Top Stories May 4th

Milwaukee Man Dies after Weekend Accident

5/4/09 - A 26-year-old Milwaukee man became Dodge County’s 4th motor vehicle fatality this year after he lost control of his motorcycle on Saturday night. The Sheriff’s Department says Benjamin Ketterhagen was riding his motorcycle westbound on Highway 16/60 near Oxbow Road in the town of Elba when he lost control going around a curve, slid across the center line and was struck by an oncoming car. Ketterhagen was flighted to the UW Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries yesterday. The occupants of the other car were not injured. The cause of the accident is still under investigation but officials say alcohol and unfamiliarity with the area played a role.

Schools Keeping Eye on Attendance

5/4/09 - Officials in local schools are continuing to monitor the spread of the newly named “Influenza A” virus that’s causing panic throughout North America. Waupun District Administrator Randy Refsland says he attended a public health meeting in Fond du Lac County where school officials shared concerns and asked questions. He says students were sent home with letters last Thursday making parents aware of the situation and they also have secretaries monitoring attendance in the district. The Center for Disease Control confirmed three cases of the H1N1 virus in Wisconsin over the weekend and officials say there are another 66 probable cases statewide. The closest probable case to our area that’s been reported is in Oconomowoc, where three schools in the district will be closed for at least a week. If you have any questions about the flu or its symptoms you can dial 2-1-1 on your phone to speak with someone at the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.

Officials: Pork OK to Eat

5/4/09 - Wisconsin’s pork producers say it’s okay to eat their product. And more officials around the world agree with them, as people keep calling the H-1-N-1 virus swine flu. The World Health Organization now calls it Influenza-“A.” And the U-S-D-A, Homeland Security, and Centers for Disease Control all say the disease is not in the nation’s hogs – and there are no food safety issues. Pork producers have taken a huge hit – and Wisconsin has a lot to lose. Over a million Wisconsin pigs are marketed each year from about 700 operations. And the industry creates about 35-hundred related jobs in the Badger State. A statement from the Wisconsin Pork Association reaffirms that the flu is a respiratory illness, and people cannot get it from food.

Researcher Looking for Weaknesses in H1N1 Virus

5/4/09 - U-W Madison’s top flu researcher is studying the H-1-N-1 flu virus, digging for weaknesses a vaccine can attack. The Centers for Disease Control gave Yoshihiro Kawaoka a sample of the virus last week. He’s now analyzing its genetic make-up, comparing it to other viruses, and seeing if it becomes resistant to anti-viral medications. That work and more could take awhile – and it’s not expected to play a role in the vaccine that’s due out nationally later this year. Still, Kawaoka says his efforts could help with future vaccines. In the meantime, he says this could be an important week in seeing how widespread the newly-labeled Influenza-“A” will become. He says we’ll start to see if the transmission by humans is as extensive as it’s been in Mexico – where cases of the former swine flu are reported to be leveling off.

Tip Does Not Pan Out for DC Authorities

5/4/09 - Authorities in Dodge County are still searching for the mother of a newborn found dead in a wooded area outside of Theresa last week. Sheriff Todd Nehls says late last week they received a tip that was described as “real good” but it did not pan out. Nehls says in response to a lack of progress over the weekend, he’ll be meeting with detectives this morning to formulate a plan for their next move. The child was found in a garbage bag by a man cutting wood in the area Wednesday night. Officials believe the baby had been born only 12 to 24 hours before it was found. No information about the dead infant has been released other than her sex and that she is Caucasian. Anyone with information is asked to call the Sheriff’s Department or the anonymous We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME.

Farmer Praises Firefighters after Weekend Blaze

5/4/09 - Close to 50 firefighters battled a large barn fire in Randolph early Saturday afternoon that threatened other buildings on the farm. Farmer Stan Deboer says without the efforts of four local fire departments to contain the fire to one barn he may not be in business this morning. Fox Lake Fire Captain Mick Casey says a hay barn at W11272 Highway P was fully engulfed when they arrived but firefighters were able to keep the flames from spreading to other barns on the property. Deboer says the building, which had about $6,500 worth of hay in it, was a total loss but he plans to rebuild. Fire Departments responding to the scene were Fox Lake, Friesland, Randolph, and Cambria.

Niles Pleads Guilty

5/4/09 - The former office manager of the Dodge County Clerk of Courts office accused of theft has pled guilty. Fifty-eight-year-old Linda Niles of Beaver Dam was fired last October after an investigation into some missing money from the office. The theft was discovered during a daily accounting of the money that goes through the office. During a court appearance last Thursday Niles pled to what amounts to an ordinance violation. She will pay $200 in restitution and court costs. (KFIZ)

BD Council to Discuss Demerit Point System for Taverns

5/4/09 - The Beaver Dam Common Council will hold a first reading tonight on the implementation of a demerit point system for local taverns. 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 modeled their ordinance after a similar one in Waupun. Any establishment that receives between 150 and 199 demerit points within in a 12-month period, could receive a warning or have their license suspended for between 10 and 90 days. For points totaling 200 or more within an 18-month period, the license could be suspended or revoked. An establishment could be assessed 150 demerit points for: failing to cooperate with public safety officials, violating nude dancing restrictions, or allowing employees to deal drugs…80 points for serving minors or selling to an intoxicated person…50 points for excessive noise or public consumption. In addition, if there is a fight, the business would be penalized 10 points if an employee notifies authorities, but 80 points if they don’t. A conviction for a violation is not necessary to assign points. That decision would be made by the Chief of Police based on his analysis of the violation. First reading is tonight with the vote on the council floor expected at their May 18 meeting.

Only One Exception to “No Dogs” in BD Parks Ordinance

5/4/09 - The Beaver Dam Police Department is reminding the public about the city ordinance that prohibits dog walking in city parks. Chief Dale Boldt says as part of the Safety P.I.N program, officers will be targeting people who are in violation of the ordinance. The fine for having a dog in the park is $109. There is one city park where dogs can be walked, and that follows city council action late last year. The northeast section of Edgewater Park has been designated as “dog-friendly.”

Walker Early Favorite for GOP Governor Nomination

5/4/09 - Wisconsin Republicans went home from their state convention in La Crosse yesterday with an unofficial early endorsement of Scott Walker for governor. 93-percent of the 423 delegates answering a straw poll from Wis-Politics-Dot-Com gave Walker the nod over former Racine congressman Mark Neumann. Walker is the only declared G-O-P candidate at the moment for the 2010 governor's race. Neumann has expressed an interest in running, and Appleton businessman Mark Todd has registered. But Todd is an unknown. And U-W Madison political science professor Charles Franklin says Walker and Neumann will need to use social issues to differentiate themselves from one another. Both have railed Democratic Governor Jim Doyle over the economy and his tax increase proposals. Doyle has not announced a bid for a third term, but he's expected to run.

NOAA Weather Radios Available

5/4/09 - With tornado season upon us, the Columbus Fire Department is offering NOAA Weather Radio’s for $25. Firefighter Jared Fox says the radios will provide immediate notification for severe weather or civil emergencies and are available while supplies last. The Midland NOAA Weather Radios are available Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays from 9am until noon at the fire station at 123 West Harrison Street.