Ron Johnson in Beaver Dam Today
10/31/10 - Just two days from the election the candidates for the Wisconsin U.S. Senate seat are making last minute trips around the state to rally their bases. That continues today as Ron Johnson makes a stop in Beaver Dam at the headquarters of the Dodge County Republican Party. Johnson is expected to be in town for about an hour beginning at 9 a.m. The headquarters are located at 820 Park Ave across from Shopko. His opponent, incumbent Russ Feingold, was in Stevens Point yesterday, among other places, as he fights for a 4th term. The most recent polls show Johnson with a slim lead in advance of Tuesday’s election.
Gubernatorial Candidates Make Final Push
10/31/10 - It's not surprising that both candidates for Wisconsin governor are having a busy last weekend before election day. Republican Scott Walker leads in the polls. He was in Green Bay yesterday and plans to return today -- after the Packers game. Democrat Tom Barrett also spent a portion of Saturday morning in Green Bay. The Brown County vote is considered a key to this election outcome. The county leans Republican, but current Democratic Governor Jim Doyle kept it close in the last balloting. Green Bay is the third-biggest media market in Wisconsin. If Walker wins there, it would be difficult for Barrett to make up the votes in Milwaukee and Madison.
BD School Board to Consider Budget, Again
10/31/10 - The Beaver Dam School Board will be cutting it close when they once again try to pass the 2010-2011 budget tomorrow night. Officials say school districts must have their budgets approved by November 1st. The board had planned to pass the document, which showed a 2.7-percent spending increase, last Monday but a larger than expected rise in the tax levy led them to push off the decision. As proposed, district taxpayers can expect to see a mill rate of $10.39-per thousand of assessed value, a $1.48 increase over the 2009-2010 budget, and $1.01 more than what was presented in August. At that rate the owner of a property worth $100,000 would pay $1,039 for the school portion of their tax bill. Tomorrow’s meeting is slated for 6:30 p.m. at the Educational Service Center.
All Power Restored from Last Weeks Wind Storm
10/31/10 - The final customers to come back on line after last week's wind storm were in northeast Wisconsin around Eagle River and Minocqua. As of last Wednesday morning, more than 60 thousand customers had lost electrical service. The two-day wind storm had downed power lines in northeast and north-central Wisconsin and a portion of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Some seasonal customers, who have cabins there, were expected to come up and visit. If they have electrical problems, Wisconsin Public Service says they should call for help.
Alliant Posts High Summer Profits
10/31/10 - The humming of air conditioners this summer helped Alliant Energy of Madison get out of the red. The parent firm of Wisconsin Power-and-Light reported a quarterly profit today of 151-million-dollars, compared to a loss of almost 44-million in the same period a year ago. Earnings for July-through-September totaled a-dollar-37 per share – 31-cents more than what outside analysts from Thomson First Call had projected. Utilities said the consistently hot-and-humid summer generated record electric use for air conditioning. That accounted for 30-cents of Alliant’s profit increase. Another 39-cents came from rate increases which were partially the result of the loss of electric sales during the recession. C-E-O Bill Harvey said electric sales to industrial customers are on the rebound – but they’re still way below the pre-recession levels of 2007-and-’08.
Halloween Horse Parade Today
10/31/10 - The largest, all-horse paraded in the state of Wisconsin will be held this afternoon in Beaver Dam. Maily Kocinski with the Dodge County Boots and Saddle Club says they expect around 300 riders along the four-mile parade route. There will be no parking signs posted along the route beginning tomorrow morning and parade-watchers are asked to stay curbside so as to not spook the horses. The Halloween Horse Parade is expected to wrap-up long before trick-or-treating hours in Beaver Dam, which are from 4pm to 6pm.
Map of Parade Route:
http://dcbootsandsaddleclub.pbworks.com/
Last Chance For Bulk Garbage, Brush Pick-Up
10/31/10 - This is the final week of the year for Beaver Dam residents to take advantage of brush pick-up. The final pick-up of the year for loose tree limbs and shrubbery cuttings begins tomorrow (Monday, 11/1) and continues through Friday (November 5). Loose tree limbs and shrubbery cuttings up to 7 inches in thickness and 8 feet in length should be placed at the street edge by 7am on garbage day. Yard waste also cannot be placed out sooner than 24 hours prior to your scheduled pick-up. The service will resume again in April. Bulk garbage will also be accepted this week for the last time this year. Bulk waste is defined as, but no limited to, furniture, wooden doors and windows and rolled carpet, not exceeding 4’ to 6’ in length. The collection regulations have changed as a result of the state’s new E-Cycle law. Items that will no longer be collected include desktop and laptop computers, printers, fax machines, cell phones, DVD players and video devices with screens over 7” long such as TV’s and computer monitors. In addition, no metal items like bed springs, doors, windows and pipes will be collected. Bulk waste can be placed on the curb no sooner than 24 hours prior to each collection and by 7am on the day of garbage pick-up. While yard waste can be dropped off at the public works garage year-round, there are only two opportunities per month to dispose of bulk garbage items at the garage.
Carp Barrier Ceremony
10/31/10 - A 13-mile long barrier between the Des Plaines River and a Chicago shipping canal is aimed at keeping the Asian carp out of the river in case of flooding. A ceremony marking the completion of the wire mesh fence was held Friday. Asian carp can grow to four feet long and 100 pounds. Environmental experts fear they could decimate the fishing industry in the Great Lakes if they get that far. Wisconsin is one of several states involved in the effort to stop the carp's advance. The invasive fish escaped from southern fish farms decades ago, and have been moving north ever since. The barrier was built to keep the fish from washing over into the river if the canal should happen to flood.
Deer Hits Girl
10/31/10 - Hortonville High School sophomore Sarah Glidden collided with a deer a week ago - but she wasn't driving a car. The 15 year old sophomore was running at a cross country sectional meet along Wausau's 9-Mile County Forest course when an antlerless deer jumped from the woods into her path. There was contact, and Glidden was spun around, but she stayed on her feet and kept running. She suffered a bruise on her leg. The cross country competitor says she's not sure how much it affected her, but he time was 17 seconds slower than a few weeks previous. She failed to qualify for the state meet.
Winds Slow Whooping Cranes Migration
10/31/10 - The strong winds that swept through Wisconsin earlier this week have sidelined the young whooping cranes migrating to Florida's Gulf Coast. The flock of 11 is grounded in northern Illinois. The ultra-light crew and birds were stopped by 60 mile per hour winds. This is the 10th assisted migration since the project started and it is getting closer to its goal of restoring a flock of 125 wild cranes which would fly between Wisconsin and the Florida site. The eastern migratory population now has 96 birds, including two chicks hatched in the wild. Organizers say, if things go well, there may be only two or three more assisted flights.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Halloween Horse Parade Route
Halloween Horse Parade in Beaver Dam
10/30/10 - The largest, all-horse paraded in the state of Wisconsin will be held Sunday afternoon in Beaver Dam beginning at 12:30pm. Maily Kocinski with the Dodge County Boots and Saddle Club says they expect around 300 riders along the four-mile parade route. There will be no parking signs posted along the route beginning late Sunday morning and parade-watchers are asked to stay curbside so as to not spook the horses. The Halloween Horse Parade is expected to wrap-up long before trick-or-treating hours in Beaver Dam, which are from 4pm to 6pm.
Halloween Horse Parade Route:
http://dcbootsandsaddleclub.pbworks.com/
Trick-Or-Treat Hours:
http://www.wbevradio.com/WBEV.aspx?Page=News&ArticleId=1022
Top Stories, October 30th
Quad-Graphics Gets $46M In Tax Credits
10/30/10 - One of Dodge County’s largest employers is adding up to 13-hundred jobs in the state. Sussex-based Quad-Graphics – which has plants in Lomira and Hartford – says it’s moving work from five plants that are in the process of closing in four other states. And the firm is getting 46-million dollars in state income tax credits to help pay for the effort. C-E-O Joel Quadracci said that without the state assistance, Quad might have looked elsewhere to consolidate. He said other states would have loved the additional jobs. And while Quad is a “big believer” in Wisconsin, Quadracci says the firm must look out for itself and do what’s best economically. Governor Jim Doyle and state officials have not commented on the enterprise zone tax credits that Quad’s about to get once jobs are created. Several other large firms have received similar tax breaks, including Harley-Davidson, Mercury Marine, the Oshkosh Corporation, and Republic Airways. In a couple cases, the assistance helped the companies stay in Wisconsin after they considered offers to leave. The Quad-Graphics jobs will be added over the next decade – and over 400 of them will be filled in the next few months.
Columbus City Budget Much Lower Than Schools
10/30/10 - Passage of a Columbus School District budget earlier this week caused City officials to review certain shared costs. Costs for school crossing guards and School use of City facilities have been considered part of the City budget for years. Preliminary City budget figures show a decrease in expenses and the tax levy. Meanwhile, Schools’ expenditures and tax levy figures show an increase. The Mayor and City Administrator are hoping to meet with School District administrators over the next few weeks as the City finalizes the 2011 budget.
FDIC Issues Order To Ixonia Bank
10/30/10 - A bank based in Jefferson County is the latest to be ordered by the federal government to get stronger. The F-D-I-C said I-S-B Community Bank of Ixonia has engaged in quote, “unsafe or unsound banking practices.” Among other things, it was told to create a new management plan, beef up its capital, and get board members more involved. C-E-O Jeff Knudtson says the bank has already done many of those things – and it has made significant progress in becoming more efficient. He said his bank is not alone in dealing with challenging economic times, especially with the commercial real estate market. But Knudtson says I-S-B is now on the right path to becoming stronger. The F-D-I-C said the bank lost one-point-eight million dollars last year. But in the first nine months of this year, Knudtson said the bank had a net income of 429-thousand-dollars. The firm has been in business for 92 years, and it has assets of just under 400-million dollars. I-S-B is the 35th Wisconsin bank in the past two years to get special orders from the F-D-I-C to improve.
