Top Stories February 6th

Speed Likely Factor In Triple Fatal

2/6/12 - The investigating continues into the weekend wreck that killed three teens in Fond du Lac County. The accident happened just west of Campbellsport early Saturday morning. 16-year-old Katie Berg died Sunday at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee after being flown from the crash site Saturday with critical injuries. Berg was one of nine girls from the Campbellsport School District inside the Chevy Tahoe. 15-year-old Sabrina Stahl and 17-year-old Caitlin Scannell were also killed. Three 16-year-old’s and a 17-year-old were taken to Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee with serious injuries. The driver, Carly Ottery and another 18-year-old were last listed in satisfactory condition at St. Agnes Hospital. The accident happened just after 3:30am Saturday on Beechnut Drive in the Town of Ashford. Ottery was reportedly traveling at a high rate of speed when lost control of the SUV and it entered a field, rolling several times. Some of the girls were not wearing seatbelts.

Lomira Woman Killed In Fond du Lac County Wreck

2/6/12 - A Lomira woman killed in a one-vehicle rollover crash in Fond du Lac County has been identified as Jennifer Lynn Borges. The 43-year-old was driving south on Highway H in the Town of Ashford shortly before 10pm Saturday when her car left the roadway, entered the ditch and rolled over. Borges was the only occupant, was not wearing a seat belt and became pinned underneath. Alcohol is believed to be a factor. The accident remains under investigation.

A Community Bids Farewell To A Hero

2/6/12 - A tearful farewell to a Mayville soldier who was remembered in his hometown this weekend. First Lt. David Johnson was killed in Afghanistan on January 25th. The last three days saw a number of opportunities for the public to pay their respects to the 24-year-old. Visitations were held at the high school where Johnson graduated on Saturday and Sunday. Military rights and a flag folding presentation took place yesterday afternoon at the Veterans Memorial in the City Park. And well over a thousand people lined the streets of Horicon and Mayville on Friday to hold flags while a motorcade carrying Johnson’s body brought him back home. John Oathout made the trip from Beaver Dam to pay his respects and says he came out to support the family and let them know we appreciate the sacrifices they’ve made. Johnson’s father Andrew is the publisher of the Dodge County Pioneer and in their Thursday edition, a statement from the family read (quote): “We want people to know we feel so privileged to have been David’s parents and siblings and that David was able to grow up in such a fine community…We are so very proud of our son…in all that he accomplished in his short life.” The headline on the story read: “All Gave Some, David Gave All.”

Click below to view video of the February 3rd motorcade procession in Horicon and Mayville:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQ4-4gA403c

Click below to see video of the January 27th Wreath Ceremony:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPJe2eyvF8o

BDPD: ‘BDUSD Handled Assault Allegations Perfectly’

2/6/12 - Authorities say the Beaver Dam School District appropriately handled accusations of sexual assault by a school custodian. Joseph A. Posthuma is free after posting a $5000 cash bond in connection with an alleged 18-month long relationship with a student at the high school he once cleaned. The 27-year-old Beaver Dam man was reportedly transferred to Trenton Elementary a year ago. Detective Ryan Klavekoske told us on WBEV’s Community Comment on Friday that parents are understandably concerned but he says they can be assured that the school district immediately notified authorities after getting word of the allegations. He also commended the school district for phoning parents with a pre-recorded message detailing the situation just hours after the arrest. The teen victim reportedly met Posthuma at the high school in July of 2010 and a physical relationship began that November. Posthuma allegedly admitted the contact to investigators and both parties said the approximately 10 to 15 encounters were consensual. The victim told police that Posthuma tried to break-off the relationship several times but she persisted. A judge will decide next week if there is enough evidence to order a trial.

Carols Tours Office Manager Sentenced

2/6/12 - The office manager of the shuttered Beaver Dam travel agency Carol’s Tours was sentenced Friday to 18 months in prison and three years extended supervision for embezzling nearly $100,000 from the company. Lisa Hopper used the money to pay her mortgage and credit card bills but also told investigators she was paying for customers vacations when the business fell short on cash. Because of that, the former owner of Carol’s Tours is facing charges of her own. Deb Paul will be in court next Monday when a judge will decide if there’s enough evidence to order a trial. Around 200 people paid over $300,000 for vacations that fell through when the company closed its doors in 2008. Paul is accused of paying her own personal bills with company cash and (quote) “robbing Peter to pay Paul” when it came to paying for customer vacations. Hopper, meanwhile, was also ordered on Friday to pay full restitution.

DC Fair Rock Act Uncertain

2/6/12 - There may not be a rock-and-roll act at this year’s Dodge County Fair. On Saturday, the Fair Association has announced the country acts for this year’s five-day event. Thursday night will feature the Eli Young Band while Friday night is Jake Owen and Saturday night’s grandstand act is Jerrod Niemann. The Association’s Sharon Kiel says Jake Owens cancelled last year and they had an opportunity to get him back at the same price but his schedule was only open that Friday, which has traditionally been Rock Night. Keil says the fair Wednesday activities are open to pretty much anything at this point.

It will cost more for some people to get into the fair this year. Daily admission will go up one dollar to $7 before 2pm but will stay the same as last year after 2pm at $10. The season ticket is going up two dollars to $27 if purchased prior to the fair’s opening day. After the fair starts season tickets will increase by $5 to $35. With this year being the 125th Anniversary of the fair, organizers are planning some special celebrations. The theme will be “remember the past, enjoy the present and look to the future.” The Association is asking the public for any ideas in helping observe the milestone. The Dodge County Fair will run August 15 through August 19 at the fairgrounds just outside Beaver Dam.

http://eliyoungband.com/
http://www.jakeowen.net/
http://www.jerrodniemannofficial.com/
http://www.dodgecountyfairgrounds.com/

Top Stories, February 5th

Third Campbellsport Crash Victim Dies

2/5/12 - Three teens have now died from injuries sustained in a Fond du Lac County SUV accident. It happened just west of Campbellsport early Saturday morning. 16-year-old Katie Berg died Sunday at Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee after being flown from the crash site Saturday with critical injuries. Berg was one of nine girls from the Campbellsport School District inside the Chevy Tahoe. 15-year-old Sabrina Stahl and 17-year-old Caitlin Scannell were also killed. Three 16-year-old’s and a 17-year-old were taken to Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee with serious injuries. The driver, Carly Ottery and another 18-year-old were last listed in satisfactory condition at St. Agnes Hospital. The accident happened just after 3:30am Saturday on Beechnut Drive in the Town of Ashford. Ottery was reportedly traveling at a high rate of speed when lost control of the SUV and it entered a field, rolling several times. Some of the girls were not wearing seatbelts.

