Campground Owner Charged With Felonies Including “Recklessly Endangering Safety”

A Wisconsin campground has been in the news a few times over the past year. Last summer she made headlines for banning the use of face masks on her property. This summer she’s charged with obstructing an officer in addition to other charges.

Ann Retzlaff is the owner of Annie’s Campground in Shawano County, WI. And, she surely knows how to get in the news.

We’ve got the story here. 

The News is Ripe at Annie’s Campground

A campground owner in Wisconsin has been arrested on a string of charges. But it’s not the first time Retzlaff has made the news.

On May 15, 2020, the Annie’s Campground Facebook page made a post stating: “Masks are NOT allowed in the buildings for safety sake. They are viewed as a robbery in progress and will be handled that way.” 

When the state of Wisconsin issued a “Safer at Home” order in April of 2020 due to COVID, Annie’s Campground owner Ann Retzlaff decided to keep her campground open. 

And not only was the campground open, but business continued as usual with events and live music at the on-site restaurant and bar. 

Read the Story: “Masks Are NOT Allowed” at this Wisconsin RV Park Campground

Annie’s Campground Owner Charged With Felonies in High-Speed Police Chase

Retzlaff’s second appearance in the news came last month. Retzlaff nearly hit two police officers while driving in early May 2021. 

Here’s what the sources say:

She was being pulled over for failing to stop at a red light. But, instead of pulling over, Retzlaff fled from police. 

Retzlaff was pursued in a high-speed chase by four police vehicles. After refusing to stop, police officers used spike strips to try to stop the car. With four flat tires, Ann kept driving. 

At one point, Retzlaff came to a stop but refused to open the car door. Police tried to use a slim jim to open the door, but she sped away. 

Finally, police were able to catch up with her and break open the window to remove her from the car. She told the officers that she was a sovereign citizen and that she was “not required to stop for law enforcement.”

There are four counts against Retzlaff according to an official document:

• 1 count Vehicle Operator Flee/Elude Officer
• 2 counts of 2nd-Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety
• 1 count Resisting or Obstructing an Officer

Annie’s Campground Has Some Strange Rules

We found some pretty strange rules on the front page of the Annie’s Campground website. A little over halfway down the page is this statement: 

“We reserve the right to refuse service. No commies, thieves, illegal substances, antifa, blm, or other terrorists.”

On the Facebook page is another strange rule: 

“Please alert staff if you have received the vaccine; medical professionals are currently analyzing the threat to young and pregnant women and the vaccine-link to infertility, miscarriages, and stillbirths.” 

These rules have gotten the campground into some hot water with the public over the last year. In June, owner Ann Retzlaff was cited for impersonating a Shawano County sherrifs deputy when dealing with phone calls from unhappy individuals. 

Should Campgrounds Keep Personal Ideals Out of Business?

Ann Retzlaff from Annie’s Campground came under fire because of her rules about COVID and her ideas about BLM. The past year has been fraught with tension from the global pandemic and protests and riots in the US. The campground has received a lot of bad press because of Retzlaffs very public ideals. 

Business owners are allowed to operate in any way that they choose. But is bad press good for business? One thing is for sure: more people now know of Annie’s Campground simply because of the bad press, whether they like it or not.

About Annie’s Campground

Annie’s Campground is a large campground in Gresham, Wisconsin. This campground can accommodate anyone from tent campers to big rigs. There are many amenities on-site including ponds, a pub and restaurant, a campground store, and much more. 

Annie’s Campground has come under public scrutiny in the past year regarding the owner’s stance on COVID precautions, misconduct, and the most recent felony charges. 

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