tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21618439595845294282012-01-28T20:50:37.260-06:00WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.comBlogger10951100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-15028435668307809602012-01-28T20:50:00.001-06:002012-01-28T20:50:37.270-06:00Police Arrest Stalker Inside Victim’s Home<br /><br />1/29/12 - Mayville authorities say they have a man in custody who they believe has been stalking his ex-girlfriend for more than month, including entering her home while she wasn’t there. Police Chief Chris MacNeill says the woman filed a report earlier this month saying she started noticing footprints to and from her house in early December. MacNeill says they stepped up patrols in the area and even went as far as installing a small surveillance camera to identify the suspect. On Friday night, while the woman wasn’t home, an officer found a vehicle parked on a back street with footprints leading to the residence. As the officer was speaking with the upstairs tenants he heard footsteps in the woman’s residence. He called for more officers, and they eventually took the man into custody without incident. MacNeill says there were some things taken from the residence, and they were working to recover those items. The man was jailed on charges of burglary and stalking, though MacNeill says more charges are possible. <br /><br />Evers Asking for Expansion of Tax-funded Vouchers <br /><br />1/29/12 - State school Superintendent Tony Evers has asked the Assembly to pass a bill that prevents the expansion of tax-funded vouchers for low-income kids to attend private schools. Last June, lawmakers approved a last-minute package of items to the current state budget which expands the Milwaukee voucher program to other cities based on their sizes, poverty levels, and public school spending. But critics said it would spread the voucher program throughout the state, and cause large declines in public school enrollments. And the program’s supporters said they intended to limit the program to the current Milwaukee County and Racine. Lawmakers promised to pass legislation to clarify that stand. But G-O-P Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald of Horicon now says he’s not sure if there are enough votes to pass it. The Senate okayed the measure last fall. <br /><br />“Open Enrollment” Time Could Expand<br /><br />1/29/12 - The Wisconsin Assembly has voted to give parents more time to try and have their kids transferred to public schools outside their home districts. On a voice vote, the house gave final legislative approval to a longer sign-up period under the "open enrollment," or public school choice law. Also, a student's home district would have to share details with the new district about any discipline problems. The bill's supporters say it would give struggling youngsters a second chance in a different educational environment. But there were concerns that some districts would have larger net student losses under the expanded measure -- and that more youngsters would be attracted to on-line virtual schools.<br /><br />Churchgoers to be asked to Oppose New Rule<br /><br />1/29/12 - When Catholics in northeast Wisconsin go to church this weekend, they’ll be told to oppose a new federal rule that requires most health insurance plans to pay for contraceptives. Green Bay Bishop David Ricken has asked priests in his diocese to read a letter from him during their Masses. He said the contraceptive coverage rule is quote, “unjust” – and it’s a direct violation of Roman Catholic teachings. He says federal health officials should overturn the rule. And if they don’t, Ricken says Catholics will either have to go against their consciences – or if they’re employers, they’ll have to drop coverage for their workers and suffer the consequences. The new rule takes effect August first. Most health plans would have to cover contraceptive services without charging co-pays or deductibles. Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the rule was drafted with religious concerns in mind. But Bishop Ricken disagrees, and says the rule goes much farther than invading individual conscience.<br /><br />Number of Traffic Crashes for Teens Down Significantly <br /><br />1/29/12 - The number of traffic crashes and fatalities involving teen drivers has dropped significantly since Wisconsin’s Graduated Driver License law was enacted over a decade ago. This is Wisconsin State Patrol Major Sandy Huxtable who heads the DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Safety.<br />120119 Huxtable 1 <br /><br />The GDL law places restrictions on the number of passengers young drivers can carry until they gain more experience behind the wheel. Still, Huxtable says, teen drivers are more likely to be involved in fatal crashes because of their inexperience — they’re also among those least likely to buckle up.<br /><br />Record Number of Travelers on Hiawatha Line<br /><br />1/29/12 - The number of passengers on Amtrak’s Hiawatha line from Milwaukee-to-Chicago surpassed 800-thousand last year for the first time. State transportation officials say that a record 823-thousand-163 people rode the high-speed line in 2011. That’s up four-percent from the previous year. Also, new monthly ridership records were set in each month but August. The Hiawatha makes seven round trips each day between the downtowns of Milwaukee and Chicago. It only makes three stops along the way – at Mitchell International Airport, Sturtevant, and Glenview Illinois. Amtrak said a few months ago that the Hiawatha is the most heavily used passenger line in the Midwest – and it’s the sixth-most popular line throughout the country.<br /><br />Flooding Unlikely on Mississippi at La Crosse <br /><br />1/29/12 - There's less than a one-percent chance that the Mississippi River at La Crosse will hit its flood stage this spring. That's according to a preliminary flooding outlook released by the National Weather Service. Hydrologist Mike Welvaert says the forecast shows that La Crosse area rivers will have plenty of room to handle the melting snow. Only 16-inches have fallen in La Crosse since December first. The normal is 20-inches. Twice that much fell by this time last year. That created some moderate floods in the spring of 2011. Walvaert said many rivers had higher-than-normal water levels for most of last summer -- but they dropped in the fall, thanks to below-average precipitation that has continued. Walvaert cautions that things can change, and long-range forecasts call for normal precipitation for the rest of the winter. The Weather Service will issue its first formal flooding outlook on February 16th. <br /><br />Flood Insurance Could Go Away if Mining Bill is Approved<br /><br />1/29/12 - The federal government says Wisconsinites might lose their access to flood insurance because of an item in the mining bill the Assembly passed last night. Iron ore mines would be allowed to dispose of their waste in flood-plain areas. But the head of flood plain for the Federal Emergency Management Agency says mining is on a list of flood-plain actvities that can jeopardize a community's ability to qualify for federal flood insurance. And David Stearrett said the Assembly's provision might prompt FEMA to quote, "seek enforcement of requirements that include suspension" from the insurance program. Assembly Democrat Brett Hulsey of Madison asked FEMA to comment on the G-O-P's mining bill. He said Wisconsinites hold about 18-thousand federal flood insurance policies with a a total of just over three-billion dollars in coverage.<br /><br />Senate President Apologizes for Calling School a “Sewer” <br /><br />1/29/12 - The president of the Wisconsin Senate has apologized for calling Green Bay Preble High School a "sewer" during a private dinner with some colleagues at a Madison restaurant. Somebody used a cell phone to record Mike Ellis's conversation -- and it ended up on PolitiScoop-Dot-Com. His group was talking about the possibility of expanding private school voucher programs beyond Milwaukee and Racine. The voucher program gives state tax funding to low-income kids to attend private schools, with a goal of escaping poverty. Ellis, of Neenah, brought up the idea of letting just part of a school district be in the program -- and he used Green Bay as an example. In the recording, he said quote, "Green Bay East is fine. West is fine. Preble's a sewer. They have the poverty possum." Ellis said he was only mentioning a hypothetical example. He apologized to a reporter, and said he called the Green Bay superintendent to aplogize as well. Preble students, staff members, and parents went to the school to protest Ellis's remarks and highlight the school's achievements.<br /><br />Company Adding 125 Jobs by End of June<br /><br />1/29/12 - A company near Madison that makes freight containers and grain haulers says it will hire 125 more people by the end of June. Stoughton Trailers added 300 workers last year, and is now at 800. Company president Bob Wahlin says the hiring reflects a recovery from the Great Recession. He says quote, “Freight tonnage is up considerably, and a lot of trucking companies are preparing for better economic times.” Stoughton Trailers has plants in Stoughton, Evansville, and Brodhead. It had 15-hundred employees in 2005 – but that number plunged to 250 in the recession-plagued year of 2009. Wahlin says the new employees will be spread evenly across its three plants. Most will be assembly workers.<br /><br />Thompson Net Worth of $13M <br /><br />1/29/12 - A financial report filed by U.S. Senate candidate Tommy Thompson shows he had a net worth of around 13 million dollars. &nbsp;Most of that money was apparently earned after he left office and started work as a consultant. &nbsp;Thompson is Wisconsin’s former governor and the former secretary of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department. &nbsp;Thompson is opposed by two other candidates, all trying to replace the retiring Herb Kohl as U.S. Senator from Wisconsin.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-1502843566830780960?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-63532458307309387342012-01-28T06:44:00.001-06:002012-01-28T06:44:18.140-06:00Johnson Honored In Hometown Ceremony<br /><br />1/28/12 - Several hundred people turned out in Mayville Friday for a wreath laying ceremony to honor First Lieutenant David Johnson. The 24-year-old was killed in Afghanistan on Wednesday by an Improvised Explosive Device. Mayor Jerry Moede told the crowd that a soldier giving his life for his country is the greatest gift one can give. <br /><br />Walker Says He Is Not Target Of Probe<br /><br />1/28/12 - Governor Scott Walker does not believe he’s a subject of the ongoing John Doe probe into the staff he had when he was the Milwaukee County Executive. At a news conference Friday in Wauwatosa, the Republican Walker said his campaign has been cooperating for over a year with Milwaukee prosecutors. And when all the smoke clears, Walker says he has every confidence that quote, “our integrity remains intact.” Two former aides were charged yesterday with creating a secret e-mail network within the Walker staff to quietly handle county-and-campaign business. Ex-staffer Darlene Wink agreed to plead guilty to lesser charges, after prosecutors said she would provide information that includes the destruction of undisclosed digital evidence. Walker said he asked Wink to resign after it was learned that she used part of her tax-funded work days to write glowing things about Walker in on-line comments about campaign news stories. Walker said the resignation proved that his staff knew that he didn’t want any political or campaign work performed on the county dime. And Walker said quote, “If we had known about anyone else, we would have taken the same action.” Meanwhile, state Medicaid director Brett Davis refused comment today on his apparent role in a misconduct probe. Kelly Rindfleisch of Columbus, a former deputy chief-of-staff to Walker, is charged with working on county time to try and get Davis nominated as Walker’s running mate for lieutenant governor last year. Davis lost to Rebecca Kleefisch. <br /><br />Walker Staff to Begin Looking Through Recall Signatures <br /><br />1/28/12 - The 30-day window for Governor Scott Walker to file challenges against the thousands of signatures on recall petitions begins today. The Government Accountability Board says it delivered electronic copies of more than 152 thousand petitions to Walker’s campaign staff yesterday. Recall organizers say those petitions include more than a million signatures. A link to the petitions will be posted on the GAB website next Monday. Some of them were inadvertently posted for a few minutes Friday afternoon, but that were taken down quickly. And, the board says it hopes to complete its work on the petitions challenging Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch by the end of next week. <br /><br />Senate Doesn’t Have Votes to Pass Mining Bill<br /><br />1/28/12 - Leaders in the Wisconsin Senate say they wouldn’t be able to get the votes they need to pass the Assembly version of a mining bill. Senator Neal Kedzie of Elkhorn chairs a select committee on mining. He says that group will work to balance the economic and environmental interests. Supporters say an iron ore mine planned for northern Wisconsin would mean hundreds of jobs for an area in need of work. Opponents warn of damage to the pristine area of the state and its many rivers and streams. Kedzie says he hopes his committee will approve a version of the mining bill by early March, with the legislation coming before the entire senate by the middle of that month.<br /><br />Another Fight Breaks Out at a Milwaukee High School <br /><br />1/28/12 - For a second day in a row, a fight at a Milwaukee high school brings police to campus and results in arrests. Eight people were taken into custody at James Madison Academic Campus high school Friday. Another dozen people had been arrested at Washington High School the day before. At Madison, a police officer was kicked in the face by one of the students. Police say they used a stun gun to stop the 18 year old student after she kicked the officer. Charges filed were disorderly conduct, with three of the eight also charged with resisting or obstructing an officer. Milwaukee superintendent of schools Gregory Thornton says disciplinary action will be taken against the students immediately.<br /><br />Why Shopko Chose Columbus<br /><br />1/28/12 - Many Columbus area residents are asking “Why did Shopko choose Columbus as the site for a store?” The answer from developers and Shopko market studies is that the area population is the right size for a “Hometown” type retail store. Mike Herl of Inland Companies said the Commerce Center land along highway 151 seemed to be a good spot for retail development. Herl said that studies by Shopko concluded that the area population could support a Hometown Store. Construction of the Columbus Shopko is scheduled to begin in March.<br /><br />Western WI School District Looking at 4-day Week<br /><br />1/28/12 - A small school district in western Wisconsin may become the first in the state to switch to a four-day school week. The Department of Public Instruction has given the Blair-Taylor district the okay to explore a four-day week for the next school year. Superintendent Dennis Dervetski says administrators came up with the plan, with input from staff members and teachers who are still under a union contract. The purpose is not necessarily to save money. Dervetski says the idea is to use school facilities and tax dollars more efficiently, while giving staff members more time to prepare for their classes. It would not involve year-round school. Dervetski says it’s possible the state would grant a waiver from the normal 180-days of classes — although the district would still need to hold the state’s minimum numbers of classroom hours. The Blair-Taylor School Board has yet to vote on the change, but Dervetski says five members have told him they support it. Dervetski says a four-day school week has been adopted by other districts in Minnesota, the Dakotas, Idaho, and Oregon with great success. The next step is for the board to hold public hearings. Then, the superintendent said the board would act on it. And if it passes, the DPI would review the details and then make a final decision. The Blair-Taylor School District has just over 700 students.<br /><br />BDACT Auditions for “Mothers Curtain”<br /><br />1/28/12 - The founding matriarch of the Beaver Dam Area Community Theater has written a play that addresses the sensitive topic of intergenerational domestic abuse. Annette Kamps is holding open call auditions for her play, “Mothers Curtain” on Sunday. Kamps says she has cast some of the ten roles in the play but would like to audition more individuals. She is looking for a teen age girl between the ages of 14 and 17-years-old in addition to three or four other women in their early 20’s through early 40’s. Kamps cautions that, for the sake of authenticity, there is some language and content that may be considered offensive and not appropriate for a younger audience. Auditions will be held tomorrow (Sunday) at 6:30pm at the community theater building on North Spring Street. Kamps will also make arrangements with interested parties to audition at an alternate time. Contact information is on our website. There are a limited number of scripts available for review. “Mothers Curtain” will be on the stage of the Beaver Dam Area Community Theater for three performances on April 13, 14 and 15. <br /><br />If you are interested, contact Annette Kamps at 887-2093 or 318-1195 to arrange an audition on Sunday, Jan. 29, 6:30 PM OR to arrange<br />an alternative time.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-6353245830730938734?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-5167276823550975822012-01-27T06:47:00.001-06:002012-01-27T06:47:18.548-06:00Mayville Soldier Killed by IED<br /><br />1/27/12 - The U.S. Department of Defense says the 24-year-old Mayville soldier, who was killed on Wednesday in Afghanistan, died after encountering an improvised explosive device (IED) while on patrol. First Lieutenant David Johnson became the second state resident this year to be killed in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Johnson was the son of Dodge County Pioneer publisher Andrew Johnson, and is survived by his mother, Laura, and three siblings. The family issued a statement on the paper’s website, which called David Johnson an American hero, a man of God first, and a strong leader at school and in his Army unit. After graduating from Mayville High School, Johnson went on to Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri where he earned his degree in 2010. He had been deployed since last December and led the Army's Third Brigade Combat Team. Campus pastor John Plake said Johnson was a well-respected student leader, and he headed the school's R-O-T-C military program. He kept ties with the university after he graduated, and he attended a special Veterans Day service there last November. Johnson’s family was to fly to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware where David’s body is expected to arrive shortly. <br /><br />Columbus Woman Charged In Walker Probe<br /><br />1/27/12 - Two more of Governor Scott Walker's former Milwaukee County aides were charged Thursday as part of an ongoing John Doe investigation. 43-year-old Kelly Rindfleisch of Columbus has four felony charges of misconduct in public office. And 61-year-old Darlene Wink is charged with two misdemeanor counts of internal political solicitation by public employees. Rindfleisch is due in court February 22nd. Prosecutors said she was Walker's deputy chief-of-staff in the Milwaukee County Executive's office when she did extensive campaign work on county time for Brett Davis through a private e-mail network. Davis is a former Assembly Republican who ran and lost for lieutenant governor in 2010. He's now the state's Medicaid director. Wink resigned in May of 2010 as Walker's constituent services director. She was accused of spending part of her workdays doing campaign work for Walker's G-O-P bid for governor. Ciara Matthews of the Walker campaign said his office made it clear that county employees were not allowed to use tax-funded time and resources to conduct any political activity – and Walker expected everyone to follow that law. There are now four ex-Walker aides charged as a result of the John Doe probe. Former county aides Tim Russell and Kevin Kavanaugh are both accused of embezzling over 63-thousand-dollars from an annual event that benefits veterans and their families.<br /><br />Hartford Man Gets Probation In BD Pistol-Whipping<br /><br />1/27/12 - A Hartford man was placed on probation for pistol-whipping in Beaver Dam last summer. It happened in the 600 block of Madison Street on August 4 around 2am. Mark Patterson pleaded “no contest” to Disorderly Conduct and Operating a Firearm While Intoxicated had four other misdemeanors and a felony dismissed but read into the record. According to the criminal complaint, the 46-year-old met up with a group of people at a Madison Street bar and they went to a nearby residence for an “after hours” party. A woman in the group says Patterson attempted to kiss her while the two were alone outside and then he became enraged and made up a story about her owing him $70. Patterson says he loaned her $70 so that she could purchase cocaine for herself then she lied about his advances and had the group kick him out so that she didn’t have to pay him back. Authorities say he pulled a gun and everyone ran into the house except a 23-year-old Beaver Dam man who apparently did not want Patterson messing with his car which was parked outside. Patterson says he approached the house looking for his money, was confronted by two men and acted in self-defense. His blood alcohol level was said to be point-one-four. The victim sustained a closed head injury, eye contusion and concussion. <br /><br />Lodi Man Indicted For Pharmacy Robbery<br /><br />1/27/12 - A Columbia County man has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly robbing a pharmacy at gunpoint. Officials with the US Justice Department say Anthony Carriola of Lodi walked into Eannelli’s Pharmacy in Prairie Du Dac on January 10 and stole morphine pills. The 28-year-old reportedly brandished a .44 caliber revolver. If convicted, Carriola faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on the robbery count, and a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years for using a firearm, which would be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.<br /><br />Watertown Man Waives Prelim In Assault Case<br /><br />1/27/12 - A Watertown man has waived his right to preliminary hearing on a variety of charges related to the alleged abuse his girlfriend. Floyd Holcomb Jr. is charged with felony Second Degree Sexual Assault and misdemeanor counts of Battery, Disorderly Conduct and Criminal Damage to Property. According to the criminal complaint, the 25-year-old broke into her apartment earlier this month and the two had a violent exchange. The next day, Holcomb was said to be violent again and reportedly tried to rape the woman with young children nearby. If he is convicted, the charges carry a maximum penalty of 42 years in prison. Holcomb is being held on a $5000 cash bond.<br /><br />WI Assembly Approves Mining Bill<br /><br />1/27/12 - Amid heavy debate and protests, the Wisconsin Assembly voted 59-to-36 last night to limit environmental restrictions and public challenges for a new mine near Lake Superior. All Republicans voted yes. All Democrats voted no. The bill creates a one-year time limit for state officials to act on permits for new iron ore mines -- and it's tailored to Gogebic Taconite's plan to open a vast mine in parts of Ashland and Iron counties. The Assembly debate ran for four-and-a-half hours. Republicans called the bill a massive job creator not just for the mine, but for equipment makers and other suppliers as far away as Milwaukee. But Democrats said the bill was written to guarantee profits for Gogebic Taconite, while slashing tax revenues that local communities would otherwise get from a mine. Bad River Indians feared that pollution would hurt pristine lands in the far north for generations. One of their drummers was cited for disorderly conduct during a Rotunda protest. And spectators questioned the legality of the vote, saying it wasn't totally done in public. There were several outbursts in the gallery during the debate. And Speaker Pro Tem Bill Kramer finally removed all the spectators after some people rained down obscenities under covers of throat clearing and group coughing. The package now goes to the Senate, where its prospects are less certain. Senate Mining Committee chairman Neal Kedzie, a Republican from Elkhorn, has questioned whether the Assembly package goes too far.<br /><br />Ellis Apologizes for Calling High School in GB a “Sewer” <br /><br />1/27/12 - The president of the Wisconsin Senate has apologized for calling Green Bay Preble High School a "sewer" during a private dinner with some colleagues at a Madison restaurant. Somebody used a cell phone to record Mike Ellis's conversation -- and it ended up on PolitiScoop-Dot-Com. His group was talking about the possibility of expanding private school voucher programs beyond Milwaukee and Racine. The voucher program gives state tax funding to low-income kids to attend private schools, with a goal of escaping poverty. Ellis, of Neenah, brought up the idea of letting just part of a school district be in the program -- and he used Green Bay as an example. In the recording, he said quote, "Green Bay East is fine. West is fine. Preble's a sewer. They have the poverty possum." Ellis said he was only mentioning a hypothetical example. He apologized to a reporter, and said he called the Green Bay superintendent to aplogize as well. Preble students, staff members, and parents went to the school to protest Ellis's remarks and highlight the school's achievements.<br /><br />Improvised Geocaching Devices Sparking Concern<br /><br />1/27/12 - There is a new trend sweeping the country and it’s got local authorities on a wild goose chase. It’s called “geocaching” and it’s a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices – like smart phones -- and then share their experiences online. If you log into Geocache.com you’ll find there are over 15,000 hidden geocache containers in the Beaver Dam zip code alone. It’s safe, family-friendly entertainment. There’s only one problem. People who are not in on the game think participants are planting random bombs all over the place. Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls says his department just got another call on Wednesday from the Town of Theresa reporting that a pill bottle was duct-taped to a road sign. Nehls says whenever somebody is hiding or concealing a container on public or private property many citizens report this activity as suspicious, suspecting either drug or terrorist activity. The Sheriff’s Department responds to these calls and quickly uncovers the suspicious items as a “geocache.” Nehls says he is hoping to educate the public about the possibility that suspicious activity could be the result of geocaching enthusiast’s favorite pastime. He also wants to let geocacher’s know that their actions could be misconstrued and lead to a lot of wasted time for law enforcement. For more information you can go to www.geocaching.com<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-516727682355097582?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-13014500251897715922012-01-26T07:19:00.001-06:002012-01-26T07:19:54.000-06:00Mayville Soldier Killed in Afghanistan <br /><br />1/26/12 - An Army lieutenant from Dodge County has been killed in Afghanistan. W-T-M-J Radio in Milwaukee said 24-year-old First Lieutenant David Johnson of Mayville died in action. But the Pentagon has not released information about the incident -- or when it happened. Johnson headed an infantry platoon based in Fort Lewis Washington.<br /><br />Walker Delivers State of the State Address <br /><br />1/26/12 - With non-stop protest chants in the background, Governor Scott Walker told Wisconsinites last night that the state's on the right track for an economic turnaround. The Republican Walker spent much of his second annual State-of-the-State address touting his job creation and budget-balancing efforts. Walker did not mention the recall effort against him, but he asked for civility. And he did not acknowledge the hundreds of screaming protestors gathered in the Capitol Rotunda who were upset about his cuts in spending and public union bargaining. Those gathered in the Assembly chamber for Walker's speech heard them in the background. Five spectators in the gallery interrupted the 35-minute address. One called the governor a "liar" when he said he respected Wisconsinites. Another mentioned vulnerable children when the governor discussed education initiatives. Both were escorted from the chamber, and Capitol Police later said four protestors were arrested. The Rotunda crowd yelled, whistled, and chanted as they drowned out Walker's speech that was piped in to the area. Senate Democratic leader Mark Miller said the protests were not surprising and they illustrate quote, "the sharp divide the governor's policies have created in the state." But G-O-P Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald said Walker and his fellow Republicans did the right thing by trying to get government out of the way, and the letting the private sector boost the economy.<br /><br />Waupun Prisoner Death Labeled an Overdose <br /><br />1/26/12 - A convicted killer died from an overdose of methadone while in his state prison cell, and officials are trying to find out how he got the drug. The Dodge County medical examiner's office said yesterday that David Wapp's death was caused by accident. The 31-year-old Wapp was found dead November eighth at the Waupun prison. And the only thing officials knew at the time was that foul play was not involved. Toxicology tests uncovered the overdose. Wapp, of the Mukwonago area, was sentenced in June of 2010 to life in prison with no chance for a supervised release. He stabbed and cut his ex-girlfriend, Samantha Peterson, 37 times while they argued in a car outside the home of Wapp's aunt in Waukesha County. It happened four days after he left prison for another offense.<br /><br />BD Chamber Honors Award Winners <br /><br />1/26/12 - The Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce last night held its annual Recognition night at Old Hickory Country Club. Mary Fitzgerald from the American National Bank was named Chamber Member of the Year for her volunteer work for the Chamber. The Beaver Dam Community hospital won the Non-Profit Organization of the year award. Hospital Board Chairman Jim Kirsch stressed the importance of the hospital remaining independent so that it can deliver the best care to local residents. Hospital CEO Kim Miller said the hospital’s non profit status allows it to invest its financial resources back into local health care services. A national organization recently awarded the hospital its Outstanding Patient Experience Award for the 3rd year in a row. <br /><br />The Richards Insurance Agency is the Chamber’s Business of the Year. The local business began with a staff of four under Don Richards in 1965 and has grown to nearly 70 employees. Half of the company is owned by its employees, the other half by its owner – managers. Retired owner manager John Ralston, well known for his community fund raising efforts said the agency stresses the importance of being an active partner in the community. Current owner-manager Dave Pfister said Richards Agency employees volunteer in almost every worthwhile cause in the community. <br /><br />Richard Zieman was introduced as the Citizen of the Year by his wife Nancy. The couple founded the internationally known Nancy’s Notions. Mark Killilngsworth who serves with Richard Zieman on several volunteer organizations said Zieman has donated literally thousands of hours and continues to serve in leadership roles for a large number of community causes. Nancy’s Notions has also contributed significant funding and contributions to community projects. Killingsworth said as the company grew so did its commitment to the community.<br /><br />Honor Flight: Pearl Harbor<br /><br />1/26/12 - Pearl Harbor survivors are being sought for what’s billed as a “once-in-a-lifetime Honor Flight to Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii.” The Old Glory Honor Flight hub that departs out of Appleton is asking the approximately 40 Pearl Harbor survivors that live in the state of Wisconsin to contact their office immediately. The non-profit chapter is planning a tropical trip to the Aloha State. They define Pearl Harbor survivor as any veteran stationed on the island of Oahu or within three nautical miles at the time of the attack on December 7, 1941. Honor Flight is a nationwide program with regional chapters that has traditionally flown World War II veterans to their memorial in Washington DC at no cost to them. The Appleton hub says they remain committed to that primary mission, but Honor Flight Pearl Harbor is another way to say thank you to veterans for their service and sacrifice. Organizers are hoping Pearl Harbor survivors will contact them by their February 6 application deadline. They are also actively seeking donations to finance the trip for survivors, their caregivers and support staff. Pearl Harbor Survivors can apply by calling 1-888-635-9838. Old Glory Honor Flight is a registered 501(c)3 organization. Make checks payable to “Old Glory Honor Flight” and write "Return To Pearl" in the memo section of the check. Donate via PayPal at: http://www.oldgloryhonorflight.org/return_to_pearl.html<br /><br />December Jobless Filings Lower Than Last Year<br /><br />1/26/12 - Most counties in the region saw a moderate decrease in their December unemployment rate, compared to November. That's according to local estimates released Wednesday by state workforce development officials. In Dodge County, the jobless rate was at 6.8% in December, down one-tenth from November and nearly a full-percentage point lower that December of 2010. Columbia and Jefferson counties both dropped a tenth-of-a-point over the two-month period to 6.9%. Fond du Lac County held steady at 6.2% while the jobless rate ticked-up a tenth in Washington County to 6.1%. Dane County has the states lowest rate at 4.4%. Door County has the states highest number of jobless filings at 11.7% and is one of six counties in double-digits. In total, 44 of the states 72 counties saw an increase in the jobless rate over the two-month period, 20 had decreases and there was no change in 8 counties. In comparing December 2011 to December of 2010, there were only two counties that saw increases in unemployment.<br /><br />Five of Wisconsin's 12 metro areas lost jobs during December. The Eau Claire and Sheboygan areas lost 800 jobs each on a seasonally-adjusted basis. Metro Milwaukee lost 700, and La Crosse and Madison had smaller losses. Janesville had the highest unadjusted jobless rate among the 12 metros at eight-point-three percent. Madison had the lowest at four-point-seven. All but four Wisconsin counties saw their unadjusted rates go down from November. Manitowoc, Menomonee Falls, and West Allis had slight increases in their municipal unemployment rates.<br /><br />Growmark Fined By OSHA<br /><br />1/26/12 - Federal officials said a grain-handling facility in Ixonia has committed five workplace safety violations. The Occupational Safety-and-Health Administration is recommending 84-thousand dollars in fines against Growmark. OSHA said the company knowingly failed to protect employees before they entered grain bins -- and they did not provide harnesses or rescue equipment for those working inside the bins. Growmark is based in Bloomington Illinois. It has 15 days to either pay the fines, challenge the violations, or seek a meeting with OSHA. Company spokeswoman Amy Bradford said Growmark is aware of the violations -- but it's not commenting for now. Growmark does business in 30 states and Canada.<br /><br />Waupun Hoping to Get Bond Funding<br /><br />1/26/12 - The Waupun School District approved a plan to secure a $2.5-million bond intended for deferred maintenance and technology upgrades. Interim Superintendent Don Childs says the district is eligible because of the number of students living below the poverty line as determined by free and reduced lunch offerings. Childs says the loan will not impact the tax rate and they will be able to pay back the money over a period of 10 to 20 years at zero-percent interest. The district could find out as early as tomorrow if they’ll be getting the Qualified Zone Academy Bond.<br /><br />Grosenick Has Not Guilty Plea Entered for Him <br /><br />1/26/12 - An Iron Ridge-area man charged with seventh offense OWI stood mute during an arraignment hearing Wednesday Dodge County court and the judge entered a “not guilty” plea on his behalf. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department says a deputy pulled over Dennis Grosenick in November after allegedly observing him cross the center line and almost put his vehicle into the ditch while making a right hand turn. A preliminary breath test indicated that Grosenick’s blood alcohol level was nearly three times legal limit of .08. Grosenick is currently being held at the Dodge County Jail on a $25,000 cash bond. If convicted he faces up to 10-years in prison.<br /><br />More Time Will Be Given to Verify Signatures <br /><br />1/26/12 - A judge in Madison is giving state officials more time to determine if there are enough valid signatures to order recall elections. Also Wednesday, Dane County Circuit Judge Richard Niess gave the Republican recall targets more time to challenge improper signatures. An estimated one-point-nine million signatures were filed eight days ago, demanding recall votes against Governor Scott Walker, Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and Senators Scott Fitzgerald, Pam Galloway, Terry Moulton, and Van Wanggaard. Under state law, the Government Accountability Board has 31 days to certify recall petitions. But due to the sheer numbers, Niess granted an extra 30 days. He also gave the Walker and Kleefisch campaigns 30 days to challenge signatures once they receive copies of all their petitions. Kleefisch had not received any petitions as of Monday, even though the existing law would have given her until Friday to review them all. The four senators have their petitions, and the judge gave them 20 days to file challenges. Their new deadline is February ninth. <br /><br />Poll: Obama Favored Over Romney <br /><br />1/26/12 - A new poll gives President Obama an eight-point lead over Republican Mitt Romney in Wisconsin's presidential race. Just over 700 registered voters were surveyed in the first Marquette Law School poll. 48-percent favored the Democrat Obama for a second term, while 40-percent supported former Massachusetts governor Romney. The poll did not list any other head-to-head matchups involving other G-O-P White House hopefuls. Republicans are trying to get Wisconsin to carry their nominee for the first time since Ronald Reagan's second term in 1984. State voters are split on Obama's job performance. Forty-seven percent approved, and 47-percent disapproved. One-third of the Wisconsinites surveyed thought the economy had gotten worse in the last year, and only 22-percent said it got better. But 36-percent expect an improvement in 2012. Seventy-percent of those polled believe the nation's on the wrong track -- but 50-percent said Wisconsin appears to be on the right track, while 46-percent disagree. The poll had a margin-of-error of plus-or-minus three-point-eight percent.<br /><br />Poll: 51% Approve of the Job Walker is Doing<br /><br />1/26/12 - Just over half of Wisconsin voters approve of Governor Scott Walker's job performance. That's according to the first poll released today by the Marquette Law School in Milwaukee. Fifty-one percent of the 701 registered voters polled by phone approve of the job the Republican Walker's doing. Forty-six percent disapprove. The poll was taken from last Thursday through Sunday, just days after recall petitions were filed against the governor. The poll has a three-point-eight percent margin of error. It was released just hours before Walker addresses a split electorate in his annual State-of-the-State message. The Marquette poll also shows that Walker leads four potential Democratic challengers in a recall election. The poll has Walker leading his opponent from 2010, Tom Barrett, 50-to-44 percent. And the governor leads former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk 49-42. Walker would also out-poll Democrats Dave Obey and Tim Cullen. Seventy-four percent agreed that state employees should pay more toward their own pensions and health insurance, but limiting collective bargaining was supported by just 48-to-47 percent, within the margin of error. The Marquette Law School poll was conducted by Charles Franklin, who's on leave from U-W Madison. The school plans to conduct a number of polls in 2012.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-1301450025189771592?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-73263468840335531742012-01-25T07:19:00.001-06:002012-01-25T07:19:51.536-06:00WI Legislators React to SOTU<br /><br />1/25/12 - Wisconsin's congressional Democrats said they appreciated President Obama's vow to revive manufacturing in his State-of-the-Union address last night. But the state's Republicans said Obama's plea for economic fairness wrongly focuses on guaranteeing outcomes through government action, instead of opportunities in a free market. The Democrat Obama called for higher taxes on the rich -- a 30-percent bracket for those making over a million dollars a year. And he took another swipe at the foreclosure problem by offering a new re-financing program. The president also mentioned steps to help students afford college, and tax cuts for manufacturers. Milwaukee House Democrat Gwen Moore said Obama's policies have helped companies like Master Lock bring foreign jobs back to Wisconsin. But Sherwood Republican Reid Ribble said Obama's focus on American-made energy rang hollow when he rejected the Keystone oil pipeline last week. House G-O-P Budget Chairman Paul Ryan of Janesville said Obama quote, "recommitted to the path of debt, doubt, and decline." Menomonee Falls House Republican Jim Sensenbrenner said his chamber has focused on job creation and tax reform with no help from the Senate or White House. But Wisconsin Senate Democrat Herb Kohl said he was encouraged by Obama's focus on education both in the classroom, and with opportunities for job re-training.<br /><br />Walker to Give State of the State Address Tonight<br /><br />1/25/12 - Governor Scott Walker will give his second State of State address tonight and it comes under much different circumstances than his first 358-days ago. That came right after he and a new Republican legislative majority were swept into office -- and they had already achieved victories by passing a first round of job creation bills. But tonight, Walker will return to a state Assembly chamber that's been by rocked by protests ever since the Republican governor proposed a virtual end to most public union collective bargaining. His signature legislation was introduced 10 days after that first State-of-the-State address. And it divided Wisconsinites so much that it prompted hundreds of thousands of people to sign petitions for an unprecedented gubernatorial recall. Tonight, Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie says the governor will focus on the property tax savings his union law created -- plus his efforts to reduce fraud-and-waste in state government. But there might not be a lot of talk about jobs -- especially after the U-S Bureau of Labor Statistics said yesterday that Wisconsin was the only state in the country to lose private sector jobs in each of the last six months. Werwie says there have been bumps along the way, but the state is heading in the right direction.<br /><br />BDCDC: Dissolve, Evolve or Revolve?<br /><br />1/25/12 - The Beaver Dam Community Development Committee met last night for the first time in six months and the main agenda item was whether or not to consider dissolving the committee. The CDC was put in place back when Beaver Dam had a full-time economic development officer on the payroll. In 1997, the city decided to essentially contract out for those services and the Beaver Dam Area Development Corporation was formed. The Development Corp, a public-private partnership with the city, crunches numbers and negotiates with companies looking to set up shop behind closed doors and brings the findings to various city committees for approval. CDC Chair Robert Ballweg called the committee to session yesterday to ask if they’re still relevant, and he was met with mixed reactions. Discussion then turned to the possibility of establishing a new role for the CDC, shifting its scope to smaller projects that may not be practical or cost-effective for the Development Corp to focus on, like land purchase negotiations and downtown revitalization. Another possible new area of focus would be for the CDC to coordinate a revolving loan fund with revenues generated from the downtown Tax Increment Finance District #6, where the new Madison Place and the Lake Historic Lofts are located. Ballweg says between $25,000 and $30,000 could be accumulated annually for downtown businesses to use toward remodeling and façade improvements. After reaching consensus in committee, Ballweg agreed to meet with the city attorney, the mayor, the director of finance and officials with the Development Corp to draft a resolution outlining plans for a revolving loan fund. If the resolution is not approved by the committee and council, Ballweg says it would be time to revisit the necessity of the Community Development Committee.<br /><br />UC Looking to Merge <br /><br />1/25/12 - United Cooperative is seeking to merge with a company from Denmark, Wisconsin. The Beaver Dam-based company has signed a letter of intent to pursue the merger with Cooperative Services. United Co-Op President and CEO David Kramer says the agriculture industry puts a great deal of effort into improving efficiencies and sustainability so that present and future generations can continue to produce food and fuel efficiently. Kramer says the merger will provide their patron members with the equipment, products, and service needed to maximize production and survive for generations to come. Cooperative Services is projecting revenues for the fiscal year ending Jan. 31, 2012, to be in excess of $29 million. All of Cooperative Services divisions can be found at one location in Denmark; that includes feed, grain, agronomy, a Cenex convenience store, and an automotive shop. Formed in 1936, United Cooperative is a full-service cooperative with feed, grain, agronomy, fuel, lubricant, and propane locations throughout Wisconsin. They documented $525 million in sales in 2011, up $200 million from 2010, and employ about 500 full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers. United Cooperative is expected to finalize mergers with Shawano-based Mid-County Cooperative and Pulaski Chase Cooperative in February. In coming months, there will be a series of meetings with Cooperative Services’ employees and patron members about the proposed merger. Ballots will be mailed out next month. If approved, the merger will take effect April 1.<br /><br />Peyer to Resign<br /><br />1/25/12 - Randolph School District Superintendent Greg Peyer is resigning effective June 30th. In a letter sent to district staff members last week Peyer said that while he has enjoyed his time in Randolph he realizes that due to the size of the district and the current economic times there needs to be a restructuring of the administration. He said the board had been considering a change for some time and said would not impede the process in anyway. Peyer has been with Randolph for 5-years and says he intends to pursue other positions in education and in the business world. <br /><br />Wiard Gets Probation<br /><br />1/25/12 - A Horicon man who burglarized a Horicon tavern last Fourth of July weekend will spend five years on probation. Police arrested Daniel Wiard on charges of domestic battery during the early morning hours of July 3 and en route to the jail, arresting officers got word that Danny Boy’s Irish Pub in Horicon had been burglarized. The next day investigators reviewed video footage from that night and the bartender identified the suspect as a guy named “Dan” who was new to town. Wiard moved to town last June. Police executed a search warrant at his residence and recovered $2600 in small bills and a Brewers Jersey that had been on a wall in the establishment. According to the criminal complaint, the 30-year-old waited in the women’s bathroom until everyone left for the night, loaded-up a garbage can full of items from the bar, dragged the garbage can home on his bike, and then dumped the garbage can full of stolen items out in his living room. That sparked a fight with his mother that resulted in his arrest on the domestic abuse charges. Those charges were dismissed but read in last November when Wiard pleaded “no contest” to the felony burglary charge. In addition to probation, Wiard was ordered yesterday (Tu) maintain absolute sobriety but his probation officer will be able to order 30 days in jail for a first violation, 60 days in jail for a second violation and 90 days in jail for a third. A three year prison sentence was imposed and stayed but if his probation is revoked he will get credit for the 142 days he already spent behind bars. <br /><br />Officials Urge Caution When Using Craigslist <br /><br />1/25/12 - If you’re buying or selling an item through Craigslist, Milwaukee police suggest you only meet the other person in the transaction in a public place. Police say they are seeking a spike in robberies hitting people using the popular online classified ads site. Investigators say there have been at least a half-dozen in the last month, with four of those happening in the last week. They are following up on leads and but don’t say if they’re close to an arrest or not.