No Udey Dam Referendum in Columbus
2/4/09 - The Columbus Council voted 4 to 1 last night NOT to bring the question on whether to “repair or remove” the Udey Dam to a voters’ referendum in April. The Council voted last year to REPAIR the Dam. However, the plans to begin the process stalled when the Crawfish River flooded in June. City Administrator Boyd Kraemer said the estimated $600 thousand dollars for the Dam’s repair would have to come from bonding since requests for funding from FEMA, the Wisconsin Dept. of Emergency Management and State Representative Tammy Baldwin’s office are not likely.
$7 Million Expansion at Richelieu
2/4/09 - At a time when a lot of businesses are downsizing, Richelieu Foods in Beaver Dam is undertaking a $7 million expansion. General Manager Jim Campbell says the food maker is in the process of adding a fourth pizza line. Campbell the expansion comes at the same time the company is closing down its salad line so there will not be a lot of new positions added, but several current employees who were getting fewer and fewer hours will go back to working full time. If all goes according to schedule, Campbell says they will begin their new production line on March 23. The plant has expanded its personnel numbers considerably in recent years. In 2004, the plant had 170 employees. Currently there are 330 full-time workers on the payroll. While Campbell could not provide specific names, he says the company produces private label pizza brands, many of which can be found at stores in Beaver Dam.
Demerit System Taking Shape
2/4/09 - Members of an ad hoc committee assembled to consider the implementation of a demerit point system for bars in Beaver Dam are heavily basing their version on one currently in-place in Waupun. Under the plan, demerits would be given to bars for such violations as serving minors, excessive noise or failing to cooperate with public safety officials. Taverns in violation could have their license suspended or revoked. Committee member Don Neuert says while they are using the Waupun model as a starting point, the committee is currently talking about giving bar owners more leeway than the Waupun model IF the establishment reports problems – like fights -- to authorities immediately. Director of Administration John Somers is creating a sample version for Beaver Dam, based on the Waupun model, and it will be reviewed at their meeting on February 20. After that, Neuert says they will sit down with bar owners and members of the Tavern League of Wisconsin. Neuert says they plan to have a resolution in place for council consideration before new tavern licenses go in effect on July 1.
New Ambulance For BDFD
2/4/09 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department could soon be getting a new ambulance. Interim Fire Chief Randy Koehn says the department currently has three ambulances but the one used for the city’s new interfacility transport program is 16 years old and becoming less dependable. The new purchase had been included in the city’s 2009 Capital Improvements Plan but was bumped to 2010 along with everything else in favor of the city’s downtown redevelopment plan. Koehn told city officials this week that the revenue generated from the interfacility program – nearly $100,000 in its first full year last year – justifies the added expenditure. The cost of a new ambulance, fully-equipped, is estimated at $143,000. The common council will consider the expenditure at their February 16 meeting.
Mobile Home Fire in Calamus
2/4/09 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department responded to a small fire at a mobile home in the Town of Calamus yesterday morning. The call came at 11:45am to the Lakeside Mobile Home Park on County Road G. Interim Fire Chief Randy Koehn says heat tape – used to insulate water pipes under the mobile home – shorted out and ignited the underside of the floor. Koehn (keen) says it could have been much worse but the owner came home early, smelled smoke and called immediately. Firefighters were on the scene for about a half hour.
Sex Offender Meeting Tonight
2/4/09 - A public notification meeting will be held tonight to inform residents in the Mayville area about a convicted sex offender that will be released back into the community. David K. Schraufnagel will be released from prison next Tuesday and plans to reside at N10317 Dairy Road in the Town of Leroy. The 49-year-old will be under 24-hour electronic monitoring. He is prohibited from having contact with his victims, or unsupervised contact with minors and cannot enter bars, taverns or liquor stores. Authorities say any violations should be reported to the Dodge County Sheriffs Department but they remind the public that Schraufnagel has served his sentence, is not wanted by law enforcement and any attempts to threaten, intimidate or harass him will not be tolerated. Schraufnagel was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in 2004 on sexual assault charges for inappropriately touching two teenage girls while volunteering in the Mayville School District. The public notification meeting begins at 6:30pm at Mayville City Hall.
Dodgeland Hires Search Firm for Administrator
2/4/09 - The Columbus Council voted 4 to 1 last night NOT to bring the question on whether to “repair or remove” the Udey Dam to a voters’ referendum in April. The Council voted last year to REPAIR the Dam. However, the plans to begin the process stalled when the Crawfish River flooded in June. City Administrator Boyd Kraemer said the estimated $600 thousand dollars for the Dam’s repair would have to come from bonding since requests for funding from FEMA, the Wisconsin Dept. of Emergency Management and State Representative Tammy Baldwin’s office are not likely.
$7 Million Expansion at Richelieu
2/4/09 - At a time when a lot of businesses are downsizing, Richelieu Foods in Beaver Dam is undertaking a $7 million expansion. General Manager Jim Campbell says the food maker is in the process of adding a fourth pizza line. Campbell the expansion comes at the same time the company is closing down its salad line so there will not be a lot of new positions added, but several current employees who were getting fewer and fewer hours will go back to working full time. If all goes according to schedule, Campbell says they will begin their new production line on March 23. The plant has expanded its personnel numbers considerably in recent years. In 2004, the plant had 170 employees. Currently there are 330 full-time workers on the payroll. While Campbell could not provide specific names, he says the company produces private label pizza brands, many of which can be found at stores in Beaver Dam.
