Driver Killed at Columbus 151 Speedway
10/31/11 - Columbia County authorities are investigating the death of a driver at the Columbus 151 Speedway. Deputies were called to the track on Saturday after a 52-year-old racer crashed his vehicle. The driver was unresponsive when EMS arrived on scene and was later pronounced dead. Authorities say a cause of death has not been determined. The driver’s name is being withheld pending notification of family.
BDUSD to Act on Budget Tonight
10/31/11 - Property owners in the Beaver Dam School District can expect to see their tax rate drop by nearly a dollar under the 2011-2012 budget to be voted on tonight. A year ago the mill rate was $9.95 per $1,000 of assessed value. But Superintendent Steve Vessey says, because the district finished paying for the construction of Prairie View Elementary and is debt free, the rate will drop 92-cents to $9.03. The reduction means a resident whose property is worth $150,000 would pay $1,354 for the school portion of their tax bill. The school board meets tonight at the Educational Service Center beginning at 6:30 pm.
Tax Rate Up in Watertown Unified School District
10/31/11 - The tax rate in the Watertown Unified School District is going up 23-cents. That’s after the school board approved the nearly $47.6-million 2011-2012 budget late last week. That includes a levy of about $18.5-million, an increase of 1.1% from last year. The result is a tax rate of $9.68 per $1,000 of assessed value, up from $9.45 for the 2010-2011 budget. That means property taxes on a $150,000 house in the Watertown district will be $1,452 for the school portion of their tax bill.
Conceal Carry Law Goes into Effect Tomorrow
10/31/11 - Tomorrow is the first day Wisconsin residents can apply for permits to carry concealed weapons. The new Wisconsin law bans concealed weapons in places like schools, courthouses, and airport security lines. But state and local governments have the option of banning concealed carry in their buildings, as do businesses. And many, but not all, expect to do so. The Walker administration is allowing hidden weapons in most state buildings. The Assembly will allow weapons in its chamber while the Senate will not. However, not all companies will ban hidden heat, because they'd have to put up signs prohibiting it – and that might not be good for business. U-W campuses will ban guns from buildings but not campus grounds. U-W sports stadiums will ban them -- and so will Lambeau Field, Miller Park, and the Bradley Center. Despite the law going into effect tomorrow, it will be a few weeks before the state Justice Department can issue the first permits that will be required.
Man Wanders into Waupun Garage
10/31/11 - Authorities in Waupun are trying to determine how an 18-year-old man ended up wandering into the garage of a residence early Sunday morning. Officials say they were called to a home on Banner Road around 2:30 am after the owners found him in their garage. The man, who actually lived nearby, was described as being shoeless, intoxicated, cold and wet. Police found a heavily damaged vehicle nearby and searched the area trying to find anyone else who may have been injured. The incident is still under investigation.
Change the Clocks, Change Smoke Detector Batteries
10/31/11 - Two out of every ten smoke detectors don’t work because of dead or missing batteries. Beaver Dam Fire Chief Alan Mannel says you should put a few minutes from that extra hour of sleep you’ll gain from the clock change toward changing the batteries in your smoke detectors. Mannel says all batteries lose their effectiveness over time and having fresh ones in your home detectors could mean the difference between life and death. For a limited time, the department is handing out free nine-volt batteries and also has smoke detectors for those who cannot afford it. The end of Daylight Savings Time this coming weekend also means that sunset comes one hour earlier, and so evening commutes will likely require putting on headlights. Drivers will also need to be alert at crosswalks and along roadsides for pedestrians and bicyclists. Walkers and bikers should wear retro-reflective clothing or carry lights when out at dusk or after dark.
Authorities to Check on Sex Offenders
10/31/11 - It’s not just trick-or-treaters who are knocking on doors this Halloween. State agents and local police are visiting the homes of sex offenders, to make sure they don’t have contact with kids. The corrections’ department prohibits sex offenders on probation, parole, or extended supervision from handing out candy or having any other interaction with kids at Halloween. Appleton defense attorney Len Kaschinsky says doubts that the police checks make communities safer. In most cases, he says there’s a prior relationship between a child and an offender.
Brush and Bulk Garbage Pickup Begins Tomorrow
10/31/11 - We’re coming up on the last chance of the year for Beaver Dam residents to take advantage of curbside brush and bulk garbage pick-up. The final pick-up for loose tree limbs and shrubbery cuttings begins tomorrow (Tuesday, 11/1) and continues through Monday (November 7). Loose tree limbs and shrubbery cuttings should be up to 7 inches in thickness and 8 feet in length. The service will resume again in April. Bulk waste is defined as, but no limited to, furniture, wooden doors and windows and rolled carpet, not exceeding 4’ to 6’ in length. The collection regulations have changed as a result of the state’s new E-Cycle law. Items that will no longer be collected include desktop and laptop computers, printers, fax machines, cell phones, DVD players and computer monitors. In addition, no metal items like bed springs, doors, windows and pipes will be collected. No bundled or loose piles of building materials will be collected. Building materials like lumber must be broken down and placed in the weekly collection cart. The next bulk garbage pick-up will be the first waste collection day of May. Items should be placed at the street edge by 7am on garbage day and cannot be placed out sooner than 24 hours prior to your scheduled pick-up.
Powerball at $245M
10/31/11 - The Powerball jackpot for Wednesday night is the highest in 17 months. It's at 245-million-dollars, after nobody won the top prize on Saturday night. One ticket in Wisconsin won 10-thousand-dollars by matching four regular numbers plus the Powerball. Just over 29-thousand players in the Badger State won smaller prizes. Saturday's numbers were 11, 16, 40, 51, and 56. The Powerball was 38, and the Power Play multiplier was five. The jackpot is the highest since June second of last year, when it was 260-million dollars. The cash option for Wednesday night is just over 146-million for a single winner who takes the whole prize now instead of in 30 annual installments. The Mega Millions for tomorrow night is at 78-million.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Top Stories October 30th
Crash Victim Identified
10/30/11 - Authorities have identified the Hartford man killed in a four-vehicle accident Friday night in Washington County as 48-year-old Kevin Conroy. According to the Sheriffs Department, a vehicle driven by 22-year-old Sarah Ehnert of Cedarburg was westbound on Highway 60 a few miles east of Highway 41 when she crossed the centerline and struck Conroy’s eastbound pickup truck. After the collision, Conroy’s vehicle overturned and was struck by a westbound pickup truck before coming to rest on its roof. Conroy was pronounced dead at the scene. Ehnert’s vehicle continued westbound colliding with another vehicle, this time an eastbound mini-van. All of those involved were injured, but none of the other injuries appeared to be life threatening, according to authorities. Alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the crash, but the investigation is ongoing.
Meeting on Carol’s Tours Fraud Case Tomorrow
10/30/11 - The State Attorney Generals Office will hold a meeting tomorrow (Mon 10/31) on the investigation into fraud complaints surrounding the closure of a defunct Beaver Dam travel agency. Carol’s Tours closed its doors in January of 2008. In the months that followed, over 100 complaints were reported from customers who deposited money for trips they claim were never fulfilled. The meeting is for those who may have suffered loss due to the closing of Carol’s Tours and allows prosecutors a chance to gather evidence and information that may be relevant to the investigation. It’s also an opportunity to meet with Assistant Attorney General Richard Dufour, who will outline the status of the investigation and answer questions about the case. Even if you have not yet reported a loss suffered as a result of the Carol’s Tours closing, Dufour says you can still report your loss to investigators. Victims will have the opportunity to provide input as it relates to charging decisions and ultimate disposition on the case. Also at the meeting: special agents with the Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, a victim services specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Justice Office of Crime Victim Services and local investigators. The Department of Justice meeting on Carol’s Tours is scheduled for tomorrow at 7pm in the Beaver Dam Middle School Auditorium.
Policy on Concealed Weapons Unveiled
10/30/11 - Those with permits will be able to carry concealed weapons into most state government facilities starting next Tuesday. That’s when the Badger State becomes the 49th to adopt a concealed carry law. Governor Scott Walker’s administration released its policy on hidden weapons in state buildings this morning. Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch (hibsh) says those with concealed carry permits are law-abiding citizens and quote, “We must respect their right to keep-and-bear arms under the U-S and Wisconsin constitutions.” Both employees and their clients can carry hidden weapons if they have the correct permits. Exceptions include places where firing a gun might cause a chemical explosion – and corrections’ and public defender facilities where convicted and accused criminals gather. At the Capitol, the Supreme Court will continue to be gun-free, as will the Capitol Police office and the Senate chamber. But all public hearing rooms will allow concealed carry, as will the Assembly chamber. Individual lawmakers can decide whether to allow hidden weapons in their own offices.
Decade Long Investigation Comes to a Close
10/30/11 - The final defendant in the Wisconsin Legislature’s caucus scandal from a decade ago has settled her case. 59-year-old Sherry Schultz of Madison pleaded guilty this week to a charge of misconduct in office – and her conviction will be dropped after she completes the terms of a deferred prosecution program. District Attorney Ismael Ozanne says those conditions have not been set. Schultz was supposed to go on trial next month on allegations that she helped her former boss – former Republican Assembly Majority Leader Steve Foti – run a tax-funded campaign operation from their office. The goal was to get enough G-O-P candidates elected so they can stay in control of the Legislature. Five ex-lawmakers from both parties were convicted in the scandal. Schultz and former G-O-P Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen were both originally convicted of felonies in 2006. But a state appeals court threw out the convictions due to an error in a jury instruction – and new trials were ordered for both. Jensen’s case was settled in his home county of Waukesha last December. He paid a five-thousand-dollar penalty, and a misdemeanor conviction remained on his record. Ozanne said he did not take Jensen’s Waukesha case into account. The D-A said Schultz finally accounted for her actions – and that was good enough for him.
Wrongly Convicted Man Gets $25,000
10/30/11 - A Duluth Minnesota man who spent a decade in prison for a Wisconsin child sex assault that never happened got 25-thousand-dollars this week for his trouble. The State Claims Board granted the most it could legally give Rommain Isham. But the panel could have asked the Legislature to approve a larger award, and it didn’t. Isham was convicted of repeatedly molesting the eight-year-old son of his ex-girlfriend in 1990. He served a 10-year prison term before the victim confessed two years ago that the assaults never happened. The purported victim, now 30, said he was afraid to fess up – and he was pressured by his abusive father to keep perpetuating the lie. Isham calls the state’s damage award “chicken feed.” He asked for three-point-six-million-dollars, or a-thousand-dollars for each day he spent behind bars. As a convicted child molester, he said he was the target of heavy abuse by other prisoners who beat and raped him. Isham claimed he saw sex offenders stabbed and set-on-fire behind bars – and he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder wondering if he’d be next. He now works odd jobs – and the state’s 25-thousand-dollar damage award won’t even cover a year’s salary. Isham said he would have been happy with a quarter-million-dollar award. And he’s now thinking about suing the Douglas County prosecutors who charged him.
Another Top Administrator Leaves DWD
For the third time in less than a year a top administrator at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development has departed. Allison Rozek abruptly left her position as the head of the Administrative Services Division last Thursday. It isn’t clear whether she resigned or was fired. Rozek had been appointed to the position last January. Previously this week Secretary Scott Baumbach resigned after just four months in the office. Bambauch’s predecessor left in May after just five months on the job.
Bio-Tech Firm Gets Okay from Feds
10/30/11 - The federal government has given a Madison area bio-tech firm the okay to market a new type of port for intravenous treatments for conditions like cancer. Stealth Therapeutics of Fitchburg was given the okay to sell a product called “Invisiport.” The company says it has a patented wing which lets doctors make smaller incisions for I-V fluids. Stealth officials say it also takes less time to finish the implants. C-E-O Peter Drumm says the F-D-A’s clearance was a major step for his company. He says it will allow Stealth Therapeutics to raise extra capital for its efforts to sell the product commercially – plus develop new products as well. Stealth Therapeutics was founded in 2006 to take advantage of technology developed by interventional radiologist Bradley Glenn.
Workshop on “Social Media” Offered in Columbus
10/30/11 - Columbus area business owners, City staff and residents are being offered a chance to attend a half-day workshop on “social media.” The MATC Facebook / Twitter workshop is being planned for this coming week. The interactive session will be held at the downtown Columbus Community Center at 161 Dickason Blvd. For more information call the Economic Development office, contact information is on our website. (920) 296-7081
Governor’s Mansion Tours Planned
10/30/11 - The holiday season is not far away. And the governor’s residence in Maple Bluff has announced its annual public tours for December. Each tour features the history of the governor’s mansion – and folks will get a variety of decorated trees in rooms on the first floor. The public tours are set for December 7th, 8th, 10th, 14th, 15th, and 17th. The tours are free, and Governor Scott Walker asks visitors to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to the Second Harvest Food-Bank. It provides emergency food for pantries, shelters, and hunger relief efforts in southeast Wisconsin.
10/30/11 - Authorities have identified the Hartford man killed in a four-vehicle accident Friday night in Washington County as 48-year-old Kevin Conroy. According to the Sheriffs Department, a vehicle driven by 22-year-old Sarah Ehnert of Cedarburg was westbound on Highway 60 a few miles east of Highway 41 when she crossed the centerline and struck Conroy’s eastbound pickup truck. After the collision, Conroy’s vehicle overturned and was struck by a westbound pickup truck before coming to rest on its roof. Conroy was pronounced dead at the scene. Ehnert’s vehicle continued westbound colliding with another vehicle, this time an eastbound mini-van. All of those involved were injured, but none of the other injuries appeared to be life threatening, according to authorities. Alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the crash, but the investigation is ongoing.
Meeting on Carol’s Tours Fraud Case Tomorrow
10/30/11 - The State Attorney Generals Office will hold a meeting tomorrow (Mon 10/31) on the investigation into fraud complaints surrounding the closure of a defunct Beaver Dam travel agency. Carol’s Tours closed its doors in January of 2008. In the months that followed, over 100 complaints were reported from customers who deposited money for trips they claim were never fulfilled. The meeting is for those who may have suffered loss due to the closing of Carol’s Tours and allows prosecutors a chance to gather evidence and information that may be relevant to the investigation. It’s also an opportunity to meet with Assistant Attorney General Richard Dufour, who will outline the status of the investigation and answer questions about the case. Even if you have not yet reported a loss suffered as a result of the Carol’s Tours closing, Dufour says you can still report your loss to investigators. Victims will have the opportunity to provide input as it relates to charging decisions and ultimate disposition on the case. Also at the meeting: special agents with the Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, a victim services specialist with the Wisconsin Department of Justice Office of Crime Victim Services and local investigators. The Department of Justice meeting on Carol’s Tours is scheduled for tomorrow at 7pm in the Beaver Dam Middle School Auditorium.
Policy on Concealed Weapons Unveiled
10/30/11 - Those with permits will be able to carry concealed weapons into most state government facilities starting next Tuesday. That’s when the Badger State becomes the 49th to adopt a concealed carry law. Governor Scott Walker’s administration released its policy on hidden weapons in state buildings this morning. Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch (hibsh) says those with concealed carry permits are law-abiding citizens and quote, “We must respect their right to keep-and-bear arms under the U-S and Wisconsin constitutions.” Both employees and their clients can carry hidden weapons if they have the correct permits. Exceptions include places where firing a gun might cause a chemical explosion – and corrections’ and public defender facilities where convicted and accused criminals gather. At the Capitol, the Supreme Court will continue to be gun-free, as will the Capitol Police office and the Senate chamber. But all public hearing rooms will allow concealed carry, as will the Assembly chamber. Individual lawmakers can decide whether to allow hidden weapons in their own offices.
Decade Long Investigation Comes to a Close
10/30/11 - The final defendant in the Wisconsin Legislature’s caucus scandal from a decade ago has settled her case. 59-year-old Sherry Schultz of Madison pleaded guilty this week to a charge of misconduct in office – and her conviction will be dropped after she completes the terms of a deferred prosecution program. District Attorney Ismael Ozanne says those conditions have not been set. Schultz was supposed to go on trial next month on allegations that she helped her former boss – former Republican Assembly Majority Leader Steve Foti – run a tax-funded campaign operation from their office. The goal was to get enough G-O-P candidates elected so they can stay in control of the Legislature. Five ex-lawmakers from both parties were convicted in the scandal. Schultz and former G-O-P Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen were both originally convicted of felonies in 2006. But a state appeals court threw out the convictions due to an error in a jury instruction – and new trials were ordered for both. Jensen’s case was settled in his home county of Waukesha last December. He paid a five-thousand-dollar penalty, and a misdemeanor conviction remained on his record. Ozanne said he did not take Jensen’s Waukesha case into account. The D-A said Schultz finally accounted for her actions – and that was good enough for him.
