Top Stories March 5th

BDLIA Seeks Lake Management Plan Grant

3/5/12 - The Beaver Dam Lake Improvement Association recently submitted an application for a large scale planning grant from the DNR. The Association’s Bill Boettge says the group is looking to fund a comprehensive Lake Management Plan. The grant would be for $25,000 and the Association would have to come up with matching funds of $12,500. Approval would spark an 18-month process of collecting and analyzing data on the fish, wildlife, water quality, aquatic plant life, nitrogen concentrations and shoreline conditions. Boettge says there will be several opportunities for the public to provide input on future uses of the lake and learn how the plan is being developed. Once the study is complete, the Association would implement the recommendations. While the lake improvement group would apply for grants to help with implementation of the plan that is developed, additional monies and matching funds would also be needed. If Beaver Dam is not selected for the grant in April, the group can reapply in August and Boettge says they would likely be near the top of the list. The Association is hoping to get some of the money for the required local match at their Annual Fundraising Banquet on March 27 at Bayside Supper Club. More information is available at www.bdlia.org.

Effects of Collective Bargaining Law Unknown

3/5/12 - For many, Governor Scott Walker’s expected recall election will be a referendum on his repeal of collective bargaining privileges for most public workers. But according to Milwaukee’s Public Policy Forum, voters have no idea what the real impact has been on local governments and public schools. Republican’s approved a state budget last year that cut almost a billion dollars in state aid. And Walker said local governments could make up for the cuts by scaling back what the unions gained from their bargaining power – and by making all public employees pay more for their pensions and health insurance. Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie has repeatedly said the budget changes avoided thousands of public worker layoffs, protected taxpayers, and helped balance budgets. But Democrat Kathleen Falk, who vows to restore union bargaining if she wins the recall election, said schools and communities have been thrown into crisis. The Public Policy Forum says it’s impossible to tell whether the net effects have been good or bad at this point. And there is no complete statewide data about the total impact on schools and local governments.

Compas in Beaver Dam

3/5/12 - A woman planning to run against Scott Fitzgerald in a possible recall election will be in Beaver Dam tonight. Lori Compas will be at the Beaver Dam Public Library to hold the first of eight listening sessions planned throughout 13th Senate District over the next few weeks. Compas was in charge of the petition drive against Fitzgerald and the Government Accountability Board is still counting the signatures to determine if there are enough to force a recall. Compas will be at the Library at 6pm tonight. Tomorrow she’ll be at the Columbus Senior Center at 7pm.

Firefighter Killed in Abbotsford

3/5/12 - One fire-fighter was killed and four others were injured while battling a blaze that heavily damaged a 63-year-old movie theater in central Wisconsin. The fire was reported around noon yesterday at the Abby Theatre in downtown Abbotsford. Fire Chief Jody Apfelbeck said three fire-fighters were trapped after a ceiling collapsed – and two others were hurt by falling bricks. Four people were taken to the hospital and later released. There was no immediate word on where or how the fire started. The fire chief said the theatre’s owner checked the furnaces about an-hour-and-a-half before the blaze broke out, and there were no problems then. The four outside walls remained standing after the blaze, but Apfelbeck said the roof caved in. The blaze was well under control within three hours, but fire-fighters worked into last evening to handle small flare-ups. Almost three dozen personnel responded from four area fire departments.

Town of Hubbard Crash Results In Fourth OWI

3/5/12 - An Oconomowoc man was injured while allegedly driving drunk in the Town of Hubbard early Sunday morning. According to the Dodge County Sheriffs Department, deputies responded to reports of a vehicle rolled in a ditch near the intersection of County Trunk S and North Cedar just after 3:30am. The 28-year-old was transported to Beaver Dam Community Hospital and arrested on charges of Fourth Offense, Operating While Intoxicated.

Two West Bend Area Tavern Burglaries in One Week

3/5/12 - The Washington County Sheriffs Department is investigating a weekend bar break-in. The Our Place Tavern on State Highway 33 in the Town of West Bend was burglarized early Saturday morning. Doors to the tavern were forced open and an interior door pried open. Bottles of alcohol were stolen and cash was taken from an overturned ATM machine. Authorities say it was the second time in a week that a West Bend-area business was burglarized. The Lighthouse Lanes bowling alley in the Town of Barton was broken into on February 25. In that case, the suspects may have entered through an unsecured door. Tills were overturned and emptied of cash. The Washington County Sheriffs Department is urging tavern owners to be alert to suspicious behavior and carefully secure their establishments. The burglaries remain under investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Washington County Sheriff’s Office or the Washington County Tip Line at 1-800-232-0594.

Man Dead Following Underage Drinking Party In Slinger

3/5/12 - First, Slinger police were called about a possible underage drinking party. When they arrived at the home early Saturday morning, nobody answered the door. About an hour later they were called by a neighbor who said he’d shot an intruder. When police returned to the Slinger neighborhood, then found 20 year old Bo Morrison of West Bend dead of a gunshot wound to the chest. The man who shot Morrison was interviewed by authorities and released. An autopsy will be done Monday.

Huber Inmate Apprehended

3/5/12 - An escaped Dodge County Jail Huber inmate was apprehended over the weekend. Kevin Huettner was dropped-off at the Huber facility in Juneau last Tuesday but failed to report in. The 23-year-old Beaver Dam man was taken into custody without incident following a traffic stop in the Town of Trenton Friday night.

WASD to Select Superintendent

3/5/12 - Officials in the Waupun School District expect to name their new Superintendent tonight. The school board says they’ve whittled down the number of candidates to two after interviewing six of the 18-people the districts search firm brought forward. The finalists are Tonya Gubin, who is the principal at Beaver Dam’s Lincoln Elementary, and Robert Lloyd, who is the principal for Lomira’s 4K through 8th grades. The board will vote on the replacement for Interim Superintendent Don Childs as part of their regular meeting tonight at the Educational Service Center beginning at 7pm.

Dahmer Tour Draws More Protestors Than Customers

3/5/12 - There were more protesters than people on Saturday’s walking tour of the Milwaukee neighborhood where serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer once roamed. About 20 protesters showed up and four paying customers. The sister of one of Dahmer’s victims carried a sign calling tour organizer Bam Media and Marketing, (quote) “heartless.” The tour guide led the small troupe up and down the street for about an hour, making stops at buildings which used to be home to the gay bars where Dahmer found his victims.

Gogebic Taconite Considering Michigan

3/5/12 - Gogebic Taconite has put its plans for a huge iron ore mine in northern Wisconsin on hold while legislators consider plans to streamline mining regulations. But, it’s still reached a tentative deal to buy 1-point-2 million gallons of water each day from Ironwood, Michigan, 22 miles away. Ironwood city officials say they can generate three times that much water each day, so the agreement would be a good money-maker for the city in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The Wisconsin Legislature’s budget committee is expected to vote on a bill this week to move Gogebic Taconite plans for the mine forward.

Public Pensions Shrinking By Seven-Percent

3/5/12 - Around 96-thousand retired public employees in Wisconsin may see their pension checks shrink by seven percent (7%). The cut would hit them next May. A four-to-four-and-a-half percent (4 to 4.5%) cut had been projected at the first of the year. Not all pensioners will be impacted. Around 70-thousand will see a reduction of less than seven percent (7%) and possibly no reduction at all. The pension check changes are driven by the performance of funds managed by the State of Wisconsin Investment Board.