Top Stories July 29th

Chamber Closes on Depot Location

7/29/11 - The Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce has officially ownership of the building where its offices are located. The city sold the building to the Chamber for $1 but will retain the option to re-purchase if the property ever goes back on the market. The Chamber of Commerce has been leasing the depot from the city for 25 years. Executive Director Phil Fritsche says their Board of Directors wanted to own the building before spending money on needed renovations being planned in conjunction with their 100-year anniversary in 2013.

The Beaver Dam Chamber is located in the former train depot on South Spring Street. Once a stop on the rail line between Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, it was closed in the years following World War II and was acquired by the city about ten years later. For years it served as the Dodge County Historical Society Museum before they moved next door to the former Williams Free Library and the Chamber set up shop in 1986.

Waupun Man Found Guilty in 1973 Murder

7/29/11 - A southeast Wisconsin man was found guilty yesterday of killing the daughter of an F-B-I agent in Arizona 38 years ago. 57-year-old William Zamastil of Waupun faces life-in-prison when he’s sentenced October fifth. Prosecutors said Zamastil may have abducted Leesa Jo Shaner from the airport in Tucson in May of 1973, while she was waiting to pick up her husband. Authorities said Shaner was raped, and her remains were found in a shallow grave in September of ’73 at Arizona’s Fort Huachuca. Investigators identified Zamastil as a suspect after he was sent to prison for the rape-and-murder of a Wisconsin woman in 1979. A federal grand jury indicted him in 2009 for Shaner’s murder.


Court Enters Not Guilty Plea for Clark

7/29/11 - A Beaver Dam woman charged with felony child abuse stood mute during an arraignment hearing yesterday (Th) and the court entered a “not guilty” plea on her behalf. 40-year-old Michelle Clark is accused of punching and kicking a young child. A teacher notified authorities last December after the kid came to school with a bloody lip and with a scratched and red face. The child told investigators that Clark hits her a lot after she drinks, has punched her in the head, stomach and privates and says she once blacked-out after being struck in the head with a dumbbell. Clark denied the allegations and said the child had been acting up lately. She could spend up to six years in prison if convicted.

Wiard in Court

7/29/11 - A Horicon man accused of burglarizing a Horicon tavern over the Fourth of July weekend entered a “not guilty” plea at arraignment yesterday (Th). Police arrested Daniel Wiard on charges of domestic battery during the early morning hours of July 3 and en route to the jail, arresting officers got word that Danny Boy’s Tavern in Horicon had been burglarized. The next day investigators reviewed video footage from that night and the bartender identified the suspect as a guy named “Dan” who was new to town. Wiard moved to town last month. Police executed a search warrant at his residence and recovered $2600 in small bills and a Brewers Jersey that had been on a wall in the establishment. According to the criminal complaint, the 30-year-old waited in the women’s bathroom until everyone left for the night, loaded-up a garbage can full of items from the bar, dragged the garbage can home on his bike, and then dumped the garbage can full of stolen items out in his living room. That sparked a fight with his mother that resulted in his arrest on the domestic abuse charges. When questioned in jail about the break-in, Wiard reportedly said (quote) “I’m guilty of [burglarizing] whatever the bar’s name is and I’m willing to do my time.” The former North Dakota man is being held on a $10,000 cash bond. If convicted on charges of Felony Burglary and Theft and misdemeanor Criminal Damage To Property, the charges alone carry a maximum prison sentence of over 15 years.

4th Heat Wave Related Death Confirmed

7/29/11 - Wisconsin health officials have confirmed another death from last week’s heat wave. An 87-year-old Reedsburg woman was found dead in a mobile home without air conditioning. The Sauk County coroner has ruled that the woman’s death was caused by the searing heat spell. Temperatures last week went above 100 in some parts of Wisconsin – and the heat index got as high as 127. The other three confirmed heat deaths were in Marquette, Columbia, and Crawford counties. All the victims were 65-or-older, and at least two had underlying medical conditions. A possible fifth heat-related death was still being investigated this week in Polk County. In that case, a 25-year-old man left a vehicle and walked home during the intense heat.

Former CEO Not Mentally Capable of Helping With Defense

7/29/11 - 7/29/11 - A retired C-E-O of Wisconsin’s largest electric utility is not mentally capable of helping with his own defense in an attempted murder case. That’s what a Washington County judge ruled Thursday in the case of 85-year-old Charles McNeer. The Hartford man underwent a mental competency exam soon after he was charged with Attempted Homicide for allegedly trying to kill his wife Ann in late June. Circuit Judge Todd Martens said McNeer showed improvement during his treatment at the Mendota Mental Health Institute in Madison. The judge said McNeer is likely to become mentally competent to stand trial at some point – and another court hearing is set for September sixth to see how McNeer’s doing. Mendota specialists diagnosed McNeer with major but treatable depression. Authorities said he struck his wife several times in the head with a hammer, because his own health was failing and he did not think his wife could live without him. McNeer was Wisconsin Energy’s chairman from 1975 through ’91.

