Johnson Military Remembrance Today
2/15/12 - The Dodge County soldier who was killed in Afghanistan will be remembered by his military base Wednesday. The joint Lewis-McChord base in Washington State will hold a memorial services for Army First Lieutenant David Johnson of Mayville. The 24-year-old was killed last month by a home-made bomb while on a foot patrol in Kandahar Province. His funeral service was held on February fifth in Mayville. Johnson was part of the Third Stryker Brigade that was deployed to Afghanistan in December.
DNR: ‘Lake Ice Extremely Unsafe’
2/15/12 - DNR Warden Heather Gottschalk is warning the public to stay-off area lakes. Gottschalk says the season’s freeze-thaw cycles have taken a toll on the ice and the conditions are “extremely unsafe.” She says it you do feel the need to go on the ice, walk – do not take an ATV or other vehicle. Gottschalk says make sure you wear a life-vest and bring along a rope and ice-spikes to help pull yourself out. If you do go by yourself, let someone know where you are going, what time you plan on being back and stick to the plan. Gottschalk says it is important to keep in mind that when you venture out onto the ice you not only put yourself in danger but also the rescue personnel who respond.
Watertown Men Charged In Homemade Bomb Spree
2/15/12 - Four men from Watertown face felony charges in two counties for allegedly detonating homemade explosives. 17-year-old William Fischer, 17-year-old Nathan Wright, 18-year-old Travis Waters and 20-year-old Jade Hiller are all charged with felony Possession of an Improvised Explosives and misdemeanor Criminal Damage to Property. Some are charged in Dodge, some in Jefferson, some in both counties. Authorities say they made improvised bombs called “works bombs” that are made with a cleaning agent and tin foil in a two-liter bottle. The bombs were planted in December on porches and in mailboxes throughout Watertown, on either side of the county line. Some of the homes targeted were former teachers of the suspects. There were no injuries. The four have all been released on signature bonds and have preliminary hearings scheduled in coming weeks.
Walker To Greet Obama Today
2/15/12 - Republican Governor Scott Walker will greet President Obama when he lands in Milwaukee Wednesday. And Walker will then join the Democratic president during his visit to Milwaukee's Master Lock factory. That's a change from the recent past, when former Democratic Governor Jim Doyle almost never greeted Republican President George W. Bush in his visits to the Badger State. Walker also greeted Obama in his visit to Manitowoc a year ago, the only other time the president's been on Wisconsin soil since Walker's been governor. His office says Walker will not make any remarks during Obama's appearance tomorrow. But Walker has made his share of criticisms against the opposing party's president -- just as Doyle did during the Bush years. Walker has told supporters that if he wins his recall election, it would be a quote, "devastating blow" to Obama's re-election chances. The governor also slammed Obama in his speech to national conservatives last Friday, for the president's union support during last year's controversy over Walker's plan to limit collective bargaining for most of Wisconsin's state-and-local public employees.
Walker Touts ‘Ready, Set, Build’
2/15/12 - Governor Scott Walker has unveiled a new program to identify shovel-ready sites for business facilities, with a goal of getting them built faster. The program is called "Ready, Set, Build." Walker says it will pre-certify up to 10 sites each year, so economic projects can be developed in a faster time period. The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, the state's former commerce agency, will run the program. A third party consultant will help in designing and carrying out the new effort. Walker says he hopes to get it up-and-running by spring. State Democratic Party chairman Mike Tate called the program a "gimmick" that would work around established government review procedures, and perhaps create risks to the environment.
Oshkosh Area Freshman Republican Not Running Again
2/15/12 - At least three Republican state lawmakers plan to be out-of-office by this time next year. Freshman Representative Michelle Litjens of the Oshkosh area is the latest to announce that she won't run this fall. Litjens, from the town of Vinland, said she helped turn Wisconsin around -- and now she wants to spend more time with her family. Assembly Republicans Dan Meyer of Eagle River and Richard Spanbauer of Oshkosh also announced their decisions to step down over the past few weeks. Meyer was first elected in 2000, and he says 12 years is a good term limit for himself. Spanbauer, who's been in office for four years, says he's tired of legislators who care more about politics than about people. G-O-P lawmakers have been the targets of protestors ever since Republican Governor Scott Walker first proposed his collective bargaining limits just over a year ago.
Deficit Affecting State Funds For Start-Ups
2/15/12 - The newly-discovered state budget deficit might have killed one of the Republicans' top priorities for this year -- state funding for start-up businesses. Senate Republican Alberta Darling of River Hills has been trying to get her colleagues to support a major venture capital package. But now, she says the money is probably not available, after state officials learned last week that the current budget is 143-million-dollars in the hole. The Wisconsin State Journal said the measure got bogged down in a long debate over how much state funding should be provided. Also, Assembly Republicans had talked about getting certified capital companies involved -- which raised opposition due to a lack of accountability in state dollars given to the so-called CAPCOs in a similar effort a decade ago. Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald of Horicon recently said his party agreed to proceed without CAPCOs. But Governor Scott Walker's office said the new deficit would make it hard for a bill to be adopted -- even though Walker fully supports venture capital opportunities. Senate Democrat Julie Lassa of Stevens Point also favored state involvement in venture capital, and she said the deficit was a "convenient excuse" for Republicans to scrap it.
GOP Seeks To Halt Release of Redistricting Doc’s
2/15/12 - Republican state lawmakers have asked three federal judges not to release 84 documents about the way the G-O-P drew up new legislative districts last year. Most of the documents are e-mails, and Republicans say they should be subject to attorney-client privilege. A group of Democrats and the Milwaukee Hispanic group Voces de la Frontera have argued that the e-mails should be released. They're suing the G-O-P to try and strike down the new district maps, and a trial in that case is scheduled to begin next Tuesday in federal court in Milwaukee. The Hispanic group says previous orders from the three-judge panel make it clear that the Republican documents must be released. Lawmakers tried several times to withhold records and avoid depositions about the maps they drew, claiming the whole process was subject to attorney-client privilege. But the court didn't buy that, and most of the documents wound up being released.
Oshkosh Corp Prepared For Fewer Military Contracts
2/15/12 - The Oshkosh Corporation could be among the biggest losers in President Obama's federal budget -- but the maker of military vehicles says it's ready for the hit. U-S troops have already pulled out of Iraq, and Obama wants to get them out of Afghanistan. He has proposed 600-million dollars less in the next fiscal year for the heavy tactical vehicles made by Oshkosh. The Pentagon's spending plan includes 11-billion-dollars for ground vehicles for the year starting October first. That's 32-percent less than the current year. Oshkosh spokesman John Daggett says the company has anticipated the big cut. Meanwhile, the status remains uncertain for the next major contract on the horizon for Oshkosh and other vehicle-makers -- 20-billion dollars to replace an aging fleet of Humvees.
Prosecutors To Decide On Mayor Bob Charges After Election
2/15/12 - Voters in Sheboygan will decide next Tuesday whether to recall Mayor Bob Ryan. And local prosecutors do not expect to decide until after the election whether Ryan will be charged with sexual assault. Fond du Lac County sheriff's investigators looked into what Ryan did during a weekend drinking binge in Elkhart Lake last July. And they recommended two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree sex assault. District Attorney Joe DeCecco says there's no favoritism involved. He said felony cases take top priority -- and DeCecco probably would not have gotten to Ryan's case any sooner under any circumstance. Ryan denies any illegal activity during his drinking binge, which spurred a Common Council investigation and petitions for a recall election with just over a year to go in Ryan's term. Ryan faces former state Representative Terry Van Akkeren in next Tuesday's recall vote.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Top Stories February 14th
Carol’s Tours Owner Bound Over For Trial
2/14/12 - The owner of a shuttered Beaver Dam travel agency will proceed to trial on charges that she closed the doors of the business without providing vacations to nearly 200 paying customers. A Dodge County Judge found probable cause yesterday (Mon) for Deborah Paul to be bound over for trial on two felony charges of Theft in a Business Setting. Her criminal complaint lists 194 people who paid a total of nearly $315,000 for vacations that were never arranged by Carol’s Tour’s between May of 2007 and February of 2008. According to the criminal complaint, the 56-year-old described her business practice as (quote) “robbing Peter to pay Paul” using money for future trips to pay for current trips. Paul blamed her office manager, Lisa Hopper, for the accounting practices. 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. The 46-year-old 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. Checks from the business were used to pay Hopper’s personal bills, as much as $90,000 went to pay her mortgage, credit cards and even plastic surgery. Hopper has already pled out and will have to spend 18 months in prison, three years on extended supervision and seven years on probation. She still has around $70,000 in restitution to pay off. Meanwhile, investigators say Paul was paying all of her personal bills through Carol’s Tours, Inc in the years before the agency closed. Paul will be arraigned a week from tomorrow and faces a total of 20 years in prison, if she is convicted.
$20K Cash Bond Set For Shell Robbery Suspect
2/14/12 - The suspect in last July’s armed robbery of the Shell Travel Mart in Beaver Dam is being held on a $20,000 cash bond. 32-year-old Josiah Kaiser made his initial appearance yesterday on charges of Armed Robbery with the Threat of Force. Kaiser is accused of brandishing a handgun during the robbery and a firearm was among the items taken as evidence and sent to the State Crime Lab for investigation. A judge will determine next week if there is enough evidence to order a trial.
Family Center May Seek City Pond Property
2/14/12 - The city of Beaver Dam may have found the ideal site for another one of its storm water management ponds. The basins are part of a state DNR-mandate that requires municipalities to filter pollutants from storm water. Officials are trying to construct one pond a year. While several locations have been identified, Beaver Dam is running out of city-owned property and has already had several sites rejected, for everything from contamination concerns to a wetlands designation. Officials say they have identified an ideal spot near Prospect Avenue and Jacob Gassen’s Way, right near the Family Center. For starters, the grassy field is located at the intersection of two large sewer mains. The project would also tie-into the city’s 2013 reconstruction of Prospect Avenue which is being done in conjunction with a state reconstruction of Highway 151. As a result, Consulting City Engineer Mike Laue says Beaver Dam would be able to save around $100,000 by selling dirt from the property to the state for use in Highway 151 ramp construction.
As part of their due diligence on the project, city officials advised the Family Center board of their plans last month. Family Center Board President Paul Uttech told the city’s Operations Committee last night that the non-profit organization has long considered making an offer on the city-owned parcel to add a second ice rink. Operations Committee Chair Laine Meyer questioned whether there has been a formal proposal for purchase of the city-owned parcel by the Family Center. Uttech says it has not gotten to that point because the restrictions on the property limited its use and it would take a major capital campaign to afford it. Meyer says the city’s options are limited to the point that they may have to consider building the water filtration ponds in city parks. At Uttech’s request, Meyer agreed to revisit the idea next Monday but said unless the Family Center project was certain to happen, he would support city efforts to comply with the DNR.
