Top Stories July 1st

Storms Roll Through, Heat Sets in Today

7/1/11 - A man was killed near Kenosha last night when a tree fell onto the motorcycle he was riding during a heavy wind-storm. The storm pounded the Lake Michigan shore from Milwaukee-to-Chicago. Sheriff’s deputies said the 31-year-old man was struck just before 8:15 and died later at a hospital. Several others were injured in Kenosha, as winds gusted up to 75-miles-an-hour. Two people were hurt when they touched live electric wires. A woman suffered a broken hip when she was hit by debris from a shed. Kenosha Mayor Keith Bosman says the damage was still being assessed overnight – and it might take a few days to clean up the debris. The storm came on the first day of what forecasters say will be two days of intense heat. Up to 22-thousand electric customers were without power at the height of the storm. In Racine, the airport had winds of 82-miles-an-hour. And C-130 military plane that was on display spun by 45-to-50 degrees. As the storm moved south into Illinois, winds hit 94-miles-an-hour in Waukegan, and Chicago’s skyscrapers were pelted with golf-ball-sized hail. In western Wisconsin yesterday, the heat index hit 116 at Onalaska, just north of La Crosse. A heat advisory is in effect from noon-to-8 today for all of Wisconsin but the far northeast, with highs expected in the 90’s everywhere but Lake Superior. There’s a chance of more storms tonight and early tomorrow, and cooler highs in the 80’s are projected for tomorrow.

It’s likely we’ll smash the record high temperature for July 1st. Forecasters are predicting highs in the low to mid 90’s, which would easily break the record in Juneau of 89 degrees set in 1975. Heat indexes are expected to range 100 to 110. We are under a heat advisory from noon until 8pm today.

Watertown Man Killed in Accident

7/1/11 - Two people, including a Watertown man, were killed in separate accidents in Jefferson County yesterday. Just after 5:45 p-m, Sheriff’s deputies say a 31-year-old driver was going north on County Trunk “Y” near Watertown when his pick-up truck veered to the left, went into a yard, and hit the tree. The driver died at the scene. Less than three-hours before that the driver of a minivan was southbound on County Highway A west of Fort Atkinson when he drifted across the centerline and into the northbound ditch, striking a large tree. The 69-year-old Sumner man was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. Neither drivers name was immediately released.

Nelson Sentenced

7/1/11 - Former New Holstein school superintendent Christopher Nelson, who also spent time as a school administrator in Beaver Dam and Randolph, was sentenced yesterday to five years in prison for trying to arrange sex with a teenager. The 59-year-old Nelson pleaded guilty a month ago to a Milwaukee County charge of using a computer to facilitate a sex crime. He admitted that he arranged sex while chatting with whom he thought was a 15-year-old boy on the Internet. The boy turned out to be a Milwaukee police detective. The judge noted that Nelson’s accomplishments, lack of criminal record, cooperation and remorse weren’t enough for him to avoid the 5-year minimum sentence for his crime. Meanwhile, Nelson still has five child pornography charges pending in his home county of Calumet. Nelson pleaded innocent in that case last month, and he’s due back in court July 18th. Nelson spent 20 years in the Randolph school district before moving to Beaver Dam in 1994 where he served as Assistant Principal until 2000.

Busy Thursday Morning for BDFD

7/1/11 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department had a busy Thursday morning responding to at least three calls before noon. At about 9:45 a-m they were called out to the Beaver Dam Country Club for a report of a tractor on fire. By the time they were able to reach it the mower was fully engulfed. They did manage to put the fire out but the machine was totaled. After responding to a false alarm at Beaver Dam Community Hospital, crews were called out to North Spring Street for a two-vehicle accident where a car and motorcycle collided. The male driver of the motorcycle was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The crash is still under investigation.

Waupun Facing Budget Deficit

7/1/11 - Despite major cuts and staff concessions the Waupun School District is still facing a $927,000 deficit for the 2011-2012 school year. That’s according to Business Services Director John Stellmacher who says they cut 2.3-million in staffing and benefits, and also dropped 19 teaching positions. The deficit is being caused by a number of things. That includes a loss of $2.1-million in revenue due to declining enrollments and state aid cuts. The rest of deficit is based on implementation of four-year-old kindergarten, increased retirement and unemployment costs and an increase in gas prices. One piece of good news for district taxpayers is a projected 3-cent decrease in the mill rate from $10.72 to $10.69. Stellmacher says the balance of the deficit will have to be made up with the districts fund balance.

State Budget Takes Effect

7/1/11 - Everyone’s lives in Wisconsin will change – at least a little – since the new state budget took effect at midnight. Republican Governor Scott Walker has said it will be easier to find a job, due to the tax breaks he approved for new-and-expanding businesses. But a U-W Madison think tank says many jobs Walker created so far don’t pay much. And if you lose a job, the budget forces you to wait an extra week to apply for unemployment benefits. Walker and his Republicans held the line on state-and-local taxes. But with a billion-dollars in state aid cuts, public schools and local governments say you won’t get all the services to which you’re accustomed – even with their savings in labor costs due to the new union bargaining limits. Political candidates will be on their own in raising money, as public financing disappears. And big donors can give up to 10-thousand-dollars to Supreme Court candidates instead of a-thousand. Critics say people will try to buy their brand of justice. But most of all, Republicans say you won’t have to worry about new taxes to cover huge state deficits every two years. The new budget carries over a much smaller amount of expenses into the following budget period in mid-2013.

