Welcome back everybody the midday magazine may first we have our of course our
special edition where we get to talk with wood kind of shares department for
the entire hour share Sean Becker and with us along with our good friends
with Wisconsin's rabbits community media we shout them out always like to get
jail update when we're talking so let's go ahead and start right there yeah
things are moving along quite nicely pretty much all the concrete is done on
the inside of the building you'll see driving by that a lot of concrete is
going off for establishing the parking areas and things like that but
inside really is it's down to you know the painting I'm getting all the glass
into the cell blocks that what I mean is the windows and things like that
pulling the wires so it's it's kind of together really well I believe though
it should be done sometime in October and the goal will be occupied
January or February but not going really well still within budget I don't see
that changing at all so yeah things are going well we talked a little bit
about the programming room so how many there's going to be per floor we just
had a mid-state technical college come in and one of them makes graduate with
their GD so that program's still going on and we'll continue that
partnership and then we have a recovery prod graduation coming up to so
again we're gonna have play a room to continue those programs now it's so
much of the challenges with the current facility but I just want people to know
that that's a very important thing for for us and we're going to continue to
expand upon that but a couple of celebrations you know with the people that are
in custody that are doing something while they're there which I admire yeah
definitely and that's really good to hear always good to hear it's always
encouraging I think that's the kind of thing that everybody out there can take
inspiration from yeah I did have a listener ask a question the other day and
I thought well I could answer it but I also encourage you to listen to the
interview coming up Wednesday and everything there's there were some
questions about what or some uncertainty of what's going to happen with the
old jail sure the next phase once a new jail is done the old jail be hard
down it's gone beyond its life expectancy you know the
county board took a really strong look at that what what can we do and if they
try to do some remodeling it's gonna cost them more to do any remodeling
within the facility then to to tear it down and then we'll have some green
space more parking available and then I think in time on the courthouse campus
they'll have an opportunity to expand if they need to I know the river block
building I don't exactly recall how long that leases but you know they're
gonna have to deal with that and with us vacating part of the building they'll
be able to bring some departments if they need to if they want to back from
a river block if that's gonna be available but you know maybe 10 20 years
down the road if the need is to build something or add on to the courthouse and
bring people back from river block that opportunity is going to be there
but the current jail once we're moved out of it move into that next phase the
project we'll get torn down I'm curious and this is so much question just
more of us talking as as locals and everything I I'm curious to see how that
area is going to develop once the jail is up and running and some of the spots
they get a little settled in what we're gonna do here what we're gonna do
there we that area has always you know done pretty well you know was
certainly with the bars and some of the other businesses that have been over
there over the years so it'll be interesting to see that tie-in to it with
that and everything I think it's gonna look really nice I love to you know fast
forward about a year year and a half and just to see what the courthouse campus is
gonna look like the city's been working with the county really well on some you
know parking options and things down that road so nothing's finalized yet but I
think there's a good plan in place that I'm hoping we'll get you know pushed
through and that whole campus is gonna look really nice spent the first 20 some
years in my life working in construction and building and one of the things
that we would always worry about or that happened every once in a while as you
do all of these blueprints everything planned you got all your everything you
need you get working and then you realize oh this isn't gonna work or oh this
isn't gonna happen we've been pretty fortunate when it comes to that couple
a couple times it did where some things with the supply chain yeah we're
challenging that costs a little bit more than expected but overall you know
you're gonna with the project that size you're gonna have some issues come up
you know here and there but I'll tell you what the issues that have come up have
not been you know like oh we're gonna have the Dorellis project there you
further or we can't do it no you know the San Mous group out of Wassar our
project manager venture architects out of Milwaukee they've been working just
really well together they've been they've been awesome and we've been very
fortunate to work with both of them and we got an opportunity to tour
Trumple County's jail they both worked with San Mous group and venture their
jails I think around 80 people so I mean it's quite a bit smaller than what we're
going to have but we got to walk through and just see okay what the end product
