A rushed decision on homelessness | Weekly Wausonian

Wausau news for the week of July 10, 2025

The Wausau City Council found itself in another last-minute, rushed decision, this time over a contentious plan to address homelessness in the city.

The city council Tuesday approved 8-3 a five-year contract with Bridge Street Mission to provide a homeless shelter starting next year.

The plan was contentious over concerns about Bridge Street Mission’s policy to not hire gays or lesbians for employment or as volunteers. And while Bridge Street’s leaders say they won’t discriminate against homeless individuals, council members were skeptical about their hiring practices.

The other point of contention was the contract, which public officials didn’t receive until Tuesday afternoon, according to City Council Member Terry Kilian. That didn’t give council members, let alone the public, time to fully read the contract and understand it.

City Council President Lisa Rasmussen said time was of the essence — a lot would need to happen in order for Bridge Street Mission to raise the necessary funds to construct the proper facilities, as well as build out those facilities. And Wausau Police Chief Matt Barnes, who spearheaded the plan, said weeks of delay could add months on the backend.

The council narrowly shot down a proposal 6-5 to push the vote to August to provide more time to digest the contract.

The vote also came following commentary from attorney and former mayoral candidate Jay Kronenwetter, who said there were errors in the contract such as an incorrect contract reference and that it raised serious issues around fair employment as religious entities are often exempt from important employment protections.

This week The Wausonian took on a challenging assignment, getting the police around around the embezzlement of funds from Blessings in a Backpack, and learned funds were embezzled from MC United Soccer as well.

And on a lighter note, this entrepreneurial couple is bringing a touch of Japan to the downtown Wausau area with Kykomi’s:

What else in Wausau?

Ruder Ware announces death of former firm partner, civic leader: A recently retired Ruder Ware Law Firm partner and civic leader died earlier this month. Bill Tehan was not only a long-time partner at Ruder Ware Law Firm who retired in March, but also was a notable civic leader in the Wausau area. He led the Grand Theater Foundation, the Performing Arts Board, was the president of Rotary Club and Centergy and numerous other organizations in the area.

Wausau resident Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley retires: Ann Walsh Bradley, who lives in Wausau, just retired from the state Supreme Court, according to the state bar association. Bradley served many legal roles in her career, including being appointed a circuit court judge in Marathon County, before becoming the third female state Supreme Court justice in Wisconsin history, according to the Wisconsin Bar’s website. Rare in today’s world, her campaign for the seat in 1985 garnered bipartisan support.

Commonwealth closes on property at Grand Avenue and Thomas Street: Commonwealth, which plans to build a 50-unit, four-story affordable apartment complex at the corner of the property on Grand Avenue and Thomas Street, closed on the property Tuesday. City leaders say that closing was contingent on an additional easement agreement the city council approved Tuesday.

Wausau water facility broken into: A water utility facility was recently broken into, according to information found in city documents. A pair of “young individuals,” who later turned themselves in, broke into a booster station and ultimately flooded it. While most of the station dried and damage was minimal, officials estimated that the youngsters did about $50,000 worth of damage. Water Works Commission officials may consider installing cameras to provide further security as there have been other incidents in the past. The incident occurred back in spring but went unreported in local media.

Around the metro

Brewery owner doesn’t go through with parade disruption: Government officials made plans to handle a potential disruption of Minocqua’s Fourth of July parade, but Minocqua Brewing Company owner Kirk Bangstad ultimately never went through with his plans to disrupt the event. Bangstad was arrested earlier this month for allegedly leading a group at the brewery to yell at Lakeland Times Publisher Gregg Walker, whom Bangstad was under court order not to have any contact with. The court order stemmed from a criminal defamation case that came after Bangstad continued to contact Walker following losing the largest defamation case in state history against Walker.

Marathon County Sheriff’s Office investigating Portage County homicide: Investigators from the Marathon County Sheriff’s Office, along with the sheriff’s office in Wood County, are investigating a shooting Sunday evening in the town of New Hope in Portage County. According to a media release, Portage County Deputies responded at 8:48 pm to a residence in the town of New Hope for a welfare check when they encountered a man dead in the front yard. Police established a perimeter, after which a man exited the residence in the back and was shot by a deputy. Deputies found one woman dead and two children who were alive and unharmed inside. Marathon County officials on Wednesday identified the victims as Paula and Dale Shulfer, 52 and 53, and the man deputies shot as 35-year-old John Shulfer, their son. Marathon County officials say John Shulfer was armed and did not comply with deputy commands at the time he was shot. Marathon County is conducting the death investigation and Wood County is conducting the officer-involved shooting investigation.

Business

Bull Falls sets opening date: The new Bull Falls Brewing Co. is slated to open at the end of the month. The owners of the brewery announced in a Facebook video that they would be open on July 26. In the video they also showed their new beer garden, which had been a garage area. The new owners bought Bull Falls Brewing earlier this year, giving the brewery a new name and logo, and renovated the building.

Sponsored by

Entertainment

It’s balloon weekend as the Taste N Glow Balloon Fest heads to the town of Stettin; plus Old Crow Medicine Show, The Funkyard Dealers, rising Christian music star Leanna Crawford and more in our Wausome Weekend Guide:

Looking for kids/family events? Check out the family-oriented listing from The Wausonian’s partner Wausau Mama, who puts together a weekly listing of children/family activities.

Sports

College softball: It’s been a tough July for the Wausau Ignite, which has yet to win a game this month. The new softball team lost 4-3 Tuesday to the Minot Honeybees after temporarily taking the lead in the top of the fifth. The eight-game losing streak puts the Ignite in last place in the league, two games behind the La Crosse Steam.

College baseball: The Wausau Woodchucks are on a three-game win streak after a decisive series win over central Wisconsin rivals the Wisconsin Rafters. The Chucks defeated the Rafters 10-1 Monday and 11-2 Tuesday. The Chucks currently hold first place in the Great Lakes West division as they prepare to host the Madison Mallards for a three-game homestand which began Wednesday night.

---

Email me at brian@thewausonian.com. And as always, thanks for subscribing to The Wausonian! If you haven’t subscribed yet, check out the free and paid options below to help support local journalism:

Interested in a group subscription? Keep your employees or management team informed with a group subscription with The Wausonian. Don’t let your team be left in the dark! Interested in 25 employees or more? Email me at brian@thewausonian.com for rates.