GOP Asking Judges Not to Release Documents
2/14/12 - Republican state lawmakers have asked three federal judges not to release 84 documents about the way the G-O-P drew up new legislative districts last year. Most of the documents are e-mails, and Republicans say they should be subject to attorney-client privilege. A group of Democrats and the Milwaukee Hispanic group Voces de la Frontera have argued that the e-mails should be released. They're suing the G-O-P to try and strike down the new district maps, and a trial in that case is scheduled to begin a week from today in federal court in Milwaukee. The Hispanic group says previous orders from the three-judge panel make it clear that the Republican documents must be released. Lawmakers tried several times to withhold records and avoid depositions about the maps they drew, claiming the whole process was subject to attorney-client privilege. But the court didn't buy that, and most of the documents wound up being released.
Senate Unveils Its Version of Mining Bill
2/14/12 - A Wisconsin Senate panel has unveiled a more moderate mining bill than what the Assembly passed last month. The package came out late yesterday. And committee chairman Neal Kedzie says lawmakers will need a quote, "Herculean effort" to pass something that both houses can agree on before the current session ends for the year in late March. Gogebic Taconite has not commented. The firm awaits legislative action before building a large iron ore mine south of Lake Superior in Ashland and Iron counties. The Senate bill includes a 360-day time limit to approve new iron ore mines, just like the Assembly approved -- but the new plan would grant extensions by mutual agreements. It also brings back contested-case hearings, where opponents can challenge various D-N-R decisions. Madison would still get some of the tax revenue from mining sales for the first time -- but to appease local officials, the Senate plan takes 30-percent of the cut instead of 40. And there would be a new tax on mining sales to help pay for possible damage. But Amber Meyer Smith of Clean Wisconsin says the proposed environmental rollbacks are about the same in both bills. She urged the Senate to quote, "start over." A public hearing is set for Friday at U-W Platteville. Kedzie says another hearing would be held closer to the proposed mine site in Ashland as early as next week.
Murder Numbers Up in Milwaukee
2/14/12 - Fourteen people have been murdered in Milwaukee this year -- the most before Valentine's Day in the past nine years. Seven homicides took place since last Wednesday. Police said most appeared to be drug-related, and none of them were random acts. The latest reported victim was 19-year-old Raheem Johnson, who was shot-to-death early Sunday outside a tavern on Milwaukee's northwest side. Police did not have information on suspects for any of the past week's killings. The 14 murders this year are nine more than at this time in 2011.
62-Years in the Making, Couple Finally Finds Each Other
2/14/12 - It took 62 years, but a Green Bay area man finally married his grade school crush. On this Valentine's Day, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports the story of Gerald Lambert, who wrote a love letter to Lorraine Suidzinski back in 1938. They weren't even teenagers yet -- but Lambert wrote how they would get married, have two kids, a nice home, and some extra money. Needless to say, they went on with their own lives. But they saw each other again at a class reunion in 1998, after their spouses had died. Lambert said he had to press the issue, but he finally got to take Suidzinski out -- and two years later, they got married. He's 90, and she's 88, and they've been married for a dozen years. They've shared a passion for golf, playing cards, and enjoying life. And Lambert says they never argue about anything -- well, at least for more than a half-second. They have a total of nine kids, 18 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.
Columbus to Celebrate Valentine’s Day
2/14/12 - Columbus Schools are celebrating Valentine traditions old and new today. The exchange of Valentine cards between students and the “sock hop” for the first graders have been around for ages. Newer activities include Elementary and Middle School students collecting non-perishable food for the Food Pantry and sending Valentine cards and letters to military personnel. It is hard to say who will be enjoying Valentine’s Day the most…the students, parents or teachers?
2/14/12 - The owner of a shuttered Beaver Dam travel agency will proceed to trial on charges that she closed the doors of the business without providing vacations to nearly 200 paying customers. A Dodge County Judge found probable cause yesterday (Mon) for Deborah Paul to be bound over for trial on two felony charges of Theft in a Business Setting. Her criminal complaint lists 194 people who paid a total of nearly $315,000 for vacations that were never arranged by Carol’s Tour’s between May of 2007 and February of 2008. According to the criminal complaint, the 56-year-old described her business practice as (quote) “robbing Peter to pay Paul” using money for future trips to pay for current trips. Paul blamed her office manager, Lisa Hopper, for the accounting practices. 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. The 46-year-old 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. Checks from the business were used to pay Hopper’s personal bills, as much as $90,000 went to pay her mortgage, credit cards and even plastic surgery. Hopper has already pled out and will have to spend 18 months in prison, three years on extended supervision and seven years on probation. She still has around $70,000 in restitution to pay off. Meanwhile, investigators say Paul was paying all of her personal bills through Carol’s Tours, Inc in the years before the agency closed. Paul will be arraigned a week from tomorrow and faces a total of 20 years in prison, if she is convicted.
$20K Cash Bond Set For Shell Robbery Suspect
2/14/12 - The suspect in last July’s armed robbery of the Shell Travel Mart in Beaver Dam is being held on a $20,000 cash bond. 32-year-old Josiah Kaiser made his initial appearance yesterday on charges of Armed Robbery with the Threat of Force. Kaiser is accused of brandishing a handgun during the robbery and a firearm was among the items taken as evidence and sent to the State Crime Lab for investigation. A judge will determine next week if there is enough evidence to order a trial.
Family Center May Seek City Pond Property
2/14/12 - The city of Beaver Dam may have found the ideal site for another one of its storm water management ponds. The basins are part of a state DNR-mandate that requires municipalities to filter pollutants from storm water. Officials are trying to construct one pond a year. While several locations have been identified, Beaver Dam is running out of city-owned property and has already had several sites rejected, for everything from contamination concerns to a wetlands designation. Officials say they have identified an ideal spot near Prospect Avenue and Jacob Gassen’s Way, right near the Family Center. For starters, the grassy field is located at the intersection of two large sewer mains. The project would also tie-into the city’s 2013 reconstruction of Prospect Avenue which is being done in conjunction with a state reconstruction of Highway 151. As a result, Consulting City Engineer Mike Laue says Beaver Dam would be able to save around $100,000 by selling dirt from the property to the state for use in Highway 151 ramp construction.
As part of their due diligence on the project, city officials advised the Family Center board of their plans last month. Family Center Board President Paul Uttech told the city’s Operations Committee last night that the non-profit organization has long considered making an offer on the city-owned parcel to add a second ice rink. Operations Committee Chair Laine Meyer questioned whether there has been a formal proposal for purchase of the city-owned parcel by the Family Center. Uttech says it has not gotten to that point because the restrictions on the property limited its use and it would take a major capital campaign to afford it. Meyer says the city’s options are limited to the point that they may have to consider building the water filtration ponds in city parks. At Uttech’s request, Meyer agreed to revisit the idea next Monday but said unless the Family Center project was certain to happen, he would support city efforts to comply with the DNR.
GOP Asking Judges Not to Release Documents
2/14/12 - Republican state lawmakers have asked three federal judges not to release 84 documents about the way the G-O-P drew up new legislative districts last year. Most of the documents are e-mails, and Republicans say they should be subject to attorney-client privilege. A group of Democrats and the Milwaukee Hispanic group Voces de la Frontera have argued that the e-mails should be released. They're suing the G-O-P to try and strike down the new district maps, and a trial in that case is scheduled to begin a week from today in federal court in Milwaukee. The Hispanic group says previous orders from the three-judge panel make it clear that the Republican documents must be released. Lawmakers tried several times to withhold records and avoid depositions about the maps they drew, claiming the whole process was subject to attorney-client privilege. But the court didn't buy that, and most of the documents wound up being released.
Senate Unveils Its Version of Mining Bill
2/14/12 - A Wisconsin Senate panel has unveiled a more moderate mining bill than what the Assembly passed last month. The package came out late yesterday. And committee chairman Neal Kedzie says lawmakers will need a quote, "Herculean effort" to pass something that both houses can agree on before the current session ends for the year in late March. Gogebic Taconite has not commented. The firm awaits legislative action before building a large iron ore mine south of Lake Superior in Ashland and Iron counties. The Senate bill includes a 360-day time limit to approve new iron ore mines, just like the Assembly approved -- but the new plan would grant extensions by mutual agreements. It also brings back contested-case hearings, where opponents can challenge various D-N-R decisions. Madison would still get some of the tax revenue from mining sales for the first time -- but to appease local officials, the Senate plan takes 30-percent of the cut instead of 40. And there would be a new tax on mining sales to help pay for possible damage. But Amber Meyer Smith of Clean Wisconsin says the proposed environmental rollbacks are about the same in both bills. She urged the Senate to quote, "start over." A public hearing is set for Friday at U-W Platteville. Kedzie says another hearing would be held closer to the proposed mine site in Ashland as early as next week.
Murder Numbers Up in Milwaukee
2/14/12 - Fourteen people have been murdered in Milwaukee this year -- the most before Valentine's Day in the past nine years. Seven homicides took place since last Wednesday. Police said most appeared to be drug-related, and none of them were random acts. The latest reported victim was 19-year-old Raheem Johnson, who was shot-to-death early Sunday outside a tavern on Milwaukee's northwest side. Police did not have information on suspects for any of the past week's killings. The 14 murders this year are nine more than at this time in 2011.
62-Years in the Making, Couple Finally Finds Each Other
2/14/12 - It took 62 years, but a Green Bay area man finally married his grade school crush. On this Valentine's Day, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports the story of Gerald Lambert, who wrote a love letter to Lorraine Suidzinski back in 1938. They weren't even teenagers yet -- but Lambert wrote how they would get married, have two kids, a nice home, and some extra money. Needless to say, they went on with their own lives. But they saw each other again at a class reunion in 1998, after their spouses had died. Lambert said he had to press the issue, but he finally got to take Suidzinski out -- and two years later, they got married. He's 90, and she's 88, and they've been married for a dozen years. They've shared a passion for golf, playing cards, and enjoying life. And Lambert says they never argue about anything -- well, at least for more than a half-second. They have a total of nine kids, 18 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.
Columbus to Celebrate Valentine’s Day
2/14/12 - Columbus Schools are celebrating Valentine traditions old and new today. The exchange of Valentine cards between students and the “sock hop” for the first graders have been around for ages. Newer activities include Elementary and Middle School students collecting non-perishable food for the Food Pantry and sending Valentine cards and letters to military personnel. It is hard to say who will be enjoying Valentine’s Day the most…the students, parents or teachers?
Monday, February 13, 2012
Top Stories February 13th
Crash Closes Portion of Highway 151
2/13/12 - A stretch of Highway 151 near Columbus was closed for nearly an hour yesterday morning for a one-vehicle rollover. It happened just before 9am in the northbound lanes. Four people were injured including the driver, who was flighted from the scene with serious injuries. The northbound lanes reopened around 9:45am. Police have not said if alcohol or speed played a factor in the crash.
DOJ Caught Up on Conceal Carry Permits
2/13/12 - Wisconsin Justice Department officials say they are complying with the law and meeting turn-around deadlines on concealed carry applications now. The deluge of applications had overwhelmed the office at first. Processing deadlines were missed most of last month. Now, with more workers brought to the job, and with the flow of applications slowing down a little, Division of Law Enforcement Administrator Brian O’Keefe says all obligations are being met. The new law opened the door for thousands of applications starting last November 1st.
