Allen Found Not Guilty
8/13/09 - A Watertown woman accused of starting an apartment complex fire last November has been found not guilty by reason of mental defect. 33-year-old Jamie R Allen was faced with Arson of Building charges after setting fire to items in her apartment on Division Street in Horicon. Allen said she had been diagnosed as a Schizoaffective and a Manic Depressant. Bob Barrington, the Managing Attorney with the Dodge County District Attorneys office, says the finding means she admits there was factual evidence to find her guilty but at the time of the incident she had some sort of mental disease or defect and therefore could not be held criminally responsible. The court will now determine what kind of treatment Allen will receive to help with those mental issues and will make a decision in the future as to whether she can be allowed back into society.
Columbia County Sheriff’s Department Forced to Clean Out Cambria Office
8/13/09 - For the past couple of days deputies from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Department has been forced to clean out the Cambria Police Department in the wake of the office being dissolved last week. Sheriff Dennis Richards informed the judiciary committee of their work saying his department along with the District Attorney’s office, are taking possession of items in the evidence room and taking over the prosecution of pending charges. Richards also confided that his department did not hear about the village’s decision to dissolve the department until after it happened. Since the meeting last Monday Columbia County has been on call to handle any emergencies but they have told village trustees that contracting with the sheriff’s department is not an immediate option and would take close to a year to train someone for that role. Cambria chose to get rid of their police department for a number of reasons including budget concerns and a number of complaints from residents about the job Chief Rick Nelson was doing.
More Talks Between Mercury and Union
8/13/09 - Talks between Mercury Marine officials and representatives of its employees' union encountered a few obstacles at the bargaining table yesterday. That's what union spokespersons are saying, company spokesmen said little about the nature of yesterday's negotiations other than they took a little over 6 hours. Talks continue today and tomorrow as the company and union representatives try to hammer out an agreement that could influence the company's decision whether to stay in Fond du Lac or consolidate operations in Stillwater, Oklahoma. (KFIZ)
More Big Projects Ahead for Owners of BD Mall
8/13/09 - This is just the beginning. That’s the sentiment of the four local owners of the Heritage Village Mall in Beaver Dam after it was announced earlier this week that Boston Store would have their Grand Opening next month. Todd Hedberg says having a big anchor store such as Boston Store will allow them to go out and court other big name businesses and mentioned that they are is serious negotiations to bring a sporting goods store to the mall as well. Boston Store will have it Grand Opening on September 9th.
Man Arrested After Leaving Scene of Accident
8/13/09 - A 64-year-old man was taken into custody yesterday morning after leaving the scene of an accident and operating under the influence. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department says an off-duty deputy reported a truck driven by Steven Hill t-boned a vehicle while pulling out of Steve’s Bar in the Town of Emmet just after 11 p.m. Hill didn’t stop and continued on Highway 26 before authorities located him on Second Street. Authorities say he was taken to jail for OWI 1st offense and possession of drug paraphernalia. The crash is still under investigation. The woman in the other vehicle received only minor scraps in the accident.
Doyle Declares State of Emergency for Northern Wisconsin Farms
8/13/09 - Governor Jim Doyle helped Wisconsin farmers yesterday by declaring a state-of-emergency in 41 counties where it’s drier-than-normal this year. Doyle issued an executive order that covers about the northern half of the state. It lets the D-N-R expedite farmers’ requests for temporary irrigation permits, to use lake-and-stream water on their crops. The permits would be granted once the D-N-R inspects the affected waterways within 72 hours of an irrigation request. Normally, a 30-day period for public comments is required for such requests. And because the drought has caused water levels to go down, the D-N-R’s Liesa Lehmann says there might not be enough water in some streams to allow irrigation. Emergency diversions can take place through September 11th.
Electric Utilities Applying for Stimulus Funds
8/13/09 - Wisconsin’s largest electric utilities have applied for 63-million dollars in federal stimulus funds for new energy-saving technology. Four-billion dollars are being made available nationwide for what’s known as “smart grid” projects. They’ll cover up to half the utilities’ total costs. Wisconsin Power-and-Light of Madison is asking for 10-million dollars to help with a pilot program that lets residents track their energy use on the Internet. It would also create programmable thermostats which the utility could adjust up-or-down in some cases. Madison Gas-and-Electric is setting up five public stations where people can re-charge their electric hybrid batteries. Those stations would be the first in the nation. M-G-and-E also wants to give “smart meters” to customers with hybrids, so they can how their charging activity affects the utility’s power grid. We Energies plans to submit a three-and-a-half million dollar grant request later this month. They’re looking at a project to test new meters, and updated software to save costs on future utility improvements. Wisconsin Public Service of Green Bay has asked for 18-million dollars. The firm says it would make the system more reliability, and help customers hold down their costs.
