Mayville Products Corp. Closing
1/20/12 - The Mayville Products Corporation in Dodge County will close by March 30th, leaving 130 people out of work. The firm announced the closing yesterday to state and local officials. Human resources administrator Lisa Zangl cited “business conditions” as the reason for the move – but she did not elaborate. Mayville Products is a designer and maker of cabinets, frames, mounting products, and racks under several brand names.
Below Zero Temps Precede More Snow
1/20/12 - It’s well below zero in most of Wisconsin this morning – but unlike yesterday, folks are not battling dangerous wind chills. It was 25-below in Tomahawk at 7am, but the air was calm there. As of 7am, it was -3 in Beaver Dam, while Watertown, Waupun and Cambria were all at 1-below. Mineral Point was the state’s warm spot at plus-three. Meanwhile, we are under a winter weather advisory beginning at 9am through 7pm tonight. We are expecting the snow to start falling later this morning with a total of between 3 and six inches by the time the storm moves out. The upper-30’s will return to southeast Wisconsin on Sunday – and there’s a chance for freezing rain in the south on Sunday and Monday.
Juneau Appoints New Utility Commissioners
1/20/12 - City officials in Juneau met in special session last night to approve appointments to the entire Utility Commission Board. Last week, the Common Council approved a restructuring of the Utility Commission meant to save money and increase efficiency. The change came after other elected and appointed city officials took a reduction in annual salary and per-meeting stipends; the commission that oversees the city-owned utility balked and the mayor refused to reappoint Commission President Dan Wegner. In the time that followed, the remaining four members of the commission resigned, three of them immediately after last weeks meeting, leaving Mayor Ron Bosak with an entirely new commission to appoint. The restructuring ordinance replaced two of the five commissioners with alderpersons. Bosak appointed Roxanne Buss and Mark Lentz to fill the council vacancies. One of the reasons opponents of the restructuring cited for keeping the status quo was the depth of knowledge that previous commissioners developed over years of service, many with a background in electricity. Bosak says that skill set, while appreciated, is not necessary. Just the same he says one of his appointments, Merlin Luedtke, worked 20 years as Electric Superintendent for the city of Juneau. The other two citizen representatives on the Utility Commission are Dave Muenchow and Jerry Stolzman. The Utility Commission has a meeting scheduled for this Monday at which time officers will be elected and committees will be formed.
Speeding Tickets Up, Accidents Down in Dodge County
1/20/12 - Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls says his department in recent years has dramatically increased the number of speeding citations it issues and he says that has had a positive impact on the number of traffic accidents in the county. According to the most recent data available, deputies in Dodge County issued over 5600 speeding tickets in 2010, an increase of 1200 from the previous year and 3500 more tickets than were issued in 2006. Nehls credits advances in technology which he says has allowed his deputies to focus on traffic safety and enforcement. He says everything a deputy used to have to do in an office five years ago can now be done in a squad car thanks to devices like mobile data computers. There were 834 accidents in 2010, down 20% from 2006. And traffic fatalities for the last two years have been at an all-time low. That gets deputies back on the road quicker leading to higher visibility and lower instances of speeding and crashes. The Sheriff says he has increased speeding citations without speed traps and encourages his deputies to issue warnings to first-time speeders, avoiding penalties wherever possible in promoting safe driving. He says there is a 4-to-1 radio of warnings to speeding tickets.
Bertram Waives Preliminary Hearing
1/20/12 - A Milwaukee man, accused of running from Watertown police at a high rate of speed, has waived his right to a preliminary hearing. Steven Bertram is charged with one felony count of Fleeing an Officer, which carries a maximum three-and-a-half year prison sentence, if he is convicted. According to the criminal complaint, police stopped the 22-year-old on the Highway 16 Bypass in October for speeding. When the officer informed Bertram that he had three warrants out for his arrest, Bertram allegedly stood silent for a moment, slowly put his hands on the ignition and “slammed his car into gear.” A one-mile chase followed that reportedly reached speeds of 85mph before the officer terminated the pursuit. A citation was sent to Bertram. A passenger in the vehicle later told police that Bertram said he didn’t know about the warrants and didn’t want to get arrested and lose his job. An arraignment hearing is on the calendar next month.
More Private Sector Jobs Lost in December
1/20/12 - Wisconsin lost more private sector jobs last month while the nation as a whole made gains. Preliminary federal figures released today show that Wisconsin lost 39-hundred private sector jobs in December while the nation added 212-thousand positions. Both numbers reflect seasonal factors, and they’re open to revisions when more complete surveys are finished. It was the sixth straight month that Wisconsin recorded job losses, after making gains in the first six months of last year. Final figures from November showed that Wisconsin lost 14-hundred fewer private sector jobs than originally reported – but the final loss was still about 10-thousand for the month. Most of the lost jobs in December were in the leisure-and-hospitality areas and other service industries. Wisconsin’s seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate dropped two-tenths of a point to seven-point-one percent. That’s the same drop as the national rate had in December. The U-S rate is now eight-and-a-half percent. Officials said Wisconsin’s decline was due to the fact that the total number of people working grew by 69-hundred from November to December – and by 21-thousand compared to a year ago.
Elections Agency Looking to Extend Time to Review Petitions
The state elections’ agency plans to go to court next week to ask for more time to review the estimated one-point-nine million recall signatures submitted against six officials. But director Kevin Kennedy is not ready to say how much extra time will be sought beyond the 31 days allowed by law. Kennedy answered questions about the process yesterday during a public interview at the Marquette Law School in Milwaukee. Right now, the petition signatures are being scanned into computers – and a database will be formed to make it easier to check for false-and-duplicate signatures. Kennedy said workers are testing the new software that checks the signatures – and the agency believes it will work. Government Accountability Board spokesman Reid Magney says the scanning of petitions for four state Senate recall elections should be completed today. But Magney said it would take longer to enter the signatures against Governor Scott Walker and Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch. Thousands more signatures were submitted than the numbers required to order recall elections. And Kennedy said it’s possible that the checking process will end once it’s obvious there are enough valid signatures to call each election. He says those kinds of decisions cannot be made until they’re into the process. As Kennedy put it, “This is a whole new ball game.”
Education Reform Bills to be Introduced to WI Legislature
Bills to reform Wisconsin’s public schools will be introduced this month in both houses of the Legislature. Governor Scott Walker outlined the measures yesterday at a convention of school board members and district officials in Milwaukee. The state would set up its own system to make schools accountable, replacing parts of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. There would also be a tougher licensing exam for teachers, new requirements for elementary instructors, and a system to evaluate teachers-and-principals. Each school would have its own screener to determine how much incoming kindergarteners have learned. And Walker said the state would pay for those positions. The proposals came from the governor’s Read-to-Lead task force and two other groups dealing with effective educators and school accountability. State Superintendent Tony Evers said he was never consulted on the fine points of the new bills, even though he served on two of the three task forces. But Walker spokesman Cullen Werwie says the Department of Public Instruction has been briefed on the measures – and Evers will be consulted. He said the heads of the Assembly and Senate education committees, Republicans Steve Kestell and Luther Olsen, would write the bills. Werwie says the total costs have yet to be determined. Mary Bell, head of the state’s largest teachers’ union, said her group was involved in one of the task forces but was never consulted on the bills. And she feared that the details would conflict with what Walker highlights in public, quote, “as with many things” during his time as governor.
Associated Bank Profits Up 600%
The largest bank that’s based in Wisconsin reports a 600-percent increase in its quarterly profits from a year ago. Associated Bank-Corp of Green Bay had a net income of just under 40-million-dollars from October-through-December. That’s up from six-point-six million in the same quarter of 2010. Earnings per share rose from four-cents to 23. Associated had a big drop in bad loans. Delinquent loans totaled 357-million-dollars in the last year. That’s the lowest in two years, and it was down 38-percent from the year before. The bank also reported a 79-percent decrease in the number of bad loans it wrote off. Associated also said it added a much smaller amount to its reserves for covering bad loans – just one-million dollars in the last quarter, down from 63-million in the final quarter of 2010. C-E-O Philip Flynn expects a three-percent growth in loans in each quarter of 2012. Associated became the largest Wisconsin home-based bank when M-and-I was sold to B-M-O of Canada.
Remington Staying in Madison-area
1/20/12 - The maker of Remington shavers says it will keep its headquarters in the Madison area and continue to manufacture Ray-o-Vac batteries in Portage. Spectrum Brands said for the first time publicly Thursday that it considered moving to Miramar Florida, where one of its home appliance subsidiaries is based. But in a statement, the company cited cost savings, space efficiencies, and a forgivable four-million-dollar state loan in deciding to stay in Wisconsin. Spectrum Brands plans to build a new headquarters facility in the Madison suburb of Middleton. It’s due to open in 2013, and the company says it will have room for up to 70 professional employees who now work in Florida. Had the headquarters been moved, C-E-O Dave Lumley said up to 300 jobs would have been transferred from Madison. Spectrum Brands has battery plants in Portage and Fennimore, and a center in De Forest to handle returns. Besides batteries and razors, Spectrum also makes Black-and-Decker appliances, pet supplies, and insect repellents. The firm says it has an economic impact of 100-million-dollars a year in Wisconsin.
Friday, January 20, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Top Stories January 18th
Pair of Serious Accidents on Highway 33
1/18/12 - Slippery roads are said to have played a role in an accident that sent a 79-year-old Mayville man to the hospital. It happened a couple miles outside of Horicon just before 4pm on Highway 33 near North Grove Road. According to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department, Ralph Smith was driving west when he lost control of his truck and it spun over the centerline and went into the ditch where it overturned and struck a utility pole. Smith had to be extricated from the vehicle and was taken to Beaver Dam Community Hospital before being flown by MedFlight to UW-Hospital in Madison. Authorities say the highway was snow covered and slippery at the time of the crash.
Meanwhile, a head-on collision sent two Horicon men to the hospital early this morning. It also happened on Highway 33 near Fairfield Road just before 3am. According to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department, 47-year-old Kevin Lucht was driving his truck east when he crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a car driven by 18-year-old Davis Kiefer. Both drivers were hospitalized. Authorities say their investigation is ongoing but they don’t believe road conditions were a factor in the crash.
Burnett Man Accused of Obstructing Death Investigation
1/18/12 - A Burnett man is accused of obstructing a death investigation. Shane Teletzke was reportedly at the Grandview Motel in Beaver Dam on the morning 26-year-old Aliecia Nichols died in a suspected heroin overdose. According to the criminal complaint, Teletzke was flushing unknown contraband down the toilet when officers arrived on scene. A blue powdery substance was reportedly uncovered from the toilet and a water sample was taken before it completely dissolved. When asked about the flushed items, Teletzke reportedly said (quote) “stuff no one needed to see anyway.” The 24-year-old told investigators that Nichols called Teletzke to her motel room at 5am because she was feeling ill. Police were called around 9:30am to reports of a “pulse-less non-breather.” Nichols was pronounced dead a short time later at the Beaver Dam Community Hospital. He says the two fell asleep. Teletzke is also charged with felony drug possession after he was searched and officers allegedly found a bag of marijuana. He is also charged with two counts of felony bail jumping. Teletzke was out on bond after being arrested for felony drug possession in Dane County last November. A signature bond was set at $1000 and a preliminary hearing is on the calendar next month. His Dodge County charges carry a penalty of up to 16-years in prison, if he is convicted. The Nichols death remains under investigation and authorities say additional charges are possible.
