Top Stories April 16th

Authorities Investigating a Death in Waupun

4/16/09 - A man was found dead this morning as firefighters battled a blaze at home in Waupun. The fire department responded to the scene at 210 Walker Street after a passerby reported the home on fire around 11:30am. Fire Chief Jeff Berry says as they were fighting the blaze they found the body and an investigation into the cause of the death began immediately. The police department is also assisting in an attempt to identify the man and locate the owners of the nearly 90-year-old home. The Dodge County coroners office and state fire marshal were also called out to the property.

DC Files Lawsuit for $60,000 Cleanup Bill

4/16/09 - Dodge County is suing a Milwaukee trucking company over an unpaid bill from an accident on Highway 41 last year that needed to be cleaned up by HazMat teams. Emergency Management Director Joe Meagher says they’ve filed a lawsuit against Vitran Express of Milwaukee after they refused to pay the $60,000 cleanup bill. The accident happened last May when a semi-driven by Vitran driver Robert Beck hit another semi from behind near Lomira before careening into the median and bursting into flames. Meagher says when they contacted the trucking company they told him Beck was hauling paint related materials and possibly potassium cyanide as well. That information led Meagher to call in Veolia Emergency Environmental HazMat Cleanup services and Dodge County Level B Hazmat Team to cleanup the scene. It was later learned the truck was actually only carrying the paint related material which would not have required HAZMAT teams. Meagher says the company sent an adjuster to investigate the county’s insurance claim and decided bill was 75-percent higher than it should have been. The county’s corporation counsel filed the lawsuit earlier this month.

Consolidation a No Go in Fox Lake

4/16/09 - Officials in Fox Lake say they are not interested in consolidating their police department with two other local municipalities. A poll of the council last night revealed all six alderpersons were not in favor of pursuing a joint police force with the Town of Fox Lake and the village of Randolph. The idea came as a suggestion from Sheriff Todd Nehls who said the consolidation would save taxpayers money and give the area around the clock coverage. However, Council President Tom Bednarek says after speaking with his constituents he couldn’t support the idea though he is willing to look at some of the redundancies in the three departments to see where they could possible make some cuts to save money.

Beaver Dam Firefighters Graduate From Paramedic School

4/16/09 - The city of Beaver Dam has cleared the biggest hurdles in their efforts to upgrade their EMS service to paramedic level. Fire Chief Alan Mannel says the state EMS Department signed-off on the upgrade yesterday. And last week, four Beaver Dam firefighters graduated from Paramedic School at the UW Hospital Emergency Education Center. There are still some equipment orders to finalize but Mannel says by all accounts the department is ready to meet its June 1 start date for paramedic service. Mannel says they have money in their budget to send two more firefighters to paramedic school this year. The department’s goal is to eventually have nine, full-time firefighters on staff. The department’s goal is to eventually have nine, full-time firefighters on staff. The new Beaver Dam Paramedics pictures from left to right are: Paul Hartl; Charlie Bau; Don Smith; and Russell Johnson.

Chief Critical of Anti-Drug Meeting Turnout

4/16/09 - Columbus officials heard from Police Chief Dennis Weiner this week on some
dangerous trends in school age children. Weiner reported to the City Council that the ages of children involved with drugs are going down and the instances of use and dealing are going up. Weiner said he was scared and disappointed that there has been an absence of public response to recent reports on children using drugs and alcohol. When a recent invitation was sent to Columbus and Fall River School parents to attend a program with recent statistics and information on drug and alcohol related problems there was zero response from the public. Weiner said he was disappointed that none of the parents responded to the invitation to the “Columbus Connects” Town Hall meeting. In his report the Columbus Chief called for more community involvement in the fight against drug and alcohol abuse.

Firefighter Treated Following Grass Fire

4/16/09 - A Columbus firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion after battling an out-of-control burn. Incident Commander Jared Fox with the Columbus Fire Department says the firefighter was transported to Columbus Community Hospital by Heartline Medix and is said to be “doing well.” The fire started this morning around 9:45am and crews were on the scene for about five-and-a-half hours. Eight departments and 48 firefighters responded to the blaze between Bethel Road and County Road S. Fox says the fire started as a controlled burn along a property line, and wound up scorching both properties. A DNR flyover determined that 15 to 20 acres were burned. Fox urges the public to refrain from burning of any kind.