Pineda in Court
2/13/12 - A judge will decide next month if there is enough evidence for a Watertown man to proceed to trial in connection with the armed burglary of Martin Motors. On January 26, Nivir Edgar Marcis Damian Pineda was placed on probation for burglarizing a residence in Jefferson County. Police say a few hours before the sentencing hearing, Pineda broke a window to gain access to the Watertown car dealership. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from nearby businesses and saw a man matching Pineda’s height and build. Shoe prints at the scene reportedly matched the shoes he was wearing during questioning. Pineda is accused of stealing around $20 in cash, an iPod and a 22-caliber handgun. The handgun was allegedly found in the possession of a Watertown man accused of serving as lookout in the crime. Pineda is being held in the Dodge County Jail on a $10,000 cash bond.
Sanders Gets Jail Time
2/13/12 - A Beaver Dam man will spend a month in jail for sparking a high speed chase the ended with him crashing his vehicle. 23-year-old Anthony Sanders was arrested last June in the town of Herman after authorities say they clocked him driving 30 miles over the speed limit on Highway 67. The subsequent pursuit reached speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour down Highway 67 before Sanders lost control on Madison Road and put the car in a ditch. Sanders pleaded “no contest” to a reduced misdemeanor charge of Failing To Stop and Reckless Driving. In addition to a month behind bars with Huber privileges, Sanders was placed on probation for six months and lost his drivers license for 60 days.
Grigg Hopeful Contract Can Be Reached
2/13/12 - Horicon Mayor Jim Grigg says he’s hopeful a new police contract can be reached during a bargaining session this week. The city held preliminary discussions with the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department last week about possibly taking over coverage of the area and dissolving their police department. Grigg says that plan is currently on hold after city leaders, union officials and some members of the police department met on Thursday in a meeting that Grigg called the most productive session since the two began negotiating the 2011-2012 contract. A bargaining session is set for Wednesday and Grigg says any further movement on the closing of the department would be made after that. The police contract has been an issue before and Grigg says they won’t be going into mediation or arbitration to settle it like they did for the 2009-2010 deal.
Gableman Likely to Stay
2/13/12 - With Republicans calling it a political stunt and few lawmakers stepping forward to co-sponsor it, a resolution to remove Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman looks like it doesn’t have enough support to move on. Democratic State Representative Kelda Helen Roys says she had just four co-sponsors. And, Republican Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald isn’t expected to send it to committee. At least three complaints have been filed against Gableman to the Government Accountability Board so far, tied to free legal services he received from a Wisconsin law firm. Gableman refused to recuse himself from three cases including a party represented by the same firm. Roys says that means Gableman violated the judicial code of conduct.
Argument Over Mittens Turns Positive
2/13/12 - Wisconsin and Michigan turned an argument over mittens into a huge act of kindness. Wisconsin's Tourism Department has just given 31-hundred pairs of mittens and other winter clothes to over 50 charities. They were donated by folks who dropped them off at state travel centers and chambers-of-commerce. A Michigan travel Web site took issue in December when Wisconsin promoted its road condition Web site with a mitten that was shaped like the Badger State. Lower Michigan has promoted for years that it looks exactly like a mitten, and state officials there accused Wisconsin of stealing some of its thunder. After a few days of good-natured cajoling, the two states announced the Great Lakes Mitten Campaign.
Former Director of MADD Unhappy With Lack of Support
2/13/12 - The former state director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving says its sad to see the erosion of support for the MADD program. Curt Kindschuh of Brownsville was the director for the Wisconsin MADD office for several years in the 1990s. He left to start his own company that continues with its own products that promote drunken driving prevention education. He says the Fond du Lac County Chapter shut down and there isn’t a state MADD office anymore. He says part of the problem is the national office isn’t well organized. Kindschuh says there’s still a place for MADD in society. He notes each year 17,000 people in the U.S. are killed by drunken drivers. (KFIZ, Fond du Lac)
Sturgeon Season Over After Two Days
2/13/12 - The sturgeon spearing season on the Upriver Lakes is over after two days. Spearers took 242 fish to trigger the harvest cap closure. Meanwhile it’s been slow going on the Lake Winnebago where 27 fish were taken yesterday for a two-day total of 66 and a system-wide total of 308. DNR Sturgeon Fisheries Supervisor Ron Bruch says its likely the season on the big lake will go all 16 days. The colder weather over the weekend did firm up ice on Lake Winnebago in some areas. The biggest sturgeon taken yesterday was a nearly 130 pounder on the Upriver Lakes by Charles Clark of Almond. (KFIZ, Fond du Lac)
WASD Looking for Help in Finding Superintendent
2/13/12 - The Waupun Area School District is looking for input on the hiring of a new Superintendent. The school board is putting together an advisory panel and members will play a role in interviewing candidates for the job. The committee is expected to be comprised of a number of community groups including service clubs, civic groups and local businesses. Anyone interested in being on the panel needs to submit a letter of interest by mailing them to Ann Ferch at the district office. The contract for current Interim Superintendent Don Childs expires on June 30th.
Address to send letters to: 950 Wilcox St., Waupun, WI, 53963.
Powerball Winner in Rhode Island
2/13/12 - For the first time, the Powerball jackpot is at its new, higher minimum of 40-million-dollars for Wednesday night. That's after a ticket sold in Rhode Island won Saturday night's prize of 336-point-four million. Wisconsin had one of the million-dollar second prizes. A ticket sold at a Pick-'N-Save in Brookfield matched all five numbers but not the Powerball. In Mega Millions, the jackpot is at 51-million dollars for the next drawing tomorrow night.
2/13/12 - A stretch of Highway 151 near Columbus was closed for nearly an hour yesterday morning for a one-vehicle rollover. It happened just before 9am in the northbound lanes. Four people were injured including the driver, who was flighted from the scene with serious injuries. The northbound lanes reopened around 9:45am. Police have not said if alcohol or speed played a factor in the crash.
DOJ Caught Up on Conceal Carry Permits
2/13/12 - Wisconsin Justice Department officials say they are complying with the law and meeting turn-around deadlines on concealed carry applications now. The deluge of applications had overwhelmed the office at first. Processing deadlines were missed most of last month. Now, with more workers brought to the job, and with the flow of applications slowing down a little, Division of Law Enforcement Administrator Brian O’Keefe says all obligations are being met. The new law opened the door for thousands of applications starting last November 1st.
Pineda in Court
2/13/12 - A judge will decide next month if there is enough evidence for a Watertown man to proceed to trial in connection with the armed burglary of Martin Motors. On January 26, Nivir Edgar Marcis Damian Pineda was placed on probation for burglarizing a residence in Jefferson County. Police say a few hours before the sentencing hearing, Pineda broke a window to gain access to the Watertown car dealership. Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from nearby businesses and saw a man matching Pineda’s height and build. Shoe prints at the scene reportedly matched the shoes he was wearing during questioning. Pineda is accused of stealing around $20 in cash, an iPod and a 22-caliber handgun. The handgun was allegedly found in the possession of a Watertown man accused of serving as lookout in the crime. Pineda is being held in the Dodge County Jail on a $10,000 cash bond.
Sanders Gets Jail Time
2/13/12 - A Beaver Dam man will spend a month in jail for sparking a high speed chase the ended with him crashing his vehicle. 23-year-old Anthony Sanders was arrested last June in the town of Herman after authorities say they clocked him driving 30 miles over the speed limit on Highway 67. The subsequent pursuit reached speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour down Highway 67 before Sanders lost control on Madison Road and put the car in a ditch. Sanders pleaded “no contest” to a reduced misdemeanor charge of Failing To Stop and Reckless Driving. In addition to a month behind bars with Huber privileges, Sanders was placed on probation for six months and lost his drivers license for 60 days.
Grigg Hopeful Contract Can Be Reached
2/13/12 - Horicon Mayor Jim Grigg says he’s hopeful a new police contract can be reached during a bargaining session this week. The city held preliminary discussions with the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department last week about possibly taking over coverage of the area and dissolving their police department. Grigg says that plan is currently on hold after city leaders, union officials and some members of the police department met on Thursday in a meeting that Grigg called the most productive session since the two began negotiating the 2011-2012 contract. A bargaining session is set for Wednesday and Grigg says any further movement on the closing of the department would be made after that. The police contract has been an issue before and Grigg says they won’t be going into mediation or arbitration to settle it like they did for the 2009-2010 deal.
Gableman Likely to Stay
2/13/12 - With Republicans calling it a political stunt and few lawmakers stepping forward to co-sponsor it, a resolution to remove Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman looks like it doesn’t have enough support to move on. Democratic State Representative Kelda Helen Roys says she had just four co-sponsors. And, Republican Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald isn’t expected to send it to committee. At least three complaints have been filed against Gableman to the Government Accountability Board so far, tied to free legal services he received from a Wisconsin law firm. Gableman refused to recuse himself from three cases including a party represented by the same firm. Roys says that means Gableman violated the judicial code of conduct.
Argument Over Mittens Turns Positive
2/13/12 - Wisconsin and Michigan turned an argument over mittens into a huge act of kindness. Wisconsin's Tourism Department has just given 31-hundred pairs of mittens and other winter clothes to over 50 charities. They were donated by folks who dropped them off at state travel centers and chambers-of-commerce. A Michigan travel Web site took issue in December when Wisconsin promoted its road condition Web site with a mitten that was shaped like the Badger State. Lower Michigan has promoted for years that it looks exactly like a mitten, and state officials there accused Wisconsin of stealing some of its thunder. After a few days of good-natured cajoling, the two states announced the Great Lakes Mitten Campaign.
Former Director of MADD Unhappy With Lack of Support
2/13/12 - The former state director for Mothers Against Drunk Driving says its sad to see the erosion of support for the MADD program. Curt Kindschuh of Brownsville was the director for the Wisconsin MADD office for several years in the 1990s. He left to start his own company that continues with its own products that promote drunken driving prevention education. He says the Fond du Lac County Chapter shut down and there isn’t a state MADD office anymore. He says part of the problem is the national office isn’t well organized. Kindschuh says there’s still a place for MADD in society. He notes each year 17,000 people in the U.S. are killed by drunken drivers. (KFIZ, Fond du Lac)
Sturgeon Season Over After Two Days
2/13/12 - The sturgeon spearing season on the Upriver Lakes is over after two days. Spearers took 242 fish to trigger the harvest cap closure. Meanwhile it’s been slow going on the Lake Winnebago where 27 fish were taken yesterday for a two-day total of 66 and a system-wide total of 308. DNR Sturgeon Fisheries Supervisor Ron Bruch says its likely the season on the big lake will go all 16 days. The colder weather over the weekend did firm up ice on Lake Winnebago in some areas. The biggest sturgeon taken yesterday was a nearly 130 pounder on the Upriver Lakes by Charles Clark of Almond. (KFIZ, Fond du Lac)
WASD Looking for Help in Finding Superintendent
2/13/12 - The Waupun Area School District is looking for input on the hiring of a new Superintendent. The school board is putting together an advisory panel and members will play a role in interviewing candidates for the job. The committee is expected to be comprised of a number of community groups including service clubs, civic groups and local businesses. Anyone interested in being on the panel needs to submit a letter of interest by mailing them to Ann Ferch at the district office. The contract for current Interim Superintendent Don Childs expires on June 30th.
Address to send letters to: 950 Wilcox St., Waupun, WI, 53963.
