Top Stories, May 17th

Good Karma Broadcasting Wins Two WBA Awards

5/17/10 - Good Karma Broadcasting’s news department was successful in two categories at a statewide awards gala this weekend. Hundreds of radio and television employees from across the state were in Madison Saturday night for the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association 2009 “Excellence in Broadcasting” awards. WBEV won first place in the small market category for “Best News Feature.” 12-year-old Marlana Warmbold accepted the trophy on behalf of the station for “voicing” the winning story. The feature was about last summer’s Beaver Dam Area Community Theater Tell-A-Tale production of “Willy Wonka Jr.” Marlana became one of the youngest people ever to win such an award from the WBA. When asked if she would be pursuing a career in broadcasting, Marlana’s response was (quote) “no way, I’m going to be a lawyer.”

WBEV also picked up a third place plaque for “Best Hard News Story.” The piece, written by News Director Craig Warmbold, was about an inmate labor policy change at Fox Lake Correctional. The issue was sparked after complaints to State Senator Scott Fitzgerald’s office that inmates were still working in factories where full-time employees were being laid off. Fitzgerald told us on WBEV’s Community Comment in September that he had contacted corrections officials and was awaiting an answer. In the story aired last October, DOC spokesman John Dipko announced that a recent policy change brought Fox Lake, Oak Hill Correctional in Dane County and the Sturtevant Transitional Facility in Racine County in-line with long-standing policies at higher-security prisons that prohibit the practice.

Columbus Council To Consider City Hall Renovation

5/17/10 - The lowest bid received for renovation of historic Columbus City Hall will be recommended to the Common Council on Tuesday night. Advanced Building Corporation of Verona was the lowest bidder for the renovation project at $230 thousand 145 dollars. Factors causing bids higher than the anticipated $165 thousand dollar renovation estimates included historic renovation extras, shoring up a support beam over the proposed court and council chambers and recent federal wage rate increases.

Baldwin To Speak At Columbus Luncheon

5/17/10 - This year’s four C-D-A “Business of the Year” honorees have been announced. The winners are Kindered Kids…Vita Plus…the Columbus Antique Mall…and Columbus Family Restaurant. Second District Representative Tammy Baldwin will be speaking today at the 2010 Columbus Business Awards Luncheon. The noon luncheon is being held at the Cardinal Ale House and Bowl.

Henry Sentence

5/17/10 - A Waupun man said he “will always love his wife” before he was sentenced to at least 20-years in prison Friday afternoon for her murder. A jury convicted 47-year-old Larry Randall Henry of First Degree Intentional Homicide last Thursday in connection with the July 2009 death of Tammy Henry. As part of the sentence, Judge Andrew Bissonnette will allow Larry Henry to petition for extended supervision after serving the 20 years.

Bomb Squad Detonates Suspicious Item Waupun

5/17/10 - The Dane County Bomb Squad was called in to assist local authorities with what appeared to a roadside pipe bomb just outside of Waupun Friday night. The Waupun Fire Department responded to a car fire around 6:30pm. There were able to extinguish the blaze but police then found a suspicious item in the roadway. It was detonated but officials were not able to determine if it was an actual explosive device. The investigation is ongoing. Roads in the area were shutdown for close to 4-hours.