Wrongly Convicted Man Gets $25,000
10/30/11 - A Duluth Minnesota man who spent a decade in prison for a Wisconsin child sex assault that never happened got 25-thousand-dollars this week for his trouble. The State Claims Board granted the most it could legally give Rommain Isham. But the panel could have asked the Legislature to approve a larger award, and it didn’t. Isham was convicted of repeatedly molesting the eight-year-old son of his ex-girlfriend in 1990. He served a 10-year prison term before the victim confessed two years ago that the assaults never happened. The purported victim, now 30, said he was afraid to fess up – and he was pressured by his abusive father to keep perpetuating the lie. Isham calls the state’s damage award “chicken feed.” He asked for three-point-six-million-dollars, or a-thousand-dollars for each day he spent behind bars. As a convicted child molester, he said he was the target of heavy abuse by other prisoners who beat and raped him. Isham claimed he saw sex offenders stabbed and set-on-fire behind bars – and he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder wondering if he’d be next. He now works odd jobs – and the state’s 25-thousand-dollar damage award won’t even cover a year’s salary. Isham said he would have been happy with a quarter-million-dollar award. And he’s now thinking about suing the Douglas County prosecutors who charged him.
Another Top Administrator Leaves DWD
For the third time in less than a year a top administrator at the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development has departed. Allison Rozek abruptly left her position as the head of the Administrative Services Division last Thursday. It isn’t clear whether she resigned or was fired. Rozek had been appointed to the position last January. Previously this week Secretary Scott Baumbach resigned after just four months in the office. Bambauch’s predecessor left in May after just five months on the job.
Bio-Tech Firm Gets Okay from Feds
10/30/11 - The federal government has given a Madison area bio-tech firm the okay to market a new type of port for intravenous treatments for conditions like cancer. Stealth Therapeutics of Fitchburg was given the okay to sell a product called “Invisiport.” The company says it has a patented wing which lets doctors make smaller incisions for I-V fluids. Stealth officials say it also takes less time to finish the implants. C-E-O Peter Drumm says the F-D-A’s clearance was a major step for his company. He says it will allow Stealth Therapeutics to raise extra capital for its efforts to sell the product commercially – plus develop new products as well. Stealth Therapeutics was founded in 2006 to take advantage of technology developed by interventional radiologist Bradley Glenn.
Workshop on “Social Media” Offered in Columbus
10/30/11 - Columbus area business owners, City staff and residents are being offered a chance to attend a half-day workshop on “social media.” The MATC Facebook / Twitter workshop is being planned for this coming week. The interactive session will be held at the downtown Columbus Community Center at 161 Dickason Blvd. For more information call the Economic Development office, contact information is on our website. (920) 296-7081
Governor’s Mansion Tours Planned
10/30/11 - The holiday season is not far away. And the governor’s residence in Maple Bluff has announced its annual public tours for December. Each tour features the history of the governor’s mansion – and folks will get a variety of decorated trees in rooms on the first floor. The public tours are set for December 7th, 8th, 10th, 14th, 15th, and 17th. The tours are free, and Governor Scott Walker asks visitors to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to the Second Harvest Food-Bank. It provides emergency food for pantries, shelters, and hunger relief efforts in southeast Wisconsin.
Top Stories October 29th
Hartford Man Killed in Washington Co. Accident
10/29/11 - A 48-year-old Hartford man was killed in a four-vehicle accident last night about two-miles east of Highway 41 in Washington County. According to the Sheriffs Department, a vehicle driven by a 22-year-old Cedarburg woman was westbound on Highway 60 in the town of Polk when it crossed the centerline and struck the eastbound pickup truck driven by the Hartford man. After the collision the pickup truck overturned and was struck by another westbound pickup truck before coming to rest on its roof. The Hartford man was pronounced dead at the scene. The vehicle driven by the Cedarburg woman continued westbound colliding with another vehicle, this time an eastbound mini-van, before both vehicles came to rest in the middle of the roadway. The second westbound vehicle that struck the pickup was operated by a 19 year-old Grafton woman, and there were two passengers in that vehicle. The eastbound mini-van was operated by a 36 year-old Germantown man, and there were 3 passengers in that vehicle. All of those involved were injured, but none of the other injuries appear to be life threatening at this time. Alcohol does not appear to be a factor. Highway 60 was completely shut down from the time of the accident until approximately 1:15am.
Halloween Weather Will Vary
10/29/11 - The type of weather you’ll have for Halloween depends on when your community holds its trick-or-treating hours. If you and your kids go out on Saturday in Randolph or Waupun, or on Monday in Cambria or Madison, you’ll probably have dry weather. Beaver Dam, Columbus, Horicon, Juneau and Mayville are among the communities observing All Hallows Eve on Sunday and trick-or-treaters are likely to get wet. The National Weather Service says it’s supposed to be clear Saturday – and then weak low-pressure system will bring showers Sunday before it clears up again Monday. Highs will be in the 40’s-and-50’s through Halloween. Overnight lows will be in the 30’s for the most part. Trick-or-treating temperatures should be about the same as they’ve been the last two years.
Schneider Bound Over for Trial
10/29/11 - A 22-year-old Fond du Lac man accused of hitting and killing a bicyclist while driving drunk, was bound over for trial during a preliminary hearing this week (Th). Christopher Schneider is suspected of hitting 36-year-old Eugene Henry Dennis with his car while Dennis was bicycling on Fond du Lac County Highway WH last month. Dennis died a day later at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. He was wearing a helmet and had a light on the back of his bike when Schneider hit him from behind. Schneider is free on a $1,000 cash bond. Dennis was a former Fond du Lac High School teacher and coach. He was killed just a day after being sentenced to six months in jail for having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student.
Lynch Denied Bond Reduction
10/29/11 - A Dodge County judge on Thursday denied a motion for bond reduction for Pat Lynch, the former Fox Lake Police Chief who is facing child molestation and stalking charges. The 55-year-old was seeking to have his bail modified from a cash bond to a signature bond. Lynch is charged with one count of First Degree Sexual Assault of a Child Under the Age of 13 and three counts of Stalking. The alleged sexual assault of a 7-year-old child occurred in the summer of 1989 at home in Randolph. The victim’s father worked with Lynch at the Randolph Police Department at the time. The victim says, years later, Lynch kept showing up where she worked and would drive his police car past her home. He is also accused of stalking a woman who used to work for the Fox Lake Police Department – as well as a man who was dating his ex-wife. Lynch resigned from his job as police chief in Fox Lake in the spring of 2009. He originally posted a $25,000 cash bond shortly after his arrest in December. Lynch was successful in having his bond reduced to $10,000 in February and received a $15,000 refund. The non-monetary conditions of his bond remain in place, including electronic monitoring and restrictions on having unsupervised contact with minors.
Nebraska Man Facing Burglary Charges in WI
10/29/11 - A Nebraska man who’s accused of attempted murder in Indiana is also facing burglary charges in Sauk County as part of a multi-state crime spree. 38-year-old William Gajdik of Lincoln was arrested October fourth in Fergus Falls Minnesota. And authorities said some of the evidence seized in the crime spree was taken in three house burglaries September 27th near Lake Delton. Sauk County Sheriff Chip Meister said his department is asking prosecutors to file charges of armed burglary, theft, and criminal damage. But before he can face those charges, Gajdik must have his attempted murder case settled in Dearborn Indiana. Minnesota authorities said they arrested Gajdik on a warrant from Nebraska for burglary and escape. He’s been extradited to Indiana. Meanwhile, Sauk County authorities continue to investigate the burglaries – and those with information are asked to call the sheriff’s office or the Crime Stoppers’ program in Baraboo.
Mayville Taxes Going Up
10/29/11 - Mayville School District taxpayers will see their mil rate jump more than 40-cents over last year. The school board approved the 2011-2012 budget this week with a tax levy of $5.4-million, only a slight increase over last year. However, due to a decrease in state aid and property values, the tax rate is up about 4-percent coming in at $9.70 per thousand dollars of value. That means property taxes on a $150,000 house in the Mayville district will be $1,455 for the school portion of their tax bill. Meanwhile, the city of Mayville will also being increasing their mil rate from last year. According to the public hearing notice, the tax rate is up 13-cents to $8.05 per thousand dollars of value. The city will be hosting their budget hearing on November 15.
Trek Recalls 27,000 Bikes
10/29/11 - At least one person has been injured by a problem with Trek bicycles. A recall has been issued by the Waterloo-based company. A bolt that connects the seat saddle clamp to the seat post is defective, possibly causing riders to fall. About 27 thousand Trek 2012 FX and District bicycles are affected.
Walker Releases Policy on Concealed Weapons in Capitol
10/29/11 - Those with permits will be able to carry concealed weapons into most state government facilities starting next Tuesday. That’s when the Badger State becomes the 49th to adopt a concealed carry law. Governor Scott Walker’s administration released its policy on hidden weapons in state buildings Friday. Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch says those with concealed carry permits are law-abiding citizens and quote, “We must respect their right to keep-and-bear arms under the U-S and Wisconsin constitutions.” Both employees and their clients can carry hidden weapons if they have the correct permits. Exceptions include places where firing a gun might cause a chemical explosion – and corrections’ and public defender facilities where convicted and accused criminals gather. At the Capitol, the Supreme Court will continue to be gun-free, as will the Capitol Police office and the Senate chamber. But all public hearing rooms will allow concealed carry, as will the Assembly chamber. Individual lawmakers can decide whether to allow hidden weapons in their own offices.
GOP Loses a Lawyer Over Bill
10/29/11 - A high-profile attorney says he will stop representing Wisconsin Republicans. Vince Megna says he’s not happy with the bill the G-O-P drafted, which limits legal fees in consumer fraud cases to three times the amount of damage awards. The 67-year-old Megna is best known for representing those with vehicle problems under state lemon laws. He told the Associated Press he has turned down one potential Republican client he had been speaking with since this summer. Megna, from Milwaukee, said he would not help Republicans quote, “get redress under the very laws they helped destroy.” Megna has represented over 15-hundred clients in lemon cases – over 700 involving General Motors alone. Last year, he won a 482-thousand-dollar award against Mercedes-Benz. At the time, he said it was largest settlement involving a single vehicle. Megna also represented the truck owner who sued Burlington car dealer David Lynch, who had to pay 151-thousand-dollars in legal fees because he made a five-thousand-dollar repair the owner did not authorize. It was that case which spurred Republicans to limit legal fees. A judge can still grant higher fees in some cases. But Democrats say attorneys will still shy away from smaller consumer cases because of the legal fee limits. The measure passed the Senate Thursday. It now goes to the Assembly.
10/29/11 - A 48-year-old Hartford man was killed in a four-vehicle accident last night about two-miles east of Highway 41 in Washington County. According to the Sheriffs Department, a vehicle driven by a 22-year-old Cedarburg woman was westbound on Highway 60 in the town of Polk when it crossed the centerline and struck the eastbound pickup truck driven by the Hartford man. After the collision the pickup truck overturned and was struck by another westbound pickup truck before coming to rest on its roof. The Hartford man was pronounced dead at the scene. The vehicle driven by the Cedarburg woman continued westbound colliding with another vehicle, this time an eastbound mini-van, before both vehicles came to rest in the middle of the roadway. The second westbound vehicle that struck the pickup was operated by a 19 year-old Grafton woman, and there were two passengers in that vehicle. The eastbound mini-van was operated by a 36 year-old Germantown man, and there were 3 passengers in that vehicle. All of those involved were injured, but none of the other injuries appear to be life threatening at this time. Alcohol does not appear to be a factor. Highway 60 was completely shut down from the time of the accident until approximately 1:15am.
Halloween Weather Will Vary
10/29/11 - The type of weather you’ll have for Halloween depends on when your community holds its trick-or-treating hours. If you and your kids go out on Saturday in Randolph or Waupun, or on Monday in Cambria or Madison, you’ll probably have dry weather. Beaver Dam, Columbus, Horicon, Juneau and Mayville are among the communities observing All Hallows Eve on Sunday and trick-or-treaters are likely to get wet. The National Weather Service says it’s supposed to be clear Saturday – and then weak low-pressure system will bring showers Sunday before it clears up again Monday. Highs will be in the 40’s-and-50’s through Halloween. Overnight lows will be in the 30’s for the most part. Trick-or-treating temperatures should be about the same as they’ve been the last two years.
Schneider Bound Over for Trial
10/29/11 - A 22-year-old Fond du Lac man accused of hitting and killing a bicyclist while driving drunk, was bound over for trial during a preliminary hearing this week (Th). Christopher Schneider is suspected of hitting 36-year-old Eugene Henry Dennis with his car while Dennis was bicycling on Fond du Lac County Highway WH last month. Dennis died a day later at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. He was wearing a helmet and had a light on the back of his bike when Schneider hit him from behind. Schneider is free on a $1,000 cash bond. Dennis was a former Fond du Lac High School teacher and coach. He was killed just a day after being sentenced to six months in jail for having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old student.
Lynch Denied Bond Reduction
10/29/11 - A Dodge County judge on Thursday denied a motion for bond reduction for Pat Lynch, the former Fox Lake Police Chief who is facing child molestation and stalking charges. The 55-year-old was seeking to have his bail modified from a cash bond to a signature bond. Lynch is charged with one count of First Degree Sexual Assault of a Child Under the Age of 13 and three counts of Stalking. The alleged sexual assault of a 7-year-old child occurred in the summer of 1989 at home in Randolph. The victim’s father worked with Lynch at the Randolph Police Department at the time. The victim says, years later, Lynch kept showing up where she worked and would drive his police car past her home. He is also accused of stalking a woman who used to work for the Fox Lake Police Department – as well as a man who was dating his ex-wife. Lynch resigned from his job as police chief in Fox Lake in the spring of 2009. He originally posted a $25,000 cash bond shortly after his arrest in December. Lynch was successful in having his bond reduced to $10,000 in February and received a $15,000 refund. The non-monetary conditions of his bond remain in place, including electronic monitoring and restrictions on having unsupervised contact with minors.
Nebraska Man Facing Burglary Charges in WI
10/29/11 - A Nebraska man who’s accused of attempted murder in Indiana is also facing burglary charges in Sauk County as part of a multi-state crime spree. 38-year-old William Gajdik of Lincoln was arrested October fourth in Fergus Falls Minnesota. And authorities said some of the evidence seized in the crime spree was taken in three house burglaries September 27th near Lake Delton. Sauk County Sheriff Chip Meister said his department is asking prosecutors to file charges of armed burglary, theft, and criminal damage. But before he can face those charges, Gajdik must have his attempted murder case settled in Dearborn Indiana. Minnesota authorities said they arrested Gajdik on a warrant from Nebraska for burglary and escape. He’s been extradited to Indiana. Meanwhile, Sauk County authorities continue to investigate the burglaries – and those with information are asked to call the sheriff’s office or the Crime Stoppers’ program in Baraboo.
Mayville Taxes Going Up
10/29/11 - Mayville School District taxpayers will see their mil rate jump more than 40-cents over last year. The school board approved the 2011-2012 budget this week with a tax levy of $5.4-million, only a slight increase over last year. However, due to a decrease in state aid and property values, the tax rate is up about 4-percent coming in at $9.70 per thousand dollars of value. That means property taxes on a $150,000 house in the Mayville district will be $1,455 for the school portion of their tax bill. Meanwhile, the city of Mayville will also being increasing their mil rate from last year. According to the public hearing notice, the tax rate is up 13-cents to $8.05 per thousand dollars of value. The city will be hosting their budget hearing on November 15.