Lomira Woman Killed In Fond du Lac County Wreck

2/5/12 - A Lomira woman killed in a one-vehicle rollover crash in Fond du Lac County has been identified as Jennifer Lynn Borges. The 43-year-old was driving south on Highway H in the Town of Ashford shortly before 10pm Saturday when her car left the roadway, entered the ditch and rolled over. Borges was the only occupant, was not wearing a seat belt and became pinned underneath. Alcohol is believed to be a factor. The accident remains under investigation.

Visitation, Memorial, Military Honors Today for Johnson

2/5/12 - First Lt. David Johnson will be remembered today in his hometown of Mayville. The 24-year-old was killed in Afghanistan by an Improvised Explosive Device on January 25th while defending his country. There will be a visitation Sunday at Mayville High School beginning at noon until a memorial service starts at 2pm. At 4pm, Johnson will be taken to the Veterans Memorial of Mayville in the City Park, where military rights and the flag folding presentation will take place. The public is invited to attend.

Click below to see video of the January 27 Wreath Ceremony:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPJe2eyvF8o

Honor Flight: Pearl Harbor Deadline Monday

2/5/12 - Pearl Harbor survivors have until Monday to sign-up 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 tomorrow’s application deadline. They are also actively seeking donations to finance the trip for survivors, their caregivers and support staff. More information is available at www.oldgloryhonorflight.org.

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

Still Time To View Pearl Harbor Exhibit at DCHS

2/5/12 - The Dodge County Historical Society is hosting a traveling exhibit on Pearl Harbor until the end of the month. Historical Society President Glen Link says the National World War II Museum exhibit is entitled “Infamy.” It includes photographs and stories detailing that fateful day when the Japanese attacked the US naval base in Hawaii resulting in more than twenty-four-hundred (2400) Americans being killed and over eleven-hundred (1100) being wounded. 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.

Dodge County Fair Announces Country Acts

2/5/12 - The Dodge County Fair Association has announced the country acts for this year’s five-day event. Thursday night will feature the Eli Young Band while Friday night is Jake Owen and Saturday night’s grandstand act is Jerrod Niemann. The fair will be held August 15 through August 19.

http://eliyoungband.com/

http://www.jakeowen.net/

http://www.jerrodniemannofficial.com/

http://www.dodgecountyfairgrounds.com/

Kennedy Has Listening Session On Tuesday

2/5/12 - 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 meeting hours do not fit into your schedule, residents are encouraged to schedule a private meeting through the mayor’s office.

Dodge County Tree Sales Deadline Extended

2/5/12 - The deadline to order from the Small Packet Tree sales program in Dodge County has been extended. The Land Conservation Department still has several tree and shrub species for sale, and most are still available, except for Sugar Maple and Hazelnut which have sold out. Other tree species close to being sold out include Red Oak, Swamp White Oak, and Tamarack. Species still available in good numbers include White Oak, White Cedar, White Pine, Colorado Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, White Spruce, Red Dogwood, American Cranberry Bush, Frasier Fir, and Bur Oak. The trees are sold in bundles of 25 for $24 per bundle. The deadline to place orders has been moved to February 24. For more information or to get an order form, contact the Dodge County Land Conservation Department at 386-3660.

Milwaukee Student To Perform At Grammy’s

2/5/12 - Milwaukee high school student Felix Ramsey will perform as part of the production of the 2012 Grammy Awards show a week from today (Sunday). Ramsey is a junior at Milwaukee High School of Arts and he is one of the eight students taking part in the show, out of 500 who qualified. Ramsey has been center stage in the bright lights before. He made it all the way to Hollywood on last season’s American Idol competition.

Food Stamp Audit Uncovers Suspicious Purchases

2/5/12 - Wisconsinites who get food stamps for the poor spent 33-million dollars of those benefits in other states last year. And state auditors said they found about 324-thousand dollars in spending that was suspicious. Wisconsin Food-Share recipients are allowed to use their benefits to buy food in other states. And the Legislative Audit Bureau said most cases involve people who live near the state's borders or those who take trips. But the audit showed that some Food-Share cards were used in Wisconsin on the same day that the cards' account numbers were used in other states. And 151-thousand-dollars in benefits were spent entirely in states that are not Wisconsin's neighbors. The audit said the suspicious out-of-state spending was done by just four-hundredths of one-percent of the 382-thousand Wisconsin families and individuals getting Food-Share benefits. Assembly Republican Samantha Kerkman, who co-chairs the Legislature's Joint Audit Committee, said she was not surprised by the report. She says more background checks are needed for recipients.

Professor Says Job Figures Show Confidence

2/5/12 - U-S employers added 257-thousand private sector jobs in January, and Marquette professor Abdur Chowdhury says it reflects rising confidence among private companies. The national jobless rate went down for the fifth straight month, and it's now at eight-point-three percent -- its lowest since February of 2009. We won't know until later this month if Wisconsin can finally share in the national good news. The Badger State is the only one to lose private sector jobs in each of the last six months, even though the state's jobless rate went down slightly for all of last year.

