Top Stories, April 23rd

Beaver Dam Five-Year-Old Killed By Truck

4/23/12 - A five-year-old Beaver Dam child was struck and killed by truck on Sunday. It was reported at 5:48pm on the 400 block of Fourth Street, between West and Mary Streets. Beaver Dam Police Detective Ryan Klavekoske says a 43-year-old Beaver Dam man was driving the truck eastbound when the child emerged from behind a legally parked vehicle. The child was pronounced dead at the Beaver Dam Community Hospital. The driver was released last night after investigators cleared the scene and no citations or other charges were issued but Klavekoske says the investigation is ongoing. Beaver Dam School District Superintendent Steve Vessey been contacted so that grief counselors can be on hand Monday for the child’s classmates.

Charges Expected In Juneau Squad Car Hit & Run

4/23/12 - Charges could be filed as early as Monday against a rural Horicon man implicated in a Hit & Run accident with a squad car that injured a Juneau police officer. It all started around 11pm Saturday night while Officer Brittany Borchardt was parked on the side of West Oak Street at South Fairfield Road. A 2000 Ford Explorer reportedly operated by 41-year-old Chad Buelter struck the rear of the squad car. Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls says the suspect stumbled out of his vehicle and quickly fled the scene. The departments K9 unit tracked the suspect’s scent until 3am Sunday morning when it was lost in a marshy area. Buelter was later taken into custody near Lake Sinissippi around 8am. Nehls says at that time, a preliminary breath test determined Buelter’s blood alcohol level to be point-zero-two (.02). Officer Borchardt sustained minor injuries. The three other occupants of the Explorer were not injured in the crash. A 26-year-old passenger was cited for Disorderly Conduct and Resisting Arrest. The accident is under investigation by the Dodge County Sheriffs Department Crash Investigation Team. Buelter could be charged as early as today with Hit and Run Causing Injury and Leaving The Scene of An Accident.

Fire Damages Horicon Residence

4/23/12 - Fire damaged a house in Horicon on Saturday. Fire Chief Jim Bandsma says his department was called out at 10:30pm to 804 East Lake Street and the structure was partially engulfed when crews arrived on scene. The fire started in the chimney and is being considered “accidental” resulting from a faulty chimney. The occupant was using the fireplace and Bandsma says the heat transferred from the chimney to the walls. There were no injuries. The upper level of the home sustained moderate damage while the first flood sustained smoke and water damage; all estimated at around $50,000. Horicon received mutual assistance from the Mayville Fire Department. Crews were on scene for about three hours.

Oakfield Man Sentenced In Waupun Burglaries

4/23/12 - An Oakfield man will spend six months in jail for stealing from friends and family. Mark Mueller pleaded “guilty” on Friday to felony Burglary and misdemeanor Theft and had two other felonies and a handful of misdemeanors dismissed but read into the record. The 27-year-old pawned hundreds of dollars worth of electronics and tools he stole from his roommate’s storage unit in Waupun last April. A few days later, Mueller broke into a Waupun business owned by his brother and then pawned stolen electronics equipment. He was also placed on probation for three years.

DNR Seeking Fish Thieves

4/23/12 - The Department of Natural Resources is asking the publics help in catching a fish thief. Conservation Warden Jake Donar says someone stole fish from a research net in the Rock River near Watertown. The theft occurred within a 24-hour period after 10am on Tuesday, April 4. Donar says the culprit removed the nets from the water, stole the fish and then put the nets back in the water to cover their tracks. The next day, fisheries employees saw the nets were not how they had left them and quickly realized they had been tampered with. Donar is not elaborating on the types or number of fish involved but says anglers in the area will feel the impact. DNR fisheries researchers use the nets in the spring for catch-and-release surveys to monitor fish numbers and health. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Violator Hotline at 800-TIP-WDNR.

Fall River Superintendent On Referenda

4/23/12 - Fall River Schools’ Superintendent Jeff Tortomasi said he was very pleased to have voters approve referendum question number one asking for mechanical upgrades and technology improvements. Meetings between School officials and the contractor are underway aiming for project completion by the end of summer. Question # 2 asking for money to develop an outdoor athletic facility did not pass. Two properties on Fall River’s northwest side are being considered as possible Athletic Facility sites for voter approval.

Beaver Dam Summer Guide on Door Steps Today

4/23/12 - The 2012 Beaver Dam Community Activities and Services Summer Guide arrives on all city doorsteps Monday. The guide details all recreational activities, and includes club and sports schedules, lesson times, registration information and related costs. There is also a schedule of community events, the line-up for the “Concert in the Park” series, a complete list of park amenities and shelter and equipment rental costs, beach information and boat launch fees. Senior Center programs and activities are also included. The Summer Guide will be wrapped in the free Daily Citizen Shopper that is delivered to all Beaver Dam addresses and can also be obtained online or at the Senior Center and Recreation Building on East Third Street.