Murder Suspect Found Dead In Green Lake County
1/18/12 - A Hustisford woman accused of injuring one child and killing another while she was babysitting was found dead Monday at a residence in Green Lake County. Renee Kuehl (keel) was charged with three felonies, including First Degree Reckless Homicide and Child Abuse Intentionally Causing Great Bodily Harm. The 49-year-old was accused of inflicting fatal trauma on a 22-month-old boy who fell down the stairs while she was babysitting in 2007. The incident was ruled an accident but when a two-year-old girl who Kuehl was babysitting suffered similar injuries two years later, doctors took another look and determined that the fatal injuries were not accidental. In a press release, Dodge County District Attorney Kurt Klomberg expressed sympathy to the Kuehl family and said her (quote) ”untimely death means that now the truth about these cases will never be heard.” Green Lake County Coroner Darlene Strey says an autopsy conducted Tuesday in Madison confirmed that foul play is not suspected.
Standoff Suspect Turns Himself In
1/17/12 - A Fox Lake man accused of sparking a standoff with authorities last month has turned himself into police. Brandon Babcock was allegedly involved in a domestic incident on the 200 block of Rosedale Avenue. A woman left the residence but Babcock remained inside. While no weapons were involved in the domestic altercation it was believed there were weapons available to the man inside and some nearby residents were evacuated. After several hours, Nehls says it was necessary to decide if they would escalate the situation by using tear gas into the home for voluntary compliance or employ “dynamic entry” by the Dodge County SWAT Team. The sheriff says after consulting with law enforcement on scene he made the determination to “disengage” and attempt to take the suspect into custody at some point in the future or through a summons from the Dodge County District Attorneys office. An arrest warrant was issued Monday and Babcock turned himself in this morning. The 23-year-old is facing is formally charged of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
Recall Petitions Submitted
1/17/12 - Petitions were filed Tuesday to order recall elections against six Republican state politicians. Lori Compas, who heads the campaign against Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, stood on the steps of the Government Accountability Board offices and announced she had 20-thousand-600 signatures. That's almost four-thousand more than the 16-thousand-742 valid signatures required to put the Juneau Republican up for election this summer. Compas said a lot of people have asked her if she'll run against Fitzgerald. She remains undecided. Fitzgerald says that he's been "overwhelmed" with support since the recall drive began. He said his fellow Republicans balanced a "massive" budget deficit without raising taxes or laying off state employees. He also said quote, "We gave power back to school districts and municipalities which allowed them to prioritize their spending and avoid mass layoffs." And he said his chamber passed over a dozen job-creation bills to lay the foundation for the state's economy to recover.
Governor Scott Walker, meanwhile, says that he’ll campaign on his record, and he expects voters to stand by him in the recall election that appears likely this summer. United Wisconsin – which conducted the two-month petition drive on behalf of Democrats and labor unions – said it turned in over one-million signatures. They need 540-thousand valid signatures to force the Republican Walker to stand in a recall election after he will have served about a year-and-a-half of his four-year term. Walker issued a statement that his state budget and his measure to virtually end public union bargaining were needed to control spending, keep taxes in check, and balance the budget while avoiding state employee layoffs.
Petitioners also said they filed 305-thousand more signatures than they needed to force a recall vote against Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and more than the required numbers were submitted against fellow Republican senators Terry Moulton, Van Wanggaard, and Pam Galloway. The state Government Accountability Board says it will need more than two months and new petition-reading software to check for invalid petition signatures. The Board plans to go to court this week to seek an extension of the normal 31-day review process – and it will ask that all the elections be held on the same day.
Dem’s Leaning Toward Barrett
1/18/12 - Wisconsin voters apparently want a rematch between Governor Walker and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. The firm of Public Policy Polling says Barrett leads former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk 46-to-27 percent if they're the only two candidates in a Democratic primary. If Barrett runs only against former Congressman Dave Obey, Barrett would lead 43-to-28 percent. And if there are four candidates in a Democratic primary, Barrett would have 26-percent, compared to 22-percent for Falk, 21-percent for Obey, and 11-percent for Janesville Senate Democrat Tim Cullen. The Public Policy poll interviewed people most likely to vote in a Democratic party. About 60-percent of those people were Democrats -- but 11-percent were Republicans, and 30-percent were independents.
DC Board Approves Purchase of Land
1/17/12 - The Dodge County Board took the first steps last night towards constructing a new radio communications tower in the southeast portion of the county by purchasing about 1.75-acres in the town of Ashippun. Though it’s contingent on approval by the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Aviation Association, the board approved a resolution that will allow the county to purchase the Cleveland Road parcel for a total cost of about $57,000. Emergency Management Director Joe Meagher says radio communications in that part of the county are almost non-existent and that impacts the response time of fire departments and other law enforcement agencies. If they are approved by the FCC and FAA they hope to go to bid in February and want to have the tower up before new federal regulations go into place next January. The total budget for the project is around $700,000.
BDUSD Science Partnership Grant Renewed
1/17/12 - A partnership grant between the Beaver Dam School District and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh has been renewed by the Department of Public Instruction. The $145,000 grants is part of $1.7-million statewide being used to help teachers become better at teaching math and science in their classrooms. For Beaver Dam and UW-Oshkosh the focus is on teaching science, and Superintendent Steve Vessey says the program results over the first few years have been very encouraging. Other local districts, like Cambria-Friesland, Fall River and Randolph, and Watertown are also part of partnerships with other higher learning institutions.
Senate Approves New Guidelines For NRB
1/18/12 - The Wisconsin Senate voted 23-to-9 Tuesday in favor of new qualifications to serve on the state Natural Resources Board. The bill is designed to have more sporting enthusiasts represented on the D-N-R’s policy-setting panel. Under the measure, three of the seven board members must have owned hunting, fishing, or trapping licenses for seven-of-the-10 years before they’re appointed. And one board member must come from the agricultural sector. The Assembly approved the same changes last October, so the bill now goes to Governor Scott Walker.
Senate Approves Open Enrollment Changes
1/18/12 - The Senate approved changes Tuesday in the open enrollment law, also known as the public school choice program. The bill would give parents more time to seek enrollments for their kids outside their home districts – and the home districts would have to share details with the other school systems about discipline problems. Supporters say the bill would give a second chance to youngsters struggling in their home districts. Opponents fear the bill would harm schools by reducing their enrollments while places like virtual schools benefit. The package has been amended a couple times, and the Senate sent the bill back to the Assembly on a voice vote.
1/18/12 - Slippery roads are said to have played a role in an accident that sent a 79-year-old Mayville man to the hospital. It happened a couple miles outside of Horicon just before 4pm on Highway 33 near North Grove Road. According to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department, Ralph Smith was driving west when he lost control of his truck and it spun over the centerline and went into the ditch where it overturned and struck a utility pole. Smith had to be extricated from the vehicle and was taken to Beaver Dam Community Hospital before being flown by MedFlight to UW-Hospital in Madison. Authorities say the highway was snow covered and slippery at the time of the crash.
Meanwhile, a head-on collision sent two Horicon men to the hospital early this morning. It also happened on Highway 33 near Fairfield Road just before 3am. According to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department, 47-year-old Kevin Lucht was driving his truck east when he crossed the centerline and collided head-on with a car driven by 18-year-old Davis Kiefer. Both drivers were hospitalized. Authorities say their investigation is ongoing but they don’t believe road conditions were a factor in the crash.
Burnett Man Accused of Obstructing Death Investigation
1/18/12 - A Burnett man is accused of obstructing a death investigation. Shane Teletzke was reportedly at the Grandview Motel in Beaver Dam on the morning 26-year-old Aliecia Nichols died in a suspected heroin overdose. According to the criminal complaint, Teletzke was flushing unknown contraband down the toilet when officers arrived on scene. A blue powdery substance was reportedly uncovered from the toilet and a water sample was taken before it completely dissolved. When asked about the flushed items, Teletzke reportedly said (quote) “stuff no one needed to see anyway.” The 24-year-old told investigators that Nichols called Teletzke to her motel room at 5am because she was feeling ill. Police were called around 9:30am to reports of a “pulse-less non-breather.” Nichols was pronounced dead a short time later at the Beaver Dam Community Hospital. He says the two fell asleep. Teletzke is also charged with felony drug possession after he was searched and officers allegedly found a bag of marijuana. He is also charged with two counts of felony bail jumping. Teletzke was out on bond after being arrested for felony drug possession in Dane County last November. A signature bond was set at $1000 and a preliminary hearing is on the calendar next month. His Dodge County charges carry a penalty of up to 16-years in prison, if he is convicted. The Nichols death remains under investigation and authorities say additional charges are possible.
Murder Suspect Found Dead In Green Lake County
1/18/12 - A Hustisford woman accused of injuring one child and killing another while she was babysitting was found dead Monday at a residence in Green Lake County. Renee Kuehl (keel) was charged with three felonies, including First Degree Reckless Homicide and Child Abuse Intentionally Causing Great Bodily Harm. The 49-year-old was accused of inflicting fatal trauma on a 22-month-old boy who fell down the stairs while she was babysitting in 2007. The incident was ruled an accident but when a two-year-old girl who Kuehl was babysitting suffered similar injuries two years later, doctors took another look and determined that the fatal injuries were not accidental. In a press release, Dodge County District Attorney Kurt Klomberg expressed sympathy to the Kuehl family and said her (quote) ”untimely death means that now the truth about these cases will never be heard.” Green Lake County Coroner Darlene Strey says an autopsy conducted Tuesday in Madison confirmed that foul play is not suspected.
Standoff Suspect Turns Himself In
1/17/12 - A Fox Lake man accused of sparking a standoff with authorities last month has turned himself into police. Brandon Babcock was allegedly involved in a domestic incident on the 200 block of Rosedale Avenue. A woman left the residence but Babcock remained inside. While no weapons were involved in the domestic altercation it was believed there were weapons available to the man inside and some nearby residents were evacuated. After several hours, Nehls says it was necessary to decide if they would escalate the situation by using tear gas into the home for voluntary compliance or employ “dynamic entry” by the Dodge County SWAT Team. The sheriff says after consulting with law enforcement on scene he made the determination to “disengage” and attempt to take the suspect into custody at some point in the future or through a summons from the Dodge County District Attorneys office. An arrest warrant was issued Monday and Babcock turned himself in this morning. The 23-year-old is facing is formally charged of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.
Recall Petitions Submitted
1/17/12 - Petitions were filed Tuesday to order recall elections against six Republican state politicians. Lori Compas, who heads the campaign against Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, stood on the steps of the Government Accountability Board offices and announced she had 20-thousand-600 signatures. That's almost four-thousand more than the 16-thousand-742 valid signatures required to put the Juneau Republican up for election this summer. Compas said a lot of people have asked her if she'll run against Fitzgerald. She remains undecided. Fitzgerald says that he's been "overwhelmed" with support since the recall drive began. He said his fellow Republicans balanced a "massive" budget deficit without raising taxes or laying off state employees. He also said quote, "We gave power back to school districts and municipalities which allowed them to prioritize their spending and avoid mass layoffs." And he said his chamber passed over a dozen job-creation bills to lay the foundation for the state's economy to recover.
Governor Scott Walker, meanwhile, says that he’ll campaign on his record, and he expects voters to stand by him in the recall election that appears likely this summer. United Wisconsin – which conducted the two-month petition drive on behalf of Democrats and labor unions – said it turned in over one-million signatures. They need 540-thousand valid signatures to force the Republican Walker to stand in a recall election after he will have served about a year-and-a-half of his four-year term. Walker issued a statement that his state budget and his measure to virtually end public union bargaining were needed to control spending, keep taxes in check, and balance the budget while avoiding state employee layoffs.
Petitioners also said they filed 305-thousand more signatures than they needed to force a recall vote against Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and more than the required numbers were submitted against fellow Republican senators Terry Moulton, Van Wanggaard, and Pam Galloway. The state Government Accountability Board says it will need more than two months and new petition-reading software to check for invalid petition signatures. The Board plans to go to court this week to seek an extension of the normal 31-day review process – and it will ask that all the elections be held on the same day.
