's also produces and bottles their own unpasteurized apple cider, which they sell in their expansive retail gift store/coffee shop.
Built in 2005, the retail store inventory consists of at least 95 percent locally produced and sourced products. In addition to the plethora of their own apple products, Nesbitt's offers local maple syrup, honey, jam, homemade ice cream, apple wood chips, bird houses, metal crafts, art, and music. The aromatic organic fair-trade roasted coffee is also purchased locally.
The local products also extends to their expanding garden center business. With a new greenhouse they now offer annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, seeds and a large variety of hanging baskets. In addition, they carry a large variety of potted trees, shrubs and prairie grasses.
Nesbitt's focus on sustainability made perfect sense when they decided to pursue a Food Alliance Certification.
"It is really important for us to verify the quality of our produce to the customers," said Nesbitt-Miller. "It's very important for all of us to be aware of what we're putting into our bodies," she added.
The Food Alliance is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading certification organizations for environmentally friendly and socially responsible agricultural practices. Certified farms reduce or eliminate pesticide use, conserve soil and water, protect and enhance wildlife habitat and provide safe and fair working conditions.
"Affiliation with Food Alliance has helped Nesbitt's Nursery separate itself from conventional apple producers," said Nesbitt-Miller. "It has given me the title of the back-door-apple lady and provides produce to area restaurants who value locally sourced and sustainable food," she said.
Catering to scout and school groups and families, Nesbitt's also offers seasonal experiences on their large farm. Featuring educational hay rides, sleigh rides, cross county ski and hiking trails, live music and artists,
Giving back locally and supporting locally are key ingredients of the Nesbitt's Nursery business philosophy.
More information and an interactive calendar of up coming events is available their Web site at www.nesbittsnursery.com.
Nesbitt-Miller said, "It's a haven out here at Nesbitt's and we want to share it with everyone."
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Highway 61 bridge update
by Russ Dibb
Apples, spruce trees, shrubs, plants, pumpkins, greenhouse, gifts, art, books, coffee shop, cider, food and more. Nesbitt's Nursery has made a name for itself by identifying good ideas and following through.
"Obviously it wasn't always like this," said Leah Nesbitt-Miller, who along with her husband Sam Miller, brother Lee Nesbitt and parents Donna and Leon Miller run this diverse business located nine miles southeast of Prescott on Highway 35.
Leon, Donna and Lee organized the business in 1995, and in the spring of 1996 all the Nesbitt's got together and planted the first trees on the farm; 8,500 Colorado and Black Hills spruce and 100 apple trees.
Today they provide high quality trees and service to both retail and wholesale customers around the region. A member of the Minnesota Nursery and Landscape Association since 1996, their tree stock is inspected and certified annually by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture. Offering delivery and planting services, as their brochure explains, Nesbitt's believes in exceptional service in addition to exceptional trees.
Miller and Nesbitt-Miller joined the rest of the family working full-time at the business in 2003, with apple orchards being their main focus.
Currently, Nesbitt's offers 14 varieties of apples for sale during the season. "More varieties are planted and will be bearing in the next one to four years," said Nesbitt-Miller.
She is also excited about the addition of a kitchen in their retail space. It should be complete and operating by September. "We will be serving everything that has a connection to apples," said Nesbitt-Miller who has worked in the past as a restaurant chef.
Nesbitt's also produces and bottles their own unpasteurized apple cider, which they sell in their expansive retail gift store/coffee shop.
Built in 2005, the retail store inventory consists of at least 95 percent locally produced and sourced products. In addition to the plethora of their own apple products, Nesbitt's offers local maple syrup, honey, jam, homemade ice cream, apple wood chips, bird houses, metal crafts, art, and music. The aromatic organic fair-trade roasted coffee is also purchased locally.
The local products also extends to their expanding garden center business. With a new greenhouse they now offer annuals, perennials, vegetables, herbs, seeds and a large variety of hanging baskets. In addition, they carry a large variety of potted trees, shrubs and prairie grasses.
Nesbitt's focus on sustainability made perfect sense when they decided to pursue a Food Alliance Certification.
"It is really important for us to verify the quality of our produce to the customers," said Nesbitt-Miller. "It's very important for all of us to be aware of what we're putting into our bodies," she added.
The Food Alliance is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading certification organizations for environmentally friendly and socially responsible agricultural practices. Certified farms reduce or eliminate pesticide use, conserve soil and water, protect and enhance wildlife habitat and provide safe and fair working conditions.
"Affiliation with Food Alliance has helped Nesbitt's Nursery separate itself from conventional apple producers," said Nesbitt-Miller. "It has given me the title of the back-door-apple lady and provides produce to area restaurants who value locally sourced and sustainable food," she said.
Catering to scout and school groups and families, Nesbitt's also offers seasonal experiences on their large farm. Featuring educational hay rides, sleigh rides, cross county ski and hiking trails, live music and artists,
Giving back locally and supporting locally are key ingredients of the Nesbitt's Nursery business philosophy.
More information and an interactive calendar of up coming events is available their Web site at www.nesbittsnursery.com.
Nesbitt-Miller said, "It's a haven out here at Nesbitt's and we want to share it with everyone."
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