With the road reconstruction for Shawano’s Main Street less than two years away, the Business Improvement District is looking at taking steps now to make sure local businesses don’t suffer when the road is closed to traffic.

From blizzards to ice storms to flooding, Shawano and surrounding counties have seen it all this spring. And the cost to deal with those severe weather situations has mounted into the hundreds of thousands of dollars for cities, towns, villages and counties.

Shawano County Sheriff George Lenzner, left, provides background on Landen Christen, who was sworn into his new role as deputy with the Shawano County’s Sheriff’s Department at the public safety meeting May 6. A graduate of Bay Port High School, the 21-year-old started as community service officer in Appleton, worked as an officer with the Black Creek Police Department and was with the Stockbridge-Munsee Police Department the past 18 months.

It’s been nearly two decades since the Shawano County Sheriff’s Department bought a new boat for patrolling county waters, search and rescue efforts, and recovery cases.

That may change soon.

Dana Ritchie, office manager, presented the case for a new boat to the public safety committee May 6. The committee agreed to forward the request to the capital improvement projects committee for consideration.

Sara Rodriguez has been Wisconsin’s lieutenant governor for the last four years, but now she’s hoping to move up.

One person died as the result of a fire that occurred May 6 in the 200 block of East Center Street in Shawano.

Emergency personnel responded shortly before 7 p.m. to reports of a structure fire. Upon arrival, crews observed smoke coming from the home.

Firefighters worked to extinguish the fire and conduct search efforts within the residence. During those efforts, a person was located inside the home.