WBEV Celebrates 60 Years In Beaver Dam
11/30/11 - WBEV is celebrating its 60th Anniversary today. The Beaver Dam-based radio station officially signed on the air at 6am on April 24, 1951. Wisconsin broadcasting pioneer William Walker – who built the first radio stations in Marinette and Wausau – headed a group of stockholders who started WBEV. The original studios where located south of Beaver Dam on County Trunk DE. Operations moved to 109 and-a-half Front Street for a couple years until the summer of 1967, when the station found its way to 100 Stoddart Street, which is where it remains today. In July of 1968, WBEV began to simulcast on 95.3FM. In February of 1973, ownership of WBEV was transferred to a group of investors who included longtime managing owner John Klinger. Three years later, the two stations split and WXRO was born. For 28 years, WBEV’s broadcast day spanned 6am to 6pm but the station converted to full time operation in 1979. That’s when WBEV began to focus on some of the things it is known for today: high school, college and professional sports, election results, weather warnings and up-to-the minute news bulletins. Klinger sold WBEV and WXRO to Craig Karmazin in December of 1997, and they became the first radio stations to become part of the newly-established Good Karma Broadcasting, which has since grown to eleven radio stations in three states.
WBEV was actually not the first radio station in Beaver Dam. Local historian Roger Noll says that honor belongs to Poynette’s WIBU, which built a satellite studio in 1937 so that local businessman I.K Mayr could broadcast the Mayr’s Seed & Feed Show. The agriculture news and business program was transmitted to Poynette over telephone lines until the 1960’s when the studio was closed and the program made the jump over to WBEV. Mayr’s Seed and Feed Show was – at one time – the longest running radio program in the country. Radio station employees past and present will join our longtime listeners and marketing partners during a special 14-and-a-half hour broadcast today from the Bayside Supper Club and all are welcome to attend.
Number of Students Living in Poverty Rises
11/30/11 - Seventeen-percent of Wisconsin school kids were living in poverty last year, up from almost 13-percent in 2007 before the start of the recession. That's according to new figures released yesterday by the U-S Census Bureau. In Milwaukee, over four of every 10 children age 5-to-17 came from families below the poverty line -- which the Census Bureau defines as 22-thousand-314-dollars a year for a family-of-four. But officials say the problem is showing itself for the first time in some of Milwaukee's suburbs. In Whitefish Bay, the percentage of school kids in poverty almost doubled during the recession to around seven-percent. And it's over 10-percent in Waukesha, where Superintendent Todd Gray says he's seeing more kids coming to school with the stress of families in crisis. In Beaver Dam, an estimated 11-percent of students were living in poverty last year. Milwaukee school officials said over two-thousand students were homeless last year -- and they expect that number to rise. Kim Kampschroer said the district started collecting socks for kids this year, after more kids started coming to school with bare ankles in cold weather. Julia Isaacs of U-W Madison says poverty normally rises for about a year after unemployment hits its peak in a recession. So she expects the Wisconsin poverty figures for 2011 to keep going up.
Horicon Approves Budget
11/30/11 - The city of Horicon passed their 2012 budget last night but not before several members of the police department spoke during the public hearing in an effort to try and convince the council not to cut one full-time officer position. The total cost of one position is about $85,000, and with significant cuts to state aid and with the city already running a nearly $20,000 deficit, the council said the cuts had to come from somewhere, and said the police department isn’t alone in losing positions. Still, Sergeant Jennifer Anfinson says the cuts to the police department would have the greatest impact on citizens. However, Alderman Steve Neitzel, who heads the finance committee, says they’ve been in discussions with the police union and there is currently a proposal that includes significant concessions that would keep the position in Horicon. Officials say if an agreement can be reached in the next month the position could be saved. As for the budget, the council approved it on a 5-1 vote. The tax levy increased by less than 1% but officials say they are still waiting on some numbers from the state to determine a mill rate.
Deer Harvest Up Slightly From Last Year
11/30/11 - Wisconsin hunters took slightly more deer in the recent nine-day gun season than they did a year ago. The D-N-R says that just over 226-thousand deer were harvested statewide. That’s a preliminary figure, and it’s almost five-thousand more than last year’s final number. Hunters took home almost 103-thousand bucks, about two-thousand more than a year ago. The antlerless totals were up slightly, from 119-thousand last year to 123-thousand this season. In Dodge County, hunters nabbed 1294 bucks this year, 200 more than last year. The number of antlerless deer in the county was down by 20% over the two-year period, for a total 1561 antlerless, that’s 365 less than last year. The overall harvest in Dodge County was down six-percent to 2855 deer, that’s 185 less than last year. There was a total 4108 deer taken in Columbia County this year, 36 less than last year. Jefferson County hunters bagged 10% less deer for a total of 1886. The Fond du Lac County harvest was up by one-percent over last year to a total of 2290. The take in Washington County was up 8% to just over 1500. Green Lake County was 14% higher at 2854. For the first time in several years, hunters in certain zones no longer had to shoot antlerless deer to earn a trophy buck. The controversial “Earn-a-Buck” program was eliminated by the governor and Legislature. The D-N-R says it will keep gathering more data over the next few months – and this year’s final deer numbers are due out in February.
No Additional Jail Time In Deer Slaughter
11/30/11 - A Waupaca County man who killed another man in a drunken driving crash will not spend additional time behind bars for slaughtering a half-dozen deer with a snowmobile. 27-year-old Rori Kuenzi of Weyauwega was sentenced to 11 years yesterday (Tue), after he pleaded no contest to three felony counts of animal mistreatment. But he’ll serve that term at the same time he’s serving 23 years for striking Kevin McCoy of Waupaca with his pick-up truck in 2004, and dumping McCoy’s body in a ditch before driving off. Circuit Judge Philip Kirk said the deer slaughtering case was more of a sign that Kuenzi has a quote, “socio-pathic personality.” And the judge said he would not punish him a second time for having that personality. Kuenzi was also fined a-thousand-dollars for each of two hunting violations for possessing deer carcasses in a closed season. He and two other defendants tried to claim that the courts could only convict them of either the hunting violations or criminal mistreatment – but the courts rejected that claim. The cases against the other two defendants are still pending. Kuenzi’s brother Robby and Nicholas Hermes are due back in court next month for hearings on the status of their cases. Animal welfare advocates posted a sign at the courthouse door demanding a harsh sentence for Rori Kuenzi – and metal detectors were used on spectators entering the courtroom. The case drew national attention when it happened in January of 2009. The landowner had closed the snowmobile trail where the deer slayings occurred – causing riders in the Fox Valley to go miles out of their way. And state snowmobile groups blasted the slaughtering and defended the integrity of their sport.
Holmen Man Gets 31 Years For OWI Fatality
11/30/11 - A La Crosse County man will spend 31 years in prison for killing a woman and injuring her four friends in a drunken driving crash. Jesse Herrmann of Holmen, who turned 28-years-old on Tuesday, must also spend 40 years under extended supervision and 15 years of probation. Circuit Judge Ramona Gonzalez called Herrmann a "life-long project." Authorities said Herrmann's blood alcohol level was point-27 when his pick-up truck rear-ended a car at 70-miles-an-hour on Highway 35 in Onalaska in late June. 23-year-old Theresa Kroes of Onalaska was killed as a passenger, and her four friends in the car were seriously injured. Officers said Hermann tried to run away from the crash scene, but police and patrons from a nearby bar chased him down in a wooded area. He was not supposed to be drinking at the time, because he was on a federal supervised release for selling meth-amphetamines. Herrmann said he was ashamed he couldn't remember the crash -- and he apologized to Kroes' family and the other victims. Her father said Kroes had worked for just four days as a school choral teacher in Fond du Lac.
BD Man Gets 3 Years For Child Porn
11/30/11 - A Beaver Dam man will spend three years in prison for possessing child pornography. Brandon Alexander was sentenced Tuesday after previously pleading “no contest” to a pair of felony charges and having five others dismissed but read into the record. The 29-year-old downloaded videos featuring pre-pubescent girls from a file sharing website. Special Agents with the state Justice Department say they were able to use specialized software to identify the digital fingerprint of the illegal video and trace it back to all the users who downloaded the video. Alexander originally told investigators that he accidentally downloaded the videos because he could not tell based on the title alone that the files contained child porn. According to criminal complaint, he later conceded that he knew that terms like “12 y-o” means “12-year-old.” In addition to three years in prison, Alexander was ordered to serve four years of extended supervision followed by four years of probation. He must also register as a sex offender and pay $3500 in fines.
Waupun Teen Sentenced In Assault
11/30/11 - A Waupun teen will spend 30 days in jail for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. 18-year-old Alezander A. Ramirez told investigators he was 16-years-old when the one and only assault occurred but the victim said otherwise. She says Ramirez was 17 at the time, there were two assaults and she did not fight it because he tried to choke her once before. Ramirez pleaded “no contest” Tuesday to Second Degree Sexual Assault of a Child and reduced misdemeanor charges of Fourth Degree Sexual Assault. Because of a deferred prosecution agreement, he could avoid a felony record if he stays out of trouble during his two-year probationary period.
Parents Suing Over 6-Years-Old Sexual Assault Charges
11/30/11 - Grant County’s social services department is being sued over a six year old boy’s game of doctor. The suit accuses the district attorney of going overboard in prosecuting the boy for first-degree sexual assault after his game with two five year olds. The DA is also accused of retaliating against the boy’s parents when he asked for a gag order to keep them from being interviewed about the case. The plaintiffs say the incident should have been handled by the parents.
9-1-1 Recordings Released From Vivid Image Fatality
11/30/11 - Only minutes elapsed between the 911 call a Horicon woman made and the time it took for a Dodge County Sheriff’s deputy to respond to the scene of an industrial accident at Vivid Image in Theresa Monday afternoon. The sheriffs department released the phone call yesterday. Cindy Persha’s 65-year-old husband Thomas and 55-year-old Ramon Torres of Horicon were lying on the floor of a coating room overcome by chemical fumes. After her phone calls were not returned, Cindy told the 911 operator she went down to the plant herself. The chemicals that were found to be involved in the industrial accident include Toluene, Screen Coating Paint and Paraloid. The chemicals were in five-gallon containers that were found tipped over and empty.
Wisconsin & Southern Merging With Kansas Co
11/30/11 - The Wisconsin-and-Southern Railroad is being acquired by a Kansas firm which operates over two dozen short-line railroads. Watco Transportation Services of Pittsburg Kansas is about to acquire a controlling ownership of the Milwaukee-based rail company. The Wisconsin-and-Southern said the acquisition will let it expand its operations throughout the Midwest, develop new markets, and seek more cost-effective transportation for businesses in the Badger State. The Wisconsin-and-Southern will continue to be based in Milwaukee, and will keep its name and all its operations. William Gardner will stay on as its president. The Wisconsin-and-Southern has about 250 employees, and it runs on over 600 miles of tracks in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois. It has terminals at Madison, Janesville, and Horicon, plus a Mississippi River harbor at Prairie du Chien. Watco runs 23 short-line railroads which operate on 37-hundred miles of track in 26 states. It now has over 22-hundred employees.
