GTAC Fiasco in Iron County.

In recent months, Iron County has been in the spotlight in statewide media and around the blogosphere. Many are questioning how Iron County are handling the heated controversy surrounding events that have transpired since Gogebic Taconite have begun exploratory drilling in the Penokee Hills. The La Courte Oreilles Harvest and Education camp set up their camp near Gogebic Taconites proposed iron ore mine site earlier this spring in Iron County forest land. Whilst the LCO are committed to 100% peaceful protest in the woods  and have been well known to even welcome the opposition into the camp offering food and drink, there were a number of other people from separate, unaffiliated protest groups who had participated in direct action against the mining company which resulted in an arrest of a young woman from Stevens Point, WI, Katie Kloth. Kloth was charged with felony robbery and 3 misdemeanors.

From the Ironwood Daily Globe,

"A $5,000 signature bond was set in Iron County Court last Monday for a 26-year-old Stevens Point woman who faces charges related to a heated confrontation at the site of a proposed iron mine.

Katie Kloth, 26, is charged with felony robbery and three misdemeanors related to a June 11 disturbance with Gogebic-Taconite employees at the site of mine drilling in the town of Anderson, near Upson.

Kloth, wearing a “Save the Penokees” shirt, appeared with her attorney, John Bachman, of Eau Claire.

The criminal complaint filed by Iron County District Attorney Marty Lipske alleges Kloth, identified by other protesters as “Krow,” used force to grab and destroy a camera, wrestling it away from a G-Tac employee.

As Kloth was pulling at the camera from the female employee, a man with blue hair came from behind and grabbed a phone out of the employee’s back pocket, according to the complaint.

There was a group of 15 to 20 protesters that day, with their faces partially covered by bandanas. They first began throwing soda cans and shouting obscenities at G-Tac employees when their backs were turned.

The complaint says protesters then climbed onto drilling equipment at the site and began throwing around shovels and other items.

Some equipment belonging to the Idea Drilling company was also damaged. After the incident, the first day of drilling was delayed until the next morning.

Kloth is also charged with being a party to the crime of theft, criminal damage to property and being a party to criminal damage to property.

Total damages at the site were estimated at $2,400.

Acting Judge Sam Filippo set the bond recommended by Lipske under conditions that Kloth have no contact with the victim, nor threatening behavior to G-Tac or Idea Drilling employees.

Kloth waived her right to a preliminary examination within 20 days and a future court date will be set.

Filippo noted no arrest warrant had been served, but he found there was probable cause for the arrest.

Kloth was fingerprinted and booked at the Iron County Jail after the hearing."

*note. where was Madden? Off on another boy scout expedition or passing the buck to Court Commissioner Fillippo so he can stay out of the heat of this kitchen as long as possible? Answers on a postcard please.

In response to the ever growing opposition to the mine, Florida based Gogebic Taconite hired Bulletproof Security Company out of Arizona to guard the mine site. Essentially a hired "mining militia", Bulletproof Security guards arrived on the mine site donning camouflage and semi-automatic weapons. The arrival of the security firm raised many an eyebrow in the area and questions were rightly raised as to their legality.

Local Hurley attorney, Anthony Stella was quick to point out a Wisconsin law in a second letter to Iron County District Attorney Martin J. Lipske, Wis. Stat. 134.58 which states,

"134.58  Use of unauthorized persons as officers. Any person who, individually, in concert with another or as agent or officer of any firm, joint-stock company or corporation, uses, employs, aids or assists in employing any body of armed persons to act as militia, police or peace officers for the protection of persons or property or for the suppression of strikes, not being authorized by the laws of this state to so act, is guilty of a Class I felony."

See: Did GTAC Commit a Felony By Hiring Bulletproof? One Attorney Thinks So.. wpr.com (Tony's letter to DA Lipske can read here too)

Bulletproof Security has been pulled from the site while they wait for their application for a license to operate in Wisconsin to be processed.