Trek Recalls 27,000 Bikes
10/29/11 - At least one person has been injured by a problem with Trek bicycles. A recall has been issued by the Waterloo-based company. A bolt that connects the seat saddle clamp to the seat post is defective, possibly causing riders to fall. About 27 thousand Trek 2012 FX and District bicycles are affected.
Walker Releases Policy on Concealed Weapons in Capitol
10/29/11 - Those with permits will be able to carry concealed weapons into most state government facilities starting next Tuesday. That’s when the Badger State becomes the 49th to adopt a concealed carry law. Governor Scott Walker’s administration released its policy on hidden weapons in state buildings Friday. Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch says those with concealed carry permits are law-abiding citizens and quote, “We must respect their right to keep-and-bear arms under the U-S and Wisconsin constitutions.” Both employees and their clients can carry hidden weapons if they have the correct permits. Exceptions include places where firing a gun might cause a chemical explosion – and corrections’ and public defender facilities where convicted and accused criminals gather. At the Capitol, the Supreme Court will continue to be gun-free, as will the Capitol Police office and the Senate chamber. But all public hearing rooms will allow concealed carry, as will the Assembly chamber. Individual lawmakers can decide whether to allow hidden weapons in their own offices.
GOP Loses a Lawyer Over Bill
10/29/11 - A high-profile attorney says he will stop representing Wisconsin Republicans. Vince Megna says he’s not happy with the bill the G-O-P drafted, which limits legal fees in consumer fraud cases to three times the amount of damage awards. The 67-year-old Megna is best known for representing those with vehicle problems under state lemon laws. He told the Associated Press he has turned down one potential Republican client he had been speaking with since this summer. Megna, from Milwaukee, said he would not help Republicans quote, “get redress under the very laws they helped destroy.” Megna has represented over 15-hundred clients in lemon cases – over 700 involving General Motors alone. Last year, he won a 482-thousand-dollar award against Mercedes-Benz. At the time, he said it was largest settlement involving a single vehicle. Megna also represented the truck owner who sued Burlington car dealer David Lynch, who had to pay 151-thousand-dollars in legal fees because he made a five-thousand-dollar repair the owner did not authorize. It was that case which spurred Republicans to limit legal fees. A judge can still grant higher fees in some cases. But Democrats say attorneys will still shy away from smaller consumer cases because of the legal fee limits. The measure passed the Senate Thursday. It now goes to the Assembly.
Friday, October 28, 2011
Top Stories October 28th
Mauston Man Killed In Wreck Near Cambria
10/28/11 - A Mauston man was killed in a two vehicle accident Thursday afternoon just north of Cambria. Columbia County Sheriff Dennis Richards says the wreck occurred just after 1pm on State Highway 33, a quarter-mile west of State Highway 146. The preliminary investigation shows that 49-year-old Chandler A. Palmer was travelling east on Highway 33 when his car crossed the centerline and struck a westbound pickup truck head-on. Palmer was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the pickup was taken to Divine Savior Hospital in Portage with non-life threatening injuries. The crash remains under investigation by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the Columbia County Medical Examiner’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office received assistance at the crash site from the Randolph Police Department, Cambria Fire and EMS, Randolph EMS, and UW Hospital – MedFlight.
OWI Injuries Earn BD Man 8 Years In Prison
10/28/11 - A 27-year-old Beaver Dam man is going to prison for eight years after failing to live up
to terms of his probation in a drunken driving injury case. Fond du Lac County Judge Peter Grimm revoked Brandon Smith’s probation Wednesday and sentenced him to five years in prison and five years of extended supervision on a charge of Second Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety. Smith was originally placed on probation for a February 2007 drunk driving rollover accident on Highway 151 in the Town of Oakfield that led to injuries for himself and his 22-year-old passenger, Jonathan Spencer of Fond du Lac. In August, Smith was driving drunk again when he hit another car, this time on Highway 33 in the Town of Beaver Dam. Five people suffered injuries in that accident. Smith pleaded “no contest” Thursday to four felony charges in Dodge County court. Judge Steven Bauer sentenced Smith to three years in prison and three years of extended supervision to run after the Fond du Lac County case.
Fond du Lac County Burglary Ring Busted
10/28/11 - The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office has arrested three people in connection with a series of burglaries in the County over the past couple of weekends. The three were arrested during the execution of a search warrant Wednesday night. As many as 26 thefts and burglaries are tied to the investigation.
Walker to Announce Hidden Weapons Policy
10/28/11 - Wisconsin will become the 11th state to allow concealed weapons in its Capitol. Governor Scott Walker says he’ll officially announce the policy today – four days before Wisconsin’s new concealed carry law takes effect statewide. But legislators have already been told that those parts of the Capitol controlled by Walker’s executive branch will let citizens with permits carry hidden weapons. The state Senate will not allow concealed weapons during its floor sessions – but the Assembly will allow them for both members and spectators. Republican Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald of Horicon said that in the spirit of the law they passed, they want law-abiding citizens to protect themselves. But G-O-P Senate President Mike Ellis said guns don’t belong at his meetings. Ellis said he thought guns should be banned in the entire Capitol but quote, “We lost that one, so we should at least keep them out of the balcony and off the floor of the Senate.” They’ll be banned from the Supreme Court as well. But they’ll be allowed during public hearings by both houses. And individual lawmakers can decide for themselves whether to allow concealed weapons in their offices. Governor’s spokesman Cullen Werwie says Scott Walker does not plan to carry a hidden weapon – but he may consider it in the future.
Social Security Card Scam Reported
10/28/11 - Social Security officials are warning of a phone scam being reported. Mike Silva, with the Fond du Lac office, told us on WBEV’s Community Comment yesterday that he recently received a call from a woman who said she paid her $25 social security card replacement fee but has yet to have gotten her new card. Silva says not only is the government not requiring new cards, they would not charge for them if they did. He also says Social Security would only ask for bank account information if you have contacted them about setting up direct deposit. Silva says if you’ve been solicited by someone claiming to be with Social Security and suspect it may be a scam, you should contact local law enforcement or the Office of Inspector at 800-269-1071. If you missed that number it’s on our website.
Text Law Results In 162 Tickets
10/28/11 - It’s been almost 11 months since Wisconsin made it against the law to send-and-receive text messages while driving. And D-O-T officials report 162 tickets statewide, with penalties of up to 400-dollars. Former Senate Republican Alan Lasee of De Pere championed the bill for a long time. And the Assembly sponsor, Kenosha Democrat Peter Barca, said it took a tragedy to get it passed. He said a woman in Madison died in a texting-and-driving crash just days before his colleagues voted on the measure. State Patrol Superintendent Stephen Fitzgerald says texting takes the driver’s focus off the road – and it puts other motorists in danger. A-T-and-T has an app called “Drive Mode,” which informs potential texters that the recipient is driving, and will answer later. A-T-and-T Wisconsin president Scott Vander Sanden says the app emphasizes the point that no text message is worth risking someone’s life on the road.
Senate Approves Consumer Fraud Limits
10/28/11 - Wisconsin senators passed a bill Thursday afternoon to limit the amount attorneys can charge when they help consumers win fraud cases against businesses. The bill caps legal fees at three times the amount of an award when only monetary damages are granted. But senators also approved a last-minute change that lets judges grant higher fees when they see fit. Still, none of the 15 Democrats on hand today voted in favor of the measure. All 17 Republicans voted yes, and they sent their bill onto the Assembly. Pewaukee Senate Republican Rich Zipperer and Racine County Assembly Republican Robin Vos sponsored the caps. Vos took action when one of his campaign contributors, a Burlington car dealer, was hit with 151-thousand-dollars in legal fees after losing a battle over a five-thousand-dollars in a customer’s truck repairs. Zipperer said the purpose of the bill is to stop hog-tying businesses with large legal bills in cases with much smaller amounts of damages. But Mike End of the Wisconsin Association for Justice says attorneys will still be hesitant to take small consumer fraud cases, knowing they won’t be paid what those cases cost them to prepare. Democrats said it effectively wipes out a major consumer protection for lots of people. Madison Democrat Fred Risser called it an “anti-small business, anti-middle class bill.”
Legislators Voting To Tighten Restrictions On Felons
10/28/11 - The Wisconsin Senate agreed Thursday afternoon to let public schools fire convicted felons on their staffs – or not hire them in the first place. The current law allows only allows schools to reject a felon if the offense is directly related to the type of job the person’s holding or seeking. But under the bill passed today, a school employee could be rejected or fired for any prior felony conviction – whether it has to do the job or not. Felons who’ve been pardoned would still have their current job protections. The Senate passed the bill on a voice vote, but that doesn’t mean it got unanimous support. Milwaukee Democrat Lena Taylor says the bill would hurt the chances of convicted felons to re-enter society once they’ve served their sentences. The measure now goes to the Assembly.
Grocery and Liquor Stores Could Sell Alcohol Earlier
10/28/11 - It’s now up to Governor Scott Walker to decide if Wisconsin liquor stores can open two hours earlier than they do now. State senators voted 23-to-8 yesterday to give communities the option of letting grocery and liquor stores start selling beer-and-booze at six in the morning, instead of the current eight. The measure passed the Assembly on a voice vote earlier this week. Supporters say the change would serve late night workers and early morning vacationers. But opponents said it would send the wrong message while it promotes Wisconsin’s already omni-present alcohol culture. The bill does not change the maximum retail closing times for alcohol sales – nine at night for the hard stuff, and midnight for beer.
National Drug Take Back Is Saturday
10/28/11 - You have one more day to collect those old, outdated and unused prescription drugs. The National Drug Take-Back Initiative is planned for tomorrow (Saturday) and several local law enforcement agencies are participating. Juneau’s take back will be at the Public Safety Building at 128 East Cross Street in the lobby entrance of the Police Department. The Horicon Police Department will be collecting pharmaceuticals in their Public Safety Building on Ellison Street. The Beaver Dam Police Department is hosting their drug drop in their new police station on Park Avenue, all between 10am and 2pm. The effort is aimed at keeping drugs off the streets, away from kids and out of the water supply.
Deer Crashes Through Janesville Motel
10/28/11 - Janesville Police helped remove a 170-pound deer that crashed into a motel yesterday morning. Witnesses saw the male deer run around a parking lot, strike cars outside a Target store, run across a highway, and then vault through a first-floor window at the Super-8 Motel. The room was empty at the time. Police guarded the door to keep the animal in the room while D-N-R personnel and veterinarians tranquilized it. The deer had minor injuries to its snout – and the D-N-R planned to release the animal at a wildlife area near Milton. Minor damage was reported to the motel room.
10/28/11 - A Mauston man was killed in a two vehicle accident Thursday afternoon just north of Cambria. Columbia County Sheriff Dennis Richards says the wreck occurred just after 1pm on State Highway 33, a quarter-mile west of State Highway 146. The preliminary investigation shows that 49-year-old Chandler A. Palmer was travelling east on Highway 33 when his car crossed the centerline and struck a westbound pickup truck head-on. Palmer was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the pickup was taken to Divine Savior Hospital in Portage with non-life threatening injuries. The crash remains under investigation by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office and the Columbia County Medical Examiner’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office received assistance at the crash site from the Randolph Police Department, Cambria Fire and EMS, Randolph EMS, and UW Hospital – MedFlight.
OWI Injuries Earn BD Man 8 Years In Prison
10/28/11 - A 27-year-old Beaver Dam man is going to prison for eight years after failing to live up
to terms of his probation in a drunken driving injury case. Fond du Lac County Judge Peter Grimm revoked Brandon Smith’s probation Wednesday and sentenced him to five years in prison and five years of extended supervision on a charge of Second Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety. Smith was originally placed on probation for a February 2007 drunk driving rollover accident on Highway 151 in the Town of Oakfield that led to injuries for himself and his 22-year-old passenger, Jonathan Spencer of Fond du Lac. In August, Smith was driving drunk again when he hit another car, this time on Highway 33 in the Town of Beaver Dam. Five people suffered injuries in that accident. Smith pleaded “no contest” Thursday to four felony charges in Dodge County court. Judge Steven Bauer sentenced Smith to three years in prison and three years of extended supervision to run after the Fond du Lac County case.
Fond du Lac County Burglary Ring Busted
10/28/11 - The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office has arrested three people in connection with a series of burglaries in the County over the past couple of weekends. The three were arrested during the execution of a search warrant Wednesday night. As many as 26 thefts and burglaries are tied to the investigation.
Walker to Announce Hidden Weapons Policy
10/28/11 - Wisconsin will become the 11th state to allow concealed weapons in its Capitol. Governor Scott Walker says he’ll officially announce the policy today – four days before Wisconsin’s new concealed carry law takes effect statewide. But legislators have already been told that those parts of the Capitol controlled by Walker’s executive branch will let citizens with permits carry hidden weapons. The state Senate will not allow concealed weapons during its floor sessions – but the Assembly will allow them for both members and spectators. Republican Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald of Horicon said that in the spirit of the law they passed, they want law-abiding citizens to protect themselves. But G-O-P Senate President Mike Ellis said guns don’t belong at his meetings. Ellis said he thought guns should be banned in the entire Capitol but quote, “We lost that one, so we should at least keep them out of the balcony and off the floor of the Senate.” They’ll be banned from the Supreme Court as well. But they’ll be allowed during public hearings by both houses. And individual lawmakers can decide for themselves whether to allow concealed weapons in their offices. Governor’s spokesman Cullen Werwie says Scott Walker does not plan to carry a hidden weapon – but he may consider it in the future.
Social Security Card Scam Reported
10/28/11 - Social Security officials are warning of a phone scam being reported. Mike Silva, with the Fond du Lac office, told us on WBEV’s Community Comment yesterday that he recently received a call from a woman who said she paid her $25 social security card replacement fee but has yet to have gotten her new card. Silva says not only is the government not requiring new cards, they would not charge for them if they did. He also says Social Security would only ask for bank account information if you have contacted them about setting up direct deposit. Silva says if you’ve been solicited by someone claiming to be with Social Security and suspect it may be a scam, you should contact local law enforcement or the Office of Inspector at 800-269-1071. If you missed that number it’s on our website.
Text Law Results In 162 Tickets
10/28/11 - It’s been almost 11 months since Wisconsin made it against the law to send-and-receive text messages while driving. And D-O-T officials report 162 tickets statewide, with penalties of up to 400-dollars. Former Senate Republican Alan Lasee of De Pere championed the bill for a long time. And the Assembly sponsor, Kenosha Democrat Peter Barca, said it took a tragedy to get it passed. He said a woman in Madison died in a texting-and-driving crash just days before his colleagues voted on the measure. State Patrol Superintendent Stephen Fitzgerald says texting takes the driver’s focus off the road – and it puts other motorists in danger. A-T-and-T has an app called “Drive Mode,” which informs potential texters that the recipient is driving, and will answer later. A-T-and-T Wisconsin president Scott Vander Sanden says the app emphasizes the point that no text message is worth risking someone’s life on the road.
Senate Approves Consumer Fraud Limits
10/28/11 - Wisconsin senators passed a bill Thursday afternoon to limit the amount attorneys can charge when they help consumers win fraud cases against businesses. The bill caps legal fees at three times the amount of an award when only monetary damages are granted. But senators also approved a last-minute change that lets judges grant higher fees when they see fit. Still, none of the 15 Democrats on hand today voted in favor of the measure. All 17 Republicans voted yes, and they sent their bill onto the Assembly. Pewaukee Senate Republican Rich Zipperer and Racine County Assembly Republican Robin Vos sponsored the caps. Vos took action when one of his campaign contributors, a Burlington car dealer, was hit with 151-thousand-dollars in legal fees after losing a battle over a five-thousand-dollars in a customer’s truck repairs. Zipperer said the purpose of the bill is to stop hog-tying businesses with large legal bills in cases with much smaller amounts of damages. But Mike End of the Wisconsin Association for Justice says attorneys will still be hesitant to take small consumer fraud cases, knowing they won’t be paid what those cases cost them to prepare. Democrats said it effectively wipes out a major consumer protection for lots of people. Madison Democrat Fred Risser called it an “anti-small business, anti-middle class bill.”