Dem’s Leaning Toward Barrett
1/18/12 - Wisconsin voters apparently want a rematch between Governor Walker and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett. The firm of Public Policy Polling says Barrett leads former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk 46-to-27 percent if they're the only two candidates in a Democratic primary. If Barrett runs only against former Congressman Dave Obey, Barrett would lead 43-to-28 percent. And if there are four candidates in a Democratic primary, Barrett would have 26-percent, compared to 22-percent for Falk, 21-percent for Obey, and 11-percent for Janesville Senate Democrat Tim Cullen. The Public Policy poll interviewed people most likely to vote in a Democratic party. About 60-percent of those people were Democrats -- but 11-percent were Republicans, and 30-percent were independents.
DC Board Approves Purchase of Land
1/17/12 - The Dodge County Board took the first steps last night towards constructing a new radio communications tower in the southeast portion of the county by purchasing about 1.75-acres in the town of Ashippun. Though it’s contingent on approval by the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Aviation Association, the board approved a resolution that will allow the county to purchase the Cleveland Road parcel for a total cost of about $57,000. Emergency Management Director Joe Meagher says radio communications in that part of the county are almost non-existent and that impacts the response time of fire departments and other law enforcement agencies. If they are approved by the FCC and FAA they hope to go to bid in February and want to have the tower up before new federal regulations go into place next January. The total budget for the project is around $700,000.
BDUSD Science Partnership Grant Renewed
1/17/12 - A partnership grant between the Beaver Dam School District and the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh has been renewed by the Department of Public Instruction. The $145,000 grants is part of $1.7-million statewide being used to help teachers become better at teaching math and science in their classrooms. For Beaver Dam and UW-Oshkosh the focus is on teaching science, and Superintendent Steve Vessey says the program results over the first few years have been very encouraging. Other local districts, like Cambria-Friesland, Fall River and Randolph, and Watertown are also part of partnerships with other higher learning institutions.
Senate Approves New Guidelines For NRB
1/18/12 - The Wisconsin Senate voted 23-to-9 Tuesday in favor of new qualifications to serve on the state Natural Resources Board. The bill is designed to have more sporting enthusiasts represented on the D-N-R’s policy-setting panel. Under the measure, three of the seven board members must have owned hunting, fishing, or trapping licenses for seven-of-the-10 years before they’re appointed. And one board member must come from the agricultural sector. The Assembly approved the same changes last October, so the bill now goes to Governor Scott Walker.
Senate Approves Open Enrollment Changes
1/18/12 - The Senate approved changes Tuesday in the open enrollment law, also known as the public school choice program. The bill would give parents more time to seek enrollments for their kids outside their home districts – and the home districts would have to share details with the other school systems about discipline problems. Supporters say the bill would give a second chance to youngsters struggling in their home districts. Opponents fear the bill would harm schools by reducing their enrollments while places like virtual schools benefit. The package has been amended a couple times, and the Senate sent the bill back to the Assembly on a voice vote.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Top Stories January 17th
No Demerit Points Given To Game On
1/17/12 - The Beaver Dam Police Department is recommending that no points be assessed against the Game On dance club, where three fights occurred in a one-month period. As part of the city’s Demerit Point Ordinance, local bars can be assessed points for violations of everything from underage drinking to bar fights. Any business that racks-up 150 points in a rolling 12-month period trigger’s a hearing that could result in suspension of revocation of its liquor license. Game On already had 100 points when officers responded to the Madison Street bar in November following a fight. Police were NOT notified by the establishment and Game On was assessed another 40 points. Another fight occurred in December, but 9-1-1 was called following that incident. The on the morning of New Years Day, multiple fights were reported while police were on already scene, leaving no reason to contact police. That, combined with other factors, led Police Chief Ron Smith to determine that no points were necessary from the two most recent fights. Smith says the owner of the bar has done everything authorities have asked and he does not view the establishment as a risk to public or police safety. In addition to contacting police, management has installed more cameras and hired a firm out of Fond du Lac to handle security. Game On had 100 points assessed on January 16, 2011 for serving underage patrons. Under the terms of the ordinance, those points disappear after one year so as of today, January 17, 2012, Game On only has the 40 points it earned in November hanging over its head.
New Community Center Named “Watermark”
1/17/12 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night approved a new name for the planned Community and Senior Center. There are no city tax dollars planned for renovation of the former Fullerton Lumber building at 209 South Center, so the non-profit group “Friends of the Beaver Dam Community Center” is organizing a $2.9 million dollar fundraising campaign. As part of the campaign, the group unveiled a new logo and building name last night, asking the blessing of city leaders as they move forward. Karla Jensen chairs a Communications Task Force associated with the Friends group. Jensen says the name “Watermark” reflects the high water mark in the river that runs behind the building and also represents high quality paper. She says the group expects the building and its programs to reach that same high quality standard for the community. The Friends group is in pre-campaign mode, with plans to launch their official fundraising campaign shortly. Representatives with the non-profit will be our guests on WBEV’s Community Comment next Tuesday.
Recall Signatures to Be Delivered Today
1/17/12 - Democrats and union supporters will submit an estimated one-and-a-half million recall signatures today. The state Government Accountability Board will then start reviewing the signatures, to see if there are enough to order recall elections against Governor Scott Walker, Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and four G-O-P state senators, including Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau. Meanwhile, Democrats say they're against the Board's effort to hold all recall votes on the same day. State law requires those elections to be held six weeks after petitions are verified -- and petitions for the smaller Senate recalls are expected to be reviewed a lot quicker than the statewide petitions for governor. Graeme Zielinski of the State Democratic Party says the recall votes should be held as quickly as possible, and delaying one or more of them would break the law. He's concerned that the G-O-P incumbents are not given more time to raise money for their campaigns. Holding the votes on the same day would save money for local government clerks. The state says a single election, with no primary, would cost the state-and-local communities around nine-million dollars.
MLK Jr Celebration at Capitol Turns Political
1/17/12 - Wisconsin is not the only state where a new voter I-D law was criticized at a Martin Luther King Day event. Rallies in Georgia and South Carolina focused on similar laws in those states, as speakers accused officials of trying to suppress black votes. In Madison, the issue came up during the state's official King Day observance at the State Capitol. The keynote speaker, Maryland law professor Sherrillyn Ifill, did not specifically mention Wisconsin's I-D law. But the former NAACP staff lawyer said King would have opposed it the same way he fought poll taxes and literacy tests. That drew loud applause from hundreds of people who attended. Governor Scott Walker, who approved the voter I-D law, sat quietly and listened. When he left, a couple protestors tried following him yelling "Shame, Shame" -- and they were stopped by security. Walker's only involvement in the ceremony was reading a proclamation for King Day. As he did that, two dozen protestors turned their backs and hissed.
BD Approves Resolution On Civil Public Discourse
1/17/12 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night approved a resolution urging civil public discourse in government. The resolution was brought forward by City Attorney Mary Ann Schacht at the suggestion of the Wisconsin League of Municipalities and cites (quote) “divisive attacks…which lead to ineffective public decision making, citizen frustration and damage to our democracy.” In its January issue, the League encouraged local governments to adopt the measure. Schacht says the hope at the beginning of a new year is to steer the conversation toward good government and good communications. The resolution reads (quote), “that the city of Beaver Dam urges all government officials and employees, political parties, media representatives, advocacy organizations and candidates for political office and their supporters to strive toward a more civil public discourse in the conduct of political activities and in the administration of the affairs of government.” The resolution was adopted without dissent.
PAVE Services See Record Year
1/17/12 - Twenty-eleven (2011) was a record year for the domestic violence shelter in Beaver Dam. That’s according to Executive Director Jamie Kratz-Gullickson who says they provided over 4000 nights of shelter to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault last year, compared to 2800 the previous year. A night of shelter is measured as one person spending one night in the shelter. Kratz-Gullickson says when she started in 2007, PAVE provided 1200 nights of shelter. The closest they’ve gotten to the 4000 nights provided last year was in 2009, when there were 3800 nights of shelter recorded. PAVE helped 665 individual clients last year, compared to 600 the previous year. She says the increase has them re-assessing the size and versatility of the PAVE shelter.
High Speed Internet Could Impact Farmers
1/17/12 - Wisconsin farmers, pilots, and land surveyors say their G-P-S systems would be wrecked by a plan to provide high-speed Internet service around the country. Light-Squared Incorporated is offering Four-"G" service that would meet the federal government's goal of providing broadband Internet coverage nationwide by 2015. But a new government report says the Light-Squared system would create interference in three-fourths of the nation's G-P-S devices, which operate on weaker signals. Some of those systems are used by the military -- and the Federal Communications Commission is barred from approving signals that interfere with the military's G-P-S locators. Sean Elliott of the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh says instrument-guided landing systems are threatened by G-P-S interference. Dodge County land information officer Joyce Fiacco says Light-Squared's signal would affect surveying equipment, and set their work back 20 years. Casey Langan of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation says farmers use G-P-S to plant crops and apply proper amounts of pesticides. Light-Squared spokesman Chris Stern tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the company has offered to reduce the strength of its signal. And the firm accused the G-P-S industry of infringing on a spectrum that Light-Squared built. The F-C-C's final approval is due by the end of January. Fond du Lac House Republican Tom Petri has asked the agency to reject the plan, saying G-P-S interference could cause hundreds of fatal airplane crashes over the next decade.
1/17/12 - The Beaver Dam Police Department is recommending that no points be assessed against the Game On dance club, where three fights occurred in a one-month period. As part of the city’s Demerit Point Ordinance, local bars can be assessed points for violations of everything from underage drinking to bar fights. Any business that racks-up 150 points in a rolling 12-month period trigger’s a hearing that could result in suspension of revocation of its liquor license. Game On already had 100 points when officers responded to the Madison Street bar in November following a fight. Police were NOT notified by the establishment and Game On was assessed another 40 points. Another fight occurred in December, but 9-1-1 was called following that incident. The on the morning of New Years Day, multiple fights were reported while police were on already scene, leaving no reason to contact police. That, combined with other factors, led Police Chief Ron Smith to determine that no points were necessary from the two most recent fights. Smith says the owner of the bar has done everything authorities have asked and he does not view the establishment as a risk to public or police safety. In addition to contacting police, management has installed more cameras and hired a firm out of Fond du Lac to handle security. Game On had 100 points assessed on January 16, 2011 for serving underage patrons. Under the terms of the ordinance, those points disappear after one year so as of today, January 17, 2012, Game On only has the 40 points it earned in November hanging over its head.
New Community Center Named “Watermark”
1/17/12 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night approved a new name for the planned Community and Senior Center. There are no city tax dollars planned for renovation of the former Fullerton Lumber building at 209 South Center, so the non-profit group “Friends of the Beaver Dam Community Center” is organizing a $2.9 million dollar fundraising campaign. As part of the campaign, the group unveiled a new logo and building name last night, asking the blessing of city leaders as they move forward. Karla Jensen chairs a Communications Task Force associated with the Friends group. Jensen says the name “Watermark” reflects the high water mark in the river that runs behind the building and also represents high quality paper. She says the group expects the building and its programs to reach that same high quality standard for the community. The Friends group is in pre-campaign mode, with plans to launch their official fundraising campaign shortly. Representatives with the non-profit will be our guests on WBEV’s Community Comment next Tuesday.
Recall Signatures to Be Delivered Today
1/17/12 - Democrats and union supporters will submit an estimated one-and-a-half million recall signatures today. The state Government Accountability Board will then start reviewing the signatures, to see if there are enough to order recall elections against Governor Scott Walker, Lieutenant Governor Rebecca Kleefisch, and four G-O-P state senators, including Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau. Meanwhile, Democrats say they're against the Board's effort to hold all recall votes on the same day. State law requires those elections to be held six weeks after petitions are verified -- and petitions for the smaller Senate recalls are expected to be reviewed a lot quicker than the statewide petitions for governor. Graeme Zielinski of the State Democratic Party says the recall votes should be held as quickly as possible, and delaying one or more of them would break the law. He's concerned that the G-O-P incumbents are not given more time to raise money for their campaigns. Holding the votes on the same day would save money for local government clerks. The state says a single election, with no primary, would cost the state-and-local communities around nine-million dollars.