Green Bay Seeks To Stop Voucher Expansion

2/5/12 - The Green Bay School Board is trying to stop the state's private school voucher program from taking effect in that district. The Board unanimously voted to ask Governor Scott Walker and area legislators to pass a bill that keeps the voucher program from expanding beyond Milwaukee County and Racine. The Senate has passed the bill, but the Assembly has not -- and Green Bay school officials want it to pass before the legislative session ends in March. The voucher program gives tax-funded aid to low-income kids to attend private schools, with the goal of getting a better education and escaping poverty. But public schools object in part because they lose state aid in the process. Senate G-O-P President Mike Ellis stirred the issue last week when he was secretly recorded in a Madison restaurant saying he'd like to see parts of school districts be covered. To make his point, he called Green Bay Preble High School a "sewer" -- something he later apologized for.

MSOE Offering BOGO

2/5/12 - In the shoe store they call it “BOGO” – buy one, get one free. That’s basically what Milwaukee School of Engineering is offering its students. Starting next fall, students who graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree can earn a tuition-free Master’s Degree. All they have to do is continue full-time and earn good grades. A private engineering firm in downtown Milwaukee has about 25 hundred students. The program could save those students about 32 thousand dollars in tuition if they complete it.

Speaker Pro Tem Packing Heat On Assembly Floor

2/5/12 - The man who presides over the Wisconsin Assembly floor sessions now carries a hidden gun to the podium on occasion. Republican Speaker Pro Tem Bill Kramer of Waukesha says he hopes he never has to use the Glock-26 semi-automatic sub-compact weapon he carries. But Kramer told the Associated Press he needs the gun, considering the intense atmosphere in State Capitol. Like thousands of other Wisconsinites, Kramer obtained a state concealed carry permit just a couple weeks after the hidden weapons' law was adopted last November first. Republican leaders decided to allow concealed weapons in the Assembly galleries -- but they're banned in the Senate's galleries.

Three Accused of Stealing $12K In Perfume

2/5/12 - Madison police charge three women with shoplifting more than 12 thousand dollars worth of perfume over a two-day period last November. Investigators say the three intended to sell the perfume they took from Sephora at the West Towne Mall. Jasmine Usher, Letisha Larry and Miranda Watkins face felony charges. Usher reportedly called a Madison police detective three days after the second shoplifting incident to admit she was involved. She said she was selling the perfume to support herself and her children. Larry called Detective Darrel Monroe the same day. A month later Usher was arrested again and charged with retail theft.

Facebook, Twitter More Addictive Than Cigarettes

2/5/12 - Are you fanatic about Facebook or hooked on Twitter? A new Midwest study says social media can be more addictive than even cigarettes. The University of Chicago tested 250 people, and found that their fix for alcohol or nicotine is less than their need to check their friends or status on-line. The survey indicated that sex and sleep are the two most longed-for events of the day -- but in the end, social media is the hardest thing to resist. Meanwhile, teens who used to avoid Twitter are going back to tweeting, now that more of their parents and grandparents are making friends on Facebook. The Pew Internet-and-American Life Project recently found that 16-percent of young people age 12-to-17 use Twitter -- double the percentage from just two years ago.

Top Stories, February 4th

Hopper Sentenced For Carol’s Tours Embezzlement

2/4/12 - An employee with the shuttered Beaver Dam business Carol’s Tours will be spending some time in prison for her role in the closure of the travel agency. 46-year-old Lisa Hopper entered a “no contest” plea Friday to felony charges of Theft in a Business Setting and Fraudulent Writings. Carol’s Tours shut down in January of 2008 leaving several paid customers without vacations. The owner of the company is also facing charges in connection with the closure. 56-year-old Deborah Paul is charged with two counts of Theft in a Business Setting; her complaint lists 194 people who paid a total of nearly $315,000 for vacations that were never arranged between May of 2007 and February of 2008. She reportedly told investigators that in the years before the agency closed, all of her personal bills were paid by Carol’s Tours, Inc. According to the criminal complaint, Paul described her business practice as (quote) “robbing Peter to pay Paul” using money for future trips to pay for current trips. Lisa Hopper was Paul’s office manager. According to Hopper’s criminal complaint, Paul contacted Beaver Dam police shortly after the business closed to allege that Hopper had been embezzling money, which forced Paul to close the business. Hopper told police that when the business was in danger of having trip tickets cancelled for lack of payment, Paul would reportedly ask her office manager to pay it on her personal credit card and Hopper would be reimbursed the next month. Further investigation revealed that checks from the business were used to pay Hopper’s personal bills. Hopper is believed to have received as much as $90,000 to pay her mortgage, credit cards and even plastic surgery. She still has $72,000 in restitution to pay off. Hopper will have to spend 18 months in prison, three years on extended supervision and seven years on probation. Paul, meanwhile, will be in court for a preliminary hearing on February 13 and faces a total of 20 years in prison, if she is convicted.

BDUSD Custodian Charged In Teen Assault

2/4/12 - The former Beaver Dam School District custodian charged with having a sexual relationship with a high school student had a cash bond set at $5000 during an Initial Appearance Friday. 27-year-old Joseph A. Posthuma has been formally charged with one felony count of Repeated Sexual Assault of the Same Child. According to the criminal complaint, High School Principal Mark DiStefano alerted police Thursday morning about the incident after learning about the encounters from the teen victim. She reportedly met Posthuma at the high school in July of 2010 and the relationship became physical in November of that year with the two having contact between 10 and 15 times over the course of 18 months. Postuma was working at Trenton Elementary at the time of his arrest. During an interview with investigators, Postuma reportedly admitted to the contact and both parties said the encounters were consensual. The victim told investigators that Posthuma tried to break-off the relationship several times but she persisted. Authorities do not believe there are any other victims but they are still investigating. Posthuma has a preliminary hearing on the calendar February 16.

