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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Germantown man dies, wife hospitalized due to suspected carbon monoxide poisoning
A 74-year-old Germantown man died and his 74-year-old wife was taken to the hospital Monday, Aug. 11, after officials detected carbon monoxide in their home, police said. Germantown police and firefighters responded to a call at 8:30 a.m. of someone being in distress, police chief Patrick Merten said. When they arrived and entered the home, the carbon monoxide detectors the firefighters were wearing went off. The couple lived in the Riversbend Circle subdivision where residents experienced power outages and flooding on Aug. 12, according to police. Merten said a generator powering some appliances was inside the homeowner's attached garage. He did not know which appliances, and said the generator could have been used as a backup for a pending power outage. He added carbon monoxide fumes may have traveled inside the house but that hasn't been determined. He said an autopsy is being done to confirm the cause of death. With more people using generators due to the historic flooding this past weekend, Merten said it is important to take precautions. What is carbon monoxide? Carbon monoxide is a deadly, colorless, odorless, poisonous gas, according to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission website. It is created by the burning of items such as coal, charcoal, oil, kerosene, propane, natural gas and wood. Products and equipment powered by internal combustion engines such as portable generators, cars, lawn mowers and power washers also produce carbon monoxide. How to eliminate carbon monoxide poisoning while using generators? Merten said people need to make sure generators are only used in an area that is well-ventilated. He said generators should not be used if the garage is closed, and even if the garage is open the fumes can get inside the home. He also said it is important that power cords are not in water as that can cause electrocution. According to the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, a generator should never be used inside the home or garage even if doors and windows are open. In addition, generators should only be used outside and more than 20 feet away from one's home, doors and windows. Also, according to the CDC, carbon monoxide detectors should be installed near every sleeping area in the home. The detectors should be checked regularly to ensure they are functioning properly. The CDC recommends checking or replacing the detector's battery when you change the time on your clocks each spring and fall. What are the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning? According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure include a headache, fatigue, dizziness, confusion, nausea, shortness of breath and chest pain. What should you do if you have experienced any of these symptoms? If someone experiences any of these symptoms, they should go outside the home for fresh air and call the local fire department. A person should not enter until the fire department says the home is safe. More: What can Wisconsinites keep and what should they throw away after a flood? More: Flooding can harm health even after water recedes. Here's how to protect yourself. Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Germantown man dies due to suspected carbon monoxide poisoning Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
Police seek charges against student who they say admitted to sending email threatening Germantown teachers
Police are seeking a charge accusing a 12-year-old student of making terroristic threats after they said the student admitted to sending an email threatening staff at Kennedy Middle School in Germantown. Germantown Police Chief Patrick Merten said in a June 11 news release that a referral for that charge has been submitted to Washington County Juvenile Intake. Their request came after police executed a search warrant June 6 at the student's Germantown home as part of their investigation into the threat, which was discovered June 2. Police seized multiple electronic devices during the search. In conducting a forensic analysis of their contents, detectives recovered data revealing a Google account used to send the threatening email. Police determined the device belonged to a 12-year-old boy, a sixth-grade student at Kennedy Middle School. The student admitted to creating and sending the message, which said "On June 2, 2025, we will show up to Kennedy Middle School with an AK-47 and kill all of the teachers. We will start with the east side of the school, then the west. - Anonymous," according to Merten's news release. The email was sent to a Kennedy Middle School attendance email account typically used to notify the school of student absences. A school secretary discovered the email the morning of June 2 and immediately contacted the Police Department's school resource officer, the news release said. More: How do Wisconsin school districts determine what's a 'credible threat'? Local schools weigh in More: School crisis communication is critical — but it's not as straightforward as you think. The student told police he sent the email because he was upset after a recent interaction with a teacher, but did not intend to act on the threat. The student's parents said he has no access to any firearms in the home. The parents have cooperated with police and the Germantown School District throughout the investigation, the release said. Merten acknowledged that some parents and community members were concerned about the lack of immediate information. "It's important to understand that when a threat of this nature is received, numerous steps must be taken behind the scenes to ensure the safety of students and staff. The school was placed in a 'hold' as a precaution while law enforcement worked to assess and manage the situation," Merten said in the release. Neither Germantown School District Superintendent Chris Reuter, nor Germantown School District marketing and communications manager Claire Podbielski, immediately responded to phone or email messages seeking comment. Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or Follow him on Twitter at@AlecJohnson12. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Germantown student could face charges connected to threatening email
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Germantown police investigating threat against Kennedy Middle School teachers
The Germantown Police Department is investigating a threat made toward Kennedy Middle School teachers. The Police Department learned of the threat the morning of June 2. The threat had been was emailed to the middle school over the weekend. While the email did not have much detail, it did threaten to harm teachers at the school, according to a news release from Germantown Police Chief Patrick Merten posted June 2 on the Germantown Police Department's Facebook page. Police responded, checking the area outside of the school and standing outside the school when students and staff arrived June 2. Additional police were present at the school throughout the school day. The department is actively investigating the source of the threat, the release said. Germantown Police were assisted by the Washington County Sheriff's Department, which provided a perimeter outside the school, Merten said in a June 3 email to a reporter that there will be additional police at all district schools the rest of the school year. Merten said the district has school resource officers in the schools every day and that patrol officers conduct periodic walk-throughs of the schools daily. The department plans to share any additional information on its Facebook page as that information becomes available, Merten said. Germantown School District superintendent Chris Reuter did not respond to a reporter's phone or email messages seeking comment. Contact Alec Johnson at (262) 875-9469 or Follow him on Twitter at@AlecJohnson12. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Germantown police investigating threat at Kennedy Middle School
