Top Stories August 2nd

Monona Man Injured in Train v SUV Crash

8/2/11 - A 24-year-old Monona man was injured last night after his vehicle was hit by a train a couple miles outside of Fox Lake. Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls says Kyle Hamilton was southbound on Highway C around 6:15 p-m when he drove onto the railroad tracks and was hit by an eastbound Wisconsin & Southern train. Hamilton’s car was pushed nearly 1,000 feet and had to be extricated from his vehicle. He was flown by MedFlight to UW-Hospital with what Nehls called non-life threatening injuries. Nehls says their investigation is ongoing but they believe Hamilton was impaired and driving onto the tracks wasn’t intentional, unlike several other train incidents in recent years. The rail crossing is controlled by yield signs. The train was made up of 36-cars, 31 of which were carry hazardous materials. However, Nehls says none of those were damaged.

Two Charged in Butschke’s Death

8/2/11 - Bond was set at a million-dollars yesterday afternoon for each of two men charged in the slaying of a Jefferson County man who turned up dead in a storage facility. 51-year-old James Richardson of Watertown and 19-year-old James Richards of Oconomowoc both appeared in a Jefferson County Circuit Court to face charges of homicide, hiding a corpse, and theft. They’re are due back in court two weeks from yesterday, when a judge will decide if there’s enough evidence to order trials in the death of 28-year-old Beau Butschke. Prosecutors said Butschke was shot with his own 22-caliber rifle which the defendants stole a few weeks ago. They allegedly left Butschke in a shed at the Ski Slide Storage facility in Ixonia in mid-July. And then prosecutors said the two went to the victim’s apartment to eat beer-and-bratwurst they stole from there. Sheriff’s officials said Richardson was Butschke’s neighbor in a duplex where both lived in Ixonia – and the two had previous arguments over Richardson’s failure to maintain his half of the property. Police said Richards was arrested early yesterday when he asked Janesville Police where he could sleep for the night. Officers said he later confessed to the crimes, and told police where they could find Richardson.

Council Adopts Downtown Sign Ordinance

8/2/11 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night approved an ordinance that governs signage in the downtown redevelopment area. With the recent establishment of a Landmark Commission overseeing future improvements to downtown buildings, the Common Council last night approved the rules for signs and façade changes to make sure those alterations comply with a historic, turn-of-the-century century theme. Landmark Commission Chair Michael Firchow says the ordinance does not require existing property owners to make changes but will govern any future improvements. The ordinance passed with four dissenting votes. Alderwoman Dona Maly says it’s too confusing for your average person to understand. Alderman Robert Ballweg says it’s too restrictive and does not allow downtown business owners to make minor changes without incurring costs. Firchow pointed out that the ordinance allows for an appeals process. The ordinance replaces a sign moratorium that was put in place last year until the commission was established.

Madison Street Bridge Reinforcement Issue Revived

8/2/11 - The Beaver Dam Operations Committee revived discussion on strengthening the Madison Street Bridge. Three cars have crashed through the railing of the bridge in just over one year, the most recent occurring on July 23. Officials last night discussed the possibility of installing a concrete parapet at a ballpark cost of $500 a foot. Alderwoman Donna Fuhrman started the discussion by asking how many cars have to crash into the river before the city changes it. Alderman Mick McConaghy said he’s a lifelong resident and this has not been a chronic problem over the years. Alderman Rob Radig questioned why we would spend anymore tax money than necessary to keep fixing a problem caused by impaired drivers. Operations Committee Chair Laine Meyer says he is against reinforcing a 20-foot length of bridge because someone will just wind up crashing into the river at the 21-foot mark. Meyer wants to see both sides of the bridge reconstructed to match the new, historic bridge parapets on the nearby South Center Street Bridge. Alderman Robert Ballweg asked that more options be brought to the committee for consideration and then made the motion to place the general project on the Capital Improvements Program list for next year.

Car Registration Fee Rejected

8/2/11 - City residents in Beaver Dam will not be paying a $10 fee on each car they own. That’s after the Beaver Dam Administrative Committee last night rejected the proposal by Director of Facilities David Stoiser. The annual registration fee was suggested by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to supplement cuts in funding that are outlined in the new state budget. As part of the budget repair bill, the city is anticipating a $66,000 reduction in road funds from the DOT. Stoiser says there are over 15,000 vehicles registered in the city and a $10 fee would bring in around $150,000. Alderman Jon Litscher says any funding shortfalls should be addressed as part of the budget process. The Administrative Committee had the opportunity to reject the matter by consensus but opted instead to take an official roll call vote so as to go on the record in opposition of the fee. The vote was unanimous. There was consensus in the Operations Committee last month to advance the proposal with no vote in support or against the proposed fee.

Mayor Halts Hoeft’s Public Comments

8/2/11 - Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy pounded his gavel last night to end a boisterous public comment address by downtown business owner Jay Hoeft. The owner of the now-defunct Fountain Inn Tavern on Front Street was the only hold-out in a post-flood, city buy-out that saw ten other riverside buildings demolished. Hoeft told the council that the city accepted federal grant funding for the project and alleged that the funding guidelines require the city to pay relocation fees to the affected property owners. Hoeft raised his voice demanding the city (quote) “pay these people the money that they’re legally entitled to” and then began yelling about living in America as Kennedy pounded his gavel ordering him to leave the podium. City Attorney Mary Ann Schacht told Hoeft that his allegations were legal matters and suggested that he obtain an attorney to address his concerns in the proper venue.

Fond du Lac City Engineer Charged With Sex Crimes

8/2/11 - Bond was set at $150,000 cash for a Fond du Lac city official accused of sexually assaulting a young girl several years ago. Fifty-four-year-old Richard Goding was charged in Fond du Lac County Court Monday with First Degree Sexual Assault of a Child, Repeated First Degree Sexual Assault of the Same Child, and Causing a Child Under 13 to View A Sex Act. In the event he makes bail Goding was ordered not to have unsupervised contact with any girls under the age of 18 including the victim. He also was ordered to surrender his passport should he make bond. Goding is the City Engineer. He was arrested last Thursday. No date has been set yet for a preliminary hearing.

Vote on Udey Dam Payment Expected

The Columbus Council will be voting tonight on payment of the only change order for the Udey Dam repair project. The Crawfish River Dam in the City of Columbus is ready for a return to use. The project cost will be $574 thousand dollars...most of that covered by state DNR funds. Impoundment of the Crawfish could begin as soon as the City’s Emergency Management plan is approved by the DNR. When the DNR OK is received the City will be able to close the gates and return the upstream water levels their 2004 mark.