is gonna be and it's very similar to what we're getting you know there's some
things that are different you know I really got to give our jail capped in
tennis ashback a lot of credit he's kind of our ice and yours are a
representative of the sheriff's department with the new project you know
he's called a couple things that you know this is what we wanted yeah all right
change it and and they do you know it just you know mistakes do happen yeah
it's been phenomenal to to work with and just be part of the project and
seeing it through and and then our ground supervisor Ruben Van Tassel same
thing you know you have two people that complement each other so well and they
have the county's best interests you know nothing against the companies that
come in and do the the project well yeah they're there to do a job get it
done and move on we have to occupy this and use this facility for 50 years
yeah so we got to have people representing us to making sure it's getting done
they've been doing a phenomenal job getting to know Ted a little bit he seems
like the perfect guy for that job yeah yeah yeah that it's a really very
detailed oriented great memory and yeah appreciate that and the update thank
you for that yeah I know you have a lot of notes you come in with and a number
of different things you want to get to is there anything you want to touch on
here yeah it's a tough moment one of our retirees Mike Blue passed away we had
his funeral last Monday and you know he's an icon at the department you know he
worked for us for over 40 years and that is so rare in law enforcement you get
know usually people are looking at retirement after about 25 years especially
at 30 years people hey that's the goal you know I'm in my 50s I got the time in
and the way it works out with us in the state retirement we can we can retire
a little bit earlier than most people and he kept plugging away and the reason
being and and I and I said that is to his family I'm like with that support at
home you know that family support at loving support that that gives us the
opportunity to keep doing what we what we love you know and yet a perfect partner
with his wife Deb that was so supportive and you know we're lucky the community
was lucky to get Mike for for 40 years an icon is a perfect word for him because
he started as a patrol deputy and then of course start moving his way up but
through the ranks and when I started he was um supervised at dispatch center
when the sheriff's department still at our control and you know immediately you
knew that he was like the employee the employees employee but as a supervisor
something that you always could count on you know he'd step in and even as a
supervisor you're still coming do whatever need to be done you know what it's
answer call or going to jail for to help somebody out or anything like that you
know he's just a very supportive person and and if you had a question he'd answer
it you know he's just always there and I got the gnome when I started here close
much closer he's one of our range officers or instructors and I wasn't a
great shot and you know and I knew it and sort of the instructor is not only
not only did Dave and I'm sorry Mike but Dave Ryan and other people knew it as
well and Mike spent extra time with me and that that was very very helpful and
gratifying for me because you know you could see the improvements you know my
goal is to like get on our SWAT team and you know here I'm a young deputy I
want to I came from a small department and I want hey look all these opportunities
but hey one step at a time and if you can't be proficient with a firearm well
how can we trust down the road you know so Mike was very very helpful to me to
get me through that you know that that hump in my career to where where I am now
as far as with firearms and I greatly appreciate that but just a great person
you know he's somebody that's brilliant he could fix anything if you put in
front of him it figured out and he fixed it and he didn't have a mean
bone in his body and it was a tough one to see see leave because very you know
man of faith and and I said this I'm like I really struggled with him leaving us
because you know why would you know God take somebody not to get a
religious here but here's something that shares his faith with people want to
listen and you know he only been retired for six years you know and why would you
know he'd be taken you know and but you know with my struggle about it you
know I reached out to our chaplains you know Dave and Dan and and had the
conversation and it boils down to it's you know I answered the wife if it's your
time it's your time and you have to accept it and then the reality is that the
people left here in this world you know we have the memories that nobody can
take away you know and I got to read a poem that was very special to me called
Footprints in the sand at this funeral that really you know highlights you
know when we're we're struggling you know somebody's got your back yeah you know
but Michael be messed like I said a brilliant man just just a good hearted
individual and it's unfortunate that we all especially his family got kind
of robbed with him leaving us way too early but that's the harsh reality of
life that we all go through I couldn't help as you were describing this and
talking about this in the situation and everything feeling a little
similarity with Carl and and and and immediately wanting to be thankful to
