Top Stories July 2nd

Public Enemies Hits the Big Screen

7/2/09 - The movie “Public Enemies” played to sold-out crowds in Beaver Dam last night but it is getting mixed reviews from critics across the country. According to rottentomatoes.com, two-thirds of the country’s top film critics are recommending the movie, while the other third say the picture falls short. Roger Ebert with the Chicago Sun-Times said it was a “good film but not a great film” and gave it three-and-a-half stars, the same as Rolling Stone magazine which called it “movie dynamite.” But Time Magazine says the movie “lacks overall focus” while the New York Post says Johnny Depp was fatally miscast and his performance was “smaller-than-life.”
Those leaving the 6:45pm showing in Beaver Dam last night, had just about the same mixed reviews. One local theater-goer from Beaver Dam called it “excellent with a really interesting ending and a refreshing cast of characters.” Another Beaver Dam resident said it was “less than spectacular, other than the fact that it was filmed in Beaver Dam.”

The Hotel Rogers can be clearly seen in the movie. There was no question that Beaver Dam audiences would recognize the scenes filmed in neighboring Columbus, where crews spent several long days and nights shooting. But there was concern that the scene shot at the Rogers Hotel in Beaver Dam over course a few hours last May wouldn’t make the final cut. Those who saw the film say Beaver Dam is clearly in the movie as the “Congress Hotel” in Arizona. Check here for a video detailing the movie shoot in Beaver Dam last spring.

Population Estimates for 2008 Released

7/2/09 - The city of Beaver Dam has essentially maintained the same population it had at the beginning of the decade. That’s according to the estimates released yesterday by the U.S. Census Bureau. Their estimate has the city’s population at 15,133, which is a decline of less than one percent from 2000. Fox Lake stayed about the same as well coming in at 1,454. The biggest increase in our area was seen in Columbus where they saw an up tick of about 13% to right around 5,100. The estimate has Juneau and Mayville up 5% with Watertown up 6.2%. Meanwhile, in Waupun a decrease of 2.3% has their population at 10,469 including prisoners, while Horicon saw an 8% decline to 3,495. Another decrease in our area came in the village of Randolph where a 5% decline was seen. Overall, Dodge County’s population is estimated to have increased 2.3% to just a shade under 88,000. The numbers are estimates as of July 1st of last year.

Company Closing Two Plants in Jefferson County

7/2/09 - Briggs-and-Stratton will close two plants in Jefferson County in the next few months. The Milwaukee area company blames a poor market caused by the recession, and the need to consolidate its production as a reason for closing its plants in Watertown and Jefferson. About 530 people work at the two plants, which make portable generators and pressure washers. About 100 salaried workers will have the chance to move to other Briggs’ locations, including the one in Wauwatosa.

Fox Lake Look to Fitzgerald for Help in Paying for Upgrades

7/2/09 - Leaders from Fox Lake recently visited Senator Scott Fitzgerald in Madison in an effort to get assistance in paying for a mandatory retention pond and wastewater plant upgrades. Council President Tom Bednarek says they were informed by the DNR about 10-days ago that on top of the wastewater plant upgrades mandated in a 2007 court case a retention pond would also be necessary to help with runoff. Bednarek, along with the Mayor, City Administrator, and their Engineering firm went to Madison and asked Fitzgerald for help in getting grant or stimulus money to pay for the upgrades. Bednarek says if they can’t get the assistance they need taxpayers would most likely see increases to their water and sewer bills. The total cost of both projects would be roughly $1.6-million.

Foreclosures Up in June

7/2/09 - Home foreclosures in Wisconsin jumped another 12-percent in June. The Madison research firm of Foreclosure Alarm said there were 24-hundred-60 court filings in June against homeowners who got behind on their mortgages. That’s up from 22-hundred filings in May. The company’s founder, Philip Crawford, said the trends have been relatively consistent statewide. He says the drop in housing values has caused more people to walk away, once they find they have negative equity. Job losses are another factor, as the state’s unemployment rate is almost twice what it was just a few years ago.

New Event Kicks of Columbus Fourth of July Celebration

7/2/09 - A Trash Barrel painting competition was the kick off event for the Columbus July Fourth celebration last night. Over 30 contestants received plastic barrels and were asked to paint them with themes of patriotism, historic Columbus or “Going Green.” A new Columbus resident, Everett Kitt, was the $100 dollar first prize winner; The Nicole Stormer family of Fall River took home the $75 dollar second prize; and Terri Bashynski of the Columbus Arts Association took home the $50 dollar third prize. The top three Barrels will ride in the Parade on Saturday and all the barrels will be spread around town and throughout Fireman’s Park to collect admiration…and trash.

Man Must Give Back Deer Head

7/2/09 - A state appeals court told a Racine man today to give the D-N-R the head of a deer he took from a roadside a year-and-a-half ago. Court records say 69-year-old John Longo took the dead deer without a permit in February of 2008. He ate the venison, and had the head mounted. Racine County Circuit Judge Allan Torhorst later fined Longo one-dollar, and told him to give the head-mount to the D-N-R when they asked for it. And if they didn’t ask by last Halloween, the judge said the agency must grant the permit. But prosecutors said the deadline was not proper, and they appealed it. Today, the Second District Appellate Court in Waukesha ordered Longo give up the deer-head now.

Developer Enters “No Contest” Plea to Theft By Contractor Charges

7/2/09 - The developer of the Eagle View subdivision in Beaver Dam entered a “no contest” plea yesterday to felony charges of Theft by Contractor. Karen M. Behnke-Knoblauch failed to pay a contractor $189,000 for work that was completed in 2007. The 53-year-old Pewaukee woman used a business loan from Equitable Bank for personal expenses. Nearly $100,000 was converted to cash while the remaining money was spent at two Milwaukee-area department stores. Behnke-Knoblauch faces up to 10-years in prison at sentencing, which is scheduled for August 5. The Eagle View subdivision is on the south side of Beaver Dam. There has been no home construction as of yet.

Koehn Welcomed Back to Columbus

7/2/09 - The public is invited to a welcoming reception for the new Columbus Fire Chief. Randy Koehn, the former deputy fire chief with the Beaver Dam Fire Department, was selected as the new chief last month. The public reception will be held at the Columbus Fire Department this evening from 6pm to 8pm.