Top Stories June 8th

2^nd Motorcyclist in FDL Accident Dies

6/8/12 - A second motorcyclist has died from injuries suffered after a car hit 10 oncoming bikers north of Fond du Lac last Thursday. 43-year-old Douglas Yonkers of Muskegon Michigan died yesterday morning at a Neenah hospital. The car driver, 25-year-old Clinton Lovelace of Hilbert, was charged Tuesday with reckless homicide, three counts of reckless injury, a charge of reckless endangerment, and felony bail jumping. Prosecutors said at the time that more charges were possible – and now that Yonkers has died, a second homicide count is possible. 59-year-old Dan Winsemius of Twin Lake Michigan died at the scene of the crash, and officials say two others are on life-support in critical condition. Five other riders were also hurt, and two other bikers escaped injury because they were not hit. Authorities said Lovelace drove his car across a center line, and struck the oncoming bikers who were heading home from Milwaukee. Investigators said they found drug evidence on Lovelace, but he denied taking anything besides his two daily medications. The car driver is due back in Fond du Lac County Circuit Court next Friday for a preliminary hearing on his current charges.

May was Safest on Record Since WWII

6/8/12 - Forty-six (46) people were killed in Wisconsin traffic crashes last month – the lowest for May since World War Two in the mid-1940’s. The state D-O-T says that last month’s traffic deaths were four fewer than the same month a year ago, and nine fewer than the average for the last five years. Six people lost their lives on Wisconsin roads during the Memorial Day Weekend, down from seven last year. There was one motorcycle fatality in Dodge County last month. For the year as a whole, the state’s highway death toll is 14% higher than in the first five months of 2011. Two-hundred-three (203) people were killed in statewide crashes from January-through-May, 25 more than the year before. Five people have died on Dodge County roadways this year. State Patrol Major Sandra Huxtable says officials are trying to reduce fatal crashes with better roads, tighter law enforcement, and education. With summer being the deadliest time on state highways, Huxtable said quote, “We are striving to reverse this tragic trend.”

Boy Who Hit Young Girl With Arrow Could Be Charged as an Adult

6/8/12 - Prosecutors are saying the 16-year-old boy accused of shooting a Campbellsport girl with an arrow should be charged as an adult.  Aryanna Schneeburg was hit in the back May 21st while playing with friends.  The seven-year-old girl had to go through a surgical procedure.  The teenage suspect reportedly told police he and a friend were shooting at squirrels when one of the arrows they were shooting went astray.

Teen Facing Felony Charge for Setting a Car on Fire

6/8/12 - A Juneau teen told police he was “just being stupid” but now he is facing felony charges for allegedly setting a car on fire. Tyler Jung is charged with Arson for the incident on Wednesday in the Town of Lowell. According to the criminal complaint, a friend of Jung’s left his 2000 Chevy Lumina on property Jung was renting after it ran out of gas. Jung and his friends spend the next couple days vandalizing the car, firing a shotgun at it, flipping it over and using lighter fluid to burn the paint off. The 18-year-old told police he thought the fire he set on the hood of the vehicle had burned itself out, so he walked away. A short time later the car was engulfed in flames and the firefighters from Lowell and Reeseville had responded to the scene. When the owner of the car was contacted, he initially told police the two would handle it themselves because he did not want get his friend in trouble. He called police back a short time later and said Jung was not taking it seriously and he wanted to press charges. He had been planning to sell the car for $5000. Jung could spend up to three-and-a-half years in prison if he is convicted. A signature bond was set at $1000 yesterday and a preliminary hearing is scheduled next month.

Johnson Votes Against 2012 Farm Bill Going to Senate Floor

6/8/12 - Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson was one of only eight U-S senators who tried to stop the Senate’s version of the 2012 Farm Bill from reaching the floor of that chamber for consideration. The Senate voted 90-to-8 yesterday to send the federal farm policy package to the floor for a debate and a consideration of amendments that could take several weeks. Wisconsin Democrat Herb Kohl voted with the majority that let the bill proceed. There was no immediate word on why Johnson tried to block the package. Among other things, it would cut spending on federal farm programs by almost 24-billion-dollars over a decade – mostly in direct payments to farmers. There have been disagreements on various parts of the Farm Bill, mainly by geographic lines. Lawmakers from the South said it hurts the safety net for peanut-and-rice farmers, while favoring Midwest crops like corn and soybeans. And the Brownfield Ag News Service says the dairy industry remains divided on parts of the Dairy Security Act that’s in the Farm Bill. Some say a supply management control would discourage investments in dairy growth, and possibly make the U-S an unreliable supplier on the world market. Others say the plan doesn’t do enough to secure the incomes and futures of dairy farmers.

$125M Spent on Recall Elections Over Past Year

6/8/12 - Candidates and special interest groups will have spent well over $125-million dollars on ten Wisconsin recall elections over the past year. And that does not include whatever was spent on this week’s lieutenant governor’s recall vote, plus contests in four state Senate districts. The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign said today that Governor Scott Walker’s recall challenge will cost $75-to-$80-million dollars alone. And last year’s nine Senate recall contests cost an estimated $44-million in campaign ads.

Tuition at UW Campuses Going Up 5.5%

6/8/12 - For the sixth year in a row, tuition at the University of Wisconsin’s four-year campuses will go up by the state’s legal maximum of five-and-a-half (5.5%) percent. The U-W Board of Regents voted 17-to-1 in Milwaukee yesterday (Th) to approve the tuition hike, which System President Kevin Reilly said was necessary to partially make up for cuts in state aid. Regent Charles Pruitt said it’s better than cutting even more U-W spending – which he said would lead to larger class sizes and students needing an extra year to get their diplomas. But Regent John Drew said he could not support a tuition hike, considering that average family incomes in Wisconsin have not been going up. Students at the four-year campuses can plan on budgeting an extra $400 dollars for their tuition during the coming year, with no increase in financial aid. Regent Gerald Whitburn suggested a lower tuition hike of four-percent. But the panel voted it down 15-to-3.

2^nd Annual Civil War Re-enactment in BD

6/8/12 - A Civil War re-enactment will be held in Beaver Dam’s Edgewater Park this weekend. The free, family-friendly event is sponsored by the Beaver Dam Exchange Club and Tenth Tennessee Company D. Organizer Robert Krist says the re-enactment features authentic civilian and soldier encampments, with participants dressed in period-specific uniforms and firing historically-accurate muskets and canons. Krist says there is a general blueprint for the battles that is based on historical fact. The Civil War Re-enactment is free to attend and will be held tomorrow (Saturday) from 9am to 5pm and Sunday from 9am to 4pm, with battles each day at 1pm. Food and refreshments will be available. Edgewater Park is located off Highway 33 on Beaver Dam’s north side. 

BD River Market Returns this Weekend

6/8/12 - The Beaver Dam River Market returns to the downtown Tower Parking lot on Saturday. It’s the second year for the farmer’s market-type event, which is held on the second Saturday morning of the warmer weather months.  The theme this weekend is “Health and Wellness.” The Beaver Dam Community Hospital will be providing blood pressure and blood sugar tests. There are over 20 vendors signed-up for tomorrow – more are welcome – they will be selling everything from food to produce and a variety of craft items. Breakfast will be served and someone will even be serving popcorn from an antique popcorn wagon. Live music will be provided by Beaver Dam-native Elwood Lee. The River Market is held from 8am until noon.