Western Wisconsin News Briefs: Nine from Turtle Lake plant sent to hospital after accident

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TURTLE LAKE - Nine employees were sent to a hospital today, after they were exposed to fumes caused by the mixing of chemicals at a plant in northwest Wisconsin.

It happened around 11:30 a.m. yesterday at the Sanmina plant in Turtle Lake. Crews were airing out the building this afternoon. Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said three chemicals were mixed together at a plant which makes plastic parts and die-casts. About 60 employees were evacuated, and the nine who were sent to a hospital had minor respiratory ailments. Residents of a nearby building were evacuated as a precaution, along with a nearby business. They were taken to an elementary school three blocks away – and the school was not evacuated.

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Police in Superior searched a teenager’s home yesterday, after reports that two groups of boys were threatening violence against each other on social media. Students with access to the posts reported some of them to Superior school officials – and those officials have been working with police. The evidence spurred police to obtain a search warrant looking for concealed weapons at the teen’s home. They didn’t find any weapons. And police said they found no evidence of any plans to commit violence at Superior schools. Police said they were stepping up their patrols around the schools today.

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Police in northwest Wisconsin are looking for two holiday scrooges who stole a trailer with tools and building materials where a Habitat-for-Humanity home was being built. The Wild Rivers Habitat group said the trailer was stolen late last Saturday night in Grantsburg – and a witness did not realize that a crime was going on. Habitat-for-Humanity builds homes for lower-income families – and those families help build the homes they’ll eventually live in. The group’s local director, Eric Kube, said the stolen items were all donated by the community. He said quote, “The thief took the tools out of the hands of volunteers, and now they need to be replaced. It’s discouraging that someone would do this – especially right before Christmas.” He said the completion of at least one home would be delayed because of the theft. Two thieves in a white pickup truck cut a chain just before taking the 24-foot trailer away. The unit and its contents were worth around $10,000. Kube said insurance would cover most of the loss, but a $5,500 deductible would have to be paid. Those with information about the crime are asked to call Grantsburg Police.

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