Statewide Burning Ban Possible
4/18/09 - The Department of Natural Resources says the danger of wildfire remains very high due to abnormally dry conditions. Burning permits have been canceled and a total ban is possible, unless conditions change in the next week. The DNR reports it has investigated 471 wildfires this spring, which have burned over 15 hundred acres. A year ago at this time the DNR had investigated 84 wildfires. The state says all Wisconsin residents should avoid outdoor burning right now. A determination on emergency burning restrictions is expected to be made next week. Dodge County remains under a Fire Danger Advisory. Authorities tell us there has been an average of six grass fires a day for the past couple weeks.
Waupun Death Ruled Accidental
4/18/09 - The death of a Waupun man found following a fire at his residence has been ruled accidental. The deceased has been identified as 49-year-old Wayne E. Sonkin. The Dodge County Medical Examiner says the death was the result of carbon monoxide intoxication. Waupun Police Chief Dale Herringa says charcoal was being burned in several cooking pots around the bathtub area, where his body was found. Waupun Utility had disconnected the power to the home 45 minutes before the fire; the gas was still connected but Herringa says the death occurred before the power was even cut. Sonkin officially died as the result of “inhalation of combustible materials.” Authorities were called to the residence at 210 Walker Street around 11:30 Thursday morning after a passer-by saw smoke coming from the eaves of the two-story house.
Rubicon Barn Destroyed by Fire
4/18/09 - Fire destroyed a barn in the Town of Rubicon. The call was reported around 4pm yesterday to N4009 South Goodland Road. When firefighters arrived, the barn was already fully engulfed. Crews from the Hartford, Woodland and Neosho Fire Departments responded. No word yet on the cause.
More Layoffs At Kirsh
4/18/09 - Kirsh Foundry in Beaver Dam has announced another round of layoffs, their third since the economic downturn. Chairman Jim Kirsh says 60 of their 120 are on temporary layoff. The iron-castings foundry had previously consolidated their two shifts down to one and moved the first shift into the evening hours to save on electric costs. Kirsh says they hope to bring people back as the economy picks up, but says it could be a while because his industry would be the last to see the benefits of an upswing in the economy.
Third BD Drug Dealer Nabbed
4/18/09 - Dodge County authorities have announced another arrest of a suspected Beaver Dam cocaine dealer. 42-year-old Jeffrey Neuman was taken into custody at work on April 10 and is charged with three felony counts of Delivery of Cocaine. Dodge County Sheriff Todd says the Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force has several ongoing investigations and additional arrests are imminent. Neuman is currently free on a $5000 cash bond and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for next Thursday.
100% Tobacco Compliance in Columbus
4/18/09 - The Columbus Police Department this week conducted tobacco compliance checks at 12 businesses and Acting Police Chief Dennis Weiner says none of the businesses sold to the underage customer. Weiner says a trained and supervised underage person was sent into all 12 retail establishments in Columbus that are licenses to sell cigarettes and attempted to make a purchase. The compliance checks have been done sporadically during the last few years. In the beginning, the compliance rate was at about 60%. The 100% compliance is very rare and Weiner commended the retailers for following the law and doing their part to responsibly sell cigarettes to those who are of legal age.
Prescription Drug Thief Tracked Down, Literally
4/18/09 - A woman who believed someone was stealing her medication from her Burlington motel room set a trap for the suspected thief. Nineteen year old Kelly Lund has been charged with one count of burglary. According to the criminal complaint, the victim dusted a bath towel with talcum powder and left it on the bathroom floor of her room at the motel where she'd been living. She also cleaned the container she kept her meds in before she put it back in the drawer -- so if anyone touched it they would leave their fingerprints behind. Instead of her pills she left a note that said "you are busted." When the woman returned to her room she found powder footprints on the carpeting which city of Burlington police were able to match to shoes owned by Lund. Lund was working at the front desk at the time and had a master key. He faces more than 12 years in prison if convicted of the crime.
Cowles: ‘Break Down Budget’
4/18/09 - One state lawmaker continues his effort to remove policy items from the state budget and consider them as separate legislation. Green Bay Republican Rob Cowles says throwing all "this stuff" in the two-year budget plan is a slap in the face of Wisconsin citizens. He says the policy needs to be scrutinized and discussed separately. He says each one should be voted yes or no, separately. Cowles says he criticized the approach when fellow Republican Tommy Thompson was governor – and he’s criticizing it now with Democrat Jim Doyle calling the shots. Cowles says the governor "doesn't respect the legislature," and wants to pass everything with one vote rather than work with the people item by item.
Lawmaker Wants To Relax OWI Law
4/18/09 - A state lawmaker wants to give some convicted drunk drivers a break, if they keep their record clean. Wisconsin Rapids Democrat Marlin Schneider is the author of a bill that would wipe out an OWI conviction after 10 years, as long as the driver stays clean. Currently it's on their record for a lifetime, which Schneider says is unfair to those who make just one mistake and then have it follow them around forever. He says he doubts the bill will get much traction in the legislature this session. Schneider says legislators are hell bent on passing even tougher drunk driving laws, and are unlikely to support easing some restrictions.
Ducks Return To Lake Delton
4/18/09 - The "Original Wisconsin Ducks" are again splashing into Lake Delton. That’s another sign that the lake is back, 10 months after a shoreline breach during heavy rains drained its water. General Manager Dan Gavinski says the first trip was Thursday afternoon. The driver and the people riding on the vehicle were said to be "excited to be the first ones to go onto the lake." Gavinski has been gauging the water level for the past few days and claims the depth right now is about two feet shy of its normal summertime level. Lake Delton should be completely refilled by the end of next month. However, he says almost all the activities can already take place on the lake.
