State Crime and Court Roundup: Brillion man charged in federal court for bombing Planned Parenthood clinic

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APPLETON - A 50-year-old man is due in federal court today for allegedly setting off a homemade bomb outside a Planned Parenthood clinic near Appleton.

The FBI says Francis Grady of Brillion is facing charges of arson to a building used in interstate commerce – and damaging a place that provides reproductive health services. Grady was arrested Monday night, a night after the homemade explosive device was planted outside Planned Parenthood’s clinic in the town of Grand Chute west of Appleton. The blast started a small fire which caused minor damage to an exam room. It burned itself out before fire-fighters arrived. No one was in the building at the time. Police said a witness saw a white S-U-V leave the area after the blast. And authorities believe the driver is the one who was seen on the clinic’s security video.

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A La Crosse man was sentenced yesterday to four years in prison for running a prostitution ring. 50-year-old Steven Cathey must also spend five years under extended supervision when his prison term ends. Prosecutors said Cathey had just finished an earlier prison term when he hired women to sell their sex and give him the money – and in exchange, he gave them illegal drugs. Circuit Judge Scott Horne said Cathey exploited the women’s drug dependencies. But the defendant claimed he didn’t do anything wrong.

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