Top Stories April 3rd

Klodowski Charged In Teen-Packed SUV Rollover OWI

4/3/12 - A Beaver Dam man made his Initial Appearance Monday in connection with a drunken driving accident that injured several teens. Adam Klodowski was driving a Chevrolet Tahoe with five teenager passengers last November. The 18-year-old was southbound on Thompson Road when he lost control near Highway 33. The vehicle began to roll as it entered the ditch and came to rest on its roof. Three of the occupants were ejected. Klodowski was among the more seriously hurt; along with two teenage girls; injuries included punctured lungs, bone fractures, broken backs and snapped vertebrae. According to the criminal complaint, Klodowski admitted to investigators at the scene that he consumed six beers while driving in the truck and was (quote) “driving like a dumb [blank].” Klodowski and another adult male passenger were allegedly splitting a case of beer. They went to the house of three 15-year-old girls who were having a sleepover. The mother says she let the boys in around 10:30pm and she went to bed 15 minutes later. The group then headed to Beaver Dam in hopes of beating the 11pm curfew for minors, picked up another 18-year-old male and crashed the vehicle on the way back to the sleepover around 11:30pm. One girl told authorities that she got out of the car, there were people strewn all over the place and it took 10 minutes to find a cell phone. Klodowski’s blood alcohol level was allegedly point-one-two-two (.122). He is charged with four felonies and six misdemeanors, which – if he is convicted -- carry a combined maximum of 31-years in prison. A signature bond was set at $10,000 yesterday and a preliminary hearing is on the calendar next month.

Some Election Results May Take Up To A Week

4/3/12 - It could be next week before we know the results of any close local races in today’s election because of changes in the law affecting absentee ballots. Dodge County Clerk Karen Gibson says absentee ballots used to be processed and counted on Election Day but now as long as they are postmarked by Election Day, they can arrive as late as the Friday after an election. In addition, ballots used to be canvassed in the county clerks office on Thursday, but now because of the absentee ballot law change, Gibson says she will canvass one week after the election, next Tuesday. She says municipalities will report to her office on Election Night the number of outstanding absentee and provisional ballots. In close races, those results will not be official until a week after the election. Provisional ballots could also affect close races but that has not changed as a result of new laws. A provisional ballot may be issued on Election Day if a voter appears at the polls but has not registered to vote and is also unable to produce a driver’s license or state ID. That voter would be issued a provisional ballot giving them until close of business on Friday to show proof of their residence.

School Funding Referenda On 27 Ballots

4/3/12 - Twenty-seven Wisconsin school districts will have referendums today. Eleven of them are for building projects. Fifteen others want voters to increase their taxes beyond the schools’ state-mandated revenue limits. And one district, Pardeeville, is asking for both – a million-dollars for new technology and maintenance items, plus one-point-eight million above the revenue cap for two years. The largest building project by far is in Beloit, where voters will be asked to borrow 70-million dollars. That includes a new intermediate school on a new site, renovations so Cunningham elementary can be used as an intermediate school, a new fitness center and recreation facilities at Beloit Memorial High School, and a host of other building and equipment upgrades. Bloomer is asking voters for 17-and-a-half million for a new elementary school and a demolition of the old one. Oshkosh school voters will be asked to approve almost 13-million for a new elementary school. Smaller building-and-facility referendums are in Fall Creek, Fall River, Hudson, Orfordville, Ripon, Suring, Watertown, and Wonewoc. The other revenue cap referendums are in Altoona, Barron, Benton, Chequamegon, Clayton, Elkhart Lake, Little Chute, Mineral Point, Mukwonago, Phelps, River Ridge, Turtle Lake, Washington, Weston, and Whitewater.

Façade Improvement Grant Program Approved

4/3/12 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night approved preliminary plans for a grant program for downtown façade improvements. The resolution was brought forward by the city’s Community Development Committee as a way to use the approximately $25,000 accumulated annually through the downtown TIF #6, which includes the new Madison House and Weyco Apartment developments. CDC Chair Robert Ballweg says the city portion of the tax increment must be spent on improvements inside the TIF. Last night’s action allows the CDC to begin drafting the specifics of the incentive program, which will be brought back before the council for final consideration. Some alderpersons have indicated that they would like to see a grant program that requires a 50% match on the part of the business owner. Ballweg says personally is leaning toward having the city fund only 25% of any façade improvements.

