Top Stories November 1st

Arrests Made in Connection With Daytime Burglary

11/01/08 - Two arrests have been made in connection with the recent string of daytime residential burglaries in Dodge County. Sheriff Todd Nehls says the Dodge County Swat Team, in cooperation with the Beaver Dam Police Department, executed a search warrant at the Grandview Motel at 1501 North Center Street. Two suspects were taken into custody this morning: a male from the Watertown-area and a female from the Milwaukee-area. Nehls says the male suspect had recently been released from prison and was taken into custody on a parole violation and a charge of felon in possession of a firearm. He says the two were found in possession of numerous items related to the daytime burglaries. Earlier this week Dodge County authorities arrested three suspects at the scene of a business burglary. 23-year-old Kurtis W. Billings, 21-year-old Tabatha E. Pellett and 27-year-old Trevor P. Waller were arrested after allegedly trying to break into Beaver Plumbing on County Highway B in the Town of Beaver Dam. Nehls had always believed there were two distinct burglary rings, one that targeted businesses and churches in the overnight hours and another that committed daytime residential burglaries.

Burglary Suspects in Court

11/01/08 - The three suspects arrested in connection with the business burglaries that have occurred in the area over the past month had their initial appearance in Dodge County court this week. 23-year-old Kurtis W. Billings, 21-year-old Tabatha E. Pellett and 27-year-old Trevor P. Waller are each charged with a felony count of burglary. The trio was arrested Tuesday after allegedly trying to break into Beaver Plumbing on County Highway B in the Town of Beaver Dam. Authorities say they are likely connected to another burglary that occurred earlier in the morning at Kelm Painting on County Highway D in South Beaver Dam, and possibly several other business burglaries in and around Dodge County. Billings had cash bond set at $2000 and a preliminary hearing scheduled for next Thursday. Pellett had her signature bond set at $1000 and a preliminary hearing scheduled for December 11. Waller has posted a $1000 cash bond and is due back in court on Thursday.

Fitzgerald and Onsrud Disagree on Health Care

11/01/08 - The candidates in the 39th Assembly District race have drastically different opinions when it comes to health care needs in the state of Wisconsin. Incumbent Republican Jeff Fitzgerald is facing opposition from Democrat Aaron Onsrud in Tuesday’s election. Fitzgerald, the current Assembly Majority Leader, says the answer to the health care crisis is a health savings account. With annual employer-based health care costs around $12,000, Fitzgerald says instead of losing that money to the insurance company you can generate interest, minus the costs of regular hospital visits, and also carry it with you from employer to employer. Onsrud, a current Beaver Dam city alderman, says health savings accounts arte not the solution and only work if you’re healthy, wealthy or young. Onsrud says he’d hate to see someone go into the hospital and say “I’d like to get my kidney out but I can’t afford it because my health savings account is empty.” Fitzgerald says health savings accounts would have a catastrophic policy in place to cover major surgeries. Onsrud says the rate in a health savings account is sub-par and works only as a tax shelter, not as an option for health care.

Long Lines Expected for Unregistered Voters

11/01/08 - If you don’t want to stand in what many officials believe will be long lines on Election Day, there is just one more day to register. You can still register at the polls on Tuesday, but clerks throughout the area and the state have been pushing to have people register before hand so as to avoid those lines. In Horicon, Clerk-Treasurer Dave Pasewald says, as of Tuesday, they were expecting an additional 500 people to vote that had yet to register. Dodge County Clerk Karen Gibson says no matter when you decided to register who’ll have to take something with you to prove your residency. She says that can include a driver’s license matching your current address, a utility bill or even a residential lease. Gibson is slated to join us on our Community Comment program Monday afternoon to discuss this as well as number of other election related topics.

Highway 151 BD Project Completion Date Pushed Back

11/01/08 - The state department of transportation has pushed back the completion date for their project on Highway 151 in Beaver Dam. Project Manager Jim Buschkopf told us that instead of being completed next Friday they’ve pushed the date back another week to November 14th. The project, which started back in the middle of August, was slated to involve bridge and pavement rehabilitation, pavement marking and placement of high-tension cable guards.

Gas Below $2 in parts of the Midwest

11/01/08 - The price of gas is under two-dollars-a-gallon today, just over the Wisconsin border. You’ll find unleaded regular for a-dollar-99 in four suburbs north of Minneapolis-Saint Paul. And according to WisconsinGasPrices-Dot-Com, the cheapest price in the Badger State is just northeast of the Twin Cities. It’s 2.19 at five stations in Saint Croix Falls. Beaver Dam is down to $2.39. The Triple-“A’s” statewide average dropped a nickel to 2.46. Minnesota’s statewide average is about a quarter cheaper, at 2.20.