<br /><br />Jobs Committee Favors Mine Bill <br /><br />1/25/12 - The state Assembly Jobs Committee voted 9-to-5 Tuesday in favor of a bill that tries to make it easier for a new iron ore mine to open in far northern Wisconsin. The package would streamline the process of getting state permits for iron ore mines both now and in the future. And the panel okay-ed several changes suggested by members of both parties. Local communities would get a bigger-than-expected share of tax revenues from the materials that are mined. The limit on application fees would be raised from one-point-one million dollars to two-million. There would be assurances that mining projects would follow the terms of the Great Lakes water protection agreement. And Indian tribes near proposed mines would receive copies of permit applications. But that wasn’t enough for Stevens Point Democrat Lou Molepske. He wanted tribes at the table when mining decisions are being made. But Greendale Republican Jeff Stone said it’s not the government’s responsibility to represent Indian tribes – and they can pursue their own interests on the subject. The 180-plus page bill now goes to the full Assembly for a final vote.<br /><br />Kohls Expanding Business into the South<br /><br />1/25/12 - The Kohl’s Department Store chain is expanding its online business in the South. The Menomonee Falls-based company announced yesterday (Tu) that it would build a distribution center in DeSoto Texas, near Dallas, to serve buyers on its Web site. The facility is expected to open this summer with about 400 new jobs. Hiring is expected to begin around March first. Kohl’s has 84 retail stores in Texas.<br /><br />Harley Sales Looking Better <br /><br />1/25/12 - Things are starting to look up for Wisconsin’s legendary motorcycle maker. Harley-Davidson of Milwaukee reports a 106-million-dollar profit for October-through-December, compared to a loss of 47-million in the same quarter a year ago. Investors made 46-cents a share in the last quarter, after losing 20-cents at the same time the previous year. Sales of Harley motorcycles jumped almost 11-percent worldwide this past fall, and almost 12-percent in the U-S. Sales revenues exceeded a billion dollars, up from 917-million in the same quarter the previous year. Harley C-E-O Keith Wandell said the higher sales were due to a rise in consumer confidence, plus growth in foreign markets. But he says the company is still cautious in its expectations for the New Year. Harley-Davidson saved about as much as it expected from its re-structuring activities last year – around 217-million dollars.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-7326346884033553174?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-67142338406381414952012-01-24T06:19:00.001-06:002012-01-24T06:19:15.720-06:00Charter School Registration Numbers Encouraging <br /><br />1/24/12 - Registration for the new charter school at the former Fox Lake Elementary building is off to a good start. Interim Waupun School District Superintendent Don Childs says that in the first three days of registration being open 42-students applied. Childs told us on WBEV’s Community Comment earlier this month that they would not be able to open the doors unless at least 50 students enroll. With the early enrollment numbers Child says it’s now more likely that they’ll have to go to a lottery system to decide which kids get in and which ones don’t. Families have until March 15th to register, and Childs says if there are more than 125-registrations all students will be put into the lottery. The acronym for the school is “SAGES” which stands for “School for AGriculture and Environmental Science.” Childs says the school will teach all subject areas, with a focus on agriculture and environmental studies, and with emphasis on hands-on field work and learning through project-based learning.<br /><br />Home Sales Hold Steady in Dodge County<br /><br />1/24/12 - The number of homes sold by Wisconsin Realtors went up slightly in 2011, while the median price dropped by 6.4%. The Realtors Association says that its members sold just over 51,500 existing houses in Wisconsin last year -- 120 more than in 2010. There were 745 homes sold in Dodge County, one more than in 2010. In Columbia County last year there were 522 homes sold, up 23 from the previous year. Jefferson County had 741 homes sold last year, and increase of 14. There were 20 less homes sold in Washington County in 2011 compared to the previous year, for a total of 1096. Realtors' board chairman Rob Keefe said home sales lagged from last January through June because the previous year's federal tax credits had expired. The median home sales price for the year was $132,000, that’s $9000 less than in 2010. Dodge County’s median price was down $18,000 over the two-year-period to $100,000. Columbia County price-tags dropped by $12,000 to $128,000. Jefferson County was down $10,000 to $140,000. Washington County saw median home prices drop by $5000 to $180,000. Realtors' C-E-O Mike Theo says it's still a buyer's market. He says the employment picture needs to improve if home sales are to keep growing but Theo said the recent drop in the jobless rate is a quote, "welcomed sign."<br /><br />Juneau Residents Deal with Power Outage <br /><br />1/24/12 - Electricity was out in the city of Juneau for a couple hours Monday. It started around 10:30am when a power pole snapped, downing transmission lines near the wastewater treatment plant. The southern part of the city was affected, mostly the business district. Nearly all of the service was restored by 12:30pm. The wastewater plant remained on a back-up generator until late afternoon as crews worked to fix the utility pole.<br /><br />Digital Access Meeting in Columbia County<br /><br />1/24/12 - The Wisconsin Public Service Commission has scheduled a public meeting this afternoon in Columbia County on plans to expand digital access in the south-central part of the state. People attending will be asked for their input on ways to fill gaps in broadband availability. The PSC says another goal for the meeting is to get public and private investment of time and money to extend broadband service to rural areas where face-to-face interaction is even more difficult, making the service more necessary. The meeting will start at 4:30pm at the Days Inn-Portage. <br /><br />Police Investigating Burglary in Waupun <br /><br />1/24/12 - Authorities in Waupun are investigating a burglary at Helen’s Kitchen. Waupun Police records show the break-in at the West Main Street business happened sometime early Sunday morning. It’s believed the subjects attempted to gain entry through the rear door but were unable to get in, so they broke the glass in the front window. The safe inside the business was opened and an unknown amount of money was taken. Police were notified of the break-in around 5 a-m. Anyone with information is asked to contact Waupun police. <br /><br />Teens Should Avoid Felony Record<br /><br />1/24/12 - Three area teens who were arrested after rifling through vehicles – or “car-shopping” as they called it – should be able to avoid a felony record. The trio was arrested in Randolph last March when they came across a brief case with $600 cash inside. One teen entered into a deferred prosecution agreement yesterday and will have the felony dropped if he stays out of trouble during the one-year probation. Two others previously pled to reduced misdemeanor charges and were also placed on probation. All three also ordered to pay restitution and perform community service. <br /><br />Asboth Gets Two Months in Jail <br /><br />1/24/12 - A former Beaver Dam man will spend at least two-months in jail for stealing from a family member. Cody Asboth of West Bend faced up to six years in prison on a felony charge but yesterday he pled to reduced misdemeanor charges of Theft. Authorities say the 19-year-old moved in with the family member in 2008 and in the years that followed stole as much as $10,000 in cash, a coin collection and jewelry. He pawned the items for around $2700. Asboth ordered to serve 150 days in the Dodge County Jail, but 90 days was stayed by the judge and the remainder will be served with Huber privileges so he can attend school.<br /><br />Man Who Escaped Dahmer Gets 18-months in Prison <br /><br />1/24/12 - The man who led Milwaukee Police to serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in 1991 was sentenced to 18 months in prison today. Authorities said Tracy Edwards helped another man throw Johnny Jordan into the Milwaukee River last July. The 43-year-old Jordan drowned after the three men argued on a downtown Milwaukee bridge. The other defendant, 44-year-old Timothy Carr, was sentenced Friday to four years in prison. The 52-year-old Edwards pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of aiding a felon, and he must spend two years under extended supervision when he leaves prison. Both sides asked Circuit Judge Rebecca Dallet to give Edwards probation for lying to police about the incident. But the judge said Edwards deserved some prison time because at age 52, he should have known better. The judge also gave Edwards credit for 191 days he spent in jail since his arrest. He and Carr must also pay a combined 25-hundred dollars in restitution to Jordan's family. Edwards escaped from Dahmer's clutches in 1991, and led him to police. Dahmer later admitted killing 17 young men and boys before the killer was later murdered in prison.<br /><br />Senators to Vote on Special Education Bill<br /><br />1/24/12 - Wisconsin senators are expected to vote today (Tue) on a bill to limit seclusions and physical restraints of students. Advocates for children with special needs have been pushing for the measure, saying it's those youngsters who are most likely to be restrained or placed in time-out rooms due to outbursts. The bill prohibits certain restraints altogether, like those which don't protect children's heads. It gives procedures on when it's appropriate to restrain or seclude youngsters -- and the practices would have to be done by trained personnel with a goal to encourage positive behavior. The issue has been discussed nationally, but a similar bill in Congress has not gone anywhere. Also today, the state Senate is scheduled to vote on letting high schools hand out vocational diplomas based on credits for vocational-and-technical classes.<br /><br />Big Contract Under Review <br /><br />1/24/12 - Some lawmakers in South Dakota are grumbling after a Wisconsin company earned a five-million-dollar contract to recruit a-thousand new workers to that state. Governor Dennis Daugaard recently said that Milwaukee's Manpower Incorporated won a contract to get financial service and information technology workers to move to South Dakota -- along with factory and engineering workers. But two similar firms that in the state, Dakota Staffing and Careers Unlimited, said they were never aware that such a contract went up for bids. And lawmakers say they want more information before giving final approval to the idea. Policy adviser Kim Olson said the governor's office went beyond the legal process for seeking bids. Olson said the state did not have to publish a request for proposals in newspapers, but it did so anyway in November. Olson said the plan was posted on two Web sites, and 122 vendors who signed up for state contract notifications were alerted.<br /><br />Alda Coming to Wisconsin to Help Train Actors <br /><br />1/24/12 - Alan Alda will help train aspiring actors in southeast Wisconsin in 2013. The former "MASH" star will be the master teacher in next July's fellowship program at Ten Chimneys at Genesee Depot in Waukesha County. Ten Chimneys is the historic estate of theater legends Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. The Ten Chimneys Foundation says Alda will focus on spontaneity during his week-long program. Broadway star Joel Grey will be this year's master teacher in July. Ten Chimneys is located in the town where Lunt was born. He died in 1977, and Fontanne died in 1983.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-6714233840638141495?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-5429284358429772142012-01-21T21:47:00.000-06:002012-01-21T21:47:09.191-06:00<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Archbishop Dolan Coming To Region This Spring</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/22/12 - Former Milwaukee Catholic Archbishop Tim Dolan will return to Wisconsin this spring to celebrate his elevation to cardinal. He’ll preside over a Mass at Holy Hill near Hartford on the afternoon of April 28th. The Vatican announced two weeks ago that Dolan is among 22 prelates to be elevated to cardinals during a ceremony in Rome next month. He led the Catholic Church in 10 southeast Wisconsin counties – including Dodge County – from 2002 until about three years ago, when he became the Archbishop of New York. While in Milwaukee, Dolan had a special relationship with the National Shrine of Mary at Holy Hill. He helped the shrine get designated as a basilica, and he presided over a Mass to celebrate the honor in 2006. The shrine’s rector, Father Don Brick, says he’s excited that Dolan’s coming back. He says it will apparently be the first time that a cardinal presides over a Mass at Holy Hill – and he expects all of the shrine’s 15-hundred seats to be full for that service. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">DMV Expanded Hours Begin This Week</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/22/12 - The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is expanding its DMV service center hours statewide. Kristina Boardman, with the Division of Motor Vehicles says "Beginning the week of January 23, all of Wisconsin’s 72 counties will have a DMV service center offering at least 20 hours per week of driver license, skills testing and identification card services. This expansion is a requirement of the current state budget." Four new service center locations include Alma in Buffalo County; Eau Claire South in Eau Claire County; Keshena in Menominee County; and Viroqua in Vernon County. There will be no change in hours at the Beaver Dam Service Center on Plaza Drive, which serves the Dodge County area. Statewide DMV service hours will increase by more than 625 hours each week, or more than 32,000 hours a year. A list of DMV locations, hours and services is on the Web at www.wisconsindmv.gov.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Alliant Energy CEO To Retire</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/22/12 - The chairman and CEO of Alliant Energy says he will retire at the end of March. William Harvey has led the energy company for the last six years. He’s been with the company for 25 years, since it was known as WPL Holdings. The company’s board of directors has chosen Patricia Kampling to take over for Harvey. That will happen April 1st. Kampling came to work for Alliant in 2005.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Wisconsin Attracting Less Start-Up Capital </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/22/12 - New Wisconsin companies attracted a lot less start-up capital last year. According to the national “Money Tree Report,” 72-million-dollars in venture capital was raised in the Badger State in 2011. That’s about 40-percent less than the previous year, at a time when venture capital grew by 22-percent nationally. Wisconsin firms only attract less than one-percent of the nation’s total venture capital investments. Therefore, John Neis of Venture Investors in Madison says it’s hard to draw conclusions. But in general, he says the state’s situation is lagging behind the nation as a whole. Majority Republicans are trying to do something about that by drafting a bill to provide millions in state funds for venture capital. But the measure has been held up over an insistence by some lawmakers to allow certified capital companies, or CAPCOs, to get state money. That’s drawn criticism by many lawmakers, after a similar program in 1999 saw one company get around eight-million tax dollars without investing it. At last word, CAPCOs have been removed from the latest venture capital bill – but supporters say there might not be enough time to pass a measure before the legislative session ends in March.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Assembly To Consider Mining Law Tweaks</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/22/12 - Republicans in the Wisconsin Assembly say they want to make small changes in the mining bill being considered to route more tax money to local governments. Party members released a bill last month aimed at helping Gogebic Taconite brings hundreds of jobs to the area by building an iron mine in the Penokee Hills. That legislation called for half of the revenue from a state tax on ore sales to go to local governments. The change proposed by the GOP would increase the local share to 60 percent. A legislative committee is expected to approve the bill next Tuesday.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Principal Accused of Selling Pot</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/22/12 - The Antigo High School football coach, who’s also an elementary principal, was one of three people charged Friday in a marijuana sales ring. 47-year-old John Lund was charged in Langlade County Circuit Court, more than seven weeks after he was put on paid administrative leave. He faces eight felony counts of possessing, manufacturing, and delivering marijuana – and maintaining a drug trafficking place. Twenty-six similar charges were filed against 55-year-old Scot Peterson of Antigo. And three counts were levied against 46-year-old Bradley Maahs of Wittenberg. All three are scheduled to make initial court appearances on Monday. Authorities said they found drug evidence when they searched the homes of Peterson and Maahs in late November and early December. Peterson reportedly told investigators he bought marijuana and re-sold it to others, naming 10 people. Lund apparently told officers in late November he received the drug from the other defendants several times – and he also sold marijuana to Peterson so he could distribute it to others. The Antigo School District refused comment on thecharges, and said it would review Lund’s administrative leave status this week. The School District sent parents a letter in early December saying Lund was put on leave. He was the principal of Pleasant View and West elementary schools in Antigo.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Teacher Accused of Relationship With Former Student</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/22/12 - A teacher at Hales Corners Lutheran School could spend up to nine months in jail if he’s convicted of having a relationship with teenager. Craig Perino is accused of having sex with a 16-year-old girl who was a former student. Perino was charged in Racine County Court last week. He has been suspended from his job as a middle school teacher. Perino told police he knew the victim from the time when he was a student at his school. He reportedly confirmed sex contact had happened.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Plea Set For Prisoner Who Made Fake University</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/22/12 - A state prisoner is scheduled to enter a plea February 10th to creating a fake university, and encouraging a fellow inmate to enroll and pay tuition. Prosecutors labeled 45-year-old Kenneth Shong as a career con-man with eight aliases. He was ordered Friday to stand trial on a felony fraud charge. Investigators said he was serving time in the state prison at Oshkosh in 2006 when he set up Carlingford University, and convinced a fellow inmate to enroll. The inmate reportedly had his mother send a check for 17-hundred-dollars in tuition to Carlingford’s campus in Mobile Alabama – which turned out to be a post office box set up by Shong. Investigators also said a convicted sex offender from Green Bay had persuaded another inmate to enroll in the fake school – and the sex offender created his own post office box and got help from another Green Bay man to set up a Web site. State corrections’ officials have not said whether the sex offender or his alleged helper would face charges.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">UW Scientist Suspends Bird Flu Research</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/22/12 - U-W Madison scientist Yoshihiro Kawaoka joined others Friday in suspending their research into the potentially-deadly bird flu. About three dozen scientists said they would “pause” their studies for 60 days, while international specialists discuss what should be done with the products of their work. Researchers at the U-W and Erasmus University in the Netherlands created a lab version of the bird flu to study how the disease would threaten people. But U-S officials who funded the studies urged the scientists last month not to publicize the formulas of their lab flu, so bio-terrorists would not steal it and the strains don’t escape if an accident were to happen. The scientists reluctantly agreed not to publish all of the details, as long as the government comes up with a system to give the data to scientists who need to know the formula for their own research. The National Institutes of Health is working on the system. In announcing their “pause,” Kawaoka and the other researchers called for an international public meeting to debate the best ways for scientists to learn safely about what’s been developed so far.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Wisconsin Ag Trade With Vietnam Likely</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/22/12 - It might take a few years, but it seems clear that Wisconsin’s agriculture industry will do more trade business with Vietnam. State Ag Secretary Ben Brancel and his department’s international consultant, Jennifer Lu, went on a trade mission to Vietnam last week to look for exporting opportunities. Brancel tells Brownfield Ag News that Vietnam has a fast-growing economy with a rapid growth in dairy consumption, and 80-percent of their disposable income is spent on food. Brancel said he and Lu were surprised when the Vietnamese said they wanted a-thousand dairy heifers and 30 embryos from Wisconsin. Only a limited amount of land is available in that country. And Brancel said it’s more suitable for confinement-based cattle which are common in the U-S – and they’ll need to import grains to feed whatever cows they get. Also, the state’s ag leader says Vietnam’s population is growing by 900-thousand people a year – and the country’s own dairy industry won’t be able to keep up with the increasing demand. Brancel says the state will work with the U-S-D-A to find people interested in doing business with Vietnam – and it will take a few years to build the necessary relationships.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-542928435842977214?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-82592762012853301522012-01-21T07:24:00.001-06:002012-01-21T07:24:20.258-06:00<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Fire At Sensient Flavors</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/21/12 - Crews from three departments and the Dodge County Hazmat Team responded to a fire Friday night at Sensient Flavors. Juneau Fire Chief Curt Ninmann says the structure fire at 330 South Mill Street was reported at 7:45pm. The blaze started in an oil heater dryer, was brought under control within 35 minutes and was contained to a mechanical room. Ninmann says oil and water run-off in the building was handled by the plant’s internal wastewater treatment facility, with the remaining run-off from fire fighting operations outside the building was controlled by the Dodge County HAZMAT team. A private contractor was contacted to dispose of the waste run-off. The Juneau Fire Department was assisted by Clyman Fire Department and Horicon Fire Department.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Philbin Takes Dolphins Head Coaching Job</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/21/12 - Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin has been named head coach for the Miami Dolphins. Philbin earned the head coaching job just two weeks after his son died and one week after the Packers were knocked out of the NFL playoffs. Philbin first interviewed for the Dolphin job January 7th. His son Michael’s body was found the next day. Philbin has coached with the Packers since 2003 and has been offensive coordinator since 2007. He got the job after Miami’s first choice, Jeff Fisher, turned the team down to become head coach of the St. Louis Rams. The Dolphins are coming off three straight losing seasons – something that hadn’t happened for nearly 50 years. The team hasn’t reached the Super Bowl in 27 years.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Alcohol Suspected In Early Morning Runoffs</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/21/12 - Authorities in Dodge County responded to numerous runoffs throughout the day yesterday and at least personal injury accident. There were three runoffs reported Saturday morning between 3:15am and 4am and all three may have been alcohol-related. The first runoff happened on Highway 68 in the Town of Trenton. Two passengers were sitting in the back seat after the driver had apparently taken off on foot and was later apprehended. A 24-year-old Beaver Dam woman was transported to the hospital for a legal blood draw. Five minutes later, deputies were called to a car in a ditch on Woodland Road in the Town of Herman. A 49-year-old man was cited for his first OWI with a blood alcohol level over twice the legal limit. A half-hour later, another runoff this time on Highway 175 in the Town of Theresa, where a truck was trying to pull a van out of the ditch. A 64-year-old Theresa man, who owned both vehicles, had a blood alcohol level that was just over the legal limit for driving.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Dahmer Tipster To Be Sentenced Monday</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/21/12 - A man who admitted throwing another man to his death off a bridge in downtown Milwaukee was sentenced Friday to four years in prison. 45-year-old Timothy Carr of Milwaukee must also spend five years under extended supervision. Police said he and Tracy Edwards threw 43-year-old Johnny Jordan into the Milwaukee River where he drowned. It happened last July while the three were arguing. Carr jumped in to try and save Jordan – but it was too late, and police pulled the two out of the water. Carr pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment. Edwards – who’s known for leading Milwaukee Police to serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in 1991 – will have his case settled on Monday. He struck a plea deal on his charges.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Milwaukee Man Gets Life In Random Shooting</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/21/12 - An 18-year-old Milwaukee man will spend the rest of his life in prison for the random murder of a teenage girl 13 months ago. A judge refused Friday to give Marcus Evans any chance for a supervised release. He was carrying a shotgun he had just pointed at his mother when he spotted 17-year-old Jonoshia Alexander on December 15th of 2010. Evans didn’t know the girl, but he forced her into an alley where he shot her twice in the head. Alexander was walking home from a north side Milwaukee bus stop, on her way home from a high school dance practice. According to the Journal Sentinel, Evans was born with cocaine in his system to a schizo-phrenic father and a mother with bi-polar disorder. When he was 15, Evans shot and wounded a cousin, and was given 14 months in juvenile detention. He killed Alexander six months after he left the institution.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">BDPD Investigating Tavern Theft</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/21/12 - The Beaver Dam Police Department is investigating the theft of money from a local tavern. Owners with Dino’s Bar and Grill on 400 South Center Street reported to police Thursday morning that someone had stolen three bags of money sometime after closing. Anyone with information should contact the Beaver Dam Police Department.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Officials: ‘Clearview On-Time, On-Budget’</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/21/12 - Dodge County officials say the renovation of the new Clearview Long-term Care and Rehabilitation facility in Juneau is on time and on budget. The construction is currently in Phase Two of the $44.5-million project, with most of the outside work completed by the end of 2011. When it’s done, the state-of-the-art facility will have 236 beds. Currently there are 110 residents living in the newest portion of the building that was part of Phase One and completed last summer, while the remaining residents are still being housed in the older building. Officials are planning a dedication ceremony on June 30, which would be two-years to the day that ground was broken. It’s expected that all residents will be moved in by mid-August. Clearview serves the county’s aging population as well as those with behavioral and mental health issues and also has one of only three brain injury rehabilitation centers in the state.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Columbus Council To Consider Liquor License Request</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/21/12 - The “Doo Drop Inn Bar and Grill” passed an initial Columbus liquor license hearing this week. Applicant Roger Kennedy plans to rent – with an option to buy – the former Fireman’s Tap building at James and Water streets. Kennedy says he plans to operate the downtown building as a Bar and Grill. The Fireman’s Tap closed its’ doors in 2006 and the building has remained vacant. The City Council will vote on approving the Class B beer &amp; liquor license on February 7th.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Columbus Sleigh Rally A Go</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/21/12 - The current snowy weather has been helpful for the Columbus “Sleigh Rally and Festival” planned for February 11 at Fireman’s Park. The City and the Wisconsin Horse Council have been planning the winter event. Festival Coordinator Melanie Lichtfield told the City Council this week that registrations for the event continue to come in. Horse show competition and sleigh rides are planned for the outside events. Planners are also including a chili cook off, model horse show, cake walk and cookie decorating inside the Park Pavilion. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Gableman Refusing To Recuse Himself</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/21/12 - Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman says he won’t recuse himself from three cases. One of them is an attempt to reopen last year’s decision allowing the governor’s controversial collective bargaining law to go into effect. Attorneys involved in the cases asked Gableman to step aside because parties on the other side of the lawsuit had been represented by the firm which defended Gableman against an ethics violation. The justice wasn’t billed for the legal services. Gableman cited Supreme Court decisions in similar cases and comments by Chief Justice John Roberts about withdrawal decisions. The full Supreme Court could still force Gableman off the cases.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Wetlands Bill Heading To Senate</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/21/12 - A bill that could make it easier to build on Wisconsin wetlands is on its way to the state Senate. Four Republicans voted yes, and three Democrats voted no when the Senate Natural Resources Committee endorsed the measure. The chief sponsor, panel chairman Neal Kedzie of Elkhorn, calls the changes an improvement over the D-N-R’s present policy – which puts a major burden on developers to have little-or-no net damage to wetlands. The bill would make a number of changes in the process of getting state permits to fill in wetlands. They include the preparing of a mitigation plan in which developers would either have to create new wetlands, pay the D-N-R to support its efforts to restore wetlands, or buy credits from groups that have restored wetlands. The bill’s supporters say builders would get new ways to prove that they can offset damage to valuable wetlands. But conservation groups fear that it would open the door to more losses of wetlands, claiming that mitigation would be the prime choice. They also accused Kedzie of trying to ram the bill through – something Kedzie denied. He says he’s just trying to open up some options, and the Wisconsin Wetlands Association supports the bill. Business, home-building, and road-building groups are also behind it. Wetlands are valuable for soaking up water and preventing floods. The D-N-R says about half of Wisconsin’s wetlands have been lost to agriculture and construction over the last 150 years.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-8259276201285330152?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-29189875821898555852012-01-20T07:18:00.001-06:002012-01-20T07:18:56.861-06:00Mayville Products Corp. Closing<br /><br />1/20/12 - The Mayville Products Corporation in Dodge County will close by March 30th, leaving 130 people out of work. The firm announced the closing yesterday to state and local officials. Human resources administrator Lisa Zangl cited “business conditions” as the reason for the move – but she did not elaborate. Mayville Products is a designer and maker of cabinets, frames, mounting products, and racks under several brand names. <br /><br />Below Zero Temps Precede More Snow <br /><br />1/20/12 - It’s well below zero in most of Wisconsin this morning – but unlike yesterday, folks are not battling dangerous wind chills. It was 25-below in Tomahawk at 7am, but the air was calm there. As of 7am, it was -3 in Beaver Dam, while Watertown, Waupun and Cambria were all at 1-below. Mineral Point was the state’s warm spot at plus-three. Meanwhile, we are under a winter weather advisory beginning at 9am through 7pm tonight. We are expecting the snow to start falling later this morning with a total of between 3 and six inches by the time the storm moves out. The upper-30’s will return to southeast Wisconsin on Sunday – and there’s a chance for freezing rain in the south on Sunday and Monday.<br /><br />Juneau Appoints New Utility Commissioners <br /><br />1/20/12 - City officials in Juneau met in special session last night to approve appointments to the entire Utility Commission Board. Last week, the Common Council approved a restructuring of the Utility Commission meant to save money and increase efficiency. The change came after other elected and appointed city officials took a reduction in annual salary and per-meeting stipends; the commission that oversees the city-owned utility balked and the mayor refused to reappoint Commission President Dan Wegner. In the time that followed, the remaining four members of the commission resigned, three of them immediately after last weeks meeting, leaving Mayor Ron Bosak with an entirely new commission to appoint. The restructuring ordinance replaced two of the five commissioners with alderpersons. Bosak appointed Roxanne Buss and Mark Lentz to fill the council vacancies. One of the reasons opponents of the restructuring cited for keeping the status quo was the depth of knowledge that previous commissioners developed over years of service, many with a background in electricity. Bosak says that skill set, while appreciated, is not necessary. Just the same he says one of his appointments, Merlin Luedtke, worked 20 years as Electric Superintendent for the city of Juneau. The other two citizen representatives on the Utility Commission are Dave Muenchow and Jerry Stolzman. The Utility Commission has a meeting scheduled for this Monday at which time officers will be elected and committees will be formed. <br /><br />Speeding Tickets Up, Accidents Down in Dodge County<br /><br />1/20/12 - Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls says his department in recent years has dramatically increased the number of speeding citations it issues and he says that has had a positive impact on the number of traffic accidents in the county. According to the most recent data available, deputies in Dodge County issued over 5600 speeding tickets in 2010, an increase of 1200 from the previous year and 3500 more tickets than were issued in 2006. Nehls credits advances in technology which he says has allowed his deputies to focus on traffic safety and enforcement. He says everything a deputy used to have to do in an office five years ago can now be done in a squad car thanks to devices like mobile data computers. There were 834 accidents in 2010, down 20% from 2006. And traffic fatalities for the last two years have been at an all-time low. That gets deputies back on the road quicker leading to higher visibility and lower instances of speeding and crashes. The Sheriff says he has increased speeding citations without speed traps and encourages his deputies to issue warnings to first-time speeders, avoiding penalties wherever possible in promoting safe driving. He says there is a 4-to-1 radio of warnings to speeding tickets. <br /><br />Bertram Waives Preliminary Hearing <br /><br />1/20/12 - A Milwaukee man, accused of running from Watertown police at a high rate of speed, has waived his right to a preliminary hearing. Steven Bertram is charged with one felony count of Fleeing an Officer, which carries a maximum three-and-a-half year prison sentence, if he is convicted. According to the criminal complaint, police stopped the 22-year-old on the Highway 16 Bypass in October for speeding. When the officer informed Bertram that he had three warrants out for his arrest, Bertram allegedly stood silent for a moment, slowly put his hands on the ignition and “slammed his car into gear.” A one-mile chase followed that reportedly reached speeds of 85mph before the officer terminated the pursuit. A citation was sent to Bertram. A passenger in the vehicle later told police that Bertram said he didn’t know about the warrants and didn’t want to get arrested and lose his job. An arraignment hearing is on the calendar next month.<br /><br />More Private Sector Jobs Lost in December <br /><br />1/20/12 - Wisconsin lost more private sector jobs last month while the nation as a whole made gains. Preliminary federal figures released today show that Wisconsin lost 39-hundred private sector jobs in December while the nation added 212-thousand positions. Both numbers reflect seasonal factors, and they’re open to revisions when more complete surveys are finished. It was the sixth straight month that Wisconsin recorded job losses, after making gains in the first six months of last year. Final figures from November showed that Wisconsin lost 14-hundred fewer private sector jobs than originally reported – but the final loss was still about 10-thousand for the month. Most of the lost jobs in December were in the leisure-and-hospitality areas and other service industries. Wisconsin’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a point to seven-point-one percent. That’s the same drop as the national rate had in December. The U-S rate is now eight-and-a-half percent. Officials said Wisconsin’s decline was due to the fact that the total number of people working grew by 69-hundred from November to December – and by 21-thousand compared to a year ago.<br /><br />Elections Agency Looking to Extend Time to Review Petitions <br /><br />The state elections’ agency plans to go to court next week to ask for more time to review the estimated one-point-nine million recall signatures submitted against six officials. But director Kevin Kennedy is not ready to say how much extra time will be sought beyond the 31 days allowed by law. Kennedy answered questions about the process yesterday during a public interview at the Marquette Law School in Milwaukee. Right now, the petition signatures are being scanned into computers – and a database will be formed to make it easier to check for false-and-duplicate signatures. Kennedy said workers are testing the new software that checks the signatures – and the agency believes it will work. Government Accountability Board spokesman Reid Magney says the scanning of petitions for four state Senate recall elections should be completed today. But Magney said it would take longer to enter the signatures against Governor Scott Walker and Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch. Thousands more signatures were submitted than the numbers required to order recall elections. And Kennedy said it’s possible that the checking process will end once it’s obvious there are enough valid signatures to call each election. He says those kinds of decisions cannot be made until they’re into the process. As Kennedy put it, “This is a whole new ball game.” <br /><br />Education Reform Bills to be Introduced to WI Legislature<br /><br />Bills to reform Wisconsin’s public schools will be introduced this month in both houses of the Legislature. Governor Scott Walker outlined the measures yesterday at a convention of school board members and district officials in Milwaukee. The state would set up its own system to make schools accountable, replacing parts of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. There would also be a tougher licensing exam for teachers, new requirements for elementary instructors, and a system to evaluate teachers-and-principals. Each school would have its own screener to determine how much incoming kindergarteners have learned. And Walker said the state would pay for those positions. The proposals came from the governor’s Read-to-Lead task force and two other groups dealing with effective educators and school accountability. State Superintendent Tony Evers said he was never consulted on the fine points of the new bills, even though he served on two of the three task forces. But Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie says the Department of Public Instruction has been briefed on the measures – and Evers will be consulted. He said the heads of the Assembly and Senate education committees, Republicans Steve Kestell and Luther Olsen, would write the bills. Werwie says the total costs have yet to be determined. Mary Bell, head of the state’s largest teachers’ union, said her group was involved in one of the task forces but was never consulted on the bills. And she feared that the details would conflict with what Walker highlights in public, quote, “as with many things” during his time as governor. <br /><br />Associated Bank Profits Up 600%<br /><br />The largest bank that’s based in Wisconsin reports a 600-percent increase in its quarterly profits from a year ago. Associated Bank-Corp of Green Bay had a net income of just under 40-million-dollars from October-through-December. That’s up from six-point-six million in the same quarter of 2010. Earnings per share rose from four-cents to 23. Associated had a big drop in bad loans. Delinquent loans totaled 357-million-dollars in the last year. That’s the lowest in two years, and it was down 38-percent from the year before. The bank also reported a 79-percent decrease in the number of bad loans it wrote off. Associated also said it added a much smaller amount to its reserves for covering bad loans – just one-million dollars in the last quarter, down from 63-million in the final quarter of 2010. C-E-O Philip Flynn expects a three-percent growth in loans in each quarter of 2012. Associated became the largest Wisconsin home-based bank when M-and-I was sold to B-M-O of Canada. <br /><br />Remington Staying in Madison-area<br /><br />1/20/12 - The maker of Remington shavers says it will keep its headquarters in the Madison area and continue to manufacture Ray-o-Vac batteries in Portage. Spectrum Brands said for the first time publicly Thursday that it considered moving to Miramar Florida, where one of its home appliance subsidiaries is based. But in a statement, the company cited cost savings, space efficiencies, and a forgivable four-million-dollar state loan in deciding to stay in Wisconsin. Spectrum Brands plans to build a new headquarters facility in the Madison suburb of Middleton. It’s due to open in 2013, and the company says it will have room for up to 70 professional employees who now work in Florida. Had the headquarters been moved, C-E-O Dave Lumley said up to 300 jobs would have been transferred from Madison. Spectrum Brands has battery plants in Portage and Fennimore, and a center in De Forest to handle returns. Besides batteries and razors, Spectrum also makes Black-and-Decker appliances, pet supplies, and insect repellents. The firm says it has an economic impact of 100-million-dollars a year in Wisconsin.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-2918987582189855585?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-64517582370477740182012-01-18T07:33:00.002-06:002012-01-18T07:33:42.596-06:00Pair of Serious Accidents on Highway 33<br /><br />1/18/12 - Slippery roads are said to have played a role in an accident that sent a 79-year-old Mayville man to the hospital. It happened a couple miles outside of Horicon just before 4pm on Highway 33 near North Grove Road. According to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department, Ralph Smith was driving west when he lost control of his truck and it spun over the centerline and went into the ditch where it overturned and struck a utility pole. Smith had to be extricated from the vehicle and was taken to Beaver Dam Community Hospital before being flown by MedFlight to UW-Hospital in Madison. Authorities say the highway was snow covered and slippery at the time of the crash. <br /><br />Meanwhile, a head-on collision sent two Horicon men to the hospital early this morning. It also happened on Highway 33 near Fairfield Road just before 3am. According to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department, 47-year-old Kevin Lucht was driving his truck east when he crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a car driven by 18-year-old Davis Kiefer. Both drivers were hospitalized. Authorities say their investigation is ongoing but they don’t believe road conditions were a factor in the crash. <br /><br />Burnett Man Accused of Obstructing Death Investigation<br /><br />1/18/12 - A Burnett man is accused of obstructing a death investigation. Shane Teletzke was reportedly at the Grandview Motel in Beaver Dam on the morning 26-year-old Aliecia Nichols died in a suspected heroin overdose. According to the criminal complaint, Teletzke was flushing unknown contraband down the toilet when officers arrived on scene. A blue powdery substance was reportedly uncovered from the toilet and a water sample was taken before it completely dissolved. When asked about the flushed items, Teletzke reportedly said (quote) “stuff no one needed to see anyway.” The 24-year-old told investigators that Nichols called Teletzke to her motel room at 5am because she was feeling ill. Police were called around 9:30am to reports of a “pulse-less non-breather.” Nichols was pronounced dead a short time later at the Beaver Dam Community Hospital. He says the two fell asleep. Teletzke is also charged with felony drug possession after he was searched and officers allegedly found a bag of marijuana. He is also charged with two counts of felony bail jumping. Teletzke was out on bond after being arrested for felony drug possession in Dane County last November. A signature bond was set at $1000 and a preliminary hearing is on the calendar next month. His Dodge County charges carry a penalty of up to 16-years in prison, if he is convicted. The Nichols death remains under investigation and authorities say additional charges are possible.