Top Stories October 13th

Beaver Dam Prelim Budget Over 12% Higher Than Last Year

10/13/09 - The proposed 2010 Beaver Dam city budget is 12 and-a-half percent higher than last year’s. The $13.7 million dollar preliminary budget includes a tax levy of $8.2 million, nearly one million dollars higher than last year’s. In order to meet state-imposed levy limits, the city must trim about a quarter million dollars, which would bring the year-to-year increase to around 9%. That means the owner of a $100,000 home would pay an additional $56 next year for the city portion of the tax bill. Administrative Committee Chair Don Neuert says 9% is still too much to pass along to taxpayers and committee members were in agreement that a 5% increase would be more reasonable. At 5%, city officials would need to trim about a half million dollars from next year’s budget. Council President John Litscher says his is especially concerned that 70% of the budget is dedicated to wages and salary. Litscher is asking the Finance Director to provide numbers at the next meeting about the savings that would be realized by freezing pay increases for non-union employees. The Administrative Committee will review capital outlay projects and hear from department heads about area’s where they are can make some cuts, when they meet for a second time later this month.

Columbus School Board Approves Initial Budget

10/13/09 - The Columbus School Board approved the Administration’s $12.3 million dollar 2010 budget proposal last night. The proposed District budget would mean a 4.7 per cent increase in the mil rate from last year. The proposed mil rate would be $9.11 per thousand. The $6 million dollar tax levy figure would be slightly less than half of the total budget. The District will approve the final 2010 tax levy and mil rate at their October 26th Annual Meeting at Columbus High School.

Cambria Man Charged With Stealing Farm Equipment
10/13/09 - A Cambria man is accused of stealing farm equipment from area farmers and businesses. Gene Sauer is charged in Dodge County court with three felony counts of Theft of Movable Property. The 40-year-old was arrested after one of his alleged victims spotted his stolen hay mower in a Green Lake County farm field that Sauer was renting. The find led to the discovery of several other stolen farm implements, including a John Deere lawn tractor and Gator taken from Ballweg Implement. According to the criminal complaint, Sauer admitted to authorities that he stole the items, which were valued at over $30,000. Sauer faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, if convicted.

Four Teens Arrested and Charged with Robbery, Battery

10/13/09 - The Columbia County Sheriffs Department arrested four teenagers Sunday morning on charges that they attacked a Pardeeville man and stole a “substantial” amount of money from him. Sheriff Dennis Richards says the strong-armed robbery started when the 38-year-old victim approached the group in a convenience store and asked them from a ride home. After a verbal confrontation, the victim began to walk to his residence but the group reportedly followed him and then attacked him. He was transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Dalton Christie and Shawn Pearson, two 17-year-old’s from Pardeeville, and 19-year-old Daniel Bridgeford of Fond du Lac had initial appearances yesterday (Monday) in Columbia County court on charges of robbery, battery and underage alcohol consumption. The fourth suspect, a 16-year-old from Wyocena, will be referred to the juvenile court for criminal charges.

Cash Bond Set for FDL Bus Driver

10/13/09 - A $50,000 cash bond has been set for the 57-year-old school bus driver who allegedly exposed himself to a student and sexually assaulted another child. William Rangel of North Fond du Lac made an initial appearance in Fond du Lac County Court yesterday morning. According to Fond du Lac police an elementary school student saw Rangel's genitals when she was getting on a bus last month. He was wearing low cut shorts. On October 1st the County's Social Services Department notified police that an 8-year-old girl claimed she'd been sexually assaulted by Rangel. The girl was not a student on the bus Rangel was driving. After a second interview with the child on October 5th police got a search warrant and used it at Rangel's home on the following day. Two computers were among the items that were taken. Rangel is charged with Repeated Sexual Assault of the Same Child, and three counts of Lewd and Lascivious-Exposure. He has a preliminary hearing on November 12th. (KFIZ)

