Top Stories July 30th

Stuff The Bus in Beaver Dam Next Week
7/30/09 - The number of Beaver Dam School District students from low-income families has more than doubled in the past five years. That’s according to Superintendent Don Childs who says many of those students are unable to afford the basic school supplies needed to get a good education. To help address the problem, the school district -- in conjunction with Clothes for Kids and American Family Insurance -- has teamed up for a “Stuff the Bus” school supplies fundraiser. It kicks off next Tuesday at the National Night Out at Swan Park and later in the week will be at American Family Insurance, The Summit Credit Union and Bassett Furniture parking lots. To be eligible, students must be enrolled in the school districts free and reduced lunch program.


PAVE Comments on Henry Murder

7/30/09 - Domestic violence advocates are speaking out about this month’s murder of a Waupun woman. 42-year-old Tammy Henry was killed at her home on July 13. Her husband, Larry Randall Henry, is charged with First Degree Intentional Homicide in connection with her death. Jamie Kratz-Gullickson, the Executive Director of People Against Violent Environments, says its a tragic story that is all too common but she hopes the incident will serve as an opportunity for the community to talk about domestic abuse. Kratz-Gullickson told us on WBEV’s Community Comment yesterday most domestic violence homicides involve relationships with dangerous power and control issues. She says if you know someone who is a victim of domestic violence, the most important thing to do is be supportive, and wait for the victim to make the decision to leave on their own. This was the second domestic homicide in Dodge County in the past three years. The last one occurred in 2007, a year that saw 39 domestic homicides statewide. Since that time, the Dodge County non-profit has seen a 200% increase in nights of shelter and a 300% increase in the number of clients served. PAVE provides a variety of services from shelter to support groups for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Dodge County.

Statements Admissible in Leichtman Murder Trial

7/30/09 - Fond du Lac County Judge Dale English Wednesday morning ruled the statements made by the ex-wife of an Ashwaubenon man suspected in a 33-year-old murder case can be heard by a jury. Fifty-three-year-old Thomas Niesen is suspected of the stabbing death of 19-year-old Kathleen Leichtman in July of 1976. Attorney Timothy Geary was trying to get the statements made by Niesen's ex-wife Ja Cee P. Crull suppressed. Geary contended Crull's statements to detectives and during a preliminary hearing were "inherently incredible." He also felt that marital privilege should apply when Niesen allegedly told Crull back in 1986 that something had gone horribly wrong the last time he had visited The Other Place strip club in Fond du Lac and that a young woman had ended up dead. However Judge English ruled that Crull's statements shouldn't be withheld from a jury. He also noted that Crull seemed relatively certain that Niesen made the statements while he was renting an apartment in Appleton, which was before the two were married. District Attorney Dan Kaminsky was also expected to make a motion to delay next month's jury trial for 30 days to allow for testing of more evidence. (KFIZ)

Big Fish Found in Fond du Lac

7/30/09 - Some Fond du Lac County residents stumbled across what would have been a sturgeon spearer’s dream fish last weekend along the shores of Lake Winnebago. The female sturgeon washed up on shore just south of Pipe. DNR Sturgeon Management Supervisor Ron Bruch says it was 81.5 inches long and weighed about 140 pounds. He says the fish had been shot by an arrow; likely from a bow fisherman out shooting carp. The fish had been dead about a week, but Bruch says judging from the decomposition of the insides had died a slow painful death. He says when it was carrying eggs it probably weighed in the neighborhood of 200 pounds. He notes the largest fish ever speared on Lake Winnebago was a 188-pounder in 2004. DNR records indicate the fish was tagged at the Shawano Dam in the spring of 2004. Bruch says at the time it was 76 inches long. He estimates it was between 70 to 100 years old. (KFIZ)

Cambria Park Days Parade on Saturday

7/30/09 - Cambria Park Days will be held this weekend and organizers say parade entries will be accepted until the last minute. Activities kicked off last night with their five-day softball tournament at Tarrant Park. Tomorrow (Fr) is Fiesta Night, which features authentic Mexican food and music. Saturday morning begins with a breakfast at the First Presbyterian Church a meet and greet for Cambria-Friesland Alumni in the community room. The Park Days Parade begins at 10:30am Saturday at the corner of Mary and West Florence. Events at Tarrant Park continue throughout the day and include carriage rides, a chicken barbeque, bingo, pool games, free face painting, a pie and ice cream social and music by the Friesland Band.

Favre Retirement Hurts Scalpers

7/30/09 - Brett Favre has put at least a small dent in Green Bay’s economy. His decision to stay retired means he won’t come back to Lambeau Field in a Minnesota Vikings’ uniform on November first. And that means ticket brokers won’t get the 300-dollars-a-seat they were talking about earlier. Dennis Garrity of Event U-S-A in Green Bay said it would have been a monster game. He said lots of people have been looking forward to it with quote, “either great excitement or great trepidation.” Even Favre’s family was looking forward to the spectacle, as it reportedly reserved a sizable number of hotel rooms in Green Bay that weekend. Now, John Anderson of Ticket King says the Packer-Viking game will probably sell for about the same price as the home game against the Chicago Bears – about 175-dollars. But like many people, Anderson says he’s still not sure the three-time Packers’ M-V-P is really through.

Lottery Sales Down

7/30/09 - Wisconsin Lottery officials report a four percent decline in ticket sales last year because of the economy. Spokesman Andrew Bohage says revenues slipped by 21 million dollars. The fiscal year ended last month. He says some states saw sales climb as the economy slid. Bohage says Powerball sales fell by eight million dollars alone, largely because there were few big jackpots. He says some of the higher-priced instant games also had smaller revenues. Megabucks and Wisconsin’s daily lotto games either saw their sales remain flat or increase.