Mike I didn't know Mike I didn't get to meet him or anything but I do
appreciate him and I have gotten to know you I have gotten to know a lot of
your staff and from what I can tell his influence is felt in the trickled
effect of that so as somebody who appreciates you and your team I can really
appreciate Mike and I don't mean to go off and do a side area here but it is
something that I wanted to get into with you a little bit this week we
do our National Day of Calendar on our morning show on WIRI and
everything and one of the things we were celebrating this week is military
families yeah and you know shouting them out and appreciating them you know how
important that is for our soldiers and that is great we need to do that more
more in society something else we could do afford to do in society is
appreciating police families and share families and some of that we don't see
a lot of that we don't do a lot of that as a society and I you know better than
I do well we all know this none of us are here without our without somebody
else somebody helped us get here whether it is a hand up or it is information
they gave us or just it currently with the the having somebody there with you
we all none of us get through life alone so being able to you know have a more
moments to be able to shout out you know our police families and some of
that and that that's something that might lead us into here too yeah no I
appreciate hearing that and on the month of May I think it's the third week is
police week yeah I have to look at that but I know it's this month and Marshall
Police Department does a service up there that we take part in and then
Donna Madison they do as well where it's it's pretty moving you know where
you're honoring the people that those cons and law enforcement officers that
you know gave the ultimate sacrifice to you know patrol or be part of a
community and somebody took their life so I appreciate hearing that because it's
it's not an easy career you know we lose too many people to suicide after they
they leave our our profession we're working on that but we always can do better
but it's it's it's gratifying to hear you know you say that James that we should
do that and like I said before it never gets old when somebody comes up to you
and says hey thank you for your service it's that that means something to all of
us because too often we don't hear that yeah and we're in a situation where
somebody's not cooperating with us and then then people judge us for for
for no reason you know just because they're not a supporter of law enforcement
but we all know that in our hearts that most people do good now and Mike we
appreciate your service we thank you thank you thank you Mike great man he'll
be missed very much I wanted to get into a salary talk a little bit with you
yeah we had an issue come up you know with with their salaries within our
organization you know stepping back a little bit you know a few months ago in
the state passed their budget the corrections officers for the state the
prison system got a really big page off and you know well deserved I'm not
complaining about that but I knew that you know they were making about the same
hourly rate as our corrections officers here and with most you know county jails
but with that pay jump to start you know almost you know 10 to 12 dollars an hour
how do you compete with that so the first thing that the county did pretty quickly
was a pay adjustment to our corrections officers and I I really feel in
central Wisconsin we're probably one of the first agencies to get on this
quickly because we don't want to lose anybody to the state we want to take
care of our employees especially when we have a new facility that we're
opening up well as we looked at all of our salaries you know we do we do still
have a union for the deputy sheriff's so their raises are established and what
we found out with their their hourly rates and other benefits our sergeants
were making more of our than our patrol lieutenants and that was pointed out to
me in our administration and I'm like okay well we have a compression issue so
I took it to human resources and you know laid it out here the issues what what
can we do and I'll be honest a chemograph or HR director was awesome she she
looked at research to be more agreed so in the process now of making those
salary adjustments for our upper administration you know and that that's very
important because if you look at you know the future of your organization you have
to take care of them with not only salary but benefits and there was a pretty
big difference between the people that are in the union and the people that
aren't in the union we should try to be at least comparable at least with
benefit wise and then I've so salaried the more you move up the rank you
more you're gonna get paid so next week we meet with one another committee for
the county board and we'll discuss that and hopefully we can get that
through because it'd be very I'm really proud of the fact now with our HR
director but you know our team coming together and say okay how can we
solve this whatever the ways we can do that and I'm confident that we'll get
it through and it'll make our team better we've talked about this before it
it can be difficult already to recruit people for this industry and staying
competitive a county wise state wise is vital going forward to not only keeping
good people but bringing in new people know recruiting good people it's really