Legislators Introduce Christmas Tree Bill
11/30/11 - Governor Scott Walker calls it the State Capitol Christmas Tree -- and now, a legislator wants to make the name legal. Assembly Republican Jim Steineke of Kaukauna has introduced a resolution to re-name what lawmakers dubbed as the Capitol Holiday Tree in 1985. This year's version was put up Monday in the Rotunda, and Steineke says it's a perfect time to call it what it is. Madison's Freedom from Religion Foundation says calling it a Christmas tree is a rude insult to those who are not Christian. But Steineke says the Capitol displays items from various religions and beliefs -- and they don't require a name change. In early November, the Republican Walker put out a news release which shunned the official title, and called it the Christmas tree. Former Assembly Democrat Marlin Schneider of Wisconsin Rapids got his house to drop the Holiday Tree name in 2007 -- but the Senate refused to take it up.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Top Stories November 29th
Horicon Man Dies in Apparent Chemical Mishap
11/29/11 - One employee was killed and another was critically injured after being overcome by chemical fumes at a plant near Theresa. The two were found by the survivor's wife late yesterday afternoon at Vivid Image, a plant that makes household audio-video equipment. No one else was in the building at the time. Sheriff Todd Nehls said the two were mixing two-or-three compounds when they were overcome by chemicals from either glue or another adhesive. Nehls said the substance was found on the floor, and the work process apparently created a ventilation hazard. A 55-year-old man died at the scene. A 65-year-old man was in critical condition at last word, but Nehls said he was breathing-and-progressing well. Nehls said a haz-mat team decontaminated about 20 first-responders who arrived at the plant. An autopsy on the fatal victim is scheduled for today. The workers' names were not immediately released.
BDFD Live Fire Training In Apartment Unit
11/29/11 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department will be conducting a live fire drill on Saturday. The training will be held in the apartment building located directly behind Culvers on North Spring Street and is scheduled to begin at 9am and last until around 4pm. There will be actual fire contained inside certain rooms that will be extinguished by department personnel. Captain Lee Smith says there may be some smoke visible at times. Those in the area are advised to use extra caution as there may be increased traffic. The department will have an area for spectators to observe the training exercise but no one should park in the Culvers parking lot, unless they are eating there. The structure was donated for use to the department by S& L Properties of Beaver Dam.
Nehls Urges Public To Use 9-1-1 Responsibly
11/29/11 - You're not supposed to call 9-1-1 except for a real emergency. But early Sunday morning in Dodge County, a woman called for help because her husband left a tavern without giving her money she claimed was hers. And it prompted Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls to remind people what 9-1-1 is supposed to be used for. Nehls said his department gets over 15-thousand emergency calls a year -- and the unnecessary calls quote, "put a drain on resources, and could slow an emergency response to those who are really in need." He said the Dodge County 9-1-1 center has received calls this year from people asking about trick-or-treating hours and when the local dump is open. Nehls also said a man called to complain that his grandfather was cheating in a card game. A person can be fined 300-dollars for making an inappropriate 9-1-1 call.
Hustisford Teen Accused of Sexual Assault
1/29/11 - A Hustisford teen faces felony charges of Second Degree Sexual Assault of a Child for having a relationship with a 14-year-old girl. Authorities say 19-year-old Eric Bricco told the victims parents he was 16-years-old and homeschooled. The offenses are said to have occurred on two separate occasions in October. During the most recent incident, the two fell asleep in a car in rural Hustisford and were awoken by Dodge County Sheriffs Deputies who alerted the girl’s parents to her boyfriend’s actual age. Bricco faces up to 80 years in prison, if he is convicted on both charges.
2011 Gun Deer Season Among the Safest
11/29/11 - No deer hunters were shot-to-death, and only six were wounded during Wisconsin's nine-day gun season which ended Sunday. That's according to preliminary figures released by the D-N-R. It was the second straight year there were no shooting deaths -- and the D-N-R said only three November gun seasons were held in the last 160 years without a fatal shooting. D-N-R enforcement administrator Tim Lawhern said the early numbers reflect a quote, "phenomenal season from a safety perspective," even though the agency would like to see no incidents at all. The preliminary total were four fewer than last year's total of 10 shootings. And it would be the second-lowest total since 2004, when four shootings occurred and two hunters died. At least four hunters died from natural causes from last Saturday through Tuesday of last week. The D-N-R has not said how many deer were taken in this year's gun season. Preliminary harvest figures from the opening weekend were six-percent higher than the year before.
Deer Slaughter Suspect Expected To Enter Plea
11/29/11 - A Waupaca County man accused of joining two others in killing a half-dozen deer with their snowmobiles is scheduled to enter pleas Tuesday to avoid a trial. 27-year-old Rori Kuenzi of Weyauwega is expected to settle his deer slaughtering case about a year after he was found guilty of a hit-and-run drunk driving death. The deer-slaughtering case attracted national publicity soon after it occurred in early 2009. While that was happening, state Justice officials picked up a dormant investigation into the hit-and-run death of Kevin McCoy five years earlier in Waupaca County. And Kuenzi was eventually convicted by a jury of killing McCoy with his pick-up truck after leaving a drinking party, and dumping the victim's body in a roadside ditch.
DOJ Swamped With Concealed Carry Applications
11/29/11 - The Wisconsin Department of Justice reports it has been swamped with concealed carry permits since the new law went into effect on November 1. According to the most recent figures, the number of applications is close to 45-thousand. Gun sales are also up statewide, in addition to calls to the Wisconsin background-check hotline.
Some Overseas Troops Allowed To Sign Recalls
11/29/11 - Wisconsin troops stationed outside the U-S are allowed to sign recall petitions if they’re home for the holidays. A spokesman for the Government Accountability Board said Monday that military personnel can sign petitions if they are eligible voters in Wisconsin, and they list their most recent addresses before they went overseas. State law says that no one can lose Wisconsin resident status when leaving the state to serve their country. Recall efforts are expected to continue over the holidays against Republican Governor Scott Walker, Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and four G-O-P state senators, including Senator Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau.
No Pardons For Walker Yet
11/29/11 - Governor Scott Walker says he has no plans to grant any pardons -- but that doesn't mean convicts can stop trying. Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie says the governor's legal team will review pardon requests to see if there are extenuating circumstances. Otherwise, Werwie has told the Appleton Post-Crescent that Walker believes pardoning decisions are quote, "best left up to the courts." Walker has not pardoned anyone in his first year in office. Democrat Jim Doyle pardoned 10 criminals in his first year in 2003, and Doyle's four predecessors of both parties pardoned 79 people in their inaugural years. Doyle pardoned dozens of people on his way out of the door last year -- 75 in his final two weeks in office, and 177 in all in 2010. The Post-Crescent said almost a-thousand people have been pardoned by governors of both parties since 1977. It does not overturn their convictions. But it does let them possess firearms and hold state licenses, among other things. Walker's office says it's not closing the door to pardons. Application materials are still on his Web site. And in March, Walker signed an order that lets him create a Pardon Advisory Board -- even though he has not appointed any members to that panel.
Stalin’s Daughter Dies in Wisconsin
11/29/11 - The only daughter of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin has died in Wisconsin. Richland County Coroner Mary Turner told the A-P that 85-year-old Lana Peters died last Tuesday from colon cancer. Her daughter, Chrese Evans, chose not to comment. Peters defected to the West from the former Soviet Union in 1967. That was a major embarrassment to the ruling Communists at the time, and the Soviet premier had called her "morally unstable." Once in the U-S, she wrote a memoir that became a best-seller, entitled "Twenty Letters to a Friend." She later married architect William Wesley Peters, and they divorced in 1973 after having a daughter. Lana Peters moved back to the Soviet Union for a short time in the 1980's, but she returned to the West. Her father died in 1953.
Ocean Spray Recalling Craisins
11/29/11 - Ocean Spray is voluntarily recalling its Original Flavor Craisins Dried Cranberries. The Wisconsin-based company says the product could contain what it calls “hair-like metal fragments.” This is being called a precaution and there have been no reports of complaints. The products recalled are in five-ounce, 10-ounce and 48-ounce packages. The Craisins would have Best By dates of October 27th through November 11th, followed by the letter “M.” If you bought the product, you should destroy it, but save the UPC label and contact the company’s consumer hotline (800-662-3263), the phone number can be found on our website.
11/29/11 - One employee was killed and another was critically injured after being overcome by chemical fumes at a plant near Theresa. The two were found by the survivor's wife late yesterday afternoon at Vivid Image, a plant that makes household audio-video equipment. No one else was in the building at the time. Sheriff Todd Nehls said the two were mixing two-or-three compounds when they were overcome by chemicals from either glue or another adhesive. Nehls said the substance was found on the floor, and the work process apparently created a ventilation hazard. A 55-year-old man died at the scene. A 65-year-old man was in critical condition at last word, but Nehls said he was breathing-and-progressing well. Nehls said a haz-mat team decontaminated about 20 first-responders who arrived at the plant. An autopsy on the fatal victim is scheduled for today. The workers' names were not immediately released.
BDFD Live Fire Training In Apartment Unit
11/29/11 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department will be conducting a live fire drill on Saturday. The training will be held in the apartment building located directly behind Culvers on North Spring Street and is scheduled to begin at 9am and last until around 4pm. There will be actual fire contained inside certain rooms that will be extinguished by department personnel. Captain Lee Smith says there may be some smoke visible at times. Those in the area are advised to use extra caution as there may be increased traffic. The department will have an area for spectators to observe the training exercise but no one should park in the Culvers parking lot, unless they are eating there. The structure was donated for use to the department by S& L Properties of Beaver Dam.
Nehls Urges Public To Use 9-1-1 Responsibly
11/29/11 - You're not supposed to call 9-1-1 except for a real emergency. But early Sunday morning in Dodge County, a woman called for help because her husband left a tavern without giving her money she claimed was hers. And it prompted Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls to remind people what 9-1-1 is supposed to be used for. Nehls said his department gets over 15-thousand emergency calls a year -- and the unnecessary calls quote, "put a drain on resources, and could slow an emergency response to those who are really in need." He said the Dodge County 9-1-1 center has received calls this year from people asking about trick-or-treating hours and when the local dump is open. Nehls also said a man called to complain that his grandfather was cheating in a card game. A person can be fined 300-dollars for making an inappropriate 9-1-1 call.
Hustisford Teen Accused of Sexual Assault
1/29/11 - A Hustisford teen faces felony charges of Second Degree Sexual Assault of a Child for having a relationship with a 14-year-old girl. Authorities say 19-year-old Eric Bricco told the victims parents he was 16-years-old and homeschooled. The offenses are said to have occurred on two separate occasions in October. During the most recent incident, the two fell asleep in a car in rural Hustisford and were awoken by Dodge County Sheriffs Deputies who alerted the girl’s parents to her boyfriend’s actual age. Bricco faces up to 80 years in prison, if he is convicted on both charges.
2011 Gun Deer Season Among the Safest
11/29/11 - No deer hunters were shot-to-death, and only six were wounded during Wisconsin's nine-day gun season which ended Sunday. That's according to preliminary figures released by the D-N-R. It was the second straight year there were no shooting deaths -- and the D-N-R said only three November gun seasons were held in the last 160 years without a fatal shooting. D-N-R enforcement administrator Tim Lawhern said the early numbers reflect a quote, "phenomenal season from a safety perspective," even though the agency would like to see no incidents at all. The preliminary total were four fewer than last year's total of 10 shootings. And it would be the second-lowest total since 2004, when four shootings occurred and two hunters died. At least four hunters died from natural causes from last Saturday through Tuesday of last week. The D-N-R has not said how many deer were taken in this year's gun season. Preliminary harvest figures from the opening weekend were six-percent higher than the year before.