Hard Landing for Jet at the EAA

7/29/11 - One of the two F-16 jets performing at the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh suffered a hard landing late yesterday morning. A witness to the incident tells us it looked like the jet was coming in too fast and its brakes failed. The jet simply ran out of runway. The pilot was able to safely escape and jogged away from the scene. Since it was an Air Force jet an investigation into the incident will be handled by the Department of Defense. (KFIZ, Fond du Lac)

State Employee Released from Jail After Balloon Popping Incident

7/29/11 - An assistant director in the Division of State Facilities was released after he was arrested for allegedly shoving a protestor against a door and popping her balloon. 56-year-old Ronald Blair was booked on a possible charge of endangering safety with a dangerous weapon. Dane County’s chief prosecutor said he would review the case before making a decision on charges. Blair is not commenting on Monday’s incident, which happened during the daily sing-along at the State Capitol by protestors upset about the law that limits union bargaining. Leslie Peterson said she was getting ready to pose for a picture during the demonstration when Blair popped her balloon several times with a knife. And when she asked for his name to consider a complaint, Peterson said he shoved her against a door. Blood was found at the scene, but Blair told officers he stabbed his hand on a stairway before the incident. The balloons have become a symbol of the Capitol’s pro-union protests. Peterson told the Wisconsin State Journal yesterday that she feels bad it came down to this – and she said the protest was meant to be peaceful.

Redistricting Lawsuit Thrown Out, More Expected

7/29/11 - One lawsuit challenging redistricting in Wisconsin has been dismissed, but another is still pending. A three-judge panel issued a ruling yesterday (Th) saying there was no need to step in to the middle of the dispute over redistricting right now. Former state Senate Majority Leader Judy Robson had filed a request last month to reopen a federal case from 10 years ago that ended with the courts redrawing Wisconsin’s district boundaries after the 2000 U.S. Census. Republicans had the votes to approve redistricting earlier this month, redrawing boundaries for the area represented by all 132 state legislators and eight members of the congressional delegation. Democrats have called the new boundary lines unfair, calling them a naked power grab. The governor hasn’t signed the new maps into law yet.

Oshkosh Corp. Focusing on Non-Military Business

7/29/11 - The Oshkosh Corporation says it’s working to grow its non-military business, after its profits took a 68-percent plunge from a year ago. The company reports a net income of 68-million-dollars from April-through-June, down from 211-million at the same time a year ago. That was when Oshkosh was scrambling to keep up with the military’s demand for mine-resistant vehicles in Iraq-and-Afghanistan. But now, the U-S is scaling back its presence in both those countries. And Oshkosh C-E-O Charles Szews said is quote, “executing on a facility optimization strategy to become more efficient across our entire company.” He says Oshkosh might seek new acquisitions starting next year, as its defense business tapers off. Its defense revenues fell 35-percent in the last quarter compared to a year ago. Revenues for fire and emergency vehicles dropped by two-point-seven percent, as municipal budgets remain tight. And access equipment revenues were down 18-percent. Szews said its next fiscal year, which starts in October, would be difficult in light of the hurdles caused by the economy and the federal budget. Billionaire investor Carl Icahn declared a nine-and-a-half percent share of the Oshkosh Corporation last month, and he wants to talk with the firm about improving its value to stockholders. The company’s stock has dropped by over 18-percent so far this year.

Numbers of Same-Sex Couples on the Rise in Wisconsin

7/29/11 - The number of same-sex couples is way up in Wisconsin. Statistics from the 2010 U.S. Census show more than 13 thousand same-sex couples are currently living in the state. Milwaukee County has about three thousand, while almost 700 were counted in Waukesha County. The figures represent a growth of almost 58 percent. In the last census in 2000, Wisconsin recorded about 82 hundred same-sex couples.

Council to Consider Action Against Sheboygan Mayor

7/29/11 - The Sheboygan City Council will consider a resolution on Monday night calling on Mayor Bob Ryan to step down after his latest alcohol relapse. But the first-term mayor says he won’t quit on his own. He told a Sheboygan radio station yesterday that he’s sorry for what happened but feels he can (quote) “lead the city better than anybody can.” For the first time, Ryan said he would not refute what witnesses said about his three-day drinking binge in Elkhart Lake last weekend. He admitted passing out in a bar and getting into a scuffle with a tavern patron – but he insisted he did not start that incident. It was the third time since he was elected mayor in 2009 that Ryan had a public episode with alcohol. And Ryan said quote, “I’m to the point if it happens again, I need to walk away.” The mayor said what he did was indefensible – and while alcoholism is part of his history he says it does affect his ability to lead the city. If he does not step down, the Sheboygan City Council president said he might face punishment ranging from censure to removal…if someone files a complaint.