Top Stories December 14th

Interstate 94 Accident Claims One Life

12/14/08 - A two-car accident in Waukesha County killed one person and closed the westbound lanes of Interstate 94 and one eastbound lane for hours Saturday evening. Waukesha County authorities said the accident in the Delafield area just after 6 p.m. caused traffic backups in both directions while investigators did their survey of how the crash happened. It was several hours before traffic was back to normal. Two others were reported injured with no word on their condition. Names of those involved have not been released at this time.

FDL Man Being Charged with Homicide Five Years Later

12/14/08 - The case was evidently overlooked. Five and a half years ago William Schroeder of Fond du Lac was driving a car that slammed into a tree. A passenger in that car, Benjamin Westerman, was killed. Schroeder was never arrested and never charged. Sheboygan County District Attorney Joe DeCecco says the case was overlooked but after reviewing it he charged Schroeder with Homicide by Negligent Use of a Vehicle. He did so even though the teenage victim's father said he doesn't want Schroeder to be prosecuted. Schroeder is due in court tomorrow for his initial appearance.

GM Plant Closure will hit Janesville Hard

12/14/08 - Experts on the economy say the closing of Janesville's GM plant could cost Rock County up to nine-thousand jobs. Not just assembly line jobs, the lost positions are in construction, night clubs, doctors' offices -- even day care centers. For years General Motors was Janesville. If you didn't work at the plant, you knew someone who did. In nine days the last sport utility vehicle is scheduled to roll off that assembly line. The impact is expected to create a situation Janesville hasn't seen since the Great Depression.

Man Extradited to Face Sexual Assault and Homicide Charges

12/14/08 - Wisconsin authorities say the return of Salvador Ochoa, to face sexual assault and homicide charges, sends a message that criminals shouldn't assume they can break the law, then escape punishment by crossing the border into Mexico. Ochoa is accused of killing his two-month-old daughter three years ago. He then took off for Mexico. It took years of negotiation, but he was finally extradited. Milwaukee police report 13 of the 17 fugitives wanted on homicide warrants in the city are believed to be in Mexico. For years that country refused to return its citizens if they might face the death penalty or a sentence of life-without-parole.

Barn Built in 1902 Destroyed

12/14/08 - A barn built more than 100-years ago was destroyed by fire last week. The Dane County Sheriff’s Department says a call reporting the fire came in around 3pm Wednesday. Two fire departments along with the sheriff’s department responded to the barn on Highway 134 but when they got there the structure was already fully engulfed in flames. The building an property inside were destroyed by the blaze and damage is estimated at around $60,000. The exact cause of the fire is not known but officials say it does not appear suspicious. The barn was built in 1902.

Local State Troopers Graduate

12/14/08 - Nineteen new state troopers recently graduated from the Wisconsin State Patrol Academy. Among the graduates were Jamie La Brec of Rosendale and Joshua Maurer of Watertown. To graduate from the academy officers have to complete 21 weeks of intense training. Graduation ceremonies were held at the State Capitol in Madison this past Thursday. (KFIZ)

Waupun Schools Asking Parents to Register their Kids for Kindergarten

12/14/08 - The Waupun Area School District is asking parents with children whose birthday is on or before September 1st 2004 to contact the Education Service Center to register their child for kindergarten for the 2009-2010 school year. Officials say they need to know how many students will be entering so as to determine class size, building placement, and to allow enough time to order class material for the students. For more information contact Linda Meagher at the ESC