More Than 5% of WI Incomes Spent on Gas Last Year
8/13/09 - The average Wisconsin driver spent 19-hundred-71 dollars just for gasoline last year. That’s according to the National Resources Defense Council, which said motorists in the Badger State spent about five-point-two percent of their incomes on fuel. But as high as that sounds, it could have been worse. Folks in 31 other states spent more on gasoline. And in Mississippi, over nine-percent of people’s incomes went down their gas tanks last year – when fuel prices were at all-time highs. The Defense Council report is meant to show how vulnerable Americans are to spikes in gas prices, because of the nation’s strong dependence on foreign oil. Among Wisconsin’s neighbors, the average gas bill ranged from 19-hundred-24 dollars in Iowa to 23-hundred-53-dollars in Minnesota. The Triple-“A” said Wisconsin hit a record high of 4.11-a-gallon for regular unleaded in July of last year. Today, the average statewide price is just under 2.65 – about a nickel more than a week ago.
Town Hall Meetings Bring Positive and Negative Comments
8/13/09 - Town hall meetings across the nation are drawing a wide range of public input on proposed health care reforms. Some of it has been positive, but there have also been a great deal of negative and angry comments. U.S. Senator Herb Kohl of Wisconsin says that's the way it should be, especially when dealing with such an important issue as health care. He says it's an issue that impacts the lives of every Americans and should be highly debated. Kohl says the debate will help to build a consensus on what plan is best for reform. Still, the Senator has not scheduled any of his own town hall meetings in Wisconsin.
Plan Put on Hold for Chronic Wasting Disease
8/13/09 - A new plan to fight chronic wasting disease in Wisconsin’s deer herd is being put on hold. In Hayward yesterday, the state Natural Resources Board appointed a special committee to review a new five-year plan to contain the fatal brain disease. The board wants to make sure it minimizes the area where C-W-D will keep showing up. The panel will report back to the board in December. The plan recognizes that Wisconsin must accept at least some level of C-W-D, which was first discovered in 2002 in the southwest part of the state. At first, the D-N-R took immediate steps to try and eradicate the disease, by killing all the deer where chronic wasting disease was found. But that approach failed. Among other things, the new plan would order a statewide ban on deer baiting-and-feeding, which has been controversial in the past. Sharp-shooters would keep killing deer in C-W-D zones, and the movement of carcasses out of those zones would be banned. Also yesterday, the Natural Resources Board did not act on a separate plan to expand the November gun-deer hunting season from nine days to 16. That measure was proposed as a new step to control the deer herd, after the controversial Earn-a-Buck hunting policy was scrapped.
House Committee Releases Sealed Records
8/13/09 - The House Judiciary chairman released thousands of records this week about the Bush administration’s decision to fire nine U-S attorneys in 2006. But those documents did not explain why former Milwaukee prosecutor Steve Biskupic was added to the list of those to be fired – and was then saved before the boom fell. Journal Sentinel columnist Dan Bice quoted secret testimony from the House hearings into the firings. And neither G-O-P White House adviser Karl Rove nor White House counsel Harriet Miers could say why Biskupic was added to the firing list, and was later dropped from it. The records showed that Biskupic and one other prosecutor were the last to be put on the firing list in 2005, but it was not clear as to why. At the Judiciary hearing, Rove was asked if Biskupic’s prosecution of Doyle aide Georgia Thompson was a factor in sparing the attorney’s job. And Rove said he didn’t know. A federal jury convicted Thompson of steering a state contract to a pair of donors to the Democratic governor’s re-election campaign – but an appeals court later reversed the conviction. Biskupic stepped down from his U-S Attorney’s post earlier this year, and joined a Milwaukee law firm.
Circus Comes to Columbus Today
8/13/09 - The Circus makes an appearance in Columbus today. The Carson and Barnes Circus were in West Bend yesterday and is scheduled to roll into Columbus this morning. A big part of the event will be the elephants setting up the big tent this morning. In fact Good Morning America will have cameras in Columbus to tape the raising, which they plan to use in a special piece this October. Jerrod Fox with the Columbus Fire Department says the raising of the tent should happen around 9 a.m. this morning. The Circus will have shows at 4:30 followed at 7:30 with a second show.