<br /><br />Murder Suspect Found Dead In Green Lake County<br /><br />1/18/12 - A Hustisford woman accused of injuring one child and killing another while she was babysitting was found dead Monday at a residence in Green Lake County. Renee Kuehl (keel) was charged with three felonies, including First Degree Reckless Homicide and Child Abuse Intentionally Causing Great Bodily Harm. The 49-year-old was accused of inflicting fatal trauma on a 22-month-old boy who fell down the stairs while she was babysitting in 2007. The incident was ruled an accident but when a two-year-old girl who Kuehl was babysitting suffered similar injuries two years later, doctors took another look and determined that the fatal injuries were not accidental. In a press release, Dodge County District Attorney Kurt Klomberg expressed sympathy to the Kuehl family and said her (quote) ”untimely death means that now the truth about these cases will never be heard.” Green Lake County Coroner Darlene Strey says an autopsy conducted Tuesday in Madison confirmed that foul play is not suspected.<br /><br />Standoff Suspect Turns Himself In<br /><br />1/17/12 - A Fox Lake man accused of sparking a standoff with authorities last month has turned himself into police. Brandon Babcock was allegedly involved in a domestic incident on the 200 block of Rosedale Avenue. A woman left the residence but Babcock remained inside. While no weapons were involved in the domestic altercation it was believed there were weapons available to the man inside and some nearby residents were evacuated. After several hours, Nehls says it was necessary to decide if they would escalate the situation by using tear gas into the home for voluntary compliance or employ “dynamic entry” by the Dodge County SWAT Team. The sheriff says after consulting with law enforcement on scene he made the determination to “disengage” and attempt to take the suspect into custody at some point in the future or through a summons from the Dodge County District Attorneys office. An arrest warrant was issued Monday and Babcock turned himself in this morning. The 23-year-old is facing is formally charged of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.<br /><br />Recall Petitions Submitted<br /><br />1/17/12 - Petitions were filed Tuesday to order recall elections against six Republican state politicians. Lori Compas, who heads the campaign against Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, stood on the steps of the Government Accountability Board offices and announced she had 20-thousand-600 signatures. That's almost four-thousand more than the 16-thousand-742 valid signatures required to put the Juneau Republican up for election this summer. Compas said a lot of people have asked her if she'll run against Fitzgerald. She remains undecided. Fitzgerald says that he's been "overwhelmed" with support since the recall drive began. He said his fellow Republicans balanced a "massive" budget deficit without raising taxes or laying off state employees. He also said quote, "We gave power back to school districts and municipalities which allowed them to prioritize their spending and avoid mass layoffs." And he said his chamber passed over a dozen job-creation bills to lay the foundation for the state's economy to recover.<br /><br />Governor Scott Walker, meanwhile, says that he’ll campaign on his record, and he expects voters to stand by him in the recall election that appears likely this summer. United Wisconsin – which conducted the two-month petition drive on behalf of Democrats and labor unions – said it turned in over one-million signatures. They need 540-thousand valid signatures to force the Republican Walker to stand in a recall election after he will have served about a year-and-a-half of his four-year term. Walker issued a statement that his state budget and his measure to virtually end public union bargaining were needed to control spending, keep taxes in check, and balance the budget while avoiding state employee layoffs. <br /><br />Petitioners also said they filed 305-thousand more signatures than they needed to force a recall vote against Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and more than the required numbers were submitted against fellow Republican senators Terry Moulton, Van Wanggaard, and Pam Galloway. The state Government Accountability Board says it will need more than two months and new petition-reading software to check for invalid petition signatures. The Board plans to go to court this week to seek an extension of the normal 31-day review process – and it will ask that all the elections be held on the same day. <br /><br />Dem’s Leaning Toward Barrett<br /><br />1/18/12 - Wisconsin voters apparently want a rematch between Governor Walker and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. The firm of Public Policy Polling says Barrett leads former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk 46-to-27 percent if they're the only two candidates in a Democratic primary. If Barrett runs only against former Congressman Dave Obey, Barrett would lead 43-to-28 percent. And if there are four candidates in a Democratic primary, Barrett would have 26-percent, compared to 22-percent for Falk, 21-percent for Obey, and 11-percent for Janesville Senate Democrat Tim Cullen. The Public Policy poll interviewed people most likely to vote in a Democratic party. About 60-percent of those people were Democrats -- but 11-percent were Republicans, and 30-percent were independents.<br /><br />DC Board Approves Purchase of Land<br /><br />1/17/12 - The Dodge County Board took the first steps last night towards constructing a new radio communications tower in the southeast portion of the county by purchasing about 1.75-acres in the town of Ashippun. Though it’s contingent on approval by the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Aviation Association, the board approved a resolution that will allow the county to purchase the Cleveland Road parcel for a total cost of about $57,000. Emergency Management Director Joe Meagher says radio communications in that part of the county are almost non-existent and that impacts the response time of fire departments and other law enforcement agencies. If they are approved by the FCC and FAA they hope to go to bid in February and want to have the tower up before new federal regulations go into place next January. The total budget for the project is around $700,000. <br /><br /><br />BDUSD Science Partnership Grant Renewed<br /><br />1/17/12 - A partnership grant between the Beaver Dam School District and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh has been renewed by the Department of Public Instruction. The $145,000 grants is part of $1.7-million statewide being used to help teachers become better at teaching math and science in their classrooms. For Beaver Dam and UW-Oshkosh the focus is on teaching science, and Superintendent Steve Vessey says the program results over the first few years have been very encouraging. Other local districts, like Cambria-Friesland, Fall River and Randolph, and Watertown are also part of partnerships with other higher learning institutions. <br /><br />Senate Approves New Guidelines For NRB<br /><br />1/18/12 - The Wisconsin Senate voted 23-to-9 Tuesday in favor of new qualifications to serve on the state Natural Resources Board. The bill is designed to have more sporting enthusiasts represented on the D-N-R’s policy-setting panel. Under the measure, three of the seven board members must have owned hunting, fishing, or trapping licenses for seven-of-the-10 years before they’re appointed. And one board member must come from the agricultural sector. The Assembly approved the same changes last October, so the bill now goes to Governor Scott Walker. <br /><br />Senate Approves Open Enrollment Changes<br /><br />1/18/12 - The Senate approved changes Tuesday in the open enrollment law, also known as the public school choice program. The bill would give parents more time to seek enrollments for their kids outside their home districts – and the home districts would have to share details with the other school systems about discipline problems. Supporters say the bill would give a second chance to youngsters struggling in their home districts. Opponents fear the bill would harm schools by reducing their enrollments while places like virtual schools benefit. The package has been amended a couple times, and the Senate sent the bill back to the Assembly on a voice vote.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-6451758237047774018?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-33258279658838150652012-01-17T07:16:00.001-06:002012-01-17T07:16:02.783-06:00No Demerit Points Given To Game On<br /><br />1/17/12 - The Beaver Dam Police Department is recommending that no points be assessed against the Game On dance club, where three fights occurred in a one-month period. As part of the city’s Demerit Point Ordinance, local bars can be assessed points for violations of everything from underage drinking to bar fights. Any business that racks-up 150 points in a rolling 12-month period trigger’s a hearing that could result in suspension of revocation of its liquor license. Game On already had 100 points when officers responded to the Madison Street bar in November following a fight. Police were NOT notified by the establishment and Game On was assessed another 40 points. Another fight occurred in December, but 9-1-1 was called following that incident. The on the morning of New Years Day, multiple fights were reported while police were on already scene, leaving no reason to contact police. That, combined with other factors, led Police Chief Ron Smith to determine that no points were necessary from the two most recent fights. Smith says the owner of the bar has done everything authorities have asked and he does not view the establishment as a risk to public or police safety. In addition to contacting police, management has installed more cameras and hired a firm out of Fond du Lac to handle security. Game On had 100 points assessed on January 16, 2011 for serving underage patrons. Under the terms of the ordinance, those points disappear after one year so as of today, January 17, 2012, Game On only has the 40 points it earned in November hanging over its head.<br /><br />New Community Center Named “Watermark”<br /><br />1/17/12 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night approved a new name for the planned Community and Senior Center. There are no city tax dollars planned for renovation of the former Fullerton Lumber building at 209 South Center, so the non-profit group “Friends of the Beaver Dam Community Center” is organizing a $2.9 million dollar fundraising campaign. As part of the campaign, the group unveiled a new logo and building name last night, asking the blessing of city leaders as they move forward. Karla Jensen chairs a Communications Task Force associated with the Friends group. Jensen says the name “Watermark” reflects the high water mark in the river that runs behind the building and also represents high quality paper. She says the group expects the building and its programs to reach that same high quality standard for the community. The Friends group is in pre-campaign mode, with plans to launch their official fundraising campaign shortly. Representatives with the non-profit will be our guests on WBEV’s Community Comment next Tuesday.<br /><br />Recall Signatures to Be Delivered Today <br /><br />1/17/12 - Democrats and union supporters will submit an estimated one-and-a-half million recall signatures today. The state Government Accountability Board will then start reviewing the signatures, to see if there are enough to order recall elections against Governor Scott Walker, Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and four G-O-P state senators, including Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau. Meanwhile, Democrats say they're against the Board's effort to hold all recall votes on the same day. State law requires those elections to be held six weeks after petitions are verified -- and petitions for the smaller Senate recalls are expected to be reviewed a lot quicker than the statewide petitions for governor. Graeme Zielinski of the State Democratic Party says the recall votes should be held as quickly as possible, and delaying one or more of them would break the law. He's concerned that the G-O-P incumbents are not given more time to raise money for their campaigns. Holding the votes on the same day would save money for local government clerks. The state says a single election, with no primary, would cost the state-and-local communities around nine-million dollars.<br /><br />MLK Jr Celebration at Capitol Turns Political <br /><br />1/17/12 - Wisconsin is not the only state where a new voter I-D law was criticized at a Martin Luther King Day event. Rallies in Georgia and South Carolina focused on similar laws in those states, as speakers accused officials of trying to suppress black votes. In Madison, the issue came up during the state's official King Day observance at the State Capitol. The keynote speaker, Maryland law professor Sherrillyn Ifill, did not specifically mention Wisconsin's I-D law. But the former NAACP staff lawyer said King would have opposed it the same way he fought poll taxes and literacy tests. That drew loud applause from hundreds of people who attended. Governor Scott Walker, who approved the voter I-D law, sat quietly and listened. When he left, a couple protestors tried following him yelling "Shame, Shame" -- and they were stopped by security. Walker's only involvement in the ceremony was reading a proclamation for King Day. As he did that, two dozen protestors turned their backs and hissed. <br /><br />BD Approves Resolution On Civil Public Discourse<br /><br />1/17/12 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night approved a resolution urging civil public discourse in government. The resolution was brought forward by City Attorney Mary Ann Schacht at the suggestion of the Wisconsin League of Municipalities and cites (quote) “divisive attacks…which lead to ineffective public decision making, citizen frustration and damage to our democracy.” In its January issue, the League encouraged local governments to adopt the measure. Schacht says the hope at the beginning of a new year is to steer the conversation toward good government and good communications. The resolution reads (quote), “that the city of Beaver Dam urges all government officials and employees, political parties, media representatives, advocacy organizations and candidates for political office and their supporters to strive toward a more civil public discourse in the conduct of political activities and in the administration of the affairs of government.” The resolution was adopted without dissent.<br /><br />PAVE Services See Record Year<br /><br />1/17/12 - Twenty-eleven (2011) was a record year for the domestic violence shelter in Beaver Dam. That’s according to Executive Director Jamie Kratz-Gullickson who says they provided over 4000 nights of shelter to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault last year, compared to 2800 the previous year. A night of shelter is measured as one person spending one night in the shelter. Kratz-Gullickson says when she started in 2007, PAVE provided 1200 nights of shelter. The closest they’ve gotten to the 4000 nights provided last year was in 2009, when there were 3800 nights of shelter recorded. PAVE helped 665 individual clients last year, compared to 600 the previous year. She says the increase has them re-assessing the size and versatility of the PAVE shelter.<br /><br />High Speed Internet Could Impact Farmers<br /><br />1/17/12 - Wisconsin farmers, pilots, and land surveyors say their G-P-S systems would be wrecked by a plan to provide high-speed Internet service around the country. Light-Squared Incorporated is offering Four-"G" service that would meet the federal government's goal of providing broadband Internet coverage nationwide by 2015. But a new government report says the Light-Squared system would create interference in three-fourths of the nation's G-P-S devices, which operate on weaker signals. Some of those systems are used by the military -- and the Federal Communications Commission is barred from approving signals that interfere with the military's G-P-S locators. Sean Elliott of the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh says instrument-guided landing systems are threatened by G-P-S interference. Dodge County land information officer Joyce Fiacco says Light-Squared's signal would affect surveying equipment, and set their work back 20 years. Casey Langan of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation says farmers use G-P-S to plant crops and apply proper amounts of pesticides. Light-Squared spokesman Chris Stern tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the company has offered to reduce the strength of its signal. And the firm accused the G-P-S industry of infringing on a spectrum that Light-Squared built. The F-C-C's final approval is due by the end of January. Fond du Lac House Republican Tom Petri has asked the agency to reject the plan, saying G-P-S interference could cause hundreds of fatal airplane crashes over the next decade.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-3325827965883815065?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-5668882079319821282012-01-16T07:25:00.001-06:002012-01-16T07:25:55.540-06:00Registration This Week at Fox Lake Charter School<br /><br />1/16/12 - Registration begins Wednesday for the new charter school in the former Fox Lake Elementary School. The building was closed following the 2008-2009 school year in a budget cutting measure. In 2010, the Waupun School Board unanimously approved a proposal put together by an ad-hoc committee made up mostly of Fox Lake residents to begin a charter school. The conversion into a charter school became a reality last August when the district received a $200,000 planning grant from the state. Waupun School District Superintendent Don Childs says the only new costs the district will have to absorb come from operating costs, utilities and day-to-day operating costs. The acronym for the school is “SAGES” which stands for “School for AGriculture and Environmental Science.” Childs says the school will teach all subject areas, with a focus on agriculture and environmental studies, and with emphasis on hands-on field work and learning through project-based learning. During the first year, the school will teach grades Kindergarten through Sixth Grade. If successful, they will add Seventh Grade in year two and Eighth Grade in year three. Childs says the school will not be able to open its doors if there are less than 50 students enrolled for the upcoming school year. Conversely, if there are more than 125 registrations, all students will be put into a lottery to determine who gets in. <br /><br />Kitchen Fire Damage Lowell Residence<br /><br />1/16/12 - Fire damaged a Lowell residence early Sunday morning. Firefighters were called to the 600-block of Lorraine just after 2am. Smoke and flames were visible when crews arrived on scene. The fire was contained to the kitchen. A 46-year-old Lowell man was treated for smoke inhalation and transported to Watertown Hospital.<br /><br />BDFD Sees Increase In EMS Calls<br /><br />1/16/12 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department saw a 7.8% increase in their Emergency Medical Service calls last year compared to 2010. There were 1774 EMS calls in 2011, compared to 1646 the previous year, that’s an increase of 128 calls. Those numbers do not include revenue-generating inter-facility transports, which were down 13-percent. There were 377 transports last year, compared to 435 in 2010, a difference of 58 transports. During its first full year of operation, Beaver Dam conducted 533 non-emergency transports for revenue. Beaver Dam is putting its paramedic-level of service to use outside of the city, providing mutual assistance with their paramedics 36 times last year, an increase of eight calls from the previous year. Fire and other service calls were down four-percent. There were 297 fire calls last year, compared to 310 in 2009, that includes actual fires, false fire alarms, carbon monoxide investigations and general service calls.<br /><br />Shooting At Crowded Jefferson County Bar<br /><br />1/16/12 - Two people were wounded when shots were fired at a crowded bar in Jefferson County early Saturday morning. The sheriff’s department reports the incident happened just after 2am at Rox’s Sports Bar and Grill on Highway K. Neither wound was serious. One of the injured refused medical treatment and the second was taken to Fort Atkinson Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Three men were detained in connection with the shooting. Deputies say they have a lot of witnesses to interview before filing any charges.<br /><br />Registered Sex Offender Moving Into Beaver Dam<br /><br />1/16/12 - A registered sex offender will be moving into Beaver Dam Tuesday after his release from prison. Deputy Police Chief Dan Schubert says Joseph Volm will be residing on the 800 block of Madison Street. Schubert says Volm has served his time and is not wanted by police. State statute requires the Department of Corrections notify the public when a sex offender of Volm’s caliber is released because his classification level reflects a potential to re-offend. The 34-year-old was convicted of Attempted Second Degree Sexual Assault of an adult woman but many of his violations occurred while on supervision and involved unsupervised contact with minors. Volm will be under 24 hour electronic monitoring and will be supervised by agents specializing in intensive supervision.<br /><br />Gov. Walker to Participate in MLK Jr Day Events<br /><br />1/16/12 - Governor Scott Walker will appear at two special events on this Martin Luther King Day. He'll attend the annual Milwaukee Y-M-C-A breakfast in honor of the slain civil rights leader. And Walker will speak at the state's official King Day ceremony at noon at the State Capitol. It's one of a number of events being held throughout Wisconsin today in King's memory. The Reverend C-T Vivian will speak at the Madison-and-Dane County observance. Vivian was one of King's friends who started the Nashville Christian Leadership Conference. The group held the first civil rights march of the King era in 1961. <br /><br />Property Taxes Up by the Smallest Amount in 15-Years <br /><br />1/16/12 - Wisconsin's total property taxes went up by the smallest amount in the last 15 years. Preliminary figures from the state's Taxpayers Alliance show a three-tenths-of-one-percent increase in the tax bills received last month by home-and-business owners. The group credits a statewide decrease of one-percent in public school tax levies. State-mandated revenue limits were the main reason for the drop. School taxes are normally the largest part of a property owner's tax bill. City, village, and town tax levies jumped by up to two-percent. That represents almost a quarter of a person's tax bill. The tax alliance said one of every three counties either froze or reduced their tax levies this year. Brown, Marathon, Bayfield, Washington, and Winnebago dropped their total taxes by at least one-percent. Five counties -- Dane, Columbia, Crawford, Calumet, and Kewaunee -- raised their county taxes by four-percent or more.<br /><br />WI and MN Looking to Expand Rail Service <br /><br />1/16/12 - Wisconsin and Minnesota officials are looking into the possibility of expanding Amtrak passenger rail service. A feasbility study is expected to begin in the next couple of months on adding a second round-trip each day between Chicago and Minneapolis-Saint Paul as part of Amtrak's long-established Empire Builder. That's the train which currently goes through Milwaukee, Columbus, Portage, and La Crosse among other places. Amtrak says the Badger and Gopher states would have to pay the costs of the added service, because Congress has ordered the national railroad to find outside funding for any new expansions. The two states would also have to share the costs of the feasibility study. The six-month study is expected to cost around 60-thousand dollars. State railroad official Ron Adams says Wisconsin is now trying to come up with its share. The proposed expansion is separate from a recent Minnesota study which suggested high-speed rail tracks along the Empire Builder route.<br /><br />Whooping Cough Cases Spike In Ashland County<br /><br />1/16/12 - Nine students in the Ashland school district are among the ten cases of whooping cough reported from Ashland County. The public health department says an adult also has the disease. In addition, another four people are being watched and may have Pertussis. The first case was reported from Ashland Middle School last December. That’s around the same time the Dodge County Health Department issued a warning about an increase in the reported cases of the contagious bacterial disease. Local Health Officer Jody Langfeldt said Dodge County had seven reported cases this year, which twice as many as in a normal year. Langfeldt says the symptoms are similar to the common cold. Additional information is on the health department’s website: http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/dph_bcd/communicable/factsheets/pertussus.htm<br /><br />Bankruptcy Filings Down<br /><br />1/16/12 - For the first time in six years, bankruptcy filings have decreased in Wisconsin. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court shows nearly 27 thousand petitions were filed in the state last year, a 10 percent decline from 2010. The vast majority of them were Chapter 7 bankruptcies, which wipes out credit card balances and medical and utility bills. The Wisconsin numbers match national trends which saw bankruptcies off by 12 percent. The American Bankruptcy Institute says consumers are getting rid of their debt without declaring bankruptcy and tighter credit standards are keeping people from piling up more debt. <br /><br />Kennedy Listening Sessions Scheduled Tuesday<br /><br />1/16/12 - Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy has listening sessions scheduled for Tuesday. City residents are invited to meet with the mayor without appointment, in a one-on-one setting, on the first and third Tuesday of every month. Kennedy says he wants constituents to have the opportunity to speak with him the day after each regular meeting of the common council. The listening sessions are held in Room 109 on the first floor of City Hall from 10am until noon and again from 5pm to 6pm. If the regular schedule doesn’t fir into your schedule, residents are encouraged to schedule a private meeting through the mayor’s office. <br /><br />Miss Wisconsin Named Miss America <br /><br />1/16/12 - The newly-crowned Miss America from Wisconsin says she'll work to improve family relationships for those with loved ones who are in prison. 23-year-old Laura Kaeppeler (kepp'-ler) of Kenosha won the Miss America crown and a 50-thousand-dollar scholarship on Saturday night in Las Vegas. She's the first Miss America from Wisconsin since Terry Ann Meeuwsen in 1973. Kaeppeler's father spent 18 months behind bars for mail fraud. And she said she'll encourage families in similar situations to improve ties and move forward together. Kaeppeler says she wants children of incarcerated adults to feel like they're not alone. She wants them to have mentoring for those children, and as much of a relationship with their parents as they can. Kaeppeler, who won the Miss Wisconsin pageant last summer, said there are more than two million children with parents in jail.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-566888207931982128?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-79340499640869282662012-01-15T00:18:00.001-06:002012-01-15T00:18:06.675-06:00Walker Aide Pleads Not Guilty<br /><br />1/15/12 - A former aide to Governor Scott Walker when he was the Milwaukee County executive pleaded innocent Friday to embezzling 42-thousand dollars. 61-year-old Kevin Kavanaugh waived his preliminary hearing in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, and his innocent pleas were entered to five felony counts of theft and fraudulent writings. He’s due back in court January 30th, when a trial date could be set. Kavanaugh and former Walker aide Tim Russell are charged with taking a total over 60-thousand dollars in donations. Most of it was meant to be given to veterans and their families as part of the county’s Operation Freedom event each year at the county zoo. Prosecutors said the defendants used the money for items ranging from Caribbean cruises to renewing Web sites for Walker’s campaign for governor. The charges were the result of a John Doe probe of present-and-former Walker aides. That investigation continues. <br /><br />Eau Claire Police Release Findings on Fatal Accident<br /><br />1/15/12 - Eau Claire County accident investigators say last month’s fatal crash of a car full of teenagers was caused by hill jumping. &nbsp;Fourteen year old Austin Gable was driving more than 80 miles an hour when his car went airborne, flying 177 feet, then flipped. &nbsp;Gable, his girlfriend, 13 year old McKenna Johnson, and 15 year old Marco Perez were killed. &nbsp;The only licensed driver in the car had let minors drive in the past. &nbsp;The sheriff’s department is forwarding the case to prosecutors for the possible filing of charges. &nbsp;Hill jumping is done by driving a car so fast it goes airborne when it crests a hill.<br /><br />New Council Looking to Help Students Get Ready for College and Careers<br /><br />1/15/12 - Wisconsin’s new College and Workforce Readiness Council will look at ways to improve student readiness for college and careers. &nbsp;The panel created by the governor yesterday is to come up with a strategic plan by the end of the year. &nbsp;The council is expected to look closely at approaches like shorter and less-costly degree programs which would fill high-need positions. &nbsp;Also, expanding dual enrollment and duel credit opportunity for high school students will be considered. &nbsp;Small business representatives, people from the state’s workforce, the state school superintendent, cabinet secretaries and officials from public and private universities and technical colleges will be among the 15 members. <br /><br />Columbus School Board Sees What New Facilities Could Look Like <br /><br />1/15/12 - A move toward a “21st Century Learning Environment” in Columbus Schools was recommended this week. Erik Dufek of E-U-A presented a picture of what redesign of the current facilities could look like. Dufek said a change was necessary to meet the nationwide decrease in agriculture and manufacturing jobs and the increase the service and creative thinking sector jobs. The Facilities Committee has added another January meeting to their schedule on the 25th.<br /><br />Registered Sex Offender Being Released in Beaver Dam<br /><br />1/15/12 - A registered sex offender fresh out of prison will be moving into Beaver Dam on a temporary basis. Deputy Police Chief Dan Schubert says as of this Tuesday, Joseph Volm will be residing on the 800 block of Madison Street. Schubert says state statute requires the Department of Corrections notify the public when a sex offender is released into the community. Volm was convicted of attempted second degree sexual assault of an adult woman but many of his violations were while on supervision in the community and revolved around unsupervised and unapproved contact with minors. Authorities say Volm has served his time and is not wanted by police. Volm will be under 24 hour electronic monitoring. He will be supervised by agents specializing in intensive supervision. He will continue to participate in long-term programming while on parole and will be on a GPS monitoring unit. In addition to the intensive supervision rules, to which he must adhere, Volm will be subject to additional specific rules. These rules include: no contact with any of his victims; he may not be anywhere children congregate; no taverns/bars/liquor stores, and not to consume alcohol or drugs. Witnessed violations should be reported to the Beaver Dam Police Department. <br /><br />DC Law Enforcement Honored <br /><br />1/15/12 - The Dodge County Law Enforcement Executive Association held their annual awards banquet on Friday. The banquet serves as opportunity to recognize the employees and citizens that made an impact in the law enforcement community over the past year. Earning Officer of the Year was Detective Jonathan Caucutt of the Watertown Police Department, who was honored for his extensive work in crimes involving sexual predators and child pornography. The Correctional Officer of the Year was Josh Navis, who works at the Dodge Correctional Institution. Navis was honored for his actions when an inmate attacked a prison psychologist in November. Amanda Anhalt was named as the Support Person of the Year for her work as a victim/witness coordinator in the Dodge County District Attorney’s Office. Being named Citizen of the Year was Joshua Schraufnagel, who was called heroic by Sheriff Todd Nehls for jumping into the water in an attempt to save a victim of a car accident in Mayville. Seven county employees were recognized for the Presidents Award. That includes Captain Molly Soblewski who retired after 27-years with the department. The others, Lt. Clint Peachey, Lt. Brad Mlodzik, CO Steve Rumbuc, Sgt. Branden Gremminger, RN Joni Dykstra and RN Shaune Hoban were recognized for their work in resuscitating an inmate at the Dodge Correctional Institution. <br /><br />Dems Ask Justice Department to Review Voter ID Law<br /><br />1/15/12 - The U.S. Justice Department is being asked to review Wisconsin’s new voter photo ID law by 22 Democratic lawmakers. That letter was mailed Friday. The Democrats argue that the law will infringe on the voting rights of minorities, senior citizens, students and the poor. Republican supporters of the law say it’s designed to cut down on voter fraud. The Wisconsin League of Woman Voters has filed a lawsuit challenging the Vote Photo ID law. And, the chair of the Wisconsin Bar Association’s civil rights section also sent a letter on the topic to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder last August. <br /><br />Strike Continues in Manitowoc <br /><br />1/15/12 - A two-month strike at Manitowoc Cranes will continue, after union machinists voted 140 to 37 on Friday not to approve the company’s latest contract offer. Workers chanted “What’s disgusting? Union busting” as they rejected a second offer from management. The major issue is the company’s effort to let employees get union benefits while having the choice of paying union dues or not. Scott Parr of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said his group was willing to take a step toward that proposal, giving new and existing employees a certain amount of time to decide if they want to stay in the union and pay dues voluntarily. Parr said it’s what the company wanted and they wouldn’t accept it. The firm has not commented. The strikers represent about a quarter of the Manitowoc Cranes 800 employees. But 150 members of a boiler-makers union have been laid off because of the strike.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-7934049964086928266?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-20845203155199523182012-01-14T06:50:00.001-06:002012-01-14T06:50:04.688-06:00Group Says They Have Enough Signatures to Recall Fitzgerald <br /><br />1/14/12 - The committee to recall Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald announced Friday it has the signatures to force an election. Lori Compas, the recall committee's chairwoman, said in a news conference the group had gathered more than the 16,742 signatures needed, but declined to say how many. She said volunteers would continue to gather signatures to recall the Juneau Republican through Saturday. That's to provide a cushion because Fitzgerald will be able to knock some signatures off the petitions if he can show they belong to people who don't live in the district or aren't eligible to vote. The petitions will be turned in Tuesday, along with those to recall Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and three other Republican senators. Fitzgerald filed a complaint with election officials Thursday arguing the collection of signatures must end Friday, rather than Saturday, because recall organizers have just 60 days to gather signatures.<br />Election officials -- backed by the state Department of Justice -- believe signatures can be collected through Saturday because the 60-day clock did not start to tick until Nov. 16, a day after Compas registered her committee with the state and began collecting signatures. Recall officials said they were not worried about Fitzgerald's complaint. "That's a kid not winning Monopoly throwing the board up at the end of the game," said recall volunteer Sarah Hammer, a Fort Atkinson nurse. <br /><br />Officials Hope to Have All Recalls on Same Day<br /><br />1/14/12 - State officials say they’ll try to have all recall elections on the same date this summer. The Government Accountability Board plans to make that request when it asks a judge for more time to review petitions against the governor, lieutenant governor, and four G-O-P senators. State law gives the Board 31 days to decide whether there are enough valid signatures to hold recall elections. But because the massive volumes of the current petitions, the Board says it will take longer than 60 days to review up to one-and-a-half million signatures. A judge ordered the Accountability Board last week to find and delete signatures which are obviously false and duplicated. Yesterday, board officials said they would spend around 100-thousand dollars on computer software that will scan the signatures and put them into a database where they can be more easily evaluated. Because of that task, officials say it could be June or later before general recall elections could take place. <br /><br />Language Set for Fall River School District Referendum <br /><br />1/14/12 - Language for two referendum questions in the Fall River School District was finalized this week by the school board. One of the questions will ask for funds to replace the HVAC-system, overall maintenance, technology and land acquisition for a total of nearly $2.5-million. A second question asks for $1.4-million to build a multi-purpose athletic complex. The questions will appear on the ballot for the April 3rd general election. Two informational meetings on the referendum questions will take place prior to election day, with the first being on Wednesday January 25th in the school library at 7pm and then again on Thursday February 16th at 10am in the district board room. <br /><br />Hazmat Team May Be Forced to Respond to Calls Outside of Dodge County<br /><br />1/14/12 - The Dodge County Hazmat Team may start responding to chemical spills outside of the county. Dodge County Emergency Management Director Joe Meagher says the state is hoping to restructure Hazmat teams statewide and is offering the county an additional $5000 a year to expand their response area to within one area of the county line. Meagher says Wisconsin Emergency Management proposed the restructuring to the state without talking to any of the affected agencies. He says there are a lot of unknowns at this point, including exactly who would pay for out-of-county clean-up costs. Level A Hazmat teams in large city’s like Milwaukee and Madison typically respond to the largest spills while Level B teams like the one in Dodge County handle most everything else. The Level B Hazmat team contains a spill but does not perform the cleanup work; that is contracted out with a company like Veolia Environmental, at a cost of thousands of dollars. Meagher says local emergency management officials are hoping to get a seat on the state planning committee. He also plans on updating the Beaver Dam Police and Fire Commission of any development over the next few months as their 24-hour department stores Hazmat equipment and is the lead agency on the team.<br /><br />Longtime Leader of Schneider National Trucking Passes Away <br /><br />1/14/12 - Donald Schneider, who headed one of the nation’s best-known trucking companies for over a quarter century, died this morning in De Pere. The 76-year-old Schneider had Alzheimer’s disease for quite some time. He started as a mechanic’s assistant in the Schneider National trucking firm that his father Al founded. Fifteen years later, in 1976, Schneider became the president of the company – a post he held for over 25 years. He retired from his daily duties in 2002, but he remained the chairman emeritus of Schneider National. Bill Graves, C-E-O of the American Trucking Association, said the transportation and logistics industry lost one of its most passionate and influential voices. Graves called Schneider a “visionary” who set the standard for the modern-day development of the industry.<br /><br />State Says Coding Error Allowed for Unemployment Overpayments <br /><br />1/14/12 - The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development is blaming a computer coding error for overpayments to recipients of unemployment benefits. The claimants reportedly got an average of 280 dollars more than they were supposed to receive. The error was caught after about a week. Most of the people owing the state a refund will be given the option of returning the money in installments. All 626 should receive a notice in the mail soon.<br /><br />Southridge Mall Will Allow Buses <br /><br />1/14/12 - The corporate owner of Southridge Mall has done of reversal on plans to stop buses from dropping off and picking up passengers at mall entrances. A spokesman says no disruption of bus service at the mall is expected. That word comes just one day after Milwaukee County officials released a memo indicating the mall would require transit buses to operate off its property only starting next month. Seniors and people with disabilities were worried they would have to walk several blocks from bus stops, creating safety hazards. Though the spokesman denied the owner had threatened to ban buses, county officials confirmed that was exactly the company's stance. The buses reportedly made too much noise.<br /><br />Slinger Teacher in Hot Water After Hitler Reference <br /><br />1/14/12 - School officials in Slinger are considering punitive action against a veteran teacher who wrote an offensive e-mail to State Representative Don Pridemore. John Koszarek is a social studies teacher at Slinger High School who has taught in the district for 34 years. He sent an answer to Pridemore’s e-mailed newsletter about the effects of state legislation on area school districts. Pridemore said those districts had benefited from the budgetary tools passed last year by the Republican-controlled Legislature. Koszarek replied, saying, quoting here, “Of course you are in Washington County where Hitler would have defeated Reagan had he the ‘R’ in front of his name on the ballot.” The teacher says he never meant to say the people of Washington County are Nazis. He says he shouldn’t have used the Hitler reference, but he was right in saying local voters automatically cast their ballots for Republican candidates.<br /><br />Packer Fans Warned of Highway 41 Construction <br /><br />1/14/12 - Packer fans wanting to make sure they don’t missing the opening kickoff of this weekend’s NFC playoff game at Lambeau Field need to allow extra time. Road construction projects are still in place along the route. Drivers are being warned those worksites could cause delays. Two stretches of U.S. 41 are under construction. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Earlier this season, when security was ramped up, some fans complained when they were delayed so much they missing seeing the opening kickoff.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-2084520315519952318?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-44730696337827936042012-01-13T07:27:00.000-06:002012-01-13T07:27:51.994-06:00Winter Storm Blankets Wisconsin <br /><br />1/13/12 - Most of Wisconsin got 3-to-6 inches of snow yesterday and last night. But over two-feet of lake effect snow hit parts of Iron County near Lake Superior. According to the National Weather Service, Gile had 29 inches as of two o’clock this morning – and it was still coming down. Six inches fell there in a five-hour period, and there was lots of blowing and drifting. Montreal in Iron County had 16 inches as of six o’clock. Hurley had 10 inches by the middle of last night. Elsewhere in Wisconsin, the south and the Fox Valley seemed to be the hardest hit, with 3-to-4 inch totals reported in most other parts of the Badger State. By 8pm last night Beaver Dam had 5.5-inches, while West Bend picked up 4.5-inches. A couple miles south of Watertown got 4-inches, and a weather spotter near Oconomowoc reported 6-inches had fallen there. And while the snow has moved out some bitter cold wind chills are being seen this morning. At 6am it was 15-degrees in Beaver Dam, but it felt more like 6-degrees with wind chill. Brownsville had 17-degrees, but with winds gusting to 20-miles an hour it felt more like 5-above. And in Columbus it was 15-degrees with a wind chill of just 1-degree above zero. <br /><br />Meanwhile, as is usually the case with the first major storm of the season, the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department and other local authorities were dealing with accidents and runoffs for most of the day yesterday. According to department records, from the time the snow began yesterday around 8am there were three accidents with injuries, eight other accidents, and more than 20-runoffs. One of the accidents occurred just before 10-am on Highway 26 at Horn Road. Authorities say a 24-year-old man lost control of his vehicle and struck a culvert. He was taken to the hospital by Watertown EMS. The other significant accident reported by authorities happened at Highway 151 and 33 in Beaver Dam just before noon. A disabled semi was parked on the off-ramp, and a vehicle driven by a 20-year-old woman struck it from behind. She was also taken to the hospital. <br /><br />BD Crews Working to Clear City Streets <br /><br />1/13/11 - Snowplows in Beaver Dam began salting and scraping city streets at 2am this morning. Director of Facilities David Stoiser says his 13-man crew worked until 6pm last night and then took a breather to prepare for the morning rush. Two other DPW employees are assigned to clearing sidewalks on municipal properties and Parks Department workers tend to city parking lots.<br /><br />Reminder to Shovel Your Sidewalk <br /><br />1/13/11 - The Beaver Dam Department of Public Works is reminding residents to shovel their snow. Director David Stoiser says that city ordinance requires that any snow or ice accumulations on public sidewalk fronting private properties must be removed each time it snows. Stoiser says ice accumulations that cannot be removed must be treated with a deicing or abrasive agent. Violation results in the city removing the snow or treating the ice with costs assessed against the property owner. Repeat violations are referred to the Police Department for possible citations. Small quantities of rock salt and sand-salt mixture are available to city residents only at the Public Works Building on South Center Street. <br /><br />Winter Parking Rules in Effect in BD<br /><br />1/13/11 - With yesterday’s snowfall, winter parking rules in Beaver Dam are officially in effect. Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy says the parking prohibition begins with the first significant snowfall. No parking is allowed on city streets between 2am and 6am, so that the Department of Public Works can clear the snow. Citations will be issued for violations and begin at $20 if the ticket is paid within 24 hours. Once the enforcement has been initiated, the parking ban will remain in effect unless it is announced that the ban has been temporarily or permanently lifted.<br /><br />BD Man Faces Stalking Charges<br /><br />1/13/12 - A Beaver Dam man is facing stalking charges after allegedly threatening his former boss after being fired. 41-year-old John Eggert made his initial appearance this week on charges of stalking and disorderly conduct, use of a dangerous weapon. According to prosecutors, Eggert was fired in December and he allegedly told co-workers that if he got access to a gun he would start at the front desk and work his way down. The criminal complaint states Eggert was fired for calling the manager several names during an argument, and he told the manager she would regret firing him. Police met with Eggert and he denied making any threats. However, earlier this month the manager told police that Eggert again had threatened her after being denied unemployment benefits. Prosecutors say Eggert continued to contact the manager even after police told him not to. He’s due back in court next month. <br /><br />Prisoner Facing Additional Time After Kicking Officer <br /><br />1/13/12 - A prisoner at the Fox Lake Correctional Institution could face an additional six years in prison after allegedly kicking a correctional officer this past fall. 26-year-old Darnell Brown has been charged with battery by prisoner after kicking the officer in the shin. Prosecutors say Brown allegedly kicked the officer several times in October and make threats to other members of the staff. He due in court later this month. <br /><br />Fitzgerald Says Recall Filing Deadline Should Be Today<br /><br />1/13/12 - Wisconsin’s Senate majority leader says those who are trying to recall him and four other Republicans should be forced to turn in their petitions today instead of Tuesday. Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau filed a complaint yesterday with the Government Accountability Board. He said today should be the filing deadline because it’s the 60th day after the recall campaigns were kicked off on November 15th. But the Justice Department issued a memo this week saying the clock didn’t start until November 16th, the day after the recall committees registered. That means signatures can be collected tomorrow and filed on the next business day – which is Tuesday, since state offices are closed Monday for the Martin Luther King holiday. In Fitzgerald’s case, the extra day might allow recall organizers to get enough signatures to force an election. They need 16-thousand-742. They had around 16-thousand as of Wednesday, and organizer Lori Compas has asked volunteers from other recall efforts to knock on doors in Fitzgerald’s district today and tomorrow to get signatures. The Board expects a million-and-a-half signatures to be filed to try and force recall elections against Governor Scott Walker and the other Republicans.<br /><br />Bill to Make Signing More Than One Recall Petition a Crime Moves Forward<br /><br />1/13/12 - A Wisconsin Senate panel has endorsed two bills which make it a crime to sign recall petitions more than once, and to offer money or gifts to get people to sign. G-O-P lawmakers sponsored both measures. The elections committee vote 4-to-1 yesterday to recommend a criminal misdemeanor charge for those who sign recall petitions multiple times. The maximum penalties would be six months in jail and a one-thousand-dollar fine. The second bill was endorsed 5-to-nothing. It would prohibit people from offering anything of value in exchange for recall signatures. Violators could be charged with felonies, with maximum penalties of three-and-a-half years in prison and 10-thousand-dollar fines. It’s already against the law to offer anything of value to get people to sign nominating petitions or to vote or not vote in regular elections. But there are no such prohibitions for recall efforts.<br /><br />Good News for State and Local Government Retirees <br /><br />1/13/12 - Retired state-and-local government workers got some good news yesterday. The State Investment Board said the largest fund which provides benefits to public retirees grew by one-point-four percent last year. All retirees get at least half their pensions from the Core Fund, which grew to 72-billion-dollars in assets by December 31st. Last year, about 35-thousand retirees chose to get at least part of their benefits from a more aggressive variable fund – and that pot dropped by three-percent last year, to around five-point-two billion dollars. We’re not sure yet how these figures will affect the size of the retirees’ pension checks for this year. That’s normally announced in February or March. Those investing in the Core Fund have seen their pension checks drop for three years in a row since the 2008 financial collapse. Benefits from the variable fund grew by 11-percent last year. State Investment Board director Keith Borzath says investors have quote, “tempered optimism” about what will happen in the New Year. The State Retirement Fund serves over 572-thousand state and local government and public school employees. The city and county of Milwaukee are not part of the state system, because they have their own.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-4473069633782793604?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-21628927384011678832012-01-12T07:24:00.001-06:002012-01-12T07:24:25.336-06:00Area Under Winter Weather Advisory until Friday Morning <br /><br />1/12/12 - Wisconsin's first big snowstorm of 2012 is underway. We are under a winter weather advisory from 9am this (Thursday) morning to 9am tomorrow (Friday) morning. It was already snowing overnight in most of the northern, central, and western parts of the Badger State. Hayward had almost two-inches by late last night. Hurley is expected to get a foot of snow by the time the storm leaves tomorrow. Other parts of the far north could get 6-to-10 inches. Around here we’re expecting three to four inches today and an additional two to four inches tonight for a total of five to eight inches. Parts of the state had wind gusts up to 25-miles-an-hour during the night. And stronger winds are expected today, with blowing-and-drifting snow in the forecast this afternoon in eastern and southern Wisconsin. Colder temperatures will follow. Lows in the single digits and teens are expected by this time tomorrow. Yesterday, Juneau had 50 degrees, which broke a 37-year-old record high for the date.<br /><br />Davis Sentenced in Armed Robbery<br /><br />1/12/12 - An Oconomowoc man was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in an armed invasion of a home in Watertown. Lawrence Davis was convicted in September of Armed Robbery, Armed Burglary and nine counts of False Imprisonment. According to prosecutors, Davis and a second man armed themselves with a pellet gun and an ax handle, donned masks and forced their way into a residence. While there Davis struck several people with the ax handle and restrained the nine victims while he and his accomplice searched for the residence for valuables. They were eventually chased from the home after some of victims recognized one of the robber’s voices. In addition to the prison time Davis will spend five years on extended supervision. <br /><br />FDL Police Say Woman Tried Killing Herself and Daughter <br /><br />1/12/12 - Fond du Lac Police say a woman tried to kill herself and her six-year-old daughter by injecting medicines, and then pointed a butcher knife at her sleeping boyfriend. The 28-year-old man woke up to find the knife at his chest. Police said he wrestled the knife away from the 25-year-old woman, and called 9-1-1. The incident happened last Thursday. Police arrested the woman and held her in protective custody until yesterday, when they sent her to jail. She now faces possible charges of attempted homicide and reckless endangerment. Officials are not saying whether the woman tried to killed the boyfriend. She reportedly told police she tried to kill herself and the child so they could stay together. Officials said the girl was fed a dozen sleeping pills, and she would have died had she not been treated when she was. She was eventually taken to Milwaukee Children's Hospital. The man suffered minor cuts from the knife.<br /><br />Write-in Candidate Files for Beaver Dam School Board<br /><br />1/12/12 - A Beaver Dam man says he will run as a write-in candidate for school board. John Kraus Junior formally submitted the necessary papers with the Beaver Dam School District to run for one of the vacant seats on the board. Three seats are up for reelection in April and two incumbents, Marge Jorgensen and Gary Spielman, are running again. But current member Dan Feuling is not seeking another term and Kraus would likely take his place at the table if no one else attempts to run as a write-in. <br /><br />Brother of Steven Avery Facing Charges<br /><br />1/12/12 - A brother of one of Wisconsin’s most notorious criminals is facing sex-related charges of his own. 41-year-old Earl Avery of Whitelaw is free on a signature bond, after he was charged in Manitowoc County with two felony counts of capturing nude images. Earl Avery is the brother of Steven Avery, who’s serving life in prison for killing Teresa Halbach after he had served 18 years in prison for a rape he didn’t commit. Earl Avery was charged last month. Prosecutors said he put up a video camera in a changing room at his home during a swimming party in July of last year. Those video-taped were as young as three. Authorities said Avery’s wife called them after she found the videos – and he later admitted his actions to investigators. Earl Avery is scheduled to return to court January 30th to complete his initial appearance.<br /><br />Bauman Sentenced to Probation <br /><br />1/12/12 - A Waterford woman will spend a year on probation for trying to smuggle tobacco into the Fox Lake Correctional Institution. Kimberly Bauman pleaded “no contest” to reduced misdemeanor charges of Disorderly Conduct. Authorities say the 29-year-old was caught passing a quart-size baggie half-full of tobacco to an inmate during an embrace at the institution in October.<br /><br />Fritsche Elected to Sit on Board of WCCEA <br /><br />1/12/12 - The Executive Director of the Beaver Dam Area Chamber of Commerce will be serving on the Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce Executives Association. Phil Fritsche was elected to serve on the 14-member board that is tasked with training and supporting Wisconsin chamber executives as they promote and enhance the economies of communities around the state. Van Nutt, executive director of the Middleton Chamber of Commerce, has been elected to serve as president.<br /><br />Democrats Using Embezzlement Scandal to Raise Money <br /><br />1/12/12 - Wisconsin Democrats are using the criminal cases against two former Scott Walker aides to raise money to try and recall the Republican governor. State Democratic Party chairman Mike Tate put out an e-mail yesterday urging supporters to donate 10-dollars to quote, "expose Scott Walker's latest scandal involving more than 60-thousand-dollars that was stolen from military veterans and their families." Tate said he'd like the donations by Tuesday, the next deadline for filing campaign finance reports. Two of Walker's former Milwaukee County aides, Tim Russell and Kevin Kavanaugh, were charged last week with embezzling money from an annual appreciation event for veterans at the county zoo. Walker said it was his office that initially took the matter to prosecutors -- and he hoped it wouldn't affect the current effort to recall him from the governor's office. Democratic Party spokesman Graeme Zielinski defends his party's effort to take advantage of the case, even though it doesn't touch Walker directly. State G-O-P director Stephan Thompson would not comment on it.<br /><br />Legislator Wants Justice Gableman Removed from the Bench <br /><br />1/12/12 - A Democratic lawmaker wants to remove State Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman. Representative Kelda Helen Roys of Madison has asked her colleagues to co-sign a resolution to remove Gableman before the Assembly goes back into session in about a week. Roys, an attorney who’s running for the U-S House this fall, said Gableman broke a state law that prohibits public officials from taking anything-of-value from outside interests in their course of their duties. And Roys said Gableman also broke the state’s judicial ethics code by taking free legal services. The Assembly’s G-O-P majority dismissed Roys’ resolution. Spokesman John Jagler of Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald’s office said the measure was quote, “nothing but a political stunt not worthy of comment.” The law firm of Michael Best and Friedrich told the Supreme Court last month that Gableman never paid for legal services he received. The firm represented the justice during an ethics probe connected with a T-V commercial he ran during his 2008 election campaign. On a tie vote, the Court ruled in 2010 that Gableman did not violate the judicial ethics code with his ad. Gableman’s lawyer said the arrangement for the legal services did not break state laws.<br /><br />Panel Looks to Eliminating Financial Waste and Fraud <br /><br />1/12/12 - A bipartisan panel appointed by the governor says Wisconsin could save as much as a half-billion dollars in taxpayer money by eliminating waste and fraud. That panel took a close look at reducing state spending. Among its recommendations were managing overtime costs, going after people who don’t pay their taxes and eliminating fraud and abuse in public service programs offered by the state of Wisconsin.<br /><br />Jobs Possibly Coming to Sheboygan County<br /><br />1/12/12 - The Kohler Company says it would close a plant in Arkansas that makes water faucets – and it will move some of the work to its home base in Sheboygan County. About 80 employees will be affected when their plant in Malvern Arkansas shuts down. Most will be offered jobs at a Kohler plant 25 miles away in Sheridan Arkansas. An unspecified number of jobs will be added at Kohler Wisconsin, once a machining and brazing operation is moved there. Kohler’s worldwide president for faucets, Jeff Mueller, says the rough economy has hurt the demand for kitchen-and-bath fixtures. And he says the Malvern plant has been under-used.<br /><br />Steven Point Company Moving Jobs Out of State<br /><br />1/12/12 - A medical products’ company in Stevens Point says it will move most of its manufacturing work out of Wisconsin. Joerns Health-care says it will spread its current Stevens Point operations to other facilities it owns in Matamoros Mexico, Arlington Texas, and Duman Arkansas. The move will take place over the next 6-to-12 months, and will leave about 200 people without jobs. Stevens Point officials are upset. Mayor Andrew Halverson says the city and the state offered millions-of-dollars in incentives to get Joerns Health-care to stay.<br /><br />New Miss America to be Crowned this Weekend<br /><br />1/12/12 - A new Miss America will be crowned on Saturday night in Las Vegas, and Wisconsin’s entry has an early jump on the others. Kenosha native Laura Kaeppeler won the first round of the talent competition as an opera singer. She won a two-thousand dollar scholarship for her performance of “Il Bacio.” Talent covers 35-percent of a contestant’s preliminary score. Kaeppeler won the Miss Wisconsin title last summer as Miss Southern Wisconsin. Miss Utah, Danica Olsen, earned a one-thousand-dollar scholarship for her swimsuit entry in the lifestyle-and-fitness category. That represents 15-percent of the total score. Two more winners in each group will be selected during the next two evenings.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-2162892738401167883?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-57067056920714310092012-01-11T07:29:00.002-06:002012-01-11T07:29:05.993-06:00Winter Set to Return<br /><br />1/11/12 - Wisconsinites are about to get jolted back into winter. A cold front will move through the Badger State today, bringing our sunny and 40-to-50-degree days to an end. The National Weather Service has issued winter storm watches and advisories statewide, mostly for tomorrow and into Friday. Northwest Wisconsin will start getting the white stuff tonight. Up to 10 inches of snow are predicted in the north and northwest by Friday morning. In our area we can expect 7-to-9 inches, with gusts up to 35 miles an hour close to Lake Michigan. Once the snow leaves, colder weather is in the forecast into early next week with highs mostly in the 20’s each day. It will be a sudden change from what we experienced yesterday. It hit 44-degrees in Juneau just one degree away from a record high for the day. Much of southwest Wisconsin was in the 50’s. <br /><br />DOT Gearing Up for Big Storm<br /><br />1/11/12 - With the heavy snow expected in Wisconsin over next two days the state D-O-T is gearing up for road issues. The agency has beefed up its 5-1-1 travel information system, which provides road conditions and news about potential hazards. It can be reached by phone or the Internet. When the system first went on-line three years ago, users were frustrated because there was not enough band-width to handle high usage during storms. But the D-O-T’s Chris Quesnell says that’s been fixed – and it now uses eight servers instead of two. Also, new features have been added to the system to make it easier to get specialized information. Quesnell says folks can create custom profiles. And when they call, they can get conditions only about the routes they choose. Users can also get text message alerts. And the D-O-T has added five regional Twitter feeds to put out snow-and-travel information. You can reach the system by calling 5-1-1, or going on-line at 511WI-Dot-Gov.<br /><br />Juneau Passes Bosak-led Ordinance, Commission Members Resign <br /><br />1/11/12 - The Juneau Common Council approved an ordinance last night that restructures the city’s publicly-owned Utility Commission. The change comes after every other elected and appointed city official received an 18% reduction in annual salary and per-meeting stipends. The council voted last year for the pay decreases but chose to exempt the Utility Commission, which is city-owned but self-sustaining using virtually no tax dollars. The exemption drew heavy criticism from Mayor Ron Bosak who said commissioners were not being “team players” in these tough economic times. The ordinance approved last night on a 4 to 2 vote will reduce the number of citizen commissioners from five to three and they will serve staggered three-year terms. Two alderpersons with voting powers will also sit on the commission in one-year terms along with the mayor who will only vote to break a tie. Shortly after the meeting adjourned, the mayor was given three resignation letters from the remaining Utility Commissioners. He says he was very disappointed with the resignations and said he was sick and tired of personnel vendettas. Bosak says the restructuring was not a personal matter and he was just doing his job. <br /><br />Bosak says he is 100% excited to get the new commission going and plans to call a special meeting in the next week to appoint five new commissioners. Alderwoman Roxanne Buss has been tabbed for one seat and Bosak says he will announce the other alderman shortly. While he has asked recently-resigned Commissioner Paul Marose to consider rejoining, Bosak says he has no plans to reappoint longtime Commission President Dan Wegner. <br /><br />Finance Committee Chair Robert Affled, who is challenging Bosak in the April election, says he was not pleased with the outcome and there was no reason to change just for the sheer point of making change. When asked if he’d push to overturn the restructuring if elected mayor, Affled said “he doesn’t know at this time.” <br /><br />In related action last night, the council approved an ordinance that eliminates the Utilities Personnel Committee and a Joint Utility-City Personnel Committee and merges it with a single Personnel Committee. The council also rescinded a residency ordinance that requires all city workers to live within three miles of Juneau and replaced it with a resolution that expands the residency requirement to ten miles.<br /><br />Firm Presents Feasibility Study to BD School Board<br /><br />1/11/12 - Members of the Beaver Dam School Board recently heard a presentation about a feasibility study they requested last year to look at the districts future building needs. Superintendent Steve Vessey says study offered suggestions across all of their buildings with a focus on the cafeteria at the high school, electrical issues at the middle school and the question of whether having seven elementary schools was the best way to educate students. Vessey says the architectural firm will come back with some further suggestions along with costs of those projects. <br /><br />Packers To Dedicate Sunday’s Game To Philbin<br /><br />1/11/12 - Clay Matthews says the Green Bay Packers will dedicate Sunday's N-F-C divisional playoff game to offensive coordinator Joe Philbin and his family. The Packers will host the New York Giants, six days after the body of Philbin's son Michael was found in the Fox River. Oshkosh Police said the 21-year-old Ripon College student fell through the ice early Sunday, after he visited friends from U-W Oshkosh. Matthews told E-S-P-N today that the way the Packers approach and play the game will be dedicated to Joe Philbin and quote, "Hopefully we do it the right way." Joe Philbin is normally the main architect of the Packers' game plan for Aaron Rodgers and the offense. But coach Mike McCarthy said he has a contingency plan to make sure the Packers don't miss a beat while Philbin is gone.<br /><br />Overdose Death in FDL Leads to Charges<br /><br />1/11/12 - A 28-year-old woman is facing possible charges in a drug overdose death in Fond du Lac. Police said the woman supplied the heroin that killed 23-year-old Tyler Hass. He was found dead in his mother’s home last November 24th. Investigators said they linked Hass’s death to drugs supplied by the suspect. She was arrested this week, and police have recommended charges of first-degree reckless homicide and illegal heroin delivery.<br /><br />Wisconsin #1 for Binge Drinking<br /><br />1/11/12 - Wisconsin continues to lead the nation in binge drinking. According to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control, 26-percent of Wisconsin adults admitted that they binged on alcohol at least once in the previous month. That’s five drinks for men over a period of several hours, and four drinks for women. Nationally, the C-D-C says one-of-every-six adults admit to recent binge drinking – and one-of-every-four of those were ages 18-to-34. And according to Doctor Robert Brewer of the C-D-C’s alcohol program, folks might be under-estimating their consumption – or holding back on survey-takers. Officials estimate that about half the beer, wine, and hard liquor consumed in the U-S goes down during binge drinking. The C-D-C’s survey was based on 450-thousand telephone interviews with U-S adults over the past year. The Upper Midwest has the nation’s highest prevalence of binge drinking, and that includes Wisconsin. West Virginia has the lowest rate, at 11-percent.<br /><br />Oshkosh Corp Profits From Military Contract<br /><br />1/11/12 - The Oshkosh Corporation says it will make a profit sooner-than-expected on a major military vehicle contract. In a filing with the Securities-and-Exchange Commission, Oshkosh said its Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles would turn a profit for the last quarter which ended in December. That's about three months earlier than the firm originally had planned. A few days ago, investor Carl Icahn criticized Oshkosh for losing money on the deal. And two competitors had earlier accused Oshkosh of making an offer to the Pentagon that was so low, it would never turn a profit. Financial analyst Charles Brady says the new government filing should put that possibility to rest. Oshkosh has not said how much of a profit it would make. The contract dates back to 2009, when Oshkosh beat out two other bidders to build about 23-thousand trucks-and-trailers for the military.<br /><br />BDACT Holding Auditions For Spring Play<br /><br />1/11/12 - The Beaver Dam Area Community Theater is holding auditions Wednesday and Thursday night for their spring production. The play “Arsenic and Old Lace” will be in the stage for seven performances beginning March 9. The cast includes roles for three women and twelve men. Copies of the script are available at the Beaver Dam Public Library. Rehearsals are tentatively planned Sunday through Thursday evenings. The auditions will be held from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the theater on North Spring Street.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-5706705692071431009?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-90920412776040367502012-01-10T07:11:00.002-06:002012-01-10T07:11:29.838-06:00Man in Custody After Home Invasion <br /><br />A 26-year-old man is in custody after allegedly brandishing a knife during a home invasion outside of Waterloo last night. Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls says it happened at a home on County Trunk G around 6:30pm. The initial investigation shows that three people forced their way into the home and one person threatened the occupants with a knife. The residents fled into a bathroom and called 9-1-1. The suspects then started to allegedly remove valuables from the home and Nehls says that’s what they were doing when authorities arrived on scene. Nehls says the suspects knew the people in the home and the break-in wasn’t random but they were still investigating the reasons for the incident. <br /><br />Body of Packers Joe Philbin Pulled from River <br /><br />A body pulled from the Fox River in Oshkosh is believed to be that of Michael Philbin, son of Green Bay Packers' offensive coordinator Joe Philbin. The 21-year-old Ripon College student disappeared early Sunday after visiting with friends at U-W Oshkosh. Winnebago County sheriff's divers had been searching the river, after getting a report that somebody fell through the ice around 2:30 Sunday morning. Divers found the body about three yesterday afternoon, about 30 yards from the shore. A nearby security guard was alerted after hearing a cry for help on the river. Police said the body was a 20-to-25-year-old man, and he was later positively identified -- but police won't release the name until today after relatives are notified. Foul play is not suspected, but police are still investigating. The Packers canceled media interviews yesterday, and coach Mike McCarthy said before the body was found that coach Philbin went to Oshkosh to view the search effort. He said the team was supporting Joe Philbin and his family the best it can, as the Packers get ready for a second-round playoff game on Sunday against the New York Giants at Lambeau Field. Packer players put messages of support on Twitter. Guard T-J Lang, who lost his father last week, said a parent should "never have to say goodbye to his child." Defensive lineman B-J Raji tweeted "Life is too short. Live in the present."<br /><br />Beaver Dam Officials Lay Out Borrowing Plan<br /><br />1/10/12 - A joint meeting of Beaver Dam’s Administrative and Operations Committee’s was held last night to look at the city’s Capital Improvement Plan. The CIP lays out borrowing needs for the next five years for infrastructure improvement projects and major equipment purchases. In 2012, Beaver Dam is proposing to reconstruct Prospect Avenue from Keller Boulevard to Eilbes Avenue in conjunction with a state Highway 151 project. In addition, two stretches of North Crystal Lake Road may see mill and overlay work along with the city-owned, downtown Center Plaza parking lot. Projects on the wish list for 2013 are tied to the state’s reconstruction of Highway 33, including portions of Front Street and 33 that are not part of the state’s plan. In 2014, the city wants to reconstruct portions of East Davis Street and West Burnett while doing mill and overlay work on parts of Henry Street, Prospect Avenue, Beaver Street and Front Street. Officials in Beaver Dam are also proposing to borrow for a dump truck, minor upgrades to the library, handicap-accessible playground equipment, and state-mandated repairs to the dam, along with a new ambulance, rescue boat and pumper truck for the fire department. The fire department is also seeking $250,000 next year to remove asbestos from their section of the building and construct classrooms in the former police department. However, council President Jon Litscher wants to see that project moved to 2013 as part of his plan to keep borrowing levels at $1.6 million for the next three years. The joint committee is expected to reconvene to consider approval of the borrowing plan on January 30.<br /><br />Alderman Critical of Lake Shore Drive Omission<br /><br />1/10/12 - Alderman Robert Ballweg expressed concerns last night about the removal of the reconstruction of Lake Shore Drive from the city’s five-year projects plan. Ballweg says the Operations Committee should have direction to which projects appear on the CIP but Lake Shore was removed from the draft reviewed by the joint committee last night for what Ballweg calls political reasons; he says that prohibits discussion about a potentially serious safety issue. <br /><br />Mayor Tom Kennedy says he “required that the Lake Shore Drive project be put in limbo” so that city officials can gain more public input and put a plan into place that looks at the “whole picture” of infrastructure needs in the city. He says a plan that addresses just that is headed to the Operations Committee. Engineering Coordinator Ritchie Piltz says he reassessed all the city streets this year and concluded that the other streets identified for reconstruction over the next five years are in greater need of repair than Lake Shore because they have a higher average daily traffic count and are deteriorating at a faster rate. <br /><br />Ballweg says property owners on Lake Shore clearly do not want sidewalks, curb and gutter but they have expressed concerns to him over the condition of the street. He says he is worried that the street is being ignored because elected officials do not want to have the discussion. Alderwoman Lisa Davidson, who represents the bulk the residents who live along Lake Shore, says the issue has been tabled and residents along the scenic road have heard media reports that it was pulled from the CIP. Davidson says if her colleagues want to discuss the issue it’s important to provide adequate notice to the homeowners who would be intentionally impacted by the project. In turn, Ballweg apologized to all city residents who live on streets where reconstruction is planned over the next five years for not personally inviting them to last night’s meeting.<br /><br />Beaver Dam Man Charged In Drunken Boat Crash<br /><br />1/10/12 - A Beaver Dam man is accused of injuring himself and a passenger in a drunken boating accident. 47-year-old James Windorff is charged with two misdemeanor counts of Operating While Intoxicated, which carry a maximum of two years in the county jail if he is convicted. Authorities responded to an area north of McKinley Beach Road in the Town of Beaver Dam last September. According to the criminal complaint, a boat with four passengers was operating at a high rate of speed in the dense fog when it crashed into the shoreline near the Wisconsin &amp; Southern railroad trestle. Windorff and a 38-year-old Beaver Dam woman were ejected and sustained severe but non-life-threatening injuries. An open bottle of beer was allegedly found near the driver seat. Windorff had a reported blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit for driving at point-one-five-four (0.154). A signature bond was set at $500 yesterday and a return date in the on the calendar next month. <br /><br />Purse Snatcher Nabbed By GPS<br /><br />1/10/12 - The suspect in several smash-and-grab purse snatchings in the Town of Beaver Dam last month was apprehended because of the GPS on a phone in one of the purses. That’s according to Town Police Chief John Kreuzinger who says seven cars were broken into at Old Hickory Golf Club in December and six had purses stolen. One of the purses had a phone enabled with a global positioning system. Employees were able to provide information on a suspicious green pick-up truck and that, combined with the GPS coordinates, allowed police to trace the suspect to the Neosho area. The truck matching the description was spotted outside a local bar, but the driver sped off when police arrived. The suspect was taken into custody following a traffic stop and he is facing a variety of charges. All the purses and their contents were returned to the victims.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-9092041277604036750?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-31589700450748074542012-01-07T17:53:00.002-06:002012-01-07T17:53:51.459-06:00<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Fire Damages Exterior of Juneau Home</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/8/12 - Fire caused minor damage to the outside of a home in Juneau Saturday morning. Fire Chief Curt Ninmann says the call from the 3300-block of East Oak came into Dodge County dispatch at 5:20am. Two deputies were the first on scene and they were able to knock down flames on the back porch with a fire extinguisher. When firefighters arrived a short time later they checked to see if the flames extended into the flat roof of the porch and the walls of the home. Fire spreads more quickly through an older home but Ninmann says they found nothing more and the damage was contained to the outside porch and flat roof. Around 20 firefighters were on scene for two hours. There were no injuries and Ninmann says they have yet to determine what caused the fire.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Carol’s Tours Hearing Postponed</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/8/12 - Those who lost out on a vacation because of the closure of Carol’s Tours will have to wait to see if the state has enough evidence to order a trial against the owner of the shuttered Beaver Dam travel agency. Deborah Paul had a preliminary hearing scheduled for this coming Thursday, but that hearing has been postponed because Paul’s defense attorney has been ordered to active duty in the military beginning today until January 20. Paul now has a hearing scheduled on the morning of February 13. It’s the second time her preliminary hearing has been delayed. Carol’s Tours shut down in January of 2008 leaving around 200 people without vacations. The 56-year-old Paul is charged with two counts of Theft in a Business Setting. Her office manager, 46-year-old Lisa Hopper is accused of embezzling $90,000 from the business. The two will be tried separately. Hopper’s February 3rd arraignment hearing remains on the calendar. Both women face a total of 20 years in prison, if they are convicted. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Police Union Critical Of Municipal Governments</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/8/12 - Wisconsin’s police union says local governments are blackmailing officers, by making their health insurance almost unaffordable unless they start paying toward their pensions. Police-and-fire unions were exempt from the 2011 state law which virtually ended collective bargaining for other public unions. But lawmakers added an item to the state budget which stopped giving officers a say on the design of their health insurance. And Jim Palmer of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association tells the Associated Press that cities have used that measure to create exorbitant deductibles, if local police chapters don’t agree to pay toward their pensions. Local officials say they’re just using the tools lawmakers gave them to manage their city budgets, and make up for large cuts in state aid. Dan Thompson of the League of Wisconsin Municipalities says cities are also trying to avoid tensions between unions that are exempt from the bargaining limits and those that are not. Thompson told the A-P quote, “We wanted all municipal employees to be treated alike.” And “legislators simply understood the argument that having two separate health care plans isn’t the right way to run City Hall.” </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Higher Than Planned Numbers For Home Weatherization </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/8/12 - Over 30-thousand homes were weatherized in Wisconsin since the start of 2009. And according to U-S Energy Secretary Steven Chu, about a-thousand more homes than expected were weatherized under the federal stimulus package. Almost 22-thousand houses received stimulus funding, using 141-million dollars given to Wisconsin to make older homes more energy-efficient – as well as those owned by low-income families. The Energy Department said the stimulus work created about 400 jobs in the Badger State. And Madison House Democrat Tammy Baldwin said the program was vital in helping cut energy bills. Chu said about five-million dollars from Wisconsin’s original stimulus grant is left over. Wisconsin had the nation’s eighth-highest number of homes weatherized by the funding. Some states never spent their share, which caused Congress to reduce its funding for the current fiscal year. The state was expecting to get around eight-million dollars in weatherization funds. It’s getting six-and-a-half million instead.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Flynn Vows To Reduce Crime</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/8/12 - Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn points to the reduction in crime over the last four years as he is sworn-in to a second term. Flynn took over the position in 2008 when Chief Nan Hegerty retired. Flynn said Milwaukee had averaged 127 people murdered each year for two decades. In the four years since he assumed the job as chief of police the average number has fallen to 81 per year. Flynn also pointed out that property and violent crime victim numbers are down by near 18 thousand. He did acknowledge a increase in response times during the period. Flynn was sworn-in Friday.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Steer Stalls Cedarburg Students Safely Inside </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/8/12 - It was a first-hand lesson in animal behavior. Students at Webster Transitional School in Cedarburg were locked down in their classrooms yesterday when a steer from a local farm got loose. The students weren’t allowed outside for 10 to 15 minutes as the animal had wandered onto their campus. Mike Halloran’s farm is about a mile from the school. The steer was called “feisty” by witnesses. It was herded into a trailer, then returned to its home.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Assault Charges Dropped Against Polk County Man</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/8/12 - Polk County prosecutors in Polk County say they plan to drop charges against a man accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl. In charges filed in December, District Attorney Dan Steffen says the man from Turtle Lake was accused of assaulting the girl at her home. However, GPS information from a handicapped transportation service the man worked for later proved he never left his route on the day of the alleged assault. Steffen says finding out an alleged victim was not telling the truth is about the worst situation you can imagine as a prosecutor. He says there is no doubt now that the accusations were false. Steffen says his office will do everything possible to clear the man’s name, including having the case dismissed and expunged from all databases so there’s no “cloud on his history.”</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Appeals Court Supports Megna Fees</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/8/12 - A state appeals court says attorney Vince Megna should get paid for the time he spent preparing an argument for the legal fees he should get in a vehicle lemon law case. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Ralph Ramirez ruled in 2010 that Megna should get nothing for five days of court hearings, in which he and Chrysler argued the amount of legal fees for Megna in settling the original lawsuit. Gary and Sandra Zimmerman filed the suit in 2006 over a Chrysler mini-van. The settlement called for the couple to get 10-thousand dollars plus the van. But the two sides couldn’t agree on Megna’s legal fees. He asked for over 27-thousand dollars, while Chrysler offered to pay eight-thousand. They agreed to let the judge decide. And Ramirez awarded over 23-thousand-dollars without anything extra for the abnormally long time it took to litigate the fees. The appellate court said the amount of the judge’s award showed that some type of litigation fee for Megna was reasonable. The case now goes back to Ramirez’s court to determine the new fees.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Most All Of Nativity Scene Stolen</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/8/12 - Manitowoc County authorities are looking for somebody who stole almost an entire nativity scene on Christmas Eve, leaving only the baby Jesus behind. Sheriff’s deputies released a report about the incident this week. They said a Whitelaw resident reported the theft on Christmas Day. Plastic figures of Mary, Joseph, a cradle, and plastic candles were all stolen – and only the baby was left inside the manger. Deputies said they couldn’t find the items in the immediate area – and they don’t have any suspects.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-3158970045074807454?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-48462814856964247762012-01-07T06:38:00.000-06:002012-01-07T06:38:00.805-06:00<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">BDPD Identifies Shell Robbery Suspect</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/7/12 - The Beaver Dam Police Department has identified a suspect in last July’s armed robbery of the Shell Travel Mart on Park Avenue. Detective Ryan Klavekoske told us on WBEV’s Community Comment Friday that an arrest warrant has been issued for 32-year-old Josiah Kaiser. Kaiser’s last known address was in Lakewood, Colorado but Klavekoske says he has ties to the Beaver Dam-area and has had several run-ins with local police. The suspect brandished a handgun during the robbery and a firearm was among the items taken as evidence and sent to the State Crime Lab for investigation. Kaiser is charged with felony Armed Robbery With the Threat of Force. Klavekoske says Kaiser is believed to be out-of state at this point though anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact Detective Heather Johnson at the Beaver Dam Police Department at 887-4614 during regular business hours or afterhours at 887-4612. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Columbus Man Charged With Violent Sexual Assault</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/7/12 - A 62-year-old Columbus man is facing 31-years in prison after being charged with sexually assaulting a woman last November. Michael Duncan is free on a $5,000 signature bond after making his initial appearance on felony charges of second degree sexual assault, strangulation and suffocation and false imprisonment. Authorities in Columbus say Duncan assaulted the woman at a home in Columbus and according to prosecutors he also punched and slapped her, put his hands around her neck and squeezed while saying (quote) I could kill you.” The victim sustained several bruises to her body and was taken to the hospital for treatment. Duncan is due back in court later this month. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Teen Arraigned For Stealing Students Car</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/7/12 - A former Horicon High School student, who is charged with operating a motor vehicle without the owners consent, pleaded not guilty yesterday in Dodge County Court. 18-year-old Jesse Roberts, who now lives in Milwaukee, is accused of stealing a car that belonged to a Horicon football player while the team was at an away game. In-school video surveillance caught Roberts entering the locker room during the game and prosecutors say he allegedly riffled through the lockers stealing iPods, cash, car keys and then the car. A teacher contacted Roberts and got him to leave the vehicle in the Milwaukee-area. Roberts later admitted to police he took the car. He has court activity on the calendar next month. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Pepin Heights Orchards Apple Cider Recall</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/7/12 - Minnesota-based Pepin Heights Orchards says no illnesses have been reported, but it is advising consumers to throw away half-gallon plastic jugs of its Honeycrisp Apple Cider. Wisconsin is one of three states where the product was sold. Minnesota Agriculture Department lab tests found some of the cider may be contaminated with a mycotoxin called patulin. The advisory only applies to Honeycrisp cider with the “use by” date of February 9, 2012. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Recall Election Estimated To Cost $9 Million </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/7/12 - State election officials say a recall election aimed at Governor Scott Walker would cost at least nine million dollars. The Government Accountability Board asked local election clerks to estimate the costs of a recall election, then added all the figures up. Governor Walker’s measure to take almost all collective bargaining rights from public workers created a major backlash last year. Democrats have called it a blatant attack on unions. Walker signed the measure into law last March despite protests which jammed the Wisconsin state Capitol. Backers of the recall election effort have until January 17th to collect 540 thousand signatures on petitions. Republicans say the cost estimates show this state can’t afford to keep holding recall elections. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Developer Withdraws From Investment Board Consideration</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/7/12 - Developer John Petersen the Third has withdrawn his name for consideration for a position on the Wisconsin Investment Board. Petersen says he fears the nomination process will become too bitter and partisan. Petersen was grilled during a state Senate committee hearing this year. Lawmakers raised ethical questions about his previous service on that board which handles billions of dollars of state money. An audit cited concerns during that period over what auditors called “the appearance of a conflict of interest.” Petersen had voted in favor of an 80 million dollar investment in a business with a company that had ties to a corporation he owned stock in. Petersen told committee members he shouldn’t have voted on the deal. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Officials Warn of Thin Ice</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/7/12 - Wisconsin is not exactly a winter wonderland these days – and authorities are urging people to stay off the ice, even on lakes that appear to be frozen over. The Madison Capital Times Web site had a picture of dozens of people ice-fishing this week on Monona Bay, as the thermometer hit a record 51 degrees. Dane County sheriff’s deputies were called to rescue a deer Friday that fell through the ice on Madison’s Yahara River. The animal died. A few people have recently fallen through the ice on Wisconsin waters – and a snowmobiler was killed in Rusk County last month while trying to skip over patches of open water. Beaver Dam Fire Chief Alan Mannel says there’s been no reports here of animals or people falling through the ice, which he says is definitely still on the thin side. Mannel says some good old-fashioned common sense will go a long way in preventing a tragedy. Those who venture onto the ice are not only jeopardizing themselves – but also those who might be called to rescue them. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Columbus Sleigh Rally Needs Snow</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/7/12 - The City of Columbus and Wisconsin Horse Council are hoping for more snow in a big way. The Horse Council is planning a “Sleigh Rally and Festival” for February 11th at Fireman’s Park. Sleigh Rally Coordinator Melanie Lichtfield said that the event would include a chili cook off, model horse show, cake walk and cookie decorating contest in the Pavilion. Horse show competition and sled rides are planned for the outside events. All that is needed is some Wisconsin snow.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Warm Weather Helping With Lambeau Upgrade</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/7/12 - Unseasonably dry and warm weather is helping construction work at Lambeau Field make major progress. The project involves the addition of 67 hundred seats, new entrances and several other improvements to the historic home of the Green Bay Packers. The president of Miron Construction Company says his workers are more productive because they aren’t fighting the cold while trying to get the job done. About 60 workers are on-site now, but a total of 16 hundred are expected to be involved in the two-year project. The new seats are expected to be in place for the 2013 season. That won’t put a big dent in the waiting list for season tickets which has grown to 96 thousand names. The project is expected to cost 143 million dollars by the time it is completed.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-4846281485696424776?