Top Stories February 18th

Waupun Referenda Fail

2/18/09 - Voters in the Waupun School District did not support any of the three school funding referenda on yesterday’s ballot. The first question, which carried the highest price tag at $4 million dollars over three years for ongoing operation expenses, failed by 698 votes out of the over 3700 cast. Question two was even closer. It asked for $150,000 each year for three years for capital improvement and maintenance expenses. The vote was 1807 in favor, 1926 against; a difference of 119 votes. Question three lost by only 25 votes. It asked voters to exceed the revenue cap by $150,000 for three years for textbooks and other classroom materials. The vote was 1854-1879.

Refsland: ‘Disappointing’

2/18/09 - Waupun Superintendent Randy Refsland called last nights vote “disappointing.” Refsland says the community has let school officials know which direction they want the district go, and that means cutting one million dollars in next years budget. He says that will include a recommendation he will make to the school board to reduce staff and close Fox Lake and Alto Elementary Schools. Administrators will be meeting this afternoon to compile a list of cuts to bring to the school board at their meeting next Monday.

Columbus Will Have New Mayor

2/18/09 - Columbus Mayor Nancy Osterhaus will only be serving one term. In the four-way race for Columbus mayor: former Mayor Peter Kaland will face former councilmen Bob Link. Kaland and Link secured the overwhelming number of votes at 354 and 448, respectively. Osterhaus received 108 votes while former mayor Art Westergaard Jr picked up 58.

Fleming/ Paul Advance in Fox Lake

2/18/09 - In the three-way race for Fox Lake Town Board, Julie Fleming will face Dale Paul in the April election. Fleming secured 119 votes to Paul’s 98 votes. Rick Morgan received 51 votes. In the Town of Ashippun, James Meyer and Syl Hoerth will advance after beating out Will Oschmann.

BD Seeks Stimulus for Streets

2/18/09 - Beaver Dam city officials Tuesday submitted a stimulus request to the state. Engineering Coordinator Ritchie Piltz says his department is seeking a total of $2.4 million dollars for nine street repair and reconstruction projects, many of which were pushed off the 2009 Capital Improvements Plan in favor of downtown demolition and redevelopment efforts. Piltz told city officials this week that he doesn’t anticipate all of the projects to get funding from the state DOT, but he is hoping that one or two will get accepted. The state and federal government would pick-up 100% of the costs of the project. The main requirement is that the work be done to primary roadways or connecting streets.

Lynch To Resign As Fox Lake PD Chief

2/18/09 - The Fox Lake Common Council is expected to act on a motion to accept the resignation of Police Chief Pat Lynch during a special meeting Wednesday night. That’s according to a meeting agenda which has the council convening in closed session to confer with their legal counsel before reconvening in open session to act on the resignation motion. No details have been released regarding the reason for the resignation.

Evers, Fernandez Advance after Superintendent Primary

2/18/09 - Tony Evers and Rose Fernandez won yesterday’s primary election for state school superintendent. Evers, the deputy superintendent, got 35-percent of the vote. Fernandez, who used to head a coalition of families with kids in on-line schools, got 31-percent. Three candidates were eliminated. Concordia-Mequon professor and G-O-P activist Van Mobley had 14-percent. National-Louis professor Todd Price of Kenosha had 11-percent. And Beloit Superintendent Lowell Holtz picked up nine-percent. Evers and Fernandez will not face off in the April Election.

Doyle Presents New Budget to Lawmakers

2/18/09 - Governor Jim Doyle asked Wisconsinites last night to pay an extra one-point-four billion dollars in taxes – to make up for a revenue shortfall four times that big in the next state budget. Doyle submitted a two-year budget to the Legislature which cuts general spending by five-percent – increases aid to public schools, but not to the two-thirds level – includes controversial policy issues like the statewide public indoor smoking ban, preserves Medicaid – and closes dozens of motor vehicle centers and D-N-R license counters. In a speech to lawmakers, the Democrat Doyle said his budget stands up for the people who earn “regular paychecks” and others who’ve lost theirs.

A large part of filling the deficit will be with tax dollars, which include a proposed 75-cent jump in the cigarette tax, a new income tax bracket for families making over 300-thousand-dollars a year and a new tax on oil companies. Assembly Minority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald says Governor Doyle’s budget is not the answer to fixing the huge deficit.

Part of the new revenues, including a hospital tax, are in a separate bill to close the shortfall in the current budget. The Joint Finance Committee approved that package yesterday, and both houses will act on it today. The next budget will now weave slowly through the Legislature. It’s scheduled to take effect July first, and majority Democrats promise no delays.