Fox Lake Man Arrested For Fleeing
10/30/10 - A Fox Lake man is in custody after allegedly fleeing from Dodge County deputies early Friday morning. It happened just before 2:30am in the Town of Trenton. Dodge County Patrol Captain Molly Soblewski says a deputy attempted to pull Justin Marquette over for going more than 20-miles-per hour over the speed limit but he initially refused to stop. The suspect did eventually stop his car near the intersection of Breezy Point Road and County Highway A and reportedly fled on foot into a corn field. Deputies set up a perimeter, used thermal imaging camera’s and also brought in a K-9 Unit. Marquette was found lying on the ground between corn rows. The 21-year-old faces several charges including Operating While Intoxicated and Resisting Arrest and is being held on an outstanding Beaver Dam warrant.
Woman Sentenced In Stabbing
10/30/10 - A Mayville woman will spend three years in prison for stabbing a man in the chest. A jury convicted Beverly Jean Tiegs of Aggravated Battery in August and she was sentenced Friday in Dodge County court. Authorities responded to a 9-1-1 hang-up call in April of last year and when they conducted a safety sweep of the residence they found the victim hiding in the closet. He said he went to the home to fix Tiegs window and she accused him of stealing cash so she stabbed him. According to the criminal complaint, the victim said the 44-year-old Tiegs was acting “crazy goofy” and had been drinking and taking prescription medications. In addition to three years in prison, Tiegs was also sentenced to three years of extended supervision.
Columbus Woman Drives Into Rehab Center
10/30/10 - No injuries were reported after a woman drove her car into the Columbus Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Thursday afternoon. Police Lt. Dennis Weiner says it happened at 1:07pm after the 88-year-old Columbus woman confused the brake with gas pedal. She crashed her Ford Focus about five or six feet into an occupied room causing what Wiener described as “quite a bit of damage.” The occupant inside the room was opposite the window that the woman smashed through and neither party was harmed. There were no citations issued.
Countersuit Filed In Cheating Husband Case
10/30/10 - The latest step in the case of the woman who tried to get revenge on her cheating lover in a Calumet County motel sees her counter-suing. Therese Ziemann says the the lawsuit filed against her is a fraudulent attempt to get money. Prosecutors say Ziemann lured the man to a motel in Stockbridge in July of last year. They say she tied him to a bed, called three other women into the room, and used crazy glue on his body. The 38 year old Fond du Lac man filed a civil complaint, accusing Ziemann of assault, battery and infliction of emotional distress. Ziemann's counter-suit disputes the man's allegations he was injured.
Walker, Barrett Final Debate
10/30/10 - Republican candidate Scott Walker says voters are tired of the attacks aimed at him. Walker and Democrat Tom Barrett engaged in their final debate Friday before next Tuesday's balloting for governor. Both candidates pushed their plans for improving the state's economic climate. With polls showing Barrett trailing, he was again aggressive in his questioning of Walker's position. Walker says Barrett is desperate and avoided answering questions. He said the Milwaukee mayor was only offering attacks - and no real solutions for Wisconsin's problems.
Fifth Annual Freakfest
10/30/10 - The fifth annual Freakfest returns to downtown Madison, but one local official says the cost of keeping it peaceful remains a concern. City officials began charging admission to the annual Halloween celebration on State Street in 2006, following years of riot-like conditions. Alderman Jed Sanborn says costs have gone down since the city and a private promoter began working to plan the celebration. He says it remains an expensive event to hold, but he doesn’t believe the city has much choice. The cost to taxpayers for the event last year was about $40,000. Although, Sanborn says that figure was about 10 times higher when the city started running under the banner of Freakfest in 2006 and even higher when there were riots and a large number of arrests.
Bed Bugs At UW Clinic
10/30/10 - Bed bugs show up in Madison. A small outbreak of the parasitic insect was discovered at a UW Health clinic west of Madison. The bugs were found in a small area on the first floor of the Middleton office. The building is used for administrative purposes only, so no patients were affected. A pest control company has already been in to use a chemical pesticide to eradicate the problem, and the building has been thoroughly checked.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Top Stories October 29th
Ink Magazine Lists Columbus Business As ‘Fastest Growing’
10/29/10 - A web-based company headquartered in Columbus has made the INC. Magazine “fastest growing” list. “Discount Office Items” was listed as the 418th fastest growing small businesses in the United States. Director of Economic Development, Steve Sobiek, told downtown Columbus business leaders this week that the November “Business Roundtable” meeting would be held at Discount Office Items headquarters. The web-based company takes orders for and delivers a wide range of office supplies throughout the U.S. Discount Office Supplies was founded in 2003 by Tim and Jim Horton. The Columbus headquarters has been at the Industrial Drive location since 2008.
Former Horicon Police Chief Passes Away
10/29/10 - A prominent member of the Horicon community passed away Tuesday. Doug Glamann was a 20-year veteran of the police force and served as police chief before retiring in 2005. He was a member of the school board, and served one term as school board president. Glamann also spent 12 years as the head coach for the Horicon High School boys basketball team. Funeral services are Monday under the direction of the Murray Funeral Home in Horicon. Memorial donations can be made to the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial or to the American Cancer Society. Glamann was 55.
Washington County Fatality
10/29/10 - One man was killed Wednesday night in a three-car crash in Germantown. Police Chief Peter Hoell said the man appeared to be driving erratically. His car was going east when it sideswiped another eastbound vehicle, then careened into an oncoming vehicle. Four people were trapped in the oncoming vehicle, and they were extricated by rescuers. They were taken to a hospital, but there was no immediate word on their conditions. Hoell said he did not believe the winds were a factor in the crash, but he’s not ruling anything out as an investigation continues.
Lomira Man Injured In One-Vehicle Wreck
10/29/10 - Alcohol was said to be a factor in an accident in Washington County Wednesday night in which a pickup truck went off County Highway H in the Town of Wayne and was impaled on a bridge’s guardrails. Forty-four-year-old Patrick Gonyo of Lomira, who was driving the truck was taken to St. Josesph’s Hospital in West Bend with non-life threatening injuries. His passenger 42-year-old Kewaskum resident Todd Behling was flown to Froedtert Hospital with serious leg injuries.
Unemployment Down in Region, State
10/29/10 - Unemployment rates are down in virtually all of Wisconsin. State officials say the unadjusted jobless rates improved last month in all but one of the 72 counties. Dodge County dropped from 7.7% in August to 7.1% last month. Last year at this time it was at 8.6%. Fond du Lac County was down nine-tenths of a percent to 6.7%. Jefferson County sits at 7.4% down from 8.2%, while Washington County dropped six-tenths to 6.4%. And Columbia County was down a half-percent to 6.5%. Menominee County still has the highest county jobless rate at 14-and-a-half percent – but that’s down from 20-and-a-half percent in August. Jobless rates also went down in 30 of the state’s largest cities. Beloit still has the highest rate at 14-point-four percent, down more than a full point from August. Madison has the lowest city unemployment at five-point-one percent. Statewide, the seasonally-adjusted jobless rate went down one-tenth-of-a-point in September to seven-point-eight.
Weekend Halloween Activities Abound In Beaver Dam
10/29/10 - There are several Halloween activities planned in Beaver Dam this weekend. The Community Theater is holding their first-ever “Spaghetti Spooktacular” fundraiser Saturday night. Managing Director David Saniter says it will be an old-time radio show performance with entertainment will be provided by “Loco Vocals,” “Take Note,” and “The Little Big Band” plus there will be two “Reader Theater” productions: “Arsenic and Old Lace,” and “Old Miss Brooks Thanksgiving Turkey.” The “Spaghetti Spooktacular” will be held in the St. Stephens School gymnasium from 5pm to 9pm.
Also on Saturday, the Dodge County Historical Society is holding their first-ever “Haunted History Tour” at the Old Beaver Dam City Cemetery, which is the oldest cemetery in Dodge County. Organizer Kathy Barnett says they will use live actors to portray actual, historical figures from Beaver Dam’s earliest days. The “Haunted History Tour” will be held from 6pm to 8pm tomorrow night. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the cemetery, which is located at the intersection of North University and East Burnett streets.
And then on Sunday, before trick-or-treating hours begin, there will be four miles of horses winding through the streets of Beaver Dam. On our Community Comment program this afternoon we’ll sit down with Mailey Kocinski with the Dodge County Boots and Saddle Club Second Annual Halloween Horse Parade. Kocinski will join us around 1:35pm, right after our regular last-Friday-of-the-month guest, Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy.
Petri, Kallas Clash On Health Care
10/29/10 - Health care was discussed at length with candidates for the Sixth Congressional District when they were our guests on WBEV’s Community Comment this week. Democrat Joe Kallas of Princeton is a teacher at Fox Lake Correctional and has an agricultural background. Kallas says everybody should pay into the system and everybody should be covered in the system. Incumbent Tom Petri says it’s important to get health care right and the bill that was passed is a mess. The Fond du Lac Republican says the practical thing that Congress can do moving forward it to simply not fund the portions that do not work. Kallas is the vice chairman of the Democratic Party of Green Lake County and has served on the Princeton Town Board as well as the Green Lake County Board. Petri is seeking a 16th term in Washington and is a current member of both the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and of the Committee on Education and Labor. Petri is also the Ranking Republican on the Aviation Subcommittee of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Candidate Sued For Getting Drunk Woman Pregnant
10/29/10 - The Republican candidate for Wisconsin Secretary-of-State has been sued for allegedly getting a drunk woman pregnant. David King of Milwaukee is running against long-time Secretary-of-State Doug La Follette next Tuesday. The lawsuit was filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court by Charlette Harris. The suit said King hired her to work at the Buy-Seasons costume company in New Berlin. They reportedly had lunch in August – and she said King bought her several drinks and took her to his apartment where she passed out. In September, she learned she was pregnant. And her lawsuit said the 31-year-old Harris was a lesbian, and had not been with any other men around that time. She also claimed that King told her to get an abortion. King called the lawsuit stupid, ridiculous, and a plot against his campaign – and he had no other comment.