No Injuries In Whitewater Coop Gas Explosion

2/4/12 - A tanker truck and a building were damaged in a propane gas explosion Friday afternoon, but no injuries were reported. A hose being used to transfer propane from a holding tank inside the building to the truck became disconnected, causing the blast at Landmark Services Cooperative on Highway 59 southwest of Whitewater. The worker realized the hose was free and he ran from the building before the explosion. Nobody else was inside at the time. Highway 59 was closed for about two and a half hours during the incident. Big holes were torn in the walls of the building where the explosion happened at about 3 p.m.

Johnson Returns Home

2/4/12 - Hundreds upon hundreds lined the streets of Horicon and Mayville Friday to honor their hometown hero, First Lt. David Johnson, who was killed last week while defending his country in Afghanistan. In Horicon, the downtown was awash in red, white and blue as droves of employees at John Deer joined local students, city workers and residents in lining the streets in a solemn and emotional show of patriotic support. When the motorcade arrived in Johnson’s hometown of Mayville, the procession paused for a moment in front of the American Legion Building for a 21-gund salute. There will be a visitation Saturday at Mayville High School from 1pm to 7pm and again Sunday beginning at noon until a memorial service begins at 2pm. At 4pm, Johnson will be taken to the Veterans Memorial of Mayville in the City Park, where military rights and the flag folding presentation will take place. The public is invited to attend.

Walker To Attend National Guard Sendoffs

2/4/12 - Governor Scott Walker will be in attendance at two sendoff ceremony’s Saturday for Wisconsin National Guard soldiers. The first ceremony is for 130 Army National Guard soldiers from the Oshkosh-based 1157th Transportation Company and will be held at 11am at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Eagle Hangar in Oshkosh. Prior to their deployment overseas, the soldiers will train for several weeks at Camp Shelby in Mississippi. The second one will be held this afternoon in Hartford for several local Wisconsin Army National Guardsmen. Approximately 60 members of the 82nd Agribusiness Development Team, are being deployed to Afghanistan. Their mission is to teach Afghan farmers how to effectively farm and herd to expand their agribusiness, create jobs and reduce poverty. Their sendoff will be held at 2:30pm Saturday at Hartford High School. Both ceremonies are open to the public.

Walker To “Voluntarily” Meet With Investigators

2/4/12 - Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker says he will meet with the district attorney heading the secret investigation leading to charged being filed against former associates. The case was opened 20 months ago and is being handled by Milwaukee County District Attorney John Chisholm. The five people charged so far worked for, or were associated with, Walker’s county executive office before he left it to run for governor. Walker says his meeting with Chisholm is voluntary, though when he commented Friday he didn’t say who request the sit-down. Walker’s former deputy chief of staff, Kelly Rindfleisch of Columbus, faces four felony charges. Darlene Wink, Walker’s former county constituent services coordinator, is charged with two misdemeanors of political solicitation by a public employee.

Judge Reverses Recall Signature Ruling

2/4/12 - A state appeals court threw out a judge's order Friday to make election officials remove false-and-duplicate signatures from recall petitions. Waukesha Judge Mac Davis agreed last month that Governor Scott Walker's campaign and the state G-O-P should not have to find improper signatures on their own, and then ask the Government Accountability Board to remove them. But the Fourth District Appellate Court in Madison said Davis should have allowed recall groups to intervene in the case. Davis said there wasn't time for that before the petitions had to be filed on January 17th -- and he said the Accountability Board would adequately argue the same points as the recall groups. Now, the case goes back to Davis, who will have to let the recall groups make their argument for the status quo. If they prevail, it means that Walker, the lieutenant governor, and four G-O-P senators including Senator Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau would have to dig up their own evidence of illegal signatures -- and then ask the state to rule them invalid. Republicans say they've found numerous examples of fraud while reviewing the Walker petitions. One signer from Milwaukee identified himself as the movie character "E-T." And one page of petitions had signers giving Saint Nazianz and South Milwaukee the same zip code -- even though they're dozens of miles apart.

Kleefisch Petitions Online

2/4/12 - Persons signing petitions for the recall of Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch can find their signatures online. The Government Accountability Board says while voting is private, signing a recall petition is public. GAB staff scanning more than 140 thousand pages of signatures supporting Kleefisch’s recall and posted them online yesterday. They were handed over to a representative of the lieutenant governor at the same time. The board says the signatures are being released under the Wisconsin open records law.

No Charges Against Shopper Who Stopped Robbery

2/4/12 - No charges will be filed against a Milwaukee grocery shopper who shot and wounded a man who was trying to rob the place. District Attorney John Chisholm said Friday that the law allows reasonable force in a threatening situation, whether-or-not the shooter has a concealed weapons permit. Chisholm said 35-year-old Nazir Al-Mujaahimid of Milwaukee disrupted an act that could have exposed himself and others to great harm -- and he acted reasonably and in a controlled manner. The incident occurred Monday night while Al-Mujaahimid and his wife were shopping at an Aldi's store on Milwaukee's northwest side. The man told reporters he was never in the store before -- and he said he was just doing what he had to do. The two alleged robbers left with nothing. Both are in custody but have not been charged yet. Al-Mujaahimid said he's a gun rights supporter with a concealed weapons' permit. And had he realized the store not allowed guns, he would have shopped somewhere else. He's an Internet marketer, and he started a Web site to share his experience and what people can learn from it. The address is ccwAdvocates-Dot-Com.