8/13/09 - A Watertown woman accused of starting an apartment complex fire last November has been found not guilty by reason of mental defect. 33-year-old Jamie R Allen was faced with Arson of Building charges after setting fire to items in her apartment on Division Street in Horicon. Allen said she had been diagnosed as a Schizoaffective and a Manic Depressant. Bob Barrington, the Managing Attorney with the Dodge County District Attorneys office, says the finding means she admits there was factual evidence to find her guilty but at the time of the incident she had some sort of mental disease or defect and therefore could not be held criminally responsible. The court will now determine what kind of treatment Allen will receive to help with those mental issues and will make a decision in the future as to whether she can be allowed back into society.
Columbia County Sheriff’s Department Forced to Clean Out Cambria Office
8/13/09 - For the past couple of days deputies from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Department has been forced to clean out the Cambria Police Department in the wake of the office being dissolved last week. Sheriff Dennis Richards informed the judiciary committee of their work saying his department along with the District Attorney’s office, are taking possession of items in the evidence room and taking over the prosecution of pending charges. Richards also confided that his department did not hear about the village’s decision to dissolve the department until after it happened. Since the meeting last Monday Columbia County has been on call to handle any emergencies but they have told village trustees that contracting with the sheriff’s department is not an immediate option and would take close to a year to train someone for that role. Cambria chose to get rid of their police department for a number of reasons including budget concerns and a number of complaints from residents about the job Chief Rick Nelson was doing.
More Talks Between Mercury and Union
8/13/09 - Talks between Mercury Marine officials and representatives of its employees' union encountered a few obstacles at the bargaining table yesterday. That's what union spokespersons are saying, company spokesmen said little about the nature of yesterday's negotiations other than they took a little over 6 hours. Talks continue today and tomorrow as the company and union representatives try to hammer out an agreement that could influence the company's decision whether to stay in Fond du Lac or consolidate operations in Stillwater, Oklahoma. (KFIZ)
More Big Projects Ahead for Owners of BD Mall
8/13/09 - This is just the beginning. That’s the sentiment of the four local owners of the Heritage Village Mall in Beaver Dam after it was announced earlier this week that Boston Store would have their Grand Opening next month. Todd Hedberg says having a big anchor store such as Boston Store will allow them to go out and court other big name businesses and mentioned that they are is serious negotiations to bring a sporting goods store to the mall as well. Boston Store will have it Grand Opening on September 9th.
Man Arrested After Leaving Scene of Accident
8/13/09 - A 64-year-old man was taken into custody yesterday morning after leaving the scene of an accident and operating under the influence. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department says an off-duty deputy reported a truck driven by Steven Hill t-boned a vehicle while pulling out of Steve’s Bar in the Town of Emmet just after 11 p.m. Hill didn’t stop and continued on Highway 26 before authorities located him on Second Street. Authorities say he was taken to jail for OWI 1st offense and possession of drug paraphernalia. The crash is still under investigation. The woman in the other vehicle received only minor scraps in the accident.
Doyle Declares State of Emergency for Northern Wisconsin Farms
8/13/09 - Governor Jim Doyle helped Wisconsin farmers yesterday by declaring a state-of-emergency in 41 counties where it’s drier-than-normal this year. Doyle issued an executive order that covers about the northern half of the state. It lets the D-N-R expedite farmers’ requests for temporary irrigation permits, to use lake-and-stream water on their crops. The permits would be granted once the D-N-R inspects the affected waterways within 72 hours of an irrigation request. Normally, a 30-day period for public comments is required for such requests. And because the drought has caused water levels to go down, the D-N-R’s Liesa Lehmann says there might not be enough water in some streams to allow irrigation. Emergency diversions can take place through September 11th.
Electric Utilities Applying for Stimulus Funds
8/13/09 - Wisconsin’s largest electric utilities have applied for 63-million dollars in federal stimulus funds for new energy-saving technology. Four-billion dollars are being made available nationwide for what’s known as “smart grid” projects. They’ll cover up to half the utilities’ total costs. Wisconsin Power-and-Light of Madison is asking for 10-million dollars to help with a pilot program that lets residents track their energy use on the Internet. It would also create programmable thermostats which the utility could adjust up-or-down in some cases. Madison Gas-and-Electric is setting up five public stations where people can re-charge their electric hybrid batteries. Those stations would be the first in the nation. M-G-and-E also wants to give “smart meters” to customers with hybrids, so they can how their charging activity affects the utility’s power grid. We Energies plans to submit a three-and-a-half million dollar grant request later this month. They’re looking at a project to test new meters, and updated software to save costs on future utility improvements. Wisconsin Public Service of Green Bay has asked for 18-million dollars. The firm says it would make the system more reliability, and help customers hold down their costs.
