Monday, May 10, 2010

Top Stories, May 11th

Two Questions in Randolph Referendum Randolph PD Investigates Vehicle Thefts


5/11/10 - Randolph School District residents will see two building referendum questions on their ballots when they head to the polls this fall. The plan is to add on to the current high school building which would allow for all of the districts kids to be on one site. The first question will ask for 11-million-dollars to construct a middle school addition to the current high school. A second question will determine whether the district should also build an elementary school addition at the high school at a cost of 9-million-dollars. The referendum will appear on voter’s ballots in November’s general election.

Burglary Suspects Make Initial Appearances

5/11/10 - Burglary and theft charges have been brought against two Sun Prairie brothers and a Fox Lake man suspected in a series of daytime burglaries in the Waupun and Dodge County areas. Yesterday in Fond du Lac County Court 18-year-old Dakota Wandeloski, his 20-year-old brother Jacob, and 22-year-old Adam Orr were each charged with 2 counts of burglary and 2 counts of theft. The burglary counts are felonies and the theft counts misdemeanors. All three were able to post cash bonds ranging from $1,000 to $1,500 and will be back in court for preliminary hearings on Thursday, May 20th. Last Wednesday the three and a fourth man, another teen, were taken into custody at gunpoint at a home on Bittersweet Lane in Waupun while a burglary was in progress. It’s believed the men are responsible for five daytime burglaries in Dodge County over the past few months. (KFIZ, Fond du Lac)

Fundraising Effort for Beaver Dam Relay of Life Event Today

5/11/10 - A local group is asking for your help in funding efforts to fight cancer. Relay for Life of Beaver Dam says from 4 until 10pm tonight 10-percent of all sales at the Culvers restaurant on Spring Street will be donated to their cause. Relay for Life is an event that gives everyone in communities across the globe a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against the disease. The event in Beaver Dam this year will held on June 25th and 26th at the high school track. So far 165 participants have signed up and nearly $10,000 has already been raised.

One Year Anniversary of Chemical Explosion

5/11/10 - Columbus Chemical Corporation has gone from near Catastrophe to Celebration in just one year. A year ago today, Columbus Chemical was the site of a blaze and chemical explosions. On today’s first anniversary Columbus Chemical will be Celebrating recovery from the blaze and recent increases in sales. April of 2010 was their largest sales month in history. An open house, including tours and presentations, will be held from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm today. Columbus Chemical is located just off of highway 73 near the highway 151 exit on the north eastern edge of the City

Columbus Looking for More Firefighters

5/11/10 - The Columbus Fire Department has renewed Fire Fighter recruiting efforts. Chief Randy Kuehn told the PFC last night that they are down to 37 Fire Fighters on what should be a 40 person roster. One step in the campaign will be putting up signs in the community letting the public know that more Fire Fighters are needed. Signs and posters once proclaimed “Uncle Sam Wants YOU.” That spirit will be back again as the Columbus Fire Department goes looking for candidates to fill the Fire Fighter roster.

Weather Not Having Huge Impact on Planting Season

5/11/10 - The recent colder-and-snowy weather put only a slight crimp into Wisconsin’s crop planting. Just over two-thirds of this year’s corn is in the ground statewide – 21-percent more than the average for the past five years. Soybean planting is 20-percent done, six-percent ahead of the norm. Light-to-moderate freeze damage was reported throughout the Badger State. But officials said most of the crops are young enough to avoid permanent damage with the exception of Door County cherries. Temperatures got down to 23-degrees in the cherry blossoms – and the extent of the damage will be known in the next couple weeks. North central farm fields were the hardest hit, as parts of the north had up to six-and-a-half inches of snow on Friday night. Soil moisture is said to be 70-percent adequate, 18-percent short, and five-percent very short. Officials say 85-percent of the Wisconsin oats are in good-to-excellent shape, along with 84-percent of the winter wheat.