MLK Jr Celebration at Capitol Turns Political
1/17/12 - Wisconsin is not the only state where a new voter I-D law was criticized at a Martin Luther King Day event. Rallies in Georgia and South Carolina focused on similar laws in those states, as speakers accused officials of trying to suppress black votes. In Madison, the issue came up during the state's official King Day observance at the State Capitol. The keynote speaker, Maryland law professor Sherrillyn Ifill, did not specifically mention Wisconsin's I-D law. But the former NAACP staff lawyer said King would have opposed it the same way he fought poll taxes and literacy tests. That drew loud applause from hundreds of people who attended. Governor Scott Walker, who approved the voter I-D law, sat quietly and listened. When he left, a couple protestors tried following him yelling "Shame, Shame" -- and they were stopped by security. Walker's only involvement in the ceremony was reading a proclamation for King Day. As he did that, two dozen protestors turned their backs and hissed.
BD Approves Resolution On Civil Public Discourse
1/17/12 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night approved a resolution urging civil public discourse in government. The resolution was brought forward by City Attorney Mary Ann Schacht at the suggestion of the Wisconsin League of Municipalities and cites (quote) “divisive attacks…which lead to ineffective public decision making, citizen frustration and damage to our democracy.” In its January issue, the League encouraged local governments to adopt the measure. Schacht says the hope at the beginning of a new year is to steer the conversation toward good government and good communications. The resolution reads (quote), “that the city of Beaver Dam urges all government officials and employees, political parties, media representatives, advocacy organizations and candidates for political office and their supporters to strive toward a more civil public discourse in the conduct of political activities and in the administration of the affairs of government.” The resolution was adopted without dissent.
PAVE Services See Record Year
1/17/12 - Twenty-eleven (2011) was a record year for the domestic violence shelter in Beaver Dam. That’s according to Executive Director Jamie Kratz-Gullickson who says they provided over 4000 nights of shelter to victims of domestic violence and sexual assault last year, compared to 2800 the previous year. A night of shelter is measured as one person spending one night in the shelter. Kratz-Gullickson says when she started in 2007, PAVE provided 1200 nights of shelter. The closest they’ve gotten to the 4000 nights provided last year was in 2009, when there were 3800 nights of shelter recorded. PAVE helped 665 individual clients last year, compared to 600 the previous year. She says the increase has them re-assessing the size and versatility of the PAVE shelter.
High Speed Internet Could Impact Farmers
1/17/12 - Wisconsin farmers, pilots, and land surveyors say their G-P-S systems would be wrecked by a plan to provide high-speed Internet service around the country. Light-Squared Incorporated is offering Four-"G" service that would meet the federal government's goal of providing broadband Internet coverage nationwide by 2015. But a new government report says the Light-Squared system would create interference in three-fourths of the nation's G-P-S devices, which operate on weaker signals. Some of those systems are used by the military -- and the Federal Communications Commission is barred from approving signals that interfere with the military's G-P-S locators. Sean Elliott of the Experimental Aircraft Association in Oshkosh says instrument-guided landing systems are threatened by G-P-S interference. Dodge County land information officer Joyce Fiacco says Light-Squared's signal would affect surveying equipment, and set their work back 20 years. Casey Langan of the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation says farmers use G-P-S to plant crops and apply proper amounts of pesticides. Light-Squared spokesman Chris Stern tells the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the company has offered to reduce the strength of its signal. And the firm accused the G-P-S industry of infringing on a spectrum that Light-Squared built. The F-C-C's final approval is due by the end of January. Fond du Lac House Republican Tom Petri has asked the agency to reject the plan, saying G-P-S interference could cause hundreds of fatal airplane crashes over the next decade.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Top Stories January 15th
Registration This Week at Fox Lake Charter School
1/16/12 - Registration begins Wednesday for the new charter school in the former Fox Lake Elementary School. The building was closed following the 2008-2009 school year in a budget cutting measure. In 2010, the Waupun School Board unanimously approved a proposal put together by an ad-hoc committee made up mostly of Fox Lake residents to begin a charter school. The conversion into a charter school became a reality last August when the district received a $200,000 planning grant from the state. Waupun School District Superintendent Don Childs says the only new costs the district will have to absorb come from operating costs, utilities and day-to-day operating costs. The acronym for the school is “SAGES” which stands for “School for AGriculture and Environmental Science.” Childs says the school will teach all subject areas, with a focus on agriculture and environmental studies, and with emphasis on hands-on field work and learning through project-based learning. During the first year, the school will teach grades Kindergarten through Sixth Grade. If successful, they will add Seventh Grade in year two and Eighth Grade in year three. Childs says the school will not be able to open its doors if there are less than 50 students enrolled for the upcoming school year. Conversely, if there are more than 125 registrations, all students will be put into a lottery to determine who gets in.
Kitchen Fire Damage Lowell Residence
1/16/12 - Fire damaged a Lowell residence early Sunday morning. Firefighters were called to the 600-block of Lorraine just after 2am. Smoke and flames were visible when crews arrived on scene. The fire was contained to the kitchen. A 46-year-old Lowell man was treated for smoke inhalation and transported to Watertown Hospital.
BDFD Sees Increase In EMS Calls
1/16/12 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department saw a 7.8% increase in their Emergency Medical Service calls last year compared to 2010. There were 1774 EMS calls in 2011, compared to 1646 the previous year, that’s an increase of 128 calls. Those numbers do not include revenue-generating inter-facility transports, which were down 13-percent. There were 377 transports last year, compared to 435 in 2010, a difference of 58 transports. During its first full year of operation, Beaver Dam conducted 533 non-emergency transports for revenue. Beaver Dam is putting its paramedic-level of service to use outside of the city, providing mutual assistance with their paramedics 36 times last year, an increase of eight calls from the previous year. Fire and other service calls were down four-percent. There were 297 fire calls last year, compared to 310 in 2009, that includes actual fires, false fire alarms, carbon monoxide investigations and general service calls.
Shooting At Crowded Jefferson County Bar
1/16/12 - Two people were wounded when shots were fired at a crowded bar in Jefferson County early Saturday morning. The sheriff’s department reports the incident happened just after 2am at Rox’s Sports Bar and Grill on Highway K. Neither wound was serious. One of the injured refused medical treatment and the second was taken to Fort Atkinson Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Three men were detained in connection with the shooting. Deputies say they have a lot of witnesses to interview before filing any charges.
Registered Sex Offender Moving Into Beaver Dam
1/16/12 - A registered sex offender will be moving into Beaver Dam Tuesday after his release from prison. Deputy Police Chief Dan Schubert says Joseph Volm will be residing on the 800 block of Madison Street. Schubert says Volm has served his time and is not wanted by police. State statute requires the Department of Corrections notify the public when a sex offender of Volm’s caliber is released because his classification level reflects a potential to re-offend. The 34-year-old was convicted of Attempted Second Degree Sexual Assault of an adult woman but many of his violations occurred while on supervision and involved unsupervised contact with minors. Volm will be under 24 hour electronic monitoring and will be supervised by agents specializing in intensive supervision.
Gov. Walker to Participate in MLK Jr Day Events
1/16/12 - Governor Scott Walker will appear at two special events on this Martin Luther King Day. He'll attend the annual Milwaukee Y-M-C-A breakfast in honor of the slain civil rights leader. And Walker will speak at the state's official King Day ceremony at noon at the State Capitol. It's one of a number of events being held throughout Wisconsin today in King's memory. The Reverend C-T Vivian will speak at the Madison-and-Dane County observance. Vivian was one of King's friends who started the Nashville Christian Leadership Conference. The group held the first civil rights march of the King era in 1961.
Property Taxes Up by the Smallest Amount in 15-Years
1/16/12 - Wisconsin's total property taxes went up by the smallest amount in the last 15 years. Preliminary figures from the state's Taxpayers Alliance show a three-tenths-of-one-percent increase in the tax bills received last month by home-and-business owners. The group credits a statewide decrease of one-percent in public school tax levies. State-mandated revenue limits were the main reason for the drop. School taxes are normally the largest part of a property owner's tax bill. City, village, and town tax levies jumped by up to two-percent. That represents almost a quarter of a person's tax bill. The tax alliance said one of every three counties either froze or reduced their tax levies this year. Brown, Marathon, Bayfield, Washington, and Winnebago dropped their total taxes by at least one-percent. Five counties -- Dane, Columbia, Crawford, Calumet, and Kewaunee -- raised their county taxes by four-percent or more.
WI and MN Looking to Expand Rail Service
1/16/12 - Wisconsin and Minnesota officials are looking into the possibility of expanding Amtrak passenger rail service. A feasbility study is expected to begin in the next couple of months on adding a second round-trip each day between Chicago and Minneapolis-Saint Paul as part of Amtrak's long-established Empire Builder. That's the train which currently goes through Milwaukee, Columbus, Portage, and La Crosse among other places. Amtrak says the Badger and Gopher states would have to pay the costs of the added service, because Congress has ordered the national railroad to find outside funding for any new expansions. The two states would also have to share the costs of the feasibility study. The six-month study is expected to cost around 60-thousand dollars. State railroad official Ron Adams says Wisconsin is now trying to come up with its share. The proposed expansion is separate from a recent Minnesota study which suggested high-speed rail tracks along the Empire Builder route.
Whooping Cough Cases Spike In Ashland County
1/16/12 - Nine students in the Ashland school district are among the ten cases of whooping cough reported from Ashland County. The public health department says an adult also has the disease. In addition, another four people are being watched and may have Pertussis. The first case was reported from Ashland Middle School last December. That’s around the same time the Dodge County Health Department issued a warning about an increase in the reported cases of the contagious bacterial disease. Local Health Officer Jody Langfeldt said Dodge County had seven reported cases this year, which twice as many as in a normal year. Langfeldt says the symptoms are similar to the common cold. Additional information is on the health department’s website: http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/dph_bcd/communicable/factsheets/pertussus.htm
Bankruptcy Filings Down
1/16/12 - For the first time in six years, bankruptcy filings have decreased in Wisconsin. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court shows nearly 27 thousand petitions were filed in the state last year, a 10 percent decline from 2010. The vast majority of them were Chapter 7 bankruptcies, which wipes out credit card balances and medical and utility bills. The Wisconsin numbers match national trends which saw bankruptcies off by 12 percent. The American Bankruptcy Institute says consumers are getting rid of their debt without declaring bankruptcy and tighter credit standards are keeping people from piling up more debt.
Kennedy Listening Sessions Scheduled Tuesday
1/16/12 - Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy has listening sessions scheduled for Tuesday. City residents are invited to meet with the mayor without appointment, in a one-on-one setting, on the first and third Tuesday of every month. Kennedy says he wants constituents to have the opportunity to speak with him the day after each regular meeting of the common council. The listening sessions are held in Room 109 on the first floor of City Hall from 10am until noon and again from 5pm to 6pm. If the regular schedule doesn’t fir into your schedule, residents are encouraged to schedule a private meeting through the mayor’s office.
Miss Wisconsin Named Miss America
1/16/12 - The newly-crowned Miss America from Wisconsin says she'll work to improve family relationships for those with loved ones who are in prison. 23-year-old Laura Kaeppeler (kepp'-ler) of Kenosha won the Miss America crown and a 50-thousand-dollar scholarship on Saturday night in Las Vegas. She's the first Miss America from Wisconsin since Terry Ann Meeuwsen in 1973. Kaeppeler's father spent 18 months behind bars for mail fraud. And she said she'll encourage families in similar situations to improve ties and move forward together. Kaeppeler says she wants children of incarcerated adults to feel like they're not alone. She wants them to have mentoring for those children, and as much of a relationship with their parents as they can. Kaeppeler, who won the Miss Wisconsin pageant last summer, said there are more than two million children with parents in jail.