Legislators Voting To Tighten Restrictions On Felons
10/28/11 - The Wisconsin Senate agreed Thursday afternoon to let public schools fire convicted felons on their staffs – or not hire them in the first place. The current law allows only allows schools to reject a felon if the offense is directly related to the type of job the person’s holding or seeking. But under the bill passed today, a school employee could be rejected or fired for any prior felony conviction – whether it has to do the job or not. Felons who’ve been pardoned would still have their current job protections. The Senate passed the bill on a voice vote, but that doesn’t mean it got unanimous support. Milwaukee Democrat Lena Taylor says the bill would hurt the chances of convicted felons to re-enter society once they’ve served their sentences. The measure now goes to the Assembly.
Grocery and Liquor Stores Could Sell Alcohol Earlier
10/28/11 - It’s now up to Governor Scott Walker to decide if Wisconsin liquor stores can open two hours earlier than they do now. State senators voted 23-to-8 yesterday to give communities the option of letting grocery and liquor stores start selling beer-and-booze at six in the morning, instead of the current eight. The measure passed the Assembly on a voice vote earlier this week. Supporters say the change would serve late night workers and early morning vacationers. But opponents said it would send the wrong message while it promotes Wisconsin’s already omni-present alcohol culture. The bill does not change the maximum retail closing times for alcohol sales – nine at night for the hard stuff, and midnight for beer.
National Drug Take Back Is Saturday
10/28/11 - You have one more day to collect those old, outdated and unused prescription drugs. The National Drug Take-Back Initiative is planned for tomorrow (Saturday) and several local law enforcement agencies are participating. Juneau’s take back will be at the Public Safety Building at 128 East Cross Street in the lobby entrance of the Police Department. The Horicon Police Department will be collecting pharmaceuticals in their Public Safety Building on Ellison Street. The Beaver Dam Police Department is hosting their drug drop in their new police station on Park Avenue, all between 10am and 2pm. The effort is aimed at keeping drugs off the streets, away from kids and out of the water supply.
Deer Crashes Through Janesville Motel
10/28/11 - Janesville Police helped remove a 170-pound deer that crashed into a motel yesterday morning. Witnesses saw the male deer run around a parking lot, strike cars outside a Target store, run across a highway, and then vault through a first-floor window at the Super-8 Motel. The room was empty at the time. Police guarded the door to keep the animal in the room while D-N-R personnel and veterinarians tranquilized it. The deer had minor injuries to its snout – and the D-N-R planned to release the animal at a wildlife area near Milton. Minor damage was reported to the motel room.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Top Stories October 27th
Jobless Rate Down Slightly
10/27/11 - The jobless rate in the region edged down slightly from August to September. Unemployment filings in Dodge County last month were down one-tenth of a point 7.5%, which is the same as it was last year at the same time. Also down one-tenth, Columbia County which was at 6.7% and Washington County at 6.4%. Jefferson County was down a half-percentage point to 7.3%. Green Lake County is down two-tenths to 7%. Pierce and St. Croix counties shared the lowest jobless rate in the state at 4.9%. Menominee County has the highest at 13.9%, but that is down nearly eight full percentage points from August. Of the 72 counties in the state, 67 had lower rates over the two-month period and three were unchanged. The statewide rate is down one-tenth to 7.8%, well below the national rate of 9.1%.
Finance Committee Meets on County Budget
10/27/11 - The Dodge County Finance Committee is recommending that a raise for county employees be a set 22-cents for everyone instead of the 1-percent across the board increase currently in the 2012 budget. That came during a three hour review of the budget last night that included board supervisors, department heads and employees. The change was suggested, in part, to help those at the lower end of the pay scale deal with the increased contributions to their health insurance and pension. County Administrator Jim Mielke says the change would add about $23,000 to the $390,000 set aside for pay increases in the 2012 budget. A second proposed amendment, unfreezing the wage step scale, was discussed but without knowing how much it would cost the committee said it would wait on a possible recommendation. The wage scale, which is a grid that lays out raises for employees based on longevity, has been frozen the past two years, and Mielke says they need to determine the financial impact and where they would get the money to pay for it before moving forward. The budget numbers themselves haven’t changed much since being introduced in August. Taxpayers in the county are looking at a 12-cent increase to their mill rate. Mielke says the budget would keep the tax levy the same as the 2011 budget, but due to a 2.2-percent decrease in county property values the mill rate would go up to $5.52 per $1,000 of assessed value. The public hearing on the budget is set for November 15th.
Fall River Schools Approve Budget, Look at Referendum
10/27/11 - Fall River School District residents approved the $6.9 million dollar 2012 Budget this week, but there was over two hours of debate on a proposed referendum. The referendum package would include $1.65 million for the replacement of a failing H-VAC system, $270 thousand dollars for technology upgrades, $285 thousand for building maintenance, $200 thousand dollars for land acquisition and $1.2 million for a track / football facility. The District becomes “debt free” in April of 2012 and a referendum is likely for the April elections.
Schools Closed for Cancelled Conference
10/27/11 - Many Wisconsin school districts are closed Thursday and Friday, to accommodate a teachers’ convention that will not be taking place. Many districts had already set their calendars for this fall before the state’s largest teachers’ union said in May it would scrap its annual fall convention. WEAC said it canceled the gathering because it is it not known how many teachers could attend following the new law which virtually ended collective bargaining. According to Superintendent Steve Vessey, the Beaver Dam School District’s contract with the education association, which is in place for the next two years, lists the next two days as non-work days. After the contract expires it will be up to school officials what will happen because teachers can no longer negotiate those days off.
Novak Enters Plea in Burglary Spree
10/27/11 - A former Mayville woman has entered a “no contest” plea to charges related to her role in a series of Dodge County tavern break-ins. Michelle Novak of Lyndon Station pleaded “no contest” to a felony count of Burglary back in June and had two other felonies dismissed but read into the record. The 33-year-old and two others broke into the Dockside Pub and Grille in the Town of Westford in January, Jumpers Bar in the Town of Beaver Dam in February and Chances Bar in the Town of Burnett in March. Thousands of dollars was stolen from poker machines, ATM’s and safes. 45-year-old Thomas Dahlgren of Mauston pleaded “no contest” to a pair of felonies in September and will be sentenced next month. Dahlgren was on probation for Attempted Homicide at the time of his arrest and is currently incarcerated at the Waupun Correctional Institution. Nicholas J. Etter of West Salem was sentenced last month to five years in prison and five years of extended supervision and ordered to pay $13,500 in restitution. According to the criminal complaint, Novak admitted to being the getaway driver and lookout. Etter admitted that he was involved but blamed Dahlgren for orchestrating the break-ins. Novak has a sentencing hearing scheduled in February.
BD Teen Pleads To Mayville Burglaries
10/27/11 - A Beaver Dam man entered a “no contest” plea yesterday to a pair of burglaries in Mayville. 19-year-old Devin Dutzle pled to felony Burglary and misdemeanor Theft and had two other felonies dismissed but read into the record. Dutzle stole cash, credit cards, knives and electronics in the two break-ins in May of 2010. A neighbor witnessed a suspicious vehicle in the area of the break-ins and jotted down the license plate. Authorities connected that to a juvenile accomplice who used a stolen credit card online. His 20-year-old brother Andrew Dutzle was sentenced to six months in jail for his role in the burglary. Devin Dutzle will be sentenced in December.
State Split Over Walker Recall
10/27/11 - A Democratic polling firm says Wisconsinites are split over whether Governor Scott Walker should be recalled next year. Public Policy Polling said 48-percent of the 11-hundred-70 voters it surveyed said the Republican Walker should be removed – and 49-percent said he should stay on. A poll two months ago by the same firm showed that 50-percent opposed Walker’s recall, and 47-percent favored it. Democrats and union supporters are trying to remove Walker because of his successful effort to virtually end collective bargaining by most public employee unions. The polling firm also asked whether voters if they would choose Walker or Democrat Tom Barrett in a recall election – and Walker had led 48-46. Barrett has said he’s focusing on being re-elected as Milwaukee’s mayor next year – which would most likely keep him out of the recall contest.
Concealed Weapons to be Allowed at the Capitol
10/27/11 - The Walker administration has apparently decided to let people carry concealed weapons in most parts of the State Capitol. Nothing’s official yet. But the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says guns will be banned in the State Supreme Court chamber. Legislators can decide for themselves whether to allow hidden weapons in their own offices. And the Assembly’s Organization Committee will meet today to decide whether to allow guns in the Assembly chamber during its sessions. The concealed weapons law takes effect Tuesday, when people can start getting state permits to carry hidden guns. The Journal Sentinel says one proposal would allow guns to be carried on the Assembly floor and in the viewing galleries – where 12 people were arrested Tuesday for carrying signs and video-taping a session in violation of Assembly rules. Racine County Republican Robin Vos said he did not see a contradiction in allowing guns in the gallery but not the use of live video-recorders.
WI Marine Injured During Protest in Oakland
10/27/11 - A La Crosse area Marine was in critical condition at last word, after he fractured his skull during an Occupy Wall Street protest in Oakland California. 24-year-old Scott Olsen of Onalaska was hit by an object when demonstrators and police officers clashed on Tuesday. It happened when the demonstrators tried to re-establish a presence at a protest camp in Oakland that was disbanded. Witnesses said Olsen was hit by either a police rubber bullet or a tear gas canister. Friends said he had brain swelling when he was taken to Oakland’s Highland Hospital, and he suffered a seizure there yesterday. Olsen was still in high school when he signed up for the Marines at age 17. He served two tours of duty in Iraq with the Marines’ Third Battalion unit. But his friend and fellow Marine Keith Shannon said Olsen didn’t agree with the war, and he wanted to do something else for a career. Olsen left the military last year. Shannon said both he and Olsen joined the Iraq Veterans Against the War – and they had taken part in Occupy Wall Street demonstrations in both San Francisco and Oakland.
Powerball Up to $203M
10/27/11 - The Powerball jackpot is at 203-million dollars for Saturday night. Nobody took the top prize last night, and nobody from Wisconsin won the second-or-third prizes. The most anybody won from the Badger State was 300-dollars, by having the Power Play multiplier of three and then matching four regular numbers or three-plus-the-Powerball. Just over 24-thousand Wisconsin players won something. Last night’s numbers were 1, 18, 21, 39, and 55. The Powerball was six. The current jackpot has been building since September 17th. It has rolled over 12 times. In Mega Millions, the top prize is at 67-million dollars for the next drawing tomorrow night.
10/27/11 - The jobless rate in the region edged down slightly from August to September. Unemployment filings in Dodge County last month were down one-tenth of a point 7.5%, which is the same as it was last year at the same time. Also down one-tenth, Columbia County which was at 6.7% and Washington County at 6.4%. Jefferson County was down a half-percentage point to 7.3%. Green Lake County is down two-tenths to 7%. Pierce and St. Croix counties shared the lowest jobless rate in the state at 4.9%. Menominee County has the highest at 13.9%, but that is down nearly eight full percentage points from August. Of the 72 counties in the state, 67 had lower rates over the two-month period and three were unchanged. The statewide rate is down one-tenth to 7.8%, well below the national rate of 9.1%.
Finance Committee Meets on County Budget
10/27/11 - The Dodge County Finance Committee is recommending that a raise for county employees be a set 22-cents for everyone instead of the 1-percent across the board increase currently in the 2012 budget. That came during a three hour review of the budget last night that included board supervisors, department heads and employees. The change was suggested, in part, to help those at the lower end of the pay scale deal with the increased contributions to their health insurance and pension. County Administrator Jim Mielke says the change would add about $23,000 to the $390,000 set aside for pay increases in the 2012 budget. A second proposed amendment, unfreezing the wage step scale, was discussed but without knowing how much it would cost the committee said it would wait on a possible recommendation. The wage scale, which is a grid that lays out raises for employees based on longevity, has been frozen the past two years, and Mielke says they need to determine the financial impact and where they would get the money to pay for it before moving forward. The budget numbers themselves haven’t changed much since being introduced in August. Taxpayers in the county are looking at a 12-cent increase to their mill rate. Mielke says the budget would keep the tax levy the same as the 2011 budget, but due to a 2.2-percent decrease in county property values the mill rate would go up to $5.52 per $1,000 of assessed value. The public hearing on the budget is set for November 15th.
Fall River Schools Approve Budget, Look at Referendum
10/27/11 - Fall River School District residents approved the $6.9 million dollar 2012 Budget this week, but there was over two hours of debate on a proposed referendum. The referendum package would include $1.65 million for the replacement of a failing H-VAC system, $270 thousand dollars for technology upgrades, $285 thousand for building maintenance, $200 thousand dollars for land acquisition and $1.2 million for a track / football facility. The District becomes “debt free” in April of 2012 and a referendum is likely for the April elections.
Schools Closed for Cancelled Conference
10/27/11 - Many Wisconsin school districts are closed Thursday and Friday, to accommodate a teachers’ convention that will not be taking place. Many districts had already set their calendars for this fall before the state’s largest teachers’ union said in May it would scrap its annual fall convention. WEAC said it canceled the gathering because it is it not known how many teachers could attend following the new law which virtually ended collective bargaining. According to Superintendent Steve Vessey, the Beaver Dam School District’s contract with the education association, which is in place for the next two years, lists the next two days as non-work days. After the contract expires it will be up to school officials what will happen because teachers can no longer negotiate those days off.
Novak Enters Plea in Burglary Spree
10/27/11 - A former Mayville woman has entered a “no contest” plea to charges related to her role in a series of Dodge County tavern break-ins. Michelle Novak of Lyndon Station pleaded “no contest” to a felony count of Burglary back in June and had two other felonies dismissed but read into the record. The 33-year-old and two others broke into the Dockside Pub and Grille in the Town of Westford in January, Jumpers Bar in the Town of Beaver Dam in February and Chances Bar in the Town of Burnett in March. Thousands of dollars was stolen from poker machines, ATM’s and safes. 45-year-old Thomas Dahlgren of Mauston pleaded “no contest” to a pair of felonies in September and will be sentenced next month. Dahlgren was on probation for Attempted Homicide at the time of his arrest and is currently incarcerated at the Waupun Correctional Institution. Nicholas J. Etter of West Salem was sentenced last month to five years in prison and five years of extended supervision and ordered to pay $13,500 in restitution. According to the criminal complaint, Novak admitted to being the getaway driver and lookout. Etter admitted that he was involved but blamed Dahlgren for orchestrating the break-ins. Novak has a sentencing hearing scheduled in February.
BD Teen Pleads To Mayville Burglaries
10/27/11 - A Beaver Dam man entered a “no contest” plea yesterday to a pair of burglaries in Mayville. 19-year-old Devin Dutzle pled to felony Burglary and misdemeanor Theft and had two other felonies dismissed but read into the record. Dutzle stole cash, credit cards, knives and electronics in the two break-ins in May of 2010. A neighbor witnessed a suspicious vehicle in the area of the break-ins and jotted down the license plate. Authorities connected that to a juvenile accomplice who used a stolen credit card online. His 20-year-old brother Andrew Dutzle was sentenced to six months in jail for his role in the burglary. Devin Dutzle will be sentenced in December.
State Split Over Walker Recall
10/27/11 - A Democratic polling firm says Wisconsinites are split over whether Governor Scott Walker should be recalled next year. Public Policy Polling said 48-percent of the 11-hundred-70 voters it surveyed said the Republican Walker should be removed – and 49-percent said he should stay on. A poll two months ago by the same firm showed that 50-percent opposed Walker’s recall, and 47-percent favored it. Democrats and union supporters are trying to remove Walker because of his successful effort to virtually end collective bargaining by most public employee unions. The polling firm also asked whether voters if they would choose Walker or Democrat Tom Barrett in a recall election – and Walker had led 48-46. Barrett has said he’s focusing on being re-elected as Milwaukee’s mayor next year – which would most likely keep him out of the recall contest.
