Top Stories November 15th

Mayville Man Charged with Sexual Assault

11/15/08 - A preliminary hearing for a Mayville man accused of molesting a young teenage girl will resume Monday morning. Mark Plank is charged with a felony count of Sexual Assault of Child Under the Age of 16 related to offenses that occurred this past June in Iron Ridge. The 47-year-old was in Dodge County court late last week for a preliminary hearing, but technical difficulties in playing a video led to the delay until Monday. Plank was convicted in 1994 on charges of First Degree Sexual Assault of a Child and was sentenced to 10 years probation. In 1999 he was ordered to serve an eight year prison sentence after his probation was revoked. He faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted on the most recent charges.

One Killed; Two Injured in Mall Accident

11/15/08 - A woman driving her SUV in a Greendale mall parking lot says the accelerator stuck and she couldn't stop. The vehicle went out of control Friday afternoon at Southridge Mall, hitting several parked vehicles and slamming into a family group. One woman was killed and two children were hurt. Greendale police say the SUV will be checked for mechanical problems. A grandmother was pinned under the SUV. She didn't survive. Her three-year-old granddaughter was hospitalized and her two-month-old grandson had minor injuries. The mother of the children was in the group, but wasn't injured.

One Injured in Clyman Accident

11/15/08 - One person was injured after a one-vehicle accident Thursday evening in the Town of Clyman. According to the Dodge County Sheriffs Department, 47-year-old Teresa Wahlberg of Oshkosh was southbound on Highway 60 and failed to stop at the stop sign with County Trunk W. Wahlberg struck an embankment, overturned and came to rest in a field. She was cited for OWI and Failure to Wear a Seatbelt and transported to Watertown Hospital.

Bomb Hoax Suspends Class

11/15/08 - Eleven-hundred students who attend New Berlin Eisenhower High School will return to class next Monday. An 18-year-old student has been arrested after he admitted being involved with a bomb threat hoax. The threat was e-mailed to school employees last Thursday. Additional bomb threats were made against Eisenhower Middle and High School the day before that. The teenage suspect was booked and released. The Waukesha County district attorney will decide whether to charge him. All classes were canceled Friday.

Eagle Died of Starvation

11/15/08 - Experts at a laboratory in Oregon report a dead eagle found last month near Lake Michigan wasn't killed. A necropsy showed the protected bird died of a chronic illness. It wasn't shot to death. An ecologist with the Department of Natural Resources reports the bird basically starved. The eagle carcass was found in a natural area a few miles north of Milwaukee County.

Gas Trickles Down Again

11/15/08 - Beaver Dam is now a dime away from breaking the $2 mark for a gallon of unleaded regular gasoline after it dropped another couple pennies over night. The low price at most city fueling stations is now $2.09, which according to wisconsingasprices.com is in-line with the statewide average and three cents below the national average. Watertown and Oconomowoc are also at $2.09. Mayville is at $2.12. Waupun is at $2.07. The high price in the state is $2.39 in Drummond. The low price is in Plover at $1.89.

Beaver Dam Man Wins Lottery

11/15/08 - A Beaver Dam man has come forward to claim a lottery ticket worth $14,500. Andrew Bohage with the Wisconsin Lottery says there were two winning tickets sold for the November 6, Badger 5 drawing. One ticket was sold at a Piggly Wiggly in Crivitz, the other was sold at the Kwik Trip on the 1500 block of North Center Street in Beaver Dam. Dennis Brooks will split the grand prize of $29,000. After taxes he will receive $9,897. Kwik Trip will get $580 for selling the winning ticket because Wisconsin retailers that sell winning tickets with prizes of $600 or more earn the equivalent of 2% of the prize, up to a maximum commission of $100,000. Badger 5 is a daily lotto game with jackpots that start at $10,000 and grow a minimum of $1000 a day until they are won.

Wall of Fame Nominations Sought

11/15/08 - The Beaver Dam School District is seeking nominations for their 2009 Wall of Fame Awards. Honors will be awarded in two categories: Friends of Education and Outstanding Alumni. Friends of Education are individuals or organizations who have given distinguished service to the district and its students. Outstanding Alumni are graduates of the High School recognized for their exceptional accomplishments, outstanding leadership, historical significance and prominence on the local, state, national or international stage. Last year, the award was presented to 1963 graduate Dr. Fred McFarlane, a San Diego State University professor whose revolutionary approach to rehabilitative counseling has effected positive, sweeping changes worldwide. The first recipient was film star Fred MacMurray. Nomination packets are available at all district school offices or on the district website at http://www.beaverdam.k12.wi.us/. Nomination deadline is February 6. The district will honor the 2009 Wall of Fame award recipients at their 13th Annual Wall of Fame Banquet on Sunday, April 5.