12K Purged From Voter Registration List
10/29/10 - Over 12-thousand people have been removed from Wisconsin’s voter registration list. That’s after their personal information was not identical on the various government data-bases. The state Government Accountability Board spent the last year-and-a-half confirming almost 800-thousand voters who registered from January of 2006 through August of ’08. All but about 70-thousand names had the proper matches – and the board tried twice to reach those people. Officials said 12-thousand-431 people did not respond either time, so their registrations are no longer valid. Those recently removed can still vote next Tuesday, but they’ll have to re-register at the polls. In the meantime, you can go on-line to see if you’re registered. The address is V-P-A Dot W-I dot Gov (vpa.wi.gov). Leave the W-W-W out.
Fall Is A Good Time To ID Invasive Species
10/29/10 - Wisconsin wildlife officials say it’s a good time to look around your property for invasive plants. D-N-R biologists say many invasive plants are easier to see this time of year. For example, new garlic mustard plants can stay green even under the snow. Experts say honey-suckle and buckhorn shrubs keep their leaves going into the late fall – and invasive vines often make fruits that stand out during the autumn months. Also, the D-N-R says many plants spew out seeds – and people should check their clothes so they don’t spread invasive seeds to new areas.
10/29/10 - A web-based company headquartered in Columbus has made the INC. Magazine “fastest growing” list. “Discount Office Items” was listed as the 418th fastest growing small businesses in the United States. Director of Economic Development, Steve Sobiek, told downtown Columbus business leaders this week that the November “Business Roundtable” meeting would be held at Discount Office Items headquarters. The web-based company takes orders for and delivers a wide range of office supplies throughout the U.S. Discount Office Supplies was founded in 2003 by Tim and Jim Horton. The Columbus headquarters has been at the Industrial Drive location since 2008.
Former Horicon Police Chief Passes Away
10/29/10 - A prominent member of the Horicon community passed away Tuesday. Doug Glamann was a 20-year veteran of the police force and served as police chief before retiring in 2005. He was a member of the school board, and served one term as school board president. Glamann also spent 12 years as the head coach for the Horicon High School boys basketball team. Funeral services are Monday under the direction of the Murray Funeral Home in Horicon. Memorial donations can be made to the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Memorial or to the American Cancer Society. Glamann was 55.
Washington County Fatality
10/29/10 - One man was killed Wednesday night in a three-car crash in Germantown. Police Chief Peter Hoell said the man appeared to be driving erratically. His car was going east when it sideswiped another eastbound vehicle, then careened into an oncoming vehicle. Four people were trapped in the oncoming vehicle, and they were extricated by rescuers. They were taken to a hospital, but there was no immediate word on their conditions. Hoell said he did not believe the winds were a factor in the crash, but he’s not ruling anything out as an investigation continues.
Lomira Man Injured In One-Vehicle Wreck
10/29/10 - Alcohol was said to be a factor in an accident in Washington County Wednesday night in which a pickup truck went off County Highway H in the Town of Wayne and was impaled on a bridge’s guardrails. Forty-four-year-old Patrick Gonyo of Lomira, who was driving the truck was taken to St. Josesph’s Hospital in West Bend with non-life threatening injuries. His passenger 42-year-old Kewaskum resident Todd Behling was flown to Froedtert Hospital with serious leg injuries.
Unemployment Down in Region, State
10/29/10 - Unemployment rates are down in virtually all of Wisconsin. State officials say the unadjusted jobless rates improved last month in all but one of the 72 counties. Dodge County dropped from 7.7% in August to 7.1% last month. Last year at this time it was at 8.6%. Fond du Lac County was down nine-tenths of a percent to 6.7%. Jefferson County sits at 7.4% down from 8.2%, while Washington County dropped six-tenths to 6.4%. And Columbia County was down a half-percent to 6.5%. Menominee County still has the highest county jobless rate at 14-and-a-half percent – but that’s down from 20-and-a-half percent in August. Jobless rates also went down in 30 of the state’s largest cities. Beloit still has the highest rate at 14-point-four percent, down more than a full point from August. Madison has the lowest city unemployment at five-point-one percent. Statewide, the seasonally-adjusted jobless rate went down one-tenth-of-a-point in September to seven-point-eight.
Weekend Halloween Activities Abound In Beaver Dam
10/29/10 - There are several Halloween activities planned in Beaver Dam this weekend. The Community Theater is holding their first-ever “Spaghetti Spooktacular” fundraiser Saturday night. Managing Director David Saniter says it will be an old-time radio show performance with entertainment will be provided by “Loco Vocals,” “Take Note,” and “The Little Big Band” plus there will be two “Reader Theater” productions: “Arsenic and Old Lace,” and “Old Miss Brooks Thanksgiving Turkey.” The “Spaghetti Spooktacular” will be held in the St. Stephens School gymnasium from 5pm to 9pm.
Also on Saturday, the Dodge County Historical Society is holding their first-ever “Haunted History Tour” at the Old Beaver Dam City Cemetery, which is the oldest cemetery in Dodge County. Organizer Kathy Barnett says they will use live actors to portray actual, historical figures from Beaver Dam’s earliest days. The “Haunted History Tour” will be held from 6pm to 8pm tomorrow night. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the cemetery, which is located at the intersection of North University and East Burnett streets.
And then on Sunday, before trick-or-treating hours begin, there will be four miles of horses winding through the streets of Beaver Dam. On our Community Comment program this afternoon we’ll sit down with Mailey Kocinski with the Dodge County Boots and Saddle Club Second Annual Halloween Horse Parade. Kocinski will join us around 1:35pm, right after our regular last-Friday-of-the-month guest, Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy.
Petri, Kallas Clash On Health Care
10/29/10 - Health care was discussed at length with candidates for the Sixth Congressional District when they were our guests on WBEV’s Community Comment this week. Democrat Joe Kallas of Princeton is a teacher at Fox Lake Correctional and has an agricultural background. Kallas says everybody should pay into the system and everybody should be covered in the system. Incumbent Tom Petri says it’s important to get health care right and the bill that was passed is a mess. The Fond du Lac Republican says the practical thing that Congress can do moving forward it to simply not fund the portions that do not work. Kallas is the vice chairman of the Democratic Party of Green Lake County and has served on the Princeton Town Board as well as the Green Lake County Board. Petri is seeking a 16th term in Washington and is a current member of both the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and of the Committee on Education and Labor. Petri is also the Ranking Republican on the Aviation Subcommittee of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Candidate Sued For Getting Drunk Woman Pregnant
10/29/10 - The Republican candidate for Wisconsin Secretary-of-State has been sued for allegedly getting a drunk woman pregnant. David King of Milwaukee is running against long-time Secretary-of-State Doug La Follette next Tuesday. The lawsuit was filed in Milwaukee County Circuit Court by Charlette Harris. The suit said King hired her to work at the Buy-Seasons costume company in New Berlin. They reportedly had lunch in August – and she said King bought her several drinks and took her to his apartment where she passed out. In September, she learned she was pregnant. And her lawsuit said the 31-year-old Harris was a lesbian, and had not been with any other men around that time. She also claimed that King told her to get an abortion. King called the lawsuit stupid, ridiculous, and a plot against his campaign – and he had no other comment.
12K Purged From Voter Registration List
10/29/10 - Over 12-thousand people have been removed from Wisconsin’s voter registration list. That’s after their personal information was not identical on the various government data-bases. The state Government Accountability Board spent the last year-and-a-half confirming almost 800-thousand voters who registered from January of 2006 through August of ’08. All but about 70-thousand names had the proper matches – and the board tried twice to reach those people. Officials said 12-thousand-431 people did not respond either time, so their registrations are no longer valid. Those recently removed can still vote next Tuesday, but they’ll have to re-register at the polls. In the meantime, you can go on-line to see if you’re registered. The address is V-P-A Dot W-I dot Gov (vpa.wi.gov). Leave the W-W-W out.
Fall Is A Good Time To ID Invasive Species
10/29/10 - Wisconsin wildlife officials say it’s a good time to look around your property for invasive plants. D-N-R biologists say many invasive plants are easier to see this time of year. For example, new garlic mustard plants can stay green even under the snow. Experts say honey-suckle and buckhorn shrubs keep their leaves going into the late fall – and invasive vines often make fruits that stand out during the autumn months. Also, the D-N-R says many plants spew out seeds – and people should check their clothes so they don’t spread invasive seeds to new areas.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Top Stories, October 27th
High Winds Cause Scattered Power Outages
10/27/10 - Electricity providers say they are out in full force as high winds continue to cause isolated power outages throughout the state. Steve Schultz of Alliant Energy says the outages are not a widespread problem but rather a series of isolated incidents separated by large geographic distances. He asks customers without power to remain patient and says crews are working around the clock to get power restored.
Waupun On Pace For 0% Tax Increase
10/27/10 - City officials in Waupun are one step closer to a zero percent increase to the tax levy for 2011. The Committee of the Whole reviewed the latest numbers last night. City Administrator Kyle Clark says they were around $391,000 shy of their goal when the process started but he says department heads really stepped forward so now they’re within around $40,000 of their target. Clark says revenue projections for next year may be a little too conservative and will be revisited before finalizing the budget. Waupun will have roughly the same levy as last year, which was right around two-million dollars. The total operating budget is around $7-million, which is up about $200,000 over this year. Clark says if there is no increase to the tax levy he anticipates residents mill rates would actually go down. Police Chief Dale Herringa was also applauded by the council for his success in grant writing, which this year brought in nearly $56,000; money that would have otherwise been assessed to taxpayers. Alderman Dan Ganz did question the police department’s overtime, numbers which he said “jumped off the page.” Herringa agreed to provide detailed information over the next quarter on how the overtime is used but he did note that three of his officers are currently on leave, stretching his resources thin. The Waupun city budget will be considered on the council floor at their November meeting.