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-34350396560994948032012-01-06T07:15:00.002-06:002012-01-06T07:15:48.209-06:00Record High Temps Possible<br /><br />1/6/12 - Parts of Wisconsin could see record high temperatures today as an extremely mild winter continues. That includes in Juneau, where the record high for the date is 46-degrees and forecasters say we could hit 50 today. Yesterday, Madison saw a five year old record high of 49-degrees broken when it 51 in the capitol city. Some places in Minnesota and Iowa topped 60-degrees while the high in Wisconsin was 57-degrees in Boscobel and Prairie du Chien. Temperatures in our area will return to the mid-30’s for the weekend before getting back into the 40’s at the beginning of next week. <br /><br />Pinkert in Court<br /><br />1/6/12 - A Sussex man will spend six months in jail for injuring a passenger in a drunken driving crash in Dodge County. Ryan Pinkert pleaded “no contest” Thursday to felony OWI Causing Injury and had three other felonies dismissed. The 29-year-old was driving drunk after a Christmas Party in Iron Ridge in December of 2010. According to the criminal complaint, he thought he was heading toward Milwaukee when he got into a physical confrontation with his passenger over the directions and wound up hitting a tree in the Town of Clyman. His passenger sustained head injuries. A preliminary breath test put Pinkert over the legal limit for driving at point-one-one-seven. A blood test revealed other drugs in his system, including cocaine and Oxycodone. Pinkert was also ordered to spend three years on probation and two years without a driver’s license. <br /><br />CA Woman Released from Jail <br /><br />1/6/12 - A California woman allegedly found with 40 pounds of marijuana has waived her right to a preliminary hearing. Elizabeth Lapple then stood mute during arraignment and the court entered a “not guilty” plea on her behalf. The 30-year-old was stopped last month on Highway 33 in the Town of Herman by a deputy on routine patrol because her RV reportedly had a broken traffic light. According to the criminal complaint, the deputy asked her a few questions and became suspicious when her answers did not make sense. A search by the department’s new K9 unit allegedly uncovered the high grade marijuana inside the RV under a bed. Authorities called it the largest marijuana seizure as a result of a traffic stop in Dodge County, with a reported street value of between $120,000 and $160,000. Judge Andrew Bissonnette approved a bond reduction and Lapple is free after posting a $50,000 cash bond yesterday. Court activity is on the calendar again next month. <br /><br />Gorr Waives Prelim <br /><br />1/6/12 - A Beaver Dam man, arrested for sixth-offense drunk driving after Columbia County authorities say he sparked a high speed chase, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday. The incident started on the afternoon of December 21 when deputies responded to reports of an intoxicated driver in the city of Portage. Jonathan L. Gorr was reportedly observed traveling east on Highway 33 near Cambria. His vehicle then turned down some town roads at a high rate of speed, sparking a seven mile pursuit that reached close to 80mph. Road spikes were deployed just off State Highway 44, north of Pardeeville. The 33-year-old was taken into custody without further incident. Gorr is charged with Sixth Offense Operating While Intoxicated, Possession of THC and drug paraphernalia and a variety of traffic violations. He is being held on a $2500 cash bond.<br /><br />Two Former Walker Aides Facing Embezzlement Charges<br /><br />1/6/12 - Two officials who served under Governor Scott Walker when he was the Milwaukee County Executive appeared in court yesterday. Criminal complaints said Tim Russell and Kevin Kavanaugh embezzled over 63-thousand dollars that were donated to help Wisconsin veterans and their families. The charges are the first connected with a continuing John Doe probe into alleged illegal activities by present-and-former Walker aides. The 48-year-old Russell pleaded innocent to a misdemeanor embezzlement charge, and a preliminary hearing was set for January 23rd on two felony embezzlement counts. The 61-year-old Kavanaugh has a preliminary hearing next Friday on five felonies of theft and fraudulent writings by a corporate officer. Investigators said most of the embezzled money had been donated to Operation Freedom, a veteran’s event. Walker said his county office had raised the initial concerns about the event’s bookkeeping under Kavanaugh – and he had his chief-of-staff contact prosecutors. Officials said Walker later put Russell in charge of Operation Freedom’s finances. And Walker said he was “very disappointed” to learn about his long-time aide’s alleged involvement. <br /><br />Petri Optimistic About Economy <br /><br />1/6/12 - Congressman Tom Petri says he is optimistic the economy will grow in 2012. The Republican from Fond du Lac told us on WBEV’s Community Comment yesterday that the country has been through the ringer but he things we’ve come out the other end ready to work. Petri says real estate remains stagnant but agriculture has been strong and manufacturing appears to be rebounding. Petri recently visited the Moraine Park Technical College Beaver Dam campus and says the programs they are offering lay a strong foundation for employment training in an ever-changing workplace. Petri also told us that he does not support an extension of unemployment benefits. He says he has heard from the business community in his district about unemployment insurance tax increases. Petri also says business leaders have complained they are having a hard time filling some positions because unemployment is a better deal than the wages being offered.<br /><br />Walker Expects Recall in June<br /><br />1/6/12 - Governor Scott Walker told a conservative audience in Washington Thursday that he expects a recall election around early June -- and his opponent would be quote, "hand-picked by the unions." The Republican Walker made his comments at a meeting held by the American Enterprise Institute. He said the biggest reason he's being targeted is that union dues cannot be deducted anymore from the paychecks of most public employee groups. Walker said quote, "I took away the gravy train, the free money" the unions had before. And the governor said he gave the decision about being in a union back to the workers. Walker also said the way he eliminated Wisconsin's budget deficit was quote, "a more optimistic, better approach" to expand upon in the future.<br /><br />Waupun Memorial Welcomes First Baby of 2012<br /><br />1/6/12 - The Waupun Memorial Hospital has announced that their first baby of the New Year. Evangeline Noelle Doerr was born Monday, January 2 at 8:12am to Christopher and Carrie Doerr, of Waupun. Evangeline Noelle weighed six pounds, nine ounces and measured 19-inches long. Evangeline Noelle has joined five siblings at home, including 11-year-old Elisha, nine-year-old Jonas, seven-year-old Benjamin, four-year-old Thomas and two-year-old Simon. It may wind-up being a little cheaper by the half-dozen for the Doerr family as the first baby of the New Year was given a basket full of baby items from the Waupun Memorial Hospital Women &amp; Infants Unit.<br /><br />Recall of Shredded Cheese<br /><br />1/6/12 - Bekkum Family Farms of Westby is recalling shredded cheese which could be contaminated with listeria. The cheese is labeled “Grumpy Goat Shreds” under the Nordic Creamery brand name. It comes in eight-ounce packages and has a sell-by date of “10-MAR-12.” Distributors say the products were sold in Wisconsin, Minnesota and California. Eating food contaminated with listeria can be fatal.<br /><br />Tele-Conference Held on Grounded Whooping Cranes<br /><br />1/6/12 - Federal officials held a tele-conference yesterday to decide what to do with nine Wisconsin whooping cranes grounded in Alabama. The U-S Fish-and-Wildlife Service plans another meeting Tuesday with the partnership that’s overseeing a re-introduction of the endangered cranes in the eastern U-S. The nine birds, which took off from the Horicon Marsh, were supposed to fly from Wisconsin to two wildlife refuges in Florida with the help of an ultra-light pilot. But the group that coordinates the trip, Operation Migration, voluntarily halted the mission last month. That’s after the group learned that it broke federal rules against paying ultra-light pilots for services. Operation Migration had been using the pilots for over a decade, and its attorney has asked for a waiver from the rules.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-3435039656099494803?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-63361579805716301612012-01-05T10:58:00.001-06:002012-01-05T10:58:06.591-06:00Petri On Community Comment Today<br /><br />1/5/12 - Congressman Tom Petri will appear on WBEV’s Community Comment today as he begins a series of Town Hall Meetings throughout his district. The Republican from Fond du Lac says the meetings are way for him to connect with his constituents. Petri will be at the Watertown Senior and Community Center this afternoon for an hour beginning at 2:30pm. On January 7, he’ll travel to the Waupun Public Library at 10:30am. Today’s Community Comment program gets underway at 12:35pm on 1430AM. <br /><br />Teen Faces Child Abuse Charges<br /><br />1/5/12 - A Fox Lake teen is facing child abuse charges against his 15-year-old girlfriend after he allegedly caused bruising on her arm. 19-year-old Cody Van Beek made his initial appearance yesterday on charges of physical abuse of a child intentionally causing harm. According to the criminal complaint, the girl’s father noticed bruising on her arm and took her to the Randolph Police Department to speak with an officer. During the interview the girl told police that she got the bruises after Van Beek became upset when she looked at his brother. When police questioned Van Beek, he said he grabbed the girl because she was trying to leave and he didn’t want her to. He said he also grabbed the girl at other points in their relationship when he was mad. Police say the two also admitted to have a sexual relationship. Van Beek was released on a $1,000 signature bond and has a preliminary hearing set for next month. <br /><br />Petersen Up for Spot on State Investment Board<br /><br />1/5/12 - A nominee for the State Investment Board admits mistakes in a previous term on the panel -- and he vows not to repeat them. Madison real estate developer John Petersen-the-Third told the Senate Financial Institutions Committee yesterday he's the most experienced person available to serve on the Investment Board. It manages billions in retirement funds for state, local government, and school employees. Petersen was on the board in 2000 when he voted to invest 80-million-dollars in a business connected to a firm in which he owned stock. Auditors said there appeared to be a conflict of interest, but the former state Ethics Board said Petersen did nothing wrong. Yesterday, he said he should have abstained from the matter. But he didn't consider it the time, because it was not a direct investment to the company in which he owned the stock. Jane Elmer of the Wisconsin Retired Educators Association said her group does not believe Petersen is eligible to serve, because of his ties to real estate investments. Petersen later said he believed he's eligible -- and the governor's office agreed. Panel chairman Glenn Grothman said afterward that he would vote to confirm Petersen. He was one of three people appointed to the Investment Board last month by Governor Scott Walker.<br /><br />New Magazine Highlights Life In Beaver Dam <br /><br />1/5/12 - A new magazine highlights art, culture and happenings in Beaver Dam. LocaLeben, pronounced “local - lay- bin,” will be printed twice a month and sent to every Beaver Dam resident in the 53916 zip code free of charge. Co-founder and Editor Erik Dittmann says Leben means life and reflects the German heritage of the community while the contest in the full-color magazine will highlight writings, photography and art from the Beaver Dam community. The January-February issue features an article by Lloyd Clark about the early years of Beaver Dam, photography of local landscapes by Josh Dobbs, an interview with hometown favorites The Lucas Cates Band by High School Music Director Rich Zeman and a story about the sacrifices of firefighters by Fire Chief Alan Mannel. Beaver Dam Area Arts Association Executive Director Karla Jensen also writes a piece about local painter Jerry Baskfield. The public is invited to an unveiling party for LocaLeben this Saturday from 5pm to 8pm at the Chapel of the Arch Angels, formerly St. Michael’s Church, on Madison Street. The free event allows the public to meet the writers, artists and editorial staff and get an exclusive first look at the premier issue. Everyone else in Beaver Dam will have to wait until Monday when the magazine should arrive in your mailbox.<br /><br />ShopKo Merging With Pamida<br /><br />1/5/12 - Two department store chains say they’ll merge. ShopKo of Green Bay and Pamida of Omaha are both owned by Sun Capital Partners of Florida. ShopKo C-E-O Paul Jones said the merger will be good for both companies and their customers, because their strengths and their networks of stores complement each other. The combined operation will carry the ShopKo name with 350 stores in 22 states. ShopKo’s headquarters will stay in the Green Bay suburb of Ashwaubenon. Governor Scott Walker issued a statement that the merger would create over 120 new jobs at the corporate headquarters’ facility – and the firm will get up to two-million-dollars in state tax credits. The move is expected to be finalized in mid-February. ShopKo says it will spend 80-million dollars over the next year to convert Pamida stores into ShopKo Hometown stores – and the firm plans to open more Hometown stores in the second half of the New Year and in 2013. ShopKo acquired Pamida in 1999, and both have operated as separate brands until now. ShopKo has 149 stores in 13 states, with revenues of two-billion dollars a year. Pamida has 193 stores in 17 states with revenues of a billion-dollars a year. <br /><br />Community Meal Coalition Offers Free Feast<br /><br />1/5/12 - A group made up of several local churches is offering the public a free meal tonight (Th). Tom Dugolenski with the Beaver Dam Community Meal Coalition says the group started two years ago with the goal of providing food and fellowship where it’s needed most. The group started by offering the meal to families at Jefferson Elementary but the program expanded last year to also include a community-wide meal. The Coalition currently serves one meal a month to Jefferson Elementary families and one meal to the entire community. Dugolenski says they hope to one day host a community meal every week. He says there have been just under 100 people at each of their meals, and close to 80% are children. The Beaver Dam Community Meal Coalition’s free community meal will be held from 5:30 to 6:30pm tonight in the Beaver Dam High School cafeteria. On the menu: a Mexican hot dish, burritos, apples and dessert. The next community meal at the high school will be served on February 2.<br /><br />Former UW Chancellor Young Dead at 94<br /><br />1/5/12 - Former University of Wisconsin-Madison Chancellor Hugh Edwin Young has died at the age of 94. Young was called “War maker, strike breaker” when he headed the university during the contentious Vietnam War time period. He was known for being tough on anti-war protesters. Young died Monday in Madison. Young became an economics professor at the university in 1947, leaving to become president at the University of Maine in 1965, but returning three years later when he was named chancellor. <br /><br />BDCH Welcomes First Baby of the New Year<br /><br />1/5/12 - The Beaver Dam Community Hospital welcomed its first baby of the New Year at 7:59am on January 1. The hospital has announced that Lillian Adelle VandeBerg was born to Todd and Trisha VandeBerg, weighing exactly 8 pounds and measuring 21-and-a-quarter inches long. She joins 2-year-old Bentley at the VandeBerg home. The family received a basket of gifts to honor the occasion. The basket included assorted baby clothing, a baby blanket, infant toys, a $50 Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce gift certificate and a six-month supply of diapers.<br /><br />Waupun FD Gets Grant<br /><br />1/5/12 - The Waupun Fire Department has been awarded a $164,500 Homeland Security grant. According to a press release, Fire Chief Jeff Berry said the grant is the largest ever received by the department. Awarded by the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program, Berry says the grant will be used to replace self-contained breathing apparatuses and a refill system. Berry says his department has always strived to emphasize the importance of fire safety and having the proper equipment for the firefighters to perform their tasks as safely as possible. Waupun is one of 6,000 departments nationwide that are splitting $500-million in grant money. <br /><br />Wisconsin Cheese Makers Have a Busy November<br /><br />1/5/12 - Wisconsin cheese factories were busier in November than the nation as a whole. That’s according to new figures from the U-S-D-A. The Badger State produced almost 220-million pounds of cheese, three-point-four percent more than in November of 2010. That far surpassed the national increase of three-tenths of one-percent. Second-place California, which trails Wisconsin in cheese production, had a decrease of one-tenth of a percent. The Golden State made 189-million pounds of cheese in November. The biggest increase in Wisconsin was for Cheddar cheeses, at five-point-four percent. The state almost made four-point-seven percent more American cheese, and two-point-nine percent more Italian cheeses.<br /><br />Kids in Milwaukee Stealing Cars to Get to School<br /><br />1/5/12 - Your grandfather may have walked for miles to get to school in the cold of winter. But today in Milwaukee, dozens of kids are making that journey by stealing cars. Police officer Shellee Lubus tells the Journal Sentinel that teens are walking through alleys, finding unattended cars that are warming up, and then driving them within a block or two of school where they leave them on the street. Car thefts jumped 43-percent in the last week in one police district on Milwaukee's north side. Citywide, vehicle thefts are up 58-percent. There were 266 car thefts in the last three weeks -- up from 168 in the previous three weeks. The most recent theft have occurred between 7-and-8 in the morning, or after school when drivers stop by a coffee shop or a pizza place with their engines running.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-6336157980571630161?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-49666811257288459582012-01-04T07:15:00.002-06:002012-01-04T07:15:36.398-06:00Municipal Candidate Filings<br /><br />Waupun<br />It’s official; there will be a primary election in at least one Dodge County community. That’s after three candidates filed for mayor in the city of Waupun. Incumbent Mayor Jodi Steger will see opposition from Todd Snow and Jay Graff in a February 21 primary. Aldermanic incumbents Steve Bastian and Nancy Vanderkin are running unopposed while District Two incumbent Dan Ganz failed to submit either his nomination papers or his non-candidacy papers by the deadline. As a result, the deadline for any candidate wishing to file in District Two – on the Dodge County side of the county line – is extended 72 hours to the close of business on Friday. Peter Kaczmarski is currently the only candidate who will definitely appear on the ballot in Waupun’s District Two. <br /><br />Horicon<br />The next mayor of Horicon will be named Craig. Craig Muenchow and Craig Reiger will face each other on the April ballot to see which one will succeed Jim Grigg, who is leaving municipal government to run for State Assembly. Incumbents Richard Marschke and Steve Neitzel are running unopposed, as is newcomer Matthew Wieneke who would replace District Three Alderman Ted Pyrek. <br /><br />Juneau<br />There are two contested races in Juneau where incumbent Mayor Ron Bosak is being challenged by Alderman and Finance Committee Chairman Robert Affeld, who is also running to retain his Second Ward seat. Juneau’s Ward Three Alderman Dan Schamberger is being challenged by Corey Ronge.<br /><br />Columbus<br />In Columbus, Steven Davidson is running for the seat being vacated by Tyler Walker while incumbent alderpersons in District’s Two and Three are running without opposition. <br /><br />Beaver Dam<br />Barring a successful write-in campaign, Tom Kennedy will serve a third term as Beaver Dam’s mayor. All incumbents alderperson on the council in even numbered wards will also be returning and face no challengers. <br /><br />Mayville and Fox Lake<br />The Mayville and Fox Lake city councils should stay the same after the April election as all incumbent mayors and alderpersons are running unopposed. <br /><br />Only One Contested Race on Local School Boards <br /><br />1/4/12 - There is only one contested race for a spot on one of the area school boards in this spring’s election. And that comes in Fall River where the seats of incumbents Doug Lee and Wendy Corlett are up for grabs. Both are running again and they’ll be joined on the ballot by challenger David Brozek. In Columbus, current board members Don Nelson and Sally Owen will run unopposed while newcomer Peter Fogarty will fill the seat being vacated by Pam Larson. There are three seats up for election and only two people running in the Beaver Dam School District. Incumbents Marge Jorgensen and Gary Spielman will run unopposed while no one submitted nomination papers for the seat currently held by Dan Feuling, who isn’t running again. In Waupun, Ron Paul and Katharine Schlieve will run unopposed. Same goes for Dodgeland School Board incumbents Neil Whiting, Shawna Rennhack and Jeffrey Caine. Also running unopposed are John Westphal and Jim Congdon on the Mayville School Board. There will be no contested races in Horicon where incumbents David Westimayer, James Ketchem and Eric Krause-Emerick will return for another term. <br /><br /><br />Six Contested Races on the Dodge County Board<br /><br />1/4/12 - There are six contested races on the 33-member Dodge County Board. In District Three in the Town of Beaver Dam, Delwyn Guenther will square off against Mary Bobholz. Longtime incumbent Ernest Borchardt will be defending his District 11 Ashippun-area seat from Sheryl Jaeger. Incumbent Bob Smith is being challenged for his Mayville-area District 13 seat by William Muche. District 14 incumbent Eugene Wurtz of Mayville is facing opposition from Philip Gohr. Incumbent Larry Bischoff of Hustisford will try to retain his District 17 seat from a challenge by Tom Schmidt Sr. of the Town of Hubbard. Incumbents Jeff Berres and William Nass will be squaring off against each other for the Watertown-area District 22 seat; they are competing for the same seat because of the recent consolidation of supervisory districts. Incumbents in the other three districts that were lost due to consolidation chose not to seek re-election. James Houchin of Watertown is the only candidate running for the District 21 seat being vacated by Joe Ready, the longest-serving elected official in the state of Wisconsin.<br /><br />Voters to See Seven Names on Primary Ballot <br /><br />Mitt Romney won the Iowa Republican presidential caucuses by just eight votes over Rick Santorum, 30-thousand-15 to 30-thousand-seven. Ron Paul was third, followed by Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, Michelle Bachmann, and Jon Huntsman. All seven of those names will appear on Wisconsin’s G-O-P primary ballot, at least for now. A committee of Republicans and Democrats chose the candidates for the April third ballot yesterday, but they can still be changed. Texas Governor Perry said last night he would quote, “determine whether there is a path forward” for his White House bid after his distant fifth-place finish in Iowa. If he drops out of the race, his campaign would have until January 31st to get off the Wisconsin ballot by notifying the Government Accountability Board. The ballot committee chose President Obama as the only Democratic candidate. Others can still make the ballot by collecting a-thousand nominating signatures in each of Wisconsin’s eight congressional districts. The deadline for that is also January 31st.<br /><br />Group Asks to Join Petition Signature Lawsuit <br /><br />Recall groups have asked a state appeals court to let them join a lawsuit over the way petition signatures are verified. The recall groups say the Government Accountability Board should not be forced to reject false-and-duplicate signatures, without somebody else challenging those signatures first. Governor Scott Walker’s campaign and the head of the state G-O-P say it should not be their job to find improper signatures among the million-and-a-half signatures expected to be filed by January 17th. But the Accountability Board says the law only requires them to check the petitions for full names and valid Wisconsin addresses – and they don’t have the resources to do any more than that. Those petitions seek recall elections against Walker, Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and four state senators including Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Mac Davis has rejected a request by the recall groups to intervene, saying there’s not time to consider it before the petitions are filed. Davis also said the Accountability Board’s position is the same as the recall groups, so they should be adequately represented in a hearing on the merits of the case, which is scheduled for tomorrow.<br /><br />Waupun Correctional Guard Accused of Inmate Relationship <br /><br />1/4/12 - A corrections officer at Waupun Correctional is accused of having a sexual relation with an inmate. 33-year-old Jolene J. Mason of Beaver Dam is charges with three counts of Second Degree Sexual Assault by Corrections Staff and one count of Delivering Illegal Articles to an Inmate, all felonies which carry a combined maximum of over 123-years in prison upon conviction. According to the criminal complaint, the Department of Corrections received information regarding inappropriate contact between Mason and a prisoner and immediately began to monitor activity between the two. Officials then intercepted letters sent to a Beaver Dam Post Office address that detailed sexual activities between the two. Mason reportedly used her driver’s license in filling out the application for the PO Box. The inmate reportedly denied the relationship at first but later confessed saying it began last December and continued through April. Mason allegedly smuggled a cell phone into the inmate so the two could talk and text and also brought in food, jewelry, tattoo ink and needles. The inmate has since been moved to another institution. Mason had a signature bond set at $5000 yesterday and a preliminary hearing is on the calendar next month. <br /><br />DNR Expanding Service Hours <br /><br />The state D-N-R will expand its customer service to five-days-a-week at over two dozen locations throughout Wisconsin. Former Governor Jim Doyle cut service hours to save money. But D-N-R Secretary Cathy Stepp says customers don’t know when to come in when centers are open just 2-to-3 days a week. She promised a year ago to make the agency more customer-friendly. So her agency is expanding its customer service hours by 40-percent despite the state’s current budget crunch. Full-service centers in Eau Claire, Spooner, Rhinelander, Green Bay, Fitchburg, and Milwaukee will be open from 8:30-to-4 Monday through Friday. Rhinelander began the new hours yesterday, and the others will start them on February sixth. Twenty-one satellite centers will open from 11-to-2 each weekday. And the D-N-R has lined up 250 businesses to provide registrations for boats, A-T-V’s, and snowmobiles – which means people no longer have to visit D-N-R centers for those items.<br /><br />Whooping Crane Migration Halted <br /><br />1/4/12 - The annual migration of whooping cranes from Wisconsin to Florida was recently halted in Alabama. An attorney for Operation Migration said the group voluntarily stopped its journey, after learning that an ultra-light pilot guiding nine baby cranes broke federal rules. The F-A-A prohibits ultra-light pilots from being paid – and Operation Migration compensates its pilots. Attorney Charles Barnett said the group didn’t want to knowingly violate federal rules. He has asked officials to exempt Operation Migration from the payment ban, saying the group tries to protect an endangered species. For more than a decade, Operation Migration has reared baby crane chicks in Wisconsin and flew them to Florida. That’s where they’ve met up with other birds, in an effort to expand the crane population in the eastern U-S. The babies are guided in their first year. After that, many make the trip on their own. The International Crane Foundation of Baraboo says there are now 103 whooping cranes in the eastern U-S.<br /><br />The Eagle Has Landed<br /><br />1/4/12 - Two bald eagles are back in the wild after being rescued and treated at a wildlife rehab center in Sauk County. Jerry and Linda Bethke released the birds on New Year's Day near the Wisconsin River, where many eagles find food and places to rest. The Bethkes operate the Soaring Eagle rehab center in Prairie du Sac. Linda Bethke said someone in Grant County brought in an eaglet during one of last summer's hot spells -- and the bird needed fluids and antibiotics. Nick Schommer found the other eagle in October near the Juneau-Wood county line -- and he eventually got a hold of the Bethkes to provide help. Linda said the eagle might have been hit by a car, because it had a bruised spine while its wings were okay. Once the birds flew back-and-forth in their cages, Jerry Bethke said he knew it was time to release them. Linda Bethke tells the Baraboo News-Republic they become fond of the eagles -- but they never forget their mission is to get them healthy and send them back into nature.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-4966681125728845958?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-82562489894127143042012-01-03T07:37:00.002-06:002012-01-03T07:37:47.188-06:00Dodge County 2011 Traffic Fatalities <br /><br />1/3/12 - Traffic fatalities on Dodge County roadways in 2011 tied for the lowest since 1945. There were nine fatal accidents last year, the same number of deaths as in 2010. Sheriff Todd Nehls attributes the lower-than-average numbers to a combination of traffic enforcement, educating the public, improved engineering on state highway and county roadways and also safer vehicles. Since 1945, the yearly average has been 20.8 fatalities, though in the past six years that number has declined to 14.5. Dodge County had the states tenth highest fatality rank in 2006 when 16 people died. In 2008, Dodge County had the fourth highest rank with 21 fatalities. In 2009, the ranking was seventh on the list with 18 deaths. Last year, Dodge County was 20th. There was also a statewide drop in fatalities. Five years ago there were 737 traffic deaths, compared to an average of 563 over the past four years. Nehls says the number of driving deaths resulting from impaired driving is down significantly. Currently, only one of last years deaths can be attributed to alcohol, though toxicology results are still pending in some recent cases. The victims of vehicle accidents in Dodge County range in age from 21-years-old to 76-years-old with a median age of 46.<br /><br />Nomination Papers Due Today<br /><br />1/3/12 - Today is the deadline for candidates to file nomination papers for this spring’s state-and-local elections. In Dodge County, there are several mayoral seats up for grabs, along with spots on city councils, school boards and the county board. As of late last week, there were four contested races for the 33 seats up for election on the Dodge County Board. There is also a contested mayoral race in Waupun, while Horicon will be looking for a new mayor as Jim Grigg attempts to replace Republican Jeff Fitzgerald in the state assembly. There are also several seats up for grabs on local school boards, including in Beaver Dam where current board member Dan Feuling is not running for reelection. All papers must be turned in at local clerks offices by 5pm today. In most cases, seats with three-or-more candidates will have primaries on February 21st. The general election is on April third.<br /><br />Victim in Columbia County Accident Identified <br /><br />1/3/12 - A southwest Wisconsin man has died in a one-car crash near Lodi (low-die) in Columbia County. 26-year-old Mark Moore of Lancaster lost control of his car about 12:30 yesterday morning on Highway 60. Sheriff's deputies said it went airborne, fell into a ditch, and overturned. Moore was the only person in the vehicle. He died at the scene. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.<br /><br />Justice Department Wont Meet Deadlines <br /><br />1/3/12 - The state Justice Department says it probably won't meet deadlines this month to approve permits to carry concealed weapons. Law enforcement administrator Brian O'Keefe says his agency will probably need one-or-two extra days beyond the deadlines for at least the few weeks. The government is not penalized for being late, but those who apply to carry hidden guns must wait a little longer. State law gives the agency 45 days to act on requests filed in November, when the concealed carry law took effect, and 21 days to process applications filed since December. O'Keefe says his department has received thousands of applications in a single day, and dozens of Justice Department employees have been pulled off other duties to keep up. As of last Wednesday, there were almost 65-thousand requests for concealed weapon permits. Thirty-six thousand were approved and about 800 were rejected -- mainly because the addresses on the applications didn't match those on driver's licenses. The law authorized 11 people to process applications at the start, but that wasn't nearly enough. O'Keefe said administrative employees have worked on their days-off and delayed vacations to help. About 30-thousand-dollars in overtime had been spent thorugh mid-December. But criminal investigations have not been affected, and no special agents or crime lab specialists have been pulled from their duties.<br /><br />Survey: Manufactures Expect to Add Jobs<br /><br />1/3/12 - Wisconsin's largest employment sector is expected to grow in the next three months. Q-P-S of Brookfield says manufacturers are more optimistic about their hiring trends than they were in the last quarter. A survey by Q-P-S shows that 41-percent of 184 manufacturers plan to add jobs from January-through-March -- especially in machine shops and metal fabricating. Nine-percent of industrial firms expect layoffs, most notably in paper and commercial printing. Wisconsin's job recovery has lagged behind the nation as a whole, but Mark Immekus of Q-P-S says metal-working industries have added jobs throughout the last year. The survey shows that 40-percent of manufacturers expect the economy to grow between now and the end of March. Fifteen percent expect a decline. About two-thirds say the economy has impeded their growth. But 43-percent say they have a hard time finding qualified workers -- especially machinists and welders. Most of the industries Q-P-S surveys are from Wisconsin, but a few are from Illinois. The average company has almost 90 employees.<br /><br />Winter Finally Hits Wisconsin <br /><br />1/3/12 - It finally looks like winter in far northern Wisconsin. Gile in Iron County had 12-inches of snow in a weekend storm that ended yesterday. Presque Isle in Vilas County had over 11 inches, and Montreal in Iron County had 10. Places as far north as Peshtigo and Waupaca still have no snow on the ground -- but many parts of Wisconsin are having their coldest mornings of the season. It was 15-below in Land O'Lakes at six o'clock. Phillips and Tomahawk had 11-below. And it was minus-10 in Hayward. It's around zero in central Wisconsin. Milwaukee and Kenosha had 10 above, with wind chills barely below zero. Mineral Point was the state's warm spot at 12-degrees at six a-m. Forecasters say we'll have one more cold night before things warm up tomorrow. Southwest winds will push temperatures back up into the 30's-and-40's by Thursday -- and it's supposed to stay mild at least into Saturday.<br /><br />Occupy Wall Street Protest Follows Rose Parade<br /><br />1/3/12 - An Occupy Wall Street protest parade followed the Tournament of Roses Parade yesterday in Pasadena California. Police said about 400 protestors took part, but organizers said it was more like five-thousand. The Pulaski High School marching band near Green Bay was one of 16 bands in the official two-hour Rose Parade. It took place under sunny skies with readings in the 60's. And while the N-B-C T-V announcers mentioned the temperature difference between Pulaski and Pasadena, they did not say that the band's classmates were in school at the time. As one of the two teams in the Rose Bowl Game, Wisconsin had a float with a huge white football helmet and the Badger cheerleaders doing their routines. The Wisconsin marching band performed right behind. The Rose Parade went for five-and-a-half miles, while the Occupy Wall Street protestors marched for about a-third of the same route before veering off to a rally. Three truckloads of Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies in riot gear took up the rear. There were no immediate arrests, and officials said the marchers were noisy but peaceful. Wisconsin lost the Rose Bowl Game to Oregon, 45-to-38.<br /><br />Waupun Hospital Hosting Blood Drive Today<br /><br />1/3/12 - The Waupun Memorial Hospital is hosting a BloodCenter of Wisconsin blood drive this afternoon. Blood donations will be accepted in the Lower Level Meeting Room from 12:30pm to 5pm at the hospital on the 600-block of West Brown Street in Waupun. Organizers say the process includes registering, giving a brief medical history, and having temperature, blood pressure and hemoglobin checked. Blood that is donated remains local, as the BloodCenter of Wisconsin is the sole supplier of blood to Waupun Memorial Hospital and St. Agnes Hospital, as well as 55 other Wisconsin hospitals in 27 counties; that includes the Beaver Dam Community Hospital. Drop-ins are welcome but if you’d like to schedule an appointment, or have questions, contact the Waupun Memorial Hospital at (920) 324-6512 or the Blood Center of Wisconsin website is www.bcw.edu.Waupun<br /><br />BDACT Announces Auditions For Spring Play<br /><br />1/3/12 - The Beaver Dam Area Community Theater is holding auditions next week for their spring production. The play “Arsenic and Old Lace” will be in the stage for seven performances beginning March 9. The cast includes roles for three women and twelve men. Copies of the script are available at the Beaver Dam Public Library and can be checked-out overnight. Rehearsals are tentatively planned Sunday through Thursday evenings. The auditions will be held next week, Wednesday and Thursday, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the theater on North Spring Street; enter through the side door. For more information, contact producer Sheri Born at 885-5285.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-8256248989412714304?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-15145318007513499442012-01-02T06:47:00.000-06:002012-01-02T06:47:44.862-06:00<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Driver Killed In Columbia County Rollover</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/2/12 - One person was killed in a one-car accident early this morning in Columbia County. According to Sheriff Dennis Richards, dispatchers received a report at 12:30am of a 2005 Chevy Cavalier in a ditch on Highway 60 near Lodi. It appears the vehicle was eastbound on Highway 60 when it left the roadway, went airborne, entered the ditch and overturned, landing on the passenger side. The driver was not wearing a seatbelt, was the only occupant of the vehicle and was pronounced dead by a MedFlight physician. The name of the deceased is being withheld pending notification of family and the accident remains under investigation.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Body Recovered in Jefferson County</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/2/12 - Divers recovered the body of 33-year-old Tyler Prichard in the Rock River Saturday afternoon. Prichard had fallen off a State Highway 26 bridge last Thursday when he stopped to help a woman involved in a crash. The accident happened in the town of Aztalan. After checking to see if she was okay, Prichard suggested they get off the bridge for safety. He reportedly swung his leg over the side of the bridge and fell into the river. Investigators say its possible Prichard didn’t realize he was over the water at the time. His body was found around 3:30pm Saturday about 100 yards downstream from the bridge.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Teen In Custody In Double OWI Fatal</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/2/12 - Milwaukee police say they have suspect in custody in connection with a double-fatal car crash on New Year’s Day. Crash investigators say the two victims were stopped at a traffic signal when a speeding vehicle hit the median, went airborne and slammed into the victims’ car a little before 6 a.m. Those two were the only ones inside the car and they were dead at the scene. The 17 year old driver of the other vehicle ran away, but was caught later. The preliminary charge is homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Funeral Set For Slain Minnesota Police Officer</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/2/12 - Funeral for Lake City, Minnesota, police officer Shawn Schneider will be held Saturday afternoon at 1:00 at First Lutheran Church. Schneider died last Friday at St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, 11 days after he was shot in the head by a Wisconsin man. Schneider was responding to a domestic dispute call. Authorities say shooting suspect Alan Sylte then shot himself to death. Visitation will be held at the church Friday from 4-to-8 p.m. Burial will follow in Lakewood Cemetery.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">BDPD Responds To ‘Large Fight’ At Bar</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/2/12 - The Beaver Dam Police Department responded to what was called a “large fight” at a local bar over the weekend. According to the police briefing, officers responded to Game On at 1102 Madison Street Sunday morning at 2:20am. The parties involved in the fight reportedly started to separate when officers entered the business. One person was injured but refused treatment. The briefing says several more fights occurred while officers were on scene. Also, officers were reportedly approached and told someone was coming back with a gun. Owners with Game On were warned by city officials in December that they could lose their liquor license if any more fights were reported. Last January, Game On was assessed 100 points under the demerit point system for alcohol-related violations for serving underage patrons. Another 40 points were assessed in December following a fight. Under the ordinance, suspension hearings are triggered after 150 points are assessed in a rolling 12-month period.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Weekend Fire Damages Madison Group Home</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/2/12 - A weekend fire caused 100 thousand dollars’ damage to a Madison group home, but all nine residents managed to get out safely. Firefighters report they arrived at the Goodwill Group Home at about 11:45 p.m. Saturday. Flames were already shooting from a first-floor window and crews could see heavy smoke coming from a door. Eight residents and a live-in counselor were in the building when the first started in the laundry room. Most of them were sleeping, so they were running outside in pajamas and bare feet or socks. A Madison Metro bus helped keep them warm and the American Red Cross provided blankets. Those residents have been moved to other Goodwill Group Homes.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Christmas Tree Pick-Up Starts Tuesday in Beaver Dam</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/2/12 - Beaver Dam residents who receive contracted solid waste collection services will be able to place Christmas trees and boughs street-side for collection by city crews beginning Tuesday. Director of Facilities David Stoiser says the special collection does not include other brush and shrubbery cuttings. Trees and boughs must be free of ornaments, lights and stands so they can be chipped. Crews will continue to pick-up trees through Friday, January 27. Wreaths and boughs containing roping or wire may also be placed in the Veolia non-recyclable cart for collection as garbage. City residents can also dispose of Christmas trees and boughs at the Public Works Garage Yard Waste Drop off Site on South Center Street, Monday through Friday. No waste of any kind is accepted from outside of the City or from any contractors.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">BDUSD Accepting 2012 Wall of Fame Nominations</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/2/12 - The Beaver Dam School District is still accepting nominations for their 2012 Wall of Fame Awards. Honors will be given in two categories: Friends of Education and Outstanding Alumni. Friends of Education are individuals or organizations who have given distinguished service to the district and its students. Outstanding Alumni are graduates of the High School recognized for their exceptional accomplishments, outstanding leadership, historical significance and prominence on the local, state, national or international stage. Last year, the Outstanding Alumni was Dr. Gary Ebert, the Valedictorian of the Class of 1965, a renowned finite geometer and professor of mathematical sciences at the University of Delaware. The first recipient was film star Fred MacMurray. Nomination packets are available at all district school offices or on the district website at www.beaverdam.k12.wi.us. Nomination deadline is February 10, 2012. The district will honor the 2012 Wall of Fame recipients at their 16th Annual Wall of Fame Banquet in April. Award plaques will be permanently displayed at the high school.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Pearl Harbor Exhibit Opens This Month At DCHS</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/2/12 - The first exhibit of the New Year at the Dodge County Historical Society is all about Pearl Harbor. Historical Society President Glen Link says the traveling exhibit from the National World War II Museum is entitled “Infamy” and includes photographs and stories detailing that fateful day when the Japanese attacked the US naval base in Hawaii. More than twenty-four-hundred (2400) Americans were killed at Pearl Harbor and over eleven-hundred (1100) were wounded. The exhibit opens Wednesday, January 18 and will be on display for six weeks. The Doge County Historical Society is located at 105 Park Avenue in Beaver Dam, right next door to the new police station, and is open Wednesday through Saturday from 1pm to 4pm.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Kennedy Holding Listening Session on Tuesday</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/2/12 - Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy has listening sessions scheduled on Tuesday. He says city residents are invited to meet with him, one-on-one, without appointment on the first and third Tuesday of every month. While Kennedy says it is important that constituents have the opportunity to speak with him the day after each regular meeting of the common council, elected officials will not be holding meetings Monday night because of the holiday. The listening sessions 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. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">State Worker Medical Contributions Starting</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/2/12 - Wisconsin state workers and their families started paying more for their medical care starting yesterday. The changes in the state health plan require 183 thousand participants to contribute up to 10 percent of their bills for doctor visits, tests, surgeries and hospitalizations. Though the changes have been explained, plan administrators say they expect to get a lot of questions when those workers have to cover those additional expenses. The changes are part of a so-called budget repair bill that triggered weeks of huge demonstrations at the Capitol before it was passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Walker. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Wisconsin Dairy Industry Rebounding</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/2/12 - Wisconsin’s 27 billion dollar dairy industry is reported to be bouncing back. The state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection reports dairy farms are in recovery mode. Exports are helping drive the dairy industry’s growth. Farmers who got through 2009’s bad year for dairy have been rebuilding equity and paying down their debt this past year. Exports are growing as developing nations demand more meat and dairy products for their growing middle-class populations. Wisconsin also lost fewer dairy farms this year. As of the first week in December, Wisconsin had 11 thousand, 786 licensed milk cow herds, down 681 from the same month in 2010. That represents a decline, but a much-smaller decline than previous years when milk prices cratered and farmers had to shut down their operations.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Alpine Cheese Recall</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/2/12 - A Monroe company says it is voluntarily recalling some of the cheese it produces because of a possible contamination from listeria. Alpine Slicing and Cheese Conversion says testing by an independent laboratory found some products contained potentially fatal listeria. The company said no illnesses have been reported as the recall was announced yesterday. Recall products are “Brennan’s Cellars Shredded Premium Fondu Blend – Emmentaler Swiss &amp; Gruyere Cheese,” “Bennan’s Cellars Shredded Mild Colored Cheddar Cheese,” and “Brennan’s Cellars Shredded Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese.” The company says it has contacted the FDA. The recalled products were sold in Brennan’s stores in Milwaukee, Dane and Green counties in this state.