Thank A Dispatcher

4/16/09 - They work 24-7-365 and have one of the most stressful jobs in the county. This week is “National Public Safety 911 Telecommunicators Week” and Dodge County Director of Communications Pat Ninmann says her dispatch staff deserve credit for the hard work they do everyday. While Ninmann doesn’t want anyone calling 9-1-1 to say “thank you,” she says it wouldn’t hurt to drop a note in the mail thanking dispatchers for all they do.

Doyle Reacts to “Tea Party” Rally at Capitol

4/16/09 - Governor Jim Doyle says those at yesterday’s Tea Party rally at the State Capitol were protesting quote, “the biggest middle class tax breaks we have seen in decades in this country.” Organizers estimated the crowd at five-thousand. State officials said police were prepared to handle five-thousand, but they wouldn’t give an official estimate. State Democratic Party director Joe Wineke derided the claim that the Madison rally and others like it stemmed from a grass movement. The conservative Freedom-Works group promoted the nationwide protests, and the Americans for Prosperity sponsored the Madison rally with the help of state Republicans. Janesville congressman Paul Ryan, the leading Republican on the House Budget Committee, told the rally that Democrats just want you to quote, “pay up and shut up.” Doyle’s proposed state budget includes one-point-seven billion dollars in tax-and-fee increases, on top of another one-point-two billion in tax hikes approved in February. It will also result in local tax hikes averaging 91-dollars for homeowners next December. But unless you make 300-thousand dollars a year, Doyle says quote, “You’re not going to face any kind of a tax increase.” The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee will start considering Doyle’s budget today.

Bankruptcy Up 35% in First Quarter of ‘09

4/16/09 - Wisconsin bankruptcy attorneys say they’ve never been busier – and they expect no let-up in cases for at least the rest of the year. Bankruptcy filings in the Badger State rose 35-percent in the first quarter of 2009, compared to the previous year. And it’s not just the newly-unemployed who are trying to dig out of their credit card, utility, and medical debts. Milwaukee bankruptcy attorney James Miller says reductions in work hours have left many without the ability to pay their monthly bills. He says many folks have had their credit card interest rates doubled-or-tripled, and can no longer afford the monthly minimums. Almost 62-hundred Wisconsinites filed for bankruptcy from January through March. Four-of-every-five cases involved personal debts.

School Districts across State Making Massive Cuts

4/16/09 - Two-thirds of Wisconsin school districts say they’ve cut teachers, offered fewer courses, and increased class sizes in the last school year. And three-fourths of schools spent less on curriculum materials, new technology, building improvements, and staff development. The groups that represent teachers and school administrators did the annual statewide survey – and they blamed state-mandated revenue limits and declining enrollments. Meanwhile, some administrators say things could get even worse under Governor Jim Doyle’s proposed state budget. It would eliminate the so-called Q-E-O, which avoids a costly arbitration process if boards offer teachers at least a three-point-eight percent annual hike in salaries-and-benefits. The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee will start re-writing the budget today, and its co-chairmen want to keep the Q-E-O repeal in the package.

Recount Upholds Win in Ashippun Town Chairman Race

4/16/09 - A recount for the Town Chairman seat in Ashippun came back with the same results as election night. Incumbent Jim Schoenike received three less votes than challenger Steven Panozzo in the April 7th election and county clerk Karen Gibson says a recount performed Tuesday morning showed the exact same results. Panozzo received 355 votes to Schoenike’s 352. With Schoenike’s loss the entire town board will now be made up entirely of new members.

FDL Woman Beaten with Hammer

4/16/09 - Fond du Lac police say a 26-year-old woman crawled out of her apartment to flag down a passing motorist after a former boyfriend beat her with a hammer early yesterday morning. Police Captain Steve Klein says the man broke into her residence in the 300 block of West Johnson Street. When officers spoke with her at St. Agnes Hospital she was being treated for a laceration to the head, broken right forearm, and lacerations to both shins. A 36-year-old man has been arrested in connection with the battery. (KFIZ)