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• Conductivity tests planned for St. Croix county geothermal system
• Update: Police say man set himself on fire

By Judy Wiff, Regional Editor

HUDSON -- Tests will be conducted in early May to determine the conductivity of the ground in anticipation of installing a geothermal heating and cooling system at the St. Croix County Government Center.

Building Services Director Art Tobin said the test will involve installing one vertical heat exchanger to a depth of 200 feet.

At a minimum, the test will be conducted for 36 hours. Bids for the work are due by noon Friday, April 11. Construction, testing and reporting are to be completed within 30 days of contract signing.

The geothermal system proposed for the government center would involve 30 wells on 2.5 acres, said Tobin.

He said each "well" is a sealed system, involving a looped tube in a vertical hole. Concrete is used to fill between the heat exchanger and the sides of the holes.

"Nothing is released into the ground. Nothing is taken from the ground," said Tobin.

He said the city of Hudson requires a 1,200-foot protection zone around each of its well heads, and both the test bore and the eventual well field will be outside that area.

In February the Finance Committee voted to authorize up to $1,500 for engineers to prepare specifications for test wells and conductivity tests and to spend up to $10,000 to hire a company to drill the well and do the test.

The geothermal system will replace a heating and cooling plant that maintenance workers say has become undependable and expensive to repair.

Specifications for the test bore can be viewed by going to the county Web site: www.co.saint-croix.wi.us/ and clicking on "Procurement."

Contact Judy Wiff at 715.426.1049 or regional@rivertowns.net

By Randy Hanson, RiverTown Staff

Police and fire officials are continuing to investigate the cause of a fire that injured two people and destroyed the attached garage of a twin home at 38 Brighton Path in Hudson's Lighthouse subdivision.

The fire reported at 1:22 a.m. Wednesday also destroyed two cars that were inside the garage.

According to a Hudson Police Department press release, the homeowner, Michael Helm, 43, told officers that his son Brandon Helm, 19, had set himself on fire in the garage, which started the garage on fire.

Hudson Police Chief Marty Jensen wasn't available at the writing of this report to say whether the younger Helm intentionally set himself on fire, or if it was an accident.

Both of the Helms were taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul after emergency workers arrived on the scene.

Brandon Helm was located at a neighbor's house and taken directly to Regions by St. Croix Emergency Medical Services.

The ambulance service took Michael Helm to Hudson Hospital, and from there he reportedly was transferred to Regions.

Hudson Fire Chief Jim Frye said the fire was still fairly small, but growing quickly, when he arrived at the scene. Firefighters used hand-held hoses to knock down the flames, as well as a "master stream" from an engine-mounted nozzle.

The fire damage was contained to garage for the most part, although there was some damage to the entryway of the twin home. Vinyl siding on the twin home, and on another twin home to the east, melted, too.

The Helm twin home also sustained smoke damage, Frye said.

Kathy Rykiss, who lives in the twin home connected to the Helms', told a Twin Cities television station that her home wasn't damaged.

The police department said it was continuing to investigate the fire, with the assistance of the fire department.

The Lighthouse development is located on the south side of I-94 and west of Hwy. 35.