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• Jury awards Baldwin man $3.2 million in malpractice case
• BEAR ALERT: Black bear stops in New Richmond for visit

By Wheeler News Service

A St. Croix County jury has awarded $3.2 million to a Baldwin man in a malpractice case.

The jury ruled that Dr. Gregory Estlund was negligent in the way he treated 35-year-old Jim Lang.

The man injured a leg while working at a factory in Hammond in 2003. Lang said he saw Estlund five times without getting proper relief. So he went to a specialist, who found muscle-and-nerve damage and a reduced blood flow.

Lang never re-gained the feeling in his lower leg and it was amputated in 2004.

New Richmond Police officers had to confront an unwanted visitor Thursday afternoon.

A huge black bear that stopped by the city for a visit around 3 p.m. The bear was first encountered at Cox Motors, where the animal walked through the cars in the lot.

The bear then took off north, swimming through a nearby pond. He emerged in a field near the New Richmond Bus Garage.

At that point, police tried to block the bear's path back into the city. The bear was intent on heading south. The officers used lights and sirens to frighten the bear away.

The bear walked toward Noble's Tire Service. It crossed Highway 65 and headed toward the Widespread of the Willow River.

Officials warn that residents should avoid contact with the bear. Quite a few bear sightings have been reported over the past few weeks.