The Post-Crescent from Appleton, Wisconsin • 17

YOUR CONTACT Joel Christopher, metro editor 920-993-1000, ext. 281 e-mail: jchristopherpostcrescentcom OBITUARIES C-4 VIEWS C-6 www.postcrescent.com The Post-Crescent Wednesday, April 26, 2006 AREA BRIEFS 0 Neenah police withdraw case; Radtke to retire City Atty. James Godlewski said. "They will be By Duke Behnke Post-Crescent staff writer NEENAH Neenah police have agreed to drop all charges against Sgt. Gary Radtke, who was accused of disobedience for allegedly ignoring a gag order in the investigation of Detective Daniel Dringoli.

In return, Radtke, 52, has agreed to retire May 15. about $20,500 for accrued vacation, sick leave and compensation time. The city also has agreed to pay for Radtke's health insurance through the end of October, which will cost about $4,500. "It's part of the give and take of the negotiations," Godlewski said of the continuation of benefits. Godlewski said the settlement does not require approval from the Common Council.

Radtke declined to comment, but Radtke's attorney, Gregory Gill Jr. of See CHARGES, C-7 DA: Plea agreement deal in beating death WAUPACA A scheduled trial in a New London homicide case has been called off because the accused has agreed to enter into a plea agreement. Anthony R. Popke, 24, 13 Northgate Estates, is charged with first-degree reckless homicide for allegedly beating to death Nicolas Resch, 27, early on March 26, 2005, outside a restaurant. The plea hearing is set for May 22, the date of what was to be the start of a trial.

"Mary Lou Robinson (Popke's attorney) called and said she met with her client and her client wants to plea to the charge," said Waupaca County Dist. Atty. John Snider. Ainsworth won't seek re-election MADISON State Rep. John Ainsworth said Tuesday he will not seek re-election to the job he has held for about 15 years.

Ainsworth, 65, said Menasha developers end logjam Laeyendecker, Olsen remove tree trunk from Fox River shoreline Under the Radtke settlement, Radtke will be paid a lump sum 4 to pull it from the river before high water took it downstream toward the dam or Menasha lock proved futile. That's when Laeyendecker, of TDI Developments, and his partner, Jim Olsen, developers of the Headwaters condominiums, stepped in. Olsen donned his wet suit and secured the ropes to the log. Laeyendecker's brother-in-law, Ray Batley, and friend Dave Schmidt started to tow it upstream, but the current 1-vJM 'A Quick read Last we knew: Sgt Gary Radtke faced charges of disobedience for allegedly ignoring a gag order concerning the investigation of Detective Daniel Dringoli. The latest Radtke will retire May 15, and the disciplinary charges will be withdrawn.

What It means: A police panel will make no decision on the merits of the charges. School alerted about pills New London officials failed to act swiftly, mother alleges By Rachel Rausch Post-Crescent West editor NEW LONDON -The mother of a New London High School sophomore said authorities took no action in February after she reported that a bottle of her daughter's prescription medication was missing. Tina Swinford, whose daughter is among seven students suspended Un the Web this month To tearn more for alleged about Adderall, involve- goto, mentinthe fdagow and exchange type Adderall and sale of under Search, drugs on school grounds, said she sent an e-mail Feb. 6 alerting school officials about the missing bottle of Adder-all, a medication for attention deficit disorder. Swinford said Tuesday she requested an investigation, but was told by police and school officials there wasn't anything they could do because of a lack of evidence.

She thinks a letter sent to parents on April 18 informing them of the alleged illegal activity at school should have been sent sooner. District Administrator Bill Fitzpatrick said officials investigated Swin-ford's concerns, but the students interviewed said they knew nothing about the missing drug. See NEW LONDON, C-8 Inside Senate bans mandatory tracking microchips C-7 is expected to sign off on changes made in the Senate version and send the bill to Doyle for consideration, said state Rep. Scott Suder, R-Abbots-ford, the bill's sponsor. Doyle supports the bill, a spokesman said.

Supporters said the tracking would improve public safety and was worth the cost, which could reach up to $10,000 per offender per year in equipment and additional state employees. The cost could reach $477 million over 20 years, according to the Department of Corrections. But state Sen. Alberta Darling, R-River Hills, said the cost estimates were overblown because they did not take into account changes to the bill. Post-Crescent photo by Sharon Cekada JIM OLSEN, a partner in Menasha'sTDI Developments, secures a rope Tuesday to a 26-foot log in the Fox River in Menasha.

He had a boat tow the log three to four blocks from 525 Broad St to the Manitowoc Street boat landing for removal. Four-ton piece of cottonwood taken to city's public works facility The negotiated settlement was announced Tuesday, one day before the Police Commission was scheduled to hear the disciplinary charges against Radtke. "The charges are not necessary because he will no longer be an employee of the police department," The Post-Crescent Watchi Working for a better Fox Valley pcwatcMojQpostcrescefltcom that needed to be taken care of." The cottonwood log measuring 26 feet long and estimated to weigh nearly four tons now rests at the city public works facility, ultimately to be put in a grinder or dumped at a landfill. Efforts to find government officials willing "You have to get through it But without the help of friends and the community, you would drown." JUDY MOSTOFI of Appleton, whose son was killed by a drunken driver was killed by a hit-and-run fourth-offense drunken driver. "You have to get through it.