Worth Pleads Not Guilty

10/13/09 - The 48-year-old Fond du Lac man suspected of helping a murder suspect dispose of a body, has pled not guilty to charges he's facing. Donald Worth was arraigned yesterday morning on mutilating a corpse, aiding a felon, and obstruction of an officer charges. He's accused of helping Brandon Mueller burn and dispose of the body of 28-year-old Renee Redmer last winter. Mueller allegedly strangled Redmer at his mother Nancy Pinno's apartment. The body was stored in a cooler in a garage at the apartment complex until Mueller and Pinno allegedly took it out to Worth's Kinker Road property where it was burned and the ashes were scattered under the ice of Lake Winnebago. Also at Worth's arraignment a motion to modify his bail was denied. He's being held in the Fond du Lac County Jail on a $150,000 cash bond. (KFIZ)

Waupun Investigating Mobile Home Fire

10/13/09 - The Waupun Fire Department is investigating a blaze that damaged a mobile home Sunday afternoon. Chief Jeff Berry says crews were called out to a fire in a closet at 908 South Madison Street just after 5:30pm. A police officer was the first on scene and shot two fire extinguishers into the bedroom. When firefighters arrived there was heavy smoke coming from the trailer. They contained the fire to a rear bedroom closet and ventilated the home. Based on the initial investigation they thought the fire was electrical, because there was an electrical box in the closet. Further investigation revealed that it was not an active electrical box. The homeowner said the fire may have started from cigarettes. Investigators have been talking with her and two children who were home at the time. In April of 2008, the same family was displaced after fire heavily damaged the upper level of a house they occupied on Fond du Lac Street.

Public Hearing on Future of Waupun City Government

10/13/09 - Waupun residents will have their chance tonight to give their opinion on the city’s City Administrator form of government. Officials will host a forum starting at 6pm at City Hall. The purpose of the meeting is to hear comments from residents about possibly doing away with the position of City Administrator. Since former Administrator Gary Rogers left office in June, the city has been talking over the possibility of keeping the status quo or going to a part-time mayor. Currently interim Administrator Ed Madere is running the city’s day to day operations. Residents will have five minutes each to express their opinion on the situation. However, their will be no dialogue between the council and residents. If you can’t attend the meeting comments can be submitted in writing.

WI Economy Update Coming Today

10/13/09 - We’ll get a better idea today of how the Wisconsin economy’s doing. Chief economist John Koskinen will brief the state Assembly’s Committee on Jobs, the Economy, and Small Business. He’ll discuss the current state-of-the-economy, and give projections going into the next year. Also, Zach Brandon of the state Commerce Department will brief the panel on the effectiveness of the government’s programs to improve the economy. There are signs the recession is easing up, but Wisconsin’s unemployment is still twice what it was a year ago.

Objections Surfacing on New Deer Management Plan

10/13/09 - Some objections are cropping up to the latest deer management plan from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Earn-a-Buck is gone, but in order to control the herd, the DNR proposes a 16-day season, and moving opening day up a full week. That’s a bad idea, according to Greg Kazmierski with the Hunters Rights Coalition. Kazmierski says the traditional opener is “kind of like a sacred day” in Wisconsin. He says coalition supporters are being urged to attend public hearings been held by the DNR this month and next, or to submit comments on-line.

BD Volleyball Team to Host “Dig for Cause”

10/13/09 - The Beaver Dam High School girl’s volleyball team is using tonight’s match against Watertown to once again raise money for a local breast cancer fund. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Volleyball coach Melissa Gehring says each member of the team – freshman to varsity – is raising money as part of their “Dig for a Cause” campaign. Donations were raised based on the numbers of “digs” made in each match. Also tonight, the team is selling pink “Dig For A Cause” t-shirts tonight and will host a raffle will a variety of prizes. Tonight’s match will also feature the “pink ribbon wall” where people can hang signs “in honor” or “in memory” friends and family members. The money that is raised will be donated to the Beaver Dam Community Hospital Foundation Breast Health Program.