1/16/12 - Registration begins Wednesday for the new charter school in the former Fox Lake Elementary School. The building was closed following the 2008-2009 school year in a budget cutting measure. In 2010, the Waupun School Board unanimously approved a proposal put together by an ad-hoc committee made up mostly of Fox Lake residents to begin a charter school. The conversion into a charter school became a reality last August when the district received a $200,000 planning grant from the state. Waupun School District Superintendent Don Childs says the only new costs the district will have to absorb come from operating costs, utilities and day-to-day operating costs. The acronym for the school is “SAGES” which stands for “School for AGriculture and Environmental Science.” Childs says the school will teach all subject areas, with a focus on agriculture and environmental studies, and with emphasis on hands-on field work and learning through project-based learning. During the first year, the school will teach grades Kindergarten through Sixth Grade. If successful, they will add Seventh Grade in year two and Eighth Grade in year three. Childs says the school will not be able to open its doors if there are less than 50 students enrolled for the upcoming school year. Conversely, if there are more than 125 registrations, all students will be put into a lottery to determine who gets in.
Kitchen Fire Damage Lowell Residence
1/16/12 - Fire damaged a Lowell residence early Sunday morning. Firefighters were called to the 600-block of Lorraine just after 2am. Smoke and flames were visible when crews arrived on scene. The fire was contained to the kitchen. A 46-year-old Lowell man was treated for smoke inhalation and transported to Watertown Hospital.
BDFD Sees Increase In EMS Calls
1/16/12 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department saw a 7.8% increase in their Emergency Medical Service calls last year compared to 2010. There were 1774 EMS calls in 2011, compared to 1646 the previous year, that’s an increase of 128 calls. Those numbers do not include revenue-generating inter-facility transports, which were down 13-percent. There were 377 transports last year, compared to 435 in 2010, a difference of 58 transports. During its first full year of operation, Beaver Dam conducted 533 non-emergency transports for revenue. Beaver Dam is putting its paramedic-level of service to use outside of the city, providing mutual assistance with their paramedics 36 times last year, an increase of eight calls from the previous year. Fire and other service calls were down four-percent. There were 297 fire calls last year, compared to 310 in 2009, that includes actual fires, false fire alarms, carbon monoxide investigations and general service calls.
Shooting At Crowded Jefferson County Bar
1/16/12 - Two people were wounded when shots were fired at a crowded bar in Jefferson County early Saturday morning. The sheriff’s department reports the incident happened just after 2am at Rox’s Sports Bar and Grill on Highway K. Neither wound was serious. One of the injured refused medical treatment and the second was taken to Fort Atkinson Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Three men were detained in connection with the shooting. Deputies say they have a lot of witnesses to interview before filing any charges.
Registered Sex Offender Moving Into Beaver Dam
1/16/12 - A registered sex offender will be moving into Beaver Dam Tuesday after his release from prison. Deputy Police Chief Dan Schubert says Joseph Volm will be residing on the 800 block of Madison Street. Schubert says Volm has served his time and is not wanted by police. State statute requires the Department of Corrections notify the public when a sex offender of Volm’s caliber is released because his classification level reflects a potential to re-offend. The 34-year-old was convicted of Attempted Second Degree Sexual Assault of an adult woman but many of his violations occurred while on supervision and involved unsupervised contact with minors. Volm will be under 24 hour electronic monitoring and will be supervised by agents specializing in intensive supervision.
Gov. Walker to Participate in MLK Jr Day Events
1/16/12 - Governor Scott Walker will appear at two special events on this Martin Luther King Day. He'll attend the annual Milwaukee Y-M-C-A breakfast in honor of the slain civil rights leader. And Walker will speak at the state's official King Day ceremony at noon at the State Capitol. It's one of a number of events being held throughout Wisconsin today in King's memory. The Reverend C-T Vivian will speak at the Madison-and-Dane County observance. Vivian was one of King's friends who started the Nashville Christian Leadership Conference. The group held the first civil rights march of the King era in 1961.
Property Taxes Up by the Smallest Amount in 15-Years
1/16/12 - Wisconsin's total property taxes went up by the smallest amount in the last 15 years. Preliminary figures from the state's Taxpayers Alliance show a three-tenths-of-one-percent increase in the tax bills received last month by home-and-business owners. The group credits a statewide decrease of one-percent in public school tax levies. State-mandated revenue limits were the main reason for the drop. School taxes are normally the largest part of a property owner's tax bill. City, village, and town tax levies jumped by up to two-percent. That represents almost a quarter of a person's tax bill. The tax alliance said one of every three counties either froze or reduced their tax levies this year. Brown, Marathon, Bayfield, Washington, and Winnebago dropped their total taxes by at least one-percent. Five counties -- Dane, Columbia, Crawford, Calumet, and Kewaunee -- raised their county taxes by four-percent or more.
WI and MN Looking to Expand Rail Service
1/16/12 - Wisconsin and Minnesota officials are looking into the possibility of expanding Amtrak passenger rail service. A feasbility study is expected to begin in the next couple of months on adding a second round-trip each day between Chicago and Minneapolis-Saint Paul as part of Amtrak's long-established Empire Builder. That's the train which currently goes through Milwaukee, Columbus, Portage, and La Crosse among other places. Amtrak says the Badger and Gopher states would have to pay the costs of the added service, because Congress has ordered the national railroad to find outside funding for any new expansions. The two states would also have to share the costs of the feasibility study. The six-month study is expected to cost around 60-thousand dollars. State railroad official Ron Adams says Wisconsin is now trying to come up with its share. The proposed expansion is separate from a recent Minnesota study which suggested high-speed rail tracks along the Empire Builder route.
Whooping Cough Cases Spike In Ashland County
1/16/12 - Nine students in the Ashland school district are among the ten cases of whooping cough reported from Ashland County. The public health department says an adult also has the disease. In addition, another four people are being watched and may have Pertussis. The first case was reported from Ashland Middle School last December. That’s around the same time the Dodge County Health Department issued a warning about an increase in the reported cases of the contagious bacterial disease. Local Health Officer Jody Langfeldt said Dodge County had seven reported cases this year, which twice as many as in a normal year. Langfeldt says the symptoms are similar to the common cold. Additional information is on the health department’s website: http://dhfs.wisconsin.gov/dph_bcd/communicable/factsheets/pertussus.htm
Bankruptcy Filings Down
1/16/12 - For the first time in six years, bankruptcy filings have decreased in Wisconsin. The U.S. Bankruptcy Court shows nearly 27 thousand petitions were filed in the state last year, a 10 percent decline from 2010. The vast majority of them were Chapter 7 bankruptcies, which wipes out credit card balances and medical and utility bills. The Wisconsin numbers match national trends which saw bankruptcies off by 12 percent. The American Bankruptcy Institute says consumers are getting rid of their debt without declaring bankruptcy and tighter credit standards are keeping people from piling up more debt.
Kennedy Listening Sessions Scheduled Tuesday
1/16/12 - Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy has listening sessions scheduled for Tuesday. City residents are invited to meet with the mayor without appointment, in a one-on-one setting, on the first and third Tuesday of every month. Kennedy says he wants constituents to have the opportunity to speak with him the day after each regular meeting of the common council. The listening sessions are held in Room 109 on the first floor of City Hall from 10am until noon and again from 5pm to 6pm. If the regular schedule doesn’t fir into your schedule, residents are encouraged to schedule a private meeting through the mayor’s office.
Miss Wisconsin Named Miss America
1/16/12 - The newly-crowned Miss America from Wisconsin says she'll work to improve family relationships for those with loved ones who are in prison. 23-year-old Laura Kaeppeler (kepp'-ler) of Kenosha won the Miss America crown and a 50-thousand-dollar scholarship on Saturday night in Las Vegas. She's the first Miss America from Wisconsin since Terry Ann Meeuwsen in 1973. Kaeppeler's father spent 18 months behind bars for mail fraud. And she said she'll encourage families in similar situations to improve ties and move forward together. Kaeppeler says she wants children of incarcerated adults to feel like they're not alone. She wants them to have mentoring for those children, and as much of a relationship with their parents as they can. Kaeppeler, who won the Miss Wisconsin pageant last summer, said there are more than two million children with parents in jail.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Top Stories January 15th
Walker Aide Pleads Not Guilty
1/15/12 - A former aide to Governor Scott Walker when he was the Milwaukee County executive pleaded innocent Friday to embezzling 42-thousand dollars. 61-year-old Kevin Kavanaugh waived his preliminary hearing in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, and his innocent pleas were entered to five felony counts of theft and fraudulent writings. He’s due back in court January 30th, when a trial date could be set. Kavanaugh and former Walker aide Tim Russell are charged with taking a total over 60-thousand dollars in donations. Most of it was meant to be given to veterans and their families as part of the county’s Operation Freedom event each year at the county zoo. Prosecutors said the defendants used the money for items ranging from Caribbean cruises to renewing Web sites for Walker’s campaign for governor. The charges were the result of a John Doe probe of present-and-former Walker aides. That investigation continues.
Eau Claire Police Release Findings on Fatal Accident
1/15/12 - Eau Claire County accident investigators say last month’s fatal crash of a car full of teenagers was caused by hill jumping. Fourteen year old Austin Gable was driving more than 80 miles an hour when his car went airborne, flying 177 feet, then flipped. Gable, his girlfriend, 13 year old McKenna Johnson, and 15 year old Marco Perez were killed. The only licensed driver in the car had let minors drive in the past. The sheriff’s department is forwarding the case to prosecutors for the possible filing of charges. Hill jumping is done by driving a car so fast it goes airborne when it crests a hill.
New Council Looking to Help Students Get Ready for College and Careers
1/15/12 - Wisconsin’s new College and Workforce Readiness Council will look at ways to improve student readiness for college and careers. The panel created by the governor yesterday is to come up with a strategic plan by the end of the year. The council is expected to look closely at approaches like shorter and less-costly degree programs which would fill high-need positions. Also, expanding dual enrollment and duel credit opportunity for high school students will be considered. Small business representatives, people from the state’s workforce, the state school superintendent, cabinet secretaries and officials from public and private universities and technical colleges will be among the 15 members.
Columbus School Board Sees What New Facilities Could Look Like
1/15/12 - A move toward a “21st Century Learning Environment” in Columbus Schools was recommended this week. Erik Dufek of E-U-A presented a picture of what redesign of the current facilities could look like. Dufek said a change was necessary to meet the nationwide decrease in agriculture and manufacturing jobs and the increase the service and creative thinking sector jobs. The Facilities Committee has added another January meeting to their schedule on the 25th.
Registered Sex Offender Being Released in Beaver Dam
1/15/12 - A registered sex offender fresh out of prison will be moving into Beaver Dam on a temporary basis. Deputy Police Chief Dan Schubert says as of this Tuesday, Joseph Volm will be residing on the 800 block of Madison Street. Schubert says state statute requires the Department of Corrections notify the public when a sex offender is released into the community. Volm was convicted of attempted second degree sexual assault of an adult woman but many of his violations were while on supervision in the community and revolved around unsupervised and unapproved contact with minors. Authorities say Volm has served his time and is not wanted by police. Volm will be under 24 hour electronic monitoring. He will be supervised by agents specializing in intensive supervision. He will continue to participate in long-term programming while on parole and will be on a GPS monitoring unit. In addition to the intensive supervision rules, to which he must adhere, Volm will be subject to additional specific rules. These rules include: no contact with any of his victims; he may not be anywhere children congregate; no taverns/bars/liquor stores, and not to consume alcohol or drugs. Witnessed violations should be reported to the Beaver Dam Police Department.