More Than 5% of WI Incomes Spent on Gas Last Year
8/13/09 - The average Wisconsin driver spent 19-hundred-71 dollars just for gasoline last year. That’s according to the National Resources Defense Council, which said motorists in the Badger State spent about five-point-two percent of their incomes on fuel. But as high as that sounds, it could have been worse. Folks in 31 other states spent more on gasoline. And in Mississippi, over nine-percent of people’s incomes went down their gas tanks last year – when fuel prices were at all-time highs. The Defense Council report is meant to show how vulnerable Americans are to spikes in gas prices, because of the nation’s strong dependence on foreign oil. Among Wisconsin’s neighbors, the average gas bill ranged from 19-hundred-24 dollars in Iowa to 23-hundred-53-dollars in Minnesota. The Triple-“A” said Wisconsin hit a record high of 4.11-a-gallon for regular unleaded in July of last year. Today, the average statewide price is just under 2.65 – about a nickel more than a week ago.
Town Hall Meetings Bring Positive and Negative Comments
8/13/09 - Town hall meetings across the nation are drawing a wide range of public input on proposed health care reforms. Some of it has been positive, but there have also been a great deal of negative and angry comments. U.S. Senator Herb Kohl of Wisconsin says that's the way it should be, especially when dealing with such an important issue as health care. He says it's an issue that impacts the lives of every Americans and should be highly debated. Kohl says the debate will help to build a consensus on what plan is best for reform. Still, the Senator has not scheduled any of his own town hall meetings in Wisconsin.
Plan Put on Hold for Chronic Wasting Disease
8/13/09 - A new plan to fight chronic wasting disease in Wisconsin’s deer herd is being put on hold. In Hayward yesterday, the state Natural Resources Board appointed a special committee to review a new five-year plan to contain the fatal brain disease. The board wants to make sure it minimizes the area where C-W-D will keep showing up. The panel will report back to the board in December. The plan recognizes that Wisconsin must accept at least some level of C-W-D, which was first discovered in 2002 in the southwest part of the state. At first, the D-N-R took immediate steps to try and eradicate the disease, by killing all the deer where chronic wasting disease was found. But that approach failed. Among other things, the new plan would order a statewide ban on deer baiting-and-feeding, which has been controversial in the past. Sharp-shooters would keep killing deer in C-W-D zones, and the movement of carcasses out of those zones would be banned. Also yesterday, the Natural Resources Board did not act on a separate plan to expand the November gun-deer hunting season from nine days to 16. That measure was proposed as a new step to control the deer herd, after the controversial Earn-a-Buck hunting policy was scrapped.
House Committee Releases Sealed Records
8/13/09 - The House Judiciary chairman released thousands of records this week about the Bush administration’s decision to fire nine U-S attorneys in 2006. But those documents did not explain why former Milwaukee prosecutor Steve Biskupic was added to the list of those to be fired – and was then saved before the boom fell. Journal Sentinel columnist Dan Bice quoted secret testimony from the House hearings into the firings. And neither G-O-P White House adviser Karl Rove nor White House counsel Harriet Miers could say why Biskupic was added to the firing list, and was later dropped from it. The records showed that Biskupic and one other prosecutor were the last to be put on the firing list in 2005, but it was not clear as to why. At the Judiciary hearing, Rove was asked if Biskupic’s prosecution of Doyle aide Georgia Thompson was a factor in sparing the attorney’s job. And Rove said he didn’t know. A federal jury convicted Thompson of steering a state contract to a pair of donors to the Democratic governor’s re-election campaign – but an appeals court later reversed the conviction. Biskupic stepped down from his U-S Attorney’s post earlier this year, and joined a Milwaukee law firm.
Circus Comes to Columbus Today
8/13/09 - The Circus makes an appearance in Columbus today. The Carson and Barnes Circus were in West Bend yesterday and is scheduled to roll into Columbus this morning. A big part of the event will be the elephants setting up the big tent this morning. In fact Good Morning America will have cameras in Columbus to tape the raising, which they plan to use in a special piece this October. Jerrod Fox with the Columbus Fire Department says the raising of the tent should happen around 9 a.m. this morning. The Circus will have shows at 4:30 followed at 7:30 with a second show.
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