Top Stories July 11th

Severe Weather Moves Through Wisconsin

Severe storms with strong winds and heavy rain swept across Wisconsin early this morning leaving trees in the middle of roads and many without power. In the Village of Kekoskee a large tree took out the power lines and was blocking County Trunk Y-N. Power lines were also reported down on Highway 49 in Lomira. We’ve heard reports of trees down on County Highway A near Lake Emily with similar reports in the eastern half of Dodge County. Wind gusts of 63-miles per hour were seen in Green Lake County where about 300 people were without power as of 7am. Dodge County Emergency Management also heard that several homes in the Hustisford area had smoke in their basements as the result of a possible lighting strike. Alliant Energy says about 50-customers in the county were without power while We-Energies were reporting scattered outages throughout its service area. We are still under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 11 a-m today. Highs in the 80’s are expected later today before things cool down with highs only in the 70’s the next two days.

Stabbing Under Investigation

The Beaver Dam Police Department is investigating a stabbing that reportedly took place early Sunday morning. Authorities say it happened at 12:46am near the intersection of Madison and Mill Streets. 18-year-old Angel Javier Rodriguez was taken into custody at gun point and taken to the Dodge County Jail on charges of Disorderly Conduct and Battery to Law Enforcement.

Inaugural Race Has Issues

Over 20 runners were sent to a hospital, and 50 others were given emergency care for heat-related problems during a running event in Milwaukee yesterday. Organizers admitted not having enough water for runners at the inaugural Summerfest Rock-N-Soul half-marathon and 10-kilometer race. It was 85-degrees with 60-percent humidity – and hydration stations were quickly emptied as early as the two-and-a-half mile mark. There was no medical aid available on the two-and-a-half mile Hoan Bridge, where witnesses saw a number of runners collapse. It was one of the first parts of the course. And race organizer Tom Schuler admitted that only the latter part of the course was heavily stocked with water. Milwaukee fire-fighters said they gave intravenous fluids to all 15 people they sent to a hospital. Private ambulances sent up to 10 more. Organizers ended the race around 10:30 yesterday morning – and officials said over 53-hundred of the 65-hundred who registered completed it.

Democratic Primary Tomorrow

7/11/11 - Six Republican state senators will find out tomorrow night who they'll run against in their recall elections on August ninth. Democratic primaries will be held in all six districts tomorrow. But there's only one real Democrat in each race – because Republicans ran as fake Democrats to force primaries, and give the incumbent senators an extra month to campaign. Otherwise, those incumbents would have had their elections tomorrow, with only a couple weeks to campaign due to the length of their budget session in Madison. In our area, residents in the Dodge County portion of Waupun will head to the polls to decide whether Democrat Jessica King or protest candidate John Buckstaff will take on 18th District Senator Randy Hopper. The state G-O-P has not provided any support to the fake Democrats, saying they've been up-front about their goal to give the incumbent Republicans more time to campaign. Besides Hopper, those senators are Sheila Harsdorf, Alberta Darling, Luther Olsen, Dan Kapanke, and Rob Cowles.

Jazz Jubilee A ‘Success’

7/11/11 - Organizers with the Bunny Berigan Jazz Jubilee are calling this year’s event a success. The annual event in Fox Lake pays tribute to hometown legend Bunny Berigan. In 2009, the Jubilee was trimmed down to one day because of the economy but organizer Julie Flemming says this year’s event brought in enough money to hold a three-day festival again in 2012. The Jubilee this past May included performances by Bunny’s nephew Kaye Berigan, along with the Rhythm Aces, Talk of the Town and also the final performance of the Bunny Berigan Memorial Band led by the Rev. Al Townsend. Flemming says Wisconsin-natives Bob Schulz and Bob Hirsch of California will be returning with a new line-up as part of the Bunny Berigan Jubilee Band. Flemming says next year’s Jazz Jubilee will also, no doubt, feature a tribute to Bunny’s daughter. Joyce Berigan Hansen – who was said to be a big fan of her dad’s legendary swing music – passed away on the Fourth of July at the age of 74. The Bunny Berigan Jazz Jubilee will be held next year on May 18, 19, and 20 with the theme “Where History and Music Will Come Together.”

BD Woman Gets Eight Months For Smuggling

7/11/11 - A Beaver Dam woman who smuggled drugs into the Waupun Correctional Institution will spend eight months in jail. Annalise Paige Buhrow-Cram pleaded “no contest” late last week to a felony count of Possessing Drugs With Intent to Deliver and had another felony count of Delivering Illegal Articles to an Inmate dismissed but read into the record. According to the criminal complaint, corrections officers saw the 21-year-old place two pills of methadone on the hamburger of an inmate she was visiting in January. Another four pills was then discovered inside a baggie hidden in her bra. Buhrow-Cram was also placed on probation for four years.

Walker, Evers Working On New Assessment Plan

7/11/11 - Political foes Scott Walker and Tony Evers are working together to create a new way to hold Wisconsin's public schools accountable. Governor Walker and state education superintendent Evers agree the federal No Child Left Behind law isn't working. The two say they had to find common ground. They plan to create a team of educators to develop the new accountability system, with discussions starting this fall and a final version ready to go by next spring. The plan is to include private schools this time. All sides agree political differences need to be set aside to benefit Wisconsin students.

West Bend Bank Robbery Suspect Just Released

7/11/11 - He'd only been out of prison for two days, but authorities say that's when 35-year-old Russell Smith robbed a bank. Smith is accused of cutting off his electronic monitoring bracelet a day after meeting with his probation officer. Then, authorities say he stole a bunch of beer. After drinking at a park, he reportedly went to a nearby Walmart, stole a bike, a backpack, a BB gun and a tent, before drinking for the rest of the day. Arresting officers say Smith rode that stolen bicycle to M&I bank in West Bend, handing a note to a teller demanding money and showing the BB gun. He was stopped and arrested while riding near Lake Lucas a few minutes later.

New Stink Bug Turning Up In Wisconsin

7/11/11 - Scientists say a new species of stink bugs will soon start having an impact on Wisconsin agriculture. The brown marmorated stink bug is being found in Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin, having migrated from the East Coast. The bugs feed by inserting a sharp probe into the fruit of seed pots and suck out the juices. There are dozens of native stink bugs living in this country that don't cause problems, but it's believed this new species arrived from Asia sometime in the last 15 to 20 years.