DC Law Enforcement Honored
1/15/12 - The Dodge County Law Enforcement Executive Association held their annual awards banquet on Friday. The banquet serves as opportunity to recognize the employees and citizens that made an impact in the law enforcement community over the past year. Earning Officer of the Year was Detective Jonathan Caucutt of the Watertown Police Department, who was honored for his extensive work in crimes involving sexual predators and child pornography. The Correctional Officer of the Year was Josh Navis, who works at the Dodge Correctional Institution. Navis was honored for his actions when an inmate attacked a prison psychologist in November. Amanda Anhalt was named as the Support Person of the Year for her work as a victim/witness coordinator in the Dodge County District Attorney’s Office. Being named Citizen of the Year was Joshua Schraufnagel, who was called heroic by Sheriff Todd Nehls for jumping into the water in an attempt to save a victim of a car accident in Mayville. Seven county employees were recognized for the Presidents Award. That includes Captain Molly Soblewski who retired after 27-years with the department. The others, Lt. Clint Peachey, Lt. Brad Mlodzik, CO Steve Rumbuc, Sgt. Branden Gremminger, RN Joni Dykstra and RN Shaune Hoban were recognized for their work in resuscitating an inmate at the Dodge Correctional Institution.
Dems Ask Justice Department to Review Voter ID Law
1/15/12 - The U.S. Justice Department is being asked to review Wisconsin’s new voter photo ID law by 22 Democratic lawmakers. That letter was mailed Friday. The Democrats argue that the law will infringe on the voting rights of minorities, senior citizens, students and the poor. Republican supporters of the law say it’s designed to cut down on voter fraud. The Wisconsin League of Woman Voters has filed a lawsuit challenging the Vote Photo ID law. And, the chair of the Wisconsin Bar Association’s civil rights section also sent a letter on the topic to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder last August.
Strike Continues in Manitowoc
1/15/12 - A two-month strike at Manitowoc Cranes will continue, after union machinists voted 140 to 37 on Friday not to approve the company’s latest contract offer. Workers chanted “What’s disgusting? Union busting” as they rejected a second offer from management. The major issue is the company’s effort to let employees get union benefits while having the choice of paying union dues or not. Scott Parr of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said his group was willing to take a step toward that proposal, giving new and existing employees a certain amount of time to decide if they want to stay in the union and pay dues voluntarily. Parr said it’s what the company wanted and they wouldn’t accept it. The firm has not commented. The strikers represent about a quarter of the Manitowoc Cranes 800 employees. But 150 members of a boiler-makers union have been laid off because of the strike.
1/15/12 - A former aide to Governor Scott Walker when he was the Milwaukee County executive pleaded innocent Friday to embezzling 42-thousand dollars. 61-year-old Kevin Kavanaugh waived his preliminary hearing in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, and his innocent pleas were entered to five felony counts of theft and fraudulent writings. He’s due back in court January 30th, when a trial date could be set. Kavanaugh and former Walker aide Tim Russell are charged with taking a total over 60-thousand dollars in donations. Most of it was meant to be given to veterans and their families as part of the county’s Operation Freedom event each year at the county zoo. Prosecutors said the defendants used the money for items ranging from Caribbean cruises to renewing Web sites for Walker’s campaign for governor. The charges were the result of a John Doe probe of present-and-former Walker aides. That investigation continues.
Eau Claire Police Release Findings on Fatal Accident
1/15/12 - Eau Claire County accident investigators say last month’s fatal crash of a car full of teenagers was caused by hill jumping. Fourteen year old Austin Gable was driving more than 80 miles an hour when his car went airborne, flying 177 feet, then flipped. Gable, his girlfriend, 13 year old McKenna Johnson, and 15 year old Marco Perez were killed. The only licensed driver in the car had let minors drive in the past. The sheriff’s department is forwarding the case to prosecutors for the possible filing of charges. Hill jumping is done by driving a car so fast it goes airborne when it crests a hill.
New Council Looking to Help Students Get Ready for College and Careers
1/15/12 - Wisconsin’s new College and Workforce Readiness Council will look at ways to improve student readiness for college and careers. The panel created by the governor yesterday is to come up with a strategic plan by the end of the year. The council is expected to look closely at approaches like shorter and less-costly degree programs which would fill high-need positions. Also, expanding dual enrollment and duel credit opportunity for high school students will be considered. Small business representatives, people from the state’s workforce, the state school superintendent, cabinet secretaries and officials from public and private universities and technical colleges will be among the 15 members.
Columbus School Board Sees What New Facilities Could Look Like
1/15/12 - A move toward a “21st Century Learning Environment” in Columbus Schools was recommended this week. Erik Dufek of E-U-A presented a picture of what redesign of the current facilities could look like. Dufek said a change was necessary to meet the nationwide decrease in agriculture and manufacturing jobs and the increase the service and creative thinking sector jobs. The Facilities Committee has added another January meeting to their schedule on the 25th.
Registered Sex Offender Being Released in Beaver Dam
1/15/12 - A registered sex offender fresh out of prison will be moving into Beaver Dam on a temporary basis. Deputy Police Chief Dan Schubert says as of this Tuesday, Joseph Volm will be residing on the 800 block of Madison Street. Schubert says state statute requires the Department of Corrections notify the public when a sex offender is released into the community. Volm was convicted of attempted second degree sexual assault of an adult woman but many of his violations were while on supervision in the community and revolved around unsupervised and unapproved contact with minors. Authorities say Volm has served his time and is not wanted by police. Volm will be under 24 hour electronic monitoring. He will be supervised by agents specializing in intensive supervision. He will continue to participate in long-term programming while on parole and will be on a GPS monitoring unit. In addition to the intensive supervision rules, to which he must adhere, Volm will be subject to additional specific rules. These rules include: no contact with any of his victims; he may not be anywhere children congregate; no taverns/bars/liquor stores, and not to consume alcohol or drugs. Witnessed violations should be reported to the Beaver Dam Police Department.
DC Law Enforcement Honored
1/15/12 - The Dodge County Law Enforcement Executive Association held their annual awards banquet on Friday. The banquet serves as opportunity to recognize the employees and citizens that made an impact in the law enforcement community over the past year. Earning Officer of the Year was Detective Jonathan Caucutt of the Watertown Police Department, who was honored for his extensive work in crimes involving sexual predators and child pornography. The Correctional Officer of the Year was Josh Navis, who works at the Dodge Correctional Institution. Navis was honored for his actions when an inmate attacked a prison psychologist in November. Amanda Anhalt was named as the Support Person of the Year for her work as a victim/witness coordinator in the Dodge County District Attorney’s Office. Being named Citizen of the Year was Joshua Schraufnagel, who was called heroic by Sheriff Todd Nehls for jumping into the water in an attempt to save a victim of a car accident in Mayville. Seven county employees were recognized for the Presidents Award. That includes Captain Molly Soblewski who retired after 27-years with the department. The others, Lt. Clint Peachey, Lt. Brad Mlodzik, CO Steve Rumbuc, Sgt. Branden Gremminger, RN Joni Dykstra and RN Shaune Hoban were recognized for their work in resuscitating an inmate at the Dodge Correctional Institution.
Dems Ask Justice Department to Review Voter ID Law
1/15/12 - The U.S. Justice Department is being asked to review Wisconsin’s new voter photo ID law by 22 Democratic lawmakers. That letter was mailed Friday. The Democrats argue that the law will infringe on the voting rights of minorities, senior citizens, students and the poor. Republican supporters of the law say it’s designed to cut down on voter fraud. The Wisconsin League of Woman Voters has filed a lawsuit challenging the Vote Photo ID law. And, the chair of the Wisconsin Bar Association’s civil rights section also sent a letter on the topic to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder last August.
Strike Continues in Manitowoc
1/15/12 - A two-month strike at Manitowoc Cranes will continue, after union machinists voted 140 to 37 on Friday not to approve the company’s latest contract offer. Workers chanted “What’s disgusting? Union busting” as they rejected a second offer from management. The major issue is the company’s effort to let employees get union benefits while having the choice of paying union dues or not. Scott Parr of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said his group was willing to take a step toward that proposal, giving new and existing employees a certain amount of time to decide if they want to stay in the union and pay dues voluntarily. Parr said it’s what the company wanted and they wouldn’t accept it. The firm has not commented. The strikers represent about a quarter of the Manitowoc Cranes 800 employees. But 150 members of a boiler-makers union have been laid off because of the strike.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Top Stories January 14th
Group Says They Have Enough Signatures to Recall Fitzgerald
1/14/12 - The committee to recall Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald announced Friday it has the signatures to force an election. Lori Compas, the recall committee's chairwoman, said in a news conference the group had gathered more than the 16,742 signatures needed, but declined to say how many. She said volunteers would continue to gather signatures to recall the Juneau Republican through Saturday. That's to provide a cushion because Fitzgerald will be able to knock some signatures off the petitions if he can show they belong to people who don't live in the district or aren't eligible to vote. The petitions will be turned in Tuesday, along with those to recall Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and three other Republican senators. Fitzgerald filed a complaint with election officials Thursday arguing the collection of signatures must end Friday, rather than Saturday, because recall organizers have just 60 days to gather signatures.
Election officials -- backed by the state Department of Justice -- believe signatures can be collected through Saturday because the 60-day clock did not start to tick until Nov. 16, a day after Compas registered her committee with the state and began collecting signatures. Recall officials said they were not worried about Fitzgerald's complaint. "That's a kid not winning Monopoly throwing the board up at the end of the game," said recall volunteer Sarah Hammer, a Fort Atkinson nurse.
Officials Hope to Have All Recalls on Same Day
1/14/12 - State officials say they’ll try to have all recall elections on the same date this summer. The Government Accountability Board plans to make that request when it asks a judge for more time to review petitions against the governor, lieutenant governor, and four G-O-P senators. State law gives the Board 31 days to decide whether there are enough valid signatures to hold recall elections. But because the massive volumes of the current petitions, the Board says it will take longer than 60 days to review up to one-and-a-half million signatures. A judge ordered the Accountability Board last week to find and delete signatures which are obviously false and duplicated. Yesterday, board officials said they would spend around 100-thousand dollars on computer software that will scan the signatures and put them into a database where they can be more easily evaluated. Because of that task, officials say it could be June or later before general recall elections could take place.
Language Set for Fall River School District Referendum
1/14/12 - Language for two referendum questions in the Fall River School District was finalized this week by the school board. One of the questions will ask for funds to replace the HVAC-system, overall maintenance, technology and land acquisition for a total of nearly $2.5-million. A second question asks for $1.4-million to build a multi-purpose athletic complex. The questions will appear on the ballot for the April 3rd general election. Two informational meetings on the referendum questions will take place prior to election day, with the first being on Wednesday January 25th in the school library at 7pm and then again on Thursday February 16th at 10am in the district board room.
Hazmat Team May Be Forced to Respond to Calls Outside of Dodge County
1/14/12 - The Dodge County Hazmat Team may start responding to chemical spills outside of the county. Dodge County Emergency Management Director Joe Meagher says the state is hoping to restructure Hazmat teams statewide and is offering the county an additional $5000 a year to expand their response area to within one area of the county line. Meagher says Wisconsin Emergency Management proposed the restructuring to the state without talking to any of the affected agencies. He says there are a lot of unknowns at this point, including exactly who would pay for out-of-county clean-up costs. Level A Hazmat teams in large city’s like Milwaukee and Madison typically respond to the largest spills while Level B teams like the one in Dodge County handle most everything else. The Level B Hazmat team contains a spill but does not perform the cleanup work; that is contracted out with a company like Veolia Environmental, at a cost of thousands of dollars. Meagher says local emergency management officials are hoping to get a seat on the state planning committee. He also plans on updating the Beaver Dam Police and Fire Commission of any development over the next few months as their 24-hour department stores Hazmat equipment and is the lead agency on the team.