Concealed Weapons to be Allowed at the Capitol
10/27/11 - The Walker administration has apparently decided to let people carry concealed weapons in most parts of the State Capitol. Nothing’s official yet. But the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says guns will be banned in the State Supreme Court chamber. Legislators can decide for themselves whether to allow hidden weapons in their own offices. And the Assembly’s Organization Committee will meet today to decide whether to allow guns in the Assembly chamber during its sessions. The concealed weapons law takes effect Tuesday, when people can start getting state permits to carry hidden guns. The Journal Sentinel says one proposal would allow guns to be carried on the Assembly floor and in the viewing galleries – where 12 people were arrested Tuesday for carrying signs and video-taping a session in violation of Assembly rules. Racine County Republican Robin Vos said he did not see a contradiction in allowing guns in the gallery but not the use of live video-recorders.
WI Marine Injured During Protest in Oakland
10/27/11 - A La Crosse area Marine was in critical condition at last word, after he fractured his skull during an Occupy Wall Street protest in Oakland California. 24-year-old Scott Olsen of Onalaska was hit by an object when demonstrators and police officers clashed on Tuesday. It happened when the demonstrators tried to re-establish a presence at a protest camp in Oakland that was disbanded. Witnesses said Olsen was hit by either a police rubber bullet or a tear gas canister. Friends said he had brain swelling when he was taken to Oakland’s Highland Hospital, and he suffered a seizure there yesterday. Olsen was still in high school when he signed up for the Marines at age 17. He served two tours of duty in Iraq with the Marines’ Third Battalion unit. But his friend and fellow Marine Keith Shannon said Olsen didn’t agree with the war, and he wanted to do something else for a career. Olsen left the military last year. Shannon said both he and Olsen joined the Iraq Veterans Against the War – and they had taken part in Occupy Wall Street demonstrations in both San Francisco and Oakland.
Powerball Up to $203M
10/27/11 - The Powerball jackpot is at 203-million dollars for Saturday night. Nobody took the top prize last night, and nobody from Wisconsin won the second-or-third prizes. The most anybody won from the Badger State was 300-dollars, by having the Power Play multiplier of three and then matching four regular numbers or three-plus-the-Powerball. Just over 24-thousand Wisconsin players won something. Last night’s numbers were 1, 18, 21, 39, and 55. The Powerball was six. The current jackpot has been building since September 17th. It has rolled over 12 times. In Mega Millions, the top prize is at 67-million dollars for the next drawing tomorrow night.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Top Stories October 26th
BDAC Tackles 2012 Budget
10/26/11 - The Beaver Dam Administrative Committee got to work last night crunching the numbers in the 2012 budget. Officials went into the meeting having to trim $174,000 and after speaking with each department individually over the course of the four-and-a-half hour meeting, they were able to cut around $38,000. The committee rejected around $25,000 in purchase requests from the police department for new laptops and a solar-powered upgrade to their speed trailer. Another $10,000 in projected labor attorney expenses was trimmed and Beaver Dam Lake Days will only get $7000 for fireworks this year instead of $8000. Committee Chair Don Neuert says the city only has so many options. Layoffs do not appear likely and most purchase requests were approved last night. Neuert says the committee is considering pushing off $140,000 in debt payments next year but that would cost an additional $88,000 in interest. The final, and most likely, option would be to save money on health insurance by increasing the deductible on police and fire personnel, something allowed for the first time because of recent changes in Madison. Neuert says, in his opinion, that appears to be the most likely to be approved. As far as the rest of the budget, the fire department may be getting a part-time clerk while the Community Activities and Services Department could see a part-time position increased to full time. The mayor’s salary is also proposed to increase $5000 to $60,000 beginning after the April election. The total proposed budget is $13.7 million dollars, of which the city plans to levy for $8.4 million, that’s an increase of four-and-a-quarter-percent (4.25%) or roughly $342,000 higher than the current budget. No word yet on the proposed mill rate. The Administrative Committee is expected to advance the budget during their regular meeting on Monday.
Horicon Sticking With City Clerk/Treasurer
10/26/11 - Horicon will be sticking with a city clerk/treasurer form of government. With the retirement of longtime clerk/treasurer Dave Pasewald earlier this year, the council discussed the possibility of moving to a city administrator form of government, which is used in some cities where there is a part-time mayor. The biggest difference between the two positions is that an administrator supervises the entire operation while a clerk/treasurer manages the city functions without having a supervisory role. Mayor Jim Grigg says there are positives and negatives to each position but the council felt they shouldn’t try and change what isn’t broken. Since Pasewald’s retirement, Deputy Clerk/Treasurer Kristin Jacobson has been handling most of the duties, though Pasewald has helped out on a part-time basis. Grigg says the city will be taking a look at possible full-time replacements in December.
Big Response for Columbus Facilities Committee
10/26/11 - The Columbus School community responded quickly to an invitation to join the District “Facilities Team.” The Team will be studying the current state and future prospects for School District buildings and grounds over the next six months. Thirty-four community members have agreed to volunteer for the committee. The team will discuss an architect’s assessment of the schools, a study on student population trends, and a report on District finances. The Team will be asked to draft recommendations for the District’s future by next April.
Democrats Rally in Madison
10/26/11 - Three Democrats who might run in a possible recall election against Governor Scott Walker spoke at a rally in Madison last night. Over 100 Democrats and union supporters attended – and they also got training for getting petition signatures for the recall effort. Former Congressman Dave Obey of Wausau, former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, and state Senate Democrat Jon Erpenbach of Waunakee said the damage caused by the Republican Walker was so severe, voters have no choice but to seek a recall. Erpenbach said Walker’s bill to virtually end collective bargaining for most public employees has pitted relatives and neighbors against each other. The state Democratic Party organized last night’s event – and they plan to hold similar rallies and training sessions. In response to last night’s event, state Republican Chairman Brad Courtney praised Walker’s effort to balance the state budget without raising taxes, and creating a better environment for job creators. Courtney also labeled the Democrats’ efforts as “false momentum.”
Ritter Sentenced to Jail
10/26/11 - The former Treasurer of the Lowell-Reeseville First Responders was sentenced Tuesday to 20 days in jail for embezzling money from the organization. 40-year-old Sheri Ritter of Reeseville pleaded “no contest” to reduced misdemeanor Theft charges. According to the criminal complaint, a report uncovered irregularities in the group’s financial records and Ritter admitted the thefts on the record during a subsequent meeting. Nearly $3000 from the First Responders business account was used for Ritter’s personal finances, to pay for car loans, cable bills and phone bills. The offenses date back to last October with the most recent occurring in March of this year. Ritter was also ordered to pay $1400 in restitution.
Gov. Walker Unveils New State Employee Pay Plan
10/26/11 - Governor Scott Walker’s new pay plan for state employees would end a unique overtime benefit for Wisconsin prison workers. For years, guards who called in sick and then worked the next shift got regular pay for one shift and time-and-a-half for the other. The Walker pay plan, announced yesterday, would grant regular pay for both shifts. And any overtime would be spread evenly throughout the entire corrections’ workforce, instead of being offered to the most senior employees first. State employment relations’ director Greg Gracz said it would save the Corrections’ Department five-million-dollars a year. The changes are part of the administration’s first pay plan after union employees lost most of their collective bargaining privileges earlier this year. Republican Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald said most state workers would see few changes. But Assembly Democratic Leader Peter Barca calls the plan a power grab that strips away the rights of middle-class workers. The changes would take effect January first, after approval by a legislative panel.
Liquor Stores Could Open Earlier
10/26/11 - Wisconsin liquor stores could open earlier under a bill passed by the state Assembly yesterday. Local governments can allow beer-and-liquor retailers to open at six a-m instead of eight. Beer sales would still have to end at midnight, and bottles of the hard-stuff could still not be sold in stores after nine p-m. Supporters of the bill said it would let overnight workers buy a six-pack on their way home, but opponents feared it would send the wrong message about alcohol abuse. But the Assembly didn’t need a roll-call vote to pass it, and the measure now goes to the Senate.
Baby Whooping Cranes Begin Migration
10/26/11 - Eight more Wisconsin baby whooping cranes have just started a journey to Florida, as part of an annual migration project. The endangered birds were released Sunday from the Horicon Marsh in Dodge County, where they joined older cranes which have taken the trip south. Meanwhile, 10 other baby cranes have still not left Wisconsin. They took off from a marsh in Marquette and Green Lake counties over two weeks ago with the help of an ultra-light pilot. Windy weather has held them up – and according to the Operation Migration Web site, one of those 10 birds went missing and is still being sought. The Wisconsin part of the project used to be centered at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge – but it split up this year. Ninety-six birds have survived since the migration project began in 2001. It’s part of a long-running effort to reintroduce the endangered whooping crane to the eastern U-S.
Curbside Brush Pickup to End
10/26/11 - The Beaver Dam Department of Public Works Department says curbside brush pick-up will be suspended for the season after the first week of November. Director of Facilities David Stoiser says residents need to have shrubbery cuttings and neatly piled loose tree limbs up to seven inches in thickness and eight feet in length in the terrace area at the street’s edge for pick-up by 7am during their first solid waste collection day of the month. Waste cannot be placed out any sooner than 24 hours before the scheduled collection day. Yard materials can also be dropped off at the Public Works Garage Yard Waste Drop-off Site at 640 South Center Street, Monday through Friday from 7am to 3:30pm. Collection begins next Tuesday. The service will start up again next April.
Brett Favre Becoming Even More of a Distant Memory
10/26/11 - It’s another sign that Brett Favre is becoming a distant memory in Wisconsin. Patti Schroeder of Fremont has removed Favre’s Number-Four from her popular red barn along Highway 10-45 in Waupaca County. For years, the barn sang Favre’s praises as surveys named him as one of Wisconsin’s most beloved figures when he quarterback the Packers to the Super Bowl-31 title 15 seasons ago. When Favre was traded to the New York Jets in 2008, Schroeder’s barn read “4-Ever in Our Heart.” A year later, when arch-rival Minnesota signed him, the heart was split in two. Aaron Rodgers then started getting better numbers than the three-time M-V-P. And Schroeder’s barn reflected that with the message that “Number-12 is Three-Times Number-Four.” That message struck such a chord that E-S-P-N featured it a couple times. Last week, the Worldwide Leader in Sports was on hand to see Favre’s number deleted altogether. The message now reads simply, “Number-12 is Number-One.”
10/26/11 - The Beaver Dam Administrative Committee got to work last night crunching the numbers in the 2012 budget. Officials went into the meeting having to trim $174,000 and after speaking with each department individually over the course of the four-and-a-half hour meeting, they were able to cut around $38,000. The committee rejected around $25,000 in purchase requests from the police department for new laptops and a solar-powered upgrade to their speed trailer. Another $10,000 in projected labor attorney expenses was trimmed and Beaver Dam Lake Days will only get $7000 for fireworks this year instead of $8000. Committee Chair Don Neuert says the city only has so many options. Layoffs do not appear likely and most purchase requests were approved last night. Neuert says the committee is considering pushing off $140,000 in debt payments next year but that would cost an additional $88,000 in interest. The final, and most likely, option would be to save money on health insurance by increasing the deductible on police and fire personnel, something allowed for the first time because of recent changes in Madison. Neuert says, in his opinion, that appears to be the most likely to be approved. As far as the rest of the budget, the fire department may be getting a part-time clerk while the Community Activities and Services Department could see a part-time position increased to full time. The mayor’s salary is also proposed to increase $5000 to $60,000 beginning after the April election. The total proposed budget is $13.7 million dollars, of which the city plans to levy for $8.4 million, that’s an increase of four-and-a-quarter-percent (4.25%) or roughly $342,000 higher than the current budget. No word yet on the proposed mill rate. The Administrative Committee is expected to advance the budget during their regular meeting on Monday.
Horicon Sticking With City Clerk/Treasurer
10/26/11 - Horicon will be sticking with a city clerk/treasurer form of government. With the retirement of longtime clerk/treasurer Dave Pasewald earlier this year, the council discussed the possibility of moving to a city administrator form of government, which is used in some cities where there is a part-time mayor. The biggest difference between the two positions is that an administrator supervises the entire operation while a clerk/treasurer manages the city functions without having a supervisory role. Mayor Jim Grigg says there are positives and negatives to each position but the council felt they shouldn’t try and change what isn’t broken. Since Pasewald’s retirement, Deputy Clerk/Treasurer Kristin Jacobson has been handling most of the duties, though Pasewald has helped out on a part-time basis. Grigg says the city will be taking a look at possible full-time replacements in December.
Big Response for Columbus Facilities Committee
10/26/11 - The Columbus School community responded quickly to an invitation to join the District “Facilities Team.” The Team will be studying the current state and future prospects for School District buildings and grounds over the next six months. Thirty-four community members have agreed to volunteer for the committee. The team will discuss an architect’s assessment of the schools, a study on student population trends, and a report on District finances. The Team will be asked to draft recommendations for the District’s future by next April.
Democrats Rally in Madison
10/26/11 - Three Democrats who might run in a possible recall election against Governor Scott Walker spoke at a rally in Madison last night. Over 100 Democrats and union supporters attended – and they also got training for getting petition signatures for the recall effort. Former Congressman Dave Obey of Wausau, former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, and state Senate Democrat Jon Erpenbach of Waunakee said the damage caused by the Republican Walker was so severe, voters have no choice but to seek a recall. Erpenbach said Walker’s bill to virtually end collective bargaining for most public employees has pitted relatives and neighbors against each other. The state Democratic Party organized last night’s event – and they plan to hold similar rallies and training sessions. In response to last night’s event, state Republican Chairman Brad Courtney praised Walker’s effort to balance the state budget without raising taxes, and creating a better environment for job creators. Courtney also labeled the Democrats’ efforts as “false momentum.”
Ritter Sentenced to Jail
10/26/11 - The former Treasurer of the Lowell-Reeseville First Responders was sentenced Tuesday to 20 days in jail for embezzling money from the organization. 40-year-old Sheri Ritter of Reeseville pleaded “no contest” to reduced misdemeanor Theft charges. According to the criminal complaint, a report uncovered irregularities in the group’s financial records and Ritter admitted the thefts on the record during a subsequent meeting. Nearly $3000 from the First Responders business account was used for Ritter’s personal finances, to pay for car loans, cable bills and phone bills. The offenses date back to last October with the most recent occurring in March of this year. Ritter was also ordered to pay $1400 in restitution.
Gov. Walker Unveils New State Employee Pay Plan
10/26/11 - Governor Scott Walker’s new pay plan for state employees would end a unique overtime benefit for Wisconsin prison workers. For years, guards who called in sick and then worked the next shift got regular pay for one shift and time-and-a-half for the other. The Walker pay plan, announced yesterday, would grant regular pay for both shifts. And any overtime would be spread evenly throughout the entire corrections’ workforce, instead of being offered to the most senior employees first. State employment relations’ director Greg Gracz said it would save the Corrections’ Department five-million-dollars a year. The changes are part of the administration’s first pay plan after union employees lost most of their collective bargaining privileges earlier this year. Republican Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald said most state workers would see few changes. But Assembly Democratic Leader Peter Barca calls the plan a power grab that strips away the rights of middle-class workers. The changes would take effect January first, after approval by a legislative panel.
Liquor Stores Could Open Earlier
10/26/11 - Wisconsin liquor stores could open earlier under a bill passed by the state Assembly yesterday. Local governments can allow beer-and-liquor retailers to open at six a-m instead of eight. Beer sales would still have to end at midnight, and bottles of the hard-stuff could still not be sold in stores after nine p-m. Supporters of the bill said it would let overnight workers buy a six-pack on their way home, but opponents feared it would send the wrong message about alcohol abuse. But the Assembly didn’t need a roll-call vote to pass it, and the measure now goes to the Senate.
Baby Whooping Cranes Begin Migration
10/26/11 - Eight more Wisconsin baby whooping cranes have just started a journey to Florida, as part of an annual migration project. The endangered birds were released Sunday from the Horicon Marsh in Dodge County, where they joined older cranes which have taken the trip south. Meanwhile, 10 other baby cranes have still not left Wisconsin. They took off from a marsh in Marquette and Green Lake counties over two weeks ago with the help of an ultra-light pilot. Windy weather has held them up – and according to the Operation Migration Web site, one of those 10 birds went missing and is still being sought. The Wisconsin part of the project used to be centered at the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge – but it split up this year. Ninety-six birds have survived since the migration project began in 2001. It’s part of a long-running effort to reintroduce the endangered whooping crane to the eastern U-S.