Powerball Winner in Rhode Island
2/13/12 - For the first time, the Powerball jackpot is at its new, higher minimum of 40-million-dollars for Wednesday night. That's after a ticket sold in Rhode Island won Saturday night's prize of 336-point-four million. Wisconsin had one of the million-dollar second prizes. A ticket sold at a Pick-'N-Save in Brookfield matched all five numbers but not the Powerball. In Mega Millions, the jackpot is at 51-million dollars for the next drawing tomorrow night.
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Top Stories February 12th
Profits Up for Alliant Energy
2/12/12 - Alliant Energy of Madison reports a 21-percent increase in its quarterly profits. But the company also said it would sell its renewable energy division due to a problem with a solar project. Among other things, Alliant operates Wisconsin Power-and-Light in south central Wisconsin. Its net income rose from 47-million-dollars in the fourth quarter of 2010 to 57-million in the final quarter last year. Alliant said its electric and natural gas businesses did well, thanks to higher rates that were approved by state regulators, and lower costs to secure electricity. But the R-M-T renewable energy division lost 19-cents a share – 17-cents more than the year before – due mainly to problems at a solar facility in New Jersey. Alliant said a sub-contractor abandoned the project, and it led to delays and additional costs. The firm says it’s suing the sub-contractor – and R-M-T’s wind energy projects also had slightly fewer returns. Alliant’s board decided this month to sell the renewable operation.
Website Launched to Help State Businesses
2/12/12 - State officials have launched a new Web site to help businesses that want to move Wisconsin, or expand here. The state's Economic Development Corporation and the G-I-S Planning firm have put together a host of things to help companies make decisions about site selections. It provides free-and-fast real estate data, breakdowns of local demographics, details of Wisconsin communities, lists of buildings for sale, and other workforce information. The corporation's C-E-O, Paul Jadin, says the new Web is a powerful tool to help grow companies both outside Wisconsin and within. The address for the new site is LocateInWisconsin-Dot-Com.
Evers Says Bill Doesn’t Hold Schools Accountable
2/12/12 - State public school Superintendent Tony Evers says a new education bill that's gathering support in the State Capitol does not improve the system for holding schools accountable. Governor Scott Walker recently announced a new reform package with ideas from three task forces, two in which Evers participated. But yesterday, the superintendent said the bill that's now being circulated at the Capitol does not include charter or voucher schools in the accountability system -- and it does not update accountability measures in the old No Child Left Behind Act. Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie said officials were waiting for guidance from the U-S Education Department on what to put in the bill. Without that help, he says too much is uncertain about the changes legislators need to make. The state plans to file an application February 21st for federal waivers from certain parts of the No Child Left Behind Act. Assembly Education Committee chairman Steve Kestell says the waiver application has blanks to be filled in -- like how a school would be rated under the new accountability system. He and other lawmakers are concerned that Washington will reject the state's waiver request.
Judge Won’t Stop Voter ID Law
2/12/12 - A judge in Madison refused yesterday to stop Wisconsin's new voter I-D law from taking effect in the local primaries a week from Tuesday. Dane County Circuit Judge David Flanagan rejected the N-Double-A-C-P's request for a temporary injunction. It would have held up the photo I-D requirement for voting, until the judge could act on the group's request to throw out the law permanently. The N-Double-A-C-P's lawsuit includes 40 affidavits from people explaining difficulties in getting the required I-D's. Judge Flanagan said the statements did not show the irreparable harm needed to justify an injunction. But he said the issue is still worth considering in a trial. And he scheduled another hearing for Monday. The League of Women Voters and the A-C-L-U have also filed lawsuits to kill the voter I-D law. They say it disenfranchises seniors, minorities, college students, and others. Both suits are pending.
State Receives Disaster Planning Funds
2/12/12 - The federal government is giving two-million-dollars to a statewide team that finds-and-rescues people when large buildings collapse. The U-S Department of Homeland Security awarded the grant to provide equipment and training. The rescue team is made up of 250 fire-fighters from throughout Wisconsin. They’ve been trained for search-and-rescue operations in large building collapses. And they can organize and respond anywhere in Wisconsin within eight hours. Governor Scott Walker says 800-thousand dollars of the new grant will provide tools, protective gear, and medical supplies. The rest will train more fire-fighters in specialized rescue techniques for building collapses.
More Charges Filed in Marijuana Sales Ring
2/12/12 - Seven more people have been charged in a marijuana sales ring involving school teachers and others in Antigo and Merrill. That brings to 10 the total number who’ve been charged, and the investigation continues. All seven of the new defendants are due in Langlade County Circuit Court March 12th on misdemeanor counts of marijuana possession. Three of them have been on paid leave, after their names turned up in criminal complaints last month against three other defendants. The three are special education teacher Joseph Adams and learning disabilities teacher Mark Incha, both from Antigo High School – and Merrill middle school teacher Jay Peterson. The other newly-charged defendants are Anthony Crabb, Robert Hurlbert, Chris Nicholson, and Peter Miller. Two other Antigo school employees who were paid on leave have not been charged. The Antigo district says it’s still doing an internal investigation of all its employees on leave. The Merrill district has not commented. All the new defendants are in their 40’s-and-50’s. And prosecutors have said most bought their marijuana from Scot Peterson, who was charged last month with 26 counts. He’s due back in court March 19th, along with Brad Maahs of Wittenberg and former Antigo football coach and elementary principal John Lund. Lund was ordered yesterday to stand trial on eight felony charges, including marijuana possession and delivery and maintaining a drug trafficking place. Lund resigned last week.
Majority of Funds Spent on Recalls Last Summer Came From Out of State
2/12/12 - The independent groups that tried to influence last summer’s Wisconsin Senate recall elections got most of their money from out-of-state. That’s according to a new report released today by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. The watchdog group examined just over 10-million dollars that were given to seven organizations like the Republican State Leadership Committee and the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. And the report said only one-point-four million dollars – or about 15-percent of the total money – came from Wisconsin donors. The liberal Greater Wisconsin Committee raised the largest percentage of in-state money to try and get Democrats elected. It raised two-point-nine million dollars in all, and one-point-two million came from Wisconsinites. Most of that was from the state’s largest teachers’ union. Democrats gained two seats in last year’s six recall votes. The Dems did not achieve their goal of winning back the majority in the Senate – but they did reduce the G-O-P’s margin from five votes to just one.
Big Contract for Marinette Marine
2/12/12 - Marinette Marine has been given a big contract from the U-S Coast Guard. The northeast Wisconsin boat-maker has received an order totaling almost 90-million dollars to make 40 rescue boats. Marinette will start delivering the boats early next year. The company says the order is part of a 600-million-dollar commitment by the Coast Guard to contract for boats over a multi-year period. But it was not immediately known how much of that business would go to Marinette Marine.
2/12/12 - Alliant Energy of Madison reports a 21-percent increase in its quarterly profits. But the company also said it would sell its renewable energy division due to a problem with a solar project. Among other things, Alliant operates Wisconsin Power-and-Light in south central Wisconsin. Its net income rose from 47-million-dollars in the fourth quarter of 2010 to 57-million in the final quarter last year. Alliant said its electric and natural gas businesses did well, thanks to higher rates that were approved by state regulators, and lower costs to secure electricity. But the R-M-T renewable energy division lost 19-cents a share – 17-cents more than the year before – due mainly to problems at a solar facility in New Jersey. Alliant said a sub-contractor abandoned the project, and it led to delays and additional costs. The firm says it’s suing the sub-contractor – and R-M-T’s wind energy projects also had slightly fewer returns. Alliant’s board decided this month to sell the renewable operation.
Website Launched to Help State Businesses
2/12/12 - State officials have launched a new Web site to help businesses that want to move Wisconsin, or expand here. The state's Economic Development Corporation and the G-I-S Planning firm have put together a host of things to help companies make decisions about site selections. It provides free-and-fast real estate data, breakdowns of local demographics, details of Wisconsin communities, lists of buildings for sale, and other workforce information. The corporation's C-E-O, Paul Jadin, says the new Web is a powerful tool to help grow companies both outside Wisconsin and within. The address for the new site is LocateInWisconsin-Dot-Com.
Evers Says Bill Doesn’t Hold Schools Accountable
2/12/12 - State public school Superintendent Tony Evers says a new education bill that's gathering support in the State Capitol does not improve the system for holding schools accountable. Governor Scott Walker recently announced a new reform package with ideas from three task forces, two in which Evers participated. But yesterday, the superintendent said the bill that's now being circulated at the Capitol does not include charter or voucher schools in the accountability system -- and it does not update accountability measures in the old No Child Left Behind Act. Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie said officials were waiting for guidance from the U-S Education Department on what to put in the bill. Without that help, he says too much is uncertain about the changes legislators need to make. The state plans to file an application February 21st for federal waivers from certain parts of the No Child Left Behind Act. Assembly Education Committee chairman Steve Kestell says the waiver application has blanks to be filled in -- like how a school would be rated under the new accountability system. He and other lawmakers are concerned that Washington will reject the state's waiver request.
Judge Won’t Stop Voter ID Law
2/12/12 - A judge in Madison refused yesterday to stop Wisconsin's new voter I-D law from taking effect in the local primaries a week from Tuesday. Dane County Circuit Judge David Flanagan rejected the N-Double-A-C-P's request for a temporary injunction. It would have held up the photo I-D requirement for voting, until the judge could act on the group's request to throw out the law permanently. The N-Double-A-C-P's lawsuit includes 40 affidavits from people explaining difficulties in getting the required I-D's. Judge Flanagan said the statements did not show the irreparable harm needed to justify an injunction. But he said the issue is still worth considering in a trial. And he scheduled another hearing for Monday. The League of Women Voters and the A-C-L-U have also filed lawsuits to kill the voter I-D law. They say it disenfranchises seniors, minorities, college students, and others. Both suits are pending.
State Receives Disaster Planning Funds
2/12/12 - The federal government is giving two-million-dollars to a statewide team that finds-and-rescues people when large buildings collapse. The U-S Department of Homeland Security awarded the grant to provide equipment and training. The rescue team is made up of 250 fire-fighters from throughout Wisconsin. They’ve been trained for search-and-rescue operations in large building collapses. And they can organize and respond anywhere in Wisconsin within eight hours. Governor Scott Walker says 800-thousand dollars of the new grant will provide tools, protective gear, and medical supplies. The rest will train more fire-fighters in specialized rescue techniques for building collapses.
More Charges Filed in Marijuana Sales Ring
2/12/12 - Seven more people have been charged in a marijuana sales ring involving school teachers and others in Antigo and Merrill. That brings to 10 the total number who’ve been charged, and the investigation continues. All seven of the new defendants are due in Langlade County Circuit Court March 12th on misdemeanor counts of marijuana possession. Three of them have been on paid leave, after their names turned up in criminal complaints last month against three other defendants. The three are special education teacher Joseph Adams and learning disabilities teacher Mark Incha, both from Antigo High School – and Merrill middle school teacher Jay Peterson. The other newly-charged defendants are Anthony Crabb, Robert Hurlbert, Chris Nicholson, and Peter Miller. Two other Antigo school employees who were paid on leave have not been charged. The Antigo district says it’s still doing an internal investigation of all its employees on leave. The Merrill district has not commented. All the new defendants are in their 40’s-and-50’s. And prosecutors have said most bought their marijuana from Scot Peterson, who was charged last month with 26 counts. He’s due back in court March 19th, along with Brad Maahs of Wittenberg and former Antigo football coach and elementary principal John Lund. Lund was ordered yesterday to stand trial on eight felony charges, including marijuana possession and delivery and maintaining a drug trafficking place. Lund resigned last week.