Area School Districts Set Levy
10/27/10 - A number of area school districts approved 2011 budgets this week. The Cambria-Friesland School District will levy for just under $2 million dollars, a nearly 14% increase over the current budget. The mill rate will increase $1.42 to $9.86 per $1000 of assessed value. The Mayville School District levy is up 6% to $5.3 million with a mill rate of $9.30 per thousand, up 53 cents. The Dodgeland School District will see a tax levy increase of 2.3% to $4.4 million. The mill rate will increase 57 cents to $13.42 per thousand.
We Energies Posts Huge Summer Profits
10/27/10 - Wisconsin’s biggest electric utility reports a 93-percent increase in its quarterly profits. Wisconsin Energy – the parent firm of We Energies which serves the southern half of Dodge County – says customers used record amounts of electricity to cool themselves during one of the persistently hot-and-humid summers on record. As a result, the company reported a net operating income of 112-million dollars from July-through-September. That’s up from 58-million during the same period in 2009 – when the weather was cooler than normal. C-E-O Gale Klappa said this summer’s overnight lows were warmer than the norm, so people kept their air conditioners running overnight more often. And he called it a surprise, considering that people are still hurting from the rough economy. We Energies said there was record electricity usage by home customers in July – and by small business and commercial customers in August.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Top Stories, October 26th
Council Approves $2.5 Million In Bids for New PD
10/26/10 - In an effort to get exterior work done before the winter weather sets in, the Beaver Dam Common Council met in special session last night to approve a series of bids related to the new police station. In lieu of a general contractor, the city opted to use their architect – MSA Professional Services – to act as a “project manager.” The move is projected to save around $200,000 but it also means that the city council has to approve all bids individually. Marty Sell with MSA Professional Services says last night’s bids represent half the total cost of the $5.1 million dollar facility. The bids, which were approved unanimously, cover the shell of the building; everything from masonry and roofing to electrical and plumbing. The approval will allow the new contractors to get to work on the thirty thousand square foot police station and municipal court as early as next week. The concrete foundation and footings for the east wall are already up and the north wall could be in place as early as today. Sell says because of the economy, this round of bids came in about $400,000 lower than they would have during a busier construction period.
Clearview On Budget and On Schedule
10/26/10 - The overhaul at the Clearview Long term Care and Rehabilitation facility is progressing as planned. The new $44.5 million structure in Juneau broke ground at the beginning of July, and Administrator Jane Hooper says they are on budget and nearly on schedule, with only the wet conditions earlier this summer having an impact on their timeline. Hooper says they have 85-percent of the bids for the project in and are hoping to be completed with the outside portion of construction before winter. She went on to say that current residents are getting excited about moving into the new facility and are even giving their two-cents on how the construction is going. The plan still calls for the first residents to move to the facility by the beginning of the summer next year. Clearview serves the county’s aging population as well as those with behavioral and mental health issues and also has one of only three brain injury rehabilitation centers in the state.
Northeast Asphalt Business Break-In
10/26/10 - Authorities are investigating a break-in at a town of Beaver Dam business that was reported yesterday morning. Dodge County Sheriff’s Department received reports from Northeast Asphalt on Prospect Road that a window had been smashed and a laptop and computer monitor was missing. Officials say some other smaller items were taken as well. Sheriff Todd Nehls says it’s a difficult area to patrol. It was the second break-in at the business this month. On October 4, a caller reported that windows had been smashed, a door was open, and tool boxes had been rummaged through. Officials say it’s too early to determine whether to the two break-ins are related.
Fitzgerald Faces Opposition
10/26/10 - Incumbent State Senator Scott Fitzgerald says significant reforms need to be made to reign in spending. The Juneau Republican is currently the minority leader in the State Senate and is seeking a fifth term in office. Fitzgerald says the Department of Commerce and the Department of Workforce Development have (quote) “run off the tracks and need to be retooled if not eliminated and brought back in a different form.” His Democratic challenger, Dwayne Block of Oconomowoc, says under former Republican Governor Tommy Thompson the state was left with a $3.2 billion dollar deficit and that was during an economic boom. Block says the state needs a “visionary and a builder” to jumpstart the economy and he touts his record as a builder of the state teachers organization and various political groups. Independent candidate Vic Spadaro is also on the ballot for District 13 State Senator.
Kallas, Petri on Community Comment
10/26/10 - The candidates for the Sixth Congressional District will be our guest on WBEV’s Community Comment in the next two days. This afternoon we sit down with Democrat Joe Kallas, a Green Lake County resident and teacher at Fox Lake Correctional Institution. On tomorrow’s program we will talk to incumbent Republican Tom Petri of Fond du Lac, who is seeking his 16th term in Washington representing the district. Community Comment airs weekdays on 1430AM beginning at 12:35pm.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Top Stories, October 25th
Watertown Company Gets $450K Grant
10/25/10 - A Watertown company has been awarded nearly a half-million dollars to expand its production capacity and create jobs. Idle Free Systems Incorporated makes a battery-powered device that allows truckers to power up the cab of their semi while taking a break from the road. The system stores electricity for use when the engine is off to power things like televisions and microwaves, saving on fuel costs and routine engine maintenance. The five-year-old company is getting $450,000 to increase production and add 20 positions; the award represents a total investment of over $2 million dollars. The funding is part of nearly $3 million dollars from the Commerce Department being given to three companies to create a total of 36 new jobs. The money comes from the state’s economic development tax credits and the State Energy Program (SEP), which is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Domestic Abuse Shelter Awarded WTAF Funding
10/25/10 - A Jefferson County domestic abuse shelter was among the organizations benefiting from a series of statewide grants from the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation. The $7200 in funding for People Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse will be used to provide civil legal services in areas such as domestic abuse, housing, employment, and disability for the state’s poor and underserved. PADA offers 24-hour crisis intervention in addition to options-based counseling, legal advocacy, support groups, community resource advocacy and access to other community services. PADA also provides prevention education throughout the community and in Jefferson County schools. More information is available at www.padajc.org.
DNR Holds Open Water Duck Hunting Meeting Tonight
10/25/10 - The DNR is holding an informational meeting tonight (Mon) on the possibility of allowing open water duck hunting on Beaver Dam Lake. Open water duck hunting is currently limited to the Great Lakes, Lake Winnebago, Green Lake, Petenwell Flowage and some areas of the Mississippi River. Officials say the idea to expand open water hunting started in 2006 when a citizen submitted the idea during the annual Conservation Congress meetings held in each of the state’s 72 counties. In 2007, the question of forming an ad hoc committee to study the issue received a positive vote during Conservation Congress meetings held in every county. Duck hunters would have to be 1000 feet from shore. Van Horn says these are “scoping” meetings to receive local input before reporting committee recommendations to the Natural Resources Board. The meeting will be held at the Beaver Dam Town Hall on County Highway W at 7pm.
SKDS Puts Expansion Vote To Parishioners
10/25/10 - Parishioners with the St. Katherine Drexel Church in Beaver Dam will hold a Town Hall Meeting this week in advance of a vote on future building projects. One plan is to build a new church and school complex at the intersection of County Highway B and Crystal Lake Road at a cost of $15 million. The other plan costs roughly $4 million and involves the purchase of the furniture store at the corner of South Spring and Mill streets for office space while renovating the church and school on Spring Street. Parish Council Chair Judy Johnson says they want community input instead of having a small number of church members make the decision. The Town Hall Meeting will be this Thursday at 7pm in the Spring Street church. Parishioners will be able to vote in November and the decision will be made by majority rule.
BDFD Responded To Small Grease Fire
10/25/10 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department responded to a North Center street apartment just after noon Sunday. Officials say the residence filled with smoke from burning food on the stove. The apartment unit was ventilated and firefighters were on the scene for less than a half hour. Firefighters were only back at the station for a few minutes when they were called out to a gas odor investigation at a South Spring Street residence. Alliant Energy also responded and wound up replacing a faulty valve.
E-Cycle Law Affects Bulk Pickup
10/25/10 - Beaver Dam residents will face more restrictions during their bulk garbage pick-up which begins next Monday. Collection regulations have changed as a result of the state’s new E-Cycle law. Items that will no longer be collected include desktop and laptop computers, printers, fax machines, cell phones, DVD players and video devices with screens over 7” long such as TV’s and computer monitors. Previous restrictions remain in place and that includes no metal items like bed springs and pipes. Among the items that will be accepted: furniture, wooden doors and rolled carpet not exceeding 4’ to 6’ in length. Bulk waste can be placed on the curb no sooner than 24 hours prior to each collection and by 7am on the day of pick-up. The next bulk garbage pick-up after next week will be the first waste collection day of May. Brush and shrubbery cuttings will also be accepted for the last time this year during the same period. Bulk items and yard waste can also be dropped off at the public works garage year round.
Small Packet Trees Available
10/25/10 - Trees and shrubs are now available for the annual Fall Small Packet Tree sales program in Dodge County. The Land Conservation Department is offering several species of trees for sale for the 2011 planting season, including red and white Oak, White Cedar, Norway Spruce, Silver Maple and American Cranberry Bush. Most trees are sold in bundles of 25 for $23 per bundle. The deadline to place orders is January 28, but there are limited amounts of some species, so early orders are encouraged. For more information or to get an order form, contact the Dodge County Land Conservation Department at 386-3660. http://www.co.dodge.wi.us/conservation/landserv.html#treesales
Top Stories, October 24th
SKDS Open House Today
10/24/10 - Officials with the St. Katherine Drexel Church are seeking comments from their congregation about plans that are being considered to either build a church and school on a new site or move all their operations to the Spring Street location. One plan would be to build a new church and school complex at the intersection of County Highway B and Crystal Lake Road at a cost of $15 million. The other plan involved purchasing the furniture store and surrounding land at the corner of South Spring and Mill streets for office space while renovating the church and school on Spring Street at a cost of roughly $4 million. Parish Council Chair Judy Johnson says an open house today is intended to get input from the community because they do not want to have a small number of church members to make the choice. The Open House will be held today at both the Highway B/ Crystal Lake Road and South Spring Street locations from 11am until 2:30pm. On Thursday at 7pm, the parish will hold a town hall-style meeting in the Spring Street church to discuss the two options and hear opinions from parishioners. Parishioners will be able to vote in November and the decision will be made by majority rule. Judy Johnson will be one of our guests on WBEV’s Community Comment this coming Thursday.
