Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Top Stories May 5th

Authorities Still Looking for Mother of “Baby Teresa”

5/5/09 - Dodge County sheriff’s deputies thought they were close last week to finding the mother of a newborn girl who was thrown in the woods in a garbage bag. But Sheriff Todd Nehls says the tips dried up over the weekend. And investigators have expanded their search, checking with doctors as far away as Chicago to see if the mother had sought help. A wood-cutter found the infant last Wednesday in a wooded area near Theresa. Authorities have called the girl “Baby Teresa” to give her some sort of identity. Fond du Lac County Medical Examiner Douglas Kelly says the mother might be in dire need of medical attention – because she could get infections. But Dodge County Medical Examiner P-J Schoebel said the mother apparently took care of herself during the pregnancy, because the baby is healthy. Early reports said Baby Teresa was born 12-to-24 hours before being dumped. But Schoebel says he cannot confirm it yet. Nehls said the mother may not be from the area – or else people are so close to her, they think it’s in her best interest not to say anything to authorities.

No Flu Cases Found in BD School District

5/5/09 - There are still only three confirmed cases of Influenza-“A” in Wisconsin. But the number of probable cases jumped to 102 yesterday, though none have been reported in Dodge County. The virus has also not had an impact yet on Beaver Dam School District students. That was as of last night as Director of Pupil Services Deb Parman updated the Beaver Dam School Board on the flu. Parman said that even though a number of students have not been in school because of having flu-like symptoms, there have been no probable or confirmed cases of H1N1 in any of the schools. The number of students with flu-like symptoms has been increasing gradually according to Parman, with a total of 70 students leaving school last Friday. Parman said students that show two of the seven symptoms for H1N1 are sent home and can’t return until the symptoms are gone or there is clearance from a doctor. Superintendent Don Childs told the board that a building would have to be closed for at least 14 days if there was a probable or confirmed case. State education officials also told Childs that if school is closed because of the flu, the missed time does not have to be made up. Parman said that school district nurses and other staff are staying on top of the situation with monitoring of students and contact with other health agencies on a daily basis.

Meanwhile, state officials confirmed a Newsweek magazine report that a 17-year-old Sheboygan boy had swine flu symptoms for three days in 2005. Doctor Jeffrey Davis, the state’s chief medical officer, said the teen was infected from exposure to freshly killed pigs at a slaughterhouse. A chicken had moved into his house before that. And no other family members or those exposed to the pigs had the virus. The Newsweek article was called “The Path of a Pandemic,” but officials said the case was not linked to the current disease. It was also discussed last year in an infectious disease journal. That article called for prompt investigations to identify and control the sources of swine flu.

Demerit Point System Gets First Reading

5/5/09 - After months of planning the Beaver Dam Common Council heard the first reading of an ordinance that would set up a demerit point system for local taverns. An ad hoc committee, made up of council members, city leaders, and law enforcement, was formed earlier this year to put together the ordinance drawing from surrounding communities versions. Chairman of the Committee Don Neuert says system put in place will allow for the council to have an across the board measuring stick to judge all establishments fairly. Under the plan, demerits would be given to bars for such violations as serving minors, excessive noise or failing to cooperate with public safety officials. Taverns in violation could have their license suspended or revoked. The council will vote on the measure later this month.

Downtown Project in BD to Start Next Monday

5/5/09 - Work on the Downtown restoration project in Beaver Dam will begin next Monday. Mayor Tom Kennedy updated the city council last night saying remediation on the recently acquired buildings will start May 11th with the razing of the properties slated to start on the 18th of the month. The first building to be torn down will be the Celestial building followed by Julie R Dancewear. Kennedy also says the expected completion date has been moved up to July 31st.

Boehler Sentenced

5/5/09 - 34-year-old Richard Boehler, who was driving a truck that struck and killed a 63-year-old Beaver Dam man last July, has been sentenced to 90-days in jail for changing his driving logs and not observing required rest requirements.. David Brandenburg died after being struck from behind while riding his bicycle on Highway A last July 7th. Boehler was convicted on charges of obstructing an officer and reckless driving. Judge Brian Pfitzinger also suspended Boehler’s license for one year on the charge of inattentive driving.

High Speed Chase Leads to 4th OWI

5/5/09 - A Watertown man must have had a little déjà vu Sunday night. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department says 42-year-old Gerald Eckes led a deputy on a chase that started on Highway O in the Town of Lebanon and reached speeds nearing 120-miles-per-hour before ending on Midway Lane. Eckes was cited for his 4th OWI and faces charges of eluding an officer and having open intoxicants in his vehicle. Incidentally, Eckes was arrested by then Deputy Todd Nehls following a similar chase in the early 90’s.

Meal Prices to Increase in BD School District

5/5/09 - Students in the Beaver Dam School District will have to pay a little more for breakfast and lunch next school year. The Beaver Dam School Board last night approved raising the prices for the student meals at the schools. The cost for a full-priced breakfast will increase by a nickel while the cost for a full-priced lunch will go up by a dime. The cost for milk will also increase by five cents. The prices for the reduced price breakfasts and lunches will stay the same.

The board also reelected Bev Beal Loeck as school board president. Lisa Panzer was elected board vice president.

AG: Justice Department Committed to “Core GOP Principles”

5/5/09 - As the only major state office who is Republican, Attorney General JB Van Hollen says the justice department remains committed to "core Republican principles." He points to areas like fiscal responsibility, which includes going after people and businesses that rip off the government. He says they've collected tens of millions of dollars more in fraudulent restitution each year than his predecessor. Van Hollen says the DOJ was the only state agency during his first two-year budget to return money – 1-point-2 million dollars. The AG says it's due in large part to productivity and efficiency at the state crime lab, which is about to be the first in over 20 years to rid the backlog of DNA evidence.

Late Notice for Public Hearing on Smoking Ban

5/5/09 - Those for-and-against Wisconsin’s public indoor smoking ban won’t have much time to prepare their testimony for state senators. Health Committee chair Jon Erpenbach has called a public hearing for 10 o’clock this morning at the Capitol in Madison. The public notice was just barely legal under the state’s Open Meeting Law. It was given just 35 minutes before the required 24-hour notice yesterday morning. Last week, the Assembly’s Health Care committee said it would hold a hearing on the smoking ban Wednesday morning. Both houses are scheduled to act on it a week from Wednesday, even though it’s part of the state budget that’s now before the Joint Finance Committee. Opponents of the smoking ban say bars in remote places like northern Wisconsin are the ones most likely to go out of business if it passes.

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