Fall River Rate Increase In January
10/31/09 - Moves by the Village of Fall River toward upgrading their aging wastewater system will cause rate increases by the first of the year. The multi-million dollar regionalization of wastewater collection and treatment facilities in Fall River and Columbus will mean that utility customers will be seeing higher bills. Village Clerk Marie Abegglen saiys that the possibility of an USDA Rural Development loan has spurred the Village Board to consider rate hikes to pay for the upgraded system. Within the next few months the Village will be implementing wastewater rate increases and considering switching to a monthly billing system.
Madison Layer Nominated for Federal Judgeship
10/31/09 - President Obama has nominated Madison attorney William Conley to the second of two federal judge vacancies for the western half of Wisconsin, which includes Columbia and Jefferson Counties. If he’s confirmed by the Senate, Conley will replace Barbara Crabb, who will move into a part-time senior status after three decades on the bench. Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold nominated Conley in August. The 54-year-old attorney is a partner for Foley-and-Lardner in Madison, specializing in anti-trust and regulatory law. Among other things, he’s been a legal clerk in the U-S Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. Conley was also nominated for the Madison judgeship vacated by the retiring John Shabaz. But Obama appointed former State Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler to that post a month ago. Some Republicans criticized the appointment, noting that voters removed Butler from his Supreme Court post a year-and-a-half ago. The president defended Butler, citing his integrity and commitment to justice. The Senate has yet to confirm him.
Frandy Charged in Drunk Driving Fatality
10/31/09 - A Rio man has been formally charged in connection with a fatal drunk driving accident. Jack Frandy is charged with two counts of Injury By Intoxicated Use of a Vehicle related to the July 24 accident on Highway C near Hall Road. 21-year-old Ben VanderVenter of Columbus was killed in the head-on collision. Authorities say alcohol was a factor for both drivers but Frandy’s blood alcohol level was allegedly twice the legal limit. Frandy’s wife, Pamela, is also charged with misdemeanor Obstruction; she’s accused of claiming she was driving. However, an investigation later showed that she had not even been in the car at the time of the accident. Phone records show that Jack Frandy actually made several calls to his wife before she called in the accident and authorities determined she was at home at the time of the incident. Frandy followed the ambulance transporting his wife to the hospital, and was ticketed for his second OWI. Initial appearance dates have not yet been set as the investigation continues and authorities say additional charges could be filed.
Wood Expulsion Committee to Meet Wednesday
10/31/09 - The chair of a committee named to consider the fate of state Representative Jeff Wood promises a deliberative process. This is the first time a Special Committee on Ethics and Standards of Conduct has been formed, under a rule first adopted in 1989. Committee chair and Rice Lake Democrat Mary Hubler, says that rule spells out the process. Hubler says the effort will start next Wednesday, but she thinks it will be “some time” before the committee gets to the actual charges and Representative Wood appears before that committee. Republican Representative Steve Nass of Whitewater introduced the expulsion motion after Wood was stopped for OWI for a third time in less than a year.
BD Man Gets Three Years For Assault
10/31/09 - A Beaver Dam man will spend three years in prison for impregnating a 14-year-old girl. In August, Cristobel Ordonez pleaded “no contest” to reduced charges of Third Degree Sexual Assault of a Child in connection with a two-year relationship he had with the girl. The 22-year-old was also sentenced to five years of extended supervision and must register as a sex offender. The sentence will run concurrent to a previous six month sentence in an unrelated case.
Bill Requires Sex Offenders Report Online Activity
10/31/09 - Legislation approved by the state Assembly would require sex offenders to also register their online personnas. Current law requires convicted sex offenders to register their address with the state. The Department of Correction can also require them to provide a picture or their fingerprints. That helps to keep track of where they’re going in the real world, but state Representative Andy Jorgensen is worried some of them are going online to find new victims. Jorgensen points to a report from the “Crimes Against Children Center” which found teens are sexually victimized online to some extent at a rate of 77-percent. The Fort Atkinson Democrat is the sponsor of a bill passed in the Assembly Thursday, which requires sex offenders to also tell DOC about e-mail or online accounts they use, along with any websites they maintain.