</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-1514531800751349944?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-90758778768587926292012-01-01T02:15:00.000-06:002012-01-01T02:15:35.012-06:00<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Lawmakers Seek To Build On OWI Reforms</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/1/12 - A number of Wisconsin lawmakers are resolving with the New Year to build on the drunk driving reforms they made in the past year. Media reports from statistics on O-W-I arrests show they have not gone down since the latest changes took effect in July of last year. In fact, the numbers of felony arrests have gone up. West Allis Assembly Democrat Tony Staskunas and other lawmakers say they'll push for several new changes in 2012. One bill would force all first-time drunk drivers to breathe into sobriety tubes to start their vehicles. The previous reforms only required interlocks for all repeat drunk drivers, and first timers with blood alcohol levels over point-15. Another bill would require drunk drivers' vehicles to be impounded between 60 days and six months. And Assembly Democrat Josh Zepnick of Milwaukee introduced a bill last month on an issue his colleagues from both parties have hesitated to adopt -- sobriety checkpoints. Zepnick's bill would set them up in three counties as pilot programs.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Dane County Expanding OWI ‘Bio-Marker’ Program</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/1/12 - Dane County will expand a program that makes it harder for convicted drunk drivers to violate no-alcohol clauses as part of their penalties. The county that includes Madison will expand the number of convicts in a pilot “bio-marker” program from 100 to 300. Those people are required to get tests which can detect the use of alcohol for several weeks after it’s consumed – and not just several days, like normal urine tests. The program’s director, Pamela Bean, said about 30-percent of those tested had drinking relapses within a year – and half of them lied about it. Bean says the goal of the program is to keep more drunk drivers off the streets, and put them in intensive treatment where they’re more closely monitored.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Lawmakers Address Unruly Special Needs Student Restraint</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/1/12 - Wisconsin lawmakers are trying for a second time to limit the restraining and seclusions of unruly students in public school classrooms. Supporters say too many kids with special needs are restrained or placed in time-out rooms, when all they need is to be calmed down. It was a contentious issue when the bill first came up two years ago. But since then, Senate Education Committee chairman Luther Olsen of Ripon says all of the affected parties have reached a consensus on new guidelines. He says the main goal is to protect children and the teachers who work with them. A public hearing on the new bill is set for January 11th, and Olsen expects it to be passed this spring. Lawmakers of both parties are co-sponsoring the measure. That didn't happen two years ago, according to Lisa Pugh of Wisconsin's Disability Rights Partnership. The bill spells out when it's appropriate to restrain or seclude a child -- and it should be done in a positive manner by teachers who've had appropriate training. Restraints would not be allowed if they compress a youngster's chest, or do not protect the head.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Democrats Public Meeting On Mining Laws Planned</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/1/12 - Two Democratic lawmakers say they will hold their own public meeting this month on a proposed bill on mining in Wisconsin. The legislation is designed to advance a plan to build a mine south of Lake Superior in the Penokee Hills. Company officials say the project will create hundreds of jobs for an area which needs them, while environmentalists say the mine will contaminate one of the most pristine areas of Wisconsin. Senate Bob Jauch and state Representative Janet Brewley tell Madison-dot-com that people in their districts deserve to have a chance to air their opinions. The January 7th hearing will be held at Ashland High School.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Polar Bear Club Presidents Law Hoorah </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/1/12 - The president of the Milwaukee Polar Bear Club says he'll make his 60th and final New Year's Day jump into Lake Michigan today. 82-year-old Garth Garskey of Brookfield says his health is forcing him to call it quits. He's had four stents placed in his heart, and his toes turn black when he stays for too long in the cold water. Garskey also says his daughter is having a "conniption fit" about his annual jumps. After Sunday, Garskey says he won't return unless he gets "the itch" to do so.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Hubertus Developer Seeks To Build Wind Farm</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/1/12 - For the first time in over two years, a developer has asked the state for permission to build a large wind energy farm. Emerging Energies of Hubertus has applied to the Public Service Commission to put up 41 high-tech windmills in Saint Croix County in far western Wisconsin. Until now, wind farm developers have shied away from the Badger State because of uncertainty over government regulations. Lawmakers struck down new rules last year on where turbines can be located. The wind power industry and its opponents have been negotiating on rules the state can approve. William Rakocy of Emerging Energies says he feels comfortable about the project despite the uncertainty. He said he wants to believe that quote, "more reasonable minds will prevail." The proposed new wind farm would be located about 25 miles east of the Minnesota border in the towns of Forest and Cylon. The turbines would produce 102-and-a-half megawatts of power. The state has 30 days to decide if the application for the wind farm is complete. If so, the P-S-C would have a year to decide on a permit.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Weather Limited Spread Of Gypsy Moth </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/1/12 - State agriculture officials say a cold-and-wet spring helped limit the spread of the leaf-killing gypsy moth in Wisconsin last year. Spraying also helped. Planes dumped non-toxic treatments on 234-thousand acres across 23 counties in the western part of the state. Gypsy moths have spread from the eastern U-S in recent years. And Wisconsin is among 11 states taking part in a national campaign to slow that spread. Officials also set traps to determine gypsy moth populations and movement trends -- and another 25-thousand traps will be set this spring in the central and western parts of Wisconsin. Colleen Robinson Klug of the state ag department says the moths will remain in the eastern part of the state, and major anti-spreading efforts have stopped.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Aaron Rogers Appears In New Commercial</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/1/12 - Aaron Rodgers has added another commercial contract to his portfolio. The Green Bay Packers’ quarterback has signed a multi-year deal to promote health-and-wellness campaigns for Prevea Health of northeast Wisconsin. Rodgers says he’s focused on fitness – so the ad campaign is right up his alley. Prevea Health has 23 clinics in northeast Wisconsin, and it’s a partner with Saint Vincent and Saint Mary’s hospitals in Green Bay and Saint Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan. Prevea’s president, Doctor Ashok Rai, says Rodgers will also make personal appearances for the company – and he couldn’t think of a better person to represent them. Rodgers also does ads for State Farm Insurance, Ford, Associated Bank, and the Gruber Law Offices in Milwaukee.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Dodge County Land Conservation Offers Trees </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">1/1/12 - Trees and shrubs continue to be offered as part of the annual Small Packet Tree sales program in Dodge County. The Land Conservation Department is offering several species of trees for sale for the 2012 planting season, including Red and White Oak, Sugar Maple, White Cedar, White Pine, Colorado Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, Hazelnut and Fraser Fir. Most trees are sold in bundles of 25 and most are $24 per bundle, tax included. Sugar Maple bundles are $40 per bundle. The deadline to place orders is January 27, but there are limited amounts of some species, so early orders are encouraged. For more information or to get an order form, contact the Dodge County Land Conservation Department. Contact: 386-3660 http://www.co.dodge.wi.us/conservation/landserv.html#treesales</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-9075877876858792629?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-87462848019094193072011-12-31T06:41:00.002-06:002011-12-31T06:41:30.802-06:00<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Dan Thiel Encourages Responsible NYE Revelry</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/31/11 - Dan Thiel is encouraging New Years Eve revelers to celebrate responsibly this weekend. The Beaver Dam man lost his wife in a drunken driving accident ten years ago and his daughter, Danni Jo, died in May from injuries sustained in the wreck. While it’s been over a decade since that fateful night outside Horicon when a three-time drunk driver crossed the center line and struck his family’s vehicle head-on, Thiel says he is reminded about the profound impact of the accident on a regular basis. The most recent reminder came this fall, when the house next door sold and he met the new neighbors. Before Thiel could introduce himself, his new neighbor cut him off, said that he already knows his name. The man called his wife over and told Thiel they were the first ones to arrive on scene at the August of 2001 accident and they were the ones who phoned it in. For the first time, Thiel met the man who held his dying wife until he was able to get there. Thiel says it just goes to show what a small world it is. His hope is that people take to heart how their actions can affect others and Thiel encourages the public to avoid drinking and driving at all costs into the New Year and beyond.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Milwaukee Ranked America’s Drunkest City</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/31/11 - People living in Milwaukee will be celebrating with champagne and hot toddies tonight, ringing in 2012 – just like folks living in other cities around the country. The difference is, they will continue drinking more than the average American. Milwaukee is ranked first on the list of America’s Drunkest Cities. The Daily Best reports more than 10 percent of adults are described as heavy drinkers. Fargo, North Dakota, and San Francisco are ranked second and third on the list compiled by the web site.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Strong Armed Robbery In Burnett A False Report</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/31/11 - The strong armed robbery reported in the Village of Burnett on Tuesday turned about to be a false report to police. Sheriff Todd Nehls says the alleged victim of the purse snatching recanted her story to investigators. The robbery happened the same day that a breaking and entering was reported at a Main Street apartment unit. Nehls says the Department of Criminal Investigation continues to investigate several incidents in the Burnett area to determine which ones are accurate and which ones are false. The sheriff says the false robbery report generated a lot of conversation and he felt it was important to advise the public that it was not true.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Fire Damages Woodland Business</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/31/11 - Fire damaged a vintage snowmobile showroom and warehouse in Woodland yesterday. The fire at Rooster Hahn Motorsports on County WS was called in just before 1pm by Iron Ridge Fire Chief Jason Boeck who was driving past the scene. Woodland Fire Chief Bill Lackas says smoke and flames were visible when firefighters arrived on scene. The fire extended into the metal walls and into a loft area of a showroom and storage area. At one point, up to14 fire departments responded with men and equipment. There were no injuries and Lackas says some of the equipment in the showroom may be salvageable.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Minnesota Officer Shot by Wisconsin Man Dies</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/31/11 - A Minnesota police officer has died, eleven days after he was shot answering a domestic disturbance call. Shawn Schneider was a nine-year veteran of the Lake City Police Department. Schneider was shot in the head December 19th by Alan Sylte Junior of Hager City, Wisconsin. Sylte took his own life after shooting the officer. A 17 year old girl who escaped from the house originating the disturbance call said she had broken up with Sylte when he became violent. Sylte was a veteran of the Iraq war who was being processed for discharge after failing to report for duty.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Four Stabbed in Janesville Bar Fight</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/31/11 - An early morning fight at a Janesville bar leaves four men with stab wounds. Police say they found 15 people fighting when they arrived a little before 2am Friday. Investigators say they have received several stories about just what happened. They say pursuing the case is complicated by the fact most of the witnesses were drinking. At least one of the four stabbing victims said they never saw a knife. Three of the four were treated and released at the hospital. The fourth remained in the intensive care unit, but is expected to survive.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Dane County DA Seeks To Vacate Union Decision </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/31/11 - Dane County District Attorney Ismael Ozanne has asked the Wisconsin Supreme Court to reopen his lawsuit challenging the governor’s collective bargaining law. Ozanne contends a justice who voted to dismiss the suit earlier this year had received free legal help from the firm which was defending Governor Scott Walker’s law. Ozanne argued the decision should be vacated because Justice Michael Gableman failed to disclose his relationship with the Michael Best and Friedrich law firm in Madison. The original lawsuit, filed in March, said Republican lawmakers violated the state’s open meetings laws when they called a committee meeting to revise the collective bargaining law without giving proper public notice.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Groups Rally To End Fighting At Mayfair Mall</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/31/11 - Parents, mall officials, police and even rappers are working together to slow down the fighting problem which has plagued Mayfair Mall in Wauwatosa. A rapper known as Big Mike contacted the head of the group Peace for Change Alliance. He and Tracey Dent had been seeing Facebook updates from young people earlier this week about fighting at the mall. Big Mike posted a video on YouTube urging kids not to fight there. The mall pushed up its curfew and security officials questioned unaccompanied young people. Wauwatosa police sent a sergeant and eight officers to question youths at mall bus stops – all parts of the effort to keep the suburban mall safe.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Madison Man Avoids ATM Robbery</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/31/11 - A Madison man tells police he avoided what looked like it might be a robbery by driving away from an ATM. He says one of two men who approached his car while he was using the drive-through machine was carrying a gun. The attempted robbery was reported Thursday evening at UW Credit Union on Commercial Avenue. Responding officers searched the area around the credit union and found two persons of interest. A stolen gun was recovered from one of them. No shots were fired during the incident and no injuries reported.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Superior In The Running For Airplane Manufacturer</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/31/11 - Local officials say the city of Superior is in the running to be home to an airplane manufacturing facility. If it makes its home there, it could mean 300 permanent jobs at first and up to 600 jobs by the year 2016. Kestrel Aircraft Company has been negotiating with Superior and the state of Wisconsin since last summer. A public hearing on a possible development agreement will be held January 16th. Superior Mayor Bruce Hagen says a formal announcement could come in the next couple of weeks. The company will likely make its decision after it considers a proposal offered by the state of Wisconsin last Thursday. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Indiana Man Accused of Brandishing Gun on I-94</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/31/11 - A man from Columbus, Indiana, has been arrested for using a gun to threaten a truck driver on Interstate 94 in Milwaukee. Mark Manning is licensed to carry a gun. A criminal complaint says a Kia driven by Manning cut off a semi-trailer last Tuesday on I-94 near College Avenue. When the truck driver flashed his lights, the man in the car pointed a handgun at him. The truck driver called 9-1-1 and gave authorities the car’s license number. When Milwaukee County sheriff’s deputies pulled Manning over, they found two guns in the car with him. He told the deputy he was acting in self-defense because the other driver was using the truck as a weapon.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-8746284801909419307?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-53865761079393575402011-12-30T07:23:00.000-06:002011-12-30T07:23:02.752-06:00<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Oconomowoc Man Killed In Train Versus Truck Wreck</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/30/11 - An Oconomowoc man was killed yesterday when his pick-up truck was struck by a train near Ixonia. According to the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department, 44-year-old Michael J. Dragan drove down a private driveway off Highway 16 when he crossed railroad tracks and was struck by a westbound Amtrak passenger train. Dragan was pronounced dead at the scene by the Jefferson County Coroner. Nobody on the train was injured. The accident occurred at 4:42pm and the tracks were closed for just under four hours. The Ixonia Fire Department and EMS assisted at the scene and the accident remains under investigation by the Jefferson County Crash Investigating Team.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Search Resumes For Missing Man Near Jefferson</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/30/11 - Recovery operations resume today in Jefferson County for a man who stopped to help a motorist early Thursday morning and fell off a bridge into the Rock River. Deputies responded to reports of a vehicle crash on the State Highway 26 Bridge north of Jefferson just before 5am. Upon arrival, deputies learned that 33-year-old Tyler Prichard stopped to assist the driver and fell off the bridge into the river. Sheriff Paul Milbrath says Pritchard and the car driver had moved to the side of the road to avoid other traffic – and he swung one of his legs over the side of the bridge and fell. Officials said he might not have realized he was over a current of open water. Rescuers searched almost 12 hours before suspending the effort for the day. They plan to expand their search down-river.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Fire Damages Trenton Town Hall</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/30/11 - Fire caused minor damage at the Trenton Town Hall Thursday morning. Waupun Fire Chief Jeff Berry says town employees tried to open a garage door in the shop area just before 11am, noticed it was not working and then discovered smoke when they investigated the malfunction. Berry says firefighters cut out a section of the metal roof above a furnace pipe to extinguish the flames, which were contained to a ten-foot area and did not spread into the roof of the structure. The cause is believed to be related to the heating unit. Damage is estimated at around $10,000. There were no injuries. Waupun received mutual aid from Fox Lake and Burnett. Crews were on scene for about two-and-a-half hours.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Jalapeño Peppers Not an Effective Deicing Agent</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/30/11 - If sand and salt don’t cut through the ice, maybe jalapeño peppers? A semi rolled over on Highway 151 near Columbus just after 5am yesterday, spilling its spicy cargo all over the icy highway: 30-thousand pounds of jalapeño peppers in total. Nehls says if the towing company that is contracted to recover the vehicle didn’t have enough labor to clear the peppers, he would have offered inmate labor to clean-up said-jalapeño’s for a fee. If it came to that, Nehls said they would have been serving jalapeño’s in the county jail for years to come. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Beaver Dam Man Sentenced For Sixth OWI</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/30/11 - A Beaver Dam man will spend 28 months in prison for his sixth drunken driving offense. Timothy Thibault entered a “no contest” plea to felony Operating While Intoxicated and had a second felony dismissed. Thibault crossed the center line on North Spring Street in August, almost striking a squad car near Winn Terrace and forcing the officer to swerve out of the way. The 53-year-old told the officer that he dropped his lighter and was reaching down to retrieve it. His breath test was over the legal limit for driving at point-one-one. In addition to 28 months behind bars, Thibault will spend three years on extended supervision without a driver’s license. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Suspected Owl Thief Pleads Innocent</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/30/11 - An 18-year-old man has pleaded innocent to stealing a popular owl from a wildlife rehab center in Oconomowoc last month. Dilan White of Dousman entered his pleas in Waukesha County Thursday to charges of felony burglary and misdemeanor criminal damage. White and 18-year-old Matthew Kuhlemeyer of Dousman allegedly broke into a cage at the Wildlife-in-Need Center on November 12th and took Dakota, a grey-horned owl. Officials said Dakota flew away from the teens, and lost 30-percent of his body weight while he was missing for almost a month. Kuhlemeyer asked that his case be dropped. Attorney Dan Fay said a cage does not fit the legal definition of burglary, because it's not a building or dwelling as the law describes. But the state argues that a cage is indeed a structure. A hearing on the issue was set for today. But it's been delayed until January 13th so the defense can review the state's response. White's attorney says his client will not ask that his charges be dropped because of that issue. White is due back in court February 13th.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Five Longtime Sheriffs Department Employees Retire </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/30/11 - Five longtime members of the Dodge County Sheriffs Department are retiring with the New Year, taking with them a combined 151 years of service. Lieutenant Douglas Ninmann started at the department in 1984 and served his 27-year career within the Patrol Division. Captain Molly Soblewski is retiring as head of the Patrol Division after starting in the Communications Center and working her way up; she also served as Dodge County Emergency Manager and Jail Administrator. Debbie Werner-Lindert served 23 years in the Patrol Division as the Administrative Assistant. Detective Robert Neuman served the county for over 32 years. He started as a patrolman and will retire as the most senior of the department’s investigators. Corrections Corporal Mike Harmsen is retiring after serving for over 41 years. Sheriff Todd Nehls says he has been developing a deep bench for this day and he hopes to promote from within. The department is currently going thru the process of exams, interviews and promotions to fill the voids created by the retirements. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Beaver Dam Red Kettle Campaign Sets New Record</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/30/11 - The Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign in Beaver Dam had a record-setting year. Organizer Karl Nienhuis with the Beaver Dam Noon Kiwanis Club says the campaign brought in $40,460 - the highest total since the service club has coordinated the effort. That’s nearly $2000 more than last year. Just over $3800 was collected through the annual "Kettle Concert.” Nienhuis says it's not too late to participate in this year's campaign. Checks can be made to Salvation Army - Dodge County and bring it or mail it to American National Bank on Front Street in Beaver Dam c/o Jamie Henning, 115 Front St., Beaver Dam, WI 53916.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Two Sears, Kmart Stores in Wisconsin To Close</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/30/11 - Wisconsin fared better than many other states when Sears and K-Mart announced a preliminary list of 79 stores they plan to close. The list includes a K-Mart in Rice Lake and a Sears store in West Baraboo. But Wisconsin’s two closings are a lot fewer than the 11 that were on the list from Florida. Michigan, Ohio, and Georgia each have six closures. Minnesota, North Carolina, and Tennessee have four each. Sears and K-Mart merged in 2005, and they’ve gained about 60 additional stores since then for a total of 35-hundred-60 nationwide. A spokeswoman for the Sears Holding Company says each of the stores to be closed have about 40-to-80 employees. The firm said Tuesday it would shut down up to 125 stores nationwide to generate cash. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Dems Ask Feds To Halt Wisconsin &amp; Southern Sale</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/30/11 - Five state Assembly Democrats have asked the federal government to wait for two months before approving a sale of the Wisconsin-and-Southern Railroad. Watco Transportation Services of Kansas was expected to take over the railroad this week. But the five Democrats say they want to know if service to shippers would be reduced in southern Wisconsin. And they want an investigation to determine if the sale was a political payback to railroad president William Gardner, who got two years' probation in July for exceeding campaign donation limits to Governor Scott Walker and other Wisconsin political figures. Watco recently denied any political motivation behind the sale. The U-S Surface Transportation Board was asked to hold up the Wisconsin-and-Southern sale by Assembly Democrats Brett Hulsey, Terese Berceau, and Kelda Helen Roys of Madison, Fred Clark of Baraboo, and Lou Molepske of Stevens Point.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Walker Clarifies Family Care Cap Lifting</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/30/11 - The governor's office says Scott Walker and the federal government were not talking about the same things, when they mentioned a lifting of the enrollment cap for Family Care. Walker said Wednesday he would ask lawmakers to end the limit on Family-Care enrollment, after providers showed him how to make it more efficient. But a letter from the federal government later surfaced, which ordered Wisconsin to drop its enrollment cap back on December 13th. Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie said the governor was talking about a temporary cap which he always intended to end -- while the federal government's letter referred to a permanent cap. And Werwie said the letter was the result of an "ongoing discussion" between state officials and Washington. Family Care helps seniors and the disabled stay out of nursing homes, with the goal of saving public health care dollars in the long run. Democrats have accused Walker of misrepresenting the matter -- and after the federal order surfaced, they called his news conference yesterday a sham.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Bi-Partisan Support For Unemployment Bill</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/30/11 - Governor Scott Walker says he'll support a bill to give unemployment benefits to those put out of work because of a strike that's beyond their control. The Republican governor asked the state's Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council to approve the change. The bill was introduced last month, after 156 employees at Manitowoc Cranes were laid off four days after 200 union machinists in the same plant went on strike. In a statement, Walker said it's "unacceptable" that people are denied jobless benefits through no fault of their own, because another part of their plant goes on strike. Walker said the company has indicated its support for the bill. Assembly Democrat Mark Pocan and Senate Democrat Bob Wirch introduced the measure on December 20th. Lawmakers of both parties are co-sponsoring the change.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Packers Jersey Shortage </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/30/11 - If you're looking for a Packers' jersey for the playoffs, you might want to act quickly. Retailers say their supplies are dwindling for the most popular numbers like Aaron Rodgers and Clay Matthews. That's because Reebok will stop selling them next year, when Nike takes over in April. Also, store owners said Reebok provided fewer jerseys this year due to the N-F-L lockout. And Green Bay's popularity has something to do with the shortage. Brian Swallow of the on-line store Fanatics says sales of Packer merchandise are up 170-percent from last year -- just before the Pack won the Super Bowl. Also, Nike jerseys will be more expensive than the ones from Reebok. Mike Walters of the Jersey Store in Ashwaubenon says the cheapest Nike uniform top will cost 100-dollars, up from the current 75-dollars. And authentic jerseys will run for 250-dollars -- up to 75-dollars more than Reebok's authentic line</span>.</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-5386576107939357540?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-88674759048370032582011-12-29T07:23:00.001-06:002011-12-29T07:23:31.210-06:00<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">New K9 Team Uncovers 40 Pounds of Pot </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/29/11 - The Dodge County Sheriffs Department says it has taken their new K9 unit two months to hit the “mother load.” Sheriff Todd Nehls says a deputy on routine patrol stopped an eastbound RV with a broken traffic light on Highway 33 in the Town of Herman Monday evening just after 8:30pm. Nehls says the deputy became suspicious when 30-year-old Elizabeth Lapple of California was questioned and her answers did not make sense. Deputy Chad Enright was called to the scene along with his K9 partner Paige. The two have been on the beat since October and are one of two new K9 teams in Dodge County. A search was conducted and authorities allegedly found 40 pounds of high grade marijuana inside the RV under a bed. Lapple was placed under arrest for Possession with Intent to Deliver and is currently being held in the Dodge County Detention Facility under $100,000 cash bond. Nehls called it the largest marijuana seizure as a result of a traffic stop in Dodge County. The 40 pounds has a reported street value of $120 to $160,000.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Lodi Pizzeria Owner Arrested For Arson</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/29/11 - The owner of a Columbia County pizzeria is suspected of burning it down. 46-year-old Thomas Matje of DeForest was arrested yesterday, after a fire caused about 200-thousand-dollars damage at Fat Boys Pizza in Lodi on Tuesday. One person was treated for smoke inhalation. State and federal agents helped Lodi Police investigate. The State Justice Department said they found evidence that the fire was set on purpose. There were flames in the kitchen area when units first arrived. The building also had two apartments. Matje is in the Columbia County Jail. State officials said charges of Arson and Attempted Arson are being sought, along with four counts of Reckless Endangerment.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Beaver Dam Man Gets Probation For Burglary</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/29/11 - A Beaver Dam man has entered into a deferred prosecution agreement to charges that he burglarized a shuttered Dodge County business. Jonathon Schultz pleaded “no contest” and the judge withheld a finding of guilt to charges of felony Burglary and found the 22-year-old guilty of misdemeanor Theft. Schultz and Robert Hanson of Beaver Dam were arrested in Washington County last May with spools of copper wire. Authorities there contacted Dodge County investigators who discovered more spools of copper wire in the back of Hansen’s pick-up. That wire had printed on it the name of a Town of Emmet business that had been closed for over four years. Investigators then found the business had recently been broken into and the family says the cooper wire with the name of the business on it had never been sold to anyone else. Hansen initially denied the charges and implicated Schultz before confessing. Hansen was sentenced in Dodge County to seven months in jail and ordered to pay $3000 in restitution, plus another month behind bars for the Washington County offense. Schultz was placed on probation in both counties and will avoid a felony record if he stays out of trouble for the next year. He must also perform 20 hours of community service.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Change Is Underway at BD Chamber </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/29/11 - Officials with the Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce have made a number of changes since taking ownership of the city-owned building where its offices are located, and there are more plans in the works. The Chamber had been leasing the depot for 25 years but the Chamber Board and its membership purchased the century-old building from the city earlier this year in advance of their 100th anniversary in July of 2013. Executive Director Phil Fritsche says the Chamber is focusing on needed repairs, including tuck-pointing, heating and cooling system upgrades, the addition of energy-efficient windows, refinishing the floors and installing a handicap accessible restroom. Fritsche says the Master Gardeners of Dodge County have created a draft Landscape Plan for the property surrounding the depot. It includes the planting of additional trees, shrubs and perennial plants. The landscape plan will be implemented in the spring and summer of 2012 and a public planting is in the works. The Chamber is located in the former train depot on South Spring Street, which is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. Once a stop on the rail line between Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, it was closed in the years following World War II and was acquired by the city about ten years later. For years it served as the Dodge County Historical Society Museum before they moved next door to the former Williams Free Library and the Chamber set up shop in 1986. The chamber’s Centennial Committee is currently raising funds and soliciting for in-kind contributions to complete the different phases of the Depot Project. For more information, contact the chamber at 887-8879 or go to the chamber website, www.beaverdamchamber.com.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Fall River Referendum Detailed</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/29/11 - Fall River Schools will have two referendum questions on the April ballot. The first referendum will ask District voters to approve borrowing $2.5 million dollars for four areas. Among them: $1.65 million would be used for replacement and upgrades to building heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; $285 thousand would go to plumbing, electrical, playground and parking area repairs; $270 thousand would be earmarked for educational technology and security upgrades; and $250 thousand would be used for land acquisition. The second question would ask to borrow $1.4 million dollars to build a new outdoor athletic facility. Public informational meetings on the $3.8 million dollar referenda questions have been set up for January 12th and 25th in the School Library and on February 16th in the District board room.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Rubicon Teacher Gets Financial Literacy Award</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/29/11 - A second grade teacher in the Rubicon School District was among this year’s Wisconsin Financial Literacy Award winners. The Governor’s Council on Financial Literacy recently announced the awards. Jennifer Guenther of the Rubicon Joint 6 School District was honored for creating a unique currency system for her Second Grade classroom. From her ideas she also created workshops for other teachers and parents.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Clyman Fire Commission Approves Promotions</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/29/11 - The Clyman Fire Commission promoted three firefighters at their December meeting. Dave Decono and Dave Blank were appointed as Captains, and Dan Finger was elevated to Lieutenant. The recommendations were made to the Fire Commission by Fire Chief Eric Howlett. Decono was appointed to fill the Captains position vacated by Howlett who took over as Fire Chief in July. Decono is also a First Responder and will be involved with coordinating the departments Fire Prevention Program. Blank has been with the department since 1993, had previously served as Lieutenant and is also an Emergency Medical Technician. He will fill the newly-created captain’s position within the Department. Blank will also work with current EMS Coordinator Gary Shipshock to oversee the day-to-day operations for First Responders. Finger has been with the Department for 32 years and will fill the position vacated by Blank. Finger previously served as Assistant Chief in the mid 1980's and is also a First Responder. All three individuals garnered unanimous approval from the commission.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Fitzgerald Aide Gives Deposition On Redistricting</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/29/11 - Three people involved in drawing Wisconsin's new legislative districts have denied in sworn testimony that they tried to get more Republicans elected. But Adam Foltz, an aide to Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald of Horicon, said copies of the maps were given to the Republican National Committee for their review. A three-judge federal court panel had ordered Foltz, legislative aide Tad Ottman, and consultant Joe Handrick to give depositions explaining how they drafted the new district lines. The testimony was part of a lawsuit by Democrats to try and get the maps declared unconstitutional. Handrick and Ottman said in their depositions that the partisan makeup of their maps was evaluated, but Ottman said it was quote, "not a decision item." Foltz said the lines were drawn using election data from the last decade -- but it was not an effort to increase the G-O-P's advantage in elections over the next decade. They said they tried to keep quiet about how the maps were drafted because they knew that a lawsuit would be inevitable. All three said they were told by their lawyers not to answer many of the questions in the depositions, the texts of which were filed in court this week. Democrats had no say in how the district lines were drafted. And not a single Democrat endorsed the new maps when lawmakers and Governor Scott Walker approved them earlier this year.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Feds Mandate Lifting Family Care Enrollment Cap</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/29/11 - Governor Scott Walker said yesterday he would seek to lift the enrollment limit he imposed this summer on Wisconsin's Family Care program. But what he didn't say was that the federal government ordered two weeks ago that the cap be lifted. Family Care provides long-term assistance to keep seniors and the disabled out of nursing homes. The Republican Walker held a news conference yesterday morning to say that Family Care providers have told him how to make the program more efficient. A few hours later, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel obtained a December 13th letter from the federal Medicaid division, which ordered state Medicaid director Brett Davis to immediately lift the state's cap -- and to identify and enroll those eligible for the program. The federal government covers about 60-percent of the cost of Family Care. Deputy health secretary Kitty Rhoades said the federal order was a "moot" point because Walker has said since June that he hoped to drop the enrollment limit. But State Assembly Democrat Jon Richards of Milwaukee blasted the governor for quote, "taking credit for something he was forced to do."</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-8867475904837003258?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-28594634175796630632011-12-28T07:20:00.001-06:002011-12-28T07:20:52.931-06:00<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Local Elected Officials File Non-Candidacy Papers</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/28/11 - Tuesday was the last day for elected officials, planning not to run for office again, to turn in their declaration of non-candidacy forms to local clerk’s office. In Horicon, Mayor Jim Grigg – who is running for a seat in the state assembly – and Third District Alderman Ted Pyrek will not be running again. In Columbus, District One Alderman Tyler Walker filed his non-candidacy papers. All incumbent candidates in Beaver Dam, Fox Lake, Juneau, Mayville and Waupun will be seeking re-election. Meanwhile, of the three members of the Beaver Dam School Board up for reelection, only Dan Feuling filed non-candidacy papers. The Columbus School Board will also see one its members, Pam Larson, not run again. All the incumbents on the Waupun, Horicon and Fall River school boards plan to run for another term. On the Dodge County Board there were five members who filed non-candidacy papers. That includes Dean Fuller, Joe Ready, Dean Becker, Ken Neumann and Ed Qualmann. For those planning to run, all paper work must be filed by January 3.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Burglary, Robbery in the Village of Burnett</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/28/11 - The Dodge County Sheriffs Department is investigating a breaking and entering – and a purse snatching – in the Village of Burnett. According to authorities, detectives are looking into a break-in at a Main Street apartment that was reported yesterday afternoon. While on scene, a woman approached deputies to report that a man stepped out of a vehicle, struck her and stole her purse. The robbery occurred near Jakes Repair at Front and Depot. The suspect was driving a red four-door vehicle with three other men inside. Anyone with information should contact the Dodge County Sheriffs Department. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Marshfield Man Killed in Afghanistan </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/28/11 - The tenth Wisconsinite to die in Afghanistan this year is expected to return to the U-S today. Army medic and Staff Sergeant Joseph Altmann of Marshfield was killed on Christmas Day when insurgents attacked his unit in a mountainous part of northeast Afghanistan. He's the 29th Wisconsin resident to die in that country since the latest military operation began. His father said the 27-year-old Altmann was planning to start a family after a four-year deployment for which he recently re-enlisted. He previously served twice in Iraq, and he married his wife Nikki in February. Altmann graduated from Marshfield Columbus High School in 2003. He went to college for one year before he joined the Army. Altmann was a member of the 27th Infantry Regiment based in Hawaii. Funeral arrangements are pending.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Dodge County Officials Enjoying Lack Of Snow</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/28/11 - While there is some disappointment among Wisconsin residents and businesses about a lack of snow so far this season there is a group that is quite happy: county officials. The lack of snow has saved already strapped county budgets because highway departments haven’t had to pay as much for plowing and salting roads. Some counties, including Dodge County, are still struggling from the expenses associated with big storms last January in February. No snow in December is helping them recover and the new year will bring new money. Dodge County Highway Commissioner Brian Field says the big storms last year came on weekends which led to overtime for drivers and the drain of money forced them to cancel some planned maintenance projects.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Snowmobile Association Encourages Training</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/28/11 - With more snowmobile riders out on the trails, the Association of Wisconsin Snowmobile Clubs is urging them to take safety classes before heading out. The association reports the number of registered snowmobiles has increased by five percent over the last year, with the number of miles ridden up by 10 percent. Officials say the increases mean there is potential for more accidents. The association teaches a basic class on safety, ethics, laws and mechanics. (NOTE: You can get more information online at dnr.wi.gov)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">BDUSD Among Schools Open Next Monday</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Some Wisconsin schools will be open next Monday -- even though it's a government holiday, and many businesses will be closed. Schools in the area that will resume classes on the 2nd include Beaver Dam and Waupun. According to Beaver Dam Superintendent Steve Vessey, the calendar is set two years in advance so parents can play ahead and they try not to deviate from their established calendars for that reason. However, Beaver Dam doesn’t have the same problem as another school in the state. January 2 is also when the major New Year's Day bowl events will take place. And the Pulaski High School marching band will be in the Tournament of Roses Parade next Monday morning in Pasadena, while their classmates are in school. Superintendent Mel Lightner said the calendar was set a number of years ago. And while it's a great honor for the Pulaski band to be in the Rose Parade, he said they won't call off school because of it. He says many parents will most likely work -- and they could have problems getting child care if school's called off. Lightner says teachers might show the parade to their classes on T-V, but it will be up to them. Green Bay schools are also open next Monday. But at least they should be done by the time the Wisconsin football team plays in the Rose Bowl, around four o'clock.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">MPTC Clarifies Campus Concealed Carry </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/28/11 - Students and staff at Moraine Park Technical College expressed some concerns when the state’s new concealed carry law went into effect at the beginning of November. Bonnie Baerwald is the Vice President of Finance and Facilities at MPTC. She says the carrying of concealed weapons isn’t allowed inside their buildings and facilities. She says she got quite a few emails from concerned students and staff when the law first went into effect asking that concealed carry not be allowed in their facilities. The carrying of concealed weapons is still allowed on the college’s grounds and inside cars.