Majority of Funds Spent on Recalls Last Summer Came From Out of State
2/12/12 - The independent groups that tried to influence last summer’s Wisconsin Senate recall elections got most of their money from out-of-state. That’s according to a new report released today by the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. The watchdog group examined just over 10-million dollars that were given to seven organizations like the Republican State Leadership Committee and the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee. And the report said only one-point-four million dollars – or about 15-percent of the total money – came from Wisconsin donors. The liberal Greater Wisconsin Committee raised the largest percentage of in-state money to try and get Democrats elected. It raised two-point-nine million dollars in all, and one-point-two million came from Wisconsinites. Most of that was from the state’s largest teachers’ union. Democrats gained two seats in last year’s six recall votes. The Dems did not achieve their goal of winning back the majority in the Senate – but they did reduce the G-O-P’s margin from five votes to just one.
Big Contract for Marinette Marine
2/12/12 - Marinette Marine has been given a big contract from the U-S Coast Guard. The northeast Wisconsin boat-maker has received an order totaling almost 90-million dollars to make 40 rescue boats. Marinette will start delivering the boats early next year. The company says the order is part of a 600-million-dollar commitment by the Coast Guard to contract for boats over a multi-year period. But it was not immediately known how much of that business would go to Marinette Marine.
Top Stories February 11th
Horicon PD Contract Progress
2/11/12 - The dissolving of the Horicon Police Department has been put on hold for now. Mayor Jim Grigg says a casual meeting Thursday that included city leaders, Chief Joe Adamson, a couple of police officers and a union official was the most productive gathering they’ve had since negotiations for the 2011-2012 police contract began. While it wasn’t an official bargaining session, Grigg says he believes they’ve made progress towards coming to an agreement. A bargaining session is set for February 15th and Grigg says until that meeting takes place they won’t take any more steps toward shutting down the department. The city had a meeting earlier this week in which it was given a basic overview of the costs of contracting with the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department for coverage. Grigg says any further talks with the county will come after the bargaining session.
Dems Say Challenges Won’t Hold Up
2/11/12 - A Democratic organizer says four Republican state senators will not be able to escape recall elections by convincing the state to invalidate thousands of petition signatures. Zac Kramer told the A-P he made a cursory review of the challenges filed yesterday by the four senators – and he doesn’t believe the Government Accountability Board will uphold all those challenges. According to preliminary numbers, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau is challenging 11-hundred more signatures than he needs to have stricken in order to avoid a recall vote. And Chippewa Falls Senator Terry Moulton is challenging about a hundred more signatures than he might need to ward off his recall. Kramer said Fitzgerald made a number of frivolous challenges that won’t stand – like counting some of his challenges twice, and wrongly claiming that some of the petitions did not have required information. Pam Galloway of Wausau and Van Wanggaard of Racine apparently fell short of challenging enough signatures to avoid their recall elections. But they still hope to invalidate more signatures, by asking that the G-O-P’s new hand-made Senate districts be used for the elections instead of the old ones drawn up by a federal court a decade ago. The new boundaries are not scheduled to take effect until this fall, pending legal efforts by Democrats and Hispanics to strike them down. Also, Fitzgerald said petitioners were improperly given 61 days to circulate petitions instead of the required 60, due to the King Day holiday last month.
Controversy Over Foreclosure Settlement
2/11/12 - Democratic lawmakers have been showed their displeasure to the attorney general’s decision to use part of a legal settlement for homeowners to help balance the state budget instead. Democrats proposed a bill to require the Legislature’s approval to spend any of the settlement to balance the budget. Majority Republicans are not expected to pass the measure. On Thursday, Wisconsin learned that it would get 140-million-dollars to help those in Milwaukee and elsewhere who lost their homes due to shoddy practices by five large national lenders. The state government’s share is around 32-million-dollars. And Attorney General J-B Van Hollen said he decided to put 25-million of it toward reducing a newly-discovered budget deficit of around 143-million dollars. Van Hollen said it was justified because the state’s efforts to create jobs suffered due to the foreclosure crisis. But Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has spent the past couple days criticizing Van Hollen’s move. Yesterday (Fr), Barrett said he would invite Van Hollen and Governor Scott walker to see the neighborhoods devastated by the foreclosure crisis. Barrett said there are 48-hundred abandoned homes in Milwaukee – and they would cost 48-million dollars to tear down. Barrett is a potential Democratic candidate in the governor’s expected recall election this summer, but he said it had nothing to do with his criticism of the mortgage funding. In Barrett’s words, “It would be mayoral malpractice if I didn’t talk about this.”
Dozens of Accident and Runoffs
2/11/12 - The region recorded a couple inches of snow yesterday. Beaver Dam and Watertown had a total of three inches from the storm while Jefferson recorded two-and-a-half. Dodge County Sheriffs Department Director of Communications Scott Smith says there were a dozen runoffs and at least 21 motor vehicle accidents since the snow started falling late yesterday morning. At 3:20pm, there was an accident with injuries reported on County Road E near Horicon. Just before 4pm, a two-vehicle, head-on collision resulting in injuries occurred in the Town of Trenton on County C at Jersey Road. A semi jack knifed on the Highway 151 off ramp at County Road G just after 2pm and portions of the southbound lanes were closed to remove the truck from the ditch. In the morning, a deputy stopped to assist a motorist on Highway 41 near Lomira and his squad car was struck by a passing vehicle. There were no injuries.
Walker Speaks in Washington DC
2/11/12 - Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker got a big welcome from a crowd of about a thousand Friday night at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C. Walker told the C-PAC audience if he loses a recall election this summer it would be a lasting blow to political risk-taking. The Republican says he’s not planning to fail, but if he does it would preclude any courageous act in American politics for a decade or more. Walker was a featured speaker at the 39th annual event. Walkers trip to Washington comes almost exactly a year after his effort to stop most collective bargaining for public employees set off a firestorm of protests at the Wisconsin state Capitol. C-PAC organizers have called Walker a hero of the movement.
Obama Coming to Wisconsin this Week
2/11/12 - President Barack Obama plans to talk about the importance of American manufacturing when he visits Wisconsin next week. The White House has announced he will be at Master Lock on Wednesday, talking about the need for companies to invest in American manpower. Obama singled out Master Lock in his State of the Union address last month, pointing out the Milwaukee company had returned about 100 jobs to Milwaukee from China since the middle of 2010. The company has said that decision was at least partly-driven by the rising cost of labor in Asia and the more expensive logistics of doing business from that far away.
Review Shows Big Loss Possible
2/11/12 - An independent review of a loan program for green energy projects shows the federal government could lose almost three billion dollars. Former Treasury Department official Herb Allison looked at 30 loans or loan guarantees totaling almost 24 billion dollars. Wisconsin Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner was among those criticizing the report released yesterday. The Republican said it’s, quoting here, “less a report than an umbrella to deflect the criticism pouring down on the administration.” Sensenbrenner said he was disappointed the review didn’t evaluate two major loans which failed given to Solyndra and Beacon.
Mining Bill Almost Finished
2/11/12 - State Senator Neal Kedzie says a mining bill is almost complete in its preliminary form – and could be ready for a vote next Monday. Kedzie chairs the Senate Selection Committee on Mining Jobs. He says the legislation isn’t in its final form yet, with revisions, additions or deletions still coming. The Assembly passed a mining bill a little over two weeks ago. It is anticipated the Senate version will differ dramatically. The Wisconsin Legislature is expected to pass mining legislation which would ease the path for a planned iron ore mine near Hurley. A public hearing could be held next Friday if the measure is finished Monday.
Hope for Housing Market in Milwaukee
2/11/12 - Growing sales of houses in Milwaukee are bringing some hope to real estate professionals in the state’s largest market. Sales of existing homes were up 15 and a half percent in January. A total of 760 homes were sold in the four-county area. That’s still far below the thousand-plus homes sold in January 2005. A spokesman for the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors says the market still offers low prices, an adequate supply of homes for sale and extremely low interest rates. January was the seventh straight month to see sales up by more than 10 percent when compared to the year before.
2/11/12 - The dissolving of the Horicon Police Department has been put on hold for now. Mayor Jim Grigg says a casual meeting Thursday that included city leaders, Chief Joe Adamson, a couple of police officers and a union official was the most productive gathering they’ve had since negotiations for the 2011-2012 police contract began. While it wasn’t an official bargaining session, Grigg says he believes they’ve made progress towards coming to an agreement. A bargaining session is set for February 15th and Grigg says until that meeting takes place they won’t take any more steps toward shutting down the department. The city had a meeting earlier this week in which it was given a basic overview of the costs of contracting with the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department for coverage. Grigg says any further talks with the county will come after the bargaining session.
Dems Say Challenges Won’t Hold Up
2/11/12 - A Democratic organizer says four Republican state senators will not be able to escape recall elections by convincing the state to invalidate thousands of petition signatures. Zac Kramer told the A-P he made a cursory review of the challenges filed yesterday by the four senators – and he doesn’t believe the Government Accountability Board will uphold all those challenges. According to preliminary numbers, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau is challenging 11-hundred more signatures than he needs to have stricken in order to avoid a recall vote. And Chippewa Falls Senator Terry Moulton is challenging about a hundred more signatures than he might need to ward off his recall. Kramer said Fitzgerald made a number of frivolous challenges that won’t stand – like counting some of his challenges twice, and wrongly claiming that some of the petitions did not have required information. Pam Galloway of Wausau and Van Wanggaard of Racine apparently fell short of challenging enough signatures to avoid their recall elections. But they still hope to invalidate more signatures, by asking that the G-O-P’s new hand-made Senate districts be used for the elections instead of the old ones drawn up by a federal court a decade ago. The new boundaries are not scheduled to take effect until this fall, pending legal efforts by Democrats and Hispanics to strike them down. Also, Fitzgerald said petitioners were improperly given 61 days to circulate petitions instead of the required 60, due to the King Day holiday last month.
Controversy Over Foreclosure Settlement
2/11/12 - Democratic lawmakers have been showed their displeasure to the attorney general’s decision to use part of a legal settlement for homeowners to help balance the state budget instead. Democrats proposed a bill to require the Legislature’s approval to spend any of the settlement to balance the budget. Majority Republicans are not expected to pass the measure. On Thursday, Wisconsin learned that it would get 140-million-dollars to help those in Milwaukee and elsewhere who lost their homes due to shoddy practices by five large national lenders. The state government’s share is around 32-million-dollars. And Attorney General J-B Van Hollen said he decided to put 25-million of it toward reducing a newly-discovered budget deficit of around 143-million dollars. Van Hollen said it was justified because the state’s efforts to create jobs suffered due to the foreclosure crisis. But Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has spent the past couple days criticizing Van Hollen’s move. Yesterday (Fr), Barrett said he would invite Van Hollen and Governor Scott walker to see the neighborhoods devastated by the foreclosure crisis. Barrett said there are 48-hundred abandoned homes in Milwaukee – and they would cost 48-million dollars to tear down. Barrett is a potential Democratic candidate in the governor’s expected recall election this summer, but he said it had nothing to do with his criticism of the mortgage funding. In Barrett’s words, “It would be mayoral malpractice if I didn’t talk about this.”
