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Prairie du Chien National Guard unit helps build clinics, schools in Nicaragua
The 229th Engineer CSE (Combat, Support, Equipment) Company of the Army National Guard of Prairie du Chien and Platteville has recently completed an operation in Nicaragua. "It was a good deployment for us," said Staff Sergeant Aaron LaHaie of Prairie du Chien. "We gained a lot of experience working with other branches of the armed forces and with a host nation." LaHaie said that approximately 145 members of the 229th have served in Chantales, Nicaragua in nine 2-week rotations from mid-January through mid-May as part of JTF Chantales Operation New Horizons 2002. Members of the 229th arrived back home May 26 and much of the equipment they used is arriving back now, said LaHaie. Operation New Horizons is a multi-year support mission, which has involved armed forces personnel from 15 states. LaHaie said that this year marked the first time in 10 years that Wisconsin was the lead state for the task force. LaHaie said that the task force consisted of all branches of service, including the National Guard, the Army Reserve, and active duty members of the Army, Marines, Air Force and Navy, all pitching in to help build several clinics and schools in the poorest country in Central America. In addition to building much needed clinics and schools, LaHaie said that armed services personnel also gained training experience in deploying and living in another country, as well as working with the members of the Nicaraguan military, who helped with security and as interpreters in the Spanish speaking country. LaHaie said that he was part of about 40 engineers with the 229th that went to Nicaragua in January. The first order of business was to establish a 'tent city,' from which to work. The tent city housed approximately 400 United States military personnel at any given time and included engineers, medical staff, military police, linguists, transportation support, well drillers, ambulance personnel, water purification personnel, and other support staff. The 30-acre rural site included access roads, tents for sleeping, a kitchen, a latrine, a shower, a laundry area, a medical area, aircraft landing zones, a fueling area, two wells, a motor pool and a security fence. The city was also equipped with plumbing and electricity. Along with helping to construct roads, tent floors, tents, landing zones and other parts of the base camp, the engineers of the 229th leveled ground and poured concrete in preparation for the construction of three medical clinics and a two-room school. LaHaie said that a portable Medrete and Vetrete were also constructed. Thirty-two doctors, nurses, dentists and other types of medical personnel worked out of the Medrete, treating the medical needs of about 500 people per day, most of whom had never seen a doctor and many of whom arrived at the facility by horseback. The Vetrete, as its name suggests, treated the needs of area farmers' livestock. LaHaie said that the Chantales region is very rural and very poor. Although major cities in Nicaragua have modern conveniences, most of the country lives as people in the United States lived more than 100 years ago, he said, noting that the people are very appreciative of the new clinics and school. After having served in Nicaragua, LaHaie said that it really makes a person appreciate what we have in the U.S. The Chantales region is in the western part of Nicaragua and the average temperature is 90-95 degrees in the dry season from January through May. The task force pulled out at the beginning of the wet season, LaHaie said, leaving behind a few roads and a couple of wells. LaHaie said that another state will take over the lead role next year in another part of Nicaragua as Operation New Horizons continues. "The colleges, professors, and employers really worked well with us," LaHaie said of the effort which allowed for many members of the 229th to travel to Nicaragua. "Of course, the families (of 229th members) here made many sacrifices as well," he said.

