Monday, June 22, 2009

Top Stories June 22nd

Hot and Humid Weather to Start the Week

6/22/09 - Summer officially began yesterday – and the season’s first 90-degree temperatures could hit Wisconsin as early as today. A warm front is pushing scattered thunderstorms from west-to-east during the day, with hot-and-humid conditions right behind it. Parts of Wisconsin could hit the low-90’s today – and virtually all of the Badger State has a chance at 90 tomorrow, with 95 possible in some spots under clear-to-partly cloudy skies. Another frontal system could move in late tomorrow night, with storms possible through Wednesday night. Over the weekend, the National Weather Service confirmed a weak tornado touchdown from Friday, about seven miles northwest of Kenosha. Only trees were damaged.

Woman Arrested after Report of Shots Fired

6/22/09 - A 33-year-old woman was arrested last night after allegedly driving by a residence and firing multiple gun shots. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department says they took a report of shots fired on County Trunk C-C in the Town of Westford last night around 8 p.m. Deputies were able to make contact with those in the vehicle and arrested two of them. The 33-year-old woman was taken into custody on a charge of operating a firearm while intoxicated. A 29-year-old man was also arrested. No one was injured in the incident.

Six Injured in Town of Theresa Accidents Early Sunday

6/22/09 - Two rollover accidents in Theresa early Sunday morning injured six people. A 20-year-old man rolled his vehicle on Racoon Road around 5:30 and was taken to Froedert Hospital near Milwaukee. Authorities believe alcohol played a factor in the accident. A second rollover occurred about 20-minutes later on Highway 41 near Highway 28 in Theresa. The 37-year-old female driver and four others were injured and taken to the hospital where they were treated and released. The driver was cited for inattentive driving.

Law Enforcement Looking into Breaking and Entering in Williamstown

6/22/09 - Authorities are investigating a breaking and entering at a town of Williamstown home. The owner of the home on Highway T-W reported their TV had been smashed and a laptop stolen. Anyone with information is asked to call the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department or the anonymous WE-TIP Hotline at 800-78-CRIME.

Roecker Sentenced to Probation

6/22/09 - Three years of probation has been ordered for a 33-year-old Mayville man who was suspected of raping a Fond du Lac woman in September of 2007. Last week Matthew Roecker was sentenced on a false imprisonment charge to probation and a six month jail term that's at the discretion of his probation agent. A charge of 2nd degree sexual assault by use of force was dismissed. In January of 2008 Roecker's probation on a Dodge County drunken driving conviction was revoked and he's been serving a 30 month prison term.

Statements Can Be Used in FDL Cold Case

6/22/09 - Recorded statements made by a 53-year-old Ashwaubenon man to a Fond du Lac police investigator who was collecting a DNA sample can be used in the man's murder trial. Thomas Niesen (NEE-sun) is suspected of killing 19-year-old Kathleen Leichtman (LIKED-man) in July of 1976. A DNA sample he gave authorities following a child conviction last October matched one found on Leichtman's body. The statements Niesen made to the investigator happened when a second sample was being collected this past February. A two-week jury trial is scheduled in Fond du Lac County Court beginning August 24th.

Beaver Dam Recognized in Public Enemies Credits

6/22/09 - If the scenes shot in Beaver Dam for Public Enemies don’t make it into the movie the city will still be recognized by the movie makers. According to the production notes for the movie, the credits thank the city of Beaver Dam and its people. The movie, which follows the life of depression era gangster John Dillinger, shot a number of scenes in the city last spring. Others mentioned in the credits include the city of Columbus, former Mayor Nancy Osterhaus, the State of Wisconsin and Lieutenant Governor Barbara Lawton. The makers held a premiere for the movie in Chicago last week and will hold smaller parties around Wisconsin on June 30th before its released nationwide on July 1st.

Area Troops Get to Work in Iraq

6/22/09 - The troops making up the largest deployment of Wisconsin National Guard soldiers since World War II are getting settled in Iraq. Around 900 soldiers from the state are set up at Camp Cropper handling a number of different missions for the next 8-months. The base is located near Baghdad International Airport. As part of their duties the guard troops are helping train Iraqi corrections officers. About 180 soldiers from the 105th Cavalry’s Headquarters Troop from Madison and Watertown are assigned to missions at the base. According to Captain Karl Hanson, the commander of the Watertown troops, the unit is responsible for base defense including handling any threats to personnel inside the camp. Six other Wisconsin National Guard units with about 720 soldiers are also at the base. The soldiers are not expected to return to Wisconsin until early next year.

High Speed Rail Service Would Bring Peace and Quiet

6/22/09 - The proposed high-speed rail line from Milwaukee-to-Madison could finally bring peace-and-quiet to residents along the route. If federal stimulus funds are awarded, state officials say they’ll try to upgrade all crossings to the point where horns will no longer be needed when the train goes through. Ron Adams of the state D-O-T says the crossings will need improvements anyway to accommodate the 110-mile-an-hour line. And he says crews would be instructed to put in the grade separations and other improvements needed to qualify for federal “quiet zones” – which already exist in Wauwatosa and Oconomowoc Lake. The Milwaukee-to-Madison line is part of a larger proposal to connect a dozen large Midwest cities with high-speed rail service and would include a stop in Watertown. The Milwaukee-to-Madison segment would cost 519-million dollars. If the funding’s approved, that high-speed service could begin as early as 2012.

Winning Powerball Ticket Sold in North Carolina

6/22/09 - The Powerball jackpot goes back to 20-million-dollars on Wednesday, after a ticket sold in North Carolina won Saturday’s top prize of 88-million. Nobody in Wisconsin won the second prize, but three state players won 10-thousand-dollars each by matching four regular numbers plus the Powerball. Just over 22-thousand players in the Badger State won smaller prizes.

House to Vote on New Global Warming Bill

6/22/09 - The U-S House could vote as early as this week on the nation’s new effort to fight global warming. Madison Democrat Tammy Baldwin says it’s an opportunity for Wisconsin to move past its manufacturing traditions – while Menomonee Falls Republican Jim Sensenbrenner calls it “an economic declaration of war on the Midwest.” He’s long been a critic of the bill’s cap-and-trade system, which limits total air emissions and lets larger polluters buy credits from lesser-polluting industries – thus raising things like electric rates. But Wisconsin’s Jim Doyle and other Midwest governors have promoted a modified cap-and-trade which protects big energy users, while still encouraging more efficient factories and renewable energy. The state’s largest utility, We Energies, says it’s cautiously optimistic with the bill’s recent changes. But the Wisconsin Paper Council said the paper industry is not included in those changes, leaving it open to much higher costs.

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