Top Stories February 3rd

Johnson’s Body Returning To Mayville

2/3/12 - The public is encouraged to line the streets of Dodge County this morning as a Mayville soldier killed last week in Afghanistan returns home to his final resting place. The body of 24-year-old First Lieutenant David Johnson will arrive at Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee around 9:27am tomorrow (Friday) morning. From there, the motorcade procession will travel down Highway 41. It’s expected to enter Horicon between 10am and 11am on Main Street Road, travel through downtown Horicon, head east on Highway 33 and Lake Street, before turning onto Highway 28 on its way to Mayville. Once in Mayville the motorcade will continue on Horicon Street and turn onto Main Street. The motorcade will stop for a few minutes in front American Legion Post 69, 134 S. Main St., where the firing squad will give Johnson military honors. The motorcade will then continue traveling down Main Street before going to Koepsell Funeral Home on Walnut Street. There will be a visitation on Saturday at Mayville High School, 500 N. Clark St., from 1 to 7pm. On Sunday, visitation will continue from noon to 2pm, when a memorial service will begin. At 4pm, Johnson will be taken to the Veterans Memorial of Mayville in City Park by the park pavilion, where military rights and honors and the flag folding presentation will take place. Stay tuned to WBEV-WXRO for updates on the motorcade.

BDUSD Employee Charged with Child Sexual Assault

2/3/12 - A now former Beaver Dam School District employee is facing several charges after he allegedly had a sexual relationship with a high school student. The 27-year-old man, who worked as a custodian in the district, was taken into custody Thursday morning and jailed on possible charges of Repeated 2nd Degree Sexual Assault of a Child and Sexual Assault by a Faculty member. Superintendent Steve Vessey says they were alerted to the possible relationship on Wednesday night and informed the school’s liaison officer yesterday morning of the allegations. They also terminated the employee for violation of school policies. Detective Ryan Klavekoske says their investigation shows the relationship started a year and half ago and involved numerous sexual encounters at the man’s home. Officials say they don’t believe there are any other victims but they are still investigating. District parents were informed of the situation by phone on Thursday night, and Vessey says anyone with concerns can contact him at his office.

Corrections Officer Waives Prelim

2/3/12 - A corrections officer at Waupun Correctional, accused of having a sexual relationship with an inmate, waived her right to a preliminary hearing yesterday. 33-year-old Jolene J. Mason of Beaver Dam is charged 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 they became physical 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.

Luck Arraigned In Teen Assault

2/3/12 - A Beaver Dam man, accused of carrying on a sexual relationship with a young teen girl, waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday. Nathaniel Luck then stood silent at arraignment and had a “not guilty” plea entered on his behalf. The 20-year-old is charged with Repeated Sexual Assault of the Same Child, a felony which if he’s convicted carries maximum sentence of life in prison and a minimum of 25 years. Luck was allegedly with the girl dozens of times between April and August and may have even violated a court injunction by seeing her last month. The family of the girl, who was 15-years-old when most of the assaults occurred, learned about the relationship from her postings on a social networking website. Luck had a signature bond set at $10,000 yesterday and a preliminary hearing on the calendar next month.

Jury Convicts Villwock After 16 Minute Deliberation

2/3/12 - A Dodge County jury has found a 62-year-old Beaver Dam man guilty of taking nearly $68,000 in gold coins from his brother last January. Authorities say they found a number of the coins at Robert Villwock’s home and that he’d sold about dozen more to a coin shop in Beaver Dam. The money was in a safe he took from his brother’s home. The safe was later found on Villwock’s property. After three days of testimony, it took the jury 16 minutes Wednesday night to find him guilty of three felony charges including Burglary, Theft and Receiving Stolen Property. A misdemeanor count of Criminal Damage to Property was dismissed. Villwock will be sentenced in March.

Traffic Crashes Up in January

2/3/12 - Forty-two people were killed in Wisconsin traffic crashes last month. That's three more than last January, and three more than the average for the past five years. The state D-O-T said 33 drivers were killed last month, along with seven passengers and two pedestrians. Wisconsin has just finished its safest four-year period for traffic deaths since the 1920's, and State Patrol Major Sandra Huxtable says officials are trying to get that to continue. Last year, Wisconsin had fewer than 600 traffic deaths for the fourth year in a row. The last time that happened was 1923-to-'27.

Hate Crimes Being Investigated at UW-Parkside

2/3/12 - Officials at U-W Parkside near Kenosha promise to punish anyone caught committing three hate crimes on campus since the start of Black History Month. It all started when a noose made of rubber bands was found Wednesday night. Yesterday, a threatening note was left near the door of a female black student who reported the noose. Then last night, fliers were found listing several black students by name, and that they would die in two days. Parkside's interim dean-of-students, Cindy Graham, called the behavior unacceptable. She said an all-campus meeting was scheduled for late last night to discuss the incidents. Graham said only residents were allowed access at the Pike River dorm last evening, and more security officers would monitor all the dorms. She said that if those responsible for the incidents are Parkside students, they would most likely be expelled.

Whooping Cranes Staying Put In Alabama

2/3/12 - For the first time in 11 years, a group of Wisconsin baby whooping cranes will not make it to Florida for an annual migration effort. Nine baby cranes were grounded in Alabama in mid-December. And Liz Condie of Operation Migration says the birds have rejected several efforts by an ultra-light pilot to get them to Florida. The most recent effort was last Sunday. The cranes were grounded after somebody complained that a pilot who was guiding the birds violated federal rules against ultra-light pilots being paid to make trips. The pilot works for the group in charge of an effort to re-introduce endangered whooping cranes in the eastern U-S. A couple weeks ago, the F-A-A granted a temporary waiver from its rules so the birds could make the trip to Florida this winter. But because they won’t go, Condie says they’ll be put in crates, and taken to the nearby Wheeler National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama for the rest of the winter.

BDUSD Janitor Arrested for Alleged Relationship with Student

A now former Beaver Dam School District employee is facing several charges after he allegedly had a sexual relationship with a high school student. The 27-year-old man, who worked as a custodian in the district, was taken into custody Thursday morning and jailed on possible charges of Repeated 2nd Degree Sexual Assault of a Child and Sexual Assault by a Faculty member. Superintendent Steve Vessey says they were alerted to the possible relationship on Wednesday night and informed the school’s liaison officer yesterday morning of the allegations. They also terminated the employee for violation of school policies. Detective Ryan Klavekoske says their investigation shows the relationship started a year and half ago and involved numerous sexual encounters at the man’s home. Officials say they don’t believe there are any other victims but they are still investigating. District parents were informed of the situation by phone on Thursday night, and Vessey says anyone with concerns can contact him at his office.

