Top Stories November 20

Fox Lake Budget Passes

11/20/08 - Fox Lake residents will be paying slightly more in taxes next year than they did this year after the common council passed the 2009 budget last night. Fox Lake Administrator Bill Petrecek says the tax rate will jump from $7.15 per $1,000 of assessed value to $7.26 per $1,000 of assessed value. Petracek blamed the increase on a number of unforeseen expenses, including the replacement of Highway P after the floods washed out a culvert. The total tax levy for 2009 will be $547,740.

15-year-old Driver Responsible for Monday Evening Accident

11/20/08 - The driver who caused a two-vehicle accident Monday night that led to four people being taken to the hospital was only 15-years-old. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department says a car driven by 15-year-old Devin Fink of Lomira was unable to come to a stop at the intersection of Highway 28 and County Road W-T in the Town of Theresa. The driver of a vehicle going east on Highway 28, 39-year-old Leticia DeLaCruz, was unable to stop and struck Fink’s vehicle. Leticia DeLaCruz, 26-year-old Mario Lopez, an 11-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy were all transferred to the hospital for treatment of their injuries. Everyone involved was wearing a seatbelt expect the 11-year-old girl. Authorities are planning on citing Fink but because he is a juvenile those charges will not be released.

Court Upholds Prison Sentence for Former West Bend Funeral Director

11/20/08 - A former funeral home director in West Bend failed to get his prison sentence for sex crimes reduced yesterday. 70-year-old Curtis Schmidt tried to convince the Second District Appeals Court that his 15-year term was too long for what he did. He was convicted in 2006 of soliciting sex on the Internet with a 13-year-old boy, providing harmful materials to a child, and possessing child pornography. Schmidt said Ozaukee County Circuit Judge Paul Malloy never explained why long, consecutive sentences were necessary. And Schmidt said the judge improperly used his discretion by considering what he called unproven and inaccurate information in his sentencing. But the appeals court said Malloy acted within his discretion – and his reasoning was rational.

Recount Could Wrap-Up Today in 47th
11/20/08 - Its day four of the recount in the 47th Assembly District race between Republican Keith Ripp and Democrat Trish O’Neill, and the two biggest counties are still tallying votes. Officials in both Dane and Columbia Counties are now saying that the recount will continue through at least mid-day today (Th). Sauk County, where there is only a small portion of the district, was completed fairly quickly and O’Neill lost one vote and Ripp remained the same.

State Senate Recount Could Stretch Into Next Week

11/20/08 - It could be next week before the votes in the two biggest counties in the 18th State Senate race are counted. Fond du Lac businessman Randy Hopper won the race by 181 votes over Oshkosh attorney Jessica King. Officials in Winnebago County say the recount will go into next week “at a minimum.” King picked up six votes there at last word. In Fond du Lac County, one precinct has been completed by yesterday afternoon and King picked up one vote. In Dodge County, where the count concluded Tuesday afternoon, each candidate pick-up up one vote.

Proposed Downtown Development Gets Zoning Change Approval

11/20/08 - The Beaver Dam Plan Commission yesterday approved a request for a zoning change at the former Thomas Chevrolet property. Silverstone Partners of Middleton is proposing a 60-unit, multi-story independent senior living center, they are calling Madison Place. The Commission approved a change from Light Manufacturing to Commercial District. The change still requires council approval. Silverstone CEO Tom Sather says there are still a number of hurdles to clear before the $7 million dollar project becomes a reality, specifically the awarding of state tax credits. If all goes according to plan, ground could be broken next summer with completion in mid-2010. The completed project would add $2.1 million of taxable property value to the city’s tax rolls.

Lehner Sentenced For Causing Injury While Intoxicated

11/20/08 - A Beaver Dam man was sentencing to 280 days in jail for causing a traffic accident while intoxicated that injured three passengers. Michael Lehner pleaded “no contest” to a felony count of Injury By Intoxicated Use of a Vehicle and two misdemeanor counts of Causing Injury While Operating Under the Influence and had two other felony’s and four misdemeanors dismissed. The 22-year-old Lehner had a blood alcohol level of point-one-eight (.18) when rolled his pick-up last November and struck a culvert. His three passengers sustained injuries ranging a broken wrist to a broken neck. Lehner broke his collar bone. In addition to 280 days in jail with Huber, Lehner had his license revoked for six years.