But without the help of friends and the community, you would drown." Joe Mostofi, a University of Wiscpnsin-Osh-kosh assistant football coach, died March 5, 2005, in a multivehicle crash on U.S. 41 near Neenah. His mother told a gath Oa OntheWeb an update on previous Watchdog stories, click on Post-Crescent Watchdog under Special Sections at www.postcrescent.com. From there, Bill Basler, a city heavy-equipment operator, used the city's large-end loader with a brush grappler attachment to pick it up and drive it to public works facility. Michael King can be reached at 920-729-6622, ext.

33, or by e-mail at mkingSpostcrescent.com. By Michael King Post-Crescent staff writer MENASHA After encountering some midstream resistance, the huge, water-logged tree trunk tied to the Fox River shoreline here since last fall is now an afterthought. "This is the end of the tree saga," Menasha developer Gary Laeyendecker said after the bureaucratic logjam ended early Tuesday afternoon. "It wasn't a real serious problem, but it was one it time ps for him to retire. "Watching someone try to continue past their prime is never pretty," he wrote in a letter Tuesday.

Ainsworth, R-Shawano, was elected in 1990 to the 6th Assembly District, which covers part of Oconto, Outagamie and Shawano counties. His seat is up in November. Forum set May 3 for Congress candidates APPLETON The public will get a chance to hear the Democratic candidates for Congress from 7 to 9 p.m. May 3 at the Appleton Public Library, 225 N. Oneida St.

Appearing will be 8th District candidates Steve Kagen, Nancy Nusbaum and Jamie Wall, who are running for the seat currently held by Rep. Mark Green, R-Hobart, who is running for governor. Also appearing will be John Curry, who is running in the 6th District for the seat currently held by Rep. Tom Petri, R-Fond du Lac. Panel discussion follows film showing APPLETON A discussion on the clash between Edward R.

Murrow and U.S. Sen. Joseph McCarthy will follow a showing of the film "Good Night, and Good Luck" Thursday. The Academy Award-nominated film will be shown 6:30 p.m. in the lower-level meeting room of the Apple-ton Public Library, 225 N.Oneida St.

For more information, call the library at 920-832-6173. From P-C services LOTTERIES Drawn Tuesday Wisconsin: Daily Pick 3: 0-1-9 Daily Pick 4: 6-6-8-2 4-1 8-1 9-20-38 Badger5: 14-15-17-23-25 Illinois: Pick 3 (evening): 9-5-2 Pick 4 (evening): 9-7-9-6 Michigan: Daily-3 4-6-9 Daily-4: 3-3-4-8 Fantasy 5: 3-5-9-16-23 Pags editor Sharon Hanuszaak-fiobeig Ainsworth i proved a challenge for their 17-foot boat and 90-horsepower motor. "The log wanted to steer itself going upstream," Olsen said. "That proved to be a little problematic, but we got a little more horsepower involved and got it turned around." They called Jerry Schoepel, who had volunteered his twin-engine, 30-foot Sea Ray the day before, to complete the three- to four-block upstream journey to the public landing. Unity" pays tribute to crime victims and survivors.

It also was intended to recognize ongoing efforts of the numerous professionals and volun- See EVENTS, C-8 For the Senate approves bill to track sex offenders Valley moms share heartbreak during victims' rights event 1 ,7 i-v Women credit community for keeping spirits up after crimes By Pete Bach Post-Crescent staff writer APPLETON Two mothers shared their intense grief Tuesday at the local observance of National Crime Victims' Rights week. After the event, one woman said her family Ll- t. Mostofi Cost of proposal over 20 years put The Associated Press MADISON The state would spend millions of dollars to use satellite technology to track child sex offenders for the rest of their lives under a plan the state Senate approved Tuesday. The tracking requirement would apply to offenders convicted of serious child sex crimes, including first- and second-degree sexual assault of a child. "1 want to know if there's a sex offender skulking around my kid's school," state Sen.

Cathy Stepp, R-Sturtevant, said before the Senate approved the bill 28-5. The state Assembly approved a similar plan in November. That chamber Post-Crescent photo by Sharon Cekada CINDY ROSS, whose daughter Christina was the victim of a homicide in 2004, shares her story Tuesday during the "Victims' Rights: Strength in Unity" event at the Appleton Police Department ering at the Appleton Police Department that his death left a gaping hole and shattered the family in profound ways. The theme of this year's event "Victims' Rights: Strength in could not have survived the pain in a vacuum. "We are coping," said Judy Mostofi of Apple- ton, whose son, Joe, 27,.