Top Stories October 31st

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.