Deer Slaughter Suspect Expected To Enter Plea
11/29/11 - A Waupaca County man accused of joining two others in killing a half-dozen deer with their snowmobiles is scheduled to enter pleas Tuesday to avoid a trial. 27-year-old Rori Kuenzi of Weyauwega is expected to settle his deer slaughtering case about a year after he was found guilty of a hit-and-run drunk driving death. The deer-slaughtering case attracted national publicity soon after it occurred in early 2009. While that was happening, state Justice officials picked up a dormant investigation into the hit-and-run death of Kevin McCoy five years earlier in Waupaca County. And Kuenzi was eventually convicted by a jury of killing McCoy with his pick-up truck after leaving a drinking party, and dumping the victim's body in a roadside ditch.
DOJ Swamped With Concealed Carry Applications
11/29/11 - The Wisconsin Department of Justice reports it has been swamped with concealed carry permits since the new law went into effect on November 1. According to the most recent figures, the number of applications is close to 45-thousand. Gun sales are also up statewide, in addition to calls to the Wisconsin background-check hotline.
Some Overseas Troops Allowed To Sign Recalls
11/29/11 - Wisconsin troops stationed outside the U-S are allowed to sign recall petitions if they’re home for the holidays. A spokesman for the Government Accountability Board said Monday that military personnel can sign petitions if they are eligible voters in Wisconsin, and they list their most recent addresses before they went overseas. State law says that no one can lose Wisconsin resident status when leaving the state to serve their country. Recall efforts are expected to continue over the holidays against Republican Governor Scott Walker, Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and four G-O-P state senators, including Senator Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau.
No Pardons For Walker Yet
11/29/11 - Governor Scott Walker says he has no plans to grant any pardons -- but that doesn't mean convicts can stop trying. Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie says the governor's legal team will review pardon requests to see if there are extenuating circumstances. Otherwise, Werwie has told the Appleton Post-Crescent that Walker believes pardoning decisions are quote, "best left up to the courts." Walker has not pardoned anyone in his first year in office. Democrat Jim Doyle pardoned 10 criminals in his first year in 2003, and Doyle's four predecessors of both parties pardoned 79 people in their inaugural years. Doyle pardoned dozens of people on his way out of the door last year -- 75 in his final two weeks in office, and 177 in all in 2010. The Post-Crescent said almost a-thousand people have been pardoned by governors of both parties since 1977. It does not overturn their convictions. But it does let them possess firearms and hold state licenses, among other things. Walker's office says it's not closing the door to pardons. Application materials are still on his Web site. And in March, Walker signed an order that lets him create a Pardon Advisory Board -- even though he has not appointed any members to that panel.
Stalin’s Daughter Dies in Wisconsin
11/29/11 - The only daughter of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin has died in Wisconsin. Richland County Coroner Mary Turner told the A-P that 85-year-old Lana Peters died last Tuesday from colon cancer. Her daughter, Chrese Evans, chose not to comment. Peters defected to the West from the former Soviet Union in 1967. That was a major embarrassment to the ruling Communists at the time, and the Soviet premier had called her "morally unstable." Once in the U-S, she wrote a memoir that became a best-seller, entitled "Twenty Letters to a Friend." She later married architect William Wesley Peters, and they divorced in 1973 after having a daughter. Lana Peters moved back to the Soviet Union for a short time in the 1980's, but she returned to the West. Her father died in 1953.
Ocean Spray Recalling Craisins
11/29/11 - Ocean Spray is voluntarily recalling its Original Flavor Craisins Dried Cranberries. The Wisconsin-based company says the product could contain what it calls “hair-like metal fragments.” This is being called a precaution and there have been no reports of complaints. The products recalled are in five-ounce, 10-ounce and 48-ounce packages. The Craisins would have Best By dates of October 27th through November 11th, followed by the letter “M.” If you bought the product, you should destroy it, but save the UPC label and contact the company’s consumer hotline (800-662-3263), the phone number can be found on our website.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Top Stories November 28th
Jane Doe Will Be Buried Next Month
11/28/11 - A public burial service will be held December seventh in Waupun for a woman who was never identified after her remains were found three years ago. Sheriff Mick tells the Fond du Lac Reporter quote, "The kid needs to be buried now." And if her identity is ever determined, the remains will be turned over to her family. Deer hunters found the remains on November 23rd of 2008. They were partially submerged in a shallow, frozen creek in the Fond du Lac County town of Ashford. Authorities determined that the woman was not one of several area residents who've been missing for years. National efforts to determine her identity have failed. The cause of the woman’s death was never made official – although the case had been considered a homicide in the beginning.
Gassen Honored With Balloon Release, Bench Dedication
11/28/11 - Dozens of red, white and blue balloons were released yesterday during a bench dedication ceremony at Beaver Dam’s Starkweather Park. The event honored fallen Beaver Dam Marine Jacob Gassen who was killed last year while fighting in Afghanistan. It was organized by friends of Gassen’s, who spend much of his youth at Starkweather Park. The ceremony fell right in between the one year anniversary of Gassen’s death and what would have been his 22nd birthday.
Alderman Holding Bike-Skate Park Meeting
11/28/11 - A Beaver Dam alderman is holding a meeting this week for those interested in starting a bike and skating park to the city. Alderman Matt O’Brion says the park is badly needed to help direct local talent and youthful energy into something positive. O’Brion says the groundwork is being laid but there is still plenty that needs to be done before the long-talked-about idea becomes a reality. The bike and skating park meeting will be held in room 126 of the Beaver Dam High School on Wednesday at 5pm.
Unions Unveil Plan to Make Schools More Accountable
11/28/11 - Two Wisconsin teachers' unions have come out with a plan to make public schools more accountable. The Wisconsin Education Association Council and the American Federation of Teachers drafted their own plan, after WEAC rejected an invitation to join a task force on the subject created by the governor and state superintendent. The unions received input from teachers and parents. And the groups recently submitted their ideas to the task force. They include a host of factors besides test scores for making schools accountable -- things like class sizes, teacher retention rates, the amount of teacher development available, subjects not tested now like art and foreign languages, and other school climate factors. Governor Scott Walker's task force is working on a new plan for school accountability, as part of an effort to seek a waiver from parts of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. WEAC director Mary Bell says all schools should follow the same accountability standards -- including private voucher schools and on-line programs. Walker thanked the teachers and parents for their input. State education officials expect to meet a deadline of next February to apply for the federal waiver.
Group Finalizing Plan to Cut Poverty Rate in Half
11/28/11 - A public policy group is finalizing a plan that seeks to cut Wisconsin's poverty rate in half. The Community Advocates' institute in Milwaukee is calling for sweeping national reforms that include a higher minimum wage, temporary jobs for the unemployed, a new tax credit for the poor-and-disabled, and more generous tax credits for low-income workers. It would cost almost three-billion-dollars a year in Wisconsin alone. And the proposal's chief architect, institute director David Riemer, challenges critics to come up with something better. Riemer, a former state budget director and Milwaukee mayoral aide, said he and economic analyst Conor Williams came up with the package in response to Milwaukee having one of the nation's 10 highest poverty rates. Riemer said it could take years for Congress to even consider his group's proposals -- and he can see them being adopted in stages. But one thing he says he wants people to realize is that government programs reduce poverty -- and those who say otherwise are wrong. Riemer cited U-W Madison figures which showed that Wisconsin's 2009 poverty rate of 11-and-a-half percent would be 23-percent without programs like food stamps, Social Security, S-S-I, and the Earned Income Credit.
BDAAA Holiday Gift Gallery Underway
11/28/11 - The Beaver Dam Area Arts Association has gotten into the holiday spirit with their annual seasonal exhibit. Executive Director Karla Jensen says the Holiday Gift Gallery is as much of an art show as it is a unique shopping experience. Jensen says organizers spent the summer scouting artwork across the state and this year’s holiday exhibit features dozens of Wisconsin artists in a variety of mediums. The Holiday Gift Gallery has extended hours through Christmas Eve with the Seippel Center open seven days a week. There are also “specialty” days, including “Senior Shopping Day” on December 14, “Late Night Shopping” on December 15 and “Dad and Kids Day” on December 18. The Beaver Dam Area Arts Association is located inside the Seippel Homestead and Center for the Arts at 1605 North Spring Street, which is right next door to Culvers Restaurant.
DNR Secretary Bags Her Deer On Day One
11/28/11 - Her first deer hunt was a successful one for DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp. Just two hours into opening day, Stepp had bagged her first deer. The secretary tells Wisconsin Public Radio she had thought she would be happy just sitting in the quiet of the woods of Iowa County, when a doe walked right in front of her. Stepp says she had never hunted before, but she calls it “just really an amazing experience and quite an adrenaline rush.” She points out that more women are getting involved in deer hunting these days.
Recall Organizers Say They’re Picking Up Steam
11/28/11 - Organizers of the effort to collect signatures on petitions for a recall election against the governor say their drive is picking up steam. They need to collect 540 thousand signatures by January 17th, but they say they plan to shoot for up to 700 thousand to give themselves a cushion. About 80 volunteers are working in shifts. They said they had collected 105 thousands signatures in the first four days. Wisconsin Republicans say they are assuming the petition drive will reach its goal – and they are focused on winning the recall election.
11/28/11 - A public burial service will be held December seventh in Waupun for a woman who was never identified after her remains were found three years ago. Sheriff Mick tells the Fond du Lac Reporter quote, "The kid needs to be buried now." And if her identity is ever determined, the remains will be turned over to her family. Deer hunters found the remains on November 23rd of 2008. They were partially submerged in a shallow, frozen creek in the Fond du Lac County town of Ashford. Authorities determined that the woman was not one of several area residents who've been missing for years. National efforts to determine her identity have failed. The cause of the woman’s death was never made official – although the case had been considered a homicide in the beginning.
Gassen Honored With Balloon Release, Bench Dedication
11/28/11 - Dozens of red, white and blue balloons were released yesterday during a bench dedication ceremony at Beaver Dam’s Starkweather Park. The event honored fallen Beaver Dam Marine Jacob Gassen who was killed last year while fighting in Afghanistan. It was organized by friends of Gassen’s, who spend much of his youth at Starkweather Park. The ceremony fell right in between the one year anniversary of Gassen’s death and what would have been his 22nd birthday.
Alderman Holding Bike-Skate Park Meeting
11/28/11 - A Beaver Dam alderman is holding a meeting this week for those interested in starting a bike and skating park to the city. Alderman Matt O’Brion says the park is badly needed to help direct local talent and youthful energy into something positive. O’Brion says the groundwork is being laid but there is still plenty that needs to be done before the long-talked-about idea becomes a reality. The bike and skating park meeting will be held in room 126 of the Beaver Dam High School on Wednesday at 5pm.