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">No More Instant IDs in Wisconsin</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/28/11 - Starting early next year, Wisconsinites who go to the D-M-V offices to renew their driver's licenses will no longer get their new cards before they leave. Instead, they'll get their old licenses back -- plus a sheet of paper they'll have to carry until their new cards arrive in the mail in about two weeks. Federal law requires future licenses to have hidden elements which prevent fraud and counterfeiting. And state officials say they cannot make the cards themselves, so they're contracting with a California firm called L-One Identity Solutions. The new licenses were supposed to be rolled out in August, but officials say they've been working out bugs. Kristina Boardman of the state D-O-T says it will cost an extra one-point-three million dollars a year. But it won't cost drivers extra, because fees were raised in 2009 in anticipation of the fortified licenses. They're required under the Real I-D law passed by Congress in 2005. It was proposed by Wisconsin House Republican Jim Sensenbrenner in the wake of the 9-11 terrorist attacks, to make it harder for illegal immigrants to get licenses. Some Democratic state lawmakers urged Wisconsin to just ignore the Real I-D law. But former Governor Jim Doyle said the state had to go along -- or else Wisconsinites would not have the type of license they'll need to board an airplane or enter a federal building.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Regional Charities Doing Slightly Better</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/28/11 - Charities in southeast Wisconsin are starting to see hope for their futures. But many are still worse off than before the recession hit in 2008. That's according to an annual survey of almost 100 non-profit groups by Milwaukee's Public Policy Forum. Rob Henken, the forum's president, says the main message is that "the bleeding has stopped." Most charities still believe the economy is causing people to hold back on donations -- but the number of groups which feel that way dropped in each of the last two years. Henken says human service groups feel the brunt of the pressure, and they're not out of the woods by any means. Two-thirds of the non-profits report higher demands for their services, but 85-percent are confident they could meet them. 11-percent of charities reported financial difficulty. Forty-five percent said they're okay for now, but could be vulnerable in the future. About a-third of the charities said they have operating deficits in their current fiscal years. Many groups have stepped up their fund-raising, because they expect drops in government and foundation grants. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Wisconsin Objects To Federal Employment Data</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/28/11 - Wisconsin is not the only state complaining that its monthly employment data from the federal government is wrong. Nelse Grundvig of Wisconsin’s Bureau of Workforce Training says about two dozen other states have also voiced concerns. And the Madison Capital Times says they’re at least somewhat justified. That’s because the U-S Bureau of Labor Statistics started gathering its own job data for each state this year, instead of contracting with the states to provide the information themselves. It saved Washington around five-million-dollars. But Grundvig said it also resulted in a loss of knowledge of what’s going on in the Badger State. Grundvig said the federal officials tend to “smooth out” large monthly increases or decreases in the partial surveys of employers each month – while a state official would know whether a factory opened or closed that month, in which case the variation would be incorrectly omitted by Washington. Grundvig said a lot of institutional knowledge was lost in determining the preliminary monthly job figures, which get the most publicity – and have made Wisconsin look bad this year. For two straight months, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said the Badger State has lost the most private sector jobs in the country. But in October, state officials said the actual job loss was 73-hundred less than the preliminary data. Ken Robertson of the federal agency says they’ve gathered the data the same as always – and they stand by their numbers. </span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-2859463417579663063?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-26362071052882904472011-12-27T07:19:00.001-06:002011-12-27T07:19:55.040-06:00Short Standoff Ends With Man in Custody<br /><br />12/27/11 - Authorities in Fox Lake were able to take a 24-year-old man into custody early Monday morning after he had barricaded himself in his home. It happened at a residence in the 100 block of Makenick Street around 12:45. Sheriff Todd Nehls says the man called his father and said he had a gun and was suicidal after not being able to spend time with his kids during the holiday weekend. Police were able to make contact with the man but were unable to make him come out. After more than an hour they made entry into the home and took him into custody. This is the 2nd incident in the last few weeks in which a man has barricaded himself inside a home in Fox Lake leading to a standoff with authorities. Nehls says the difference between this incident, and the one three weeks ago in which authorities backed off without incident after a 5-hour standoff, was the risk to law enforcement personnel. Police in Fox Lake have not charged the man involved in the standoff a few weeks ago. <br /><br />Two Injured in Early Morning Accident<br /><br />12/27/11 - A pair of accidents early Monday morning sent two people to the hospital. The first happened on County Trunk D-J in the town of Oak Grove. Dodge County authorities say a 16-year-old boy drifted off to sleep and rolled his vehicle just before 1 a-m. He was taken to Beaver Dam Community Hospital with minor injuries and later cited for inattentive driving. An hour and half later deputies responded to another rollover, this one on Highway 28 outside of Mayville. 46-year-old Donald Wallendal was partially ejected from his vehicle and was also taken to BDCH. Authorities say Wallendahl was later cited for his first OWI. <br /><br />Cost of Snow Removal<br /><br />12/27/11 - It cost more than ever to remove snow from state highways in Wisconsin last winter -- and not just because it snowed twice as much as normal. The state D-O-T paid more counties to equip its plows with sensors and satellite tracking. They provide a host of speed-and-salting data, to help county highway departments use their limited salt and plowing time more efficiently. About 45 counties now have the equipment -- and that's partially why the D-O-T spent a record 91-million dollars on snow removal costs last winter. But even without the equipment, the total plowing costs still would have been high. Wisconsin had an average snowfall of around 100-inches last winter, twice the average of 52-inches. The state pays counties to plow state roads, and it's why the D-O-T is paying for the satellite-and-sensor equipment for their plows. The D-O-T's Michael Sproul cannot say yet that the new technology means safer roads. He says the goal at this point is to give people acceptable levels of service at less cost. Most counties which have the equipment are in southern Wisconsin. Dan Fedderly of the County Highway Association says the system is harder to use in the north. That's because cell phones are needed to transmit data, and he says cell signals in much of the north are not available or reliable. Fedderly also says it will take another winter to see if the new tracking technology can help counties throughout the state.<br /><br />Bauer Pleads Not Guilty at Arraignment <br /><br />12/27/11 - A Beaver Dam teen entered a “not guilty” plea during an arraignment hearing to charges that he sparked a high speed chase with authorities. Brady Bauer was arrested in October after officers attempted a traffic stop for excessive window tinting but the suspect reportedly fled into the county. An eight-mile chase ensued down County Highway E that at times reached speeds in excess of 90mph. Brady was tracked down at an apartment complex in Burnett. The 18-year-old is charged with one felony count of Fleeing and Eluding an Officer and misdemeanor charges of Obstructing an Officer, Possession of an Illegally Obtained Prescription and Theft of Movable Property. Also found in the vehicle, a stolen county road sign for County Trunk BB which Bauer reportedly admitted to taking because it matched his initials. he is convicted, Bauer faces a maximum sentence of five-and-a-half years in prison. Court activity is on the calendar next month.<br /><br />Benning in Court<br /><br />12/27/11 - An Oconomowoc woman, accused of stealing over $5000 from the gas station where she worked, entered a “not guilty” plea at arraignment. Jessica Benning is charged with felony Theft for allegedly taking cash, cigarettes and other items from the Ashippun BP over a nine-month period ending in September. Management was tipped-off to the theft from an anonymous tip. The 21-year-old reportedly admitted the thefts to investigators and said she learned a trick with the cash register to cover her tracks from a former employee. The charge carries a maximum six-year prison sentence upon conviction. Benning has an arraignment hearing on the calendar next month. <br /><br />Not Guilty Plea Entered by Lomira Woman<br /><br />12/27/11 - A Lomira woman entered a “not guilty” plea at arraignment to charges that she stole money from the gas station where she had worked. 45-year-old Lisa Ann Anderson is accused of using her work keys to enter a locked office and steal $230 in cash. Authorities reviewed video surveillance footage and management noted that the subject was similar to Anderson in clothing and mannerisms. They then reviewed footage of Anderson during a recent work shift and say she was wearing the same clothes. If convicted, the charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 12-and-a-half years. A plea and sentencing hearing is on the calendar in February. <br /><br />Autopsy Expected for Glass Worker<br /><br />An autopsy will be performed this morning on a glass worker in Portage who died in a Christmas morning accident. Officials said 55-year-old Tom Roche left the Cardinal Glass factory to recycle large pieces of glass -- and part of the glass sheets apparently got loose and knocked him back. No one witnessed the incident. A co-worker called police about three a-m Sunday, after Roche had not returned to the main building. Police say there's no evidence of foul play, but they're still investigating.<br /><br />Stores Busy the Day After Christmas <br /><br />12/27/11 - With many people off work, stores were busy throughout Wisconsin on the day after Christmas. Manager Steve Smith at Milwaukee's Mayfair Mall said more people were looking for bargains than returning unwanted gifts. Smith said a number of his stores had 40-to-50-percent-off sales, and the parking lots were full by early afternoon. Many shoppers used gift cards they received. Appliance stores in southeast Wisconsin drew more business than normal by offering larger discounts. American T-V of Madison said it was encouraged by the numbers of shoppers at its 12 Midwest stores. Colder's Furniture of Milwaukee said its five stores saw a lot of pent-up demand, as shoppers focused on gifts before Christmas instead of the bigger things they needed at home.<br /><br />Walker Named “Governor of the Year”<br /><br />12/27/11 - The Governors Journal has named Wisconsin Republican Scott Walker as its Governor-of-the-Year. New York Democrat Andrew Cuomo is the first runner-up, and Connecticut Democrat Dannel Malloy had an honorable mention. The Governors Journal is a one-year-old online publication from Pagani Public Affairs of Washington. It said Walker was quote, "the embodiment of the state-by-state battle to balance budgets, and the best symbol of the struggle between the two political parties about how best to meet those fiscal challenges." The publication said Walker was cited by both Democrats and Republicans as quote, "the best example of what is wrong, or what is right with a conservative approach to government." It also said many Democratic governors are different from Walker quote, "only in a matter of degrees." If Walker wins an expected recall election next year, the Governors Journal says he'll be a "right wing political star." And if he loses, Walker will be quote, "a political martyr, but still a star."<br /><br />Mega Millions at $206M<br /><br />12/27/11 - Somebody could end 2011 in grand style tonight. That's the because the Mega Millions' jackpot is at 206-million-dollars, the third-highest of the year. One ticket sold in Wisconsin won the quarter-million-dollar second prize last Friday night, by matching all five regular numbers but not the Mega Ball. Lottery officials have not said where the ticket was sold. In Powerball, the jackpot is back at 20-million-dollars for tomorrow night. A ticket sold in Maryland won almost 129-million dollars on Christmas Eve.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-2636207105288290447?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-12283901522386698632011-12-24T23:40:00.001-06:002011-12-24T23:40:34.883-06:00Merry Christmas…Where’s the Snow? <br /><br />12/25/11 - We’ve still got snow on the ground this morning but it’s unclear if we can call it a White Christmas. The National Weather Service says there must be at least an inch of snow on the ground to qualify as a White Christmas. Either way its clear there has been a lack of snow so far this winter and weather experts are blaming that on La Nina. They say it’s pushed the jet stream farther north and that’s one of the reasons snowfall has been far below normal through the fall and early winter for an area of the U.S. from New England to the Dakotas. In Minneapolis, golf courses were open this week. Many ski resorts are having to make snow to do their business. Snow totals in New England are running four to 14 inches below normal, while Montana’s mountain snow pack is about 30 percent below its average. In Beaver Dam, we’ve only had two or three “snow events” none of which has left more than a couple inches. And it looks like there is nothing in the near future that will change that. <br /><br />Search Firm Will Seek Community Input <br /><br />12/25/11 - The search firm hired by the Waupun School District to find a new superintendent has been instructed to solicit input from the community. SCF Educational Consultants is expected to bring a list of personal and professional characteristics back to the board that are important to the position of superintendent. According to district officials, the search firm will be holding two public forums on January 4th. The first will be at 3:45pm at Rock River Intermediate School followed by a 7pm session at the Junior/Senior High School. Those organizing the forums are asking that parents, staff and community members come and share their feelings on what is important to them in finding a new superintendent. The district hopes to have the new superintendent in place by July 1st. Interim Superintendent Don Childs has been in Waupun since July of last year after serving for several years in the Beaver Dam School District. <br /><br />Walker Stops Planning for National Health Care Law<br /><br />12/25/11 - Governor Scott Walker has ordered Wisconsin to stop planning for the national health care reform law until the Supreme Court decides whether the law will be dropped. The Republican Walker has opposed President Obama’s health package all along – but he’s just now halting the state’s plan to create its own exchange, where individuals and small businesses can select from a menu of insurance plans. States which don’t have their own plans in place by the start 2013 will get a uniform federal plan to follow starting in 2014. But the Supreme Court is expected to rule next summer on whether the Obama health plan is constitutional. And if it’s not struck down, Walker says the state will still have time to create its own exchange by the 2013 deadline. But Jon Peacock of the Wisconsin Council on Children-and-Families disagrees. He says lawmakers wouldn’t have time – and the state would be quote, “ill-prepared” if the court keeps the Obama health law in place. Assembly Democrat Sandy Pasch of Whitefish Bay also criticized Walker’s decision, and says the governor is quote, “playing chicken with people’s health.” Senate Republican Frank Lasee of De Pere praised the governor’s action – but he says the state would have to give back a 38-million-dollar federal grant to help create the exchange. Lasee says the money has strings attached, and Walker has to give it back. Walker’s office says it’s looking into that matter.<br /><br />WI Legislators Back Extended Payroll Tax Cut<br /><br />12/25/11 - Wisconsin’s working people will not pay higher Social Security taxes come January. The U-S House and Senate both voted this week to extend the current payroll tax cut by two months, to buy more time for a long-term agreement. Both houses passed the measure on voice votes, despite some grumbling from Tea Party Republicans. Milwaukee House Democrat Gwen Moore tweeted that she was pleased 160-million Americans won’t see a tax hike, and over two-million people will not lose their unemployment benefits. Without the agreement, officials said the average employee would have had to pay an extra 20-dollars a week in Social Security taxes after the holidays – and jobless benefits would have been phased out for those out of work longer than six months. The extension came after G-O-P House leaders were the last to agree to it. Some Republicans demanded a full-year solution. Wausau area Republican Sean Duffy said he still favored a one-year payroll tax holiday – but for now, he said Wisconsin families should not pay more just because of what he called the “dysfunction in Washington D-C.” Sherwood House Republican Reid Ribble said he was tired of the partisan bickering over the issue. And he said some lawmakers lost sight of what’s important – keeping more money in people’s pockets.<br /><br />Governor Staying Neutral on Effort to Get Rid of GAB<br /><br />12/25/11 - Governor Walker says he’ll stay neutral on a proposal to get rid of Wisconsin’s Government Accountability Board. The Republican Walker told the A-P there’s no perfect system for running elections and enforcing ethics laws – but he says improvements can always be made in how the agency functions. Last week, G-O-P Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald suggested going back to the old Elections Board, with political party leaders serving as members – and an ethics board that critics said was too ineffective. Fitzgerald was reacting to the accountability board’s policy of not automatically striking fraudulent and duplicate recall signatures, leaving that job to those who challenge the petitions. Six retired judges serve on the accountability board. Its director says those members have much more experience in making impartial decisions than the old elections board members ever did. Lawmakers created the accountability board four years ago, after five legislators were charged with using their tax-funded offices as campaign machines to try and keep their parties in power.<br /><br />Officer Cleared in Shooting<br /><br />12/25/11 - Rock County’s district attorney said a police officer did not do anything wrong when he shot-and-killed a man last month near Beloit. Town of Beloit Sergeant Richard Felger shot 26-year-old Darryl Cooper during a gun battle outside Rex Lanes. Authorities said Felger was on patrol about 1:45 a-m on November sixth, when he heard gunshots from the parking lot. According to District Attorney David O’Leary, Cooper had shot-and-injured somebody in an earlier fight – and he later ran away from Sergeant Felger and fired shots at him. Felger shot Cooper as he returned the fire. Felger was treated for a gunshot wound to the leg, while Cooper died at a hospital. O’Leary said the officer was doing his duty – and he praised Felger for quote, “preventing further loss of life.”<br /><br />Charges Not Expected in Eau Claire Accident<br /><br />12/25/11 - The Eau Claire County sheriff said criminal charges are not expected against a 16-year-old girl who let a 14-year-old boy drive her family’s car in a fatal crash on Tuesday night. But Ron Cramer said it’s possible that the girl could get a couple of non-criminal citations. Three teens from the Eleva-Strum area were killed in the crash – McKenna Johnson, Marco Perez, and driver Austin Gable. Two other passengers were hurt. The 16-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy remain hospitalized. And Cramer says his deputies are waiting for clearance from medical personnel before they interview the two. The sheriff said the 16-year-old girl’s family gave her permission to drive the car – and Cramer says she might have broken state laws by letting an unlicensed person drive the car, and having more than one passenger in violation of the graduated driver licensing law for teens. He said those are the only two things investigators are looking at. The sheriff says he expects most of the legal activity to come from civil lawsuits. Meanwhile, the town of Washington Fire Department held stress de-briefing last night for emergency personnel who responded to the crash. It happened on a hilly road where drivers have been known to make cars airborne by speeding over hillcrests. Cramer says that if “hill jumping” was a cause of the crash, he and the sheriff in neighboring Trempealeau County will start a campaign to warn students and parents about the dangers of that behavior.<br /><br />No Layoffs for MKE Sheriff’s…Yet<br /><br />12/25/11 - A judge has blocked layoffs planned to start at the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department December 31st. A temporary injunction will delay those layoffs for at least a month, until state and county hearings can be held. The sheriff’s office is dealing with deep budget cuts for next year. Some deputies retired, but about 40 were to be laid off. The deputies’ union sued, saying mistakes were made in singling out those to lose their jobs. Sheriff David Clark Junior has said the county budget is a train wreck.<br /><br />Criminal Caught After Leaving Cell Phone at the Scene<br /><br />12/25/11 - Here's a memo to criminals. If you don't want to get caught, don't leave your cell phone at the crime scene -- like a 21-year-old man did in Madison recently. Police said Lamar Crump Junior broke into an S-U-V December 11th at a Madison shopping mall, and he stole two guns and stereo speakers. As the owner checked the vehicle with a police officer, he found a cell-phone with a photo of his I-D card and some pictures of himself. Crump was arrested four days later at the same mall. Police said the stolen stereo equipment was hooked up in his van -- and the missing guns were found in his apartment. Crump is charged three counts of theft, two of them as felonies. He's in jail under a 900-dollar bond.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-1228390152238669863?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-78871257852929636682011-12-24T07:02:00.001-06:002011-12-24T07:02:08.328-06:00White Christmas Unlikely <br /><br />12/24/11 - Northern Wisconsin is likely to have a White Christmas after all. Up to an inch of snow was expected in the region yesterday and it could stay around through Christmas, because temperatures are not expected to get above freezing. But it’s a different story in southern Wisconsin, where highs are supposed to get close to 40 both today and tomorrow. Another storm system could bring a little more snow to the north on Christmas. But the south is supposed to stay dry-and-brown. The National Weather Service defines a White Christmas as having at least an inch of snow on the ground that day. Due to the temperatures expected in our area today it’s unlikely we’ll have any snow on the ground tomorrow. Milwaukee has had a White Christmas 48-percent of the time in the last 118 years, but it won’t have one this year. Madison does not get protected by Lake Michigan, and therefore it snows more often – at least on Christmas. The Weather Service said Wisconsin’s capital has had a White Christmas 69-percent of the time – but not this time. The farther north you go, the more likely a Christmas will be white. Wausau has only had five Brown Christmases since 1931.<br /><br />Elks Lodge Food Basket Program Hits 60th Year <br /><br />12/24/11 - The Beaver Dam Elks Lodge is gearing up for their annual Christmas Food Basket Program. For 60 years, the service organization has been helping families throughout Dodge County put a little extra food on the table over the holiday. Organizer Rob Radig says over 520 baskets will be packed-up by an all-volunteer assembly line and sent out by all-volunteer drivers. Packing of the food baskets will begin around 8am SATURDAY morning with assistance from the Beaver Dam High School Wrestling team and local Boy Scouts. It’s too late to receive a basket but Radig says the public is encouraged to line-up at Beaver Dam Ford on North Spring Street around 9am to help deliver baskets. Radig says the delivery process should take a couple hours. After the workshop is closed and the sleighs are empty, volunteers are invited over to the Beaver Dam Elks Lodge at 126 South Spring Street for a free lunch. For more information visit: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=1952620785298<br /><br />St. Katharine Drexel Warns of Overcrowding <br /><br />12/24/11 - Officials at St. Katharine Drexel Parish in Beaver Dam are asking members to be aware of the different opportunities to observe mass over the next two days for Christmas. Judy Johnson says the closure of St. Patrick’s Church has them concerned about possible overcrowding at the more popular times for mass. Beaver Dam fire codes say the church capacity is 812 people and Johnson says once the church is filled people will be turned away. Times for mass: December 24th 4pm, 5:30pm, 7pm, 11pm. December 25th 9:30am. <br /><br />Randolph Church Serving Christmas Dinner<br /><br />12/24/11 - The First Reformed Church of Randolph is hosting a Christmas dinner on Sunday for anyone in need of a meal. Organizer Rita Hookstead says this the 3rd year they’ll be doing the event and last year they served more than 50-meals. The meals will be served from 11a-3p tomorrow in the church basement. However, Hookstead says if you can’t make it to the church they can deliver it to you. If you want it delivered Hookstead asks that you call her at (920) 344-0573. <br /><br />Local Woman Plays Large Role in Decorating Tree in the Governor’s Mansion <br /><br />12/24/11 - A Randolph-area woman played a large role in decorating a tree in the Governor’s Mansion in Madison. Linda Hughes provided nearly 200 of the ornaments on the Soldier’s Tree in the governor’s mansion. One-hundred and seventy ornaments on the Blue Spruce represent the servicemen and women who died while fighting in the Middle East and five represent the soldiers who died on American soil as a result of injuries sustained overseas. The ornaments will be sent to the Gold Star families bearing their loved ones name after the holiday. Hughes cousin was killed overseas in 2005. Because she has been an advocate for troops over the years, she was contacted by Governor Jim Doyle’s office to contribute seven years ago, and each year her contribution has gotten bigger. Hughes tells us that she’s already had a vision for next year’s Soldier’s Tree at the Governor’s Mansion.<br /><br />WEAC Hoping Barrett Doesn’t Run for Governor <br /><br />12/24/11 - Leaders of the state’s largest teachers’ union met this week with Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, and urged him not to run in a possible recall election against Governor Scott Walker. Barrett has not given an indication that he would run anyway, saying he’s focusing on his re-election bid for mayor. But the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said WEAC union leaders do not believe they convinced Barrett to definitely stay on the sidelines. The Democrat Barrett lost to the Republican Walker 52-to-47 percent in last year’s gubernatorial contest. Milwaukee’s City Hall was closed today, and Barrett was not immediately available for comment. The Journal Sentinel also said WEAC is trying to clear the way for former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk to run against Walker. The paper cited a union memo stating that Falk and former U-S House Democrat David Obey of Wausau have as good of a chance as Barrett of unseating the governor.<br /><br />Tax Collections Up in MKE Baseball District <br /><br />12/24/11 - There’s another sign today of how much wider Wisconsinites are opening their wallets. Sales tax receipts for the Milwaukee baseball stadium district went up seven-point-eight percent in 2011, compared to a year ago. People in Milwaukee and four surrounding counties pay a one-tenth of one-percent sales tax for the financing of Miller Park. And the stadium district received 26-million-dollars in sales tax contributions – one-point-two percent more than the Stadium Board had budgeted. The contributions reflect sales taxes paid by consumers through October. Depending on how the economy goes, the district expects the sales tax to end between 2016 and 2018 when all the bonding is paid off.<br /><br />Woman Gets Prison Time for Defrauding State Program <br /><br />12/24/11 - A woman from Elkhorn will spend two and a half years in prison for defrauding the Wisconsin Shares program. Angela Stott will be on probation for five years after she gets out. Stott held the license for Little Angel Academy. It was one of dozens of day care centers suspended from the subsidy program, for receiving payments for children who rarely attended – or never showed up at all. Stott was convicted last month on two counts of theft by false representation. She has to repay 355 thousand dollars to the state.<br /><br />Cuts Coming for State Agencies <br /><br />12/24/11 - Wisconsin state agencies have been ordered to make 123 million dollars in spending reductions without layoffs, if at all possible. Taking another direct hit is the University of Wisconsin System, which has been told to trim another 46 million dollars over six months. That’s on top of a previously announced quarter-billion dollar reduction over the two-year budget cycle. Governor Scott Walker’s Department of Administration released specifics of the plan yesterday. The Legislature budget committee is expected to hold a hearing next month to make sure core state services are not affected. Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca says the cuts disproportionately target higher education.<br /><br />Suspects Sought in Oxy Robbery Spree <br /><br />12/24/11 - Milwaukee County authorities are looking for two teenagers wanted in connection with an oxycodone robbery spree. Two more teens are already in custody. Police say the four started last Wednesday night by robbing a Walgreens. They told the pharmacist on duty they were armed and they made off with an unknown quantity of the drug. They then tried to rob four more Walgreens stores, but a security confronted them at the location at 27th and Layton. One boy was arrested there, with the second taken into custody yesterday morning. Two are still at large.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-7887125785292963668?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-21281944910014463782011-12-23T08:15:00.001-06:002011-12-23T08:15:25.441-06:00Unemployment Rates Mostly Down<br /><br />12/23/11 - The jobless rate the region was down last month for the most part. According to figures released this week by the Department of Workforce Development, the unemployment rate in Dodge County was 6.9% in November, down from 7.2% in October and six-tenths of a percent lower than November of last year. Fond du Lac County was down two-tenths to 6.2% over the two-month period. Washington County was at 6% last month while Jefferson County was at 7.0%, both down two-tenths of a percent from October. Green Lake County held steady at 7% even. Columbia County was up one-tenth to 7%. The lowest rate in the state was 4.4% in Dane County. Menominee County had the highest rate at 13.6%. The statewide jobless rate in November was down four-tenths of a percent to 7.3%, while the national rate was 8.6%. In total, 70 of the state’s 72 counties had lower unemployment rates or no change over the two month period. <br /><br />BD Man Arrested For Sixth OWI After Chase<br /><br />12/23/11 - A Beaver Dam man was arrested Wednesday for sixth-offense drunk driving after Columbia County authorities say he sparked a high speed chase. It started just before 3:30pm when deputies responded to reports of an intoxicated driver in the city of Portage. The responding deputy reportedly observed the suspect traveling east on Highway 33 near Cambria. The vehicle then turned down some town roads at a high rate of speed, sparking a seven mile pursuit that reached close to 80mph. Road spikes were deployed on Vaughn Road at State Highway 44, just north of Pardeeville. Jonathan L. Gorr was taken into custody without further incident. The 33-year-old Gorr is charged with Sixth Offense Operating While Intoxicated, Possession of THC and drug paraphernalia and a variety of traffic violations.<br /><br />Sensenbrenner Apologizes For Remark at Hartford Church<br /><br />12/23/11 - Wisconsin House Republican Jim Sensenbrenner wrote a formal apology letter Thursday to First Lady Michelle Obama. The Menomonee Falls lawmaker drew national attention after using some rather choice words to criticize the First Lady’s national campaign to fight obesity. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said Sensenbrenner – who’s been in Congress over three decades – told a Christmas bazaar at a Hartford church that Michelle Obama had a quote, “big butt.” Later, Sensenbrenner was overheard on a cell phone at a Washington airport saying Michelle Obama quote, “lectures us on eating right while she has a large posterior herself.” Amanda Infield, a spokeswoman for Sensenbrenner, said her boss doesn’t think the government should tell Americans what to eat. But she said he would apologize, even if he doesn’t agree with her initiatives. The Journal Sentinel said people who heard his comments at the Saint Aiden’s church bazaar thought the apology was weak. Micki Hoffmann said Sensenbrenner can attack a person’s politics all he wants – but not body image. And she said the congressman should also apologize to her church.<br /><br />McNeer Convicted In Attempted Murder of Wife<br /><br />12/23/11 - A retired head of the We Energies utility was convicted Thursday of Reckless Injury for trying to kill his wife in June. 85-year-old Charles McNeer of Hartford struck a plea deal with prosecutors, and was found Innocent by Reason of Insanity. Washington County Circuit Judge Todd Martens decided not to subject McNeer to a possible 20-year prison term. Instead, the judge will announce on February 28th whether McNeer will go to a mental institution, or be released under certain conditions. Prosecutors said he struck his wife Ann in the head with a hammer in late June. He told authorities his health was failing -- and he tried to kill his wife because he didn't think she could live without him. The couple has been married for over 60 years.<br /><br />Local Gas Prices Fall <br /><br />12/23/11 - Local gas prices are some of the lowest in the state right now. According to wisconsingasprices.com, the average price of a gallon of unleaded regular is $3.24 this morning, up five-cents from a week ago. But gas in Beaver Dam can be had for $3.10, while it’s going for $3.11 in Juneau and Horicon. It’s $3.13 in Hustisford and $3.16 in Waupun and Columbus. The national average today is $3.23. That’s 22-cents higher than a year ago. <br /><br />Patrick Cudahy Suing Navy Over Destructive Flare<br /><br />12/23/11 - Patrick Cudahy is suing the U-S Navy for 326-million dollars, because a Marine stole a Navy flare that was used to set the Cudahy meat plant on fire in 2009. The plant, its owner Smithfield Foods, and their insurance companies filed their lawsuit in federal court in Milwaukee. It accused the Navy of being negligent in not controlling its supply of flares at Camp Wilson in California, where Joshua Popp stole one. His brother set it off at a family Fourth-of-July gathering south of Milwaukee in 2009 -- and the flare landed on top of the neighboring Cudahy meat plant and caused a massive fire. The Navy rejected a claim from the plaintiffs. It said the government waives immunity from legal action only when an employee commits wrongdoing within the scope of the person's job -- and that was not the case with Joshua Popp. The two brothers pleaded to reckless endangerment, and were put on probation for three years.<br /><br />Couple Avoids Jail Time<br /><br />12/23/11 - A rural Beaver Dam couple has entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors for selling items that were being used as collateral on a bank loan. Steven and Cheryl Schmitt plead to reduced misdemeanor charges of Transfer of an Encumbered Property and each had seven other felon counts dismissed. According to the criminal complaint, the Schmitt’s sold over $77,000 worth of cattle and farm equipment in 2007 and 2008. The money was put into an account to cover bills in their other business, SJS Trucking. A loan agreement with the bank prohibited the sale of any items listed as collateral without prior approval. The couple was looking at over 50 years in prison. They’ve already paid restitution in full and as part of the plea agreement, they will avoid jail time, probation and a felony record.<br /><br />BDPD Investigating Counterfeit Bill<br /><br />12/23/11 - The Beaver Dam Police Department is investigating a counterfeit bill that was found at a local gas station. Employees with the Horicon Bank contacted authorities Wednesday morning to report that a fake $20 bill was found in a deposit from the Shell Travel Mart. Counterfeit bills are turned over to the Secret Service and those responsible could face state and federal charges. Anyone with information should contact the Beaver Dam Police Department.<br /><br />Dane County DA May Reconsider Union Challenge<br /><br />12/23/11 - The Dane County D-A says he might ask the State Supreme Court to reconsider his challenge to Wisconsin's collective bargaining limits -- this time, without input from Justice Michael Gableman. Ismael Ozanne said he's taking a hard look at asking Gableman to recuse himself, after reports that the justice took free legal services from a law firm in defending an earlier ethics case. The law firm is the same one that helped Governor Scott Walker's office develop the union law. And Gableman voted in June to uphold that law. The State Judicial Commission was asked this week to investigate whether Gableman broke the judicial ethics code by voting on cases in which he had a direct financial interest with one of the parties -- namely, the law firm of Michael Best and Friedrich. Ozanne says he does not have all the facts yet in deciding whether to seek a re-opening of the collective bargaining case. But he said the facts he had are quote, "concerning." But even if Gableman withdraws, another justice would have to change his-or-her vote -- or else there would be a 3-3 deadlock, and the court would not consider the case. Gableman voted with a 4-3 majority in June against Ozanne's allegation that Republican legislators broke the state Open Meetings Law when it passed the union bargaining limits in March. A recent court hearing said the court cannot force a member to withdraw from a case -- which means Gableman would have to do it voluntarily if the D-A asks. <br /><br />Advisory Referendum on Collective Bargaining<br /><br />12/23/11 - The home county of Wisconsin's state government will hold an advisory referendum next spring on whether to bring back public union bargaining privileges. Dane County Executive Joe Parisi signed a County Board resolution yesterday (Th) that calls for an April third vote on the union bargaining ilmits adopted this year. Supervisor Dianne Hesselbein of Middleton proposed the referendum. She said it would give Dane County residents a chance to enter the debate and show support for quote, "working families in Dane County and across the state." Parisi, a former state Assembly Democrat, said union bargaining has been essential to the prosperity of Wisconsin families for decades and quote, "They deserve a seat at the table once more."<br /><br />Green Bay Salvation Army Gets Gold Coin<br /><br />12/23/11 - The Salvation Army in Green Bay said it could not believe the donation it received yesterday. Somebody dropped a gold coin in one of the Red Kettles at Festival Foods in Green Bay. And Captain Ken Shiels said his staff was thrilled to learn that it was worth 16-hundred-dollars. An anonymous donor dropped the one-ounce gold American Eagle coin in the kettle. Shiels said he wants to think the gift resulted from the donor's confidence in the Salvation Army and what it does for the community. The Brown County chapter is trying to raise just over one-point-one million dollars by January 27th -- and they're two-thirds of the way there.<br /><br />Local Teacher Honored<br /><br />12/23/11 - Fourteen teachers, including one from Rubicon, have won this year’s Wisconsin Financial Literacy Awards. Governor Scott Walker’s Council on Financial Literacy announced the recipients yesterday. That included Jennifer Guenther of Rubicon. The awards recognize efforts to help people learn more about handling their personal finances. The winning projects are geared toward helping school students become more financially literate along with workers, prisoners, and community residents in general. The winners were chosen from 45 nominations. Eight organizations were also honored.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-2128194491001446378?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-57029052548068498372011-12-22T07:12:00.001-06:002011-12-22T07:12:38.344-06:00OWI Victim Urges Responsible Holiday Celebrations<br /><br />12/22/11 - Dan Thiel says he has been dealing with the holiday grief over the loss of a loved one since a drunk driver killed his wife ten years ago but this year will be especially difficult. His daughter was left bedridden and succumbed to her injuries in May. In October he learned that state law at the time of the wreck prohibits additional prosecution against the three-time drunk driver who will be released from prison this coming May, avoiding any penalty in Danni Jo’s death. Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls called into the show to commend for spending the past few months speaking to OWI offenders in prison and at Victim Impact Panels. Nehls says while he can’t put specific numbers to the lives saved from Thiel’s outreach, the sheriff says he “knows that [his] efforts as an individual using [his] experience to tell a story has saved lives in Dodge County.” Thiel asked our listeners to avoid driving if you’ve been drinking and to stop serving those who have had too much to drink, but his message went beyond that. Thiel says it’s up everyone in the community to stop drunk drivers from ever getting behind the wheel. He says you might watch someone stumble out of a bar only to drive a few blocks and kill someone, maybe your own daughter. Turing that blind eye, Thiel says, would be something that will haunt you for the rest of your life. While it may have been a rough year, Thiel is keeping busy. In addition to speaking with offenders, he is using his decade-long experience as a caregiver for Danni Jo to work for Angels on Earth as an in-home caregiver. <br /><br />Man Sexually Assault Boy as a Form of Punishment <br /><br />Authorities in Columbia County have charged a Columbus man with sexually assaulting a 6-year-old boy as a form of punishment. 27-year-old Brian Frazier is charged with first-degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 12 and physical abuse of a child intentionally causing bodily harm. Officials with the Columbus Police Department say their investigation revealed Frazier allegedly sexually assaulted the boy sometime between May 2010 and November of this year while he was watching him. Police say the boy told them that Frazier also slapped him one time last month for taking a piece of pizza without permission. When he was questioned by police Frazier admitted to the assault and to slapping the child. He also later admitted he hated children. Frazier is due back in court next week. <br /><br />DC Health Officials Encourage Vaccination Against Pertussis<br /><br />12/22/11 - The Dodge County Health Department is warning the public about an increase in the reported cases of the contagious bacterial disease Pertussis (per-tuss-iss), better known as whooping cough. Health Officer Jody Langfeldt there has been seven reported cases this year, twice as many as in a normal year. Langfeldt says they are on alert because of the spike in whooping cough cases in Milwaukee County. She says the symptoms are similar to the common cold. Langfeldt urges the public to get vaccinated, especially those who work with children as Pertussis can be more serious in the very young. Additional information is on the health department’s website. <br />http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/dph_bcd/communicable/factsheets/pertussus.htm<br /><br />Police Warn of Phone Scam<br /><br />12/22/11 - Authorities in Fox Lake are warning residents about a phone call scam. Police say the scam targets older people in which the caller says their grandchild is in trouble and needs $2,400. Two people reported the calls and officials believe there are others that didn’t report them. So far, nobody has fallen prey to the scam. If you receive a call like this police say you shouldn’t call them back and instead report the call to local law enforcement. <br /><br />Wisconsin Again Leads Nation in Job Losses<br /><br />12/22/11 - For the second month in a row, Wisconsin leads the nation in the numbers of jobs it lost in November. The U-S Bureau of Labor Statistics said the Badger State lost a seasonally-adjusted 14-thousand-600 jobs last month, on top of the 97-hundred lost jobs the government reported in October. The initial monthly job loss figures are preliminary, and state Workforce Development Secretary Reggie Newson said the final numbers for October showed much fewer job losses. But Newson has not said that Washington's numbers treat Wisconsin more harshly than other states -- so if the proportions are the same, the state's ranking compared to others would not change. Newson insists that things are getting better in Wisconsin, with a dropping jobless rate and fewer claims for unemployment benefits. He also points to a recent Manpower Incorporated survey which shows that Wisconsin employers will add jobs in the first three months of next year. Newson also says the pro-business bills passed by the G-O-P Legislature should lead to job growth in 2012. Democrats say the employment figures prove that Wisconsin's policies are not working. They say the state has lost jobs in every month since the new state budget took effect in July.<br /><br />Feds Delist Wolves<br /><br />12/22/11 - The federal government removed Wisconsin’s grey wolves from the national endangered species list Wednesday. It’s been done several times before, only to be reversed in lawsuits from environmentalists. But this time, the Obama administration tried to ward off legal action by showing that Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan more than met its goals for re-instating wolf populations. And therefore, the Interior Department said federal protections are no longer needed there. Today’s move gives Wisconsin the right to revive its own management plan for grey wolves. That includes a plan for killing animals if they damage farm crops or livestock. But officials have made it clear that hunting or trapping seasons for wolves are at least several years away. Governor Scott Walker ordered the D-N-R to get the plan going again by February first. And Assembly Majority Leader Scott Suder said he other lawmakers from the north would introduce a bill give the D-N-R the tools for keeping the state’s growing wolf population under control. The state’s management plan has been in effect every time that Washington had de-listed the wolves. Meanwhile, D-N-R Secretary Cathy Stepp said she was pleased that Wisconsin’s wolves will be considered a single species, for now at least. Federal officials earlier considered separate protections for a different species of wolves in 29 Eastern states, but that move remains on hold. Stepp said it would have been a nightmare for Wisconsin to deal with, since many wolves are a mix of both species. Wisconsin has almost 800 total grey wolves, more than twice the original goal of 350 when the state re-introduced the animals several decades ago.<br /><br />Beaver Dam To Collect Xmas Trees<br /><br />12/22/11 - Beaver Dam residents who receive contracted solid waste collection services will be able to place Christmas trees and boughs street-side for collection by city crews after the New Year. Director of Facilities David Stoiser says the special collection does not include other brush and shrubbery cuttings. Trees and boughs must be free of ornaments, lights and stands so they can be chipped. Crews will pick-up the trees starting on Tuesday, January 3 and continue through Friday, January 27. Wreaths and boughs containing roping or wire may also be placed in the Veolia non-recyclable cart for collection as garbage. City residents can also dispose of Christmas trees and boughs at the Public Works Garage Yard Waste Drop off Site on South Center Street, Monday through Friday. No waste of any kind is accepted from outside of the City or from any contractors.