Demerit System Taking Shape
2/4/09 - Members of an ad hoc committee assembled to consider the implementation of a demerit point system for bars in Beaver Dam are heavily basing their version on one currently in-place in Waupun. Under the plan, demerits would be given to bars for such violations as serving minors, excessive noise or failing to cooperate with public safety officials. Taverns in violation could have their license suspended or revoked. Committee member Don Neuert says while they are using the Waupun model as a starting point, the committee is currently talking about giving bar owners more leeway than the Waupun model IF the establishment reports problems – like fights -- to authorities immediately. Director of Administration John Somers is creating a sample version for Beaver Dam, based on the Waupun model, and it will be reviewed at their meeting on February 20. After that, Neuert says they will sit down with bar owners and members of the Tavern League of Wisconsin. Neuert says they plan to have a resolution in place for council consideration before new tavern licenses go in effect on July 1.
New Ambulance For BDFD
2/4/09 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department could soon be getting a new ambulance. Interim Fire Chief Randy Koehn says the department currently has three ambulances but the one used for the city’s new interfacility transport program is 16 years old and becoming less dependable. The new purchase had been included in the city’s 2009 Capital Improvements Plan but was bumped to 2010 along with everything else in favor of the city’s downtown redevelopment plan. Koehn told city officials this week that the revenue generated from the interfacility program – nearly $100,000 in its first full year last year – justifies the added expenditure. The cost of a new ambulance, fully-equipped, is estimated at $143,000. The common council will consider the expenditure at their February 16 meeting.
Mobile Home Fire in Calamus
2/4/09 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department responded to a small fire at a mobile home in the Town of Calamus yesterday morning. The call came at 11:45am to the Lakeside Mobile Home Park on County Road G. Interim Fire Chief Randy Koehn says heat tape – used to insulate water pipes under the mobile home – shorted out and ignited the underside of the floor. Koehn (keen) says it could have been much worse but the owner came home early, smelled smoke and called immediately. Firefighters were on the scene for about a half hour.
Sex Offender Meeting Tonight
2/4/09 - A public notification meeting will be held tonight to inform residents in the Mayville area about a convicted sex offender that will be released back into the community. David K. Schraufnagel will be released from prison next Tuesday and plans to reside at N10317 Dairy Road in the Town of Leroy. The 49-year-old will be under 24-hour electronic monitoring. He is prohibited from having contact with his victims, or unsupervised contact with minors and cannot enter bars, taverns or liquor stores. Authorities say any violations should be reported to the Dodge County Sheriffs Department but they remind the public that Schraufnagel has served his sentence, is not wanted by law enforcement and any attempts to threaten, intimidate or harass him will not be tolerated. Schraufnagel was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in 2004 on sexual assault charges for inappropriately touching two teenage girls while volunteering in the Mayville School District. The public notification meeting begins at 6:30pm at Mayville City Hall.
Dodgeland Hires Search Firm for Administrator
2/4/09 - The Dodgeland School District has hired Fox River Consultants to handle their search for a new Superintendent after the school board accepted the resignation of Administrator Ron Vaughn last week. It will be the fourth time the district has used the firm. Fox River Consultants Al Rosenthal has been working as interim administrator and will continue to do so until a new one is found. The district has authorized Fox River to spend no more than 15-hundred dollars plus expenses in attempting to find a new administrator.
Sides Differ on Possible Stimulus Results
2/4/09 - The White House says the proposed economic stimulus package would create 74-thousand jobs in Wisconsin. But House Republican Paul Ryan of Janesville questions that figure. He says most of the spending in the nearly 900-billion-dollar package won’t stimulate the economy – and anything that does would be quote, “very slow and very small.” President Obama disputes that. And he took to the major television networks yesterday to rally support for the package. Senate Republicans killed an effort to add 25-billion for more highway, transit, and water projects. Wisconsin Democrats Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold both voted in favor of that money. Feingold said any amendments must stimulate the economy – otherwise, they should be paid for with cuts elsewhere. A final Senate vote on the package is expected tomorrow.
Kuenzi Denied Reduced Bond
2/4/09 - One of three snowmobilers accused in the so-called “thrill killings” of five deer near Waupaca failed to get his bond reduced yesterday. Circuit Judge Philip Kirk said 24-year-old Rori Kuenzi of Weyauwega was probably safer in jail, because he was named in several threats in letters the court received. Kuenzi is being held on a 25-thousand-dollar cash bond. He pleaded innocent yesterday to six charges of mistreating animals in death, theft, and vehicle theft. Authorities said Kuenzi was riding a stolen snowmobile when he and two other riders herded and killed deer with their machines on a trail January ninth. Landowners, animal rights activists, and friends of traffic victim Kevin McCoy attended yesterday’s hearing. Kuenzi is a suspect in a hit-and-run traffic death that killed McCoy in 2004. Attorneys in his deer case will meet with the judge on March 11th to determine where things go from here.
Six Hurt in Oak Creek Explosion
2/4/09 - A 22-year-old man was in critical condition at last word, after more than half his body was burned in a power plant explosion near Milwaukee. Six people were hurt in yesterday’s blast in a silo of coal-dust at the We Energies’ power plant in Oak Creek. They were working for a Waukesha company that set up scaffolding for a repair project at the silo, when something inside the structure caused the dust to explode. Federal safety officials were helping local authorities investigate. The workers’ names were not released. The most seriously injured was taken to the burn unit of Columbia-Saint Mary’s Hospital. The others were taken to another hospital with burns and minor smoke inhalation. Three were admitted in fair condition, and one was expected to stay overnight. The other two were released after their treatments. The power plant itself was not affected, and it kept operating. The U-S Chemical Safety Board said there have been at least two dozen coal dust explosions in the last 29 years. And the agency said the Occupational Safety-and-Health Administration has ignored several requests for tougher standards. OSHA (oh-shuh) said it has inspected We Energies’ facilities four times since 2002, with no violations. Its probe could take up to six months.
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