Unions Unveil Plan to Make Schools More Accountable
11/28/11 - Two Wisconsin teachers' unions have come out with a plan to make public schools more accountable. The Wisconsin Education Association Council and the American Federation of Teachers drafted their own plan, after WEAC rejected an invitation to join a task force on the subject created by the governor and state superintendent. The unions received input from teachers and parents. And the groups recently submitted their ideas to the task force. They include a host of factors besides test scores for making schools accountable -- things like class sizes, teacher retention rates, the amount of teacher development available, subjects not tested now like art and foreign languages, and other school climate factors. Governor Scott Walker's task force is working on a new plan for school accountability, as part of an effort to seek a waiver from parts of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. WEAC director Mary Bell says all schools should follow the same accountability standards -- including private voucher schools and on-line programs. Walker thanked the teachers and parents for their input. State education officials expect to meet a deadline of next February to apply for the federal waiver.
Group Finalizing Plan to Cut Poverty Rate in Half
11/28/11 - A public policy group is finalizing a plan that seeks to cut Wisconsin's poverty rate in half. The Community Advocates' institute in Milwaukee is calling for sweeping national reforms that include a higher minimum wage, temporary jobs for the unemployed, a new tax credit for the poor-and-disabled, and more generous tax credits for low-income workers. It would cost almost three-billion-dollars a year in Wisconsin alone. And the proposal's chief architect, institute director David Riemer, challenges critics to come up with something better. Riemer, a former state budget director and Milwaukee mayoral aide, said he and economic analyst Conor Williams came up with the package in response to Milwaukee having one of the nation's 10 highest poverty rates. Riemer said it could take years for Congress to even consider his group's proposals -- and he can see them being adopted in stages. But one thing he says he wants people to realize is that government programs reduce poverty -- and those who say otherwise are wrong. Riemer cited U-W Madison figures which showed that Wisconsin's 2009 poverty rate of 11-and-a-half percent would be 23-percent without programs like food stamps, Social Security, S-S-I, and the Earned Income Credit.
BDAAA Holiday Gift Gallery Underway
11/28/11 - The Beaver Dam Area Arts Association has gotten into the holiday spirit with their annual seasonal exhibit. Executive Director Karla Jensen says the Holiday Gift Gallery is as much of an art show as it is a unique shopping experience. Jensen says organizers spent the summer scouting artwork across the state and this year’s holiday exhibit features dozens of Wisconsin artists in a variety of mediums. The Holiday Gift Gallery has extended hours through Christmas Eve with the Seippel Center open seven days a week. There are also “specialty” days, including “Senior Shopping Day” on December 14, “Late Night Shopping” on December 15 and “Dad and Kids Day” on December 18. The Beaver Dam Area Arts Association is located inside the Seippel Homestead and Center for the Arts at 1605 North Spring Street, which is right next door to Culvers Restaurant.
DNR Secretary Bags Her Deer On Day One
11/28/11 - Her first deer hunt was a successful one for DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp. Just two hours into opening day, Stepp had bagged her first deer. The secretary tells Wisconsin Public Radio she had thought she would be happy just sitting in the quiet of the woods of Iowa County, when a doe walked right in front of her. Stepp says she had never hunted before, but she calls it “just really an amazing experience and quite an adrenaline rush.” She points out that more women are getting involved in deer hunting these days.
Recall Organizers Say They’re Picking Up Steam
11/28/11 - Organizers of the effort to collect signatures on petitions for a recall election against the governor say their drive is picking up steam. They need to collect 540 thousand signatures by January 17th, but they say they plan to shoot for up to 700 thousand to give themselves a cushion. About 80 volunteers are working in shifts. They said they had collected 105 thousands signatures in the first four days. Wisconsin Republicans say they are assuming the petition drive will reach its goal – and they are focused on winning the recall election.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Top Stories, November 27th
State Launches Winter Preparation Website
11/27/11 – Just in time for the snow, Governor Scott Walker’s office announced a new Web site to help Wisconsinites deal with winter. It’s called “Ready Wisconsin,” and it offers plenty of information – including the best way to make an emergency kit. Todd Pritchard of Wisconsin Emergency Management says you should have a kit in your vehicle – because it can save your life. He said you should have things like blankets, flash-lights, and shovels at the ready at all times. NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth of Cambridge is featured on the Ready Wisconsin Web site – and he’s urging folks to sign up there for a free emergency kit. The address is ReadyWisconsin-Dot-WI-Dot-Gov.
Local FSA Election Ballots Due Soon
11/27/11 - Local ag-producers have just over one week to return ballots for the 2011 FSA county committee elections. Dodge County FSA Executive Director Susan Blachowiak says the County Committee makes decisions about the local administration of federal farm programs, like disaster and conservation payments, establishment of allotments and yields, producer appeals and other local agricultural issues. Blachowiak is urging all eligible farmers and ranchers, especially minorities and women, to get involved. To be an eligible voter, farmers and ranchers must participate or cooperate in FSA programs. Eligible voters who do not receive a ballot can obtain one at the USDA Service Center. In Dodge County, producers being elected come from the townships of Fox Lake, Trenton, Chester, Westford, Burnett, Calamus, Beaver Dam and Oak Grove. Agricultural producers in each county submitted candidate names during the nomination period held last summer. This year’s candidates are: Dale Macheel, Laura Helmer and Glen Berndt. The deadline for eligible voters to return ballots to their local FSA office is December 5. Newly elected committee members and alternates take office January 1.
Coast Guard: ‘No Pollution Threat From Beached Barge’
11/27/11 - Authorities report no immediate threat of pollution from a barge which has run aground in Lake Michigan. The U.S. Coast Guard is handling the accident near Sheboygan. It’s believed the barge is carrying a cargo of rocks. It was being towed to Manitowoc last week when it broke away from its tugboat and the crew wasn’t able to regain control in conditions of rough seas and high winds. Coast Guard investigators are expected to remain on the scene, monitoring, until the barge can be re-floated and examined for damage.
Pro-Life Groups At Odds
11/27/11 - Two pro-life groups disagree on whether Wisconsin should legally recognize a person at the moment an egg is fertilized in the mother's womb. Freshman State Assembly Republican Andre Jacque of the Green Bay area has introduced a "personhood" constitutional amendment which legally defines people as quote, "every human being at any stage of development." And the measure would eliminate the word "born" from the constitutional guarantee that "all people are born equally free and independent." Matt Sande of Pro-Life Wisconsin says it would ban all forms of surgical and chemical abortion. But Wisconsin Right-to-Life says the personhood amendment would most likely be struck down in court if it was ever adopted. And the group says the state already has a law to ban abortions if the U-S Supreme Court overturns its Roe-versus-Wade opinion which legalized abortions throughout the country. Jacque tells the Wisconsin State Journal his amendment is not meant to challenge Roe-versus-Wade directly -- but if it's ever struck down, he says Wisconsin needs a "true definition of human life" in the state constitution. But Nicole Safar of Planned Parenthood says it would ban hormone contraception. And she said the measure is quote, "way out of touch with Wisconsin values." Jacque's amendment would need to be passed in two straight legislative sessions, and then by the voters in a statewide referendum. Fifty-eight percent of voters in Mississippi rejected a similar amendment earlier this month.
Job Creation Tax Credits Under-Utilized
11/27/11 - Wisconsin businesses are supposed to add certain numbers of jobs to receive state tax credits they've applied for -- but many companies are falling short. Gannett's Wisconsin newspapers have found that only nine-of-15 businesses that completed tax credit contracts since 2007 actually met their hiring goals. And of the 191 businesses which remain active in the state's program, only eight-percent have added the required numbers of jobs to earn the tax breaks. Of those completing their contracts, Gannett said two firms never added a single job in their five-year commitments, and they did not get tax credits. Four others fell short of their goals. Governor Scott Walker's administration has made tax credits a big part of its efforts to grow the state's economy. But Dave Gionti of Extreme Engineering Solutions in Middleton said a higher demand by customers spurred his business to add more workers -- and the tax credits it received had little to do with it. Still, Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie says the credits help create an environment that encourages job growth.
Door County Shipbuilder Rehiring
11/27/11 - A ship-builder in Door County is bringing back its workforce, thanks to two new projects and repairs for others. The Bay Ship-building Company of Sturgeon Bay had about 250 people working as of mid-November. But vice president Gene Caldwell says the plant will be back to full union employment by early January – and total employment this winter could peak at 800-or-so. The plant is in the process of making two large platform supply vessels for a marine company in New Orleans. And as winter sets in, the shop also does maintenance and overhauls on a variety of freighters on the Great Lakes. Bay Ship-building is owned by Fincantieri, the Italian firm that also owns Marinette Marine and ACE Marine in Green Bay. The company has made about 100-million dollars in capital improvements at Sturgeon Bay and Marinette. Bay Ship-building is also seeking other commercial work – and officials say the new platform supply vessels could open up another line for the business.
Disgraced Koss Exec Sells Home At Loss
11/27/11 - Former Milwaukee business executive Sue Sachdeva (satch-dee’-vuh) has sold her home for almost two-thirds of its assessed value. The Milwaukee Business Journal said Lars and Megan Hickey bought the Mequon residence for 500-thousand-dollars. And 268-thousand of that will help pay back some of the 34-million-dollars Sachdeva embezzled from the Koss Corporation when she was the financial vice president. The property was assessed at 780-thousand dollars in 2009. A federal court had ordered that Sachdeva repay the embezzled funds that were used to improve her home. She’s currently serving an 11-year prison term for the crime. Earlier, about 680-thousand-dollars from Sachdeva’s retirement account was repaid to the Koss Corporation, which makes stereo head-phones. The U-S Marshals Service has been auctioning off various pieces of high-end clothing and other items she bought with the stolen funds – and those auction proceeds are also being repaid to Koss.
Milwaukee Employees ‘Triple Dipping’
11/27/11 - We've heard a lot lately about "double-dipping" by Wisconsin public employees. Now, the Journal Sentinel says over 30 city employees in Milwaukee are "triple-dipping." They get a paycheck and a pension while building up money for a second pension. City Election Commission director Sue Edman gets a salary of 83-thousand-dollars a year, and she's building up retirement money in that post. Edman also gets 76-thousand for another pension as a retired Milwaukee police captain. Her total salary is 159-thousand, or 12-thousand more than Mayor Tom Barrett makes. But both Edman and the mayor say the city could be paying more if it hired somebody else to run the city's elections. That's because the pension in her current post was based on the bottom of her pay range. Even so, the Milwaukee Common Council recently voted not to give second pensions to any retired city employees who are rehired starting in December. The 30 who do get second pensions will keep receiving them.
Business Week: ‘Sussex Best Place To Raise Kids’
11/28/11 - Looking for a better place in Wisconsin to raise your kids? Bloomberg BusinessWeek-Dot-Com puts Sussex at Number-One on its list. According to the Web site, Sussex is close to Milwaukee without losing its own sense-of-community. The survey looked at almost 42-hundred places around the country with populations of one-thousand to 50-thousand, with family incomes within 20-percent of a state's median. The rankings emphasized school costs and quality. And it recognized low crime rates, good amenities, and affordable living costs.
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Top Stories, November 26th
Initial Appearance Monday In OWI Homicide
11/26/11 - A Beaver Dam man is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Monday, in a drunken driving crash a year ago that killed his girlfriend. 20-year-old Guadalupe Rodriguez is charged in Dodge County with O-W-I Homicide in the death of 22-year-old Diamond Avalos of Beaver Dam. According to authorities, the car he was driving lost control on a curve, hit several trees, and overturned. Investigators said they found alcohol and marijuana in his system about six hours after the crash -- which happened a year ago on Monday. Officials have not said why it took so long to charge Rodriguez.