Erpenbach Authors Sex Ed Bill
10/31/09 - State Senator Jon Erpenbach says Wisconsin has a real crisis when it comes to sexually transmitted diseases. Erpenbach serves on the Senate Education Committee which held a public hearing this week. He is also author of legislation which requires consistency and accuracy when sex education is taught. There was plenty of opposition. Anne Franczyk of Milwaukee told those in attendance comprehensive programs are, in essence, teaching kids how to engage in sexual immorality. Franczyk said there’s too little focus on abstinence in the bill known the Healthy Youth Act.
Bloody Bank Robbery in Rusk County
10/31/09 - The Wisconsin State Patrol reports one of three bank robbery suspects has been shot and killed near Bruce, Wisconsin, in Rusk County. Another suspect was arrested and a third is still on the loose. The three tried to rob a bank in Exeland Friday afternoon. One man left the scene in a car, led officers on a chase and was shot to death by a law enforcement officer when he stopped. Investigators say there have been a string of bank robberies in that part of western Wisconsin, but they say they don't know if this latest attempt was connected or not.
White House: Stimulus Created 10K WI Jobs
10/31/09 - The Obama White House maintains federal stimulus money created or saved more than 10 thousand jobs in Wisconsin. Despite some doubters -- who question how you can quantify the number of jobs saved -- Governor Jim Doyle says there is no doubt about the accuracy of the claim. Doyle says thousands of teaching jobs in the state would have been cut if not for the stimulus money. The state of Wisconsin had previously put that number at about 84 hundred. Obama's administration estimated about 650 thousand jobs were saved nationwide, most of them in education or construction. The report released by the White House covers federal stimulus spending through the end of September. Wisconsin ranked 18th among the states for jobs created or saved.
Obama/ Duncan in Madison Wednesday
10/31/09 - President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan will visit Madison's Wright Middle School next Wednesday afternoon. The two mean will meet with students, teachers and administrators -- then talk to the crowd about education reform plans. The visit had been announced last week, but the White House hadn't provided details before now. Wright Middle School is located at 1717 Fish Hatchery Road in Madison.
Madison Mayor Expects Bigger Halloween Crowds
10/31/09 - Following years of mayhem, including riots, downtown Madison’s Halloween party is on its fourth year as a ticketed, city sponsored event. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz says the modern version, Freakfest, has really changed in recent years, saying there hasn’t been a serious incident for more than four years. Although the State Street gathering is geared toward a college age crowd, Cieslewicz expects the crowd to include more alum this year since it coincides with a Badger football home game. At least 200 police officers will be on hand Saturday which 80 fewer than last year. The mayor says they actually started the scaling cops back in 2008, after the initial bump in security.
BD Bulk/ Brush Pick-Up Next Week
10/31/09 - Beaver Dam residents have until next week to gather their yard waste and bulk garbage. The final bulk pick-up of the year begins on Monday, November 2 and continues through Friday, November 6. The collection regulations are the same as in the past. Bulk waste can be placed on the curb no sooner than 24 hours prior to each collection and by 7am on the day of pick-up. Bulk waste is defined as, but no limited to, furniture, wooden doors and windows and rolled carpet, not exceeding 4’ to 6’ in length. No metal items like bed springs, doors, windows and pipes will be collected. No bundled or loose piles of building materials will be collected. Building materials like lumber must be broken down and placed in the weekly collection cart. The next bulk garbage pick-up will be the first waste collection day of May. Brush and shrubbery cuttings, meanwhile, will also be accepted for the last time this year during the same period. Loose tree limbs and shrubbery cuttings up to 7 inches in thickness and 8 feet in length should be placed at the street edge by 7am on the day of solid waste collection. Yard waste also cannot be placed out sooner than 24 hours prior to the scheduled pick-up. Both yard waste and bulk garbage can also be dropped off at the public works garage year round.
10/31/09 - Moves by the Village of Fall River toward upgrading their aging wastewater system will cause rate increases by the first of the year. The multi-million dollar regionalization of wastewater collection and treatment facilities in Fall River and Columbus will mean that utility customers will be seeing higher bills. Village Clerk Marie Abegglen saiys that the possibility of an USDA Rural Development loan has spurred the Village Board to consider rate hikes to pay for the upgraded system. Within the next few months the Village will be implementing wastewater rate increases and considering switching to a monthly billing system.