Ron Johnson Gets His Way

7/1/11 - U-S Senator Ron Johnson got what he wanted this Thursday morning, when the Senate scrapped its plans to take next week off – and will instead try to reach a federal budget deal. The Wisconsin Republican made several public statements over the last couple days that his colleagues should skip their July Fourth holiday week. They’ll be off Monday, but will return on Tuesday. Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid announced the change-of-heart, saying there’s “work to do.” Johnson said it’s important for lawmakers to stay in session and address what he calls the nation’s “looming fiscal crisis.” But there’s still a huge disagreement over what should be done. President Obama wants to cut spending by one-point-three billion dollars over 10 years, and raise taxes on the wealthy by over 400-billion-dollars. And in the meantime, he wants the federal debt ceiling raised to avoid the government from defaulting on August second. But Republicans reject any calls for higher taxes – and they want more in spending cuts. Johnson blames excessive federal spending for the nation’s fiscal problems – and he says Congress cannot waste any time scaling it back. The G-O-P-controlled House has approved a general blueprint of concepts for the next budget. Democrats who control the Senate have not come up with their own package yet.

Float Controversy in Oak Creek

7/1/11 - A float that features an emotional scene from the 9-11 terrorist attacks has become embroiled in Wisconsin’s union politics. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said Oak Creek fire lieutenant Matt Gorniak was taken aback, when the Racine fire union refused to march with the float in Monday’s Fourth-of-July parade. Gorniak said it was because he pulled out of the State Fire-fighters Association this past spring. And while he still makes payments to cover negotiating costs, he’s no longer helping to fund other union activities. Leaders of the Racine fire union refused comment. But veteran Racine fire-fighter Mike Gabbey said the remembrance of 9-11 – and the float’s salute to firefighters – should have nothing to do with union politics. And he told the Journal Sentinel there will be a huge public backlash. The float depicts the classic photo of three fire-fighters raising the American flag in the rubble of the World Trade Center. Gorniak said crowds gave thunderous applause when the float appeared in three Milwaukee County parades in 2002. Racine Fire Chief Steve Hansen said the float was a good idea. But he couldn’t make his officers be on it, so he had the union handle it. Gorniak said the union was for all it, until they learned of his withdrawal from the state association. He said he pulled because he agrees with Governor Scott Walker – and he couldn’t stand the protests over the law that limits collective bargaining. Fire unions are exempt from that law.

Citizen’s Academy Wrap Up

7/1/11 - The Beaver Dam Citizens Police Academy this week wrapped up its 10-week course with a graduation banquet. Over 100 city residents, business leaders and alderpersons have gone through the program in the eight years the class has been held. Sessions focused on topics like firearms training, self defense, OWI procedures and drug investigations and while there was some time spent in the classroom, much of the focus was on table-top exercises, crime simulations and real world application. Patrick Beilfuss says his fellow cadets have a relationship with officers now that is almost like family and he looks forward to joining the Academy’s Alumni Association to continue what he started.

Meanwhile, Beaver Dam Police Chief Ron Smith says he wanted to personally attend all ten session of this year’s Citizens Police Academy because of the great things he’s heard about the class. He says he’s never heard of cadets starting their own Alumni Association and he found that fascinating. Smith commends his officers for putting on a class that has created such an interest in the community that cadets stay with the program and volunteer to assist in police activities years after their graduation. And the chief says he’ll do everything in his power to make sure the Citizens Police Academy is available to the public again next year.

4th of July Travel Expected to be Down

7/1/11 - The number of Wisconsinites taking off for the July Fourth weekend will be almost three-percent less than a year ago. The Triple-“A” says around 826-thousand Badger State residents plan to travel at least 50-miles from home. Nationally, two-and-a-half percent fewer Americans plan to hit-the-road for Independence Day. Forty-four percent of them said high gas prices made them less independent. The Wisconsin Triple-“A” says the average price is 3.53-a-gallon today for unleaded regular. That’s down a half-penny from yesterday, and it’s 33-cents less than a month ago. Officials say the busiest travel hours will be from noon-to-8 p-m both tomorrow and on Monday. Last year was pretty safe. Only one person died in a state highway crash during the Fourth in 2010. The state has 20 major road construction projects at the moment – and the biggest freeway projects near Milwaukee were completed this week. Others will shut down from noon tomorrow until Tuesday. You can get an updated list by calling 5-1-1, or going online at 511WI-Dot-Gov.

Cost of Powerball Increasing

7/1/11 - If you play Powerball, you might want to put a little more money aside for it. The price of a ticket will double starting in mid-January, to two-dollars. The starting jackpot will double from 20-million dollars to 40-million. And it will be a little easier to win, because the Powerball will be chosen from 35 numbers instead of 39. The five regular numbers will still be from 1-to-59. But the odds of winning any prize will drop from one-in-35, to one-in-31-point-eight. Powerball will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year, and that’s why the changes are coming. The jackpot has been hit five times so far this year – most recently last night, when a player in Georgia matched all the numbers to win 77-point-one million dollars. Wisconsin players did not have much luck. They won nothing more than 300-dollars last night. Powerball is played in Wisconsin and 41 other states, Washington D-C, and the U-S Virgin Islands.