Walden In County Jail Until Monday
11/26/11 - Green Bay Packer linebacker Erik Walden won’t be released from the Brown County Jail before Monday. He’s been arrested on felony domestic violence and substantial battery charges in connection with an alleged assault on his girlfriend at their apartment in Lawrence. Police say the girlfriend was treated for her injuries at St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay. The assault reportedly occurred at about 2:30 a.m. Friday, police were called a little after six and Walden was arrested at 8 a.m. The Packers have a long stretch of inactivity after Thursday’s win over Detroit. While his teammates take three days away from practices, Walden will be held in the county jail.
Three Years Since Hunters Found Fond du Lac Jane Doe
11/26/11 - It’s been three years since deer hunters found the remains of a woman in Fond du Lac County. But the person has still not been identified, and sheriff’s detectives say they’ll keep working on the case until it’s solved. Officials have released dental records and a D-N-A profile. They’ve shown what her hair and face might look like, as well as the clothes she was wearing. They’ve also had the case featured on “America’s Most Wanted,” and they created a Facebook page – but their leads have never panned out. The woman’s remains were found partially-submerged in a shallow, frozen creek in the Fond du Lac County town of Ashford on November 23rd of 2008. The cause of the woman’s death was never made official – although the case had been considered a homicide in the beginning.
Plane Crash Victim IDed
11/26/11 - Authorities have identified the victim of a plane crash in Marathon County. Investigators say Matthew Zocher was the only person on the single-engine plane when it crashed in a heavily wooded area. The 24-year-old Zocher – a college student from Minnesota – was reportedly flying the plane to his family’s home in Merrill when it went down some time Thursday. The FAA notified the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department the plane was missing at about 5pm Thursday afternoon. The wreckage was finally found about four hours later. The National Transportation Safety Board is expected to investigate the crash.
Jobless Rate Down In Region
11/26/11 - The jobless rate the region was down last month for the most part. According to figures released this week by the Department of Workforce Development, the unemployment rate in Dodge County was 7.2% in October, down from 7.5% in September and one-tenth of a percent lower than October of last year. Fond du Lac County was down two-tenths to 6.4% over the two-month period. Washington County was at 6.3% last month while Jefferson County was at 7.2%, both down one-tenth from September. Green Lake County held steady at 7% even. Columbia County was up two-tenths to 6.9%. The lowest rate in the state was 4.8% in Pepin and Pierce counties. Menominee County had the highest rate, and the only in double-digits, at 13.1% down nearly a full point. The statewide jobless rate in October was down one-eighth to 7.7%, while the national rate was 9%. In total, 60 of the state’s 72 counties had lower unemployment rates or no change over the two month period.
Federal officials said Wisconsin had the nation’s largest number of job losses last month – and the state said 86-hundred of those lost jobs were in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Waukesha, and Washington counties. Only four of the state’s 12 metro areas lost jobs in October on a seasonally-adjusted basis – and that includes Milwaukee. Wausau lost a reported 700 positions, Eau Claire 500, and Fond du Lac 100. Of the eight places that gained jobs, Appleton had the most at 13-hundred. La Crosse reported a gain of 12-hundred jobs, and Madison and Oshkosh-Neenah added a-thousand jobs each. All 12 metros saw their actual unadjusted unemployment rates drop last month. Janesville is the highest at eight-point-six percent. Madison is the lowest at five-point-one.
Full House In Columbus For Social Media Roundtable
11/26/11 - Reaching customers through “social media” is a hot topic among local businesses. At a recent Columbus Business Roundtable Kristin Uttech, lead Professor of Marketing at MATC, drew a crowd of over 70 area business leaders. The social media presentation on “Facebook” and “Linked In” also cautioned that there were limitations to using social media without a plan. Plans are being made for a 2012 Workshop on the social media for area business leaders.
Authorities Urge Public To Call In Car Vs. Deer
11/26/11 - Wisconsin state officials remind drivers to call it in if they hit a deer. The Wisconsin State Patrol says the law requires you to report you’ve hit a deer if the incident causes more than two thousand dollars in damages. But, there’s another factor to consider – the deer often is badly injured, but not killed when hit by a car. Those dispatched to clean up the scene says it isn’t unusual to find the deer still alive, thrashing on the side of the road. Vehicle-deer crashes are more common this time of the year because they are more active during mating season. Authorities say, if you do hit a deer, please pull off the road as far as possible and call 9-1-1. Don’t try to find the deer, or remove it from the road, but do tell authorities.
Woman Claims $250K In Unclaimed Property
11/26/11 - The State Treasurer’s office gave a La Crosse woman almost a quarter-million-dollars this week. That’s because she didn’t realize her late husband had that much in municipal bonds. The bonds went to the state after he died – but the 81-year-old woman also owned those investments under the marital property law. Normally, the treasurer’s office publishes the names of people with unclaimed property like bonds and old bank accounts – and they make those people contact the office themselves. But in this case, spokesman Ron Giordan said the amount was so large that the agency decided to contact her. The La Crosse Tribune said the woman refused comment. The state currently has over 400-million-dollars worth of unclaimed property that people have lost track of – but the vast majority are much smaller amounts.
Neshkoro Fir Arrives At White House
11/26/11 - The first White House Christmas tree in eight years that came from Wisconsin arrived Friday at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. The Forever-greens’ tree farm near Neshkoro provided the 19-foot balsam fir. Michelle Obama, her daughters Sasha and Malia, and the family dog Bo saw the tree come up the White House driveway on a horse-drawn carriage. The Obamas took a good look at it, and then gave it a “thumbs up.” The tree will be put up in the Blue Room, as the center-piece of the White House holiday decorations. Tom and Sue Schroeder own the Forever-greens’ tree farm – and they were selected after winning both state-and-national contests. It’s the seventh time Wisconsin has supplied the White House Christmas tree since the national competition began in 1966.
BDPD Holding Bike Auction Today
11/26/11 - The Beaver Dam Police Department will be holding a bike auction Saturday morning. Lt. John Kreuziger says the city ordinance allows the department to sell-off excess bicycles and other confiscated property held for more than 30 days. Kreuziger says this auction will also be an opportunity for people to get back bicycles lost or stolen in the past year. There will be a short public viewing of the property for sale at 9am with the auction being held from 10am until noon today in the Department of Public Works building at the corner of Myrtle Road and Beltline Drive on the far south edge of the city.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Top Stories, November 25th
Gassen Bench Dedication and Balloon Release on Sunday
11/25/11 - A ceremony will be held on Sunday to honor the life of a Beaver Dam-native who died last year while fighting in Afghanistan. Jacob Gassen was killed on November 29, 2010 by a lone gunman who opened fire on members of the Army’s 101st Airborne Division. Mary-Vogl-Rauscher was a neighbor of the Gassen’s for years and she is helping organize Sunday’s event with her son – who was a close friend of Jacob’s. Vogl-Rauscher says the event includes a bench dedication and balloon release. The public is invited to attend; assembling of the balloons begins at 10:30am and the balloon release and bench dedication is at 11am Sunday at Beaver Dam’s Starkweather Park.
Hartford Man Arraigned For BD Gun Incident
11/25/11 - A Hartford man entered a “not guilty” plea at arraignment this week to charges related to a pistol-whipping. It happened in the 600 block of Madison Street on August 4 around 2am. Mark Patterson is charged with felony Substantial Battery Intending Bodily Harm and a half dozen misdemeanors including Intentionally Pointing a Firearm, Operating a Firearm While Intoxicated and Disorderly Conduct. According to the criminal complaint, the 46-year-old met up with a group of people at a Madison Street bar and they went to a nearby residence for an “after hours” party. A woman in the group says Patterson attempted to kiss her while the two were alone outside and then he became enraged and made up a story about her owing him $70. Patterson says he loaned her $70 so that she could purchase cocaine for herself then she lied about his advances and had the group kick him out so that she didn’t have to pay him back. Authorities say he pulled a gun and everyone ran into the house except the 23-year-old Beaver Dam man who apparently didn’t want Patterson messing with his car which was parked outside. Patterson says he approached the house looking for his money, was confronted by two men and acted in self-defense. His blood alcohol level was said to be point-one-four. The victim sustained a closed head injury, eye contusion and concussion. Because Patterson is considered a repeat offender, the charges carry a maximum sentence of just under 25 years in prison upon conviction.
Escaped FLCI Prisoner Apprehended
11/25/11 - A man who escaped from the Fox Lake Correctional Institution was captured on Thanksgiving. 28-year-old Christopher Lacourciere was free for six days, after he disappeared from the prison’s work farm east of Waupun last Friday night. He was spotted early Thursday by a Dane County sheriff's deputy on routine patrol. Lacourciere was then apprehended without incident near a rural intersection in the town of Cross Plains. Lacourciere was serving a prison term for Third-Degree Sexual Assault. He now faces a felony Escape charge, after a warrant for his arrest was filed on Wednesday in Dodge County Circuit Court. Online records showed that Lacourciere was previously convicted of seven burglaries and another Escape from Custody charge back in 2006.
Carol’s Tours Preliminary Hearing Delayed
11/25/11 - Those who lost out on a vacation because of the closure of Carol’s Tours will have to wait to see if the state has enough evidence to order a trial against the owner of the shuttered Beaver Dam travel agency. Deborah Paul had a preliminary hearing scheduled for next Thursday, but that hearing has been postponed because a witness will not be able to testify on that day. Carol’s Tours shut down in January of 2008 leaving around 200 people without vacations. The 56-year-old Paul is charged with two counts of Theft in a Business Setting. Her office manager, 46-year-old Lisa Hopper is accused of embezzling $90,000 from the business. The two will be tried separately. Hopper’s February 3rd preliminary hearing remains on the calendar. Paul has not had a new date set for her prelim. Both women face a total of 20 years in prison, if they are convicted.
Former Gas Station Employee Waives Theft Prelim
11/25/11 - An Oconomowoc woman, accused of stealing over $5000 from the gas station where she worked, has waived her right to a preliminary hearing. Jessica Benning is charged with felony Theft for allegedly taking cash, cigarettes and other items from the Ashippun BP over a nine-month period ending in September. Management was tipped-off to the theft from an anonymous tip. The 21-year-old reportedly admitted the thefts to investigators and said she learned a trick with the cash register to cover her tracks from a former employee. The charge carries a maximum six-year prison sentence upon conviction. Benning has an arraignment hearing on the calendar next month.
Pilot Killed In Thanksgiving Crash
11/25/11 - A pilot was killed on Thanksgiving night when a single-engine plane crashed near Athens in north central Wisconsin. Fire Chief Ronald Lavicka said the craft was flying from Mankato Minnesota to Merrill when it went down. The crash occurred in a heavily-wooded area near Highways 97 and "F" in northwest Marathon County, close to the Taylor County border. Lavicka told the Wausau Daily Herald it was a "stroke of luck" that the plane was found. He said over two dozen rescuers from various departments were walking through the woods when they came upon the wreckage. Other reports said the pilot was the only one in the craft, and the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate the incident.
