Top Stories October 22nd

BDFD Water Rescue

10/22/09 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department rescued an Iron Ridge man whose boat capsized yesterday afternoon. The department responded to Waterworks Park on Beaver Dam Lake just before 2pm. The boat had sunk between Waterworks and Edgewater Park and the 36-year-old was swimming for the shore when emergency responders arrived and pulled him to safety. He was transported to Beaver Dam Community Hospital for treatment of hypothermia. Authorities are not sure why the boat began taking on water.

Referendum Meeting In Randolph

10/22/09 - The first in a series of meetings detailing the financial impact of the merger of Fox Lake with the Randolph School District was held last night in Randolph. Superintendent Greg Peyer told the crowd of 150 that Fox Lake makes up approximately 28% of the Waupun School District, which equates to roughly $300 million dollars in property value. In the Randolph School District, here is about $217 million dollars in property value. Peyer says Fox Lake could also bring about $6 million dollars in debt that would translate to $775,000 a year for the next 12 years. Michel Clark of Baird and Company, the firm hired by both school districts to crunch the numbers, says in the short term property taxes in Randolph would go down but by year five the merger would add $1 to $1.50 to the mill rate. But Clark says Randolph would also gain a larger tax base that would be less reliant on state aid. That would spread out the costs of things like new school construction while also shielding the district from the effects of fluctuations in state aid. While property taxes would likely go up long-term in Randolph, Clark says the merger would have the opposite effect in Waupun, where property taxes would go down in the long-term. Informational meetings are planned for 1pm this afternoon at Rock River Intermediate in Waupun and 6:30pm tonight at Fox Lake City Hall.

Fox Lake Approves Loan Agreement

10/22/09 - The Fox Lake Common Council approved a loan agreement with the Wisconsin Rural Water Commission last night that authorizes the issuance of about $3.9-million in revenue bond anticipation notes to help pay for upgrades to their wastewater treatment system. City Administrator Bill Petracek says the approval will allow them to pay for the upgrades mandated by the state and emphasized they aren't required to use all of the money. He says once the projects are paid for the loan will roll over to another loan that will allow for relatively small payments.

Rohr Tabbed for Police Chief in Fox Lake

10/22/09 - A longtime Dodge County Sheriff's employee is expected to be approved as the next Police Chief in Fox Lake early next month. Last night it was reveled the common council has chosen James Rohr as the replacement to Pat Lynch who retired earlier this year. Rohr had been with the Sheriff's Department for nearly 25 years before retiring last month. If approved Rohr's base salary will be $50,000. A vote on the appointment will take place at the council's regular meeting on November 4th.

Degorski Spared Death Penalty In Browns Chicken Massacre

10/22/09 - A jury in Chicago has decided against the death penalty for a man convicted of killing a Columbus native and six others at a restaurant. That means 37-year-old James Degorski will get life-in-prison for killing Richard Ehlenfeldt, his wife, Lynn, and five employees at Brown’s Chicken-and-Pasta in 1993 in the Chicago suburb of Palatine. All seven were shot, and their bodies were left in a freezer as they were about to close for the night. The jury’s final vote was 10-to-2 in favor of the death penalty, but they had to be unanimous. Another jury did the same thing two years ago, when it ordered life in prison for the other defendant who was convicted, Juan Luna. In addition to being a Columbus native, Ehlenfeldt was an aide to former Acting Governor Martin Schreiber in Madison in the 1970’s. His sister Ann Ehlenfeldt was upset. She said that if murdering seven people is not enough for the death penalty, she wondered what is.

Motorists Urged To Exercise Caution During Shortened Harvest

10/22/09 - Agriculture officials are urging motorists to slow down on area roadways this fall, and take extra precautions when driving around farm equipment. UW Extension Crops and Soils Agent Matt Hanson says weather conditions have shorted the amount of time farmers have to harvest this year’s crops , from the normal 10 weeks down to six. He says crops are behind schedule and with the shortened harvest window, ag producers will be spending considerably more time working against mother natures deadline, and that means more trucks, combines and tractors on area roadways in coming weeks.

National FFA on RFD Channel

10/22/09 - A Waupun High School student will be among those on a live television broadcast of the National FFA Convention Thursday night. Shawna Harmsen of the Waupun FFA is a singer and will be featured in the Talent Revue, which will air between 4:30pm and 6pm (Central Standard Time) on the RFD Channel. Friday night, RFD will broadcast the National FFA Band Concert, which will feature Grant Nass of Hustisford, Lindsay Horst of Hartford and Samantha Loehr of Campbellsport. RFD-TV can be found on Dish Network Channel 231 or Direct TV Channel 345. It is not available on Charter. The Wisconsin Delegation has a number of participants in this year’s 82nd Annual National FFA Convention in Indianapolis. The three American Star Finalists are all from the Randolph – Cambria – Friesland FFA , the state’s largest chapter. Alex Zimmerman, Tony Crescio and Ben Alsum are competing for the title of American Star Farmer. Beaver Dam’s FFA is a recipient of the American FFA Degree.

Rep. Wood Arrested Again

10/22/09 - State Representative Jeff Wood was arrested in Tomah yesterday for driving while intoxicated - his second such arrest in a month, and his third in the last year. The Independent from Chippewa Falls was seen driving over a curb in a business district, and was arrested about 4:30 in the afternoon. The 40-year-old Wood did not have alcohol in his system, and police believe he was intoxicated on prescription drugs they found on him. Wood faces possible charges of O-W-I, and bail jumping for not having absolute sobriety as a condition of the bond in his arrest last December. It's expected Assembly members for both parties will vote on expulsion if Wood does not resign.

More Details Come to Light in Death of West Bend Woman

10/22/09 - Washington County authorities say it's possible an accident victim survived her car plunging from a bridge into the Milwaukee River last weekend just to die of exposure from cold overnight temperatures. Sheriff's officials say Kathy Van Altena's body was found about 300 feet from her car. It's possible she became disoriented in the woods. When searchers found her body her clothes were still wet and her cell phone was found next to her. They believe she tried to phone an acquaintance before the phone's signal died. (KFIZ)

Doyle Supports New DNA Rules

10/22/09 - Governor Jim Doyle says he supports a new bill to make everyone arrested for felonies give their D-N-A as they get booked. Right now, only those convicted of felonies have to provide samples - and up to 12-thousand never made it to a state database. Doyle says too many people fall through the cracks under the current system, and the new bill would make things easier by having only the police take samples. It would also expand the state's D-N-A data-base of criminal suspects, and one of the bill's sponsors says it would help solve old crimes and exonerate the innocent.

Home Prices to Drop

10/22/09 - A new forecast says home prices nationally will drop another 11-percent by next June - but then they'll rise almost four-percent by mid-2011. Fiserv of Brookfield, which owns the Case-Shiller Home Price Index, says Wisconsin prices will not fall as much as the national average. And once the turnaround begins, only six of Wisconsin's 12 metro areas will see home prices rise in the second half of next year. William Malkasian of the Wisconsin Realtors Association says the new forecast makes sense. He said Wisconsin's housing boom was not as big as other states in recent years - and today's price drops are more driven by distressed properties like those in foreclosure.