Top Stories October 4th

Beaver Dam Hires Contractor To Upgrade Lift Station

10/4/11 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night unanimously approved the hiring of a contractor to upgrade the north side lift station. Speedway Sand and Gravel Inc. of Middleton was selected from among six bidders at a cost of $736,000. Director of Facilities David Stoiser says the existing lift station has been unable to move storm water and effluence to the sewer treatment plant during times of heavy rain because it was under water. About half the money from the project came from a FEMA Block Grant that was originally awarded to be used to enlarge the culverts under Cooper Street. While both areas are problems during major rain events, the city asked FEMA for permission to redirect the funds to the lift station because it would have the greatest overall impact on city flooding. The remainder of the funds come from leftover money from the contingency fund of another major construction project: the city’s new $20 million wastewater treatment plant.

New Voting Wards Established In Beaver Dam

10/4/11 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night unanimously approved an ordinance establishing new voting wards in the city. Redistricting is required to be done in conjunction with the ten-year census. As part of the process, the Dodge County Board chose to eliminate four of its 37 supervisory districts. Because one of the county board districts being eliminated is in the city of Beaver Dam, the 14 aldermanic wards inside the city had to be redrawn. The biggest changes are in two county board supervisory districts that used to each have two city wards but now will have three wards. Those wards are Four, Five, Eight, Ten, 12 and 14. Other wards had little to no alteration. The city’s Director of Administration John Somers says no ward in the city experienced more than a 30% shift in its constituency.

Accurate Appraisals Re-Ups With Beaver Dam

10/4/11 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night approved a new five-year contract with its current property assessor. Accurate Appraisals was hired at a cost of $59,500. The terms of the new contract are the same as in the current contract. The Administrative Committee had previously rejected a lower cost option that would have eliminated a yearly physical inspection of 25% of all taxable properties.

Thompson Expected to File Papers for Senate Run

10/4/11 - Former Governor Tommy Thompson is expected to take another step today toward running for the U-S Senate. Media reports say the Republican Thompson will file papers with the Federal Elections Commission that allow him to start raising funds for his campaign. Thompson – who’s been out of public service since leaving the Bush cabinet as health secretary in 2004 – has not officially announced his Senate bid. But in at least one recent public appearance, he asked people to vote for him. Three other Republicans are running for the Senate seat to be given up by the retiring Herb Kohl next year. Former Congressman Mark Neumann was the first to announce his bid a few weeks ago. State Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald and state Senator Frank Lasee of De Pere have both filed the papers needed to start raising campaign money. Madison Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin is the only Democrat running for Kohl’s spot.

Army Conducting Death Investigation for Appleton Soldier

10/4/11 - The Army Reserve has confirmed that it’s investigating the death of an Appleton soldier in Afghanistan. 25-year-old Staff Sergeant Garrick Eppinger Junior was shot, and he died on September 17th. His family said Garrick was shot at the Bagram Airbase, where he worked in a desk job as a supply specialist for a munitions team. Lieutenant Colonel Ernest Gurtowsky said he had no information on how Eppinger died – but he did confirm he was shot. Gurtowsky said the inquiry would take a couple months to finish. Eppinger was with the Reserve’s 395th Ordnance Company that’s based in Appleton. His funeral was held this past Saturday with full military honors.

Accused County Fair Counterfeiters Charged

10/4/11 - A husband and wife from Watertown have both been charged with forgery for taking the family out to the Dodge County Fair this year and funding the outing with counterfeit money. Gerald and Patricia Cappetta were arrested after getting off the Ferris wheel. According to the criminal complaint, Patricia attempted to exchange the fake $20 bills for ride tickets at several different ticket booths. Carnival employees rejected each time and were able to provide a physical description of the couple. When questioned, authorities said there stories were “one-hundred miles apart.” Patricia said she got the bills from a gas station before they got to the fair while Gerald said they weren’t at a gas station. She changed her story to finding the money on the ground but he reportedly confessed to printing it on his home computer. The quality of the currency was said to be (quote) “terrible.” They each face a maximum prison sentence of six years if they are convicted. Gerald Cappetta will be back in court for a preliminary hearing on Thursday while Patricia has her hearing next month.