E-Cycle Prompts Changes To Bulk Pick-Up
10/24/10 - Beaver Dam residents have until next week to gather their yard waste and bulk garbage. The final bulk pick-up of the year begins a week from tomorrow on Monday, November 1 and continues through Friday, November 5. Bulk waste can be placed on the curb no sooner than 24 hours prior to each collection and by 7am on the day of pick-up. Bulk waste is defined as, but no limited to, furniture, wooden doors and windows and rolled carpet, not exceeding 4’ to 6’ in length. The collection regulations have changed as a result of the state’s new E-Cycle law. Items that will no longer be collected include desktop and laptop computers, printers, fax machines, cell phones, DVD players and video devices with screens over 7” long such as TV’s and computer monitors. In addition, no metal items like bed springs, doors, windows and pipes will be collected. No bundled or loose piles of building materials will be collected. Building materials like lumber must be broken down and placed in the weekly collection cart. The next bulk garbage pick-up will be the first waste collection day of May. Brush and shrubbery cuttings, meanwhile, will also be accepted for the last time this year during the same period. Loose tree limbs and shrubbery cuttings up to 7 inches in thickness and 8 feet in length should be placed at the street edge by 7am on the day of solid waste collection. Yard waste also cannot be placed out sooner than 24 hours prior to the scheduled pick-up. Both yard waste and bulk garbage can also be dropped off at the public works garage year round.
Fall Colors Fading
10/24/10 - Today wraps up what could be the last weekend to see fall colors in the state of Wisconsin. The Department of Tourism says the northern half has already moved past peak conditions and most of the leaves are on the ground. Peak color has been reported in Columbia and Sauk counties along with counties north. Some areas of Dodge County, Green Lake and Washington counties Rock, Walworth and Waukesha were reporting some good color - especially in the southern Kettle Moraine area.
9-11 Flag In Fond du Lac
10/24/10 - The one remaining American flag from the World Trade Center that survived the 9-11 attacks took a special position during the inauguration of Marian University President Steven DiSalvo yesterday. DiSalvo says he was involved with a group that helped start a foundation where first responders from 9-11 help in rebuilding projects. That group, New York says Thank You, is traveling the nation with the remnants of the WTC flag. During stops in all 50 states, they’re piecing it back together using other American flags from the sites they visit. DiSalvo says it’s the only stop the flag will make in Wisconsin. When it’s complete, it will be donated to the 9-11 Memorial next fall on the 10th anniversary of the attack.
Marine Funeral Draws Hundreds
10/24/10 - Visitation for a Wisconsin Marine killed in Afghanistan draws hundreds of people to Manitowoc's Lincoln High School. Corporal Justin Cain was killed by a roadside bomb October 13. Cain graduated from Lincoln High School three years ago. Four horses pulled a flag-draped casket in the procession from the funeral home. A private funeral service will be held tomorrow. Several of Cain's friends created a memorial page on the social networking site, Facebook.
Barrett to GOP: ‘Don’t Measure Drapes Just Yet’
10/24/10 - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett tells a Madison rally Republicans believe the election is already over. But the state GOP says it's not taking anything for granted. Barrett told a gathering of supporters at an early voting rally outside the state capitol that Republicans were already measuring the drapes and ordering the stationary for the governor's office. Public polls have shown Barrett trailing Republican Scott Walker, but Barrett challenged those findings, and says the race is tighter than people realize. But State Republican Party Director Mark Jefferson says the GOP isn't taking anything for granted, but added that the current polls are making volunteers enthusiastic, “in the sense that they know that their efforts can pay off." Jefferson says Republicans are trying to drive home the message that there are close races up and down the ballot. Both parties are stressing turnout efforts with less than two weeks before the election. The state's election agency estimates half of all eligible voters will head to the polls. That would be about the same as 2006, when voters were choosing a governor and U.S. Senator and voting on Wisconsin's marriage amendment.
DA Not Filing Charges Against Deputy In Shootring
10/24/10 - The Outagamie County district attorney says no charges will be filed against a deputy who shot a man threatening him with a gun. Staff Sergeant Corey Besaw wounded 55 year old David L. Steinke last week. The official report indicates Steinke pointed a gun at the sergeant and refused orders to drop it. Besaw shot the suicidal man in the shoulder. Steinke is expected to make an initial court appearance next week to face charges of criminal damage to property and disorderly conduct. The first charge in the October 15 incident is a felony.
Whitewater PD Shuts Down Underage Party
10/24/10 - Whitewater police say they made the second-largest underage drinking bust they've ever made Friday night. A total of 132 people were arrested at a house party near the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. The people who live at 928 Highland Street face charges of furnishing alcohol to underage persons, selling alcohol without a licnese and failure to prevent those underage people from drinking the booze. Authorities say those charges could bring fines in the thousands of dollars. About eight years ago Whitewater police arrested more than 200 underage drinkers at a house party.
Klement Sausage Recall
10/24/10 - More than a ton of beef stick products are being recalled by a Wisconsin company. Klement Sausage Company says the recall involves eight-ounce package of "Market Pantry Beef Sticks, Original." Each package has a "Use By" date of March 1, 2012, and carries the number "2426B" inside the USDA inspection mark. The sticks were shipped to distribution centers and retail stores all over the country. The problem cropped up when one store reported customers had complained about finding hard plastic or pieces of glass inside the package. So far, no officials complaints or reports of injury have been received by the Safety Inspection Service. Consumers with questions should contact the company at 414-744-2330 or the USDA Meal and Poultry Hotlines at 888-674-6854.
Court Strikes Down Casket Dropping Lawsuit
10/24/10 - A state appeals court said a La Crosse County woman is not entitled to damages for watching her late husband’s casket fall to the ground while it was being carried. Chrystal Ulrich filed a lawsuit after seeing a handle break on her husband’s casket, as it was going from a hearse to a burial site. The Fourth District Appellate Court in Madison agreed that Ulrich suffered “genuine and understandable” emotional distress. But to win such a lawsuit, the court said the plaintiff would have had to see something that caused a severe or fatal injury – and that didn’t happen because the victim was already dead. Ulrich sued the funeral home, the maker of the casket, its distributor, and an insurance company.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Top Stories, October 23rd
Final Feingold- Johnson Debate
10/23/10 - The two candidates for Wisconsin's U.S. Senate seat debated for the third and final time last night. Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold said he was the more fiscally responsible choice in a debate that was more contentious than past meetings. Republican challenger Ron Johnson says he's the one with business experience who could create jobs. Both men said the other was distorting their positions, while Feingold accused Johnson of failing to give direct answers. Johnson continued the push his point of view that the best way to help the economy recover is to repeal the health care reform bill.
Five Years In Prison For Assault and Robbery
10/23/10 - A Beaver Dam man was sentenced to five years in prison Friday in connection with an assault and robbery. The victim allowed Michael Dufay into his apartment this past April but was later struck in the back of the head with a gun while playing a video game. The victim was then ordered to the floor while Dufay took $2200 in cash hidden in the kitchen. The 26-year-old was arrested after going to the police station to deny his involvement. He entered a plea of “no contest” to the felony charge of Robbery with the Use of Force in August. Dufay was also sentenced to four years of extended supervision and ordered to pay $2200 in restitution.
BDPD Responds To Gun at School Report
10/23/10- The Beaver Dam Police Department responded to Prairie View Elementary school Thursday after reports that a 27-year-old man was bringing a gun to a parent-teacher conference. Deputy Chief Dan Schubert says the school received the tip just before 3pm. Officers frisked the subject when he arrived and was found to be in possession of a utility knife. He was advised not to return to the school grounds or he’d be arrested. Open carry laws for guns do not apply to schools; in fact state statute prohibits any weapons from being brought onto school campuses.
Inmate Pleads To Forgery Charge
10/23/10 - Forging documents could keep a Fond du Lac woman behind bars for more than 22 years. Kristine Flynn has pleaded guilty to three counts of falsely acting as a public official. The 53-year-old will be sentenced next month. Flynn was an inmate at Taycheedah Correctional Institution when she forged orders last June granting her custody of another inmate’s son and his bank accounts. Earlier this month, Flynn was sentenced to a five-year term for filing fraudulent tax credit forms. She did that while she was in prison as well.
Car Fumes Lead To John Deer Evacuation
10/23/10 - It turns out there wasn’t a gas leak in Horicon Friday morning. Fire Chief Jim Bandsma says the smell that prompted the evacuation of John Deere was a vehicle outside of the facility having front differential problems. The fumes from the vehicle got into the ventilation system of the plant, which spread the odor. After some testing by Alliant Energy, employees were able to return to work after 8am.
Washington County Man Flown Following Collision
10/23/10 - A 22-year-old Washington County man was seriously injured in a head-on collision Friday morning. It happened around 6:45am on Highway 83 about four miles south of Hartford. The Sheriff’s Department says a 16-year-old girl traveling southbound when her vehicle crossed the center line and struck the vehicle driven by the 22-year-old man. The impact caused both vehicles to go into the ditch and overturn. The man had to be extricated and was flown by Flight for Life to Froedert Hospital. The girl was taken to Hartford Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Authorities say they have not determined a cause for the accident but have said that cell phone use was NOT a factor, nor were drugs or alcohol.