Emergency Responders, Civilians Recognized for Lake Rescue

4/3/12 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night presented Lifesaving Citations to the emergency responders and civilian hero’s who helped rescue several people from the frozen waters of Beaver Dam Lake. Eric Chouinard, Robert Buschke, Jaime Hanser and Scott Hanser were presented with Civilian Service Citations by the mayor. Beaver Dam Fire Department hovercraft operators Doug Sackett and Tony Thomas were given Lifesaving Citations for their key role in the rescue. One person died after four snowmobilers drove into open water in February.

BDPD Records Clerks Now Offered Dental

4/3/12 - Records Clerks in the Beaver Dam Police Department will be able to take advantage of the city’s dental plan, under action that was approved by the city’s Administrative Committee last night. The clerks have not been supported by a union since 2010. As council president Jon Litscher pointed out, statewide legislation that prohibits collective bargaining puts the decisions of benefits for non-represented employees in the hands of management, or elected officials. Litscher says elected officials have drafted a personnel policy that indicates that all employees be treated fairly and receive equal opportunities to benefits and dental is offered to every other non-represented city employee. The records clerks in the police department can sign-up for dental benefits beginning next month. The clerks had brought the matter to the attention of city officials through a series of emails. Three members of the Administrative Committee voted against their request because they say the employees did not follow the proper chain of command. Those voting “no” also wanted to see the benefits begin with the next budget cycle in 2013.

Fitzgerald Trailing In Poll By Public Policy

4/3/12 - A new poll shows that Tommy Thompson leads two of his Republican opponents in the primary race for Herb Kohl’s U-S Senate seat. The firm of Public Policy Polling said Thompson, the former governor and Bush health secretary, was endorsed by 38-percent of the 609 likely voters surveyed. Former Congressman Mark Neumann of Waukesha County was second at 25-percent. Outgoing Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald of Horicon had 18-percent. Hedge fund manager Eric Hovde was not mentioned in the survey, and 19-percent were undecided. The poll was taken this past weekend. It has an error margin of four-percent either way. The winner of the Republican primary on August 14th will go up against U-S House Democrat Tammy Baldwin in November for the Senate seat to be given up this fall by Kohl.

Walker Signs Telemarketer Texting Ban

4/3/12 - It will soon be against the law to use text messages to make sales pitches in Wisconsin. Governor Scott Walker signed a bill Monday which extends the popular do-not-call list to text messages. Currently, telemarketers cannot call people on their landlines or cell phones unless they’re from political campaigns, non-profit groups, or companies that people have done business with in the past. The author of the new law, Senate Republican Van Wanggaard of Racine, said it will save people money on their cell phones – because in most cases, they have to pay for those solicitations. Also on Monday, Walker signed bills to home brewers give away their beers-and-wines to people outside their homes in things like home-brewing clubs and beverage competitions. The governor also signed bills that require immediate treatment to youth athletes with concussions or head injuries – an easing of restrictions to build docks-and-piers – new measures to encourage hunting and fishing – the creation of wolf hunt in Wisconsin – and several public education reforms.

Walker Signs Education Reform Bill

4/3/12 - Governor Scott Walker said he listened to numerous stake-holders before drafting the education reform bill that he signed into law Monday in Wausau. The Republican Walker held a bill-signing ceremony at Franklin Elementary School, where he and other officials held a listening session on the new package a year ago. The package includes a “Read-to-Lead” Development Council. It also requires screening tests for all youngsters going into kindergarten. And it includes a new evaluation system for teachers and principals based in part on the test scores of their students. State Superintendent Tony Evers was among those on hand for the bill-signing. So was Assembly Democrat Donna Seidel of Wausau, who called it an example of how legislation should be passed. Walker called the package a good start. He said he’d like to see more legislation on evaluating public schools – and using the highest-achieving schools as models for others in the Badger State.

Counterfeit $100 Bill Turns Up At Bank in BD

4/3/12 - The Beaver Dam Police Department has received a counterfeit $100 bill. It was discovered at the Horicon Bank on North Spring Street Friday afternoon and turned over to authorities. Local authorities will turn the bill over to federal agents but anyone with information is asked to contact Beaver Dam Police.