Top Stories July 20th

Wait Finally Over for Farm Tech Days

7/20/09 - Wisconsin’s 2009 Farm Technology Days begins tomorrow at the Crave Brothers Farm near Waterloo. A combination dairy farm and cheese factory, manager Chuck Crave says the operation has an emphasis on conservation and sustainable practices, ideals that tie into the theme of this year’s annual event: “Food, Fuel and Future.” The host site is both a 1700 acre grain-fed, Holstein dairy farm and a 6000 square-foot cheese factory that produces specialty cheese with milk piped in from the dairy farm. The farm also boasts a multi-million dollar manure digester that converts cow waste into organic fertilizer and enough electricity to power not only the farm but another several hundred households. And Crave says there is virtually no odor to the resulting fertilizer. Farm Technology Days run tomorrow through Thursday.

Police Investigating Reeseville Bar Break-In

7/20/09 - Authorities are investigating a break-in at a village of Reeseville bar. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department says O’Connor’s Bar on South Main Street in Reeseville was broken into during the overnight hours of Saturday into Sunday. An undisclosed amount of money was taken from machines in the bar. The investigation into the incident continues. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Department or the anonymous WE-Tip Hotline at 800-78-CRIME.

Resident Finds Swastika Pattern in Fence

7/20/09 - A Dodge County resident awoke to an unpleasant sight yesterday morning. The Sheriff’s Department reports that someone had used water bottles to make a swastika in the fence of a home on Wood Street in Ashippun. A neighbor helped the resident remove the bottles and authorities plan to patrol the area a little more over the next few weeks.

Jensen Remembered at Memorial

7/20/09 - A Memorial Service for a Columbus teen over the weekend drew hundreds of area residents to Columbus High School. It was in memory of Macklin “Mack” Jensen who died as a result of playing the deadly “choking” game July 10th. Family, friends and High School students honored Macklin Jenson at a service that filled the gym in celebration of his life. Jensen would have been a senior at Columbus this fall.

Mercury Marine Union President Speaks

7/20/09 - The president of the employees union at Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac says the union has always had an agreement with the company that if the union didn't take advantage of the company during good times, they wouldn't take advantage of the union during the bad times. Mark Zillges who represents Local 1947 says he's not so sure that's the case any more. They'll sit down with a negotiating team for the company today with a possibility of reopening a four year contract. The company is considering an option to consolidate at its Fond du Lac or Stillwater, Oklahoma facilities. (KFIZ)

Fan-4-Ever Coming to Columbus

7/20/09 - Director of Economic Development Steve Sobiek announced that a “Fan 4 Ever” store will be opening in a downtown Columbus location in a few weeks. The expanding sports memorabilia business is owned in part by Brett Favre’s pilot. The store caters to fans interested in baseball, basketball, football, golf and NASCAR.

Watertown Humane Society Still Looking for Help

7/20/09 - They’re not out of the woods just yet, but officials with the Watertown Humane Society say the public has been “fantastic” in responding to pleas to help alleviate their mounting budget deficit. Board Treasurer Amber Brake says 40% of their operating budget comes from community donations, which have been down considerably along with the economy. She says the public filled their pantry with pet food donations in the last week. Monetary donations are still needed and can be made online at www.watertownhumanesociety.org.

DC Humane Shelter Director on Community Comment

7/20/09 - On Community Comment this afternoon we welcome Kim Waugus, the Shelter Director with the Dodge County Humane Society. We’ll talk to Waugus about some of the fundraising efforts planned for their shelter, the influx of animals they’ve seen this summer and also find out if her facility is facing the same fiscal troubles that the Watertown Humane Society is facing. Community Comment airs weekdays on WBEV 1430AM beginning at 12:35pm.

BD Common Council to Consider Phase 2 Plans Tonight

7/20/09 - The Beaver Dam Common Council tonight will consider the approval of Phase 2 plans for the downtown renovation project. With Phase One on-time, nearly completed and now funded primarily with grants, city leaders are hoping to get an early jump on several projects that had originally been slated for next year. Projects that could be completed this year include the installation of pedestrian walking bridge; protective barriers along the newly-created open river channel and façade improvements to the buildings left exposed by neighboring demolition. The common council will meet at 8pm Monday night at city hall.

Anniversary of Moon Landing Celebrated

7/20/09 - It was 40 years ago today when man first landed on the moon. And Mark Lee watched it from the community pool in Viroqua where he worked as a lifeguard. He, like many others, had a childhood dream of being an astronaut. And for Lee, it came true as he flew on four U-S space shuttle missions. Lee tells the La Crosse Tribune that most of us forget how important the Apollo program was. He said it helped advance the technology we use today in our mini-computers and digital devices. He believes America will go back to the moon, and be much smarter in exploring things like new energy sources – maybe even transmitting energy directly from the moon. Today, he designs research and medical labs for Affiliated Engineers in Madison – and he still works on projects with NASA.

Car Insurance to be Mandatory Beginning Next June

7/20/09 - Wisconsin motorists will have until next June first to buy auto insurance if they don’t have it already. The new state budget makes Wisconsin the second-to-last state to make drivers be insured – leaving New Hampshire as the lone holdout. But critics say many younger and poorer drivers will ignore the new law, especially with the higher coverage minimums that take effect January first. Some states require low-cost policies for poorer drivers. And Senate Democrat John Lehman (lay-man) of Racine says he might consider such a bill in the future. The Insurance Research Council said almost 14-percent of all drivers nationally were uninsured in 2007 – just below Wisconsin’s average of 15-percent.

Inmate Killed in Crash

7/20/09 - Officials said five prisoners were still hospitalized last night, after a van crash on Friday night killed in an inmate near Kenosha. 24-year-old Michael Lozano died. He was among 10 inmates from the Kenosha Correction Center heading to their jobs at Kenosha Beef when their van crashed on Highway 142 in the town of Paris. They were part of a work program at the minimum-security Kenosha prison. One of the prisoners was driving, and was apparently trying to avoid hitting an animal when the van lost control. State and local authorities are still investigating. All of the nine survivors were injured. Authorities have not released their names or conditions.

Prehistoric Mastodon Tooth Found in Wisconsin

7/20/09 - A state employee found the tooth of a prehistoric mastodon. D-N-R equipment operator Cale Severson was working on a project in Grant County to improve the trout habitat, when he found the eight-and-a-half-inch tooth in a rock pile. The discovery was made earlier this month. Mastodons are thought to have roamed North America in the Ice Age. Archaeologist Sherman Banker of the state Historical Society confirms the tooth came from a juvenile mastodon. There were no other bones or artifacts found that could have provided more details about the animal.

ATV Deaths Nearly Double from Last Year

7/20/09 - Nine people have died this year in all-terrain vehicle accidents in Wisconsin. That’s almost twice the deaths from last year at this time – even though the number of registered A-T-V’s on the trails is 13-percent less than the previous year. All but two of the nine people killed were crushed when their vehicles rolled over. D-N-R assistant chief warden Karl Brooks says the causes remain the same from past years – driving on improper terrains which are too steep, speed, and alcohol. The Wisconsin A-T-V Association has asked Governor Jim Doyle to crack down on drunk driving laws for vehicle riders. The group – which has 10-thousand members – wants A-T-V’s link with boats and snowmobiles, so an O-W-I conviction on one vehicle affects their ability to drive the others.