Editor

Letters to the Editor

A victim’s right to Marsy’s Law

Dear Editor: As sheriff, the hardest part of my job is seeing the toll crime takes on victims. We work really hard in the Taylor County Sheriff’s office to do all we can to help victims when they are facing some of their darkest days.

One of the things we do to help, is provide crime victims with information they need on their rights under both state law and the crime victims’ rights constitutional amendment known as Marsy’s Law. After all, you can’t exercise rights you aren’t aware of.

To help better call attention to the needs and rights of crime victims, I, along with the district attorney and Stepping Stones, are partnering with Marsy’s Law for Wisconsin on February 17 on a display of silhouettes at the Taylor County Courthouse. Eight individual red silhouettes will be on display with each featuring a different crime victim right provided under Marsy’s Law, such as the right to privacy and the right to be heard. The descriptions of each of Marsy’s Law’s rights will be written in language that can be easily understood by a victim who hasn’t been engaged with the criminal justice system before. We hope this and other events like it remind people of the resources that are available to them thanks to Marsy’s Law.

I would also like to share that there are a variety of resources for crime victims in our community. Services are available through the District Attorney’s office, local victim service organizations such as Stepping Stones, as well as the Sheriff’s office. All of these resources provide support and protection to those who are survivors of crime.

I hope you can join us on the 17th and take the time to learn about Marsy’s Law and the rights and services available to crime victims.

Larry Woebbeking Taylor County Sheriff

Grand Defunct Railroad

I was recently informed of the permanent shut down of the rail line between Spencer and Medford. Although it was in disrepair and not utilized much, it didn’t make sense to me to abandon such an integral part of our infrastructure.

When you consider the shortage of truck drivers and the rising cost of transporting products, it seems we should be building railroads instead of tearing them up and not be congesting and wearing our roadways with all this freight.

I wonder if anyone noted the very last train to roll down those aged tracks. Those tracks that brought prosperity to our communities and put them on the map. I sometimes think how great it would be to still have the roundhouse and turntable that was in Abbotsford, preserved for posterity and the 80 foot high coal bin and ramp structure that fueled the engines!

I thought somehow the old depot could’ve been restored for a museum. What an awesome tourist attraction this all could’ve been! But that’s societal progress for you; get rid of the old, to make way for the new.

Bryon Broeske Dorchester Editor’s Note: There has been no official statement from Watco stating the railroad has been permanently shut down.