UW System to see Tuition Hike

2/18/09 - U-W officials say tuition will probably go up 5-to-6-percent next fall. But a boost in state financial aid would nullify the tuition hike for Wisconsin families making less than 60-thousand dollars a year. Board of Regents’ president Mark Bradley says Wisconsinites should know that college is within their reach – and the U-W wants students in the Badger State to enroll. Cedric Lawson of the United Council of U-W Students says he’s excited about the tuition freeze for the middle class – and he’s curious to see how it works. At the same time, Governor Jim Doyle’s proposed state budget would cut U-W funding by up to 174-million dollars over the next two years. It’s not clear how much would be covered by the targeted tuition hikes. But system president Kevin Reilly says students would probably get fewer services, larger class sizes, and longer lines. But Reilly says the tuition protection for low-to-middle-income families is something the U-W has never tried before. It would be bolstered by an extra 38-million-dollars in state financial aid funding. The Board of Regents will set tuition rates in June.

Spear Fishing Almost Done on Fox Valley Rivers

2/18/09 - If you still want that big sturgeon, you better hurry. The annual spearing season ends today on the waters up-river from Lake Winnebago. Quota triggers were reached yesterday on Lakes Poygan, Winneconne, and Butte des Morts (beoo’-deh-more). On Lake Winnebago itself, the D-N-R’s Ron Bruch expects the season to last a few more days. 12-hundred-38 sturgeon have been speared since the season began on Valentine’s Day. Ninety-five juvenile females or 81 adult females would have to be caught before the quota trigger takes effect. Otherwise, the season continues until March first.

Milwaukee Man Hopes to Advance on American Idol

2/18/09 - We’ll find out tonight if Wisconsin will be represented in this year’s “American Idol” finals. Danny Gokey of Milwaukee sang live on Fox last night, in his bid to make the Top-12. He sang the Mariah Carey tune “Hero.” And three-of-the-four judges said they loved the performance. Kara DioGuardi said Gokey gave everyone hope, and he was great. The viewers will be the final judges, though. Their votes will determine who moves on to the Final-12. Gokey is a 28-year-old church music director from Milwaukee. He’s among 36 semi-finalists performing in the current round, which will last for the next three weeks. Gokey was the last of 12 singers who performed last night. Three of them will be chosen for the Final-12. Whoever doesn’t get picked could still end up being one of three “Wild Card” selections when the entire round is over.

BD Water Changes Billing Procedure

2/18/09 - The city of Beaver Dam will no longer shut off the water of delinquent utility customers. From now on the city will place any outstanding balance onto the tax bill. Director of Utilities Don Quarford says the change will benefit the utility and the billing department but the downside is that landlords will no longer be able ask the city to shut off the water of delinquent tenants. All late bills are still subject to a one-percent penalty for each month the bill remains unpaid.

Comprehensive Plan Adopted

2/18/09 - The city of Beaver Dam adopted their Comprehensive Plan on Monday night. The plan will be used by city officials to guide future development of everything from zoning matters to residential, commercial and municipal growth for the next decade. The state mandates that cities have the plan in place by January of 2010 with updates every 10 years.

Kaiser Sentenced for Death of Wife in OWI

2/18/09 - A Horicon man, who killed his wife in a drunken driving accident, has been sentenced to a year in jail with Huber Privileges. 51-year-old Kurt K. Kaiser was also placed on probation for 15 years during yesterday’s sentencing hearing. Kaiser pleaded “no contest” last November to a felony count of Homicide by Intoxicated Use of a Vehicle and had a second count dismissed. 47-year-old Karen Kaiser was partially ejected and was pronounced dead at the scene of the November 2007 car accident. Their SUV was traveling southbound on County Highway E when it slid through the intersection at County Highway S and struck a tree. Neither was wearing a seatbelt. Kurt Kaiser was cut from the vehicle and transported from the scene to the Beaver Dam Community Hospital with leg and hip injuries. His blood alcohol level was twice the legal limit.

My Space Chat Leads To Charges

2/18/09 - A 21-year-old Beaver Dam has been formally charged in connection with a series of sexually explicit online conversations with a 15-year-old girl. Onnie Gregory, Jr. is charged with one felony count of Exposing a Child to Harmful Materials. Officers with the Beaver Dam and Fall River police departments made the arrest last week as part of an ongoing investigation. Gregory had allegedly been talking to the Beaver Dam teen on the social networking website “My Space.” The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of three and a half years. Gregory has a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 2.