Flood Disaster Declaration for Nine Counties
10/23/10 - Local governments in nine Wisconsin counties will get help in recovering from the September floods. While there was some damage downstream in Columbia County, the federal disaster declarations were for the hardest hit areas of the state in western and central Wisconsin. Trempealeau and Buffalo counties were declared as federal disaster areas, along with Jackson, Clark, Wood, Portage, Marathon, Juneau, and Taylor counties. State officials reported almost seven-and-a-half million dollars to roads, bridges, and other public facilities in the floods that began September 22nd. Arcadia had about seven inches of rain, and the entire city was shut down for a day. At least three homes were destroyed in the floods, and hundreds more were damaged. But it was not enough to qualify for individual disaster assistance. Columbia County was also not part of the declaration as officials there did not think the damage warranted the declaration once the waters receded. Lori Getter of Wisconsin Emergency Management says most of the damage was to the levees near Portage and FEMA does not cover levees. Getter says if Columbia County officials change their mind, FEMA officials could always go back and re-assess the damage. Governor Jim Doyle, who applied for the public aid, said it will help those communities rebuild quickly. The federal money will cover 75-percent of repair costs, and state-and-local governments will pick up the rest.
Manitowoc Marine Funeral Arrangements Complete
10/23/10 - Funeral services are complete for a 22-year-old Marine from Manitowoc killed in southern Afghanistan last week. Relatives and friends of Justin Cain can pay their respects from 1 until 6pm Saturday at JFK Fieldhouse on the Lincoln High School campus. A private visitation and funeral service for family and close friends will be held Monday at Salem Ebenezer Reformed Church in Manitowoc. Cain was one of four Marines in his battalion riding a mine resistant ATV in Helmand Province when an improvised explosive device detonated, killing all four aboard. Cain graduated from Lincoln High School in 2007 and enlisted in the Marines shortly thereafter. He had just been deployed to Afghanistan in September.
High School Football Playoff Pairings
10/23/10 - Seven area high school football teams will start their "March to Madison" when the state football playoffs begin on Tuesday night. In Division Two, the 6 - 3 Beaver Dam Golden Beavers will travel to top-seeded Waunakee; you can listen to the game on AM 1430, WBEV with coverage starting at 6:45pm. In Division Four, Platteville will visit Marshall, and in Division Five, Waterloo will host Shoreland Lutheran. In Division Six, Markesan travels to Stevens Point Paceilli, while in Division Seven, Randolph will host Port Edwards, you can listen to this game on FM 95-3, WXRO, with coverage starting at 6:40. Also in Division Seven, Cambria-Friesland will host Assumption, and Rio will play Living Word Lutheran at Portage. All games will kickoff at 7:00.
Security Lessened For Freak Fest
10/23/10 - Madison’s annual Halloween bash will be held next Saturday. And because it’s gotten a lot tamer in recent years, Alderman Mike Verveer says the city will back off from some of its security measures. It used to be that college students from throughout Wisconsin and other states made a pilgrimage to Madison, where they got drunk and then set bonfires and broke store windows after the bars closed. But in 2006, the city fenced off the party area, brought in live music, and began charging admission. And the hundreds of arrests each year finally started going down. Verveer says lots of people miss the chaos, but he doesn’t. He said he’s been to every Halloween bash for two decades, and he knows how dangerous they once were. Verveer expects a capacity crowd of 55-thousand for this year’s “Freak-fest” on October 30th.
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Top Stories, October 22nd
Grant Funding Secured For Beaver Dam Projects
10/22/10 - The city of Beaver Dam was awarded $750,000 in grants for two projects. Mayor Tom Kennedy says the Department of Commerce is giving the city up to $400,000 for the Lakeview Hospital Redevelopment project. The project is largely private, though the city will be involved with infrastructure improvements including an extension of Third Street. Kennedy says it is also contingent on the investors, Lakeside Pueblo Corporation, receiving approval of loan financing through the USDA’s Rural Development Office before mid-January. Kennedy says the city also received a contract agreement letter from the Commerce Department verifying that a $350,000 Community Development Block Gran is on its way. The city had previously received preliminary approval of the plan to fix the north side sanitary lift station at Starkweather Drive instead of enlarging the culverts under Cooper Street, which is what the money was originally awarded for. Kennedy says the lift station is more cost effective and more practical. Director of Utilities Don Quarford says the grant funding should cover most of the project, which is the design phase and will be completed in the next year.
Woman Accused of Poisoning Husband
10/22/10 - A former Town of Clyman woman accused of trying to her husband, waived her right to a preliminary hearing yesterday in Dodge County court. Marja Prasalowicz waived her right to a preliminary hearing yesterday in Dodge County court on a felony charge of Placing Foreign Objects in Edibles. According to the criminal complaint, the 31-year-old put sleeping pills in soda, coffee and water bottles. Her husband became suspicious in August after the drinks began tasting like insect killer. She initially denied the allegations to her husband, and reportedly drank a bottle of water the victim believed was tainted. He says she then became somewhat woozy. Prasalowicz allegedly admitted the poisoning saying she did it because he wasn’t sleeping well. The charge carries a maximum three-and-a-half year prison sentence. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for next month.
Security Heightened Following BDCH Lockdown
10/22/10 - Deputy Police Chief Dan Schubert tells us that his officers have stepped up security at the Beaver Dam Community Hospital following a gun threat that resulted in a lockdown of the campus on Wednesday. Schubert says a 62-year-old man reportedly threatened by phone to bring a gun to the hospital. The man was located but did not bring a weapon to the hospital; he was not arrested but was escorted from the premises and banned from returning. The hospital’s Chief Operations Officer Mark Monson says the lockdown process worked and while there is a level of heightened security the facility is very safe and there have been no subsequent issues.
Voter Turnout Projected At 50%
10/22/10 - Half of Wisconsin’s adults are expected to vote November second. That prediction comes from Kevin Kennedy, the director of the state Government Accountability Board. He says the hot races for governor and U-S Senate will drive lots of people to the polls, along with a number of close contests for U-S House and the state Legislature. Kennedy says the turnout should be slightly less than the last off-presidential November election in 2006. Fifty-point-nine percent turned out, many for the constitutional ban on gay marriage and civil unions. It was the highest turnout for a mid-term election in 30 years. Next month’s turnout is expected to be about 10-percent higher than the average of around 40-percent.
Favre on Favre
10/22/10 - Brett Favre’s wife says her religious faith and an outward focus are helping her cope with all the talk about her husband’s sexual harassment allegations. Deanna Favre appeared on A-B-C’s “Good Morning America” today to talk about a book she co-authored called “The Cure for the Chronic Life.” It’s all about getting past difficult times and unhealthy behavior patterns. Of course, Deanna was asked about the N-F-L’s investigation into reports that former Packers’ quarterback Brett Favre sent lewd photos and text messages to Jenn Sterger when both worked for the New York Jets in 2008. Ms. Favre cited her faith, and did not say whether the allegations are true or false. Her husband has hardly said a word about the subject. He’s now calling it a “league matter,” and all he’s focusing on is his next game – which is Sunday night against his old team in Green Bay. If the league fines that Favre broke the N-F-L’s code-of-conduct, he could be suspended – and that would end his record number of consecutive games played, which is getting close to 300.
WTC Flag in Fondy Saturday
10/22/10 - The lone American flag that survived 9/11 at the World Trade Center is coming to Fond du Lac Saturday. It’s part of the inauguration ceremonies for Marian University President Steven DiSalvo. As it makes its way around the country pieces of other American flags are being stitched into it to restore it. DiSalvo says the public is welcome to attend the stitching ceremony, which is at 4:30 p.m. at the University Quad. The flag will be returned to New York in time for the 10th Anniversary of 9/11.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Top Stories, October 21st
Ground Broken On New PD
10/21/10 - Ground was officially broken Wednesday on the city of Beaver Dam’s new $5.1 million dollar police station. Around 100 people attended the ceremony, including city officials, current and retired police personnel, business leaders, members of the architectural team and the general public. Mayor Tom Kennedy says the men and women of the police department are looking forward to next fall when they will be moving into a new permanent home that will allow them to continue in delivering around-the clock excellence in emergency and municipal court services. In addition, Kennedy says the state-of-the-art facility will ideally add to the restoration of the downtown community. Deputy Police Chief Dan Schubert said that the public will never again have to call to ask directions since the new police station will be located right in the heart of the downtown. The structure will also include a municipal court. Judge Ken Peters says there will finally be a conference room dedicated solely to assuring that all juvenile matters will be addressed confidentially. In addition, there will be a public courtroom dedicated solely for judicial matters where all citizens can observe the operations of their municipal court. The project is expected to be completed by this time next year. Concrete will be poured on the Park Avenue site as early as this week.
Eight Acres Scorched in Randolph Brush Fire
10/21/10 - Around eight acres of farm fields were scorched by fire Wednesday afternoon in the Town of Randolph. Fire Chief Bruce Miller says Highway 33 was shut down for a period of time as the smoke caused visibility issues and led to a minor traffic accident with no injuries. It started around 1:30pm in a Columbia County field located near W302 Highway 33. Miller says the landowner’s father was working the field, clearing fencing and dumping materials in a nearby wood pile. He was treated for minor smoke inhalation along with three residents of a nearby house. No one was transported. Miller says the fire happened in a picked corn field, which would not have been much of a problem but the flames spread to a brush pile about the size of a football field. Initial attempts to put it out by plowing it over were not successful and the fire quickly spread. The cause has not been determined but it’s believed that a spark from the fencing materials ignited the blaze. The Randolph Fire Department received mutual assistance from Fox Lake and Friesland.
Phone, Mail Scams Targeting BD Residents
10/21/10 - The Beaver Dam Police Department is warning the public of an attempted phone scam with the perpetrators claiming to be with the social security office. Deputy Chief Dan Schubert says a city resident was contacted Wednesday afternoon by a woman who said the office was sending out new medical cards and in lieu of her social security number she needed to provide her bank account information as verification to receive the cards. Schubert says the woman did the right thing and hung up the phone. This type of identity theft is an ongoing threat and Schubert urges the public to remain vigilant and avoid giving personal information like bank account or social security numbers. There were also reports yesterday of a city resident receiving a check by mail claiming they had won a $250,000 sweepstakes. The letter from Millennia Trust Financial Services of Canada includes a $4800 check to pay processing and international taxes. The checks are bogus and the phone number of the claims agent you’re required to call will likely result in high charges to your phone bill.
