MONROE - As we look forward to the New Year, it's time for a brief look back on the news events that helped shape 2014.
Each year, The Monroe Times compiles a list of 10 stories that help define the past year. The list is subjective - it's not definitive, but rather a quick overview. We hope it provides fodder for reflection as you look back over your own experiences during 2014.
Our list continues in Tuesday's edition.
Winter of all winters
It may seem like just a distant memory, especially in light of the relatively mild winter weather we've seen so far, but last winter took the term "Wisconsin winter" to a new low.
Remember the bitter cold that just wouldn't end? Granted, Wisconsin residents are used to long, cold winters - but low temperatures of 12 below zero in March? It was almost too much to bear.
It wasn't just a figment of our imaginations: Last January, the average high temperature was 19.3 degrees, compared to our normal average high of 28 degrees, according to the website usclimatedata.com. The average low was minus 1.5 degrees, compared to the normal average low of 10. The highest maximum temperature for the month was 37 degrees, and the coldest actual temperature was minus 11.9 degrees.
Things didn't improve much in February. The average high temperature was 19.4 degrees, compared to the normal average high of 33 degrees. The average low was minus .9, compared to the normal average low of 14.
And March? You guessed it - still considerably colder than average. The average high temperature was 34.1, compared to the normal 45 degrees, while the average low temperature was 15.6, compared to the normal 25 degrees. Temperatures normalized some in April, but we were still on the cool side. The average high for that month was 56.3 degrees, compared to normal average of 60 degrees, while the average low was 32, compared to 37 degrees.
While this week's forecast calls for colder temperatures than we've had lately, the weather outlook is still not bad for this time of year: Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to hit the mid-teens, with a high of 26 expected New Year's Day. The extended forecast from accuweather.com calls for far more seasonable temperatures than last year, with highs remaining in the double digits and lows staying at about zero for the rest of January. (See this week's forecast on Page A6.)
Jaren Kuester sentenced
A particularly tragic chapter in Lafayette County history drew to a close in late January, when Jaren Kuester, 32, was sentenced to life in a mental health facility for the brutal killing of three Wiota residents. Previously, Kuester had been found to have a mental disease when, in late April 2013, he entered the rural home of Gary Thoreson, 70, and his wife Chloe Thoreson, 66, who were away on vacation. The Milwaukee-area man was seeking a warm place to sleep, after abandoning his vehicle several miles away and discarding his clothes because he feared someone was following him. When Gary Thoreson's brother, Dean Thoreson, 76, entered the home to check the premises, Kuester attacked and killed him. Gary and Chloe arrived home a short time later, and Kuester killed them as well.
The randomness and brutal nature of the slayings shocked the community, where the Thoresons were respected and well-liked farmers. At the sentencing, Judge William Foust apologized to the Thoreson family for their losses. And he also apologized to Kuester's family, whose son, with his long history of mental illness, will most likely never leave the institution.
Timmy Reichling sentenced
A sexual predator in rural Darlington was sentenced in federal court in August to the mandatory minimum of 25 years on charges of making sexually explicit videos of young girls.
Timmy Reichling, 47, had millions of images of child pornography as videos and photographs at his parents' residence, authorities say. Some were of four victims he had contact with.
Shortly after being released from prison in 2008, Reichling began soliciting young girls by email to send him nude photos. He gave one girl a camera so she could send him photos, and he posed as a teenage boy on Facebook in order to lure more girls. Authorities said Reichling was able to coerce the girls by threatening to send the nude images to their families.
Reichling faces additional sentencing from the state of Wisconsin. He faces multiple state felony charges of child sexploitation, photographing minors as a registered sex offender and possession of child pornography. He is awaiting trial in Lafayette County, with his next court date set for February. According to online court records, Reichling is now on his third defense attorney; as of Dec. 17, Philip Brehm is listed as his attorney, replacing Frank Medina, who replaced Jane Bucher in September 2013.
Joyce Ziehli guilty of embezzlement
A Belleville woman was found guilty, as part of a plea agreement, of embezzling more than $850,000 from the New Glarus Home.
Joyce Ziehli was convicted in early October for the crimes, committed between 2007 and 2013. She was originally charged with six Class G felony counts of theft in a business setting. One count, covering thefts between 2003 and 2006, was dismissed due to insufficient evidence.
Ziehli, who worked for the home for 31 years, used her position as administrative secretary at the home to complete hundreds of fraudulent transactions, prosecutors said. She used a stamp with the signature of her boss to sign checks made out to cash or to herself and deposited the money in her personal bank accounts. Ziehli was fired last January in wake of allegations of embezzlement.
She faces a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison, a fine of $125,000 or both, although the sentence will likely be less severe in light of the plea deal.
gay marriage Ban Crumbles
While we're on the subject of court matters, we would be remiss if we didn't mention a particularly impactful court decision in 2014. In October, the United States Supreme Court refused to hear cases from five states - including Wisconsin - seeking to keep their bans on same-sex marriage. The move preserved the legality of same-sex marriage in the state and for "the Scotts," two men from New Glarus who became the first same-sex couple to be legally married in Green County.
Recall that in June, a federal judge ruled the state's ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional - a decision that was immediately challenged and almost immediately put future same-sex marriages on hold.
Scott Shaver and Scott Rippe saw the opportunity as soon as the federal judge's ruling was announced on that Friday in June: They were at the Green County Courthouse first thing Monday morning. Rippe said the couple realized they might have a short window of opportunity to legalize their 18-year union, and decided to take it.
"It was like, "Oh my god, the window is open,'" he said.
They said the staff at the courthouse was most accommodating and excited to help the couple take their legal vows. County clerk Mike Doyle performed the ceremony in the stately former courtroom.
Shaver expressed what many people felt was a long time coming.