Dozens of Accident and Runoffs
2/11/12 - The region recorded a couple inches of snow yesterday. Beaver Dam and Watertown had a total of three inches from the storm while Jefferson recorded two-and-a-half. Dodge County Sheriffs Department Director of Communications Scott Smith says there were a dozen runoffs and at least 21 motor vehicle accidents since the snow started falling late yesterday morning. At 3:20pm, there was an accident with injuries reported on County Road E near Horicon. Just before 4pm, a two-vehicle, head-on collision resulting in injuries occurred in the Town of Trenton on County C at Jersey Road. A semi jack knifed on the Highway 151 off ramp at County Road G just after 2pm and portions of the southbound lanes were closed to remove the truck from the ditch. In the morning, a deputy stopped to assist a motorist on Highway 41 near Lomira and his squad car was struck by a passing vehicle. There were no injuries.
Walker Speaks in Washington DC
2/11/12 - Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker got a big welcome from a crowd of about a thousand Friday night at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C. Walker told the C-PAC audience if he loses a recall election this summer it would be a lasting blow to political risk-taking. The Republican says he’s not planning to fail, but if he does it would preclude any courageous act in American politics for a decade or more. Walker was a featured speaker at the 39th annual event. Walkers trip to Washington comes almost exactly a year after his effort to stop most collective bargaining for public employees set off a firestorm of protests at the Wisconsin state Capitol. C-PAC organizers have called Walker a hero of the movement.
Obama Coming to Wisconsin this Week
2/11/12 - President Barack Obama plans to talk about the importance of American manufacturing when he visits Wisconsin next week. The White House has announced he will be at Master Lock on Wednesday, talking about the need for companies to invest in American manpower. Obama singled out Master Lock in his State of the Union address last month, pointing out the Milwaukee company had returned about 100 jobs to Milwaukee from China since the middle of 2010. The company has said that decision was at least partly-driven by the rising cost of labor in Asia and the more expensive logistics of doing business from that far away.
Review Shows Big Loss Possible
2/11/12 - An independent review of a loan program for green energy projects shows the federal government could lose almost three billion dollars. Former Treasury Department official Herb Allison looked at 30 loans or loan guarantees totaling almost 24 billion dollars. Wisconsin Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner was among those criticizing the report released yesterday. The Republican said it’s, quoting here, “less a report than an umbrella to deflect the criticism pouring down on the administration.” Sensenbrenner said he was disappointed the review didn’t evaluate two major loans which failed given to Solyndra and Beacon.
Mining Bill Almost Finished
2/11/12 - State Senator Neal Kedzie says a mining bill is almost complete in its preliminary form – and could be ready for a vote next Monday. Kedzie chairs the Senate Selection Committee on Mining Jobs. He says the legislation isn’t in its final form yet, with revisions, additions or deletions still coming. The Assembly passed a mining bill a little over two weeks ago. It is anticipated the Senate version will differ dramatically. The Wisconsin Legislature is expected to pass mining legislation which would ease the path for a planned iron ore mine near Hurley. A public hearing could be held next Friday if the measure is finished Monday.
Hope for Housing Market in Milwaukee
2/11/12 - Growing sales of houses in Milwaukee are bringing some hope to real estate professionals in the state’s largest market. Sales of existing homes were up 15 and a half percent in January. A total of 760 homes were sold in the four-county area. That’s still far below the thousand-plus homes sold in January 2005. A spokesman for the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors says the market still offers low prices, an adequate supply of homes for sale and extremely low interest rates. January was the seventh straight month to see sales up by more than 10 percent when compared to the year before.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Top Stories February 10th
Fire and Apparent Suicide Under Investigation
2/10/12 - Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire in Randolph that destroyed the home of a former Columbia County sheriff’s deputy. A short time after the fire, 38-year-old David Sadowski was found just over the Dodge County line, dead in his pick-up truck from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The home is located on County Highway G, two miles west of State Highway 73 and the fire was reported yesterday morning just after 3am. A press release from the Columbia County Sheriffs Department said a “citizen” called in the fire. Sadowski served eleven years in Columbia County but recently left the force. The fire is under investigation by the Dodge County Sheriffs and Medical Examiner’s Office. Dodge County is also heading the death investigation along with the state Justice Department.
Car Goes Through Ice on Beaver Dam Lake
2/10/12 - A car went through the ice on Beaver Dam Lake last night. It happened on the eastern edge of the lake between Beaver Dam and Fox Lake around 11pm. The car apparently went through the ice and became partially submerged in about four feet of water. The two passengers were able to climb onto the roof and call for help. Neither was injured. It was the second time first responders came to the lake for a rescue. On Tuesday, an ice boat hit a heave and set two men into the lake. They were able to get out of the water on their own.
Born Announces Candidacy for Assembly
2/10/12 - Mark Born announced his candidacy last night for the 39th Assembly District seat being vacated by Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald. Born highlighted his experience as a former Alderman in Beaver Dam Ninth Ward and also the time he spent as Chairman of the Republican Party of Dodge County. He says it’s important to keep the momentum of conservative policies moving forward in Wisconsin. Born says difficult decisions have been made in the past year to improve the finances of state and local governments and Wisconsin cannot afford to slide back to past, reckless fiscal policies. There are no other Republicans currently running for the Assembly seat in the November election. Horicon Mayor James Grigg is the only democrat that has announced.
Girls Injured in Accident are Improving
2/10/12 - Six Campbellsport girls' high school soccer players are getting better, after being hurt in an S-U-V crash last weekend that killed three other students. Four of the six survivors are now home from the hospital. Theresa Flood was the latest to be released from Milwaukee Children's Hospital. Allie Adams was in fair condition yesterday. Jessica Harbin remains hospitalized, but her family asked that her condition not be released. Caitlin Scannell, Katie Berg, and Sabrina Stahl died in last Saturday's crash when their S-U-V rolled over in a field off a rural road near Campbellsport. Public visitations were held yesterday at the high school. Separate funerals are planned for today. Fond du Lac County sheriff's deputies are still investigating the crash. They've said they would turn over their evidence to the district attorney for possible charges -- but that has not happened yet.
Fall River Foundry Facing Fines
2/10/12 - A brass-maker in Columbia County faces almost $58-thousand-dollars in fines for ten alleged workplace safety violations. The U-S Occupational Safety-and-Health Administration said the Fall River Foundry failed to protect employees from metal dust. OSHA said the company exposed its workers to excessive amounts of lead-and-copper dust – and it did not install proper safety equipment to reduce the exposure. The company refused comment today. The Fall River Foundry has 15 days to pay the fines, challenge the citations, or ask OSHA for a conference.
Lake Days Musical Lineup Set
2/10/12 - The musical lineup for the 19th Annual Beaver Dam Lake Days has been announced. The four day event kicks off on July 12th with a DJ spinning music from 7-10pm as part of Youth Night. On Friday the 13th, Cosmo, which consists of two members of the classic rock group Boston, will perform all of the Boston favorites starting at 8:30pm. On Saturday it’ll be Little Texas hitting the stage at 8:30pm. And on Sunday Terry Sylvester will close things out when he takes to the stage at 6:30pm. A number of local bands will also perform including, Lucas Cates, My Idiot Brother, Chelli Bri, and The Good Time Dutchmen. There will also be fireworks on both Friday and Saturday nights.
Carlson Waives Prelim
2/10/12 - A Horicon man has waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday on charges that he sexually assaulted a girl over a period of several years. 36-year-old Brian Carlson is charged with one felony count of Repeated Sexual Assault of a Child, which carries a sentence of up to 40 years in prison, if he’s convicted. According to the criminal complaint, a man reported to Horicon police in late December that the girl, now 17-years-old, told him about the abuse, which started in the summer of 2006 when she was 12-years-old and continued through October of last year. The victim reportedly told investigators with the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department that the abuse occurred between two and three times a week. He originally denied the contact but eventually admitted the assault, saying she was 14-or-15-years-old at the time and had a crush on him. Carlson said it was never forced and she had told him that it was all right. Carlson is being held on a $20,000 cash bond and he’ll be back in court for arraignment next month.
Man in Court on 7th OWI
2/10/12 - A Watertown man waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday on charges of seventh offense drunk driving. 50-year-old William Gordon was pulled over on January 5th in the town of Lebanon after a police officer operating a radar gun recognized Gordon and his vehicle. Authorities say Gordon admitted to drinking for about an hour prior to driving and he reportedly had an open beer in the vehicle. Gordon is charged with felony operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and driving on a revoked license. His previous six convictions range in date from 1993 to 2008. The charges carry a maximum of 11-years in prison, if he’s convicted. An arraignment hearing is on the calendar next month.
Cat Returns to Original Order
2/10/12 - A state appeals court ruled Thursday that a pet cat belongs to a Dodge County man – and not the ex-girlfriend he broke up with. The Fourth District Appellate Court granted custody of Dexter the cat today to Roger Kueffer. The court said Julee Lawler tried to get Dexter back ever since the couple broke up almost three-and-a-half years ago. Records showed that Kueffer kept the cat while the couple kept bickering about it. At one point, the man told Lawler that Dexter died – but she later learned it was not true. Lawler sued in small claims court to get the cat. She failed there, and the appellate court refused to overturn that ruling.
Facilities Committee to Visit Other Schools
2/10/12 - Columbus Schools’ Facility Committee and Board members will be making a field trip to southern Wisconsin today. Schools in Lake Mills, Jefferson and Palmyra-Eagle have all recently been renovated. Columbus Schools’ goal is to have the facilities committee make a recommendation or recommendations for a November referendum by March 26th. Today’s trip will give planners a better idea of what possible updates to the District facilities will be of the biggest benefit.
WI Budget Deficit $143M
2/10/12 - Governor Scott Walker says a budget repair bill will not be needed to eliminate a new deficit in the current state budget of 143-million dollars. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau said yesterday that tax collections have dropped – and those revenues are projected to be 273 million dollars less than expected by the time the current budget expires in June of next year. The Republican Walker says he will not have the Legislature pass an emergency budget repair bill. Walker and five other G-O-P elected officials face possible recall elections this summer. Walker did not say how he would address the projected shortfall.
Fiscal Bureau director Robert Lang told lawmakers that Walker’s administration is looking at re-financing debt and other re-structuring to put the budget back in balance. And Lang says a full-blown budget repair bill will not be needed. In a statement, Walker vowed that the budget would not be in a deficit during the current fiscal year – halfway through the two-year budget period.
Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald of Horicon and his brother, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau, said they remain committed to solving the budget without tax increases. Both said tax hikes would only make Wisconsin’s business climate worse – and the G-O-P would continue to quote, “keep focusing on growing jobs, not the government.” Assembly Democratic leader Peter Barca blamed the deficit on quote, “irresponsible budgeting and a lack of serious focus on jobs and the economy.”