Curbside Brush Pickup to End
10/26/11 - The Beaver Dam Department of Public Works Department says curbside brush pick-up will be suspended for the season after the first week of November. Director of Facilities David Stoiser says residents need to have shrubbery cuttings and neatly piled loose tree limbs up to seven inches in thickness and eight feet in length in the terrace area at the street’s edge for pick-up by 7am during their first solid waste collection day of the month. Waste cannot be placed out any sooner than 24 hours before the scheduled collection day. Yard materials can also be dropped off at the Public Works Garage Yard Waste Drop-off Site at 640 South Center Street, Monday through Friday from 7am to 3:30pm. Collection begins next Tuesday. The service will start up again next April.
Brett Favre Becoming Even More of a Distant Memory
10/26/11 - It’s another sign that Brett Favre is becoming a distant memory in Wisconsin. Patti Schroeder of Fremont has removed Favre’s Number-Four from her popular red barn along Highway 10-45 in Waupaca County. For years, the barn sang Favre’s praises as surveys named him as one of Wisconsin’s most beloved figures when he quarterback the Packers to the Super Bowl-31 title 15 seasons ago. When Favre was traded to the New York Jets in 2008, Schroeder’s barn read “4-Ever in Our Heart.” A year later, when arch-rival Minnesota signed him, the heart was split in two. Aaron Rodgers then started getting better numbers than the three-time M-V-P. And Schroeder’s barn reflected that with the message that “Number-12 is Three-Times Number-Four.” That message struck such a chord that E-S-P-N featured it a couple times. Last week, the Worldwide Leader in Sports was on hand to see Favre’s number deleted altogether. The message now reads simply, “Number-12 is Number-One.”
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Top Stories October 25th
Nehls Targeting OWI Violators
10/25/11 - The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department is considering a new website to alert people to repeat drunk drivers who violate their terms of their bonds. That’s after a 57-year-old Fox Lake man allegedly kept driving to-and-from his favorite bars in violation of a bond for his fourth O-W-I charge. Sheriff Todd Nehls says he wants to make the Fox Lake man an example. He says he wants to hear from anyone who may have served or witnessed Jeffrey Mahnke consume alcohol since his last OWI conviction last November. In fact, the sheriff says there are hundreds of people who are ordered to live within certain boundaries while their cases are being heard in the courts. And even though those limits are of public record, he says they quote, “continue to willfully disobey the courts” by defying orders not to drink-and-drive, use drugs, or engage in violent behavior. Nehls also says those who serve such people are exposing themselves to criminal charges.
Columbus Schools Tax Rate Going Up
10/25/11 - The Columbus School Board approved the 2011-2012 budget at last night’s annual meeting. State funding changes made earlier this year resulted in a $612,000 reduction in state aid to the district and a $420,000 savings due to increased employee contributions to health and retirement plans. The $12.2 million dollar budget will be $830,000 lower than last year. The levy will increase by $88,000 bringing the tax rate to $10.57, up by 30 cents per thousand from last year.
Tax Rate Down for WASD
10/25/11 - Waupun School District taxpayers will see a 2.3-percent decrease their mill rate from a year ago. The 2011-2012 budget approved last night leaves property owners with a tax rate of $10.48 per thousand dollars of value. That’s 24-cents lower than last year and 13-cents lower than last month, when voters approved a levy of $10.1-million. School officials say the decrease from last month can be traced to the district’s equalized value coming in more than expected and the district receiving more state aid than projected. The tax rate of $10.48 means the owner of a property worth $100,000 would pay $1,048 for the school portion of their tax bill. The total budget is about $20.59-million, which includes a cut in expenditures of nearly $1.4-million. That leaves the district with a deficit of about $650,000, which will be covered by fund balance.
Dodgeland Approves Budget
10/25/11 - The tax rate in the Dodgeland School District is down from last year. In approving the $9.13-million budget last night, the school board set a levy that will see the mill rate drop about 42-cents to $12.99 per thousand dollars of value. That means the owner of a property worth $100,000 would pay $1,299 for the school portion of their tax bill. The total budget is about $600,000 less than last year.
Furnace Installer Paying $5M for Fatal Sun Prairie Explosion
10/25/11 - A furnace installer has agreed to pay five-million-dollars to settle a lawsuit filed by the survivors of a fatal house explosion in Sun Prairie last November. 26-year-old Andrew Manley was killed in the blast. 27-year-old Steven Slack was paralyzed. And 27-year-old Lindsey Stephany was also hurt. All three lived in the house that was destroyed by the blast. Several neighboring homes also had damage. Investigators said it was caused by a gas leak from a furnace that was installed six days earlier in the Manley house. Madison lawyer Daniel Rottier tells the Wisconsin State Journal the settlement represented the maximum liability insurance carried by the furnace provider, Service Specialists of Dane County. He said his clients did not believe the settlement was enough to cover their losses – but they didn’t want to put the company out of business, either. Rottier said he asked the state Fire Marshal’s office to rule the explosion as an accident. Investigators had said they were not able to eliminate the possibility of either accidental or intentional human activity in the incident. The Justice Department, which oversees the fire marshal’s office, is not commenting on the request.
Harley Davidson Recall
10/25/11 - Milwaukee’s Harley-Davidson announced a recall Monday of over 308-thousand motorcycles to fix a switching problem that can cause brake lights to fail – and in some cases, the brakes themselves. The company said the recall involves Harley Touring, Trike, and C-V-O Touring bikes made from June of 2008 through September 16th. Harley said it would notify the affected owners about the problem. The recall affects a quarter-million bikes sold in the U-S, and over 50-thousand overseas. It involves a switch on a rear brake-light that could be exposed to excessive heat from the motorcycle’s exhaust system. Harley notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the problem, after a Trike motorcycle lost its rear brakes last year. It’s the only mishap the company’s aware of. Harley said excessive heat might cause the switch not to turn on the brake light – or to turn on the brake light even when a brake is not applied. Harley also said the problem could cause fluid to leak around brake light switch – and that could reduce the brakes’ performance. In any event, Harley says those conditions could cause a higher risk of an accident. Harley says dealers can install new brake light switches free of charge.
Beaver Dam Water, Sewer Fees Remain Stable
10/25/11 - There will be no increase in Beaver Dam’s water and sewer usage fees next year. Director of Utilities Don Quarford told the city’s Operations Committee last night that it could be a couple years before increases are needed. He says the city’s new $20 million dollar wastewater treatment plant is generating enough revenue to pay for debt service on the facility along with regular operations and maintenance. Quarford gave the update to the city’s Operations Committee last night in advance of the Administrative Committee’s budget meeting tonight.
Lake Days Doles Out $6K To Non-Profit Helpers
10/25/11 - The Beaver Dam Lake Days Steering Committee donated over $6000 to 26 different non-profit organizations this year. Manpower Committee Chair Diane Bell says it’s all part of the program that pays the groups that provide staff to work at the event. Each year, Lake Days has workers from various non-profits fill over 300, three-hour shifts over the course of five days, helping with everything from set-up and tear down to concessions and ticket sales. In the past five years, the Lake Days Committee has given $34,000 back to the community through the participating non-profits.
Fitzgerald Says Job Creation Should Be Top Priority
10/25/11 - Wisconsin’s Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau says a dismal employment forecast should get both parties to stop playing politics and start focusing on jobs. The state Revenue Department said Wisconsin would only add 136-thousand private sector jobs by 2014. That’s 43-thousand less than the Revenue Department’s last forecast in June. And it falls far short of Governor Scott Walker’s promise to create a quarter-million private-sector jobs by 2015. So far, the state had only added 29-thousand jobs since Walker took office – and at that pace, Wisconsin will fall 100-thousand jobs short of the governor’s goal by 2015. Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie said the Badger State needs to quote, “break through the wet blanket of the national economy.” He said the governor’s current session on jobs would adopt policies that improve the state’s economic climate. But Democrats have blasted the G-O-P for advancing measures which have little to do with creating jobs – things like cutting off health insurance coverage for most abortions, and firing teachers if their students don’t achieve. Fitzgerald says Wisconsin cannot divorce itself from the national economy – but he says the G-O-P remains focused on job-creation efforts like approving the new iron ore mine in Ashland-and-Iron counties, helping start-up businesses get venture capital, and cutting down on business red tape and frivolous lawsuits.
Assembly To Vote On Passing In No Passing Zones
10/25/11 - The Wisconsin Assembly will vote Tuesday on a bill to let car-and-truck drivers pass bicycles and other slow-moving vehicles in no-passing zones. The Assembly’s Transportation Committee approved the measure 15-to-nothing earlier this month. Lawmakers from both parties support the bill. It would let a motor vehicle pass any vehicle in a no-passing zone, including a bicycle, that’s moving at a significantly-slower speed than the normal flow of traffic.
Walker Unveils Financial Impact Website
10/25/11 - Governor Scott Walker unveiled a new Web site Monday to highlight the effects of the financial changes he approved for state-and-local governments. The site is called “Reforms and Results.” It said almost 461-million tax dollars were saved this year by things like the massive limits on collective bargaining by public unions – and the increases made by government employees toward their pensions and their health insurance. The site also has a county-by-county breakdown of the tax savings. But Democrats immediately questioned the timing of the new Web site. It premiered just 22 days before Democrats and their supporters begin a statewide petition drive to recall the Republican governor. State Democratic Party chairman Mike Tate called the Web site “insulting propaganda” – and he said the Walker campaign should pay for it instead of taxpayers. It’s on the Governor’s Web site, and its address is www.reforms.wi.gov.
Redistricting Lawsuit Survives Another Challenge
10/25/11 - A three-judge panel in Milwaukee has refused to drop a lawsuit that challenges Wisconsin’s newly-drawn congressional and state legislative districts. Former Democratic Senate leader Judy Robson, former Congressman Al Baldus, and over a dozen others filed suit earlier this year – even before Republicans approved the boundaries they drew with no Democratic support. The state Justice Department asked that the lawsuit be dropped, and that the Republican-drawn districts prevail. But the judges said the plaintiffs have the legal right to challenge the redistricting – and their allegations warrant that the case continue to be heard in the courts. Republicans said the new maps accurately reflect population changes revealed in the 2010 Census. But Democrats and other critics said the G-O-P drew the boundaries in a way that gives them the possible chance of winning elections all the way through the next decade. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs said almost 300-thousand people won’t be able to vote in next year’s Senate elections, because they’ve been thrown into different districts which don’t have contests until 2014.
10/25/11 - The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department is considering a new website to alert people to repeat drunk drivers who violate their terms of their bonds. That’s after a 57-year-old Fox Lake man allegedly kept driving to-and-from his favorite bars in violation of a bond for his fourth O-W-I charge. Sheriff Todd Nehls says he wants to make the Fox Lake man an example. He says he wants to hear from anyone who may have served or witnessed Jeffrey Mahnke consume alcohol since his last OWI conviction last November. In fact, the sheriff says there are hundreds of people who are ordered to live within certain boundaries while their cases are being heard in the courts. And even though those limits are of public record, he says they quote, “continue to willfully disobey the courts” by defying orders not to drink-and-drive, use drugs, or engage in violent behavior. Nehls also says those who serve such people are exposing themselves to criminal charges.
Columbus Schools Tax Rate Going Up
10/25/11 - The Columbus School Board approved the 2011-2012 budget at last night’s annual meeting. State funding changes made earlier this year resulted in a $612,000 reduction in state aid to the district and a $420,000 savings due to increased employee contributions to health and retirement plans. The $12.2 million dollar budget will be $830,000 lower than last year. The levy will increase by $88,000 bringing the tax rate to $10.57, up by 30 cents per thousand from last year.
Tax Rate Down for WASD
10/25/11 - Waupun School District taxpayers will see a 2.3-percent decrease their mill rate from a year ago. The 2011-2012 budget approved last night leaves property owners with a tax rate of $10.48 per thousand dollars of value. That’s 24-cents lower than last year and 13-cents lower than last month, when voters approved a levy of $10.1-million. School officials say the decrease from last month can be traced to the district’s equalized value coming in more than expected and the district receiving more state aid than projected. The tax rate of $10.48 means the owner of a property worth $100,000 would pay $1,048 for the school portion of their tax bill. The total budget is about $20.59-million, which includes a cut in expenditures of nearly $1.4-million. That leaves the district with a deficit of about $650,000, which will be covered by fund balance.
Dodgeland Approves Budget
10/25/11 - The tax rate in the Dodgeland School District is down from last year. In approving the $9.13-million budget last night, the school board set a levy that will see the mill rate drop about 42-cents to $12.99 per thousand dollars of value. That means the owner of a property worth $100,000 would pay $1,299 for the school portion of their tax bill. The total budget is about $600,000 less than last year.
Furnace Installer Paying $5M for Fatal Sun Prairie Explosion
10/25/11 - A furnace installer has agreed to pay five-million-dollars to settle a lawsuit filed by the survivors of a fatal house explosion in Sun Prairie last November. 26-year-old Andrew Manley was killed in the blast. 27-year-old Steven Slack was paralyzed. And 27-year-old Lindsey Stephany was also hurt. All three lived in the house that was destroyed by the blast. Several neighboring homes also had damage. Investigators said it was caused by a gas leak from a furnace that was installed six days earlier in the Manley house. Madison lawyer Daniel Rottier tells the Wisconsin State Journal the settlement represented the maximum liability insurance carried by the furnace provider, Service Specialists of Dane County. He said his clients did not believe the settlement was enough to cover their losses – but they didn’t want to put the company out of business, either. Rottier said he asked the state Fire Marshal’s office to rule the explosion as an accident. Investigators had said they were not able to eliminate the possibility of either accidental or intentional human activity in the incident. The Justice Department, which oversees the fire marshal’s office, is not commenting on the request.
Harley Davidson Recall
10/25/11 - Milwaukee’s Harley-Davidson announced a recall Monday of over 308-thousand motorcycles to fix a switching problem that can cause brake lights to fail – and in some cases, the brakes themselves. The company said the recall involves Harley Touring, Trike, and C-V-O Touring bikes made from June of 2008 through September 16th. Harley said it would notify the affected owners about the problem. The recall affects a quarter-million bikes sold in the U-S, and over 50-thousand overseas. It involves a switch on a rear brake-light that could be exposed to excessive heat from the motorcycle’s exhaust system. Harley notified the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the problem, after a Trike motorcycle lost its rear brakes last year. It’s the only mishap the company’s aware of. Harley said excessive heat might cause the switch not to turn on the brake light – or to turn on the brake light even when a brake is not applied. Harley also said the problem could cause fluid to leak around brake light switch – and that could reduce the brakes’ performance. In any event, Harley says those conditions could cause a higher risk of an accident. Harley says dealers can install new brake light switches free of charge.
Beaver Dam Water, Sewer Fees Remain Stable
10/25/11 - There will be no increase in Beaver Dam’s water and sewer usage fees next year. Director of Utilities Don Quarford told the city’s Operations Committee last night that it could be a couple years before increases are needed. He says the city’s new $20 million dollar wastewater treatment plant is generating enough revenue to pay for debt service on the facility along with regular operations and maintenance. Quarford gave the update to the city’s Operations Committee last night in advance of the Administrative Committee’s budget meeting tonight.
Lake Days Doles Out $6K To Non-Profit Helpers
10/25/11 - The Beaver Dam Lake Days Steering Committee donated over $6000 to 26 different non-profit organizations this year. Manpower Committee Chair Diane Bell says it’s all part of the program that pays the groups that provide staff to work at the event. Each year, Lake Days has workers from various non-profits fill over 300, three-hour shifts over the course of five days, helping with everything from set-up and tear down to concessions and ticket sales. In the past five years, the Lake Days Committee has given $34,000 back to the community through the participating non-profits.
