Peeling Back The Onion

Bowers, Starr <bowerss@ci.superior.wi.us>

To:

brian noel

Thu, Jul 13 at 2:04 PM

Mr. Noel

I am writing as a follow up to Ms. Scherf’s email to you last week regarding the Facebook message copies being ready for you, but that the IT department was still working on gathering the email portion of your request. I wanted to touch base with you regarding the same.

First, I note that indeed those Facebook message documents are ready to be mailed to you. The total cost, including postage is $8.81. 

Second, I had hoped that the emails from IT would be ready and everything could be sent together. However, they are not quite ready, so I wanted to offer you a couple of options: 1. I send out the documents that are ready, or 2. I wait until the emails are also done and sent everything at the same time. Either option is fine, I just need to know your preference. 

Finally, I wanted to note that the invoice for the documents that are ready would need to be prepaid since it is over $5.00. Let me know if you would like that invoice for the $8.81 now, or if I am holding off until the emails are ready and you can pay and then receive everything in one bundle.

Thank you.

Starr B. Bowers

Paralegal to the City Attorney

City of Superior

122. Below is my response on July 14, 2023

brian noel 

To:

Bowers, Starr

Fri, Jul 14 at 12:21 PM

Hi Starr, 

Thanks for the update. I will wait until you get all of it. Let me know when you do, and I'll have someone pick it up and pay for it.

Thanks again.

Brian

123. So, as we wait for that information, I only have the communications between Melissa Hyatt and city officials, including Mayor Jim Paine, from March 18, 2022 until June 30, 2022.

124. Below, is the first set of communications.

125. So, at 9:58 am on March 18, 2022 Tyler Elm sent an email to various people about a message he received from Melissa Hyatt at 7:43 am. When I read her message my first reaction was, what “other shooting”? I was shocked. She is implying that there was a shooting prior to March 18, 2022. I now had to figure out what this was all about. The first thing I did was email the Chief of Police (see below).

From:brian noel 

Sent:Friday, July 7, 2023 2:59 PM

To:Alexander, Nicholas F. 

Subject:Shooting request

Hi Chief,

I sent a request email to the city clerk on June 16, 2023 and one of them was point 2. To sum it up, Melissa Hyatt had sent the Mayor a text on March 21, 2022 about a previous shooting at the Palace before March 18, 2022. We have never heard of one prior to that date, Does the SPD have any information on this?

Below is a copy of that request and their answer pertaining to that. I got it July 7, 2023.

2) In the information request we received from the City on May 12, 2023, there were text conversations between Mayor Paine & Melissa Hyatt on March 18, 2022 @ 7am regarding a shooting at the Palace Bar. Ms. Hyatt goes on to text about “ANOTHER SHOOTING NEXT DOOR”, “besides the second shooting”, & on March 21, 2022 @7:41 am text, “Please bare in mind this is not the first shooting.”

In the same information request, we also received a Superior Police Department list of incidents regarding shootings.

On said list there are 2 incidents regarding the Palace Bar. Those dates are March 18, 2022 and May 26, 2022.

Ms. Hyatt is insinuating that there has been a shooting prior to March 18, 2022.

Please furnish us with any other “shooting” incidents concerning the Palace Bar. We have no idea what she is talking about.

The Chief’s response (see below).

Alexander, Nicholas F. 

To:brian noel

Cc:Prell, Frog

Mon, Jul 10 at 12:55 PM

We do not – I saw the message you included below in an earlier request from you and also looked then and could not find a reference to that. We believe it might have been a hit and run accident that occurred in the ally involving bar patrons. There was a window smashed out during the altercation that ensued and it made a loud bang so I think it was called in as a shots fired but was determined to no be.

Nicholas F. Alexander

Chief of Police

Superior Police Department

I then sent him another email (see below).

From:brian noel 

Sent:Friday, July 14, 2023 12:23 PM

To:Alexander, Nicholas F. <alexandern@ci.superior.wi.us>

Subject:Re: Shooting request

Hi Chief,

Thanks for the reply. Did the incident you are referring to happen on Jan 21, 2021. The police report number is 21SP01084.

Thanks,

Brian

His response (see below)

Alexander, Nicholas F.

Mon, Jul 17 at 12:21 PM 

Yes that is the correct incident for the hit and run accident I was referring to.

Nicholas F. Alexander

Chief of Police

Superior Police Department 

Then I sent him this email (see below)

From:brian noel 
Sent:Tuesday, July 18, 2023 8:53 AM
To:Alexander, Nicholas F. 
Subject:Re: Shooting request

Thanks Chief,

Once you determined that, in fact. there was no shooting, do you know if Melissa Hyatt was made aware that.

Brian Noel

His response(see below)

Alexander, Nicholas F.

To:brian noel

Tue, Jul 18 at 7:35 AM

I don’t have any way to confirm if that happened back then but we likely did not provide her an update as I do not believe she was a victim in this incident.

Nicholas F. Alexander

Chief of Police

Superior Police Department

126. While I accept the Chief’s explanation about all this, I do not believe for a minute that Melissa Hyatt did not know that there was no shooting. And furthermore, if by chance she didn't know, she had a duty to make sure that her facts were correct before she made accusations of this magnitude against our business. As far as her other concerns, I will address all of them after I publish the rest of the information I have.

127. This was only one of eleven packets of texts and emails I have to go through. Stay tuned. Next blog coming soon. Thanks.