Kreuziger Sentenced in Ballweg Burglary

11/20/08 - One of three Waupun men who stole equipment from Ballweg Implement entered a “no contest” plea yesterday in Dodge County court. 26-year-old Jeffrey Kreuziger was placed on deferred prosecution on a felony Theft charge and was found guilty on two misdemeanor Theft counts. Authorities say they staked out Ballweg Implement in Waupun in April of 2007 after a similar theft weeks earlier. Deputies witnessed co-conspirator’s Derick Schlagel and Jeremy Acheson load a John Deere Z Track on their pick-up and drive away. A subsequent traffic stop led to their arrest and further investigation led to the apprehension of Kreuziger, and the recovery of the equipment allegedly stolen over Easter. Acheson was previously sentenced to 75 days in jail while Schlagel was sentenced to 100 days. Kreuziger was sentenced yesterday to 100 days in jail and ordered to pay over $1000 in joint restitution.

Panawash Pleads “No Contest” For 7th OWI

11/20/08 - A Neosho man pleaded “no contest” to his seventh OWI yesterday in Dodge County court. Gregory Panawash had a second felony count was dismissed as part of the plea. The 48-year-old was arrested in August after he reportedly went to the Dodge County Economic Support Office at 8:45am in the morning with alcohol on his breath. Panawash was pulled over by Juneau Police for a loud exhaust and his blood-alcohol content was reported to be a point one-nine (.19), which is more than twice the legal limit. He repeatedly asked the arresting officer to let him off the hook, saying “I’ve never had an accident while I was drunk and I never killed anybody while I was driving drunk.” Panawash will have a sentencing hearing scheduled at a later date.


Honor Flight Lands

11/20/08 - Several Dodge County veterans are among those who participated in the “Honor Flight” yesterday. The program allows World War II veterans to fly – for free – to Washington DC to visit their Word War II Memorial. This trip was available to veterans within a 120-mile radius of Milwaukee and includes three vets from Beaver Dam, five from Watertown and two from Mayville. Donald Thompson, a Randolph veteran who flew out of Rochester, Minnesota this past Spring, says there were extremely well-received wherever they went. They had a crowd of well-wishers cheering and bands playing when they took-off and landed. Thompson says there were several people at the memorial that thanked them for their service and he, in turn, thanked all those who made the trip possible. Thompson says that after waiting 63 years it was an added bonus that they had nice weather that day. In the next couple days we hope to speak with some of the Dodge County veterans who are just returning from the flight. Meanwhile, Dodge County Veterans Service Officer Mark Grams says funds are being raised for a Spring 2009 flight. Information about Honor Flight or about making tax-deductible donations: Veterans Service Office, PO Box 994, Port Washington WI 53074-0994. Checks should be made out to “Stars and Stripes Honor Flight c/o the Flag Day Foundation. Ozaukee County CVSO Ken Brown is acting as the conduit for funds and applications. Or you can call Mark Grams at 386-3798.

Kangaroo Express

11/20/08 - A Columbus couple is making their way back to Wisconsin today after being stranded when their motor home was destroyed by fire. Larry and Diane Moyer left home a week-and-a-half ago for a 2 month vacation in Florida. The couple owns the exotic animal farm near Columbus and brought their pet goat and kangaroo with them. On the trip down the used motor-home broke down three times and when they arrived in Florida, Larry Moyer had a stroke. The day he was released from the hospital they went to the ocean and fire destroyed the RV. Diane Moyer tells us they were able to scrap-up enough money to buy a small, used car. The Moyer’s are returning to Wisconsin with one of their employees, plus the kangaroo and goat inside their newly-acquired, used Volvo.