Columbus Woman Gets Jail Time For OWI Wreck

10/4/11 - A Columbus woman will spend 65 days in jail for injuring passenger in a drunken driving accident in Beaver Dam. Cassandra Dalby pled to reduced misdemeanor charges of OWI- Third Offense. According to the criminal complaint, the 25-year-old had a blood alcohol level over three times the legal limit when she struck a utility pole and several street signs on Burnett Street in March. Officers followed a blood trail to a nearby residence where they found Dalby and her passenger inebriated and covered in cuts and bruises. Dalby was ordered to serve at least 14 days in jail but she is eligible for electronic monitoring for the remaining 51 days. She was also placed on probation for two years and lost her license for two years followed by another two years with an ignition interlock device on her vehicle.

Cash Bond For BD Man Accused of Threatening Fondy Police

10/4/11 - Bond has been set at $15,000 cash for a 22-year-old Beaver Dam man who allegedly threatened to shoot Fond du Lac police during a domestic dispute last Wednesday. According to the criminal complaint, Fond du Lac police were sent to a Doty Street address after getting a call about a woman who had been struck. While on the phone with police, Nicholas Clark allegedly said he’d shoot if police came in the house. He was taken custody after trying to flee out of a back door. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for this Thursday.

Milwaukee Teen Charged With Car Theft During Football Game

10/4/11 - A Milwaukee teen faces felony charges after allegedly riffling through lockers in the Horicon High School during a football game and stealing iPods, cash, car keys…and then a car. 18-year-old Jesse Roberts was reportedly identified on in-school video surveillance footage entering the locker room during the game last month. The car was recovered in the Milwaukee-area. Cash bond was set at $500 yesterday and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for next month. He is charged with Operating A Motor Vehicle Without the Owners Consent, which carries a maximum six year prison sentence, upon conviction.

Fox Lake Man Accused of Breaking Into Substation

10/4/11 - A Fox Lake man has been formally charged with trying to break into the Alliant Energy substation on County Highway B in the Town of Beaver Dam last week. The Dodge County Sheriffs Department and Beaver Dam Police responded to reports of motion alarms being tripped just before midnight Friday. Security was monitoring surveillance video at the site noticed a suspicious man in a hoodie. Upon arrival, officers were involved in a brief foot chase with the suspect. 39-year-old Chad Knoll man was eventually taken into custody and is charged with misdemeanor Theft and felony Bail Jumping.

Mayville Teens Charged With Arson of Bull Dozer

10/4/11 - A pair of Mayville teens will be back in a Dodge County courtroom later this month on charges that they set fire to a bulldozer. 18-year-old Adam Konstanski and 17-year-old Matthew Rogahn are charged with Arson of Property Other than a Building, with Konstanski also facing an additional Arson charge. According to authorities, a witness contacted Mayville police and informed them that she had been with the two teens when they set fire to the John Deere bulldozer on County Trunk Y in May. The woman said she was driving a car with Konstanski, Rogahn and another man when Konstanski told her to pull over. She did and that’s when Konstanski and Rogahn allegedly took a full gas can from the back of the vehicle and doused the tractor before setting it on fire.

Mother Daughter Arrested Following Drug Disagreement

10/4/11 - A mother and daughter are facing charges in Dodge County after a recent fight over pain medication. According to authorities, 49-year-old Sharon Lake dropped off her 21-year-old daughter, Katrina Lake, at the Fox Lake Library, and a short time later discovered she was missing six pain pills from her purse. When she was confronted in the car later that day, the daughter denied taking the pills and a physical incident ensued, with the mother threatening to kick the daughter out of the car. Sharon Lake is charged with disorderly conduct/domestic abuse and operating a motor vehicle while revoked, while Katrina Lake is charged with disorderly conduct and bail jumping. The two are due back in court later this month.

Asian Lady Beetles Fashionably Late

10/4/11 - You’re probably not seeing as many Asian lady beetles this fall – but that could still change. U-W Extension experts say the populations of the brown spotted beetle have gone down in the last two-to-four years. Dodge County interim crop agent David Laatsch (lah-tsch) says the hot summer may have been a factor as well. Asian lady beetles hang around soybean crops during the summer – and Laatsch says this year’s crop has been relatively free of the soybean aphids that bugs eat. Once the harvest gets going, the beetles find warmer places to stay as it gets colder. And many Wisconsin homeowners have found large numbers of them on window sills. Officials say there’s still a chance you’ll see a good number of Asian lady beetles around your choice – but maybe not for a few weeks.