2/10/12 - Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire in Randolph that destroyed the home of a former Columbia County sheriff’s deputy. A short time after the fire, 38-year-old David Sadowski was found just over the Dodge County line, dead in his pick-up truck from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The home is located on County Highway G, two miles west of State Highway 73 and the fire was reported yesterday morning just after 3am. A press release from the Columbia County Sheriffs Department said a “citizen” called in the fire. Sadowski served eleven years in Columbia County but recently left the force. The fire is under investigation by the Dodge County Sheriffs and Medical Examiner’s Office. Dodge County is also heading the death investigation along with the state Justice Department.
Car Goes Through Ice on Beaver Dam Lake
2/10/12 - A car went through the ice on Beaver Dam Lake last night. It happened on the eastern edge of the lake between Beaver Dam and Fox Lake around 11pm. The car apparently went through the ice and became partially submerged in about four feet of water. The two passengers were able to climb onto the roof and call for help. Neither was injured. It was the second time first responders came to the lake for a rescue. On Tuesday, an ice boat hit a heave and set two men into the lake. They were able to get out of the water on their own.
Born Announces Candidacy for Assembly
2/10/12 - Mark Born announced his candidacy last night for the 39th Assembly District seat being vacated by Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald. Born highlighted his experience as a former Alderman in Beaver Dam Ninth Ward and also the time he spent as Chairman of the Republican Party of Dodge County. He says it’s important to keep the momentum of conservative policies moving forward in Wisconsin. Born says difficult decisions have been made in the past year to improve the finances of state and local governments and Wisconsin cannot afford to slide back to past, reckless fiscal policies. There are no other Republicans currently running for the Assembly seat in the November election. Horicon Mayor James Grigg is the only democrat that has announced.
Girls Injured in Accident are Improving
2/10/12 - Six Campbellsport girls' high school soccer players are getting better, after being hurt in an S-U-V crash last weekend that killed three other students. Four of the six survivors are now home from the hospital. Theresa Flood was the latest to be released from Milwaukee Children's Hospital. Allie Adams was in fair condition yesterday. Jessica Harbin remains hospitalized, but her family asked that her condition not be released. Caitlin Scannell, Katie Berg, and Sabrina Stahl died in last Saturday's crash when their S-U-V rolled over in a field off a rural road near Campbellsport. Public visitations were held yesterday at the high school. Separate funerals are planned for today. Fond du Lac County sheriff's deputies are still investigating the crash. They've said they would turn over their evidence to the district attorney for possible charges -- but that has not happened yet.
Fall River Foundry Facing Fines
2/10/12 - A brass-maker in Columbia County faces almost $58-thousand-dollars in fines for ten alleged workplace safety violations. The U-S Occupational Safety-and-Health Administration said the Fall River Foundry failed to protect employees from metal dust. OSHA said the company exposed its workers to excessive amounts of lead-and-copper dust – and it did not install proper safety equipment to reduce the exposure. The company refused comment today. The Fall River Foundry has 15 days to pay the fines, challenge the citations, or ask OSHA for a conference.
Lake Days Musical Lineup Set
2/10/12 - The musical lineup for the 19th Annual Beaver Dam Lake Days has been announced. The four day event kicks off on July 12th with a DJ spinning music from 7-10pm as part of Youth Night. On Friday the 13th, Cosmo, which consists of two members of the classic rock group Boston, will perform all of the Boston favorites starting at 8:30pm. On Saturday it’ll be Little Texas hitting the stage at 8:30pm. And on Sunday Terry Sylvester will close things out when he takes to the stage at 6:30pm. A number of local bands will also perform including, Lucas Cates, My Idiot Brother, Chelli Bri, and The Good Time Dutchmen. There will also be fireworks on both Friday and Saturday nights.
Carlson Waives Prelim
2/10/12 - A Horicon man has waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday on charges that he sexually assaulted a girl over a period of several years. 36-year-old Brian Carlson is charged with one felony count of Repeated Sexual Assault of a Child, which carries a sentence of up to 40 years in prison, if he’s convicted. According to the criminal complaint, a man reported to Horicon police in late December that the girl, now 17-years-old, told him about the abuse, which started in the summer of 2006 when she was 12-years-old and continued through October of last year. The victim reportedly told investigators with the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department that the abuse occurred between two and three times a week. He originally denied the contact but eventually admitted the assault, saying she was 14-or-15-years-old at the time and had a crush on him. Carlson said it was never forced and she had told him that it was all right. Carlson is being held on a $20,000 cash bond and he’ll be back in court for arraignment next month.
Man in Court on 7th OWI
2/10/12 - A Watertown man waived his right to a preliminary hearing Thursday on charges of seventh offense drunk driving. 50-year-old William Gordon was pulled over on January 5th in the town of Lebanon after a police officer operating a radar gun recognized Gordon and his vehicle. Authorities say Gordon admitted to drinking for about an hour prior to driving and he reportedly had an open beer in the vehicle. Gordon is charged with felony operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and driving on a revoked license. His previous six convictions range in date from 1993 to 2008. The charges carry a maximum of 11-years in prison, if he’s convicted. An arraignment hearing is on the calendar next month.
Cat Returns to Original Order
2/10/12 - A state appeals court ruled Thursday that a pet cat belongs to a Dodge County man – and not the ex-girlfriend he broke up with. The Fourth District Appellate Court granted custody of Dexter the cat today to Roger Kueffer. The court said Julee Lawler tried to get Dexter back ever since the couple broke up almost three-and-a-half years ago. Records showed that Kueffer kept the cat while the couple kept bickering about it. At one point, the man told Lawler that Dexter died – but she later learned it was not true. Lawler sued in small claims court to get the cat. She failed there, and the appellate court refused to overturn that ruling.
Facilities Committee to Visit Other Schools
2/10/12 - Columbus Schools’ Facility Committee and Board members will be making a field trip to southern Wisconsin today. Schools in Lake Mills, Jefferson and Palmyra-Eagle have all recently been renovated. Columbus Schools’ goal is to have the facilities committee make a recommendation or recommendations for a November referendum by March 26th. Today’s trip will give planners a better idea of what possible updates to the District facilities will be of the biggest benefit.
WI Budget Deficit $143M
2/10/12 - Governor Scott Walker says a budget repair bill will not be needed to eliminate a new deficit in the current state budget of 143-million dollars. The Legislative Fiscal Bureau said yesterday that tax collections have dropped – and those revenues are projected to be 273 million dollars less than expected by the time the current budget expires in June of next year. The Republican Walker says he will not have the Legislature pass an emergency budget repair bill. Walker and five other G-O-P elected officials face possible recall elections this summer. Walker did not say how he would address the projected shortfall.
Fiscal Bureau director Robert Lang told lawmakers that Walker’s administration is looking at re-financing debt and other re-structuring to put the budget back in balance. And Lang says a full-blown budget repair bill will not be needed. In a statement, Walker vowed that the budget would not be in a deficit during the current fiscal year – halfway through the two-year budget period.
Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald of Horicon and his brother, Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau, said they remain committed to solving the budget without tax increases. Both said tax hikes would only make Wisconsin’s business climate worse – and the G-O-P would continue to quote, “keep focusing on growing jobs, not the government.” Assembly Democratic leader Peter Barca blamed the deficit on quote, “irresponsible budgeting and a lack of serious focus on jobs and the economy.”
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Top Stories February 7th
Police Searching for Man Involved in Violent Domestic Issue
2/7/12 - Authorities are searching for a man who allegedly beat up his girlfriend and later held a knife to another man’s throat early this morning. Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls says they were called out to a residence on Pond Road in the town of Rubicon around 2:45 this morning for a report of a domestic incident. Nehls says the 36-year-old man got into a physical altercation with his girlfriend, and when he learned police were coming to the home, he fled into a wooded area near the residence. As authorities began searching the woods for him, he circled around and reentered the home. He armed himself with a knife and threatened another man with it before once again fleeing into the woods. Nehls says deputies and the department’s K-9 team are currently searching for the man in an area around the home.
Charges Possible in Deadly Crash
2/7/12 - Fond du Lac County sheriff’s officials say the district attorney will eventually decide if charges will be filed in an S-U-V crash that killed three girls and injured six others. All nine were on the Campbellsport High School girls’ soccer teams. Authorities said yesterday that they had left an overnight sleep-over, went to get fast food, and toilet-papered a friend’s house before their vehicle crashed near the high school around 3:30 Saturday morning. Sheriff’s lieutenant Rick Olig said the S-U-V was speeding when it went over a hillcrest, and hit a bump and a small incline before it lost control. It flipped over and rolled into a farm field before stopping on its wheels 700-feet later. Caitlin Scannell, Katie Berg, and Sabrina Stahl died in the crash. At least three others were still at Milwaukee Children’s Hospital overnight. The others have been sent home after getting treatment. Four girls were not wearing seat-belts, and were thrown from the vehicle. Sheriff’s officials said alcohol was not believed to be a factor, but they’ll know for sure when test results come back in about 10 days. The S-U-V driver, 18-year-old Carly Ottery of Eden, was among those released from the hospital.
BD Council Approves CIP
2/7/12 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night unanimously approved the city’s five-year Capital Improvements Program. The CIP, as it’s called, lays out infrastructure improvement needs and major equipment purchases over the next five years while outlining a borrowing plan for the current year. Officials came up with a three-year plan in committee that holds borrowing to $1.6 million in each of the next three years. Don Neuert chairs the Administrative Committee, which basically holds the purse strings. Neuert says it’s important to earmark projects that constituents have identified as priorities that need to be funded over the next few years.
The Operations Committee is tasked with placing items on or removing items from the CIP, whether or not they get funded. Chair Laine Meyer says it is a benefit to have agreement on projects over the next three years. While street repairs have been identified in coming years that tie into state and federally-funded projects, Meyer is concerned that city borrowing for street reconstruction projects will continue to decline. He says the city is well behind where it should be at this point and if funding can’t keep up we’re just going to continue to fall farther and farther behind. Projects for 2012 include the reconstruction Prospect Avenue in conjunction with a state Highway 151 project. Two stretches of North Crystal Lake Road will see mill and overlay work along with the city-owned, downtown Center Plaza parking lot. Borrowing is also planned for a dump truck, 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.
New Design Plans Unveiled For The Watermark
2/7/12 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night heard an update on the designs for the planned Community and Senior Center. There are no city tax dollars being used to pay for renovation of “The Watermark” in the former Fullerton Lumber building at 209 South Center, so a non-profit group is spearheading the fundraising campaign. Marty Sell with the design company Rketek (architect) says the new floor plans reduce the interior from 25-thousand square feet to 22-thousand, which reduces construction costs by $400-thousand dollars to just above $3-million dollars. Sell says there are five separate zones inside the building, among them: an entry way, office space, an arts and crafts studio slash wood shop and a general recreation area. The bulk of the building is comprised of five, dividable multi-purpose rooms surrounded by a circular hallway that doubles as a walking track. The outside of the pre-engineered steel building has metal siding and Sell says the plan is to replace it with an insulated brick veneer that conforms to the historic look of the downtown as outlined by the Landmark Commission. The fundraising group behind the $2.9 million dollar capital campaign also announced an aggressive timeline last night with bidding and contract awards planned by September, ground broken as early as this fall and completion targeted for the summer of next year.
