Friday, June 15, 2007
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
WE got out of jail free!
LA CROSSE, Wis. — In an effort to address binge drinking in a town where eight intoxicated men have drowned since 1997, the La Crosse Common Council approved a public intoxication ordinance Thursday.
Mayor Mark Johnsrud called the 15-1 vote a "turning point in the history of La Crosse,'' saying months-long debate on the ordinance alone had improved public awareness of the dangers of binge drinking.
The law becomes effective March 25.
Police will cite people if they are intoxicated in public, present a public nuisance or are a danger to themselves or others. Citations cannot be given in bars, but can be issued on streets, in city-owned buildings and on other public land.
Drunken people would be considered a public nuisance or threat if they vomited, were loud, fell down, urinated in public or exhibited other unruly behavior.
First-time offenders will receive a warning and will be required to complete an alcohol education program sponsored by the police department, Police Chief Ed Kondracki said. If they don't complete the program, they will be fined $150. Subsequent tickets will carry fines of at least $400.
Eight college-aged men over the past nine years have been found dead in La Crosse-area rivers after disappearing during a night of drinking. The most recent was University of Wisconsin-La Crosse basketball player Luke Homan, whose body was found in the Mississippi River on Oct. 2.
Mayor Mark Johnsrud called the 15-1 vote a "turning point in the history of La Crosse,'' saying months-long debate on the ordinance alone had improved public awareness of the dangers of binge drinking.
The law becomes effective March 25.
Police will cite people if they are intoxicated in public, present a public nuisance or are a danger to themselves or others. Citations cannot be given in bars, but can be issued on streets, in city-owned buildings and on other public land.
Drunken people would be considered a public nuisance or threat if they vomited, were loud, fell down, urinated in public or exhibited other unruly behavior.
First-time offenders will receive a warning and will be required to complete an alcohol education program sponsored by the police department, Police Chief Ed Kondracki said. If they don't complete the program, they will be fined $150. Subsequent tickets will carry fines of at least $400.
Eight college-aged men over the past nine years have been found dead in La Crosse-area rivers after disappearing during a night of drinking. The most recent was University of Wisconsin-La Crosse basketball player Luke Homan, whose body was found in the Mississippi River on Oct. 2.
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