Top Stories February 2nd

Anniversary of Groundhog Blizzard

2/2/12 - It was called the “Groundhog Blizzard” and up to 26-inches of snow hammered our region one year ago. Four people were killed, including a Racine County woman who suffered a heart problem while walking from her street to her house – and was buried under four-feet of snow. Tod Pritchard of Wisconsin Emergency Management remembers giant snow-drifts, canceled flights, impassable roads, and over 100 abandoned vehicles in Kenosha County. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department dealt with over 170-runoffs as 12-inches of snow fell in a 24-hour period with wind gusts of 45-miles-per hour. Pritchard credited emergency personnel for getting a jump on the storm. Had they not, he said it could have been a lot worse. The federal government later declared Dodge County and nine other counties as disaster areas – a rarity for a Wisconsin winter storm. And it forced Sun Prairie’s famous groundhog to go haywire with his prediction. Sun Prairie canceled its annual community gathering last year, and Jimmy the Groundhog was let out privately to predict an early spring. But in one of Jimmy’s rare lapses, spring was not so early – as northeast Wisconsin had 10-inches of snow in late April.

500 Claims Filed Against Milwaukee Archdiocese

2/2/12 - Over 500 people have filed claims against the Milwaukee Catholic Archdiocese, saying they should be compensated because they were sexually abused by priests. As part of the church bankruptcy proceedings, a deadline of 4pm yesterday was set for victims to file financial claims. The Milwaukee figure was the largest among eight Catholic regions in the U-S that had filed for bankruptcy since 2004 – and it’s about the same number involved in a Jesuit bankruptcy case that included five states. Officials in the Milwaukee Archdiocese said they were not sure how many people would file. A bankruptcy judge will now decide if each claim is valid. If so, the church will have to pay it. If not, the archdiocese says it has a 300-thousand-dollar fund to provide therapy to those whose claims are rejected. Bankruptcy Judge Susan Kelley will start hearing the claims cases a week from Thursday. The Milwaukee Archdiocese is comprised of 10 southeastern Wisconsin counties, including Dodge County.

Oconomowoc Man Pleads To Home Invasion

2/2/12 - An Oconomowoc man has entered into a plea agreement with Dodge County prosecutors for his role in an armed invasion at a Watertown home. 20-year-old Michael Magsamen pleaded “no contest” to five felony charges including Armed Robbery with the Use of Force and False Imprisonment as a Party to a Crime. Eight other felony charges were dismissed but read into the record. According to prosecutors, Magsamen and his accomplice, 36-year-old Lawrence Davis of Oconomowoc, 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 Magsamen searched for the residence for valuables. They were eventually chased from the home after some of victims recognized one of the robber’s voices. Davis was sentenced earlier this month to 12 years in prison and five years on extended supervision. A pre-sentencing investigation was ordered a hearing will be scheduled at a later date.

High Speed Chase Suspect Arraigned

2/2/12 - A Milwaukee man, accused of running from Watertown police at a high rate of speed, entered a “not guilty” plea at arraignment Wednesday. 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. He has court activity is on the calendar again next month.

BD Woman Arraigned In Restaurant Embezzlement

2/2/12 - A Beaver Dam woman, accused of stealing money from a local restaurant, entered a “not guilty” plea at arraignment Wednesday. Casey Sweetman is charged with Computer Crimes – Modifying Data, a felony that carries a maximum three-and-a-half year prison sentence, upon conviction. The 23-year-old allegedly embezzled $3500 from the Benvenuto’s Restaurant in Beaver Dam in a scheme involving gift cards. According to the criminal complaint, Sweetman would pocket money from bills paid in cash and then search the computer database for random customers with gift cards and zero-out their account to make-up the difference. An audit was performed after several customers complained about having zero balances on what should have been valid gift cards. A plea and sentencing hearing is on the calendar later this month.

Appeals Court Rules In Fondy Rail Case

2/2/12 - A state appeals court said a jury was correct in awarding a million dollars to a conductor who was injured while working in a rail yard in North Fond du Lac. The Second District Appellate Court today upheld the jury’s award for Bruce Dalka of Malone. He was working with a switching crew in June of 2005 when a drunk driver sped into the rail yard and aimed directly toward Dalka. The rail worker managed to get out of the way – but he tripped and severely injured his lower back. His attorneys said Dalka needed five surgeries because of the incident. In his lawsuit against the railroad, Dalka said the railroad made no effort to limit access to outside vehicles at its parking lot – even though people had previously trespassed there. The Wisconsin Central had appealed the jury’s award, saying it could never have anticipated the drunken driving mishap.

Bednarek Grateful For SAGES

2/2/12 - Fox Lake Mayor Tom Bednarek says this falls expected opening of the SAGES Charter School will be a great benefit to the community. “SAGES” stands for “School for AGriculture and Environmental Science” and the charter school is being housed in the former Fox Lake Elementary School, which the Waupun School District closed in 2009 as part of a cost-saving move. Bednarek says having an elementary school in Fox Lake again will help attract and retain families in the community. So far, around 60 students have registered, more than the minimum of 50 needed to be able to open the doors. If more than 125 students register, all the students would be put into a lottery to determine who gets accepted. SAGES 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. Families have until March 15th to register.

Cullen Drops Out Of Gubernatorial

2/2/12 - Wisconsin Senate Democrat Tim Cullen has changed his mind about running for governor in the expected recall election against Scott Walker. Cullen, a veteran moderate from Janesville, said there’s no way he could raise enough money to keep up with his better-known opponents. This leaves former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk as the only announced Democrat to challenge Walker – but Cullen said he expects others to throw their hats in the ring. The 67-year-old Cullen was elected to his second stint in the Senate in 2010. He previously served in that chamber from 1974-through-’86 – and he was also a secretary of Health and Human Services under former Republican Governor Tommy Thompson.

