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• Healthy Wisconsin may be bad medicine along border says lawmaker
• New Richmond's big birthday bash approaches
• Benefit planned for Somerset mother of two
• Polk County teen killed by explosives

By Brady Bautch, RiverTown staff

One local state senator is concerned that the universal health care plan included in the Senate version of the next budget may cause problems for border areas.

Under the "Healthy Wisconsin" plan Wisconsinites who work in Minnesota and keep their employer's health insurance would still face a 4 percent assessment or tax on their total Social Security wages.

"It would be a new tax for nothing for thousands of commuters in western Wisconsin," said Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls.

The plan being pushed by state Democrats is funded by a 4 percent individual tax and a 10 percent employer payroll tax.

Harsdorf noted that while commuters could drop their Minnesota employer's health care insurance and take up the Healthy Wisconsin plan it would still mean a cost increase for them.

"It's still going to be a cost increase for them because I doubt the employer would give them a pay raise if they dropped that coverage. That just doesn't happen," Harsdorf said.

One of the drafters of Healthy Wisconsin says commuters may just want to drop their employer's plan.

"There wouldn't be any reason for the employee to keep the plan," said Sen. Kathleen Vinehout, D-Alma, whose 31st District covers half of Pierce County and a large border region.

However, Harsdorf believes that one reason commuters would want to keep their employers plan is if they use health care providers in Minnesota.

"Border communities have different provider networks that might not participate under Wisconsin's plan," Harsdorf said.

Vinehout agreed that this may be a problem.

"That's very much a concern of mine," Vinehout said.

She said that Minnesota providers would be encouraged to submit bids to Healthy Wisconsin to become providers under the system.

If not, she says commuters could still use Minnesota health care providers under the fee-for-service provision of the plan. But it is currently not known what additional costs above the 4 percent tax the individual would have to pay.

"We don't know if it is going to be more expensive," Vinehout said.

Harsdorf is also concerned about the impact the bill would have on bringing businesses into the state.

"Border communities know well that job providers are mobile, and this effort could have devastating consequences," Harsdorf said.

Vinehout disagrees and says that Healthy Wisconsin would only make the state more attractive to businesses.

"The talk that higher taxes would drive away businesses is fallacious," Vinehout said.

She added that over time companies would see their health care costs fall.

However, Bill Rubin, who heads up the St. Croix Economic Development Corp., says the plan would be detrimental to bringing businesses into the state.

"One Minnesota company we are working with now has raised it as an issue and after they looked at Healthy Wisconsin they see it as a negative to relocating to Wisconsin," Rubin said.

Harsdorf is also concerned that under the plan anyone who lives in Minnesota, but is self-employed in Wisconsin would be eligible for the plan and this might open the door to anyone who wanted lower-cost healthcare.

"How many non-residents would qualify based on this provision?" Harsdorf said.

The current bill does not give a definition of what self-employed is, but it creates a governor-appointed Healthy Wisconsin Board to oversee the program and create a definition.

"How much business would have to be done in order to be considered self-employed?" she said.

Vinehout said that when Healthy Wisconsin was drafted this issue was discussed a lot.

"That's why we put in a 12-month waiting period for nonresidents," Vinehout said.

In a memo to Harsdorf, the non-partisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau did note that out of state residents who are self-employed in Wisconsin would be taxed at a rate of 9 to 10 percent of their Social Security wages.

But even though they would be taxed, Harsdorf believes these nonresidents would still be benefiting at the expense of Wisconsin taxpayers.

"I don't believe that the 9 or 10 percent would cover the cost," Harsdorf said.

Healthy Wisconsin is estimated to cost $15.2 billion a year and if approved would begin in 2009.

Brady Bautch can be contacted at internet@rivertowns.net.

By Gail Winship, RiverTown staff

It's New Richmond's 150th birthday and this town plans to celebrate in a big way Saturday, Aug. 4 at Mary Park from noon until 5 p.m.

