Top Stories June 12th

1 Killed in Jefferson County Accident

6/12/09 - An 18-year-old Johnson Creek woman was killed after rolling her car just west of Watertown last night. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department says Tiffany Haseleu was driving south on Highway Y just west of Highway 26 when she lost control going around a curve. The Chevy Cobalt she was driving left the road and rolled several times before coming to rest. Haseleu was pronounced dead at the scene. A passenger in the vehicle, 74-year-old Werner Balmer of Watertown, was taken to the hospital with head injuries before being flighted to Froedert Hospital in Milwaukee. The investigation into the accident continues but it appears speed was a factor. Authorities also say Haseleu was not wearing a seatbelt.

FDL Police Arrest Drive-By Suspect

6/12/09 - Fond du Lac police last evening took a drive-by shooting suspect into custody without incident. Major Kevin Lemke says the 20-year-old Fond du Lac area man was in a car in the area of Hawthorne Drive and Martin Road when officers conducted a high-risk traffic stop. The arrest happened about 6:15 p.m. a little over 24 hours after five rounds were fired at a group of people near the Calumet Apartments. No one was hurt in the incident. The District Attorney’s office will make a charging decision, but possible charges could include attempted homicide or recklessly endangering safety. (KFIZ, Fond du Lac)

Seventh Building Falls

6/12/09 - We’re starting to get a clearer picture of what Beaver Dam’s 200 block of Front Street will look like when the five corner buildings are removed. 207 Front Street was torn down yesterday becoming the seventh downtown building to be razed. The three remaining buildings all border structures that will not be demolished.

Two BD Break-ins

6/12/09 - Authorities in Beaver Dam are investigating two breaking and entering reports. Chief Dale Boldt says there was a forced entry at Beaver Cleaners on West Maple Street reported yesterday. The suspects gained entry through a window. It appears nothing of value was removed from the business. The second burglary occurred at in a concession stand on the campus of the Beaver Dam High School. A John Deer Gator was damaged but was not removed. Nothing was taken. Boldt says there have been several break-ins in the city recently and he says business owners should use caution in what they leave behind at night. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Beaver Dam Police Department or the anonymous We-Tip hotline 800-78-CRIME.

Teens Drop Concrete Chunks From Overpass

6/12/09 - Three young teen girls are facing possible criminal charges after allegedly dropping concrete bricks off a Highway 151 overpass. Dodge County Patrol Captain Molly Soblewski says they were alerted to the situation Wednesday evening after a number of 9-1-1 calls. Two 13-year-old girls and a 14-year-old girl were allegedly seen dropping bread-loaf sized concrete bricks from the Highway G overpass, with one grazing a woman’s car. She was uninjured. Authorities took the girls into custody as they were walking back into Beaver Dam. Soblewski says they were eventually turned over to their parents. Citations and possible charges are pending.

DNR Seeks Comments on Iron Ridge Sewer

6/12/09 - The DNR is seeking public comments on sanitary sewer improvements in Iron Ridge. The village is proposing to repair about 2,000 feet of sewer lines. The improvements will eliminate an existing “bottleneck” in the system and reduce the potential for sewer back-ups or system overflows. The projects have an estimated total capital cost of $368,000. The village is applying for a Clean Water Fund loan. If they are successful, the average residential user charges rates could increase approximately 30 percent. Iron Ridge is still pursuing other funding and financing options and the user charge estimate could change.

For more information, contact Tom Gilbert, wastewater facility planning coordinator, at (608) 267-7628. People have until 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 26, 2009, to submit written or oral public comments on the project. Send comments to Mr. Gilbert at 101 S. Webster Street, Madison, WI 53702 or tom.gilbert@wisconsin.gov. Based on the comments received, the DNR may prepare an environmental analysis before proceeding with approval or denial of the proposal. The analysis would summarize the DNR’s consideration of the impacts of the proposal and reasonable alternatives.