Sheboygan Man Charged With Sixth OWI For Two Crashes
11/25/11 - A Sheboygan man is due back in court Wednesday, after being accused of causing a drunk driving crash -- and then hitting another car after the police asked him to move. 50-year-old Daniel Grosskreutz is charged with his sixth O-W-I offense. It's a felony which could land him in prison for up to three years if he's convicted. According to prosecutors, Grosskreutz's car struck another vehicle on Tuesday afternoon at a Sheboygan intersection. The crash was blocking the corner. So police asked both drivers to move their vehicles into the parking lot of a gas station, where Grosskreutz hit a parked car. Police said he denied drinking at first -- but he later admitted having a little alcohol, and taking prescription drugs. Bond was set at 35-hundred-dollars. At his next court appearance, a judge will decide if there's enough evidence to order a trial.
People Line Up For Black Friday Bargains
11/25/11 - Some Wisconsinites spent Thanksgiving in tents outside stores, awaiting the Black Friday bargains. At Appleton's Fox River Mall, 50 stores opened between 9pm and midnight, and long lines started forming late in the afternoon around the places with biggest door-busters like Wal-Mart and Target. The Turrubiates family of Waupaca was the first in line outside Appleton's Best Buy store at 2:15pm Wednesday afternoon. They wanted bargains on two T-V's, a laptop, a tablet, and a camcorder. But Heather Turrubiates said she was also there for the excitement and quote, "Anyone who says otherwise is lying." Lots of folks adjusted their holidays to the bargains. The Turrubiates family moved its Thanksgiving dinner to tomorrow. 22-year-old Breshawna Brenner of Waukesha said she had gum for Thanksgiving. She waited outside a Toys-R-Us store in Milwaukee since seven a-m for a $74.99 Android tablet. About 600 people were in line just before 9pm to grab some of the earliest discounts. The National Retail Federation predicts a two-point-eight-percent increase in holiday sales, at just over $465-billion dollars.
Racine County Woman Reunited With Adopted Son
11/25/11 - A Racine County woman calls it "the best Thanksgiving present ever." Tina Murray of Mount Pleasant spent the holiday with a son she gave up for adoption three decades ago, and had not seen until this week. The 51-year-old Murray told the Racine Journal Times that she got pregnant at 17 with her son Jason, put him into foster care soon after he was born, and he was later adopted. Murray had started a Facebook page with her maiden name in the hope that he would find her. Then on Sunday, she got a friend request from Jason William Mateer -- and she was shocked to hear from her son. Murray had other children over the years, but she said she never forgot about Jason.
Idol Runner-Up Flubs Packers National Anthem
11/25/11 - "American Idol" runner-up Lauren Alaina said she "messed up," and had no excuses for flubbing the National Anthem just before yesterday's Green Bay Packers' game at Detroit. Alaina got stuck early in the song -- and she went silent for about five seconds in the middle of the word "twilight's." She picked up the Anthem from there and completed it. Afterward, Fox T-V commentator Joe Buck gave a consoling review when he said quote, "It's all about how you finish." According to "Access Hollywood," Alaina also received words of support from other entertainers on Twitter. Fellow "Idol" finalist Kellie Pickler tweeted that Alaina handled herself like a pro. Alaina thanked Pickler and tweeted, "I'm not a robot ... what can you do?"
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Top Stories, November 24th
Child Protection Bill Spurred By Former BDUSD Principal
11/24/11 - Governor Scott Walker signed a bill during a ceremony in Racine Wednesday that was spurred by the case of a former Beaver Dam and Randolph school administrator convicted of trying to arrange sex with a teen he met online. Christopher Nelson was working as a superintendent in the New Holstein School District in January when he was arrested as he attended a school boards’ convention in Milwaukee. The 59-year-old tried to arrange sex while chatting online with someone he thought was a 15-year-old boy. That boy turned out to be a Milwaukee police detective. Authorities said Nelson also escaped prosecution in 2005, when he was caught looking at pornography on a school computer in Madison. The bill signed by the governor yesterday would let the state revoke the teaching licenses of those caught looking at pornography on their work computers. Nelson spent 20 years in the Randolph school district before moving to Beaver Dam in 1994 where he served as Assistant Principal until 2000. He was sentenced this summer in Milwaukee County to five years in prison, with five years of extended supervision when he gets out. Nelson still faces a variety of charges for Possession of Child Pornography in his home county of Calumet.
The governor signed several other bills Wednesday aimed at protecting children. One will let public schools fire employees convicted of felonies -- or not hire them in the first place. Until now, schools could only leave felons off their payrolls if they were convicted of crimes directly related to their jobs. Democrats wanted to limit the employment ban to six years after a termination or rejection. But majority Republicans approved no such limits. Otherwise, the measures signed yesterday earned support from both parties. Another bill requires all school district employees report suspected child abuse to authorities. Teachers, administrators, and counselors used to be the only ones required to do that. The governor also let judges add up to five more years on a prison sentence for paid child-care workers convicted of physically-or-sexually abusing children.
WT Man Killed By Driver With.356BAC
11/24/11 - We’re just now learning that a woman who killed a Watertown man in a head-on collision earlier this month allegedly had a blood alcohol level more than four times the legal limit for driving. 44-year-old Dawn Ewing is now said to have had a blood alcohol content of .356 when her car slammed into the vehicle of 41-year-old Brian St. Germaine on Interstate-94 back on November 5. The Waukesha County Sheriff’s office says it got several calls about a car going the wrong way on the interstate shortly after midnight. Several law enforcement agencies sent squad cars to try to stop the accident, but they were too late.
Manitowoc Woman Charged In Fatal OWI Wreck
11/24/11 - A 43-year-old Manitowoc woman faces eight felony charges in connection with a fatal accident last month. Becky Holly could spend 60 years in prison if convicted on all the charges, which include homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle. Crash investigators in Manitowoc County say Lawrence Gerroll, his wife Lou and their 48 year old daughter Joan were watching a roofing project last month when Holly lost control of her van, ran off the road and hit them. A state lab reports her blood alcohol content was two and a half times the state’s legal limit.
Road Rage Incident Leads To Rollover
11/24/11 - A woman on her way to a court appearance Tuesday was late after being witness to a road rage incident sparked the father of her child. Sheriff Todd Nehls says the 23-year-old woman was a passenger in one vehicle when the 25-year-old father of her child, in another vehicle, attempted to intimidate her with what Nehls called “road-rage actions.” He wound up losing control of his vehicle and rolled it three or four times. Nehls says he was taken hospital where he was treated eventually released to the custody of law enforcement who booked him into the Dodge County Detention Facility for his actions related to the road rage incident and on additional charges of domestic abuse.
Rabbit Stolen From Daycare Recovered At Nearby Dorm
11/24/11 - A 20-year-old college student at Lawrence University is accused of breaking into an Appleton daycare and stealing a rabbit. Theodore Benner is charged with breaking into Memorial Presbyterian Church earlier this month. That church is located about two blocks from Benner’s dormitory. Less than a week after the burglary was reported, emergency responders were called to the suspect’s dorm room on a medical call. An officer noticed a rabbit in that room which matched a picture of the missing rabbit. Twinkle the rabbit was returned to the daycare shortly after a search warrant was served on the dorm room.
Juneau Mill Rate Up 96-Cents
11/24/11 - The Juneau Common Council unanimously approved their 2012 budget this week. The document totals $8.4 million dollars and includes a tax levy of $1.29 million dollars which results in a mill rate of $8.82 per $1000 of assessed value, up $.96-cents from this year’s rate. Clerk-Treasurer Gladys McKay says like most municipalities, shared revenues were down this year and that, combined with lower home values, contributed to the tax increase. In addition, municipal workers in Juneau already contribute 15% toward their health insurance so the statewide changes in collective bargaining had no affect on the city’s bottom line. Debt service eats up $340,000 of the $1.28 million dollar levy. Property tax payers are putting $24,000 toward the replacement of a fire truck and $74,000 toward the city’s capital projects fund.
Columbus Facilities Committee Has Holiday Homework
11/24/11 - Columbus Schools’ “Facilities Committee” Members and District Administrators will be busy studying during this holiday season. The Committee has a lot of data on student population trends, the condition of District facilities and the Schools’ financial status to review. A “Construction Manager” information provider will be selected on Dec. 5th. The Committee will continue their studies into the new year, scheduled to deliver recommendations to the Board by March 26, 2012.
Columbus Residents Receiving Questionnaire
11/24/11 - A random sample of 1100 Columbus residents recently received a questionnaire asking about City services. The UW Survey Research Center was hired to conduct the citizen survey for $5,500 dollars. The council will be using survey results to make funding decisions on City fire and police protection, street and sidewalk services, recreation facilities, public building maintenance and public utilities.
OSHA Fines Company Over Fond du Lac Paintjob
11/24/11 - OSHA is suggesting almost 150 thousand dollars in fines for a Calumet County construction firm accused of safety violations. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is targeting United Contracting of Forest Junction. The violations allegedly happened during a 327 thousand dollar painting project on two bridges along U.S. Highway 41 in Fond du Lac. Investigators say the company didn’t have proper scaffolding in place and exposed workers to possible falls on the job. A worker for United Contracting was injured in June after falling at one of the bridge work sites.
Milwaukee County Board Pressured To Reduce Size
11/24/11 - If the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors won’t downsize itself, some communities in the county might do it for them. River Hills, Shorewood and Whitefish Bay have all voted to put two questions on the April ballot. They will ask voters if the county board should be cut in half, to nine members, and whether the jobs should be part time instead of full time. Other suburbs could follow the lead of those three communities. So far, the 19 county board members have rejected efforts to downsize. One seat was eliminated this year, bringing the board membership to 18 after the election. The Dodge County Board downsized itself in conjunction with the latest census. Supervisors were reduced from 37 to 33.
BD Garbage Collection Delayed By One Day
11/24/11 - Waste collection in Beaver Dam will be delayed by one day for the rest of the week because of the Thanksgiving holiday. Director of Facilities David Stoiser says Veolia Environmental will suspend garbage pick-ups for Thursday. Residents who normally receive pick-up Thursday will instead have garbage collection Friday, while Friday’s route will be collected on Saturday. Stoiser says the Public Works Garage will also be closed until Monday.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Top Stories November 23rd
Thanksgiving Weather Forecast Looks Warm
11/23/11 - Thanksgiving travelers will no doubt be thankful for the warmer-and-dry weather they'll have in Wisconsin. And they'll only have a few construction projects to deal with. Don Greuel of the state D-O-T said most of this year's road projects were completed before Thanksgiving. About the only work that could require extra time for drivers is on the Highway 41 expressway in the Appleton and Green Bay areas. The State Patrol expects the heaviest traffic to come later today and on Sunday. As for the weather, some lingering fog is supposed to disappear by mid-morning. Highs are supposed to get up to the mid-40's, but it's supposed to be even warmer tomorrow. Thanksgiving Day highs could reach 50 in the north, and the upper-50s in the south. The National Weather Service said the warmest Thanksgiving was in 1914, when Milwaukee had 65-degrees and Madison had 64. The normal high for the holiday is just 39 in Madison, and 42 in Milwaukee.