good to hear that you and everybody being on point on that getting on that
right away not in that I appreciate so often whenever we come into something
where you know it's not it wouldn't be far-fetched to say a year from now we're
having the same conversation but but we're behind the April we're behind on it
you guys are ahead of a lot of these things getting ahead of the curve on some
of that stuff and for everything we can only benefits us because there's we all
know that there's tons of stuff we have no idea what's coming you know tomorrow
brings a whole new set of problems that kind of thing so it's really
encouraging to hear and it's important also to people out there especially
anybody young out there listening and looking about what career to get into
here's a wonderful career I know I talked to a lot of young people that are
getting into the arts and everything and one of the main things I tell them is
have a day job you can chase your dream have a day job don't be a struggling
artist be a surviving artist and most of them are like the big thing that
they're looking for is can well what is an industry that I know is going to be
there in five or ten years well here's one here's definitely an industry that's
going to be there you know ten fifteen years and everything well so it's
certainly something to think about as well yeah like I said it'll set up you
know the future of the department you know when you look at people that are
willing to all right I want to get into a leadership role and it's not about
the money you're not gonna get rich but you know you're gonna see that you're
gonna be taken care of fairly mm-hmm I was speaking with Sheriff Sean Becker from
one kind of Sheriff's Department and again a big shout out to Wisconsin
rapids community media got a couple minutes left sir I did that one thing I was
gonna end up on did you have something you anything else you wanted to add shot
the mince beagle this is gonna come back in town I had connected with them
through his dad Rocky we've got a conference that we're putting up and the
badgers Sheriff's Association meets our trains every quarterly and we're
hosting in Wood County up in Marshville and I was helping out set that that
conference up and I'm like well we can get a speaker in and so we reached out
and he's coming so a big shout out to Vince and his family it's not easy when
he's a young man with a family that you know he lives in Florida and it's gonna
make the you know gonna come up to do a speech for us and hang out with
probably you know about two-thirds of the sheriff's that are in Wisconsin so
very proud of him to to make the sacrifice to come up and spend some time
with us and you know you'll get a chance to hang out with his families yeah he's
gonna see yeah in a Midwesterners we always want to come back it's always nice to
be able to do that shout out to have a local favor come back that's that's really
good to hear good on him yeah we're wrapping up I did want to mention on a good
note a really fun note you guys got a new dog yeah yeah oh is that why you're
tired is that one yeah a little bit no we had both Julie and I grew up with
colleagues you know and and then we had our family we got a colleague and and she
lasted about 11 years and you know that moment that we all go through it so hard
and I'm like never again never gonna get it never no and it been eight years
and I didn't realize Julie connected with a breather up and other UP and you know
and she talked about it a few times and I just must add a week moment it's
that's why let's go get the dog yeah so we did and now it's been going go we had
her about two weeks she had her first local vet appointment breather was a really
good but she's a puppy so yeah yeah yeah that's why my eyes little yeah glaced
over a little bit yeah but hey I'll be worth an end oh yeah get the trainer the
way you know we should and or want to and that's awesome and good on you guys
good on you for it enjoy have fun when we talk next month and especially since I
said that now I almost kind of like volunteered for dog sitting so you kind of you
kind of okay I kind of walked this is being recorded yeah yeah it's all it's all
documented now okay I like it always appreciate the time for man thank you so
much for everything and a gigantic thank you to you your team everything you do
for this community you are appreciated we see you we're looking out for you stay
safe out there thanks thank you thank you time always appreciate coming want to
send a big thank you as well to our friends at Wisconsin's rapids community
media big thank you to them keep up the date on all the work that they are
doing over there go to YouTube type in your search bar Wisconsin rapids
community media subscribe to their page and keep up to date on that work say
hi to everybody over there for us and before we wrap up sir I didn't want to
give people information on how they can reach out to you I keep calling you
sir I now it's one of those things where it's in my head now it's like that so
I'm just doing it for that yeah well if people do want to contact you about
the meat or some of the other things come to me call I mean you can check us out
on Facebook or just give us a call someone five four two one eight seven zero
ones dispatch otherwise my direct line four twenty seven oh five
appreciate you thanks for the time Sean you bet well a more midday magazine for
you coming up on tomorrow on WFHR locally grown radio