"It feels like history is here," he said.
Each year, The Monroe Times compiles a list of 10 stories that help define the past year. The list is subjective - it's not definitive, but rather a quick overview. We hope it provides fodder for reflection as you look back over your own experiences during 2014.
Our list continues in Tuesday's edition.
Winter of all winters
It may seem like just a distant memory, especially in light of the relatively mild winter weather we've seen so far, but last winter took the term "Wisconsin winter" to a new low.
Remember the bitter cold that just wouldn't end? Granted, Wisconsin residents are used to long, cold winters - but low temperatures of 12 below zero in March? It was almost too much to bear.
It wasn't just a figment of our imaginations: Last January, the average high temperature was 19.3 degrees, compared to our normal average high of 28 degrees, according to the website usclimatedata.com. The average low was minus 1.5 degrees, compared to the normal average low of 10. The highest maximum temperature for the month was 37 degrees, and the coldest actual temperature was minus 11.9 degrees.
Things didn't improve much in February. The average high temperature was 19.4 degrees, compared to the normal average high of 33 degrees. The average low was minus .9, compared to the normal average low of 14.
And March? You guessed it - still considerably colder than average. The average high temperature was 34.1, compared to the normal 45 degrees, while the average low temperature was 15.6, compared to the normal 25 degrees. Temperatures normalized some in April, but we were still on the cool side. The average high for that month was 56.3 degrees, compared to normal average of 60 degrees, while the average low was 32, compared to 37 degrees.
While this week's forecast calls for colder temperatures than we've had lately, the weather outlook is still not bad for this time of year: Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to hit the mid-teens, with a high of 26 expected New Year's Day. The extended forecast from accuweather.com calls for far more seasonable temperatures than last year, with highs remaining in the double digits and lows staying at about zero for the rest of January. (See this week's forecast on Page A6.)
Jaren Kuester sentenced
A particularly tragic chapter in Lafayette County history drew to a close in late January, when Jaren Kuester, 32, was sentenced to life in a mental health facility for the brutal killing of three Wiota residents. Previously, Kuester had been found to have a mental disease when, in late April 2013, he entered the rural home of Gary Thoreson, 70, and his wife Chloe Thoreson, 66, who were away on vacation. The Milwaukee-area man was seeking a warm place to sleep, after abandoning his vehicle several miles away and discarding his clothes because he feared someone was following him. When Gary Thoreson's brother, Dean Thoreson, 76, entered the home to check the premises, Kuester attacked and killed him. Gary and Chloe arrived home a short time later, and Kuester killed them as well.
The randomness and brutal nature of the slayings shocked the community, where the Thoresons were respected and well-liked farmers. At the sentencing, Judge William Foust apologized to the Thoreson family for their losses. And he also apologized to Kuester's family, whose son, with his long history of mental illness, will most likely never leave the institution.
Timmy Reichling sentenced
A sexual predator in rural Darlington was sentenced in federal court in August to the mandatory minimum of 25 years on charges of making sexually explicit videos of young girls.
Timmy Reichling, 47, had millions of images of child pornography as videos and photographs at his parents' residence, authorities say. Some were of four victims he had contact with.
Shortly after being released from prison in 2008, Reichling began soliciting young girls by email to send him nude photos. He gave one girl a camera so she could send him photos, and he posed as a teenage boy on Facebook in order to lure more girls. Authorities said Reichling was able to coerce the girls by threatening to send the nude images to their families.
Reichling faces additional sentencing from the state of Wisconsin. He faces multiple state felony charges of child sexploitation, photographing minors as a registered sex offender and possession of child pornography. He is awaiting trial in Lafayette County, with his next court date set for February. According to online court records, Reichling is now on his third defense attorney; as of Dec. 17, Philip Brehm is listed as his attorney, replacing Frank Medina, who replaced Jane Bucher in September 2013.
Joyce Ziehli guilty of embezzlement
A Belleville woman was found guilty, as part of a plea agreement, of embezzling more than $850,000 from the New Glarus Home.
Joyce Ziehli was convicted in early October for the crimes, committed between 2007 and 2013. She was originally charged with six Class G felony counts of theft in a business setting. One count, covering thefts between 2003 and 2006, was dismissed due to insufficient evidence.
Ziehli, who worked for the home for 31 years, used her position as administrative secretary at the home to complete hundreds of fraudulent transactions, prosecutors said. She used a stamp with the signature of her boss to sign checks made out to cash or to herself and deposited the money in her personal bank accounts. Ziehli was fired last January in wake of allegations of embezzlement.
She faces a maximum sentence of 50 years in prison, a fine of $125,000 or both, although the sentence will likely be less severe in light of the plea deal.
gay marriage Ban Crumbles
While we're on the subject of court matters, we would be remiss if we didn't mention a particularly impactful court decision in 2014. In October, the United States Supreme Court refused to hear cases from five states - including Wisconsin - seeking to keep their bans on same-sex marriage. The move preserved the legality of same-sex marriage in the state and for "the Scotts," two men from New Glarus who became the first same-sex couple to be legally married in Green County.
Recall that in June, a federal judge ruled the state's ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional - a decision that was immediately challenged and almost immediately put future same-sex marriages on hold.
Scott Shaver and Scott Rippe saw the opportunity as soon as the federal judge's ruling was announced on that Friday in June: They were at the Green County Courthouse first thing Monday morning. Rippe said the couple realized they might have a short window of opportunity to legalize their 18-year union, and decided to take it.
"It was like, "Oh my god, the window is open,'" he said.
They said the staff at the courthouse was most accommodating and excited to help the couple take their legal vows. County clerk Mike Doyle performed the ceremony in the stately former courtroom.
Shaver expressed what many people felt was a long time coming.
"It feels like history is here," he said.