Federal grant provides new computers for MarMac Police

By Trudy Balcom

Computers are vital tools in nearly all workplace settings, including the police squad car. That’s why MarMac Police Chief Randall Grady has been looking for funding to get mobile computers for the department for about the last two years.
“I tried very hard to get these computers through budgeting,” Grady explained. But the department budget was too small to accommodate the cost of about $60,000 for the computers and software.
The city of Marquette expressed that they were willing to help fund the computers if the department could get a cost-share on the expense from McGregor. But McGregor didn’t have the extra money to spare.
So Grady tried applying for a grant with the Upper Mississippi Gaming Corporation twice last year, but the grant application was turned down both times.

The department hit paydirt with a  CEDAP grant—the Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program—administered jointly by the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The grant provides equipment and training directly to applicants; not a cash award.
The MarMac Department was informed that they would receive the grant last December, but the final installation of the new equipment has come in the past couple of weeks.
The award included three mobile and two desktop computers, installation, in-car printers and scanners, and software licences for Mobile-Synch, a records management software system sold by a company called In-Synch.
In-Synch contracted with Brite Computers out of New York to install the computers and equipment in the cars.  In-Synch installed the software.
“The company came and installed everything for us, it didn’t cost us anything,” Grady explained.
The department did have to buy the center console, a scanner and printer for one car, and hired a local programmer to help with them with some computer problems. Grady said that the cost to the department for these items was about $3,500. The value of the equipment the department received is estimated at $62,000.
Grady is very pleased to have finally accomplished his goal. “The applications with this thing are endless, it’s great stuff,” he said.

County sustains $800,000 in flood damage

 By Pat Mc Taggert

Damage estimates in  Clayton County from the flood of April 25-26 will run about $800,000 according to Emergency Management Consultant Randy Frank. “We have a mess,” he said as he surveyed photos of the damage.
Elkader sustained about $100,000 in damages. There was minor damage to the dike on the town’s southwest side and erosion on the riverbank on the northwest side of the community. Frank estimated that the High School softball diamond sustained about $60,000 in damages.
Regarding the dike, Public Works Director Jerry Gamm said there was some minor erosion. “We had the Army Corps of Engineers here to check it out,” he said. “They would like to see it rip-rapped, but there was no major damage. The base of the dike is still solid.”
The community of St. Olaf had about $35,000 in damages, mostly due to erosion, and the Clayton County Conservation Board sustained about $60,000 in damages due to erosion and road damage. Residential damages in the county are estimated at about $10,000,

Clayton County

Sheriff seeks missing man

 According to a press release issued by the Clayton County Sheriff, a Garber, Iowa man has been missing since April 19. Police are seeking information on the whereabouts of Lee Allan Rolfe, 48, of Garber. Rolfe was last seen near Garber on April 13, and his vehicle was found at the North Park Mall in Davenport, Iowa, on April 19.
Rolfe is described as a white male, five-foot nine-inches tall and 230 pounds. He has blue eyes and brown hair and wears glasses. He has a tattoo of the cartoon character Yosemite Sam on his upper left arm.
Rolfe was on antidepressant medication.
Anyone who has any information about Rolfe is urged to call the Clayton County Sheriff’s office at (563) 245-2422; or you may remain anonymous and call the Clayton County TIP line at (563) 245-1234.

Prairie Sand and Gravel fined $125,000

Prairie Sand & Gravel, Inc., the owner and operator of seven cement production facilities in four counties in southwestern Wisconsin, has been ordered to pay $125,000 in penalties and costs, and to implement special environmental projects, to settle the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s environmental enforcement action relating to the company’s violations of state wastewater, storm water and solid waste management laws at the seven facilities.

According to the complaint, filed at the request of the Department of Natural Resources, Prairie Sand & Gravel violated a number of wastewater, storm water and solid waste management requirements. These violations relate to the discharge of concrete and cement wastewater and of storm water to waters of the state, and to the disposal of concrete solid waste in waters of the state all without permits.

In 2006 and 2007, Prairie Sand & Gravel restored the environment at all seven facilities.

Assistant Attorney General JoAnne F. Kloppenburg prosecuted the case. Dane County Circuit Court Judge Shelley Gaylord approved the settlement.

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