Horicon Could Dissolve Police Department
2/7/12 - A city of Horicon committee is expected to discuss the possibility of dissolving the city’s police department. The Personnel and Finance Committee is set to meet today to talk about possible solutions to a budget deficit and an incomplete police contract. One of those solutions would be to do away with the city’s police department and contract out coverage to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department. The city used the department over the summer to bridge the gap between the departure of Lieutenant Adrian Bump and the return of Chief Joe Adamson. The police contract has been an issue in recent years and there is currently no deal in place for 2012. Officials are not expected to make any quick decisions on the department’s future and are seeking community input but they do hope to have a solution in place before a new council and mayor is elected in April. According to the agenda, the meeting will adjourn into closed session to gather information for negotiating police services for the city.
Ex-Walker Aide to Plead Guility
2/7/12 - A former aide to Governor Scott Walker when he was the Milwaukee County executive is expected to plead guilty this afternoon to a pair of misdemeanor charges. Prosecutors say they’ll only recommend a fine for 61-year-old Darlene Wink, one of four ex-Walker aides charged as the result of a long-running John Doe investigation. She entered into a plea agreement before she was charged in late January. Milwaukee prosecutors said they gave her a break because she agreed to provide information about an undisclosed destruction of digital evidence – plus other matters being pursued in the John Doe probe. Wink was accused of posting anonymous comments on blogs praising Walker’s campaign for governor, and working on other campaign events while she was supposed to be providing customer service for Milwaukee County residents.
Meanwhile, Walker acknowledged for the first time yesterday that prosecutors initiated the meeting that the governor said he would have with them. He told reporters in Waukesha that his campaign has provided written documents to the D-A’s office – and now, they’d like to talk to the governor about what was found and quote, “additional help we can provide.” Walker announced the meeting last week, but did not say when it would be. He was it was not the result of a subpoena. Walker said he hired two attorneys for the occasion – and taxpayers will not cover that bill.
Watertown Man Charged As Lookout In Dealership Burglary
2/7/12 - A Watertown man is accused of acting as the lookout in last month’s armed burglary of Martin Motors. A window was broken on January 26 to gain access to the Watertown car dealership. 18-year-old Mark Humfleet is charged with being a party to a crime of Burglary and Theft. Authorities say Humfleet served as the lookout while another man ransacked the office, stealing around $20 in cash an iPod and a 22-caliber handgun. The handgun was allegedly found in Humfleet’s possession. The other man has not been charged but according to the criminal complaint he burglarized the dealership on the same day he was to be sentenced for an unrelated burglary. Shoe prints at the scene matched the shoes he was wearing during questioning and after investigators noted the similarity he reportedly connected the stolen gun to Humfleet, who is also accused of filing down the serial number on the weapon. The charges carry a maximum of over 21 years in prison if Humfleet is convicted.
GAB Wants Unified Recall Challenges
2/7/12 - If a state elections official has his way, outside groups would not be able to challenge improper recall petitions that they see on-line. Kevin Kennedy says he’ll ask the Government Accountability Board today (Tue) to strike only those signatures that the board’s staff finds faulty – or those brought to the agency by the petition circulators or the targets of the petitions. There are said to be efforts taking place throughout the country to check the validity of the estimated one-point-nine million recall signatures against Governor Scott Walker, Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and four G-O-P senators. If the board approves Kennedy’s recommendation, the outside groups might have to take its questionable signatures to the recall targets in order to challenge them. But time is running out. Senators Pam Galloway, Van Wanggaard, Terry Moulton and Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau have until Thursday to file challenges with the Accountability Board. The Walker campaign has until February 27th to challenge signatures. And Kleefisch’s camp has until March fifth to do the same.
2/7/12 - Authorities are searching for a man who allegedly beat up his girlfriend and later held a knife to another man’s throat early this morning. Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls says they were called out to a residence on Pond Road in the town of Rubicon around 2:45 this morning for a report of a domestic incident. Nehls says the 36-year-old man got into a physical altercation with his girlfriend, and when he learned police were coming to the home, he fled into a wooded area near the residence. As authorities began searching the woods for him, he circled around and reentered the home. He armed himself with a knife and threatened another man with it before once again fleeing into the woods. Nehls says deputies and the department’s K-9 team are currently searching for the man in an area around the home.
Charges Possible in Deadly Crash
2/7/12 - Fond du Lac County sheriff’s officials say the district attorney will eventually decide if charges will be filed in an S-U-V crash that killed three girls and injured six others. All nine were on the Campbellsport High School girls’ soccer teams. Authorities said yesterday that they had left an overnight sleep-over, went to get fast food, and toilet-papered a friend’s house before their vehicle crashed near the high school around 3:30 Saturday morning. Sheriff’s lieutenant Rick Olig said the S-U-V was speeding when it went over a hillcrest, and hit a bump and a small incline before it lost control. It flipped over and rolled into a farm field before stopping on its wheels 700-feet later. Caitlin Scannell, Katie Berg, and Sabrina Stahl died in the crash. At least three others were still at Milwaukee Children’s Hospital overnight. The others have been sent home after getting treatment. Four girls were not wearing seat-belts, and were thrown from the vehicle. Sheriff’s officials said alcohol was not believed to be a factor, but they’ll know for sure when test results come back in about 10 days. The S-U-V driver, 18-year-old Carly Ottery of Eden, was among those released from the hospital.
BD Council Approves CIP
2/7/12 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night unanimously approved the city’s five-year Capital Improvements Program. The CIP, as it’s called, lays out infrastructure improvement needs and major equipment purchases over the next five years while outlining a borrowing plan for the current year. Officials came up with a three-year plan in committee that holds borrowing to $1.6 million in each of the next three years. Don Neuert chairs the Administrative Committee, which basically holds the purse strings. Neuert says it’s important to earmark projects that constituents have identified as priorities that need to be funded over the next few years.
The Operations Committee is tasked with placing items on or removing items from the CIP, whether or not they get funded. Chair Laine Meyer says it is a benefit to have agreement on projects over the next three years. While street repairs have been identified in coming years that tie into state and federally-funded projects, Meyer is concerned that city borrowing for street reconstruction projects will continue to decline. He says the city is well behind where it should be at this point and if funding can’t keep up we’re just going to continue to fall farther and farther behind. Projects for 2012 include the reconstruction Prospect Avenue in conjunction with a state Highway 151 project. Two stretches of North Crystal Lake Road will see mill and overlay work along with the city-owned, downtown Center Plaza parking lot. Borrowing is also planned for a dump truck, 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.
New Design Plans Unveiled For The Watermark
2/7/12 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night heard an update on the designs for the planned Community and Senior Center. There are no city tax dollars being used to pay for renovation of “The Watermark” in the former Fullerton Lumber building at 209 South Center, so a non-profit group is spearheading the fundraising campaign. Marty Sell with the design company Rketek (architect) says the new floor plans reduce the interior from 25-thousand square feet to 22-thousand, which reduces construction costs by $400-thousand dollars to just above $3-million dollars. Sell says there are five separate zones inside the building, among them: an entry way, office space, an arts and crafts studio slash wood shop and a general recreation area. The bulk of the building is comprised of five, dividable multi-purpose rooms surrounded by a circular hallway that doubles as a walking track. The outside of the pre-engineered steel building has metal siding and Sell says the plan is to replace it with an insulated brick veneer that conforms to the historic look of the downtown as outlined by the Landmark Commission. The fundraising group behind the $2.9 million dollar capital campaign also announced an aggressive timeline last night with bidding and contract awards planned by September, ground broken as early as this fall and completion targeted for the summer of next year.
Horicon Could Dissolve Police Department
2/7/12 - A city of Horicon committee is expected to discuss the possibility of dissolving the city’s police department. The Personnel and Finance Committee is set to meet today to talk about possible solutions to a budget deficit and an incomplete police contract. One of those solutions would be to do away with the city’s police department and contract out coverage to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department. The city used the department over the summer to bridge the gap between the departure of Lieutenant Adrian Bump and the return of Chief Joe Adamson. The police contract has been an issue in recent years and there is currently no deal in place for 2012. Officials are not expected to make any quick decisions on the department’s future and are seeking community input but they do hope to have a solution in place before a new council and mayor is elected in April. According to the agenda, the meeting will adjourn into closed session to gather information for negotiating police services for the city.
Ex-Walker Aide to Plead Guility
2/7/12 - A former aide to Governor Scott Walker when he was the Milwaukee County executive is expected to plead guilty this afternoon to a pair of misdemeanor charges. Prosecutors say they’ll only recommend a fine for 61-year-old Darlene Wink, one of four ex-Walker aides charged as the result of a long-running John Doe investigation. She entered into a plea agreement before she was charged in late January. Milwaukee prosecutors said they gave her a break because she agreed to provide information about an undisclosed destruction of digital evidence – plus other matters being pursued in the John Doe probe. Wink was accused of posting anonymous comments on blogs praising Walker’s campaign for governor, and working on other campaign events while she was supposed to be providing customer service for Milwaukee County residents.
Meanwhile, Walker acknowledged for the first time yesterday that prosecutors initiated the meeting that the governor said he would have with them. He told reporters in Waukesha that his campaign has provided written documents to the D-A’s office – and now, they’d like to talk to the governor about what was found and quote, “additional help we can provide.” Walker announced the meeting last week, but did not say when it would be. He was it was not the result of a subpoena. Walker said he hired two attorneys for the occasion – and taxpayers will not cover that bill.
Watertown Man Charged As Lookout In Dealership Burglary
2/7/12 - A Watertown man is accused of acting as the lookout in last month’s armed burglary of Martin Motors. A window was broken on January 26 to gain access to the Watertown car dealership. 18-year-old Mark Humfleet is charged with being a party to a crime of Burglary and Theft. Authorities say Humfleet served as the lookout while another man ransacked the office, stealing around $20 in cash an iPod and a 22-caliber handgun. The handgun was allegedly found in Humfleet’s possession. The other man has not been charged but according to the criminal complaint he burglarized the dealership on the same day he was to be sentenced for an unrelated burglary. Shoe prints at the scene matched the shoes he was wearing during questioning and after investigators noted the similarity he reportedly connected the stolen gun to Humfleet, who is also accused of filing down the serial number on the weapon. The charges carry a maximum of over 21 years in prison if Humfleet is convicted.
GAB Wants Unified Recall Challenges
2/7/12 - If a state elections official has his way, outside groups would not be able to challenge improper recall petitions that they see on-line. Kevin Kennedy says he’ll ask the Government Accountability Board today (Tue) to strike only those signatures that the board’s staff finds faulty – or those brought to the agency by the petition circulators or the targets of the petitions. There are said to be efforts taking place throughout the country to check the validity of the estimated one-point-nine million recall signatures against Governor Scott Walker, Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and four G-O-P senators. If the board approves Kennedy’s recommendation, the outside groups might have to take its questionable signatures to the recall targets in order to challenge them. But time is running out. Senators Pam Galloway, Van Wanggaard, Terry Moulton and Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau have until Thursday to file challenges with the Accountability Board. The Walker campaign has until February 27th to challenge signatures. And Kleefisch’s camp has until March fifth to do the same.
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