Coming out of the Dark
Delvin Kehoe of Platteville and Melvin Kehoe of Prairie du Chien have been legally blind for about 20 years. A computer chip the size of the tip of a pin might make it possible for them to see clearly again. The brother's story is so compelling that both the Discovery Channel and Dateline NBC did stories on the surgery and the brothers. Dateline aired a segment about the local men earlier this month. The twin brothers both have a disease called Retinipis Pigmentosa (RP). It is the same disease that their mother had. She became blind at the age of 40. Delvin said that he feels very fortunate to be a part of the surgery to implant the chip. Thousands of people applied and only six were initially chosen. "To be a part of this, it was like winning the lottery," he said. Delvin has been legally blind for about 20 years and Melvin for 25. They could still see a little. Their sight deteriorated over time until it was completely gone about 10 years ago. "It's very slow and progressive," said Melvin about becoming blind. "It's like you start in a room with 10,000 light switches and each day, one turns off until they are all turned off.' The surgery is experimental, but hopefully these 'light switches' will keep coming on for the brothers. They said that they could not talk extensively about the surgery or the results due to contract obligations with Dr. Alan Chow, the doctor who helped invent the chip and implanted it. The Kehoes are not even allowed to talk to each other about their progress. Four months after the surgery, the brothers were able to find out how the other was doing because Dateline was filming a segment of this meeting. They found out that the surgery worked much better for Delvin. "It was very, very hard," Delvin said. Delvin said that he would trade in his improved sight to Melvin to have if he could in a heartbeat. "I've been very fortunate to travel the country," he said. Delvin thinks that things will get better for Melvin over time. "Some day, things will come in focus for him,' he said. "You take it one day at a time.' Melvin has seen some improvement since Dateline finished filming their piece. The one-hour piece aired in the beginning of June. "I see things that I haven't seen in years,' Melvin said. "I've seen people's faces.' He has also seen himself and he said that he feels young, but looks old. "It's like Rip Van Winkle. We've [his brother and he] been asleep for 20 years and now we're waking up,' he said. Melvin said further that he has some more shocking news about his sight that he could not share at this time, but he would tell Chow the news during his next checkup on July 21. "I've got a little surprise for the doctor,' he said. Melvin said that Dateline will be filming in Chicago that day. The first three people who had this surgery will be also present to tell Chow about their progress. Something else that will be included in an upcoming Dateline episode is Melvin getting a new "leader dog' which costs about $30,000. Melvin said that he got the dog through the Lion's Club. Dateline has done a lot of filming since they completed their last piece. The day that the new episode will be aired is unknown. The Kehoes said that this has been a wonderful experience that they see a promising future in. Delvin is already looking forward to the possibilities. He said that he would love to visit Switzerland or Germany sometime to see where his brother, Robert Matthews, fought during World War II. He would also like to see things that people who can see take for granted. "I'd love to see the green grass, the stars, a bird sitting on a branch,' he said. Delvin said that when he was in Chicago in late February for a checkup he could hear bees buzzing. Then he could make them out, about 100 yards away. "I was so tickled,' he said. Both have tremendous respect for Dr. Chow. "I look for the doctor [Chow] to win a Nobel Prize,' Delvin said. Melvin said that he has talked to a lot of people about the surgery, but has been careful not to bring up the hopes of many since this experiment is still in the early stages. "I had to be very careful what I said. I don't want to give them a false set of hope,' he said. Even though Melvin knows that the experiment is still young, he feels the promise like his brother. "A lot of this will go down in the record books,' Melvin said. "Millions of people will be able to see.' Melvin has talked to a lot of young, blind people and has lifted their spirits. He told them that "you're young. You've got something to look forward to.' This historic event has not sunk in for either of the brothers. Delvin said that he did not care if he got much media attention. "I'm just an ordinary man,' he said. "I like wearing my blue jeans and denim shirts.' MelvinÕs eye doctor Dr. Donna Higgins said that this is an extraordinary event that we are witnessing. "We are witnessing a miracle,' she said. That is an encouraging statement for a $1 million chip, the size of the tip of a needle, that could change the world.

Supreme Court decision restores perjury conviction against Prairie du Chien woman
The Wisconsin State Supreme Court ruled Friday that a Prairie du Chien woman's rights were not violated when she was questioned by an investigator during a John Doe hearing. A perjury conviction was restored against Debra Noble, 37, by Friday's 6-1 decision. Noble had been found guilty by a Crawford County jury in October 1999 for lying earlier that year to officers during a secret John Doe investigation concerning drug trafficking in Prairie du Chien. Noble's conviction was reversed on appeal last year. The appeals court had ruled that Noble's testimony should have been excluded from her trial because it was obtained by a state Division of Narcotics Enforcement agent, David Matthews, who was not licensed to practice law. The state appealed the decision arguing that excluding Noble's testimony was not a proper remedy because no constitutional violation had taken place. Noble's attorneys argued that witnesses at John Doe hearings have a right to be questioned by a licensed attorney to ensure the questioning is conducted in an ethical manner. They argued that excluding Noble's testimony was the only remedy available when a defendants constitutional right to due process of law is violated. Noble's attorneys further argued that excluding her testimony is warranted even if her constitutional rights were not violated, because Matthews' questioning was abusive conduct. The State Supreme Court disagreed, however, and found that Matthews' questioning did not amount to a constitutional violation that warranted suppressing Noble's testimony. The state's high court assumed that Matthews had engaged in practicing law without a license, and still concluded that Noble's rights had not been violated. The court's decision stated that Noble's attorneys did not show how Matthews' questions resulted in an unfair examination. The decision stated that although Crawford County Circuit Court Judge Michael Kirchman should have recognized that the situation presented a problem, all evidence indicates that Kirchman performed his duty as a neutral magistrate. Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson wrote as part of the court's 23-page decision, "Even if Matthews engaged in an unauthorized practice of law, there is nothing in his examination of Noble to show that his participation resulted in a proceeding that was particularly unfair and oppressive in nature."

