An Oconto County jury will decide if a rural Shawano man, desperate to save his marriage and anxious over repaying a loan with marijuana he grew illegally, murdered his ex-mistress and her brother. Daniel Schmidt, 30, is accused of the shotgun slayings of Kimberly Rose, with whom he had a six-month affair, and her brother, Leonard Marsh, on May 19, 2009, in their town of Gillett home. In opening arguments Monday in Oconto County Circuit Court, As

A fledgling historical society has visions of developing a Heritage Hill-style park in Oconto Falls, with Spruce School as its centerpiece. Dale Seeling shared this vision Monday with the Oconto Falls School Board, asking the board to hold off selling the vacant school building and instead consider it as a historical attraction. In September, the School Board lowered the asking price of the two-room schoolhouse to $70,000.

A significant piece of rural history is in jeopardy, as volunteers struggle to raise funds to preserve a 125-year-old log home in the Suring area. The log home, located in the town of How at the corner of state Highway 32 and Willow Road, is about two miles north of Suring. The plan to restore the home began about five years ago when Linda Miller Gerndt, a descendant of the original owner, and a friend, Melody Wardecke, were chatting one day on a

Prosecutors in a double homicide trial concentrated on contradictory accounts from a rural Shawano man about the day his ex-lover and her brother were slain in 2009, a love-affair diary his mistress allegedly kept and the use of marijuana as loan repayment. Assistant Attorney General Richard Dufour on Wednesday recalled two investigators to testify in the trial of Daniel Schmidt, 30, who faces life in prison for the murders of Kimberly Rose, 32,

Phillip “Phil” H. Dumas Sr., 63, was born May 26, 1950, in Oconto, to Daniel Dumas Sr. and Phyllis (Smith) Dumas. He passed away unexpectedly on Sept. 14, 2013, in Hudson, Fla. He is survived by a son, Phillip Dumas Jr. (Maria), and a daughter, Jennifer Weddel (Larry); five grandchildren, Anthony Dumas and Emily, Mathew, Jacob and Ryan Weddel; one brother, Daniel Dumas Jr.

Dale Roy Gerndt, 62, was suddenly called home to heaven on Monday, Oct. 7, 2013, at his home by Suring. He was born Jan. 8, 1951, to Leslie and Helen (Lemke) Gerndt. As a young man, Dale enlisted in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany during the Vietnam War. Dale enjoyed fishing, farming, gardening and the outdoors. He was a devout member of the Hickory Church of Christ and even more devout to his family.

Marie Konitzer, 87, Oconto Falls, died Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 8, 2013, at Community Memorial Hospital. She was born Oct. 31, 1925, in Escanaba, Mich., to Charles and Irene (Servant) Vorron. As a little girl, Marie moved with her family to the Klondike area and graduated high school from the Monastery of Our Lady of Charity in Green Bay. On June 22, 1946, she married Marcel Konitzer at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Oconto Falls.

Joan “Joanie” Conrad, 79, Lena, went to be with her husband, Cletus, on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2013. She was born on Aug. 21, 1934, in Hickory to the late Bernard and Lois (Wood) Gilligan. On July 6, 1957, Joanie married Cletus Conrad at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Suring. He preceded her in death on Oct. 29, 2003. She was a loving and caring wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Monday morning’s U.S. post office mail was nonexistent to those living along the path around the Falls, and even email contact had been cut off from some regular early morning conversationalists. None of this had to do with the federal government shutdown, even though one might suspect that to be the case. The more apparent sparks for the communication breakdown had to do with the observance of Columbus Day. Oct.