Since becoming increasingly concerned about the goings on his local woods and how it was being dealt with by the County, Attorney Tony Stella launched a rather brilliant blog of his own.

http://www.stellareport.com

I would encourage everyone to take the time to go on over and read his postings. Most of which leaves the reader feeling the ubiquitous sizzle each post is flavoured with as he "keeps his eye on the right.... and the wrong" as his tagline states. In one post in particular, Stella looks at the curious shake up of the Iron County Mining Impact Committee...

From StellaReport.com

"The Iron County Board originally created a local impact committee with a broad array of talent from a broad cross section of Iron County.  Attorney Paul Sturgul of Hurley originally chaired this committee, and it contained business people, attorneys, retired engineers, elected officials and other persons both in favor of and skeptical of mining in Iron County.

After the committee met several times, GTAC cronies met for late-night tavern discussions, lamenting that the committee was not going to rubber stamp everything GTAC proposed.   Shortly after the last such discussion, the committee was dissolved without explanation, and a new one was appointed, this time with only 7 members, all of whom were known to be strong supporters of GTAC.  (The legality of this turn of events will be the subject for another day.) (Also, there is some confusion on just who exactly was appointed to this committee, as the published county handbook lists seven members, but the website lists only 5.) "

His blog has gone viral in the blogosphere since only launching it a week or two ago and it surely is turning a few heads in tiny Iron County, Wisconsin. Even my own statcounter shows the Wisconsin DNR among many others coming in to my own blog off google searches looking for Stella's blog surely wondering what stone he may turnover next. Not often are many people in the area ready to stick their neck out, risk their reputation and set out their stall to call attention to how things are being handled in the county and Stella's actions here are refreshing indeed and we applaud his actions here. To many of my regular "readers in denial", take note, Stella's decision to stand up and point out the rights and wrongs in this fiasco is what integrity looks like. We could surely do with more people in the County to stand up and and show a bit of integrity, make their voices heard and do what is right in the case of Don Miller nevermind do what is right to start to correct the multitude of sins that have become toxic products of corruption in Iron County.

Many journalists and bloggers indeed have been sniffing around here for background on some of the characters in this ongoing GTAC story. I've had emails from some that have done the research and have come to the stark realization there is more to sleepy Iron County than what meets the eye and we are now not the only ones watching every move of Iron County officials.

The author behind the Madison based blog, MAL CONTENDS is calling it as he sees it. While Iron County officials contemplate evicting & prosecuting the LCO Harvest Camp, he is calling into question Iron Counties notoriously corrupt and cavalier modus operandi including taking a look at DA Lipske's own disciplinary record and his actions or rather inaction in the case of Don Miller.

Other blogs that are of interest in this same regard are:

Blogging Blue says, "Treat All Lawbreakers Equally",

 an excerpt...

"From the tone of his remarks in yesterday’s Wisconsin State Journal , it sounds as though Iron County district attorney Marty Lipske wants to prosecute everyone who’s broken the law in the ongoing Gogebic Taconite, (GTAC) iron mine controversy. Everyone?

Sounding as much like a GTAC spokesperson as an elected DA, Lipske stated that the conduct of the protesters in the June 11th harassment of mine workers explains why GTAC hired Arizona based firm Bulletproof Securities and their heavily armed, paramilitary looking guards.  Apart from the fact that assessing corporate security threat levels is not typically in your average district attorney’s job description, Lipske seems to be making a case for Bulletproof Securities return when instead he ought to be considering charges against them."

An interesting observation to which my response is simply that this is unsurprising coming from DA Lipske considering he told us on record just over a year ago he left the Democrats and was going to run for re-election as an Independent because the Dems wanted to squash the mining.

Also, try Woods Person's blog where he is writing thoughts and reports on current events in Wisconsin's North Woods.

Blue Cheddar blog also has a little look at Martin Lipske's credentials and past along with other issues pertaining to the GTAC fiasco.

Subscribe to StellaReport.com to keep up to date on developing events surrounding the GTAC fiasco.