Sentence has been withheld and Noble has been placed on probation for one year and fined $311. As a condition of probation, Noble must serve 30 days in jail.

90% chance prison will remain open, official says
During a meeting in Prairie du Chien Wednesday, Wisconsin Department of Corrections Secretary Jon E. Litscher said that he is "90 percent sure" that the Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution will remain open, and in fact, may be expanded and changed to an adult facility, rather than the young adult-juvenile facility it is now. Litscher said that he believes an adult facility would be a better long-term use for the prison because its juvenile population has been dropping steadily during the past year. Litscher's statement came as good news for local and county officials, as well as the prisonÕs 183 employees. The prison houses 300 inmates and officials see it as very important to the economy of Prairie du Chien and Crawford County. Litscher made his statement as an assurance to local officials that the prison would stay open, but whether it stays open is not a certainty. Everything still hinges on what the Wisconsin Legislature does with the Department of Corrections budget. Litscher and other Department of Corrections officials had already planned for $40 million in cuts, when it was announced in April that State Senate Democrats had proposed cuts of an additional $20 million, prompting Litscher to say on April 25 that he had no alternative but to close the Prairie du Chien facility and at least two other medium security prisons. Since then, a committee of citizens, law enforcement officials and political leaders, has been meeting periodically with Prairie du Chien Correctional Institution Warden Cathy Farrey and other corrections officials in an effort to keep the prison open. If the prison remains open, the long-term plan would be to expand and change it to an adult facility. It is not known how many more inmates or prison employees would be added, said Department of Corrections contact Bill Clausius. Young adult-juvenile facilities tend to have more costly rehabilitative programs than adult facilities, which could be a factor in the operating costs of the Prairie du Chien facility should it change to an adult population. There are approximately 3,000 adult inmates from Wisconsin being housed in prisons in other states and Clausius said that the Department of Corrections would eventually like to bring them all back to Wisconsin as capacity increases. The Department of Corrections houses 21,152 inmates and supervises 65,795 offenders under probation or parole.

A life saved
It hit without warning. It was a typical day for this man from Blue River before it happened. Then it hit him and he fell. On May 9, Leslie W. Vance survived a brush with the Grim Reaper. The muscles around his heart had weakened. He collapsed and blacked out. Vance was making a visit to the Isle of Capri gambling boat in Marquette, Iowa. He was walking through the skyway to the casino boat. Vance said he remembers looking down the line to the casino entrance. He was looking for Brian Buchelor, a friend of his, to say hi. It was 9:10 a.m. and Donald Ruehlow was nearby. He is a security guard at the Isle of Capri. He is also a certified Emergency Medical Technician (EMT). He said he was about 40 to 50 feet away when Vance fell. "When I got to him, he was unconscious," Ruehlow said. Jim Schellhorn, another EMT, was also nearby. He heard Vance hit his head hard on the floor. "He hit it [his head] so hard. It sounded like metal on metal," Schellhorn said. Both EMTs tried to revive Vance while they waited for another EMT, Robert Davis, to arrive. Davis came and brought a semiautomatic defibrillator with him. A defibrillator's purpose is to synchronize the electrical impulses of a heart to make it beat with a proper rhythm and pump blood. "The impulse wasn't organized, the heart wasn't pumping blood properly," said Davis concerning Vance's heart. Schellhorn attached the defibrillator and they all stood back while it shocked Vance. They also put a combi-tube down Vance's throat to help him breath easier. Vance's heart was shocked eight times before his heart rate was normal. He was "out" for roughly 10 minutes. Vance said he does not remember anything from the time he blacked out, until he got to Gundersen Lutheran clinic and talked to Dr. Smart. Smart is Vance's family doctor. "I wanted to know what I was doing up there [La Crosse]," he said. Davis, Ruehlow and Schellhorn said that Vance was talking to the nurses at the Memorial Hospital in Prairie du Chien, but Vance has no recollection of that. Smart determined that Vance did not have a heart attack. His muscles around the heart just weakened. Vance had a heart attack 18 years ago. He said that heart attacks were not common in his family. His grandfather was the only other family member to have a heart attack. Vance said that his grandfather was in his 40s when he had the heart attack. Then he drank a glass of wine a day and lived until he was 94. In response of that, one of the EMTs jokingly asked a waitress, "Can I have a glass of wine?" Vance