Longtime Leader of Schneider National Trucking Passes Away
1/14/12 - Donald Schneider, who headed one of the nation’s best-known trucking companies for over a quarter century, died this morning in De Pere. The 76-year-old Schneider had Alzheimer’s disease for quite some time. He started as a mechanic’s assistant in the Schneider National trucking firm that his father Al founded. Fifteen years later, in 1976, Schneider became the president of the company – a post he held for over 25 years. He retired from his daily duties in 2002, but he remained the chairman emeritus of Schneider National. Bill Graves, C-E-O of the American Trucking Association, said the transportation and logistics industry lost one of its most passionate and influential voices. Graves called Schneider a “visionary” who set the standard for the modern-day development of the industry.
State Says Coding Error Allowed for Unemployment Overpayments
1/14/12 - The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development is blaming a computer coding error for overpayments to recipients of unemployment benefits. The claimants reportedly got an average of 280 dollars more than they were supposed to receive. The error was caught after about a week. Most of the people owing the state a refund will be given the option of returning the money in installments. All 626 should receive a notice in the mail soon.
Southridge Mall Will Allow Buses
1/14/12 - The corporate owner of Southridge Mall has done of reversal on plans to stop buses from dropping off and picking up passengers at mall entrances. A spokesman says no disruption of bus service at the mall is expected. That word comes just one day after Milwaukee County officials released a memo indicating the mall would require transit buses to operate off its property only starting next month. Seniors and people with disabilities were worried they would have to walk several blocks from bus stops, creating safety hazards. Though the spokesman denied the owner had threatened to ban buses, county officials confirmed that was exactly the company's stance. The buses reportedly made too much noise.
Slinger Teacher in Hot Water After Hitler Reference
1/14/12 - School officials in Slinger are considering punitive action against a veteran teacher who wrote an offensive e-mail to State Representative Don Pridemore. John Koszarek is a social studies teacher at Slinger High School who has taught in the district for 34 years. He sent an answer to Pridemore’s e-mailed newsletter about the effects of state legislation on area school districts. Pridemore said those districts had benefited from the budgetary tools passed last year by the Republican-controlled Legislature. Koszarek replied, saying, quoting here, “Of course you are in Washington County where Hitler would have defeated Reagan had he the ‘R’ in front of his name on the ballot.” The teacher says he never meant to say the people of Washington County are Nazis. He says he shouldn’t have used the Hitler reference, but he was right in saying local voters automatically cast their ballots for Republican candidates.
Packer Fans Warned of Highway 41 Construction
1/14/12 - Packer fans wanting to make sure they don’t missing the opening kickoff of this weekend’s NFC playoff game at Lambeau Field need to allow extra time. Road construction projects are still in place along the route. Drivers are being warned those worksites could cause delays. Two stretches of U.S. 41 are under construction. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Earlier this season, when security was ramped up, some fans complained when they were delayed so much they missing seeing the opening kickoff.
1/14/12 - The committee to recall Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald announced Friday it has the signatures to force an election. Lori Compas, the recall committee's chairwoman, said in a news conference the group had gathered more than the 16,742 signatures needed, but declined to say how many. She said volunteers would continue to gather signatures to recall the Juneau Republican through Saturday. That's to provide a cushion because Fitzgerald will be able to knock some signatures off the petitions if he can show they belong to people who don't live in the district or aren't eligible to vote. The petitions will be turned in Tuesday, along with those to recall Gov. Scott Walker, Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch and three other Republican senators. Fitzgerald filed a complaint with election officials Thursday arguing the collection of signatures must end Friday, rather than Saturday, because recall organizers have just 60 days to gather signatures.
Election officials -- backed by the state Department of Justice -- believe signatures can be collected through Saturday because the 60-day clock did not start to tick until Nov. 16, a day after Compas registered her committee with the state and began collecting signatures. Recall officials said they were not worried about Fitzgerald's complaint. "That's a kid not winning Monopoly throwing the board up at the end of the game," said recall volunteer Sarah Hammer, a Fort Atkinson nurse.
Officials Hope to Have All Recalls on Same Day
1/14/12 - State officials say they’ll try to have all recall elections on the same date this summer. The Government Accountability Board plans to make that request when it asks a judge for more time to review petitions against the governor, lieutenant governor, and four G-O-P senators. State law gives the Board 31 days to decide whether there are enough valid signatures to hold recall elections. But because the massive volumes of the current petitions, the Board says it will take longer than 60 days to review up to one-and-a-half million signatures. A judge ordered the Accountability Board last week to find and delete signatures which are obviously false and duplicated. Yesterday, board officials said they would spend around 100-thousand dollars on computer software that will scan the signatures and put them into a database where they can be more easily evaluated. Because of that task, officials say it could be June or later before general recall elections could take place.
Language Set for Fall River School District Referendum
1/14/12 - Language for two referendum questions in the Fall River School District was finalized this week by the school board. One of the questions will ask for funds to replace the HVAC-system, overall maintenance, technology and land acquisition for a total of nearly $2.5-million. A second question asks for $1.4-million to build a multi-purpose athletic complex. The questions will appear on the ballot for the April 3rd general election. Two informational meetings on the referendum questions will take place prior to election day, with the first being on Wednesday January 25th in the school library at 7pm and then again on Thursday February 16th at 10am in the district board room.
Hazmat Team May Be Forced to Respond to Calls Outside of Dodge County
1/14/12 - The Dodge County Hazmat Team may start responding to chemical spills outside of the county. Dodge County Emergency Management Director Joe Meagher says the state is hoping to restructure Hazmat teams statewide and is offering the county an additional $5000 a year to expand their response area to within one area of the county line. Meagher says Wisconsin Emergency Management proposed the restructuring to the state without talking to any of the affected agencies. He says there are a lot of unknowns at this point, including exactly who would pay for out-of-county clean-up costs. Level A Hazmat teams in large city’s like Milwaukee and Madison typically respond to the largest spills while Level B teams like the one in Dodge County handle most everything else. The Level B Hazmat team contains a spill but does not perform the cleanup work; that is contracted out with a company like Veolia Environmental, at a cost of thousands of dollars. Meagher says local emergency management officials are hoping to get a seat on the state planning committee. He also plans on updating the Beaver Dam Police and Fire Commission of any development over the next few months as their 24-hour department stores Hazmat equipment and is the lead agency on the team.
Longtime Leader of Schneider National Trucking Passes Away
1/14/12 - Donald Schneider, who headed one of the nation’s best-known trucking companies for over a quarter century, died this morning in De Pere. The 76-year-old Schneider had Alzheimer’s disease for quite some time. He started as a mechanic’s assistant in the Schneider National trucking firm that his father Al founded. Fifteen years later, in 1976, Schneider became the president of the company – a post he held for over 25 years. He retired from his daily duties in 2002, but he remained the chairman emeritus of Schneider National. Bill Graves, C-E-O of the American Trucking Association, said the transportation and logistics industry lost one of its most passionate and influential voices. Graves called Schneider a “visionary” who set the standard for the modern-day development of the industry.
State Says Coding Error Allowed for Unemployment Overpayments
1/14/12 - The Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development is blaming a computer coding error for overpayments to recipients of unemployment benefits. The claimants reportedly got an average of 280 dollars more than they were supposed to receive. The error was caught after about a week. Most of the people owing the state a refund will be given the option of returning the money in installments. All 626 should receive a notice in the mail soon.
Southridge Mall Will Allow Buses
1/14/12 - The corporate owner of Southridge Mall has done of reversal on plans to stop buses from dropping off and picking up passengers at mall entrances. A spokesman says no disruption of bus service at the mall is expected. That word comes just one day after Milwaukee County officials released a memo indicating the mall would require transit buses to operate off its property only starting next month. Seniors and people with disabilities were worried they would have to walk several blocks from bus stops, creating safety hazards. Though the spokesman denied the owner had threatened to ban buses, county officials confirmed that was exactly the company's stance. The buses reportedly made too much noise.
Slinger Teacher in Hot Water After Hitler Reference
1/14/12 - School officials in Slinger are considering punitive action against a veteran teacher who wrote an offensive e-mail to State Representative Don Pridemore. John Koszarek is a social studies teacher at Slinger High School who has taught in the district for 34 years. He sent an answer to Pridemore’s e-mailed newsletter about the effects of state legislation on area school districts. Pridemore said those districts had benefited from the budgetary tools passed last year by the Republican-controlled Legislature. Koszarek replied, saying, quoting here, “Of course you are in Washington County where Hitler would have defeated Reagan had he the ‘R’ in front of his name on the ballot.” The teacher says he never meant to say the people of Washington County are Nazis. He says he shouldn’t have used the Hitler reference, but he was right in saying local voters automatically cast their ballots for Republican candidates.
Packer Fans Warned of Highway 41 Construction
1/14/12 - Packer fans wanting to make sure they don’t missing the opening kickoff of this weekend’s NFC playoff game at Lambeau Field need to allow extra time. Road construction projects are still in place along the route. Drivers are being warned those worksites could cause delays. Two stretches of U.S. 41 are under construction. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Earlier this season, when security was ramped up, some fans complained when they were delayed so much they missing seeing the opening kickoff.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Top Stories January 13th
Winter Storm Blankets Wisconsin
1/13/12 - Most of Wisconsin got 3-to-6 inches of snow yesterday and last night. But over two-feet of lake effect snow hit parts of Iron County near Lake Superior. According to the National Weather Service, Gile had 29 inches as of two o’clock this morning – and it was still coming down. Six inches fell there in a five-hour period, and there was lots of blowing and drifting. Montreal in Iron County had 16 inches as of six o’clock. Hurley had 10 inches by the middle of last night. Elsewhere in Wisconsin, the south and the Fox Valley seemed to be the hardest hit, with 3-to-4 inch totals reported in most other parts of the Badger State. By 8pm last night Beaver Dam had 5.5-inches, while West Bend picked up 4.5-inches. A couple miles south of Watertown got 4-inches, and a weather spotter near Oconomowoc reported 6-inches had fallen there. And while the snow has moved out some bitter cold wind chills are being seen this morning. At 6am it was 15-degrees in Beaver Dam, but it felt more like 6-degrees with wind chill. Brownsville had 17-degrees, but with winds gusting to 20-miles an hour it felt more like 5-above. And in Columbus it was 15-degrees with a wind chill of just 1-degree above zero.
Meanwhile, as is usually the case with the first major storm of the season, the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department and other local authorities were dealing with accidents and runoffs for most of the day yesterday. According to department records, from the time the snow began yesterday around 8am there were three accidents with injuries, eight other accidents, and more than 20-runoffs. One of the accidents occurred just before 10-am on Highway 26 at Horn Road. Authorities say a 24-year-old man lost control of his vehicle and struck a culvert. He was taken to the hospital by Watertown EMS. The other significant accident reported by authorities happened at Highway 151 and 33 in Beaver Dam just before noon. A disabled semi was parked on the off-ramp, and a vehicle driven by a 20-year-old woman struck it from behind. She was also taken to the hospital.
BD Crews Working to Clear City Streets
1/13/11 - Snowplows in Beaver Dam began salting and scraping city streets at 2am this morning. Director of Facilities David Stoiser says his 13-man crew worked until 6pm last night and then took a breather to prepare for the morning rush. Two other DPW employees are assigned to clearing sidewalks on municipal properties and Parks Department workers tend to city parking lots.