<br /><br />Wisconsin Population Growth Lagging <br /><br />12/22/11 - Wisconsin’s population grew by less than half the national average since last year’s Census was taken – and the national growth rate was the lowest since the 1940’s. The Census Bureau said today that the Badger State added almost 25-thousand residents from April of last year to July of this year. That’s a growth rate of four-tenths-of-one-percent – not even half the national rate of 92-hundredths of a percent. Wisconsin’s new population is five-million-711-thousand-767. The U-S now has almost 312-million people. Texas gained the most residents since last April, with 529-thousand. Washington D-C had the fastest growth rate at two-point-seven percent. And California remains the nation’s most populous state, with almost 38 million people. <br /><br />Baggage Scales Weighed At Wisconsin Airports<br /><br />12/22/11 - If you're flying from a Wisconsin airport this holiday, you probably will not be hit with a surprise overweight baggage fee. State-and-local inspectors checked 60 baggage scales at eight Wisconsin airports this year. Over 98-percent of them were accurate -- and the ones that weren't have been fixed. Sandy Chalmers of the state's consumer protection division says an overweight bag can cost fliers anywhere from 39-to-400-dollars -- so they wanted people to know that the scales are accurate. Milwaukee's Mitchell International Airport was among the places where the scales were checked, along with airports at Madison, Green Bay, La Crosse, Appleton, Mosinee, Eau Claire, and Rhinelander.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-5702905254806849837?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-13777920577977073852011-12-21T07:20:00.002-06:002011-12-21T07:20:47.237-06:00<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Dodge County Supervisors Opt For Concealed Carry </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/21/11 - Concealed weapons will be allowed inside Dodge County buildings if you have the proper permit. That’s after the board of supervisors last night voted down a resolution that would have banned them from county buildings and land. Prior to the vote several supervisors spoke in opposition of the resolution with a number citing the erosion of people’s rights and the fact that right now someone could walk into a county building with a weapon not concealed and it would be legal. At the beginning of the meeting more than a dozen letters sent to the board by community members were read aloud, and a majority of them were in favor of the ban. The conceal carry law went into effect last month and already the department of Justice is reporting well over 50,000 people have applied for the permit needed to carry a concealed weapon. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Ready Ready to Retire From Board</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/21/11 - The longest serving elected official in Wisconsin history won’t be running again next spring. Joe Ready, who has served on the Dodge County Board for 57-years, submitted his declaration of non-candidacy papers with the county clerk’s office yesterday. The 93-year-old Ready is a lifelong Dodge County resident and has served the Watertown area on the both the county board and the city council. Ready is one of five supervisors who won’t be running for another term. The others include Ken Neumann, Ed Qualmann, Dean Fuller and Dean Becker. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Wal-Mart Donates $50K To Green Valley</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/21/11 - The Wal-Mart Foundation has made a $50,000 donation to Green Valley Enterprises. The Beaver Dam non-profit serves the developmentally disabled in the Dodge County area and will use the money for their Communities at Work Program. Green Valley’s Kristin Hanson says they be hiring a full-time employee to look for new jobs in the area, help with employer education and hire job coaches that would be able to work with workers on job sites. Jim Jansen, who is the General Manager of the Wal-Mart Distribution Center and also sits on the Foundations State Giving Program committee, says he was glad to be able to award such a large grant in his home community to help with workforce training.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Walker Reverses Cuts To Rape, Child Porn Grants</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/21/11 - Governor Scott Walker has changed his mind about cutting services for sexual assault victims and efforts to fight child pornography. The Republican Walker decided to preserve 294-thousand-dollars to help sexual assault victims, and 45-thousand to fight child porn. The Justice Department spear-heads both efforts, and Attorney General J-B Van Hollen praised Walker for reversing budget cuts that affect crisis response services for rape victims. Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie said the Justice Department will have to find 45-thousand-dollars in other spending cuts in order to preserve the child porn crackdown – but it would not have to worry about 294-thousand for rape victim services. Local domestic violence officials we spoke with were happy to hear about the restored funding even if they don’t know exactly quite yet what affect it will have on their 2012 budget. Jamie Kratz-Gullickson with People Against Violent Environments in Beaver Dam says her organization was looking at a 42.5% cut in a grant that funds its Sexual Assault Victim Advocate. Kratz-Gullickson says it is her understanding that the governor was able to restore 5% of the funding – which is what he would control by executive order – which means they may only be looking at a 37.5% cut in their sexual assault grant. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Turbines Turning At Glacier Hills</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/21/11 - The wheels are turning today at Wisconsin's largest wind energy farm. We Energies has announced the opening of the Glacier Hills Wind Park on the Columbia County town of Randolph and Scott. Ninety high-tech windmills are spread across 17-thousand acres of farm land. They're expected to produce 162 megawatts of electricity -- enough to power 45-thousand homes over the course of a year. We Energies says the final cost will be less than the 364-million dollars authorized by the state Public Service Commission. We Energies serves the southern and eastern half of Dodge County and also runs an 88-turbine wind farm in Fond du Lac County. The company is also working on a bio-mass plant in Rothschild, south of Wausau. When that's done, We Energies says it will meet a state standard for providing eight-percent of its power from renewable sources by 2015.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Associated Bank Confirms Branch Closures</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/21/11 - Associated Bank has confirmed the locations of 20 branches that will close by the middle of next spring. Associated – the largest bank that’s based in Wisconsin – first announced the closings last week, but it did not give locations. A downtown Milwaukee branch is among those scheduled to shut down, along with two in Madison. A third branch in Madison closed last Thursday because the store it was in shut its doors. Most closures are in Wisconsin, but a few are in Minnesota and Illinois. Associated said each affected branch is within two miles of another location. About 200 employees are affected, but at least some are expected to get other jobs within the Associated chain, which is based in Green Bay. The local branches in Beaver Dam, Watertown and Columbus will not be affected by the closures.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Harley Plant Seeks Volunteer Layoffs</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/21/11 - Three Harley-Davidson plants in the Milwaukee area have sent notices to workers giving them until Friday to accept temporary layoffs. If they reject the offer, they could be fired under a settlement reached between the company and the union last September. That deal included the elimination of 250 positions. About 26 percent of the company’s workforce would be filled by seasonal, temporary employees.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Longtime Columbus City Attorney Rests His Case</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/21/11 - City Attorney Randy Lueders served at his last Columbus Common Council meeting last night. Lueders will be stepping down as the City Attorney on January 1, 2012 after 22 years of service. Lueders will remain on as Deputy Attorney for a six-month transition period. Paul Johnson, a Lathrop and Clark Attorney working out of Lodi, will become the new City Attorney the first of the new year. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Wold Sentenced To Life For Hit Man Murder</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/21/11 - A man who paid seven-thousand-dollars to have his ex-girlfriend killed so he could have sole custody of their child will spend the rest of his life in prison. Waukesha County Circuit Judge James Kieffer sentenced Darren Wold to life with no chance for a supervised release. He and Jack Johnson hired Justin Welch, who stabbed 39-year-old Kimberly Smith to death at her home in Oconomowoc in October of 2009. Johnson was recently given a life term with no chance at freedom. Welch will spend at least 52 years behind bars before he gets his first chance for a release at age 70. During a two-hour hearing yesterday (Tue), Wold never looked at the victim's family -- or at a slide show of Smith and her son. Smith's sister, Laurie Zanotti, told Wold quote, "You left us a lifetime of picking up your pieces." Wold proclaimed his innocence and said his recent trial was a witch hunt. Judge Kieffer asked Wold why he ignores the truth. The judge told him quote, "You lost it all because of your anger, hatred, and defiance." After he was convicted, Wold went on a hunger strike -- and Kieffer told Waukesha County authorities to feed him against his will. He has since resumed eating.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Milwaukee Man Accused of Running From Watertown Police</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/21/11 - A Milwaukee man is accused of running from Watertown police at a high rate of speed. Steven Bertram is charged with one felony count of Fleeing an Officer, which carries a maximum three-and-a-half year prison sentence, if he is convicted. According to the criminal complaint, an officer stopped the 21-year-old on the Highway 16 Bypass in October for speeding. When the officer informed Bertram that he had three warrants out for his arrest, Bertram allegedly stood silent for a moment, slowly put his hands on the ignition and “slammed his car into gear.” A one-mile chase followed that reportedly reached speeds of 85mph before the officer terminated the pursuit. A citation was sent to Bertram. A passenger in the vehicle later told police that Bertram said he didn’t know about the warrants and didn’t want to get arrested and lose his job. A signature bond was set at $1000 yesterday and a preliminary hearing is on the calendar next month.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Waupaca Man Pleads In Deer Slaughter Case</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/21/11 - A Waupaca man has pleaded no contest to slaughtering a half-dozen deer on a snowmobile almost three years ago. 25-year-old Nicholas Hermes is the second of three defendants to settle his charges in the nationally-publicized case. He faced up to 17 criminal, conservation, and ordinance violations at one time. But yesterday, Hermes was convicted in a plea bargain on three of his five original felony counts of animal mistreatment -- plus three misdemeanor hunting violations. Hermes is scheduled to be sentenced February 7th. Last month, 27-year-old Rori Kuenzi was sentenced to 11 years in prison, to be served at the same time as a 23-year term he's now serving for an unrelated traffic death. The other defendant, Kuenzi's brother Robby, is scheduled to go on trial in April. The deer slaughterings caused strong emotions throughout the country when they occurred in January of 2009 on a snowmobile trail in Waupaca County. The landowner closed the trail, causing riders to go for miles out of their way. Animal rights' groups were angered. And snowmobile groups condemned the killings and defended the integrity of their sport. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Oshkosh Drowning Victim Identified</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/21/11 - A 15-year-old boy who died after he fell through the ice on a quarry pond in Oshkosh was identified yesterday as Austin Werbelow. Police said he and another boy were walking on a pond behind Zillges Materials on Monday night when they fell through. One of the teens swam out of the water and went for help. But authorities said Werbelow was under water for up to an hour before rescuers pulled him out. He died a short time later at an Oshkosh hospital. Officials said the quarry pond was about 12-feet in the spot where the boys fell through the ice. Werbelow was a student at Oshkosh North High School.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">College Student Appears For Meeting Teen </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/21/11 - Bond was set at 10-thousand-dollars yesterday for a Nebraska college student accused of taking a 13-year-old Lake Geneva girl, whose disappearance prompted a statewide Amber Alert. Authorities said 21-year-old Jacob Cambridge met the girl online and drove to Lake Geneva to meet her on Sunday. Her family reported her missing on Monday, and police found her with Cambridge at a motel room in Elkhorn about a half-hour after Monday night's Amber Alert. Walworth County prosecutors said the girl claimed to be 17, and Cambridge admitted having sexual contact with her -- something his attorney said was only an allegation. Cambridge is not charged with anything, but prosecutors expect to file a complaint before his next court appearance on January fifth.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-1377792057797707385?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-71267670766322427792011-12-20T06:50:00.001-06:002011-12-20T06:50:04.811-06:00Dan Thiel To Appear on Community Comment Today<br /><br />12/20/11 - It’s been a turbulent year for Dan Thiel, the Beaver Dam man who lost his wife in a drunken driving accident ten years ago. This past May his daughter Danni Jo died as a result of injuries sustained in the August 2001 wreck. In October, he learned that Wisconsin law at the time of the accident prohibits the state from additional prosecution of the driver who was responsible for Danni Jo’s death. With all that on his shoulders, Thiel has asked to appear on WBEV’s Community Comment Tuesday to share a positive message about responsible celebrating during the holidays. He says he’d also like to field some questions from our listeners and he says no topic is off-limits. Community Comment airs weekdays on WBEV 1430AM beginning around 12:35pm.<br /><br />BDUSD Approves Change in Math Track <br /><br />12/20/11 - After years of parent and student complaints the Beaver Dam School District is changing how they teach math. Currently the district teaches “core” math but last night the school board approved a change back to a traditional form, with the biggest difference between the tracks being the process in which you reach your final answer. With the plan approved last night all students will have the opportunity to take 8th grade algebra and enter high school at the geometry level if they want. The plan also has an additional honors track while the other plan they were considering did not. The district still must make a change in how the curriculum describes the difference between an honors course and a normal course. You can find a chart with the new math track on our website, wbevradio.com.<br /><br />Brown County OWI Task Force Gearing Up<br /><br />12/20/11 - For the first time, Brown County’s drunk driving task force will be on the prowl after a Green Bay Packers’ game. Michael Panosh of the State Patrol said his multi-agency unit has had a lot of requests to increase its O-W-I enforcement, to catch those who drink over the limit at Lambeau. So his group of state-and-local officers will look for drunk driving offenders for four hours after the Packers’ home divisional playoff game the weekend of January 14th-and-15th. And if the Packers make the N-F-C Championship Game, the task force will be on the job then, too. They will not be outside the final two regular season games on Christmas and New Year’s Days, because fewer officers work on the holidays. The Packers do not have a partnership with the task force. But team spokesman Aaron Popkey says they are mindful of the O-W-I problem. He says the Packers have had a number of long-time programs to encourage responsible drinking – limiting alcohol to two glasses per purchase, and stopping sales after the third quarter. The team also has a designated driver program and free bus rides on Green Bay’s transit system.<br /><br />Godbolt Has Plea Hearing Set In OWI Injury Case<br /><br />12/20/11 - A Milwaukee man is now expected to enter into a plea agreement for injuring his girlfriend in a drunken driving accident. Tony Godbolt II had spent the evening of April first at a friend’s 21st birthday party in Oshkosh but woke-up the following morning to news that his step-father had died. Godbolt, who was one month away from his own 21st birthday, rolled his vehicle four or five times on Highway 41 in Lomira while heading to Milwaukee. He was not injured but his girlfriend was ejected. Authorities say Godbolt’s blood alcohol level was over the legal limit for driving at point-zero-nine-five (.095). Witnesses on the road that morning say they were driving 70mph and Godbolt’s vehicle flew past them. Godbolt is charged with three felony counts of Injury By Intoxicated Use of a Vehicle and a misdemeanor count of Operating Without A Valid License. If he is convicted, the charges carry a combined maximum term of over 38 years in prison. During a telephone scheduling conference yesterday (Mon), Godbolt had a plea hearing scheduled for February 3.<br /><br />Beaver Dam Man Pleads To Work Theft<br /><br />12/20/11 - A Beaver Dam man who embezzled money from Ballweg Turf and Leisure entered into a plea agreement Monday with prosecutors. Jeffrey Schmuhl pled to reduced misdemeanor Theft charges for withholding paperwork from cash transactions and pocketing the money. According to the criminal complaint, the 25-year-old admitted that he kept $2800 from the sale of a tractor but denied a second transaction and has been ordered to pay full restitution for the tractor. Schmuhl was also placed on probation for 18 months.<br /><br />Beaver Dam Directs Grants to Lift Station<br /><br />12/20/11 - The Beaver Dam Common Council has signed-off on plans to redirect grant funding previously approved for the purchase and demolition of the downtown Fountain Inn Tavern. The $260,000 Department of Administration grant will now go toward a $700,000 upgrade to the north side lift station. The city’s already gotten $350,000 in grants and the remaining costs will be paid through storm water and sewer user fees. The owner of the Fountain Inn has rebuked buy-out attempts from both the city and the state in recent months and could be on the hook for demolition costs if the DNR orders the structure removed; the Front Street building violates modern statutes because it was constructed over a river.<br /><br />BD Approves Sewer Expansion To New Business Park<br /><br />12/20/11 - Action by the Beaver Dam Common Council last night has moved the city yet another step closer toward having a third business park. The council unanimously approved an expansion of the city’s sanitary sewer service area. The city is in the process of building a third business park and recently acquired around 200 acres of land on the north side of town that is currently in the township. Consulting Engineer Mike Laue with MSA Professional Services says, as part of the process, Beaver Dam has to gain DNR approval to run sewer lines to the property. Council President Jon Litscher asked Laue about the acreage of wetlands that will be lost with the designation. Laue says it will be “minimal,” approximately less than one acre. The DNR will have to sign off on the final version, but they’ve already approved early drafts and Laue says state officials have already deemed early versions “favorable.” <br /><br />Council Approves Donation Agreement With ‘Friends’ Group<br /><br />12/20/11 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night approved a resolution that will allow the city to receive funds from a private group in renovating a new Community and Senior Center. There are no city tax dollars planned to pay for the move into the former Fullerton Lumber building at 209 South Center, so the non-profit “Friends of the Beaver Dam Community Center” is organizing a fundraising campaign. The group’s president, Ellen Sushak (sue-shack) says the resolution spells out the role of the “Friends” group in raising money and the role of the city in approving building plans along with owning and operating the building. Sushak says her group is in pre-campaign mode, with plans to launch their official fundraising campaign after the New Year with the goal of securing $2.9 million for the renovation.<br /><br />Home Prices Drop Drastically In Dodge County<br /><br />12/20/11 - Sales are up, and prices down for existing homes in Wisconsin. The state's Realtors Association says that almost 38-hundred-50 houses (3,850) were sold in the Badger State in November – 15-percent (15%) more than in November of 2010. And the median price went down by about 2-percent (2%), to about 134-thousand dollars ($134,000). Dodge County’s median price dropped by over 36-percent (36%) to $90,000 last month compared to November of 2010. There were 67 homes sold last month in Dodge County, up by 20 from November of 2010. <br />Median home prices in Jefferson County dropped four-point-four-percent (4.4%) to $128,000. Conversely, prices in Columbia County are up nearly five-percent (5%) to $121,000, while 34-percent (34%) more homes were sold this November compared to last November. For the first 10 months of this year, homes sold by Realtors went down by less than one-percent (1%). Association chairman Rob Keefe said buyers did not have major incentives this year, like the huge federal tax credits from the year before.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-7126767076632242779?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-46850039168502941122011-12-19T08:31:00.001-06:002011-12-19T08:31:19.199-06:00Beaver Dam Closes On New Business Park<br /><br />12/19/11 - On Friday, the city of Beaver Dam closed on the sale of property on the north side of town that is intended use as a new business park. The acquisition involves around 200 acres of land a cost of $2.2 million dollars. Bonding for the purchase of the property was approved by the common council last month. Another $3.4 million will eventually need to be borrowed for infrastructure improvements. Mayor Tom Kennedy says a planning team will be put together immediately after the holidays. In addition to building roads and running utilities in the new business park, Kennedy says the site will include a new water tower which he says will benefit all future growth in the city. Kennedy says he feels confident that the new business park will be a springboard for good things to come in Beaver Dam. The new business park is located in Tax Increment Finance District #4, which was recently expanded to include the new business park and is where the city’s two other business parks are located. Kennedy says the TIF district is currently performing very well and generates enough positive tax increment from two current business parks to cover the costs.<br /><br />Washington County Fatality Identified<br /><br />12/19/11 - A Cudahy man killed early Saturday morning in Washington County car accident has been identified. Authorities say 78-year-old Henry Burazin was heading north on Highway 41 in the Town of Wayne when the car slipped and crossed into the southbound lanes and crashed into the semitrailer. Brradin’s 75-year-old wife was also injured. The truck driver is from Illinois and was not hurt. While sheriff's deputies were on scene investigating the fatal crash, 60-year-old West Bend man was injured in a nearby rollover.<br /><br />Beaver Dam Man Killed In Friday Rollover IDed<br /><br />12/19/11 - A Beaver Dam man killed early Friday morning in a one vehicle accident was identified over the weekend as Donald L. Schmucki. The 49-year-old rolled his vehicle near the Beaver Dam Conservation Club just before 3:45am. Authorities say Schmucki drifted off the road and over-corrected before entering the ditch, overturning and becoming pinned underneath his vehicle.<br /><br />Prelim Set For BD Man Accused of OWI Fatality<br /><br />12/19/11 - A Beaver Dam man accused of killing his girlfriend in a drunken driving rollover accident had a March eighth Preliminary Hearing during a telephone scheduling conference on Friday. Witnesses say Guadalupe Rodriguez Jr. was driving 90 miles-per-hour down North Spring Street when he lost control of his vehicle, struck a curb and rolled the car onto its roof. His passenger, 22-year-old Diamond M. Avalos of Beaver Dam, was killed in the November 2010 accident. Rodriguez was ejected and is now a quadriplegic. Authorities say he had drugs and alcohol in his system. The 20-year-old faces up to 50 years in prison if he is convicted.<br /><br />Waupun Home Damaged By Fire<br /><br />12/19/11 - A Waupun residence was damaged in a fire early Sunday morning. Firefighters were called to the 1000 block of Rock Avenue just after 3am. Officials say it started as a chimney fire and quickly spread to the roof. Firefighters were able to quickly bring the fire under control. There were no injuries. <br /><br />Badger Honor Flight Dates Announced<br /><br />12/19/11 - Organizers with the local chapter of the Honor Flight program have a announced the dates for their Spring 2012 flights. Honor Flight is a nationwide program that flies World War II veterans to their memorial in Washington DC at no cost to them. The Madison-based chapter of Badger Honor Flight – which served the western half of Dodge County, has signed contracts for flights on April 21 and May 19. According to the year-end report, a total of 18,055 veterans from throughout the country were flown to the memorial this year, and 81,348 veterans have been flown since May 2005.<br /><br />Donations can be made to PO Box 258066 Madison, WI 53725.<br />http://www.badgerhonorflight.org/<br /><br />Oshkosh Library Officials Surprised By Donation<br /><br />12/19/11 - Oshkosh Public Library Director Jeff Gilderson-Duwe says the staff knew Majorie Dexter loved reading and movies, but they didn’t know her well. They know her know. Drexler died in August of last year, leaving the library 1-point-1 million dollars. That’s one of the largest contributions of money ever given the library. Gilderson-Duwe and other library officials learned of the gift from her estate last spring, but the dollar amount was only disclosed recently. So far, the library has no specific plans on what to do with the money.<br /><br />Couple Donates State’s Largest Conservation Easement<br /><br />12/19/11 - An Illinois couple has made the largest conservation easement ever donated to a Wisconsin land trust. Ken and Carolyn Aldridge of Libertyville bought a 31-hundred-95 acre property for four and a half million dollars. The property will be dedicated December 29th at the Minocqua Winter Park. The easement has been donated to the Northwoods Land Trust. The land is adjacent to the Squirrel River Pines State Natural Area. The purchase and subsequent donation means skiers and snowshoeing enthusiasts will retain perpetual access to more than 25 miles of trails. The Aldridges say they decided to buy the land when spotted machinery clear-cutting it two years ago.<br /><br />Not All Protest Doc’s Have Been Disciplined<br /><br />12/19/11 - Last February more than 300 Madison School District employees submitted sick notes from doctors. They asked for excused absences for everything from a sick child to laryngitis and stress. The notes were written in the middle of protests at the Capitol earlier this year. At least 10 of those doctors have not been disciplined for writing notes the school district considers to be fraudulent. Previously, seven doctors were reprimanded, for using form letters for sick notes. Each listed badgerdoctors at g-mail-dot-com for their contact information. The state has not explained why the 10 doctors weren’t investigated, since those seven others were checked out.<br /><br />Ryan Says Risks Part of Job<br /><br />12/19/11 - Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan says if you want to be good at the job he has, you have to be willing to lose it. If you just worry about reelection, you’re not going to be effective. Time Magazine has called the Janesville Republican the most influential American politician. He wasn’t named Person of the Year, losing out to a composite person the magazine calls “the protester.” Ryan was election to the First Congressional District 13 years ago. The magazine gives him credit for, quoting here, “hard work, good timing,” and what it calls possibly suicidal guts. His tribute was based on his work on a dramatic budget plan the magazine says it necessary to, quoting again, “defuse the American debt time bomb.”<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-4685003916850294112?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-31081794406194600892011-12-17T21:50:00.001-06:002011-12-17T21:50:25.896-06:00<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Cudahy Man Killed In Washington County Wreck</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/18/11 - A Cudahy man was killed early Saturday morning after his vehicle collided with a semitrailer truck in Washington County. The crash happened just after 8am in the southbound lanes of Highway 41 in the Town of Wayne. According to the Washington County Sheriff's Department, the 78-year-old driver and three passengers were northbound when the car slipped and crossed into the southbound lanes near County Highway D and crashed into the semitrailer. The driver was flown to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. His 75-year-old wife and two other passengers were hospitalized. The truck driver is from Illinois and was not hurt. While sheriff's deputies were on scene investigating the fatal crash, a truck was involved in a rollover wreck nearby. The occupants of that truck were treated for non-life threatening injuries.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Local Power Customers Spared Air Quality Costs </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/18/11 - Electric customers in the region will not pay their utility’s costs in complying with an air quality rule that’s being challenged in court. The State Public Service Commission told Wisconsin Power-and-Light, and its parent company Alliant Energy, that it cannot get 25-million dollars from customers, to comply with the Cross State Air Pollution Rule. Alliant Energy provides power to northwestern Dodge County. The rule seeks to reduce the flow of air pollution from Midwest utility smokestacks to eastern states that don’t use as much coal-generated power. The rule is supposed to take effect next month, but utilities have asked a federal court to strike it down. As a result, Wisconsin Power-and-Light was given permission to raise its revenues by only five-million dollars – or one-sixth of what it was seeking. The average residential customer will pay about 30-cents more each month.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Culvers Participating in BDHS Fundraiser</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/18/11 - The local Culver’s store is participating in a fundraiser to raise money for Generating a Green Future, a building project at the Beaver Dam High School. Organizer Mary Vogl-Rauscher is an advisor for the parent-and-student led fundraising group seeking to raise $75,000 for an Environmental Sciences Classroom which she says will provide hands-on experience for Beaver Dam students. Senior Stacy Rauscher says the agri-science classroom would replace an aging greenhouse but also provide lab space that 100% of students will be able to utilize. She says the building would allow for an emphasis on having a greener environment tomorrow but also allow students to focus on important skills that are needed to get a job today. Proceeds from the purchase of a certificate for a Culver’s Custard Cake will be directed to “Generating a Greener Future.” Beaver Dam FFA members will be selling a Culver’s Custard Cake certificates until tomorrow, December 19. For more information, contact Mary Vogl Rauscher, Generating a Greener Future Co-Advisor, at 887-7951 or email trauscher@charter.net to purchase a certificate. Pick up of the Culver’s Custard Cakes will be at Culver’s in Beaver Dam between December 20 and 24.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">BDAAA Hosts Dad’s &amp; Kids Shopping Day Today</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/18/11 - The Beaver Dam Area Arts Association has a special shopping day planned Sunday afternoon for dads who want to take their kids shopping. Executive Director Karla Jensen says today from 1pm to 4pm is Dad &amp; Kids Day with special discounts, prize drawings and more. Jensen says the Holiday Gift Gallery is as much of an art show as it is a unique shopping experience. Jensen says organizers spent the summer scouting artwork across the state and this year’s holiday exhibit features dozens of Wisconsin artists in a variety of mediums. The Holiday Gift Gallery has extended hours through Christmas Eve with the Seippel Center open seven days a week. The Beaver Dam Area Arts Association is located inside the Seippel Homestead and Center for the Arts at 1605 North Spring Street, which is right next door to Culvers Restaurant, and is open through Christmas Eve.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">FFRF Offers Its Own Nativity Scene</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/18/11 - The Madison-based Freedom from Religion Foundation says its display in the Wisconsin Capitol Rotunda is not meant to be offense. The anti-religious group says it thinks all religious displays should be removed from the Capitol. The alternative nativity scene is has erected includes a female “Baby Jesus,” and the Virgin Mary replaced by Venus. The display is the foundation’s way of responding to a nativity scene set up by the group Wisconsin Family Action. Its Three Wise Men are portrayed as Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein and Mark Twain.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Dahmer Whistleblower To Plead In Drowning Death</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/18/11 - Tracy Edwards – the man who led Milwaukee Police to Jeffrey Dahmer – is expected to plead guilty next month to causing a drowning death this summer. The 52-year-old Edwards had pleaded innocent to throwing Johnny Jordan off a downtown Milwaukee bridge in July. But on-line court records show that Edwards has a “projected guilty plea” scheduled at a hearing on January 17th. His attorney would not say anything about a possible plea deal. Edwards is currently charged with first-degree reckless endangerment. Prosecutors said Edwards and Timothy Carr threw Jordan into the Milwaukee River during an argument. Carr jumped into the river to try and save Jordan – but Jordan drowned, and Carr was rescued. He’s scheduled to be sentenced January 20th after he pleaded guilty. Edwards was 32 when he escaped Jeffrey Dahmer’s Milwaukee apartment in 1991 and went to police. Edwards later testified against Dahmer, who admitted killing 17 young men and boys. Dahmer was murdered in prison. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Super Bowl Planners May Want To Double Check Reservation</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/18/11 - If you made a hotel reservation for the Super Bowl in Indianapolis, you might want to see if it’s still good. A Green Bay area man said he was just told that his reservation was canceled – even though he made it back in February. Matt McGovern tells W-L-U-K T-V in Green Bay he was shocked to see that the Indianapolis Ramada was charging just 79-dollars a night for Super Bowl weekend. So he grabbed it. And 10 months later, the hotel told him it was canceled. As it turned out, a computer glitch allowed McGovern to book one of 18-thousand rooms the N-F-L reserved in 2008. He has game tickets, so that’s not a problem. But he doesn’t know why it took the hotel so long to let him know his room was canceled. The general manager at the site, Syed Gardezi, said he couldn’t explain it either. But to make things right, his hotel is honoring the room and the 79-dollar rate for McGovern and others who got stuck in the computer glitch. Gardezi says it’ll cost his hotel thousands to cover what the national chain wants him to charge. He says they’re looking for another solution. McGovern says other fans should check their hotels, so what happened to him doesn’t happen to them.</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">Beaver Dam Mayor Holds Listening Session on Tuesday</span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;">12/18/11 - Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy has listening sessions scheduled on 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 sessions 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. </span></div><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, &quot;Times New Roman&quot;, serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-3108179440619460089?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-23456179481731486712011-12-17T07:03:00.002-06:002011-12-17T07:33:04.670-06:00Name of Victim Released <br /><br />12/17/11 - Dodge County authorities have released the name of the Beaver Dam man killed early yesterday (Fr) morning in a one vehicle accident. 49-year-old Donald L. Schmucki rolled his vehicle on Highway G near the Beaver Dam Conservation Club just before 3:45 a-m. Authorities say his vehicle drifted off the road and he over-corrected, entered the ditch sideways and overturned. Schmucki was thrown from the car and became pinned underneath. He was pronounced dead at the scene. <br /><br />Traffic Fatalities Down in 2011<br /><br />12/17/11 - Overall traffic fatalities in Wisconsin are down this year compared to 2010 and one of the reasons is a drop in the number of motorcycle fatalities. Officials say there have been 85 so far this year compared to 104 at this point last year. Greg Patzer with the Wisconsin DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Safety believes public education and driver awareness are playing an important role in the decline. He says the DOT’s transportable high-end Rider Education Facility has appeared at about 40 public events across the state this year, helping riders and non-riders learn more about highway safety and sharing the road. This was the first full year of operation for THE REF — a 40-foot mobile training facility that provides motorcycle riders and non-riders an inter-active environment to help motorists better understand some of the unique challenges of motorcycling. <br /><br />Out of State Money Playing Big Role in Recall<br /><br />12/17/11 - The Executive Director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign says at one time getting 10 percent of campaign funding from out of state would have brought on comments. Now, out-of-state money is making up almost half of the funding for and against the current recall effort targeting the governor. Documents released by the state of Wisconsin yesterday showed nearly 60 percent of the donations and almost 30 percent of the 1-point-2 million dollars raised by Democrats came from outside Wisconsin. <br /><br />Windels Enters Guilty Plea<br /><br />12/17/11 - A Dane County woman who admitted making death threats to 15 Wisconsin state senators has a chance to be cleared of any conviction. 27-year-old Katherine Windels has entered a guilty plea to making a bomb threat. But Circuit Judge Julie Genovese placed Windels in a program for first offenders – and if she stays clean and follows the terms, her charge will be dropped. The judge said Windels does not have a prior criminal record, and she suffers from anxiety and depression as noted by mental health professionals. One of those experts, Jennifer Branks, wrote that she’s convinced Windels never intended to truly threaten or disturb anyone. Windels admitted e-mailing Republican senators on March ninth, the night they approved the bill that virtually eliminates collective bargaining by most public employee unions. Among the legislators: State Senator Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau. Windels told lawmakers they’d be shot-in-the-head, and bombs had been planted around their homes and vehicles. <br /><br />Tyson Meats Being Recalled<br /><br />12/17/11 - Wisconsin is one of 16 states where Tyson Fresh Meats, Incorporated, is recalling ground beef products. More than 40 thousand pounds of meat are included in the recall. A routine test by the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service discovered the presence of E. coli. The recall involves 10-pound chubs of chuck fine ground beef 80/20, packed in cases of eight chubs. No reports of illness connected to the product have been received to this point. <br />(NOTE: Consumer questions are being referred to the company at 866-328-3156.)<br /><br />Petri to Hold Town Hall Meetings <br /><br />12/17/11 - Congressman Tom Petri has scheduled a series of Town Meetings in our area next month. The Republican from Fond du Lac says the meetings are way for him to connect with his constituents. Petri, who represents the Sixth Congressional District, will be at the Watertown Senior and Community Center in the early afternoon of January 5th. Then, on January 7th, he’ll travel to the Waupun Public Library in the late morning hours. Petri is scheduled to make ten other stops in his district.<br /><br />Paper Company Selling 80,000 Acres of Land <br /><br />12/17/11 - Wausau Paper expects to finalize a deal to sell more than 80 thousand acres of timberland in northern Wisconsin for nearly 43 million dollars. The company says it is selling to two companies. The Lyme Timber Company and the Forestland Group manage timberland across the country. Wausau had announced plans to sell the rest of its timberlands last fall. Wausau says it will use the proceeds to finance expansion of its profitable tissue division in Kentucky.<br /><br />Associated to Close 21 Branches, None Locally <br /><br />12/17/11 - Green Bay-based Associated Bank reports it plans to close 21 of its branches in Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota. The bank has declined to identify the locations to be shut down but calls placed to local branches indicated that none of the closures would affect the Dodge County area. The bank says most of the branches to be closed are within two miles of another branch, calling the move a question of efficiency. Associated reports it has seen its over-the-year revenue slip a little bit, but it still has assets of 22 billion dollars and a total of 270 branches.<br /><br />New Lawsuit Filed Against Voter ID Law <br /><br />12/17/11 - A third lawsuit challenging the state’s new voter photo ID law has been filed in Dane County on constitutional grounds. The Milwaukee chapter of the NAACP and the Hispanic rights group Voces de la Frontera are the plaintiffs. Their argument is that the law violates the right to vote under the Wisconsin constitution. Backers of the law which passed the Legislature this year have said it will survive court challenges. The requirement for voters to show photo identification at the polls takes effect with the February election.<br /><br />Edwards Pleads Guilty <br /><br />12/17/11 - Tracy Edwards is expected to plead guilty to first-degree recklessly endangering safety when he makes a court appearance next month. Edwards is the man who led police to serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer in 1991. He later testified against Dahmer, who admitted killing 17 young men and boys. Edwards was accused last summer of throwing Johnny Jordan into a river from a downtown bridge last summer. A co-defendant, Timothy Carr, jumping into the river after Jordan and was rescued by police. Jordan drowned. Carr is to be sentenced January 20th, three days after the hearing for Edwards.<br /><br />DNR Working to Allow Hunters to Keep Deer Stands Up Overnight <br /><br />12/17/11 - The Natural Resources Board has told DNR staff to start working on rules to allow hunters to leave their tree stands on state-managed land overnight. The stands are allowed now, but the hunters have to remove them at the end of each day. The DNR had said in the past that allowing the stands to stay overnight would be more convenient for hunters, but could leave others with the thought that the hunters could stake-out areas – and that could start conflicts. To this point there is no timeline to have the scope statement completed.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/2161843959584529428-2345617948173148671?l=wxroradio.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>WBEV Radio.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09546434956296099016noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2161843959584529428.post-88481656216547790942011-12-16T07:24:00.000-06:002011-12-16T07:24:41.976-06:00Beaver Dam Man Killed in Accident<br /><br />12/16/11 - A 49-year-old Beaver Dam man was killed early this morning after rolling his vehicle. It happened on Highway G near the Beaver Dam Conservation Club just before 3:45 a-m. According to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department, the man was driving east when his vehicle drifted off the road and onto the shoulder. He over-corrected trying to get back onto the road, and the vehicle began to spin. The car eventually entered the ditch sideways causing it to overturn and roll. The man was thrown from the car and became pinned under it. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Speed does not appear to be a factor, but it’s unknown right now whether alcohol had an impact. The name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of family. The death is Dodge County’s 9th traffic fatality in 2011. <br /><br />FDL Teen Gets Jail Time <br /><br />12/16/11 - A Fond du Lac teen will spend six months in jail for burglarizing two homes in Mayville. 19-year-old Devin Dutzle stole cash, credit cards, knives and electronics in the two break-ins in May of 2010. His 20-year-old brother Andrew Dutzle previously received the same sentence for his role in the break-ins. Devin Dutzle pleaded “no contest” to three felony counts and entered into a deferred prosecution agreement on a fourth; a misdemeanor was dismissed but read into the record. A neighbor witnessed a suspicious vehicle in the area of the break-ins and jotted down the license plate. Authorities connected that to a juvenile accomplice who used a stolen credit card online. Dutzle was also placed on probation for four years. <br /><br />Madison Man Sentenced for 6th OWI<br /><br />12/16/11 - A 48-year-old Madison man was sentenced yesterday in Dodge County court (Th) to 22-months in prison for his sixth Operating While Intoxicated offense. Roy Hence had previously pleaded “guilty” to one felony OWI charge and had a second count dismissed. According to the criminal complaint, a motorist called authorities in March reporting that a car driven by Hence was swerving on Highway 151 near Columbus. Hence was also sentenced to three years of extended supervision.<br /><br />Hopper Trial Date Set<br /><br />12/16/11 - A trial date has been set for former state Senator Randy Hopper on his OWI charge. Hopper was arrested October 16 on his way back from a Packer game on Highway 151 and this week a Fond du Lac County judge set a March 22 jury trial date. A witness told authorities that the 45-year-old Hopper was driving “all over the road”. Officers said Hopper refused to take a preliminary breath test after he was stopped – and he failed a series of field sobriety tests. After a few hours in jail Hopper agreed to the breath test and authorities said his blood alcohol level was still above the minimum of point-zero-eight. It’s the first O-W-I arrest for Hopper, who was recalled from his Senate post in August due to his support for the law which limits public union bargaining.<br /><br />DC FSA Announces Election Result