WI Lawmakers Looking to Remove Statute of Limitations in Sex Abuse Cases
11/23/11 - The Penn State case is being cited as a reason to let Wisconsin child sex abuse victims file civil lawsuits against their molesters -- no matter how long it takes for the victims to come to grips with it. Senate Democrat Julie Lassa of Stevens Point and Assembly Democrat Sandy Pasch of Whitefish Bay said yesterday they would try again to pass the Child Victims Act. It would end the statute-of-limitations in which child sex abuse victims cannot sue their perpetrators after the victims turn 35. And it would provide a two-year period for victims to re-file their cases if they were previously turned back by the statute-of-limitations. They called adult sex abuse of children an epidemic. And as the Badgers get ready to play Penn State in football this weekend, they cited the case in which former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky is charged with molesting eight boys for over a decade in the 1990's. The bill's supporters say many abuse victims need years to get the courage to challenge their perpetrators in court. And they say an age limit of 35 for civil suits is arbitrary. But previous efforts to approve the Child Victims Act were met with opposition by concerns it would bankrupt churches, violate due process rights of adults, and treat government workers less harshly due to the sovereign immunity they have.
Wold Sentencing Date Staying Put
11/23/11 - A judge in Waukesha has ordered an involuntary medical exam and feedings of food-and-medicine to a man convicted this month in the death of his ex-girlfriend. Circuit Judge James Kieffer issued the order today, after prosecutors said Darren Wold has eaten nothing since November second. That's when a jury convicted him of hiring a hit-man to kill Kimberly Smith of Oconomowoc. District Attorney Brad Schimel told the judge that Wold has stayed in his bunk at the Waukesha County Jail since his conviction -- and he's only been up to make a few phone calls to his parents. Schimel said the 43-year-old Wold was in declining health, and he had to be hospitalized overnight this month. The D-A wanted Wold to be sentenced earlier than his planned date of December 20th, because state prisons are better able to deal with situations like this. But that date won't change, because the defense lawyers say they can't change their schedule. A jury found that Wold and Jack Johnson hired Justin Welch for seven-thousand-dollars to kill Smith at her home two years ago, so Wold could have sole custody of the young boy he and Smith had. Johnson is due to be sentenced December second. Welch is serving a life term, but he can be considered for a supervised release in 42 years when he's 70.
Hunters Died of Natural Causes
11/23/11 - Four Wisconsin deer hunters have died since the nine-day gun season began last Saturday, all from natural causes. The latest victim is 80-year-old Elmer Schuh of rural Brillion. His body was found Monday night after a two-and-a-half hour search of a wooded area in Manitowoc County. A deputy coroner said Schuh had a pre-existing heart condition. In north central Wisconsin, Taylor County authorities said yesterday that two hunters died from natural causes late Saturday. They were 71-year-old Richard Penning of Janesville and 62-year-old Kenneth Weber of Racine. Officials said Weber had a possible heart attack. And in Bayfield County, a hunter who died Saturday from natural causes was identified yesterday as 86-year-old Claus Korndoerfer of Racine. D-N-R officials said the deer harvest was slightly ahead of last year, at least during the opening weekend. The gun season runs through Sunday.
Local Opening Weekend Deer Harvest Numbers
11/23/11 - There were less deer taken in Dodge County on the opening weekend of the nine-day gun season this year compared to last year, but Dodge County was the only county in the region that didn’t see an increase. Hunters in Dodge County this year took 682 bucks and 626 antlerless deer for a total 1308, which is 111 fewer deer than last year. Other counties in the region were up. Columbia County reported 2441, which is two more deer than last year. The deer take in Jefferson County this weekend was at 936, an increase of 21 deer since last year. Hunters in Washington County harvested 603 deer this year compared to 487 last year. Fond du Lac County hunters took 40 more deer than last year for a total of 950. Statewide an estimated 112,581 deer were killed during the opening weekend. That's a six-percent increase from a year ago. The D-N-R says the final weekend tally will probably be higher because the preliminary count was based on phone calls to registration stations before the final deadline. According to the early figures, almost 58-thousand bucks were killed -- about 45-hundred more than a year ago. And almost 55-thousand antlerless deer were taken, 25-hundred more than last year.
Man Injured in Accident Still in the Hospital
11/23/11 - One of the two people seriously injured in an accident in the town of Alto late last month is still in the hospital. 35-year-old James Iverson Senior of Waupun is listed in satisfactory condition at a Milwaukee hospital. The accident on Highway 49 happened during the early afternoon hours of October 30th. Authorities say a semi driven by a 37-year-old Sheboygan man pulled out from a stop sign to make a left hand turn, right into the path of a southbound pickup and the two collided, trapping both pickup truck occupants. According to witnesses, the pickup truck slid underneath the tanker portion of the semi, taking the top off the pickup cab. Iverson Sr and his 10-year-old son, James Iverson Jr., had to be extricated from the vehicle and were flown via Flight For Life to Milwaukee area hospitals. Iverson Jr. was treated and released.
Wisconsin Leads Nation In Job Losses
11/23/11 - Wisconsin had the nation's biggest job losses in October -- and the Badger State was one of just 11 where payrolls declined on a seasonally-adjusted basis. That's according to figures released today by the U-S Bureau of Labor Statistics. State officials reported a week ago that 97-hundred jobs were lost in Wisconsin last month, including 93-hundred in the private sector. New York State had the second-biggest losses with 83-hundred. Illinois added the most jobs in October, with around 30-thousand. California was next at just under 26-thousand. Wisconsin was among 36 states where jobless rates fell in October. The seasonally-adjusted rate in the Badger State fell one-tenth-of-a-point, to seven-point-seven percent. The federal government said the states had their bright unemployment pictures since April, when rates fell in 39 states. Wisconsin's rate is in about the middle-of-the-pack. North Dakota has the lowest rate, three-and-a-half percent. Nevada is the highest at 13-point-four.
GOP Hoping to Assign Their Own Poll Workers
11/23/11 - Republicans plan to use a little-known state law that allows each party to appoint poll workers throughout Wisconsin. The law is designed to let parties directly watch the voting process, to make sure it's accurate. Most local clerks have arranged their own poll workers for years. But according to the Wisconsin State Journal, each party can submit lists of poll workers. And the clerks must choose them in numbers proportionate to the percentage of the vote the parties received at each polling place in the last election for governor or president. The G-O-P is not saying why it wants its own poll workers. Graeme Zielinski of the State Democratic Party figures it has something to do with the new voter I-D law. And he says Democrats will keep letting communities choose their own workers because quote, "That's the way it's always been done." Diane Hermann-Brown, head of the state Municipal Clerks Association, says it's been at least a dozen years since parties submitted poll worker lists in Sun Prairie where she's the clerk. But Hermann-Brown said some places get them every election -- including West Bend, where parties have had poll workers for a decade. Parties have until November 30th to submit their lists for next year.
Banks Doing Better
11/23/11 - Wisconsin banks are doing better these days. The F-D-I-C says that one-of-every-eight banks did not make money in the third quarter of the year. In 2010, one-of-every-five banks had lost money from July-through-September. Bank consultant David Donihue said Wisconsin's 271 banks had combined earnings of 316-million-dollars in the most recent quarter. That's more than twice the profits of a year ago. Donihue said things are looking up, but there still needs to be improvement. He said the figures were adjusted to be a true comparison, after M-and-I Bank was sold to Canada's B-M-O Financial Group. M-and-I put a strain on previous banking reports, as it lost money for eight straight quarters before it was sold. Johnson Bank of Racine had the state's biggest loss from a year ago, at 19-and-a-half million dollars. Associated Bank of Green Bay had the largest net income at 49-million dollars. Nationally, F-D-I-C acting chairman Martin Gruenberg said banks have improved a lot since the financial crisis of late 2008. But he said the recovery is not complete by any means. He cites a continued distress in local real estate markets. And Gruenberg said many bank loans are still risky, due to a slow growth in jobs and personal incomes.
Madison Teachers Sick Notes To Be Released
11/23/11 - Newspaper readers in Madison could soon find out what types of illnesses teachers claimed they had, when they turned in sick notes during the pro-union protests in February. Dane County Circuit Judge Juan Colas ordered the Madison School District to give copies of over a-thousand sick notes to the Wisconsin State Journal. The paper asked for them under the state's Open Records Law. But school officials refused to release them, saying they would have embarrassed the teachers and put out medically-sensitive information. Judge Colas said the district broke the records law with its blanket denial. Madison Superintendent Dan Nerad says his district is considering an appeal. Otherwise, they have 10 days to turn over the sick notes -- and the judge told the school district to pay for the newspaper's legal costs in pursuing the records. State Journal editor John Smalley says the paper plans to report the general nature of the illnesses that were claimed, and not name the individual instructors involved. Madison public schools were closed for four days after teachers called in sick -- and many went to the State Capitol to protest the law which took away most of their collective bargaining privileges. Last week, the state Medical Examining Board reprimanded seven doctors for handing out medical excuses on the streets outside the Capitol.
Recall Organizers Offer Reward
11/23/11 - A liberal group announced a 10-thousand-dollar reward today for information that leads to the conviction of anyone who destroys recall petitions. The head of One Wisconsin Now, Scot Ross, said his group hopes to discourage the destroying of recall petitions -- which is a felony under state law. Ross said the reward was motivated by reports of one petition being destroyed in Madison, and a Facebook page advocating the destruction of signed petitions. Recall drives began a week ago against the governor, lieutenant governor, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau, and three other senators -- all of whom are Republicans. The state G-O-P has launched its own Web site where people are encouraged to report petition fraud. It has also publicized Facebook posts from people claiming they signed petitions more than once, or used other people's names. Both are against the law. The petitions must be filed by January 17th to the state Government Accountability Board. At least 540-thousand valid signatures are needed to order a recall election against Governor Scott Walker -- and a separate 540-thousand are needed for a vote against Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch.
Six UW Campuses Offering Voter-Friendly IDs
11/23/11 - Six of the U-W's 26 campuses have said they'll give special I-D's to students if they need them to vote. The flagship campus in Madison became the latest yesterday. System officials said Milwaukee, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Green Bay, and Whitewater have also unveiled plans to hand out supplemental I-D's that can be used only for voting. That's because the schools' main I-D's are good for longer than the two years allowed by Republicans when they passed the voter I-D law. A seventh campus, Superior, plans to shorten the length of all of its I-D's to two years. U-W spokesman David Giroux said the other schools have not decided how to handle the matter. Madison officials say it will cost them an extra 100-thousand dollars to make the special voter I-D's over a five-year period.
Farmers Completing Harvest Work Before Thanksgiving
11/23/11 - Wisconsin farmers are getting more of their harvesting work done before Thanksgiving. Officials said 90-percent of the state's corn-for-grain was brought in by Sunday -- nine-percent more than the average for the past five years. Farmers are getting more field work done, too. Seventy-four percent of it is complete, well ahead of the norm. And observers say the winter wheat crop is looking good. Farmers were helped by above-normal temperatures last week. It's still dry in northwest Wisconsin, where almost two-thirds of soils are short to very-short of moisture. The rest of the state's doing fine, with 70-percent of fields having adequate moisture levels.
11/23/11 - Thanksgiving travelers will no doubt be thankful for the warmer-and-dry weather they'll have in Wisconsin. And they'll only have a few construction projects to deal with. Don Greuel of the state D-O-T said most of this year's road projects were completed before Thanksgiving. About the only work that could require extra time for drivers is on the Highway 41 expressway in the Appleton and Green Bay areas. The State Patrol expects the heaviest traffic to come later today and on Sunday. As for the weather, some lingering fog is supposed to disappear by mid-morning. Highs are supposed to get up to the mid-40's, but it's supposed to be even warmer tomorrow. Thanksgiving Day highs could reach 50 in the north, and the upper-50s in the south. The National Weather Service said the warmest Thanksgiving was in 1914, when Milwaukee had 65-degrees and Madison had 64. The normal high for the holiday is just 39 in Madison, and 42 in Milwaukee.
