Wolf sightings reported to CAPD
Three different people have recently reported seeing a wolf on the south end of Colby, but after talking to an official at the USDA, police chief Jason Bauer said it’s not likely the animal will stick around the area for long.
Bauer told the police commission about the wolf sightings at its monthly meeting on Monday. He said he was advised to contact the USDA, which provided him with some guidance on handling the situation.
If someone encounters a wolf, he said they are urged to make as much noise as possible to frighten the animal.
“Once they’re scared, I guess they don’t like to come back,” he said.
On Tuesday, Bauer said the wolf was seen in the southwest part of the city near the wooded area around Dill Creek. He said two of the people who reported seeing it are outdoorsmen and he trusts that they properly identified the animal.
Bauer said his department was planning on setting up cameras in the area to see if they could catch the animal on video.
Other business
_ Colby resident Mike Kreciak spoke to the commission again about his neighbors’ dog being off-leash at three different times over the weekend. He wanted to know to know why his neighbors were not being cited even though he says he has video of the incidents.
Bauer urged Kreciak to call the police right away if he sees the dogs running loose so an officer has a chance of catching the violation as it happens. Bauer said he is done looking at Kreciak’s security videos for evidence.
Colby Mayor Jim Schmidt, who lives down the street from Kreciak and his neighbors, said he doesn’t think the dogs are a threat to people walking by.
“I’ve never seen their dogs chase anybody,” he said. “I don’t hardly see their dogs at all.”
_ The commission renewed a computer maintenance agreement with Computer TR of Abbotsford, at a cost of $500 per month, which is the same price as the previous contract. The contract will automatically renew in a year, at the same price, unless either side gives 30-days notice. Bauer said the regular software updates done by Computer TR over the past year have proven to work really well.
“It seems like everybody’s computers are running a lot smoother,” he said.
_ Bauer said the department recently received two donations — $400 from Nicolet Bank and $600 from Helping Hand 4 Hope — that went toward the K-9 program. He noted that K-9 officer Jim Wagner and his partner, Dodge, recently completed annual recertification training in Michigan.
_ Colby Ald. Todd Schmidt was reelected as president and recording secretary of the commission, with Ald. Dan Hederer selected as vice president.
_ The commission approved $15,529 in monthly expenditures.
_ The commission met in closed session to interview applicants for an available officer position. No action was taken in open session.
