Top Stories August 11th

American Hero’s Music Festival Seeks Parade Entries

8/11/11 - The American Hero’s Music Festival will return to Beaver Dam for a third year on the weekend of September 11. The event is organized Joe Cantafio, the cousin of fallen Beaver Dam-soldier Ryan Cantafio who was killed in Iraq on Thanksgiving in 2004. Joe Cantafio says the festival is an opportunity to celebrate not only his cousin, but also first responders, gold star mothers and the other area soldiers who died fighting for our freedom. The event is also organized by the Exchange Club and Mayor Tom Kennedy says he is glad to see his fellow Exchange Club members rise to the challenge of providing an even bigger festival this year complete with another parade through the downtown to the event site at Swan Park. Music entertainment on the state includes Oil Can Harry, Alexis, Crystal Waters, The Elwood Lee Band and Joe Cantafio and the 101st Rock Division Band. The American Hero’s Music Festival will be held on Friday, September 9 from 5pm to 10:30pm and on Saturday, September 10 from 11am to 10:30pm. The parade kicks things off on Saturday and set-up is in the lower Tower Parking Lot. Parade entries are being accepted through August 24. The Exchange Club is looking for patriotically-themed entries, bands, military vehicles. Contact information is on our website. Don Laabs 887-1253 or Kay Appenfeldt 887-1693

Sheriffs Department Training New K9 Unit

8/11/11 - The Dodge County Sheriffs Department will have not one but two K9’s on the beat soon. Sheriff Todd Nehls told us on WBEV’s Community Comment yesterday that the dogs began training this week. Paige is a 9-month-old black lab from River Velvet Retrievers in Horicon. Ziva is a 16-month-old black lab that was discovered at the Dodge County Humane Society…surrendered by owners forced to move from their home to an apartment that doesn’t allow pets. Master trainers call them a perfect fit. There have been some donations from the public for bullet-proof dog vests and veterinary services, but Nehls says the bulk of their $18,000 K9 program is being funded through excess money from his 2010 budget. Ziva and Paige will be sworn-in during the Dodge County Fair next Friday, August 19 at 5pm at the WBEV-WXRO Radio Park Stage, right before the 16th Annual Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Contest.

Mustskis Heading To Nationals

8/11/11 - The Beaverland Mustskis Water-ski Team has been invited to compete in the Division 1 Nationals in Janesville on Sunday. There are 14 teams competing from three different national regions in the 37th National Show Ski Association Championships this weekend. The Mustskis should take to the water around 3:30 pm on Sunday – give or take 45 minutes. The public is invited and encouraged to attend. In competitive show skiing, each club has one hour to present a theatrical performance on water skis. Judges score acts by awarding points based on originality, presentation and execution. Elaborate costumes and staging intermix with music and fast action on the water as an announcer leads the audience through the show. Due to the national competition, there will be no show this Sunday at Tahoe Park in Beaver Dam. The team competitions will be available to view via live Webcast beginning at 7:30 am Saturday morning. Links are on our website. http://waterski.teamusa.org/live Members of the Beaverland Mustski’s will join us live on WBEV’s Community Comment this afternoon immediately following our conversation with 2007 Dodge County Fairest of the Fair Katie Rhodes. Rhodes is working with the Dodge County UW Extension 4-H program and will be bringing some of the kids on to talk about their involvement in next weeks Dodge County Fair.

Dem’s Targeting Walker

8/11/11 - Losing four out of six of Tuesday's recall elections isn't stopping the Wisconsin Democratic Party from pursuing a recall of Republican Governor Scott Walker. Party Chairman Mike Tate issued a statement Wednesday calling Walker vulnerable because two of the six recalls fell into Democratic favor. Tate specified November 2012 as the target date for an attempt at recalling the Governor who has become nationally known for his tough campaign against collective bargaining.

FDL Man Killed in Industrial Accident

8/11/11 - An industrial accident at Sadoff and Rudoy Industries in Fond du Lac yesterday morning claimed the life of a 34-year-old Fond du Lac man. Fire Chief Peter O’Leary says when they arrived Daniel Lehner was entrapped in a piece of machinery. They were able to free him from it, but he died at the scene. Police are continuing their investigation into the accident, which was reported at 8:16 a.m.

Jackson Man Seriously Injured in Crash

8/11/11 - A 53-year-old Jackson man is in critical condition at Froedtert Hospital following a motorcycle accident in Washington County Tuesday night. Sheriff’s officials say Charles Jones was injured when he tried to stop or slow his bike suddenly on Highway 175 and was thrown off of it. He wasn’t wearing a helmet. A passerby saw the motorcycle and discovered Jones near it. The accident in the Town of Polk was reported just before 9 p.m. Tuesday night. (KFIZ, Fond du Lac)

Police Say Race Played a Factor in State Fair Incidents

8/11/11 - West Allis police say their investigation shows race was a factor in 11 violent incidents at the Wisconsin State Fair a week ago tonight. The 11 incidents included nine assaults, a robbery and an attempted robbery. All of the victims were white or Hispanic and all the attackers were described as African-American. At least 11 people were injured opening night at the fair. More than 30 were arrested. The events of that night led to stepped up security, including state and local law enforcement officials.

Two Bodies Found in Washburn County Home

8/11/11 - The discovery of one death has led to another. Shortly after the body of 67-year-old Michael Egan was found in his Washburn County home, cadaver dogs found the remains of his mother. Egan had been dead about a week when a postal worker told authorities nobody was picking up the mail at his home in Stone Lake. The search revealed his mother’s body on a couch under some rags, sleeping bags and plastic. Investigators think Egan concealed his mother’s death so he could keep getting her monthly social security checks. It isn’t clear how long Elizabeth Egan might have been dead, but no one had seen her since 2005.

One Person Arrested at Scene of Large Marijuana Growing Operation

8/11/11 - Authorities say they arrested one man at the scene of a large marijuana growing operation and are looking for four more. A spokesperson from the U.S. Attorney’s office says the site in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest had thousands of plants over several acres. It included a camp for the people who were cultivating the marijuana as well as several loaded firearms. All the pot was destroyed. Authorities were tipped to the existence of the operation by a hunter last November. This is not the first time authorities were able to find a big marijuana growing operation in the huge forest in northern Wisconsin. Charges have not yet been filed against the man who was arrested.

State Companies Get Federal Technology Grants

8/11/11 - Three Wisconsin companies have received a total of six million dollars in federal grants to work on technologies to improve vehicle fuel economy. Johnson Controls, Eaton Corporation and Wisconsin Engine Research Consultants are among 40 companies getting more than 175 million dollars over the next five years. When private investment is included, a total of 300 million dollars is being devoted to the effort to help cars use less gasoline. Johnson Controls is trying to develop a new approach to cut the cost of making batteries which would go into electric cars by half.