Reminder to Shovel Your Sidewalk
1/13/11 - The Beaver Dam Department of Public Works is reminding residents to shovel their snow. Director David Stoiser says that city ordinance requires that any snow or ice accumulations on public sidewalk fronting private properties must be removed each time it snows. Stoiser says ice accumulations that cannot be removed must be treated with a deicing or abrasive agent. Violation results in the city removing the snow or treating the ice with costs assessed against the property owner. Repeat violations are referred to the Police Department for possible citations. Small quantities of rock salt and sand-salt mixture are available to city residents only at the Public Works Building on South Center Street.
Winter Parking Rules in Effect in BD
1/13/11 - With yesterday’s snowfall, winter parking rules in Beaver Dam are officially in effect. Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy says the parking prohibition begins with the first significant snowfall. No parking is allowed on city streets between 2am and 6am, so that the Department of Public Works can clear the snow. Citations will be issued for violations and begin at $20 if the ticket is paid within 24 hours. Once the enforcement has been initiated, the parking ban will remain in effect unless it is announced that the ban has been temporarily or permanently lifted.
BD Man Faces Stalking Charges
1/13/12 - A Beaver Dam man is facing stalking charges after allegedly threatening his former boss after being fired. 41-year-old John Eggert made his initial appearance this week on charges of stalking and disorderly conduct, use of a dangerous weapon. According to prosecutors, Eggert was fired in December and he allegedly told co-workers that if he got access to a gun he would start at the front desk and work his way down. The criminal complaint states Eggert was fired for calling the manager several names during an argument, and he told the manager she would regret firing him. Police met with Eggert and he denied making any threats. However, earlier this month the manager told police that Eggert again had threatened her after being denied unemployment benefits. Prosecutors say Eggert continued to contact the manager even after police told him not to. He’s due back in court next month.
Prisoner Facing Additional Time After Kicking Officer
1/13/12 - A prisoner at the Fox Lake Correctional Institution could face an additional six years in prison after allegedly kicking a correctional officer this past fall. 26-year-old Darnell Brown has been charged with battery by prisoner after kicking the officer in the shin. Prosecutors say Brown allegedly kicked the officer several times in October and make threats to other members of the staff. He due in court later this month.
Fitzgerald Says Recall Filing Deadline Should Be Today
1/13/12 - Wisconsin’s Senate majority leader says those who are trying to recall him and four other Republicans should be forced to turn in their petitions today instead of Tuesday. Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau filed a complaint yesterday with the Government Accountability Board. He said today should be the filing deadline because it’s the 60th day after the recall campaigns were kicked off on November 15th. But the Justice Department issued a memo this week saying the clock didn’t start until November 16th, the day after the recall committees registered. That means signatures can be collected tomorrow and filed on the next business day – which is Tuesday, since state offices are closed Monday for the Martin Luther King holiday. In Fitzgerald’s case, the extra day might allow recall organizers to get enough signatures to force an election. They need 16-thousand-742. They had around 16-thousand as of Wednesday, and organizer Lori Compas has asked volunteers from other recall efforts to knock on doors in Fitzgerald’s district today and tomorrow to get signatures. The Board expects a million-and-a-half signatures to be filed to try and force recall elections against Governor Scott Walker and the other Republicans.
Bill to Make Signing More Than One Recall Petition a Crime Moves Forward
1/13/12 - A Wisconsin Senate panel has endorsed two bills which make it a crime to sign recall petitions more than once, and to offer money or gifts to get people to sign. G-O-P lawmakers sponsored both measures. The elections committee vote 4-to-1 yesterday to recommend a criminal misdemeanor charge for those who sign recall petitions multiple times. The maximum penalties would be six months in jail and a one-thousand-dollar fine. The second bill was endorsed 5-to-nothing. It would prohibit people from offering anything of value in exchange for recall signatures. Violators could be charged with felonies, with maximum penalties of three-and-a-half years in prison and 10-thousand-dollar fines. It’s already against the law to offer anything of value to get people to sign nominating petitions or to vote or not vote in regular elections. But there are no such prohibitions for recall efforts.
Good News for State and Local Government Retirees
1/13/12 - Retired state-and-local government workers got some good news yesterday. The State Investment Board said the largest fund which provides benefits to public retirees grew by one-point-four percent last year. All retirees get at least half their pensions from the Core Fund, which grew to 72-billion-dollars in assets by December 31st. Last year, about 35-thousand retirees chose to get at least part of their benefits from a more aggressive variable fund – and that pot dropped by three-percent last year, to around five-point-two billion dollars. We’re not sure yet how these figures will affect the size of the retirees’ pension checks for this year. That’s normally announced in February or March. Those investing in the Core Fund have seen their pension checks drop for three years in a row since the 2008 financial collapse. Benefits from the variable fund grew by 11-percent last year. State Investment Board director Keith Borzath says investors have quote, “tempered optimism” about what will happen in the New Year. The State Retirement Fund serves over 572-thousand state and local government and public school employees. The city and county of Milwaukee are not part of the state system, because they have their own.
1/13/12 - Most of Wisconsin got 3-to-6 inches of snow yesterday and last night. But over two-feet of lake effect snow hit parts of Iron County near Lake Superior. According to the National Weather Service, Gile had 29 inches as of two o’clock this morning – and it was still coming down. Six inches fell there in a five-hour period, and there was lots of blowing and drifting. Montreal in Iron County had 16 inches as of six o’clock. Hurley had 10 inches by the middle of last night. Elsewhere in Wisconsin, the south and the Fox Valley seemed to be the hardest hit, with 3-to-4 inch totals reported in most other parts of the Badger State. By 8pm last night Beaver Dam had 5.5-inches, while West Bend picked up 4.5-inches. A couple miles south of Watertown got 4-inches, and a weather spotter near Oconomowoc reported 6-inches had fallen there. And while the snow has moved out some bitter cold wind chills are being seen this morning. At 6am it was 15-degrees in Beaver Dam, but it felt more like 6-degrees with wind chill. Brownsville had 17-degrees, but with winds gusting to 20-miles an hour it felt more like 5-above. And in Columbus it was 15-degrees with a wind chill of just 1-degree above zero.
Meanwhile, as is usually the case with the first major storm of the season, the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department and other local authorities were dealing with accidents and runoffs for most of the day yesterday. According to department records, from the time the snow began yesterday around 8am there were three accidents with injuries, eight other accidents, and more than 20-runoffs. One of the accidents occurred just before 10-am on Highway 26 at Horn Road. Authorities say a 24-year-old man lost control of his vehicle and struck a culvert. He was taken to the hospital by Watertown EMS. The other significant accident reported by authorities happened at Highway 151 and 33 in Beaver Dam just before noon. A disabled semi was parked on the off-ramp, and a vehicle driven by a 20-year-old woman struck it from behind. She was also taken to the hospital.
BD Crews Working to Clear City Streets
1/13/11 - Snowplows in Beaver Dam began salting and scraping city streets at 2am this morning. Director of Facilities David Stoiser says his 13-man crew worked until 6pm last night and then took a breather to prepare for the morning rush. Two other DPW employees are assigned to clearing sidewalks on municipal properties and Parks Department workers tend to city parking lots.
Reminder to Shovel Your Sidewalk
1/13/11 - The Beaver Dam Department of Public Works is reminding residents to shovel their snow. Director David Stoiser says that city ordinance requires that any snow or ice accumulations on public sidewalk fronting private properties must be removed each time it snows. Stoiser says ice accumulations that cannot be removed must be treated with a deicing or abrasive agent. Violation results in the city removing the snow or treating the ice with costs assessed against the property owner. Repeat violations are referred to the Police Department for possible citations. Small quantities of rock salt and sand-salt mixture are available to city residents only at the Public Works Building on South Center Street.
Winter Parking Rules in Effect in BD
1/13/11 - With yesterday’s snowfall, winter parking rules in Beaver Dam are officially in effect. Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy says the parking prohibition begins with the first significant snowfall. No parking is allowed on city streets between 2am and 6am, so that the Department of Public Works can clear the snow. Citations will be issued for violations and begin at $20 if the ticket is paid within 24 hours. Once the enforcement has been initiated, the parking ban will remain in effect unless it is announced that the ban has been temporarily or permanently lifted.
BD Man Faces Stalking Charges
1/13/12 - A Beaver Dam man is facing stalking charges after allegedly threatening his former boss after being fired. 41-year-old John Eggert made his initial appearance this week on charges of stalking and disorderly conduct, use of a dangerous weapon. According to prosecutors, Eggert was fired in December and he allegedly told co-workers that if he got access to a gun he would start at the front desk and work his way down. The criminal complaint states Eggert was fired for calling the manager several names during an argument, and he told the manager she would regret firing him. Police met with Eggert and he denied making any threats. However, earlier this month the manager told police that Eggert again had threatened her after being denied unemployment benefits. Prosecutors say Eggert continued to contact the manager even after police told him not to. He’s due back in court next month.
Prisoner Facing Additional Time After Kicking Officer
1/13/12 - A prisoner at the Fox Lake Correctional Institution could face an additional six years in prison after allegedly kicking a correctional officer this past fall. 26-year-old Darnell Brown has been charged with battery by prisoner after kicking the officer in the shin. Prosecutors say Brown allegedly kicked the officer several times in October and make threats to other members of the staff. He due in court later this month.
Fitzgerald Says Recall Filing Deadline Should Be Today
1/13/12 - Wisconsin’s Senate majority leader says those who are trying to recall him and four other Republicans should be forced to turn in their petitions today instead of Tuesday. Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau filed a complaint yesterday with the Government Accountability Board. He said today should be the filing deadline because it’s the 60th day after the recall campaigns were kicked off on November 15th. But the Justice Department issued a memo this week saying the clock didn’t start until November 16th, the day after the recall committees registered. That means signatures can be collected tomorrow and filed on the next business day – which is Tuesday, since state offices are closed Monday for the Martin Luther King holiday. In Fitzgerald’s case, the extra day might allow recall organizers to get enough signatures to force an election. They need 16-thousand-742. They had around 16-thousand as of Wednesday, and organizer Lori Compas has asked volunteers from other recall efforts to knock on doors in Fitzgerald’s district today and tomorrow to get signatures. The Board expects a million-and-a-half signatures to be filed to try and force recall elections against Governor Scott Walker and the other Republicans.
Bill to Make Signing More Than One Recall Petition a Crime Moves Forward
1/13/12 - A Wisconsin Senate panel has endorsed two bills which make it a crime to sign recall petitions more than once, and to offer money or gifts to get people to sign. G-O-P lawmakers sponsored both measures. The elections committee vote 4-to-1 yesterday to recommend a criminal misdemeanor charge for those who sign recall petitions multiple times. The maximum penalties would be six months in jail and a one-thousand-dollar fine. The second bill was endorsed 5-to-nothing. It would prohibit people from offering anything of value in exchange for recall signatures. Violators could be charged with felonies, with maximum penalties of three-and-a-half years in prison and 10-thousand-dollar fines. It’s already against the law to offer anything of value to get people to sign nominating petitions or to vote or not vote in regular elections. But there are no such prohibitions for recall efforts.
Good News for State and Local Government Retirees
1/13/12 - Retired state-and-local government workers got some good news yesterday. The State Investment Board said the largest fund which provides benefits to public retirees grew by one-point-four percent last year. All retirees get at least half their pensions from the Core Fund, which grew to 72-billion-dollars in assets by December 31st. Last year, about 35-thousand retirees chose to get at least part of their benefits from a more aggressive variable fund – and that pot dropped by three-percent last year, to around five-point-two billion dollars. We’re not sure yet how these figures will affect the size of the retirees’ pension checks for this year. That’s normally announced in February or March. Those investing in the Core Fund have seen their pension checks drop for three years in a row since the 2008 financial collapse. Benefits from the variable fund grew by 11-percent last year. State Investment Board director Keith Borzath says investors have quote, “tempered optimism” about what will happen in the New Year. The State Retirement Fund serves over 572-thousand state and local government and public school employees. The city and county of Milwaukee are not part of the state system, because they have their own.
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