Coggs Accused of Misusing Taxpayer Dollars

2/2/12 - A legislative aide who was fired by state Senator Spencer Coggs now says her former boss made his staff illegally do campaign work on state time, and help with his wife’s business. Jana Williams filed a complaint with the Government Accountability Board. According to Wis-Politics-Dot-Com, Williams said Coggs – a Milwaukee Democrat – had one tax-funded staffer work largely on Coggs’ unsuccessful campaign for lieutenant governor in 2010. But Coggs denied the allegations to Wis-Politics. And his campaign manager at the time, Zak Williams, said none of
his Senate aides could possibly have worked on the lieutenant governor race. That’s because they didn’t have the password for the campaign’s Web site. Coggs is running for Milwaukee city treasurer this spring – and he questions whether the complaint is being filed now to try and hurt his election bid. Jana Williams was let go after Democrats lost the majority in the Senate in 2010, and they had to reduce their staffs.

Thompson Supports Insurance, Pension Increases

2/2/12 - Republican U-S Senate candidate Tommy Thompson says federal employees should pay more for their health insurance and pensions – just like Wisconsin state employees started doing last year. The former governor and Bush health secretary said that if he’s elected, higher employee benefit costs would be one of the first things he’ll propose. Thompson would not say how much the contributions should be – but he said they should be in line with what similar employees in the private sector are paying. Thompson is one of three Republicans running for the Senate seat being given up by the retiring Herb Kohl. In Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker and his fellow Republicans in the Legislature made state workers pay 12-percent of their health premiums, and put five-point-eight percent of their salaries toward their pensions.

Walker Signs Open Enrollment Bill

2/2/12 - Governor Scott Walker signed a bill Wednesday that gives Wisconsin parents more time to decide whether their kids should go to public schools outside their home districts. The Republican Walker lengthened the sign-up period for the state’s long-running Open Enrollment program from three weeks to three months. Signs-ups normally begin in early February – and they’ll start on Monday for the fall term. The new deadline will be on April 30th. Parents can choose up to three non-resident school districts, and those districts will act on the applications according to how much room they have. In a statement, Walker noted that the extended sign-up period will give parents more opportunities for their youngsters. The bill also requires a student’s home district to inform the new district about any discipline problems the child might have. Also, the bill gives home districts more of a say in the transfer requests – and it gives applicants who are rejected a chance to appeal those decisions to the state. The new law was first introduced a year ago in the Legislature – but the final version did not pass until last month.

Top Stories February 1st

Woman Pinned Underneath Vehicle in Critical Condition

2/1/12 - A 43-year-old Theresa woman was listed in critical condition at last word after she got pinned underneath her vehicle yesterday morning. It happened on Doyle Road just before 7 a-m. Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls says they believe the woman stopped to get the mail on her way to work when her vehicle started sliding backwards. The woman was apparently trying to get back into the vehicle when she got knocked down, and the car rolled on top of her. Nehls says because of the snow and ice the car didn’t roll over her, but instead, wedged her underneath one of the front tires. She was dragged about 300 feet down an embankment and into a marshy area. Nehls says the woman’s son saw the accident happen and called 9-1-1. She was flown to Froedert Hospital in Milwaukee and was in the intensive care unit last night.

Despite Privacy Concerns, Recall Petitions Now Online

2/1/12 - The recall petitions against Governor Scott Walker are now on-line. The Government Accountability Board put all of the estimated one-million signatures on its Web site last night, after a number of people asked that their names not be posted due to privacy concerns. But Board director Kevin Kennedy says no expectation of privacy is justified or implied when somebody chooses to sign a public recall petition. He also cited a recent U-S Supreme Court decision which ordered Washington State to release petitions for a referendum. The Walker petitions were expected to be posted Monday. But the Accountability Board held them back for a day to weigh the privacy concerns against the public interest – which is the required balancing test under the Open Records Law. Kennedy said the balancing test favored disclosure of the entire petitions with nothing blacked out – even when signers feared that previous abusers would seek them out if they saw their victims’ addresses in the petitions. The Accountability Board took heat for holding the petitions back. State Attorney General J-B Van Hollen said the petitions should be distributed as widely as possible, and he had attorneys meet with elections’ officials on the issue yesterday. You’ll find the petitions at GAB-Dot-WI-Dot-Gov. The state Republican Party and the Walker campaign have been reviewing the petitions, looking for false and duplicate signatures. The board has until March 19th to validate the petitions.

Voter ID Law Informational Meeting Tonight

2/1/12 - Dodge County voters are invited to an informational meeting tonight that covers new statewide changes in elections laws and the new voter ID requirements. The non-partisan event is sponsored by the Government Accountability Board and Dodge County Clerk Karen Gibson. It will be held at 5:30pm at the Beaver Dam Public Library. Link with more info can be found on our website. www.gab.wi.gov or www.co.dodge.wi.us

No Candidate for Scott Fitzgerald in Possible Recall

2/1/12 - State Democrats announced that three present-and-former lawmakers will run for the Senate in the possible recall elections. Democrats, however, have not announced a challenger for G-O-P Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau. Wausau Representative Donna Seidel will try to unseat Republican Pam Galloway. Former Racine Senator John Lehman will try to get his old job back, after he lost to Van Wanggaard in 2010. And former Assembly Democrat Kristin Dexter of Eau Claire will run against Terry Moulton of Chippewa Falls. State Democratic chairman Mike Tate said his party is quote, "poised to complete the job of taking back the Senate which was begun last spring." But Fitzgerald called Seidel, Lehman, and Dexter "retread candidates" who will provide a stark contrast to the G-O-P's quote, "fiscal responsibility and pro-jobs leadership."

Jeff Fitzgerald Lagging Behind in Money Raised

2/1/12 - State Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald has not raised nearly as much campaign money as his Republican opponents in Wisconsin’s U-S Senate race this fall. The Horicon Republican says he raised $77,000 dollars in the last three months of 2011. That’s well below the $518,000 raised by former Congressman Mark Neumann, and the $656,000 raised by former Governor Tommy Thompson. Fitzgerald says the race is a marathon, not a sprint. And even if he doesn’t keep up financially, he says he can win by pointing to his accomplishments in the Assembly any chance he can get. The winner of the September G-O-P primary is expected to face Democrat Tammy Baldwin in November. And she raised $1.1 million dollars from October through December. The winner of the Senate contest will replace retiring Democrat Herb Kohl.

Wisconsin Losing Residents and Tax Dollars

2/1/12 - A new report says 45-thousand Wisconsinites – which equals the entire population of Fond du Lac – moved to Florida and Arizona from 2006-through-2010. The state’s Taxpayers Alliance examined 15 years of Census and I-R-S data, and it concluded that quote – “Wisconsin has shifted from a net importer to a net exporter of people and income.” Almost 28-thousand state residents who moved to Florida during the five years the group studied had average family incomes of 82-thousand-dollars. Dale Knapp of the Tax Alliance says many are retirees. And for them, he said “no income tax in Florida seals the deal.” About 17-thousand Wisconsinites who moved to Arizona took away annual incomes of 53-thousand dollars. The report said 35-thousand more Milwaukee County residents left than arrived – and they reduced the county’s total incomes by one-point-three billion dollars. But those who moved to Wisconsin are no dummies – not all of them, anyway. Forty-percent of the incoming residents 25-and-older had college degrees. And about a quarter of those who moved here are in the 18-to-24-year-old age group. Wisconsin had a net population gain during the five-year study period, but that was due to births and deaths within the state. The Tax Alliance said a total of 413-thousand Wisconsinites left from ’06-through-2010 – while almost 389-thousand moved in.

National Guard Sendoff this Weekend

2/1/12 - A sendoff ceremony will be held this weekend in Hartford for several local Wisconsin Army and Air National Guardsmen. Approximately 60 members of the 82nd Agribusiness Development Team, are being deployed to Afghanistan. Their mission is to teach Afghan farmers how to effectively farm and herd to expand their agribusiness, create jobs and reduce poverty. That includes training Afghans in beekeeping, advising grape farmers in the use of trellises to increase yield, educating livestock owners in the use of vaccines to improve herd health, and establishing demonstration farms to highlight various agriculture techniques. The members of the 82nd include a forestry specialist, agronomist, agricultural marketing specialist, a hydrologist, a pest control specialist, engineers, a veterinary technician, mechanics, medics, communications specialists and security personnel. Their sendoff will be held at 2:30pm Saturday at Hartford High School. Another ceremony for 130 Army National Guard soldiers from the Oshkosh-based 1157th Transportation Company, will be held at 11am Saturday at the Experimental Aircraft Association’s Eagle Hangar in Oshkosh. Prior to their deployment overseas, the soldiers will train for several weeks at Camp Shelby in Mississippi. Both ceremonies are open to the public.

47% of Wisconsinites Approved of Obama

2/1/12 - Just over 47-percent of Wisconsin adults approved of President Obama’s job performance during the course of last year. That’s according to numbers released this afternoon by the Gallup polling organization. It sampled about 48-hundred Wisconsinites throughout 2011 – and it listed Obama’s approval rating in the Badger State at 47-point-four percent, with 43-point-eight-percent disapproving. Wisconsin’s rating was three points above the national figure – and it was second only to Michigan among a dozen battleground states in this year’s presidential race.

Telemarketers Still #1 Complaint from Residents

2/1/12 - Wisconsin’s Number-One consumer complaint is still the tele-marketers who violate the do-not-call list. The state Consumer Protection agency received 16-hundred-69 written complaints about telemarketing firms last year. Cell phone and Internet providers were second on the complaint list. Landlord-tenant disputes were third followed by home improvement scams, identity theft, gas pump inaccuracies, vehicle sales, furniture sales, car repairs, satellite dishes, dentistry work, and various contests and promotions. Many of the telemarketer complaints were about automated “robo-calls” from firms that seek credit card numbers and other personal data. Consumer protection administrator Sandy Chalmers says her office gets a dozen calls a day from people who want the practice stopped. But that’s hard to do, because many calls are placed from outside the U-S. Of the 12-hundred-72 telecom complaints, almost 700 were against Element Mobile – which had numerous contract-and-billing problems after it took over from All-Tel in most of central Wisconsin a year ago. The company has said that most of the complaints resulted from the transition to Element Mobile.

Columbus Accepts Statue and Land

2/1/12 - The City has accepted the statue and land that were the property of the “Columbus Quincentenial Celebration Committee.” The statue of Columbus asking for a heavenly invocation upon his discovery of a new land is located on highways 60 & 16 entering the City from the west. The Council accepted the 1.6 acres of parkland and the historic 1992 statue at their last meeting by accepting the transfer of assets of the Quincentennial Committee to the City.

Customer Thwarts Robbery in Milwaukee

2/1/12 - An effort to rob a Milwaukee grocery store was thwarted when a customer pulled out a gun and opened fire. Police said a man entered an Aldi's store on the city's northwest side Monday evening and announced a hold-up. A customer then fired at the suspect, and the would-be robber ran off without getting anything. Later, police say a 20-year-old man showed up at a hospital to be treated for a non-life threatening gunshot wound, no word yet if he’s connected.

Lins on Community Comment Today

2/1/12 - Join us on WBEV’s Community Comment this afternoon when we welcome the Beaver Dam School District’s Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Coordinator Deb Lins to the program. February is National Prescription Drug Awareness Month and Lins will join us to discuss the dangers facing youth today and efforts parents can undertake to keep their kids away for the growing problem of prescription drug use and abuse. Community Comment airs weekdays on 1430AM at 12:35pm.