Chaos, Controversy, and Closed Doors: One Wild Week

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Have you ever had one of those weeks where everything feels like it’s happening all at once? Like, you blink and Monday turns into Friday, and somewhere in between, you accidentally upset half the town with a headline?

Yeah. That was us.

It started Monday with a story we knew would ruffle some feathers: 

Vincent Simone got a $50,000 settlement from Jackson County’s insurance company. Quietly. No fanfare. And apparently, not a lot of people knew about it. But oh—they do now. And let’s just say… they’re not thrilled.

Then came Pierce Street. If you know, you know. The chatter about that drug bust has been wild. There’s been public curiosity about who was and wasn’t charged. We’re watching closely and asking questions, like any good watchdog should. We've already reached out to the DA’s office for comment. No answer—yet. But don’t worry, we don’t ghost easily.

We also had the City of Black River Falls, finally drop their minutes for their meeting about the sex offender ordinance we spearheaded. Did they mention us at all? Crickets. They only inspire us to speak louder. 

And let’s not forget discovering that the Flock camera by the Indian Mission on HWY 54 doesn’t appear to have been formally approved—at least not according to official records.

Honestly, we’ve been buried in open records requests this week. It’s like a crash course in who’s got their act together and who’s still operating like it’s 1985. Some departments respond fast, like “here ya go, no problem.” Others? Full-on Casper. You ask for a simple public record, and they vanish into the fog. It's weirdly fascinating and frustrating at the same time. We’ll be doing a whole follow-up on it soon, just to show y’all what the process actually looks like behind the scenes.

We also keep getting the weekly jail arrest reports, and yes—they're real. No, we don’t just “make them up,” and no, we don’t post all of it. There’s sensitive info in there that doesn't need to be splashed across the internet. You want the full list? Call the Sheriff’s Department. They’ll hook you up. We're already doing more than most.

Speaking of doing more—we’re working on merch! Hoodies, stickers, tumblers... a little something for everyone who wants to rep the truth in style. We ordered a small first batch , but we’re well on track to drop it within our 90-day timeline. Get ready to wear the Pulse.

Oh, and here’s a quick rundown of just some of the records we’ve requested this week:

• Email seeking comments from the Sheriff about lawsuits, 2026 reelection plans
• Info on Flock cameras (including requests sent to Monroe & Trempealeau Counties)
• All non-prosecution letters since Jan 2023 from the Clerk of Courts
• Email to District Attorney Emily Hynek asking for comments.
• Records from the Medical Examiner and Register of Deeds to track trends in overdose, suicide, and homicides.
• Request for Regal Rexnord comment on the departure of several high level officials after a company audit who answered.

We’re always open to their side of the story and welcome any official response.
 

So....yeah... it’s a lot.

And that overdose last weekend?  There’s been community concern about fentanyl overdoses, but without official records, we can’t confirm or report specifics yet. 

After submitting our own records requests to the Medical Examiner’s Office, it didn’t take long to confirm what others had already flagged— Bonnie Kindschy has been publicly criticized for a lack of responsiveness to records requests. Based on prior open records reports and public accounts, she allegedly responded to one request with, “I am not digging through those records for you.” Not exactly reassuring.

Given that history, we’re not overly optimistic about getting a timely response. But rest assured—if we need to escalate, we will. Public records are not optional, and access to them isn’t supposed to depend on who’s asking. Shout out to the Wisconsin Transparency Project for continuing to push for accountability in cases like this. We’re prepared to do the same, because the public deserves answers - even when the people in power don’t want to give them.

On the brighter side—our website is live and finally giving our VIPs the exclusive content they deserve. If you haven’t checked it out yet, you’re missing out. We’re also cooking up new ideas for what’s next… stay tuned.

We read every tip, every DM, every piece of feedback you send. Keep 'em coming. And while we’re shouting people out, we’ve got to thank our team—the folks behind the curtain who research, write, dig, and never stop asking questions. They stay anonymous, but their work speaks volumes.

Jackson County, we’re on a mission. And we're not slowing down.

No clue what next week holds, but we’re rolling with it. Day by day. Truth by truth. This county has a long way to go—but so do we. Together.

Thanks for riding with us. Tell your friends. Subscribe. Donate. Cop the merch.
Keep the Pulse alive.

Want to help fund records fees or lawsuits for access? Donate today. 

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this blog are based on publicly available records, public statements, and community discussions. Jackson County Pulse does not allege wrongdoing unless verified by official sources. All individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty.