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Arson at Knightsville Park
KNIGHTSVILLE - Knightsville Town Board President Chris Styleburg is frustrated after they were notified on Wednesday morning about an arson at a shelter house in the town park.
“It makes you scratch your head and ask why. Why would you do that?” said Styleburg said.
He had already been to Menards to get a quote to see how much it is going to cost to replace the wood on the damaged table.
“The estimate for the wood and bolts is over $500,” said Styleburg. The town has a $1000 deductible through their insurance.
Styleburg pointed out that the table is not going to be the only cost associated with this arson.
“We are going to have to put up lights back there. No one is supposed to be in the park after dark. But with this and other vandalism, we are going to have to light it up like Christmas back there,” said Styleburg.
In the past the town has had graffiti written on the tables and four wheelers doing donuts in the softball fields.
“It is no wonder some places have closed their parks with these kind of shenanigans. You can’t keep it up, it costs the taxpayers too much,” explained Styleburg.
Last year, Knightsville spent around $6,000 for new playground equipment. The shelters were funded by donors.
Styleburg noted that the town is trying to make “it nice for the kids. But if they are going to be destructive, they are not welcome at the park.”
He has been on the board for 8 years and the park has seen a lot of changes in that time, including the new shelter houses at the front of the park and the playground.
Around 6 a.m. Wednesday, the Van Buren Fire Department and Clay County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to Knightsville Park for a report of a picnic table set on fire. A short time later, Jonna M. Raderstorf, 33, Brazil, arrived at the Brazil Police Department to turn herself in for setting the fire. She was taken into custody, and that is when officers allegedly discovered she had an illegal substance.
Raderstorf was remanded to the Clay County Justice Center and booked for the following preliminary charges:
Level 6 felony Arson
Level 5 felony Possession of Methamphetamine- between 5-10 grams
and felony Criminal Michief
Assisting the Clay County Sheriff’s Office investigation were the Knightsville Town Marshall, Brazil Police Department, and the Van Buren Fire Department.
NOTE: All individuals named in this matter are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Ivy Jacobs Times Co-Editor contributed to this story.