WI Lawmakers Looking to Remove Statute of Limitations in Sex Abuse Cases
11/23/11 - The Penn State case is being cited as a reason to let Wisconsin child sex abuse victims file civil lawsuits against their molesters -- no matter how long it takes for the victims to come to grips with it. Senate Democrat Julie Lassa of Stevens Point and Assembly Democrat Sandy Pasch of Whitefish Bay said yesterday they would try again to pass the Child Victims Act. It would end the statute-of-limitations in which child sex abuse victims cannot sue their perpetrators after the victims turn 35. And it would provide a two-year period for victims to re-file their cases if they were previously turned back by the statute-of-limitations. They called adult sex abuse of children an epidemic. And as the Badgers get ready to play Penn State in football this weekend, they cited the case in which former Penn State defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky is charged with molesting eight boys for over a decade in the 1990's. The bill's supporters say many abuse victims need years to get the courage to challenge their perpetrators in court. And they say an age limit of 35 for civil suits is arbitrary. But previous efforts to approve the Child Victims Act were met with opposition by concerns it would bankrupt churches, violate due process rights of adults, and treat government workers less harshly due to the sovereign immunity they have.
Wold Sentencing Date Staying Put
11/23/11 - A judge in Waukesha has ordered an involuntary medical exam and feedings of food-and-medicine to a man convicted this month in the death of his ex-girlfriend. Circuit Judge James Kieffer issued the order today, after prosecutors said Darren Wold has eaten nothing since November second. That's when a jury convicted him of hiring a hit-man to kill Kimberly Smith of Oconomowoc. District Attorney Brad Schimel told the judge that Wold has stayed in his bunk at the Waukesha County Jail since his conviction -- and he's only been up to make a few phone calls to his parents. Schimel said the 43-year-old Wold was in declining health, and he had to be hospitalized overnight this month. The D-A wanted Wold to be sentenced earlier than his planned date of December 20th, because state prisons are better able to deal with situations like this. But that date won't change, because the defense lawyers say they can't change their schedule. A jury found that Wold and Jack Johnson hired Justin Welch for seven-thousand-dollars to kill Smith at her home two years ago, so Wold could have sole custody of the young boy he and Smith had. Johnson is due to be sentenced December second. Welch is serving a life term, but he can be considered for a supervised release in 42 years when he's 70.
Hunters Died of Natural Causes
11/23/11 - Four Wisconsin deer hunters have died since the nine-day gun season began last Saturday, all from natural causes. The latest victim is 80-year-old Elmer Schuh of rural Brillion. His body was found Monday night after a two-and-a-half hour search of a wooded area in Manitowoc County. A deputy coroner said Schuh had a pre-existing heart condition. In north central Wisconsin, Taylor County authorities said yesterday that two hunters died from natural causes late Saturday. They were 71-year-old Richard Penning of Janesville and 62-year-old Kenneth Weber of Racine. Officials said Weber had a possible heart attack. And in Bayfield County, a hunter who died Saturday from natural causes was identified yesterday as 86-year-old Claus Korndoerfer of Racine. D-N-R officials said the deer harvest was slightly ahead of last year, at least during the opening weekend. The gun season runs through Sunday.
Local Opening Weekend Deer Harvest Numbers
11/23/11 - There were less deer taken in Dodge County on the opening weekend of the nine-day gun season this year compared to last year, but Dodge County was the only county in the region that didn’t see an increase. Hunters in Dodge County this year took 682 bucks and 626 antlerless deer for a total 1308, which is 111 fewer deer than last year. Other counties in the region were up. Columbia County reported 2441, which is two more deer than last year. The deer take in Jefferson County this weekend was at 936, an increase of 21 deer since last year. Hunters in Washington County harvested 603 deer this year compared to 487 last year. Fond du Lac County hunters took 40 more deer than last year for a total of 950. Statewide an estimated 112,581 deer were killed during the opening weekend. That's a six-percent increase from a year ago. The D-N-R says the final weekend tally will probably be higher because the preliminary count was based on phone calls to registration stations before the final deadline. According to the early figures, almost 58-thousand bucks were killed -- about 45-hundred more than a year ago. And almost 55-thousand antlerless deer were taken, 25-hundred more than last year.
Man Injured in Accident Still in the Hospital
11/23/11 - One of the two people seriously injured in an accident in the town of Alto late last month is still in the hospital. 35-year-old James Iverson Senior of Waupun is listed in satisfactory condition at a Milwaukee hospital. The accident on Highway 49 happened during the early afternoon hours of October 30th. Authorities say a semi driven by a 37-year-old Sheboygan man pulled out from a stop sign to make a left hand turn, right into the path of a southbound pickup and the two collided, trapping both pickup truck occupants. According to witnesses, the pickup truck slid underneath the tanker portion of the semi, taking the top off the pickup cab. Iverson Sr and his 10-year-old son, James Iverson Jr., had to be extricated from the vehicle and were flown via Flight For Life to Milwaukee area hospitals. Iverson Jr. was treated and released.
Wisconsin Leads Nation In Job Losses
11/23/11 - Wisconsin had the nation's biggest job losses in October -- and the Badger State was one of just 11 where payrolls declined on a seasonally-adjusted basis. That's according to figures released today by the U-S Bureau of Labor Statistics. State officials reported a week ago that 97-hundred jobs were lost in Wisconsin last month, including 93-hundred in the private sector. New York State had the second-biggest losses with 83-hundred. Illinois added the most jobs in October, with around 30-thousand. California was next at just under 26-thousand. Wisconsin was among 36 states where jobless rates fell in October. The seasonally-adjusted rate in the Badger State fell one-tenth-of-a-point, to seven-point-seven percent. The federal government said the states had their bright unemployment pictures since April, when rates fell in 39 states. Wisconsin's rate is in about the middle-of-the-pack. North Dakota has the lowest rate, three-and-a-half percent. Nevada is the highest at 13-point-four.
GOP Hoping to Assign Their Own Poll Workers
11/23/11 - Republicans plan to use a little-known state law that allows each party to appoint poll workers throughout Wisconsin. The law is designed to let parties directly watch the voting process, to make sure it's accurate. Most local clerks have arranged their own poll workers for years. But according to the Wisconsin State Journal, each party can submit lists of poll workers. And the clerks must choose them in numbers proportionate to the percentage of the vote the parties received at each polling place in the last election for governor or president. The G-O-P is not saying why it wants its own poll workers. Graeme Zielinski of the State Democratic Party figures it has something to do with the new voter I-D law. And he says Democrats will keep letting communities choose their own workers because quote, "That's the way it's always been done." Diane Hermann-Brown, head of the state Municipal Clerks Association, says it's been at least a dozen years since parties submitted poll worker lists in Sun Prairie where she's the clerk. But Hermann-Brown said some places get them every election -- including West Bend, where parties have had poll workers for a decade. Parties have until November 30th to submit their lists for next year.
Banks Doing Better
11/23/11 - Wisconsin banks are doing better these days. The F-D-I-C says that one-of-every-eight banks did not make money in the third quarter of the year. In 2010, one-of-every-five banks had lost money from July-through-September. Bank consultant David Donihue said Wisconsin's 271 banks had combined earnings of 316-million-dollars in the most recent quarter. That's more than twice the profits of a year ago. Donihue said things are looking up, but there still needs to be improvement. He said the figures were adjusted to be a true comparison, after M-and-I Bank was sold to Canada's B-M-O Financial Group. M-and-I put a strain on previous banking reports, as it lost money for eight straight quarters before it was sold. Johnson Bank of Racine had the state's biggest loss from a year ago, at 19-and-a-half million dollars. Associated Bank of Green Bay had the largest net income at 49-million dollars. Nationally, F-D-I-C acting chairman Martin Gruenberg said banks have improved a lot since the financial crisis of late 2008. But he said the recovery is not complete by any means. He cites a continued distress in local real estate markets. And Gruenberg said many bank loans are still risky, due to a slow growth in jobs and personal incomes.
Madison Teachers Sick Notes To Be Released
11/23/11 - Newspaper readers in Madison could soon find out what types of illnesses teachers claimed they had, when they turned in sick notes during the pro-union protests in February. Dane County Circuit Judge Juan Colas ordered the Madison School District to give copies of over a-thousand sick notes to the Wisconsin State Journal. The paper asked for them under the state's Open Records Law. But school officials refused to release them, saying they would have embarrassed the teachers and put out medically-sensitive information. Judge Colas said the district broke the records law with its blanket denial. Madison Superintendent Dan Nerad says his district is considering an appeal. Otherwise, they have 10 days to turn over the sick notes -- and the judge told the school district to pay for the newspaper's legal costs in pursuing the records. State Journal editor John Smalley says the paper plans to report the general nature of the illnesses that were claimed, and not name the individual instructors involved. Madison public schools were closed for four days after teachers called in sick -- and many went to the State Capitol to protest the law which took away most of their collective bargaining privileges. Last week, the state Medical Examining Board reprimanded seven doctors for handing out medical excuses on the streets outside the Capitol.
Recall Organizers Offer Reward
11/23/11 - A liberal group announced a 10-thousand-dollar reward today for information that leads to the conviction of anyone who destroys recall petitions. The head of One Wisconsin Now, Scot Ross, said his group hopes to discourage the destroying of recall petitions -- which is a felony under state law. Ross said the reward was motivated by reports of one petition being destroyed in Madison, and a Facebook page advocating the destruction of signed petitions. Recall drives began a week ago against the governor, lieutenant governor, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau, and three other senators -- all of whom are Republicans. The state G-O-P has launched its own Web site where people are encouraged to report petition fraud. It has also publicized Facebook posts from people claiming they signed petitions more than once, or used other people's names. Both are against the law. The petitions must be filed by January 17th to the state Government Accountability Board. At least 540-thousand valid signatures are needed to order a recall election against Governor Scott Walker -- and a separate 540-thousand are needed for a vote against Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch.
Six UW Campuses Offering Voter-Friendly IDs
11/23/11 - Six of the U-W's 26 campuses have said they'll give special I-D's to students if they need them to vote. The flagship campus in Madison became the latest yesterday. System officials said Milwaukee, Eau Claire, La Crosse, Green Bay, and Whitewater have also unveiled plans to hand out supplemental I-D's that can be used only for voting. That's because the schools' main I-D's are good for longer than the two years allowed by Republicans when they passed the voter I-D law. A seventh campus, Superior, plans to shorten the length of all of its I-D's to two years. U-W spokesman David Giroux said the other schools have not decided how to handle the matter. Madison officials say it will cost them an extra 100-thousand dollars to make the special voter I-D's over a five-year period.
Farmers Completing Harvest Work Before Thanksgiving
11/23/11 - Wisconsin farmers are getting more of their harvesting work done before Thanksgiving. Officials said 90-percent of the state's corn-for-grain was brought in by Sunday -- nine-percent more than the average for the past five years. Farmers are getting more field work done, too. Seventy-four percent of it is complete, well ahead of the norm. And observers say the winter wheat crop is looking good. Farmers were helped by above-normal temperatures last week. It's still dry in northwest Wisconsin, where almost two-thirds of soils are short to very-short of moisture. The rest of the state's doing fine, with 70-percent of fields having adequate moisture levels.
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