Fitzgerald Says Job Creation Should Be Top Priority
10/25/11 - Wisconsin’s Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau says a dismal employment forecast should get both parties to stop playing politics and start focusing on jobs. The state Revenue Department said Wisconsin would only add 136-thousand private sector jobs by 2014. That’s 43-thousand less than the Revenue Department’s last forecast in June. And it falls far short of Governor Scott Walker’s promise to create a quarter-million private-sector jobs by 2015. So far, the state had only added 29-thousand jobs since Walker took office – and at that pace, Wisconsin will fall 100-thousand jobs short of the governor’s goal by 2015. Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie said the Badger State needs to quote, “break through the wet blanket of the national economy.” He said the governor’s current session on jobs would adopt policies that improve the state’s economic climate. But Democrats have blasted the G-O-P for advancing measures which have little to do with creating jobs – things like cutting off health insurance coverage for most abortions, and firing teachers if their students don’t achieve. Fitzgerald says Wisconsin cannot divorce itself from the national economy – but he says the G-O-P remains focused on job-creation efforts like approving the new iron ore mine in Ashland-and-Iron counties, helping start-up businesses get venture capital, and cutting down on business red tape and frivolous lawsuits.
Assembly To Vote On Passing In No Passing Zones
10/25/11 - The Wisconsin Assembly will vote Tuesday on a bill to let car-and-truck drivers pass bicycles and other slow-moving vehicles in no-passing zones. The Assembly’s Transportation Committee approved the measure 15-to-nothing earlier this month. Lawmakers from both parties support the bill. It would let a motor vehicle pass any vehicle in a no-passing zone, including a bicycle, that’s moving at a significantly-slower speed than the normal flow of traffic.
Walker Unveils Financial Impact Website
10/25/11 - Governor Scott Walker unveiled a new Web site Monday to highlight the effects of the financial changes he approved for state-and-local governments. The site is called “Reforms and Results.” It said almost 461-million tax dollars were saved this year by things like the massive limits on collective bargaining by public unions – and the increases made by government employees toward their pensions and their health insurance. The site also has a county-by-county breakdown of the tax savings. But Democrats immediately questioned the timing of the new Web site. It premiered just 22 days before Democrats and their supporters begin a statewide petition drive to recall the Republican governor. State Democratic Party chairman Mike Tate called the Web site “insulting propaganda” – and he said the Walker campaign should pay for it instead of taxpayers. It’s on the Governor’s Web site, and its address is www.reforms.wi.gov.
Redistricting Lawsuit Survives Another Challenge
10/25/11 - A three-judge panel in Milwaukee has refused to drop a lawsuit that challenges Wisconsin’s newly-drawn congressional and state legislative districts. Former Democratic Senate leader Judy Robson, former Congressman Al Baldus, and over a dozen others filed suit earlier this year – even before Republicans approved the boundaries they drew with no Democratic support. The state Justice Department asked that the lawsuit be dropped, and that the Republican-drawn districts prevail. But the judges said the plaintiffs have the legal right to challenge the redistricting – and their allegations warrant that the case continue to be heard in the courts. Republicans said the new maps accurately reflect population changes revealed in the 2010 Census. But Democrats and other critics said the G-O-P drew the boundaries in a way that gives them the possible chance of winning elections all the way through the next decade. In the lawsuit, the plaintiffs said almost 300-thousand people won’t be able to vote in next year’s Senate elections, because they’ve been thrown into different districts which don’t have contests until 2014.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Top Stories October 24th
Beaver Dam Woman Injured In Oak Grove Wreck
10/24/11 - The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department now believes the woman they found lying outside of a vehicle following an accident was in fact the driver. 23-year-old Dawn Patzer was found early yesterday morning outside of a vehicle that had come to rest on its side near the intersection of county road A and W. She told deputies that she was a passenger in the vehicle and that the driver had left the scene. However, Sheriff Todd Nehls says they’ve found some evidence that indicates Patzer was the driver. The 23-year-old was transported by Juneau EMS and then flighted to UW Hospital Madison.
BDUSD, Grulke Agree to Settlement
10/24/11 - A lawsuit against the Beaver Dam School District won’t be going to trial. That’s after the school board and now former district secretary Cheryl Grulke came to agreement that settles three different complaints filed by her in late 2010 and early this year. As a result of the final settlement agreement, a trial slated to begin today on whether Superintendent Steve Vessey and the district was in violation of Wisconsin’s open records laws will not go on as scheduled. Among other things, the settlement will see the district pay Grulke about $25,000 as part of a severance agreement, while her attorney’s fees of about $56,000 will also be covered. Vessey must also receive three hours of training on the states public records law and its open meeting law, while all other staff will be provided with copies of the district’s harassment and discrimination policies. The total payout is $90,000 of which $40,000 will be paid for by the district and the remaining payout will be covered by insurance. In a statement, Vessey said the payout is a large amount of money to be spent on anything other than the classroom, but the amount pales in comparison to the total costs that would have been incurred had the district gone to trial. Meanwhile, Grulke said in a statement that she was satisfied with the resolution of the issues and thanked the community for its support.
Four Years In Prison For Seventh OWI
10/24/11 - A Beaver Dam man pleaded “no contest” to seventh-offense drunk driving late last week and was sentenced to four years in prison. 47-year-old Brian Gilmore’s blood alcohol level was over three times the legal limit for driving at point-two-seven-five (.275) when he was pulled over on September 11. Gilmore had been stayed with his sister following his release from prison for sixth-offense OWI and she phoned police about his condition after finding drug paraphernalia in her house.
Beaver Dam Man Gets Probation For Scrap Theft
10/24/11 - A Beaver Dam man was placed on probation during a sentencing hearing late last week on charges that he stole thousands of dollars worth of scrap metal. 23-year-old Joseph Evans took stainless steel sheets from Supreme Manufacturing in May of 2010. He pled “no contest” to felony Theft charges earlier this month, it was the second time Evans had a plea deal worked out in the case. In April, Dodge County prosecutors rescinded a deal after Evans was charged with First Degree Sexual Assault of a Child. Authorities say Evans fondled a pre-school age victim in March. He has a five-day jury trial on the molestation charges set to begin in mid-January. Evans could have the Theft charge expunged if he stays out of trouble during his two-year probation.
Whitewater Alderman Pleads To Pot Charge
10/24/11 - Prosecutors say a member of the Whitewater city council sold drugs to an undercover informant on two occasions. Javonni M. Butler pleaded guilty to one felony charge of delivering marijuana. He has resigned his council seat and has been sentenced to 45 days in jail and two years’ probation. Published reports indicate Butler was reelected to the city council earlier this year as a write-in. He had to give up his seat because state law prohibits anyone convicted of a felony from holding public office. The only way he will be able to run again is if the felony charge is expunged from his record.
Wiccan Prison Chaplain Arraigned
10/24/11 - A prison chaplain from Oshkosh has pleaded not guilty to charges she was part of a fake hostage situation last summer. Jamyi Witch made a court appearance Friday in Winnebago County. She is a Wiccan and chaplain at the Oshkosh state prison. She is accused of sexually assaulting the inmate and drugging him during what prosecutors say was a staged hostage incident. Witch maintains she was taken hostage and sexually assaulted by the inmate. She’s accused of faking the incident to get the two of them transferred to another facility. Witch is on paid administrative leave right now.
Governor Thompson’s Brother Mourned
10/24/11 - A former boxer, candidate for Wisconsin governor and the brother of a Wisconsin governor has died at the age of 66. Ed Thompson died Saturday in his home in Tomah of pancreatic cancer. He is famous for – among other things – starting a free community dinner in Tomah which has become a tradition in the town where he was mayor for four years. Thompson was running for state Senate last year when he announced in September he had been diagnosed with cancer. His brother, Tommy Thompson, is a former Wisconsin governor and served in the cabinet of President George W. Bush.
BDCH Recognized With Patient Care Awards
10/24/11 - The Beaver Dam Community Hospital was honored late last week at a health care conference in Chicago with two Excellence in Patient Care awards. to 47 organizations from around the country during its 9th annual What’s Right in Health Care conference, held late last week in Chicago. The hospital was honored for the high standards of patient care delivered by its Emergency Department and Outpatient Services Department. CEO Kim Miller says the honor is a reflection of Hospitals’ mission of delivering excellence in a variety of services. The Beaver Dam Community Hospital was the only Wisconsin hospital honored with an Excellence in Patient Care award.
Juneau PD Part of Drug Take Back
10/24/11 - Add the Juneau Police Department to the list of locations that will be accepting unwanted medications as part of a National Drug Take-Back Initiative on Saturday. The effort is aimed at keeping drugs off the streets, away from kids and out of the water supply. Juneau’s take back will be at the Public Safety Building at 128 East Cross Street in the lobby entrance of the Police Department from 10am until 2pm. The Horicon Police Department will be collecting pharmaceuticals in their Public Safety Building on Ellison Street. The Beaver Dam Police Department is hosting their drug drop in their new police station on Park Avenue. In the spring, the Drug Enforcement Agency collected 188 tons of drugs nationwide.
Bulk Pick-Up For Beaver Dam Starts November 1
10/24/11 - Bulk garbage pick-up for Beaver Dam residents begins next week. Director of Facilities David Stoiser has announced that bulk pick-up will begin Tuesday, November 1 and continue through Monday, November 7 for residents who receive city-provided waste collection services from Veolia. Stoiser says the collection regulations are the same as in the past. Bulk waste can be placed on the curb no sooner than 24 hours prior to each collection and by 7am on the day of pick-up. Bulk waste is defined as, but not limited to, furniture, wooden doors and windows and rolled carpet, not exceeding 4’ to 6’ in length. No metal items like bed springs, appliances and pipes will be collected. Also, they do not accept bundled or loose piles of lumber or building materials; those items must be broken down and placed in the weekly collection cart. New state laws also prohibit a variety of electronics from being picked-up including computers, printers, monitors, cell phones and DVD players. The next bulk pick-up will be in May of 2012.
10/24/11 - The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department now believes the woman they found lying outside of a vehicle following an accident was in fact the driver. 23-year-old Dawn Patzer was found early yesterday morning outside of a vehicle that had come to rest on its side near the intersection of county road A and W. She told deputies that she was a passenger in the vehicle and that the driver had left the scene. However, Sheriff Todd Nehls says they’ve found some evidence that indicates Patzer was the driver. The 23-year-old was transported by Juneau EMS and then flighted to UW Hospital Madison.
BDUSD, Grulke Agree to Settlement
10/24/11 - A lawsuit against the Beaver Dam School District won’t be going to trial. That’s after the school board and now former district secretary Cheryl Grulke came to agreement that settles three different complaints filed by her in late 2010 and early this year. As a result of the final settlement agreement, a trial slated to begin today on whether Superintendent Steve Vessey and the district was in violation of Wisconsin’s open records laws will not go on as scheduled. Among other things, the settlement will see the district pay Grulke about $25,000 as part of a severance agreement, while her attorney’s fees of about $56,000 will also be covered. Vessey must also receive three hours of training on the states public records law and its open meeting law, while all other staff will be provided with copies of the district’s harassment and discrimination policies. The total payout is $90,000 of which $40,000 will be paid for by the district and the remaining payout will be covered by insurance. In a statement, Vessey said the payout is a large amount of money to be spent on anything other than the classroom, but the amount pales in comparison to the total costs that would have been incurred had the district gone to trial. Meanwhile, Grulke said in a statement that she was satisfied with the resolution of the issues and thanked the community for its support.
Four Years In Prison For Seventh OWI
10/24/11 - A Beaver Dam man pleaded “no contest” to seventh-offense drunk driving late last week and was sentenced to four years in prison. 47-year-old Brian Gilmore’s blood alcohol level was over three times the legal limit for driving at point-two-seven-five (.275) when he was pulled over on September 11. Gilmore had been stayed with his sister following his release from prison for sixth-offense OWI and she phoned police about his condition after finding drug paraphernalia in her house.
Beaver Dam Man Gets Probation For Scrap Theft
10/24/11 - A Beaver Dam man was placed on probation during a sentencing hearing late last week on charges that he stole thousands of dollars worth of scrap metal. 23-year-old Joseph Evans took stainless steel sheets from Supreme Manufacturing in May of 2010. He pled “no contest” to felony Theft charges earlier this month, it was the second time Evans had a plea deal worked out in the case. In April, Dodge County prosecutors rescinded a deal after Evans was charged with First Degree Sexual Assault of a Child. Authorities say Evans fondled a pre-school age victim in March. He has a five-day jury trial on the molestation charges set to begin in mid-January. Evans could have the Theft charge expunged if he stays out of trouble during his two-year probation.
Whitewater Alderman Pleads To Pot Charge
10/24/11 - Prosecutors say a member of the Whitewater city council sold drugs to an undercover informant on two occasions. Javonni M. Butler pleaded guilty to one felony charge of delivering marijuana. He has resigned his council seat and has been sentenced to 45 days in jail and two years’ probation. Published reports indicate Butler was reelected to the city council earlier this year as a write-in. He had to give up his seat because state law prohibits anyone convicted of a felony from holding public office. The only way he will be able to run again is if the felony charge is expunged from his record.
Wiccan Prison Chaplain Arraigned
10/24/11 - A prison chaplain from Oshkosh has pleaded not guilty to charges she was part of a fake hostage situation last summer. Jamyi Witch made a court appearance Friday in Winnebago County. She is a Wiccan and chaplain at the Oshkosh state prison. She is accused of sexually assaulting the inmate and drugging him during what prosecutors say was a staged hostage incident. Witch maintains she was taken hostage and sexually assaulted by the inmate. She’s accused of faking the incident to get the two of them transferred to another facility. Witch is on paid administrative leave right now.
Governor Thompson’s Brother Mourned
10/24/11 - A former boxer, candidate for Wisconsin governor and the brother of a Wisconsin governor has died at the age of 66. Ed Thompson died Saturday in his home in Tomah of pancreatic cancer. He is famous for – among other things – starting a free community dinner in Tomah which has become a tradition in the town where he was mayor for four years. Thompson was running for state Senate last year when he announced in September he had been diagnosed with cancer. His brother, Tommy Thompson, is a former Wisconsin governor and served in the cabinet of President George W. Bush.
BDCH Recognized With Patient Care Awards
10/24/11 - The Beaver Dam Community Hospital was honored late last week at a health care conference in Chicago with two Excellence in Patient Care awards. to 47 organizations from around the country during its 9th annual What’s Right in Health Care conference, held late last week in Chicago. The hospital was honored for the high standards of patient care delivered by its Emergency Department and Outpatient Services Department. CEO Kim Miller says the honor is a reflection of Hospitals’ mission of delivering excellence in a variety of services. The Beaver Dam Community Hospital was the only Wisconsin hospital honored with an Excellence in Patient Care award.
Juneau PD Part of Drug Take Back
10/24/11 - Add the Juneau Police Department to the list of locations that will be accepting unwanted medications as part of a National Drug Take-Back Initiative on Saturday. The effort is aimed at keeping drugs off the streets, away from kids and out of the water supply. Juneau’s take back will be at the Public Safety Building at 128 East Cross Street in the lobby entrance of the Police Department from 10am until 2pm. The Horicon Police Department will be collecting pharmaceuticals in their Public Safety Building on Ellison Street. The Beaver Dam Police Department is hosting their drug drop in their new police station on Park Avenue. In the spring, the Drug Enforcement Agency collected 188 tons of drugs nationwide.
Bulk Pick-Up For Beaver Dam Starts November 1
10/24/11 - Bulk garbage pick-up for Beaver Dam residents begins next week. Director of Facilities David Stoiser has announced that bulk pick-up will begin Tuesday, November 1 and continue through Monday, November 7 for residents who receive city-provided waste collection services from Veolia. Stoiser says the collection regulations are the same as in the past. Bulk waste can be placed on the curb no sooner than 24 hours prior to each collection and by 7am on the day of pick-up. Bulk waste is defined as, but not limited to, furniture, wooden doors and windows and rolled carpet, not exceeding 4’ to 6’ in length. No metal items like bed springs, appliances and pipes will be collected. Also, they do not accept bundled or loose piles of lumber or building materials; those items must be broken down and placed in the weekly collection cart. New state laws also prohibit a variety of electronics from being picked-up including computers, printers, monitors, cell phones and DVD players. The next bulk pick-up will be in May of 2012.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Top Stories, October 23rd
Car Deer Collisions Peak In October November
10/23/11 - It’s that time of year to lookout for deer. October and November are peak months for deer-vehicle crashes as deer become more prevalent and their movements more unpredictable. Wisconsin State Patrol Trooper Jim Larson says the best thing motorists can do to avoid a deer crash is slow down, buckle up and stay alert. "If you notice a deer in or near your path, brake firmly. However, if a collision with a deer is unavoidable, try not to swerve suddenly since that can result in a loss of control and a more serious crash with another vehicle or a fixed object can occur. If possible, get your vehicle off the road. Then call your local law enforcement agency and wait in your vehicle until they arrive." Collisions with deer can be especially deadly for motorcyclists. Of the 13 traffic fatalities involving deer last year, 12 were motorcyclists.