Sensient Opens Fifth Plant In China
10/21/10 - Sensient Technologies of Milwaukee has opened its fifth plant in China. The company, which also has a plant in Juneau, announced Wednesday that it opened a facility in Guangzhou. The firm says the new location will enhance its ability to make flavors-and-colorings for foods and beverages, along with fragrances and coatings for pharmaceuticals. The new plant includes labs, offices, and production areas. Sensient CEO Kenneth P. Manning says the addition (quote) “positions the company for growth in one of the most dynamic economies in the world (while) greatly increasing production capabilities with state-of-the-art equipment and new processing technologies." Sensient now has 70 factories in 30 nations.
Dodge County Home Purchases Down
10/21/10 - Dodge County Realtors sold almost 40-percent fewer houses last month than at the same time the previous year. The Realtors Association said its members sold 54 houses in Dodge County in September. That’s down from 89 the year before. Other counties also saw decreases, though the severity varied. Columbia County sales were down 9.4-percent, while Fond du Lac was down 10.1-percent. Washington County slid 23.5-percent, and the largest decrease in our area was in Jefferson County where sales were down nearly 47-percent. It wasn’t all bad news as the median sale prices held steady or increased throughout the area. Dodge County went up 1.7-percent to $117,500, and Fond du Lac rose 1.4-percent to $123,500. Columbia County jumped 7.1-percent to $161,750, while Jefferson County was up nearly 14-percent to $169,000. Washington County saw no change to their median price of $172,000. On a statewide level, realtors sold almost one-third fewer houses last month than at the same time the previous year and the median sale price was down one-point-eight percent from a year ago, to over 138-thousand dollars.
Jefferson Cop-Shooter Trial Going Nationwide
10/21/10 - The trial for a Jefferson man accused of killing an off duty police officer begins next Monday, and the proceedings will most likely be seen by a national TV audience. 25-year-old Andrew Wirth is charged with two counts of First Degree Intentional Homicide in connection with the shootings of 37-year-old Jennifer Luick, a town of Oconomowoc police officer, and 40-year-old Greg Peters. The incident happened in December of 2009 outside of a bar in Jefferson, after Luick jokingly touched Wirth on his buttocks. During the confrontation that followed, Wirth allegedly pull out a semi-automatic handgun, shooting the couple. Following jury selection on Monday, opening statements are expected Tuesday and “In Session,” the former “Court TV,” is considering covering the event. Wirth faces two life sentences if convicted.
Gun Show Shooter Back Story
10/21/10 - The 70-year-old man cited for accidentally shooting off a 9 millimeter handgun at a gun show in Fond du Lac last weekend already had a tragic shooting incident in his life. Rodney Mazur of Green Bay told Fond du Lac police that when he was 20-years-old he was in a bar and someone entered the tavern and shot four people right in front of him, so he has bad memories of that he’s still dealing with. Mazur walked past a long line at the entrance of the gun show at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds last Saturday where guns were being checked to make sure they were unloaded. When he approached a dealer he knew he put a clip in the handgun and pulled back the slide. When he closed it the gun went off. Fortunately the bullet didn’t hit anyone, but the round shattered a glass display case and lodged in a wooden table. Mazur apologized for the incident. He was cited for discharging a weapon without a permit, which will cost him about $208.
FFRF Targets TN High School Football Games
10/21/10 - A public high school in Tennessee will stop saying prayers on the public address system before football games, after being pressured by Madison’s Freedom from Religion Foundation. The group said it got complaints from some of the students at Soddy-Daisy High School in southeast Tennessee. And the group wrote the superintendent, demanding that the public prayers stop immediately. Principal John Maynard said he was ordered by his county’s school superintendent to end the practice. The same organization threatened court action against the Dodge County Board if did not cease prayers during its meetings. The prayers were subsequently moved to before the meeting begins.
M & I Losses Slowing
10/21/10 - Wisconsin’s largest bank has reported its eighth straight quarterly loss – but the red ink is less than a year ago. M-and-I of Milwaukee said it lost 169-million dollars from July-through-September, down from a loss of 248-million in the same quarter a year ago. Also, the bank announced a series of management changes Wednesday, including the retirement of Dennis Kuester as chairman-of-the-board. C-E-O Mark Furlong said the management changes came after an internal evaluation – but he said Kuester’s move is nothing more than a normal retirement. Furlong will become the new chairman, but Kuester will stay on the board as a member. As for the current losses, Furlong said things would have been much better had the bank not written off 201-million-dollars in loans to an undisclosed borrower in the hospitality industry. M-and-I said it was making progress in reducing its bad loans, as it tries to return to being profitable. The company reported an 11-percent drop in non-performing loans from the previous quarter – and it was the fifth straight quarter that bad loans went down.
Walker, Barrett Support I-90 Expansion
10/21/10 - A state transportation panel has taken another step forward on a plan to expand Interstate 39-90 from four lanes to six south of Madison to the Illinois border. The 45-mile project would get started in 2015. The Department of Transportation has said it could cost a billion dollars. The Transportation Projects Commission, which makes recommendations to the legislature, gave its OK Tuesday. Governor Jim Doyle chairs the Commission. He says anybody who has been on I-39 heading south on Sunday around 5 p.m. “understands the real need for six lanes down to the Illinois border." But Steve Hiniker of the environmental group, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, says the trouble with the project is that the state has no idea how it's going to pay for it. He says the state can't maintain the roads it already has. It's ultimately up to the next legislature and governor to decide whether this plan becomes a reality. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Barrett says he's open to the expansion. Republican Scott Walker says he supports it.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Top Stories, October 20th
Beaver Dam Proposed 2011 Budget
10/20/10 - The Chair of the Beaver Dam Administrative Committee is satisfied with the initial budget numbers for next year. City officials picked up their budget packets this week. The document as presented will pass along an $8.2 million dollar levy to taxpayers, which is an increase of 7.5% over the current budget. Alderman Don Neuert says the committee set that target in drafting the budget. He says he is ecstatic that goal was reached and commends Finance Director John Somers, Mayor Tom Kennedy and the department heads for working hard to reach that number.
The Operations & Maintenance budget is proposed to increase one-point-five percent (1.5%) to $11.8 million dollars. Capital Outlay requests are down four-and-a-half percent (4.59%) to just over $400,000. Debt service is up 22% to nearly one and-a-half million dollars ($1.5 million) for next year. The tax rate, meanwhile, is proposed to increase by 15% to $7.96 per $1000 of assessed value, compared to this years $6.90. The price of an average home in Beaver Dam fell by $8500 to just below $112,000. Based on that number, a taxpayer could expect a $59 increase on the city portion of their tax bill to $889.
Neuert says the document is nearly ready to go to the council floor and he doesn’t know how much more could be cut. The Administrative Committee has scheduled budget deliberations on three consecutive Wednesday’s starting next week. It’s expected to be forwarded to the full council for consideration in mid-November.
County Tax Rate Up About 3.6%
10/20/10 - Tax payers in Dodge County could see a 19-cent increase for the county portion of their tax bill. That was what county board members heard last night as they got their first look at the full 2011 budget. The total proposed levy is about 32.1-million, a half-percent increase over this year. That results in a mill rate of $5.40 and means the owner of a property worth $150,000 would pay $810 for the county portion of their tax bill. The finance committee will hold a meeting next week where department heads and others can ask for changes to the budget. Final budget approval is set for November 9th.
Cost of Columbus Pool Operations Discussed
10/20/10 - Costs and benefits of operating a public outdoor pool were the primary focus at last night’s Columbus Council “budget workshop.” The Columbus Area Aquatic Center Board (C-A-A-C) manages the facility for the City. CPA Phil Roberts told the Council the cost to the City for operation of the Aquatic Center is on a downward trend. Roberts said the Pool’s budget deficit was $91 thousand in 2009 and it has decreased to $35 thousand in the projected 2011 budget.
Next Governor to Deal with Health Care Reform Exchanges
10/20/10 - Wisconsin’s next governor will have to deal with the biggest part of the national health care reform law. States will be required to set up exchanges, where people can buy four types of insurance plans offered by private companies. Democrat Tom Barrett supports the idea, while Republican Scott Walker opposes it. States must have exchanges in place by 2013, or else Washington will do it for them. And low-to-middle income people must buy one of those plans if they want the government to help pay for it. Barrett says he’d like Wisconsin to create its own exchange. He vows to work with insurers, consumers, and others to come up with plans that continue the many choices Wisconsinites now have. Walker says he’d have the attorney general join other states to try and strike down the federal health law.
Polling Shows Johnson/Feingold in Statistical “Dead Heat”
10/20/10 - There’s new evidence that Wisconsin’s U-S Senate race is tightening up. A poll from Saint Norbert College and Wisconsin Public Radio shows that incumbent Democrat Russ Feingold and challenger Ron Johnson are in a statistical dead heat. Johnson has a 49-to-47-percent edge, but it’s within the poll’s five-percent margin of error – which makes the race a toss-up. Several recent polls had the Republican Johnson in the lead. But Feingold says his recent internal polls have him even with the Oshkosh businessman among likely voters. The Saint Norbert poll questioned 400 likely voters between last Tuesday and Friday.
Interstate Expansion Makes Some Progress
10/20/10 - A long-proposed expansion of the Interstate south of Madison took a big step forward yesterday. The state Transportation Projects Commission recommended adding a third lane in each direction on I-39-90 from the capital to the Illinois line. It was one of four projects endorsed by the commission – the first such approvals in eight years. The next governor and Legislature will now be asked to approve the new project. The total price-tag is just over one-and-a-third billion dollars, with the Madison-area Interstate expansion costing 715-million. Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan of Janesville has said the project is badly needed to boost the economy and to relieve heavy traffic from Illinois, where the “I” has had six lanes for years. Senate Republican Glenn Grothman of West Bend voted against the project, saying the state should make an expansion of Interstate-43 a priority near Milwaukee.