Assembly Vote Delayed Until this Morning

6/12/09 - State Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan says Democrats have the 50 votes they need to pass their version of the new state budget. But he delayed the Assembly’s debate until this morning, so Republicans could review all the changes the majority made in four days of closed-door caucuses. Democrats worked until eight last night to approve their final amendments. Republicans remain opposed to the budget mainly because of its numerous tax-and-fee increases. Minority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald, who represents much of our area, says he does not believe any of his 46 members will vote in favor of the package.

Childs Speaks on NCLB Act

6/12/09 - Beaver Dam Superintendent Don Childs (left) says the way we test our student’s school performance is not working and continuing to do so just compounds the problem. It was revealed earlier this week that a majority of special education students at the middle school were not considered proficient in reading by the set standards as part of the No Child Left Behind Act. Students are tested in math, reading, test participation and other academic indicators. Childs says this isn’t the way to determine progress or proficiency. Instead, Childs feels that practical implementation of those skills would be a better judge of where a student is at in their development. The middle school was one of 147 schools statewide that missed at least one or more of the objectives for adequate yearly progress as outlined in the No Child Left Behind Act.

More Stimulus Money on its Way to Wisconsin

6/12/09 - Wisconsin will get 15-million more federal stimulus dollars to help those who lost their jobs to out-sourcing and foreign competition. The funding will provide a host of employment services, including career training. The state’s workforce development agency says the new services will be available from local job centers.

Obama Talks Health Care in Green Bay

6/12/09 - President Obama says the next eight weeks are crucial as he tries to reform the nation's health care. Obama says Medicare and Medicaid costs are the biggest threat to the federal budget and its growing deficit. Obama was in Green Bay yesterday, speaking to a crowd of about a thousand people at Southwest High School. The President offered very little in the way of specifics about his plans for reform. He says he's open to extensive debate. Obama says he wants a system that combines the current private approach with a government alternative.

Father of Fire Victim Files Wrongful Death Suit in Dane County

6/12/09 - A Dane County man has filed a wrongful death suit, after his daughter died in the wake of an explosion at her home a year ago. 49-year-old Judith Merry was burned when her water heater and propane furnace blew up in the town of Windsor. She died three days later. Now, Gordon Merry contends that her daughter should have been warned about needing detectors for propane gas. And he said a dealer in De Forest was negligent in servicing the propane system a short time before the blast. The defendants have not commented. They are A-O Smith, Carrier, the furnace dealer, a local cooperative, and two insurance companies.

Obama Gives Elementary School Student Excuse Note

6/12/09 - 10-year-old Kennedy Corpus of Green Bay got quite a surprise yesterday, when President Obama gave her a note excusing her from her last day of school. She missed class to attend the president’s town hall meeting on health care. Her father John Corpus stood up to ask a question, and said his daughter was missing school. Obama then asked quote, “Do you need me to write a note?” The audience exploded in laughter, as Obama grabbed a piece of paper and started writing. He then handed it to Kennedy, who thought he was joking at first. But he wasn’t. The note read, quote, “To Kennedy’s teacher – Please excuse Kennedy’s absence, she’s with me – Barack Obama.” The girl said she’ll probably frame it, and she’ll make a few copies first. One of them, of course, will go to her fourth grade teacher.

“Joe the Plumber” Coming to Wisconsin

6/12/09 - Remember “Joe the Plumber?” He became a Republican celebrity during last fall’s presidential campaign when he questioned Barack Obama about having to “share the wealth.” Now, Joe Wurzelbacher plans to make appearances in Wisconsin to speak against the tax-and-fee increases in the proposed state budget. The Americans for Prosperity is featuring Wurzelbacher in what calls the “Wisconsin Prosperity Tour.” He’ll be in Tomah for a luncheon on June 26th, and the group also plans appearances in Rhinelander and Wausau. Mark Block, the group’s state director, says the tour is an extension of its Tea Party tax protests around the country.