Immigration Attorney Questions Recent Sweep
10/23/11 - An immigration attorney is raising questions about two recent law enforcement sweeps in which about 65 illegal immigrants were arrested in Wisconsin for various crimes. Thirty Milwaukee men were arrested in July, and the federal government said they all had gang affiliations. But immigration lawyer Erich Straub said three of the suspects who contacted him were not involved in gang activity, and two had no arrest records. The second sweep occurred late last month, when 34 illegal immigrants were arrested in the state. Straub said none of them called him for help – and it might be because of a new policy which called for more discretion in arresting illegal immigrants who don’t pose a public safety risk. Straub claims the union that represents immigration agents is against the softer policy – and it’s a sign that the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency is quote, “at war with itself.” And Straub called it surprising, since the agency is deporting people at a 10-percent higher rate now than during the former George W. Bush administration.
Chemical Plant Neighbors File Lawsuit
10/23/11 - Neighbors of a chemical plant in Madison are suing the company. Seven families say Madison-Kipp has contaminated the groundwater under their homes – and vapors from the plant have seeped through the soil and into their houses. The families also accuse Madison-Kipp of not adequately investigating and cleaning up the pollutants for over 15 years. The main chemical in question is a human carcinogen called P-C-E, or tetra-chloro-ethylene. The plant makes precision parts for vehicles. The families have asked a federal judge to require a more thorough clean-up of the contaminants, plus compensation for property damage. Madison-Kipp vice president Mark Meunier says the company has posed quote, “no imminent or substantial endangerment to the community.” He said the company has been working on a remediation program for about 17 years – and it’s been 24 years since the plant has used the chemicals at issue. The state has ordered a cleanup plan that includes back-filling with top-soil in at least two yards adjacent to the plant. Residents have said the state-ordered clean-up does not go far enough.
Manpower Nets $80M in Recent Quarter
10/23/11 - Milwaukee’s Manpower Incorporated reports a net profit of just under 80-million dollars in its most recent quarter. Manpower, the world’s third-largest employee staffing firm, said its earnings for July-through-September were 28-million dollars more than in the same period a year ago. C-E-O Jeff Joerres said Manpower had solid growth in all of its regions – and the bottom line was also helped by a weaker U-S dollar. Manpower’s revenues total 16-and-a-half million dollars for the quarter. That’s 21-percent more than the year before. Joerres said Manpower’s temporary staffing unit kept growing despite uncertainty in the economy. And he said the firm’s professional talent sector is quote, “rapidly adding to profitability.” Manpower’s stockholders made 97-cents a share in the last quarter. The firm expects earnings of 85-to-95 cents in the next quarter.
Leaf Pick-Up Underway In Beaver Dam
10/23/11 - Leaf pick-up is underway in Beaver Dam. Director of Facilities David Stoiser says leaves -- along with lawn grass rakings resulting from leaf gathering, garden vines and stalks – can be placed in the terrace areas of the street edge in loose piles for collection by the Department of Public Works. Collection will continue through late November. Stoiser says yard waste cannot be placed in the street or gutter, or in any containers. Leaves, rakings and garden debris cannot be mixed with other forms of waste like brush or shrubbery cuttings. Stoiser says fruits, nuts and vegetables are not acceptable and should be disposed of as garbage. Beaver Dam’s Yard Waste Drop-Off site is located at 640 South Center Street. No waste of any kind will be allowed from outside the city.
Small Packet Tree Sales Underway In Dodge County
10/23/11 - Trees and shrubs are now available for the annual fall Small Packet Tree sales program in Dodge County. The Land Conservation Department is offering several species of trees for sale for the 2012 planting season, including Red and White Oak, Sugar Maple, White Cedar, White Pine, Colorado Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, Hazelnut and Fraser Fir. Most trees are sold in bundles of 25 and most are $24 per bundle, tax included. Sugar Maple bundles are $40 per bundle. The deadline to place orders is January 27, but there are limited amounts of some species, so early orders are encouraged. For more information or to get an order form, contact the Dodge County Land Conservation Department. Contact information is on our website.
Contact: 386-3660 http://www.co.dodge.wi.us/conservation/landserv.html#treesales
State Workers Start Voting Thursday On Unions Future
10/23/11 - Members of a half-dozen state employee unions will vote this week on whether to officially stay in existence. The Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission will hold the elections, the first under the new law which virtually ended collective bargaining for most state-and-local public unions. Voting will be done by phone from Thursday until November 16th. The affected groups will then learn within a day-or-two whether they’ll recertify. The certification votes are required every year under the union law. Governor Scott Walker says it forces them to decide whether the groups are valuable enough to their members to stay in existence. To be recertified, unions must be supported by 51-percent of all members – a tougher standard than the previous one, which called for 50-plus-percent of those actually voting. The state Attorney’s Association and the Association-of-State-Prosecutors will be among those voting next week. The others represent health care workers, information professionals, research and statistical employees, and contractors.
A-G To Make Decision on Lt Governor Recall Role
10/23/11 - The state attorney general’s office expects to announce in early November whether the governor and lieutenant governor can be one recall target – or two. State law requires separate recall elections for each official. But the governor and lieutenant governor run as a single ticket after the primaries. Republicans Scott Walker and Rebecca Kleefisch were voted in together – and the Government Accountability Board has asked the attorney general whether they can be voted out together, or whether each would need a separate recall petition and vote. The Board believes they would have to be recalled separately, but it wants a formal legal opinion. United Wisconsin, the group that’s joining Democrats in the Walker recall effort, says it wants both Walker and Kleefisch out. But spokeswoman Meghan Mahaffey says the strategy will depend on what the accountability board eventually decides. The group plans to start circulating recall petitions November 15th. They would have to be filed by January 17th, and at least 540-thousand valid signatures are needed to force a gubernatorial recall contest.
Democrats Say Consumers Hurt By GOP Reforms
10/23/11 - “The little guy” would be locked out of Wisconsin’s consumer protection laws if two of the Republicans’ legal reform bills get passed. That’s what Assembly Democrat Tony Staskunas of West Allis said today at a public hearing by the Assembly’s Judiciary-and-Ethics Committee. The bills would prohibit attorneys from charging more than three times the monetary awards in some consumer cases. Also, those who win personal injury suits would get less interest on damage payments which are spread over time – while banks and credit unions would still get 12-percent a year for judgments they win against their customers. Staskunas and the bill’s other opponents said attorneys would no longer take consumer cases for relatively small amounts of money – and that means businesses are quote, “just not going to be challenged anymore.” But Republican finance chair Robin Vos took issue with that claim. He said those with reasonable losses will find quote, “reasonable attorneys to defend them.” And Vos said the bill would cut down on frivolous suits and create more out-of-court settlements. He said the state needs to do all it can to assist those who create jobs in this time of economic uncertainty. A third legal reform bill would give legal immunity to drug and medical equipment makers for products approved by the F-D-A.
Wisconsin Loses Top-Ten Energy Efficiency Rating
10/23/11 - Wisconsin is no longer one of the 10 most energy-efficient states. And the group that put the rankings together pointed the finger at Republicans, for the spending cuts they made in the Focus-on-Energy program. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy rates the efforts of each state to encourage its residents to go green. Wisconsin is ranked 16th in that department, after being in the Top-10 a number of years ago. The council said the economy “lumbered along” this year, while energy-efficiency was quote, “a growth sector that attracts investment and creates jobs.” But the Council said Wisconsin and New Jersey both “stepped backward in the race to save energy.” The state’s utility regulators had endorsed higher electric bills for an expansion of energy-efficiency programs by Focus-on-Energy. But lawmakers who voted to roll back the funding said it was poor time to raise electric rates for those strapped by the economy – and they raised questions about who really benefits.
Top Stories, October 22nd
Beaver Dam Man Sentenced For Seventh OWI
10/22/11 - A Beaver Dam man will spend four years in prison for his seventh drunk driving offense. Brian S. Gilmore pleaded “no contest” yesterday to a felony count of OWI and had a second felony of Operating With a Prohibited Alcohol Content dismissed along with a handful of misdemeanors. Gilmore was arrested on the afternoon of September 11. According to the criminal complaint, it all started with a relative’s call to 9-1-1 reporting that she had found a marijuana pipe in her brother’s bedroom, where he was staying following his release from prison for sixth offense drunk driving. Gilmore was pulled over a short time later near the residence. His blood alcohol level was over three times the legal limit for driving at point-two-seven-five (.275). Gilmore was also sentenced to four years of extended supervision and will have his driver’s license suspended for another three years.
Milwaukee Woman Jailed For Smuggling Coke Into WCI
10/22/11 - A Milwaukee woman who smuggled cocaine into the Waupun Correctional Institution will be spending at least 20 days behind bars. Krystal Robinson pleaded “no contest” Thursday to reduced misdemeanor charges of Cocaine Possession and Disorderly Conduct. The 24-year-old brought the cocaine into the prison last April, folded in paper and given to an inmate like they were passing a note. Another inmate alerted corrections officers to the scheme and they were waiting with a search warrant to strip search Robinson when she visited a couple weeks later. There was no more contraband found on Robinson but during an interview she is said to have admitted to bringing in the cocaine and said she was pressured by the inmate. Robinson was sentenced to two years probation, and if she remains compliant she will not have to serve the remaining 60 days of an 80 day jail sentence.
East Troy Mother Bound Over In Death of Twins
10/22/11 - A mother of twin babies who drowned in a bath tub is expected to enter a plea when she returns to Walworth County Court next Tuesday. The judge ruled yesterday there is probable cause to send Melody Butt to trial. She faces two felony charges are child neglect in the deaths of her 11 month old twins. She says she ran a bath for her children, then fell asleep September 22nd. She woke up when her roommate came home and found the twins in a bathtub that was overflowing. Courtroom observers say Butt cried as two East Troy police offices testified during yesterday’s hearing.
State’s First Influenza Case Reported
10/22/11 - Wisconsin health officials say we all need to get our flu shots. The urging was repeated after the state recorded its first confirmed influenza case of the season. The victim is an adult from northeastern Wisconsin. Residents are being told the most effective way to avoid getting sick is to get that flu shot. They say there is still time for the vaccine to be effective. The current case is seen as an indicator the flu season is getting off to an early start. Normally the Wisconsin season runs from November to March, reaching a peak in late January or February.
Cougar Spotted In Juneau County
10/22/11 - Wildlife biologists with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources have confirmed that a photo of a cougar taken in Juneau County is legitimate. A trail camera snapped the picture last Sunday. It shows a young adult cougar moving near some high grass. The landowner hadn’t checked the camera for several days, but the picture had a time stamp on it. It was taken about two miles north of Mauston. This is the seventh time a trail camera has caught a shot of a cougar in the state, though three of the seven pictures may have been of the same animal.
Cause of Fighter Jet Crash Released
10/22/11 - Investigators say a clogged oil line caused engine failure, bringing a fighter jet down in a crash last June. The 25 million dollar jet slammed into a vacation home in Adams County during air-to-air combat exercises. The pilot was able to eject safely before the impact. A report released yesterday found an oil line that feeds an engine gear box was blocked. A piece of Teflon was found in the line.
BD Wastewater Plant Tour Saturday
10/22/11 - Members of the public have the opportunity to go through the city of Beaver Dam’s new wastewater treatment plant Saturday. The Open House is meant to allow the public to tour the cutting-edge facility. The city was awarded $20 million in stimulus money in 2009 to expand their outdated plant and incorporate green technology into the upgrade. The former plant was six years beyond its design life, operating at 140% to 170% of its capacity. Half the $20 million was an outright grant while the other half was a low-interest, tax-free loan. A public-private partnership with Kraft Foods is allowing the city to pre-treat waste from the company and convert it to biogas, benefiting both entities and generating electricity that city is selling back to Alliant Energy at a profit. The project allows Beaver Dam to keep sewer usage fees at among the lowest in the state; $39 for the average resident, compared to the statewide average of $93. The Open House is being held from 10am until 2pm.
Randolph FD Training Resulting in Street Closures
10/22/11 - A couple of streets will be closed in Randolph Saturday morning for fire department training. Officials will be conducting a live burn and that will result in traffic closures on Columbus Street from the railroad tracks south to Grove Street and Center Street from Jones Drive east to First Street.
Boy Scout Food Drive Pick-Up Today
10/22/11 - The Boy Scouts will be collecting non-perishable food tomorrow (Sat) for their Scouting for Food Drive. Last week they dropped off plastic bags and tomorrow will be going around to homes collecting the bags of food. Mark Logemann of the Bay-Lakes Council says they hope to collect over 500,000 non-perishable food containers in the 22 counties where they have scout chapters, that includes Dodge County. All donations will go to local food pantries.
Last Chance Collection For Liberia Donations
10/22/11 - Saturday morning is the last opportunity to donate reading materials and other items to a collection for an impoverished West African country. Liberia is an English-speaking nation that is in the process of recovering from a bloody civil war. Pastor Mark Molldrem says the First Lutheran Church is collecting school supplies, including reading books, encyclopedias, globes and computer’s in good working condition in addition things like office and sports equipment even good condition twin beds and box springs. They are also looking for working bicycles and even tricycles. The items will be sent over in a cargo container later this year. They are being collected in the parking lot of the former Breuer Metal factory on North Spring Street in Beaver Dam Saturday from 10am until noon.
Oshkosh Merger With Navistar Possible
10/22/11 - Billionaire investor Carl Icahn wants to see the Oshkosh Corporation merge with Navistar International. Icahn owns about nine-and-a-half percent of both Oshkosh and Navistar – but reports say he has not made a formal proposal to either company for a possible merger. Oshkosh stock has lost about half its value this year, as the military-and-government truck maker deals with declines in the Pentagon budget, and expenses in acquiring J-L-G Industries five years ago. Also, Oshkosh just went through a rough labor period. Its major employee union has just approved a new five-year contract after rejecting two previous offers. It’s not clear whether Oshkosh or Navistar would be interested in merging with each other – and there’s no indication of how effective Icahn’s lobbying might be.
Walker Job Creation Projections Could Fall Short
10/22/11 - The Wisconsin Department of Revenue projects the state will fall far short of the governor’s promise to create a quarter-million private sector jobs by the year 2015. The report suggests the state will create a little over half that many jobs by 2014. That’s 43 thousand jobs fewer than the same department projected last summer. Walker had said during his campaign for the governor’s office that he would add the 250 thousand jobs during his four years in office. Instead, economic growth has been sluggish in Wisconsin and the job growth isn’t on track to meet his goal.
Lawsuit Over Legislative Boundaries Advances
10/22/11 - Both sides have been told to mind their manners as a lawsuit over redistricting moves forward. A telephone hearing in the case will be held next Monday. A three-judge panel ruled yesterday a lawsuit over the new boundaries can continue. Two former Democratic lawmakers, and some other citizens, had sued the state in federal court over the maps. They argued in part that the new boundaries were unconstitutional because 300 thousand people would be prevented from voting for a state senator in November 2012 because they had been shifted into new districts. The plaintiffs had actually sued the state before Republicans had revealed where the new boundaries would be.
Hearing Tuesday On Penokee Range Iron Mine
10/22/11 - The jobs committee in the Wisconsin Assembly plans to hold a hearing in Hurley next Thursday to talk about a possible iron mine nearby. The hearing will be held at the Hurley School District auditorium. Officials with local governments, tribal representatives and the general public will be allowed to comment on Gogebic Taconite’s plan to mine millions of tons of iron ore from the Penokee Range. Hundreds of jobs could be created by the project, though conservationists warn against pollution. Plans for the mine are on hold right now. Company officials have said they want lawmakers to streamline the permitting process before they move forward.
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