Milk Production Up
10/20/10 - Wisconsin made more milk last month – but not as much as the national increase. New figures show that Wisconsin produced almost two-point-one billion pounds of milk in September, a half-percent more than the same month a year ago. That’s less than the national increase of three-point-three-percent. It’s also less than the three-point-six percent jump in the 23 major dairy states. Wisconsin had six-thousand more cows than the previous September, and the out-put per cow held steady at 16-hundred-55 pounds. The Badger State remains second in the country in milk production behind California – which had a seven-point-three percent increase in its output from a year ago. The Golden State made almost three-point-three billion pounds of milk with a herd that was 22-thousand cows less than previous year. But its production per cow rose by about 50 pounds. Idaho, the country’s third-largest milk producer, had an eight-percent increase in September.
Local Prosecutors Honored
10/20/10 - The prosecutorial teams for a child pornography possession case in Fond du Lac County and child sexual assault case in Dodge County were recently recognized. The Wisconsin Association of Computer Crime Investigators presented two “Prosecution Team” awards to some of the key individuals involved in the prosecution of former Fond du Lac City Human Resource Director Ben Mercer on child porn possession charges and Lomira resident Ryan Davidson for child sexual assault and incest charges. Most of those recognized were with the state; however in the Davidson case former Dodge County District Attorney Bill Bedker and Lomira Police Sergeant Chris Mireski were also commended. (KFIZ, Fond du Lac)
County Tax Rate Up About 3.6%
10/20/10 - Tax payers in Dodge County could see a 19-cent increase for the county portion of their tax bill. That was what county board members heard last night as they got their first look at the full 2011 budget. The total proposed levy is about 32.1-million, a half-percent increase over this year. That results in a mill rate of $5.40 and means the owner of a property worth $150,000 would pay $810 for the county portion of their tax bill. The finance committee will hold a meeting next week where department heads and others can ask for changes to the budget. Final budget approval is set for November 9th.
Cost of Columbus Pool Operations Discussed
10/20/10 - Costs and benefits of operating a public outdoor pool were the primary focus at last night’s Columbus Council “budget workshop.” The Columbus Area Aquatic Center Board (C-A-A-C) manages the facility for the City. CPA Phil Roberts told the Council the cost to the City for operation of the Aquatic Center is on a downward trend. Roberts said the Pool’s budget deficit was $91 thousand in 2009 and it has decreased to $35 thousand in the projected 2011 budget.
Next Governor to Deal with Health Care Reform Exchanges
10/20/10 - Wisconsin’s next governor will have to deal with the biggest part of the national health care reform law. States will be required to set up exchanges, where people can buy four types of insurance plans offered by private companies. Democrat Tom Barrett supports the idea, while Republican Scott Walker opposes it. States must have exchanges in place by 2013, or else Washington will do it for them. And low-to-middle income people must buy one of those plans if they want the government to help pay for it. Barrett says he’d like Wisconsin to create its own exchange. He vows to work with insurers, consumers, and others to come up with plans that continue the many choices Wisconsinites now have. Walker says he’d have the attorney general join other states to try and strike down the federal health law.
Polling Shows Johnson/Feingold in Statistical “Dead Heat”
10/20/10 - There’s new evidence that Wisconsin’s U-S Senate race is tightening up. A poll from Saint Norbert College and Wisconsin Public Radio shows that incumbent Democrat Russ Feingold and challenger Ron Johnson are in a statistical dead heat. Johnson has a 49-to-47-percent edge, but it’s within the poll’s five-percent margin of error – which makes the race a toss-up. Several recent polls had the Republican Johnson in the lead. But Feingold says his recent internal polls have him even with the Oshkosh businessman among likely voters. The Saint Norbert poll questioned 400 likely voters between last Tuesday and Friday.
Interstate Expansion Makes Some Progress
10/20/10 - A long-proposed expansion of the Interstate south of Madison took a big step forward yesterday. The state Transportation Projects Commission recommended adding a third lane in each direction on I-39-90 from the capital to the Illinois line. It was one of four projects endorsed by the commission – the first such approvals in eight years. The next governor and Legislature will now be asked to approve the new project. The total price-tag is just over one-and-a-third billion dollars, with the Madison-area Interstate expansion costing 715-million. Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan of Janesville has said the project is badly needed to boost the economy and to relieve heavy traffic from Illinois, where the “I” has had six lanes for years. Senate Republican Glenn Grothman of West Bend voted against the project, saying the state should make an expansion of Interstate-43 a priority near Milwaukee.
Milk Production Up
10/20/10 - Wisconsin made more milk last month – but not as much as the national increase. New figures show that Wisconsin produced almost two-point-one billion pounds of milk in September, a half-percent more than the same month a year ago. That’s less than the national increase of three-point-three-percent. It’s also less than the three-point-six percent jump in the 23 major dairy states. Wisconsin had six-thousand more cows than the previous September, and the out-put per cow held steady at 16-hundred-55 pounds. The Badger State remains second in the country in milk production behind California – which had a seven-point-three percent increase in its output from a year ago. The Golden State made almost three-point-three billion pounds of milk with a herd that was 22-thousand cows less than previous year. But its production per cow rose by about 50 pounds. Idaho, the country’s third-largest milk producer, had an eight-percent increase in September.
Local Prosecutors Honored
10/20/10 - The prosecutorial teams for a child pornography possession case in Fond du Lac County and child sexual assault case in Dodge County were recently recognized. The Wisconsin Association of Computer Crime Investigators presented two “Prosecution Team” awards to some of the key individuals involved in the prosecution of former Fond du Lac City Human Resource Director Ben Mercer on child porn possession charges and Lomira resident Ryan Davidson for child sexual assault and incest charges. Most of those recognized were with the state; however in the Davidson case former Dodge County District Attorney Bill Bedker and Lomira Police Sergeant Chris Mireski were also commended. (KFIZ, Fond du Lac)
City Considers Dam Retrofit With Hydraulic Gates
10/19/10 - The Beaver Dam Operations Committee Monday night discussed the possibility of installing new gates on the dam. Director of Facilities David Stoiser say the current dam controls water elevation with six wooden boards that are manually slid in and out of the gate. He says the water pressure makes it very dangerous for city workers, especially if it’s done during severe weather. The plan is to replace the gate, not the entire dam, with a hydraulically-operated system that could be automated with a laptop computer. Stoiser says the project estimates were originally around $600,000 but he says the city was recently approached by a contractor working on the treatment plant expansion who says a hydraulic gate could be retrofitted into the existing dam structure for around $200,000. Money to pay for the project would come from the city’s Storm Water Utility fund. The issue will be brought back before the Operations Committee in coming weeks and Stoiser says, if approved, the work could actually be performed over the winter.
Joint Meeting Reviews MPTC Survey Results
10/20/10 - A recent Moraine Park Technical College 2010 Survey of 180 Columbus area businesses yielded a number of promising responses. One indication from the survey was that none of the responding businesses expected to decrease employment in the coming year. The Council and Community Development Authority held a Joint meeting last night to discuss the survey. The City plans to follow up with MPTC working on ways to improve the Columbus business climate by providing management and employee training programs.
Poynette Woman Sentenced In Bank Robbery
10/20/10 - A Columbia County woman will spend 41 months in a federal prison for her role in a bank robbery. 34-year-old Jennifer DeBoef of Poynette drove the getaway car. The money was stolen by 28-year-old Gregory Allen of Memphis, Tennessee. He jumped over a counter at an Anchor Bank branch in February, and took money from two teller drawers. When he left, the money was stained red when a pack of dye exploded. DeBoef later spent some of that money at the Portage Wal-Mart – and that led officers to her home in Poynette where she, Allen, and Allen’s brother Raymond were taken into custody. Gregory Allen was previously sentenced to 11 years in prison for committing the robbery. Raymond Allen got 15 months in prison for concealing and disposing of the stolen money.
Barrett, Walker Agree On What Not To Do
10/20/10 - Both major candidates for Wisconsin governor have promised not to do what Jim Doyle did – use designated highway money for things like schools instead. Republican Scott Walker and Democrat Tom Barrett made separate appearances today to road-builders who are in the state’s Transportation Development Association. Both supported a constitutional amendment to ban raids on the state gas tax fund. The road-builders convinced 53 counties to have advisory referendums on the amendment in November, to put heat on lawmakers to pass such a ban. Barrett also said he would prevent lawmakers from being able to put local roads in the state budget, to create more funding for projects of regional-and-state importance. Walker repeated his plan to put tolls on the newly-built express lanes of major highways – and he supported previous G-O-P efforts to use part of the sales tax from vehicles for new-and-improved roads. Barrett said he opposed all tolls, and he favors shoring up existing roads over the building of new highways. Both candidates spoke in advance of a meeting of the state’s Transportation Projects Commission, which approves new state highway projects. The panel has not met since Governor Doyle took office in 2003, since Doyle said the state didn’t have the money to come up with new projects. The panel will consider four projects, including the much-discussed expansion of Interstate 39-90 from Madison to the Illinois line.
Wisconsin Mourns Loss Of Tom Bosley
10/20/10 - Tom Bosley has died. His agent confirmed Tuesday afternoon that the 83-year-old star of “Happy Days” passed away at his Palm Springs home. Reports said he was fighting a staph infection. Bosley played the mild-mannered father of the Cunningham family on the A-B-C comedy that was based in Milwaukee when rock-and-roll was in its infancy. It ran for 11 seasons from 1974 through ‘84. Bosley played a variety of roles, and was a familiar voice in T-V commercials. But his biggest role was that of Howard Cunningham, who owned a hardware store and calmly gave out advice to his teens from the comfort of his easy chair. “Happy Days” actor Henry Winkler, who’s honored in a life-size statue in downtown Milwaukee, is quoted as saying that Bosley was their mentor, a true artist, a great husband, and a fabulous father and grand-father. Winkler, who played Fonzie on the show, said Bosley would be quote, “sorely missed but never forgotten.”
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