said that he never worried or thought about having a heart attack. "If I would have died [on May 9], I wouldn't have felt a thing," he said. Vance said he was very lucky to be at the Isle of Capri when this happened. There were enough EMTs nearby to save his life. Marlene Matthews, a friend of Vance, was teaching at St. Anthonys in Cazenovia when she heard the news. She is very grateful to the EMTs who saved her friend's life. "If it wasn't for these people," she said, "he wouldn't have been here." Ruehlow agreed. He said to Vance that, "If you picked a place to get sick, this is the place to do it," he said. This is the third time that a life has been saved on the grounds of the casino. The most recent was two years ago, when a lady had a heart attack. Davis said that the defibrillator saved Vance's life. The updated technology of the defibrillator was very helpful. The EMTs said that the defibrillator they used is not like the ones that someone sees on TV. The new one reads a patient's heart rate and gives shocks whenever necessary. With the old defibrillators, they would have had to shock Vance manually. They said that it would have been hard to get readings on Vance's heart because they were not in a well-equipped hospital. They were on the floor of a skyway. "There's no way you could have known the reading of his heart without the defibrillator," Davis said. The EMTs could not touch Vance while he was being shocked because the defibrillator could have picked up on their heart readings as well as Vance's. That would have altered the amount of shock that Vance received. "If I touched him, I could have been shocked and my heart rate could have been messed up," Davis said. Davis said that he did not think about what could happen to Vance while the EMTs and he were trying to revive him. "You don't think about it until you're done and walking away," he said. Davis said the EMTs were very happy when Vance became conscious. "It was a good feeling," he said. "A wonderful day."

Steamboat to offer local cruises
It's been quite a few years since Prairie du Chien area residents were able to hop onboard a steamboat at our local dock and go for a cruise on the Mighty Mississippi. But thanks to Julia Belle Swain of the Great River Steamboat Company, that is going to change this summer. Instead of just looking at a beautiful steamboat passing through, local residents are being offered one-hour sight-seeing cruises, two-hour scenic cruises, and full-day cruises from Prairie du Chien to La Crosse, complete with a shuttle bus back home. The photogenic Julia Belle Swain, sporting her paddle-wheel and white wedding cake motif, is a replica of the original steam-operated stern paddle wheelers of the 1880s. Her steam reciprocating engines, built in 1915, have logged more than a million miles, which puts her in the authentic category. According to Tina Keene, general manager, the Julia Belle has always received a warm reception in the Prairie du Chien area, and this year they decided to make a concerted effort to offer rides to local residents and visitors. Keene says the reason for offered rides to local folks is twofold. "It's a payback to the community for all they have done for us, and it opens up a new market area for us," she said. She added that the improved riverfront in our city makes it easier for them to come and go She noted that the rides from Prairie du Chien will be quite inexpensive - ranging from under $15 for a one-hour sight-seeing cruise to about $130 for a full day cruise from Prairie du Chien to La Crosse including two meals and entertainment. Children under four ride for free and special group and family rates are available. The Julia Belle Swain has also expanded cruises from Winona, Minn., and offer a variety of tours from their home port in La Crosse. For more information call 800-815-1005, or go online at www.juliabelle.com . Julia Belle Swain Quick Facts * BUILT: 1971, Dubuque Boat & Boiler Works, Dubuque, Iowa, and now one of only five authentic steam-powered passenger vessels still in operation on the Mississippi River system. * PROPULSION: Vintage steam reciprocating engines built in 1915 by Gillett & Eaton Co. of Lake City, Minn., rated at 200 hp each, with a 12" bore x 5 ft. stroke. These were originally installed in the steam ferry City of Baton Rouge and have now logged well over one million miles. The Julia Belle Swain utilizes no bow-thrusters, propellers or other aids to propulsion. * BOILER: Steam pressure to power the engines is created in a single, oil-fired nested coil tube boiler rated at 200 hp with a working pressure of 220 psi. A licensed steam engineer is on-duty at all times. * SPECIFICATIONS: Maximum passengers: 150 Gross tons: 98 Top speed: 12 mph. cruising speed 8 mph Overall Length: 149 ft. Width 27 ft. Depth of hull: 6 ft. Draft 3 ft. Height (waterline to top of stacks); 47 ft. Paddlewheel: 21 ft. diameter x 16 ft. wide. * OTHER FEATURES: Steam calliope operated by antique keyboard Open-air pilothouse featured 7 ft. pilotwheel Ornate dining salon, hand-carved back bar All meals prepared on-board by own chef Live entertainment on every cruise Gift shop