Lassa Being Touted as Replacement for Obey

5/11/10 - Wisconsin Democratic leaders are pinning their hopes on state Senator Julie Lassa of Stevens Point to replace congressional icon David Obey. Lassa announced her bid yesterday for the Seventh District House seat for north central Wisconsin. That was after party leaders spent last weekend figuring out the best way to keep the seat after Obey’s surprise decision that he’ll step down. Wis-Politics-Dot-Com said Obey himself met with several state lawmakers and others. And the consensus appears to be the 39-year-old Lassa. She served in the Assembly from 1998-through-’02, and has been in the Senate ever since winning a special election in 2003. Republican candidate Sean Duffy welcomed her to the race, but others in the G-O-P came out swinging. Tom Erickson of the National Republican Campaign Committee said a Madison Democrat like Lassa would only make things worse for families struggling to make ends meet. Wis-Politics-Dot-Com said former state Senator Kevin Shibilski and Assembly Democrat Lou Molepske of Stevens Point are still considering their own candidacies. They could run against Lassa in a September primary.




5/11/10 - The Randolph Police Department is investigating a series of garage and vehicle break-ins. Chief Michael Klavekoske says it is believed that most of the activity took place early yesterday (Mon) morning. While most of the garages and vehicles were unlocked there was forced entry in some cases. Klavekoske says loose change was taken from several of the unlocked vehicles while a GPS unit and radar detector were taken from a locked vehicle on the 200 block of Grove Street. In addition, there were two bicycles stolen from outside a residence on West Stroud Street that was later abandoned on the 200 block of Second Street. Klavekoske says it appears that the bicycles were used as transportation during some of the thefts. A shelter at Randolph Village Park was also broken into but nothing was taken. At this time, there are no suspects but authorities are asking anyone that witnesses suspicious activity early this morning to contact the Randolph Police Department. (326-4620)



BDPD Police Beat



5/11/10 - The Beaver Dam Police Department fielded a variety of reports of garage and vehicle break-ins this weekend. A resident on Judson Drive reported Friday afternoon that a metal detector was stolen from an apartment storage unit. Also Friday afternoon, a resident on the 100 block of Bogert Street reported that someone went through an unlocked garage and vehicle but nothing was missing. It was reported Saturday morning that two vehicles were rifled through on the 500 block of East Mill Street. Saturday afternoon a report was filed that someone went through a vehicle on Roller Street. Nothing was apparently missing in those incidents. On Sunday, a stereo was reported stolen from a car on the 700 block of South Center Street. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Beaver Dam Police Department or the anonymous We-Tip hotline at 800-78-CRIME.



Spring Street Planters On Chopping Block



5/11/10 - City officials in Beaver Dam are talking about removing a half dozen concrete planters installed downtown on South Spring Street decades ago. Director of Facilities David Stoiser told the Operations Committee last night that upkeep is expensive on the built-in stone structures and they are in disrepair. He says the most logical step is to remove them as they become hazards to motorists and pedestrians. Stoiser says once the concrete planters are removed, the land will be smoothed until flat. He says at roughly $7500 per planter, it wouldn’t be cost-effective to convert it to parking spaces, especially with reconstruction planned on that stretch in the not-to-distant future. The Operations Committee is expected to officially sign-off on the plan at their next meeting.



City Hall Parking Lot Reconstruction Underway



5/11/10 - Construction of the Beaver Dam Municipal Building parking lot got underway yesterday. Director of Facilities David Stoiser says concrete curb and sidewalk are being removed and replaced at the Washington Street entrance. He says inbound traffic should plan to use the exit drive to enter the parking lot. A handful of parking spaces will be temporarily closed off during the work. The entrance drive will be reopened at the end of each working day. The construction is intended to provide better handicap access as well as to improve drainage. The project should be complete by the end of the week though final pavement patching is being contracted out and will be finished soon after city crews complete their portion of the work.



DPW: ‘Watch Grass Clippings’



5/11/10 - The City of Beaver Dam Stormwater Utility is reminding residents and contractors that it is a violation of city ordinance to discharge grass clippings onto public streets. Director of Utilities David Stoiser says the practice contributes to the degradation of waterways and ultimately the lake. He says leaves and grass clippings decompose and affect water quality as well as clog storm pipes which can result in localized flooding. When mowing near the roadway, Stoiser says you should direct the chute of the mower away from the road, containing clippings on the lawn for decomposition. If clippings inadvertently end up in the gutter, Stoiser says they should be swept up and disposed of. Yard waste can be brought to the Department of Public Works during business hours, Monday through Friday 7am to 3:30pm and Saturdays 10am to 2pm.

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