4/18/09 - The Department of Natural Resources says the danger of wildfire remains very high due to abnormally dry conditions. Burning permits have been canceled and a total ban is possible, unless conditions change in the next week. The DNR reports it has investigated 471 wildfires this spring, which have burned over 15 hundred acres. A year ago at this time the DNR had investigated 84 wildfires. The state says all Wisconsin residents should avoid outdoor burning right now. A determination on emergency burning restrictions is expected to be made next week. Dodge County remains under a Fire Danger Advisory. Authorities tell us there has been an average of six grass fires a day for the past couple weeks.
Waupun Death Ruled Accidental
4/18/09 - The death of a Waupun man found following a fire at his residence has been ruled accidental. The deceased has been identified as 49-year-old Wayne E. Sonkin. The Dodge County Medical Examiner says the death was the result of carbon monoxide intoxication. Waupun Police Chief Dale Herringa says charcoal was being burned in several cooking pots around the bathtub area, where his body was found. Waupun Utility had disconnected the power to the home 45 minutes before the fire; the gas was still connected but Herringa says the death occurred before the power was even cut. Sonkin officially died as the result of “inhalation of combustible materials.” Authorities were called to the residence at 210 Walker Street around 11:30 Thursday morning after a passer-by saw smoke coming from the eaves of the two-story house.
Rubicon Barn Destroyed by Fire
4/18/09 - Fire destroyed a barn in the Town of Rubicon. The call was reported around 4pm yesterday to N4009 South Goodland Road. When firefighters arrived, the barn was already fully engulfed. Crews from the Hartford, Woodland and Neosho Fire Departments responded. No word yet on the cause.
More Layoffs At Kirsh
4/18/09 - Kirsh Foundry in Beaver Dam has announced another round of layoffs, their third since the economic downturn. Chairman Jim Kirsh says 60 of their 120 are on temporary layoff. The iron-castings foundry had previously consolidated their two shifts down to one and moved the first shift into the evening hours to save on electric costs. Kirsh says they hope to bring people back as the economy picks up, but says it could be a while because his industry would be the last to see the benefits of an upswing in the economy.
Third BD Drug Dealer Nabbed
4/18/09 - Dodge County authorities have announced another arrest of a suspected Beaver Dam cocaine dealer. 42-year-old Jeffrey Neuman was taken into custody at work on April 10 and is charged with three felony counts of Delivery of Cocaine. Dodge County Sheriff Todd says the Multi-Jurisdictional Drug Task Force has several ongoing investigations and additional arrests are imminent. Neuman is currently free on a $5000 cash bond and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for next Thursday.
100% Tobacco Compliance in Columbus
4/18/09 - The Columbus Police Department this week conducted tobacco compliance checks at 12 businesses and Acting Police Chief Dennis Weiner says none of the businesses sold to the underage customer. Weiner says a trained and supervised underage person was sent into all 12 retail establishments in Columbus that are licenses to sell cigarettes and attempted to make a purchase. The compliance checks have been done sporadically during the last few years. In the beginning, the compliance rate was at about 60%. The 100% compliance is very rare and Weiner commended the retailers for following the law and doing their part to responsibly sell cigarettes to those who are of legal age.
Prescription Drug Thief Tracked Down, Literally
4/18/09 - A woman who believed someone was stealing her medication from her Burlington motel room set a trap for the suspected thief. Nineteen year old Kelly Lund has been charged with one count of burglary. According to the criminal complaint, the victim dusted a bath towel with talcum powder and left it on the bathroom floor of her room at the motel where she'd been living. She also cleaned the container she kept her meds in before she put it back in the drawer -- so if anyone touched it they would leave their fingerprints behind. Instead of her pills she left a note that said "you are busted." When the woman returned to her room she found powder footprints on the carpeting which city of Burlington police were able to match to shoes owned by Lund. Lund was working at the front desk at the time and had a master key. He faces more than 12 years in prison if convicted of the crime.
Cowles: ‘Break Down Budget’
4/18/09 - One state lawmaker continues his effort to remove policy items from the state budget and consider them as separate legislation. Green Bay Republican Rob Cowles says throwing all "this stuff" in the two-year budget plan is a slap in the face of Wisconsin citizens. He says the policy needs to be scrutinized and discussed separately. He says each one should be voted yes or no, separately. Cowles says he criticized the approach when fellow Republican Tommy Thompson was governor – and he’s criticizing it now with Democrat Jim Doyle calling the shots. Cowles says the governor "doesn't respect the legislature," and wants to pass everything with one vote rather than work with the people item by item.
Lawmaker Wants To Relax OWI Law
4/18/09 - A state lawmaker wants to give some convicted drunk drivers a break, if they keep their record clean. Wisconsin Rapids Democrat Marlin Schneider is the author of a bill that would wipe out an OWI conviction after 10 years, as long as the driver stays clean. Currently it's on their record for a lifetime, which Schneider says is unfair to those who make just one mistake and then have it follow them around forever. He says he doubts the bill will get much traction in the legislature this session. Schneider says legislators are hell bent on passing even tougher drunk driving laws, and are unlikely to support easing some restrictions.
Ducks Return To Lake Delton
4/18/09 - The "Original Wisconsin Ducks" are again splashing into Lake Delton. That’s another sign that the lake is back, 10 months after a shoreline breach during heavy rains drained its water. General Manager Dan Gavinski says the first trip was Thursday afternoon. The driver and the people riding on the vehicle were said to be "excited to be the first ones to go onto the lake." Gavinski has been gauging the water level for the past few days and claims the depth right now is about two feet shy of its normal summertime level. Lake Delton should be completely refilled by the end of next month. However, he says almost all the activities can already take place on the lake.
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