Top Stories, July 24th

Authorities Investigating Allenton Dealership Burglary

7/24/11 - Washington County authorities are investigating a burglary at a car dealership in Allenton that resulted in five stolen cars. It happened at M & J Auto and RV and occurred sometime between 11pm Thursday and 8am Friday morning. In addition to the five missing vehicles, a motor scooter was also stolen. The offices were ransacked and computer equipment and other electronics were taken along with keys and titles for every car on the lot. Owners are estimating the cost for just changing locks, getting new keys made and replacing the vehicle titles at around $20,000. The business is estimating the crime itself is going to cost them around $100,000. They are offering a $2,500 reward for any information that leads to an arrest and conviction. The vehicles stolen include a 2007 Toyota Camry, a 2007 Ford Edge, a 2006 Jeep Liberty, a 2006 Chevy Trailblazer, a 2005 Chevy Malibu and a 2006 United Motors Scooter. Information in the crime should be directed to the Washington County Sheriffs Department.

Search Continues For Missing Ixonia Man

7/24/11 - The Jefferson County Sheriffs Department continues their search for a missing Ixonia man. 28-year-old Beau Butschke has been missing since last Thursday, July 14. He has light brown hair and green eyes, weighs about 130 pounds and is around 5 feet 9 inches tall. Butschke’s red 1991 Toyota pick-up is also missing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office Detectives Division. (920-674-7310)

Sensient Earnings Outlook Rosy

7/24/11 - Sensient Technologies has raised its earnings outlook for the year after reporting second-quarter net income increased 16.7%, thanks to strong sales and favorable currency exchange. The Milwaukee-based producer of flavors, fragrances and colors said net income was $33.5 million, or 67 cents a share, up from $28.7 million, or 58 cents, a year earlier. Sales rose 12.9%, to $377 million. Analysts were expecting earnings of 63 cents a share for the quarter and $2.36 for the year. Sensient – which is one of the city of Juneau’s biggest employers – now expects to earn $2.32 to $2.37 a share for the year. Previous guidance called for earnings of $2.28 to $2.34 a share. Company officials say favorable currency exchange rates were responsible for a 6% increase in sales and operating profits for the quarter.

Manpower Quarterly Profits Double

7/24/11 - The Milwaukee job-placement firm of Manpower Incorporated said its quarterly profits more than doubled from a year ago. That’s because of a global demand for putting workers in new jobs – even if they’re not full-time. Manpower is reported a net income of almost 73-million dollars from April through June. That’s up from 33 million in the same quarter of 2010. Manpower’s total revenues jumped 24-percent to almost five-point-seven billion dollars. And in terms of constant foreign currency, revenues grew 12-percent from the previous year. Manpower C-E-O Jeff Joerres says all of its markets throughout the world are showing higher demands for temporary workers. Companies that are uncertain about adding full-time employees have been looking to Manpower to provide temporary personnel.

Wisconsin Search Engine Purchased By Aussie Company

7/24/11 - An Australian food advertising network has bought a Wisconsin company which operates a search engine for recipes. RecipeBridge has been told for an undisclosed amount of money to Gourmet Ads. The site reports more than 100 thousand unique visitors every month and has more than 1-point-7 million available dishes compiled from hundreds of recipe sites on the Internet.

IRS Warning Of Tax Return Scam

7/24/11 - The Internal Revenue Service says Wisconsinites are affected by a scam that involves the filing of tax returns. Christopher Miller of the I-R-S says the agency is discovering false withholdings of Social Security benefits listed on returns as a tax deduction. He says refunds are not allowed in those cases, because such withholdings do not take place. Miller says he’s especially concerned about tax preparers who offer to file false returns for a fee. He says those offers should be a red flag. The I-R-S says you should know about every number on your tax return, even if somebody else prepares it. Miller says the scam is getting more common throughout the Midwest and South – and those caught can be fined five-thousand-dollars. He says information on avoiding such scams is available online at I-R-S-Dot-Gov, or by calling the Wisconsin I-R-S office in Milwaukee.

Attorney Sentenced For Robbing Bank

7/24/11 - A disbarred attorney from Waukesha County has been sentenced to five years in a state prison for robbing a bank. That’s after 62-year-old Peter Elliott of the town of Summit was sentenced to 10 years in a federal lock-up last fall for bilking a client’s trust account. In the state case, Elliott must also serve five years under extended supervision once he’s no longer behind bars. He struck a plea deal in which he pleaded guilty to a bank robbery charge in exchange for a lighter sentence. He got away with 95-hundred-dollars in a hold-up at the Town Bank in summit in mid-June of last year. He said he used 26-hundred-dollars to help pay for his daughter’s vehicle – and the rest was used for living expenses and utility bills that were past due. When his federal sentence is done, Elliott will move to a state facility to serve the sentence.

More Evidence Of Carp Breach

7/24/11 - More D-N-A evidence has been discovered showing that the invasive Asian carp has broken through an electronic barrier designed to keep the fish out of Lake Michigan. The Army Corps of Engineers said two samples taken July 12th showed evidence of the bloated carp in Lake Calumet, about six miles south of Lake Michigan. That’s after nine other positive D-N-A samples were taken last month from Lake Calumet and other canals around Chicago. Corps officials insist that the barrier’s working fine, and there’s been no physical evidence of Asian carp close to Lake Michigan other than one found last fall at Lake Calumet. Wisconsin officials have asked that the link between Lake Michigan and the carp-infested Mississippi River be closed, to prevent the carp from taking control of the lake and its natural fish and plants.

FSA Nomination Deadline Looming

7/24/11 - Nominations are being accepted though August 1 for the Dodge County Farm Service Agency County Committee election. The FSA administers federal agricultural production, farm loan, conservation and emergency programs annually in Wisconsin through a network of 58 local offices. Locally elected committee’s of farmer’s and/ or landowners that serve staggered, three-year terms oversee each office. This fall, the townships of Beaver Dam, Burnett, Calamus, Chester, Fox Lake, Oak Grove, Trenton and Westford will be holding their election for a FSA County committee member representative. Dodge County FSA Director Susan Blachowiak says farmers can nominate themselves or another producer to run for a seat on the county committee. Blachowiak says the locally elected committees help make national farm programs fit the needs of local farmers by bringing local expertise and knowledge to the USDA’s daily programs and services. Eligible voters may circulate or sign nomination petitions for as many candidates as they choose, including themselves. The deadline for submitting nominations to the local FSA office is one week from tomorrow (Mon). Ballots will be mailed to eligible voters in November and must be in by December so newly-elected committee members and alternates can be seated in January.