Top Stories, November 6th

Did You Set Your Clock Back One Hour Yet?

11/6/11 - If you have not done so already, set your clock back by one hour. The official change to standard time occurred at 2am Sunday morning. Residents of Hawaii, most of Arizona and some U.S. territories do not have to change since they did not observe daylight saving time, which resumes again the second Sunday in March. Local fire officials say you should use the extra time to change the batteries in your smoke detectors. If you need 9-volt batteries, Beaver Dam Fire Captain Russ Johnson says they can be obtained at the Beaver Dam Senior Center, Community Library and at the Fire Station. Limited supplies of smoke detectors are also available. Remember, it's fall back one hour.

Six Injured In Town of BD Crash: UPDATED

11/6/11 - Two of the six Beaver Dam-area teens who were injured in a one-vehicle accident Friday night have been transferred to UW Hospital in Madison. That’s according to Sheriff Todd Nehls who says an 18-year-old boy and a 15-year-old are being treated in Madison for head injuries and broken bones. The wreck occurred just before midnight in the Town of Beaver Dam when 18-year-old Adam Klodowski rolled his Chevrolet Tahoe on Thompson Road. No one was wearing a seatbelt and three of the occupants were ejected. Nehls says the teens were drinking while they were driving. Klodowski was among the injured, along with 18-year-old Brandon Hilbrich, three 15-year-old girls and a 16-year-old boy. Charges of OWI Causing Injury with a Minor in the Vehicle are being forwarded to the D-A.

FSA Ballots In The Mail For Dodge County Committee

11/6/11 - The Farm Service Agency (FSA) mailed out ballots this past Friday for the 2011 FSA county committee elections. 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. More information, links and a description of each candidate can be found on our website.

Dale Macheel resides in the town of Randolph. He has enjoyed being the county committee representative for the past 3-years. He has produced corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa, peas, sweet corn, and snap beans for over 36-years. Dale and his wife have hosted the Dodge County Dairy Breakfast on their farm. Early in their career, they were selected as Dodge County Farm Bureau’s Outstanding Young Farmer. Dale is a member of Farm Bureau, United Co-op, and was nominated for the board of Landmark Services Co-op. Dale is a UW Madison alumnus, graduating with a BS in Biological Systems Engineering from the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences.

Laura Helmer resides in the town of Fox Lake. Laura and her husband live on a cash grain farm in north western Dodge County. Laura is employed with the State of Wisconsin Department of Corrections located in Waupun. She grew up on a farm in Marquette County where they produced corn, hay and raised a flock of 100 ewes. During Laura’s spare time she enjoys raising calves. Laura is a University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point alumnus.

Glen Berndt resides in the town of Horicon. He has produced cash crop corn, soybeans, and wheat for 11-years and raised beef, hogs, and produced cash grain for 12-years. For 20-years Glen was a co-owner on a dairy farm.

For more information about FSA county committees and FSA programs, visit: http://www.fsa.usda.gov. In Dodge County the FSA office is located at 451 W. North Street, Juneau or can be contacted at 920-386-9999.

WSP: Get ready For Winter Driving

11/6/11 - A major winter storm that recently hit the Northeast U.S. is a reminder of the challenges Wisconsin drivers will face in coming weeks. Inspector David Harvey with the Wisconsin State Patrol says now is the time for drivers to get into their winter driving mindset. "When it comes to winter snow storms, one thing we frequently say is 'first is the worst' as motorists re-adjust to their winter driving habits. One of the most common errors people make in winter weather is driving too fast for conditions. Posted speed limits apply when pavements are dry and driving conditions are normal. When there is snow, frost or ice on the roads, drivers need to slow down accordingly.” Harvey also reminds drivers that no matter the weather conditions, when you see emergency, maintenance vehicles or tow trucks stopped along the road with their lights flashing, Wisconsin’s “Move Over” law requires drivers to shift lanes or slow down.

Peanut Prices Rise Sharply

11/6/11 - An ongoing drought in peanut-producing states is being blamed for a rapid rise in prices. In some cases, people are being warned of a peanut butter shortage. The cost of peanut butter is said to be up by about 35 cents a jar on some store shelves. There has been no relief from the drought in most producing areas, mean the price won’t be going down any time soon.

East Washington Redevelopment Moving Forward

11/6/11 - Madison city officials say they are moving closer on a project to revitalize an area on East Washington Avenue. The city says it expects to finalize land purchases with developers for three blighted sites in the 700 and 800 blocks of the avenue. Construction should start next spring. Until that work starts, the showrooms of a vacant auto dealer site are being converted into a daytime shelter for the homeless.

Wisconsin Students Carrying Above Average Debt

11/6/11 - The Project on Student Debt report shows more than two-thirds of Wisconsin college students graduate while carrying a serious debt burden. That figure ranks ninth in the country. The same study shows the average amount of debt carried by the college students in this state is a little over 24 thousand dollars. That ranks 15th among the 50 states.

Teen Gets $100K For Police Dog Bite

11/6/11 - A 17-year-old boy will get 100-thousand-dollars, after he got bit by a police dog while running from a home in Hudson where shots were being fired. Nate Livermore filed suit. He said one of his arms had permanent damage when a Saint Croix County sheriff's deputy used excessive force in having a K-9 go after him two years ago. Livermore and three other teens were running from the home of Dan Christenson, who was shooting a gun while he was drunk. The teens tried to escape after hiding in the basement, and officers were surrounding the home at the time. A federal judge approved a total settlement of 210-thousand-dollars. Livermore's attorneys will get about 87-thousand of that. His doctors will get around 22-thousand. Sheriff John Shilts said he defends his deputy's actions -- but it's sometimes cheaper to settle a case than to defend the case in a trial.

Garrison Keillor Selling Vacation Retreat

11/6/11 - Got a million dollars to spare? If so, you can be the proud owner of Garrison Keillor’s vacation retreat in far western Wisconsin. The famous host of the public radio show “A Prairie Home Companion” wants to get rid of his 11-acre property along the Saint Croix River in the Pierce County town of Clifton. He has not said why he wants to sell it – and his real estate agent, Joyce Peterson of Coldwell Banker, says she doesn’t know why. The property has a detached office where Keillor wrote his novel “Wobegon Boy.” There’s also a log house, a guest house, a studio, clay tennis courts, and 460-feet of shoreline along the river. The Keillor retreat is less than an hour from his main house in Saint Paul Minnesota – where he’s spent 38 years hosting “A Prairie Home Companion” on almost 600 U-S public radio stations.

Kennedy Holds Regular Office Hours on Tuesday

11/6/11 - Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy has listening sessions scheduled for Tuesday. Kennedy says city residents are invited to meet with him, one-on-one, without appointment on the first and third Tuesday of every month. He says it is important that constituents have the opportunity to speak with him the day after each regular meeting of the common council. The meetings are held in Room 109 on the first floor of City Hall from 10am until noon and again from 5pm to 6pm. Kennedy also makes himself available for private meetings by appointment by contacting the mayor office.