This is your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a part of history in the making and have fun at the same time.

Choose an era of your liking, within the past 150 years (you need not have lived through that era for it to be your favorite) and come to the birthday party in a costume representative of that time period.

Not only will you receive many admiring glances for your creativity, but you may also find your photograph in the Freeze Frame section of the New Richmond News Web site or in the newspaper. You will also receive a free Sesquicentennial poster for your participation.

Anything goes - homesteaders from the late 1800s, flappers from the Roaring 20s, hobos from the Great Depression era, fashions of the fabulous 40s, poodle skirts and greasers from the 50s, hippies from the peace, love and rock n' rolling 60s and 70s, disco maniacs from the 80s - all are welcome.

Get more on the upcoming celebration on the New Richmon News Web site at www. newrichmond-news.com or in this week's print edition of the New Richmond News.

By Julia Ybarra-Young, RiverTown Staff

Just take one day at a time.

That is how the family of Kara Brathol is dealing with the reality of her brain aneurysm.

Kara, now 28, graduated from Somerset High School in 1997. The following year, she married Barry Brathol, a 1996 graduate of New Richmond. While he worked at American Structural Metal in Somerset, she worked at the Stillwater Medical Group and then Lakeview Hospital.

However, after the birth of her second child, Cole, Kara began to experience migraine headaches.

"I kept going in and they just told me that it was just a headache," Kara said. "Finally they did an MRI and MRA; that's what showed it."

The brain aneurysm is located at the base of her main brain stem, inoperable at this time.

"They have to wait to see if it'll grow larger to see if they can clip it," Kara explained. "The chance for paralysis on the right side is high."

Kara posts updates on her Web site www.caringbridge.org as often as she can. However, she has been experiencing seizures almost daily in the last month. It's to the point where she sold her car to avoid driving. The family also moved to a townhome behind her husband's workplace so he could be home in a minute's notice if necessary.

Kara gives a lot of credit to her neighborhood friends and family. Melinda Galen, her older sister, lives a half-mile away and visits often. Her two children, Meghan, 8, and Cole, 6, usually play with the area children during the day.

To help with the increasing prescriptions, doctor's visits and MRIs, Kara's friends and family are organizing a benefit on Aug. 17, at 5 p.m. at the American Legion Post 111 in Somerset.

The silent auction includes a signed Packers football, jewelry, Brewers tickets, hair products and Spartan paraphernalia, among other things. A-1 Archery has donated a Matthews Drenaline crossbow valued at $950 for a separate raffle.

Bakery items will also be available for purchase. For entertainment, there will be a children's jumping castle and a D.J. with a light show.

The suggested donation is $25/adult, $40/couple, children are free. There is also an account set up in her name at the Somerset S&C Bank for anyone who would like to make a monetary donation.

Kara is currently awaiting the results of her July 20 scan. In the meantime, she is helping organize her 10-year high school reunion.

"It's great to keep busy," Kara said. "It gives me something else to focus on."

A Polk County teenager died Friday morning as a result of injuries he received from an explosive device, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Department.

The accident occurred at around 8 a.m. when authorities were summoned to the rural Turtle Lake home of Susan Lamettry in the Town of Beaver.

Once there authorities found Lametty's 15-year-old son Michael severely injured.

The injuries proved to be fatal as emergency responders were not able to revive the Turtle Lake High School student and he died at the scene.

Polk County authorities say that Michael and a friend had recently been experimenting with fireworks.

The boy was alone in a wooded area when he apparently ignited a makeshift bottle rocket that unexpectedly exploded.

Michael was able to make it to a nearby house where his friend found him injured and called for help.

The Polk County Medical Examiner's office has ordered an autopsy which will be conducted by Midwest Pathology in Coon Rapids, Minn.

The Polk County Sheriff's Department along with the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the accident.

Emergency services units from the Turtle Lake Police Department, Turtle Lake First Responder Rescue, Amery Ambulance Service and Life Link Helicopter all responded to the scene.