Madison Layer Nominated for Federal Judgeship
10/31/09 - President Obama has nominated Madison attorney William Conley to the second of two federal judge vacancies for the western half of Wisconsin, which includes Columbia and Jefferson Counties. If he’s confirmed by the Senate, Conley will replace Barbara Crabb, who will move into a part-time senior status after three decades on the bench. Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold nominated Conley in August. The 54-year-old attorney is a partner for Foley-and-Lardner in Madison, specializing in anti-trust and regulatory law. Among other things, he’s been a legal clerk in the U-S Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. Conley was also nominated for the Madison judgeship vacated by the retiring John Shabaz. But Obama appointed former State Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler to that post a month ago. Some Republicans criticized the appointment, noting that voters removed Butler from his Supreme Court post a year-and-a-half ago. The president defended Butler, citing his integrity and commitment to justice. The Senate has yet to confirm him.
Frandy Charged in Drunk Driving Fatality
10/31/09 - A Rio man has been formally charged in connection with a fatal drunk driving accident. Jack Frandy is charged with two counts of Injury By Intoxicated Use of a Vehicle related to the July 24 accident on Highway C near Hall Road. 21-year-old Ben VanderVenter of Columbus was killed in the head-on collision. Authorities say alcohol was a factor for both drivers but Frandy’s blood alcohol level was allegedly twice the legal limit. Frandy’s wife, Pamela, is also charged with misdemeanor Obstruction; she’s accused of claiming she was driving. However, an investigation later showed that she had not even been in the car at the time of the accident. Phone records show that Jack Frandy actually made several calls to his wife before she called in the accident and authorities determined she was at home at the time of the incident. Frandy followed the ambulance transporting his wife to the hospital, and was ticketed for his second OWI. Initial appearance dates have not yet been set as the investigation continues and authorities say additional charges could be filed.
Wood Expulsion Committee to Meet Wednesday
10/31/09 - The chair of a committee named to consider the fate of state Representative Jeff Wood promises a deliberative process. This is the first time a Special Committee on Ethics and Standards of Conduct has been formed, under a rule first adopted in 1989. Committee chair and Rice Lake Democrat Mary Hubler, says that rule spells out the process. Hubler says the effort will start next Wednesday, but she thinks it will be “some time” before the committee gets to the actual charges and Representative Wood appears before that committee. Republican Representative Steve Nass of Whitewater introduced the expulsion motion after Wood was stopped for OWI for a third time in less than a year.
BD Man Gets Three Years For Assault
10/31/09 - A Beaver Dam man will spend three years in prison for impregnating a 14-year-old girl. In August, Cristobel Ordonez pleaded “no contest” to reduced charges of Third Degree Sexual Assault of a Child in connection with a two-year relationship he had with the girl. The 22-year-old was also sentenced to five years of extended supervision and must register as a sex offender. The sentence will run concurrent to a previous six month sentence in an unrelated case.
Bill Requires Sex Offenders Report Online Activity
10/31/09 - Legislation approved by the state Assembly would require sex offenders to also register their online personnas. Current law requires convicted sex offenders to register their address with the state. The Department of Correction can also require them to provide a picture or their fingerprints. That helps to keep track of where they’re going in the real world, but state Representative Andy Jorgensen is worried some of them are going online to find new victims. Jorgensen points to a report from the “Crimes Against Children Center” which found teens are sexually victimized online to some extent at a rate of 77-percent. The Fort Atkinson Democrat is the sponsor of a bill passed in the Assembly Thursday, which requires sex offenders to also tell DOC about e-mail or online accounts they use, along with any websites they maintain.
Erpenbach Authors Sex Ed Bill
10/31/09 - State Senator Jon Erpenbach says Wisconsin has a real crisis when it comes to sexually transmitted diseases. Erpenbach serves on the Senate Education Committee which held a public hearing this week. He is also author of legislation which requires consistency and accuracy when sex education is taught. There was plenty of opposition. Anne Franczyk of Milwaukee told those in attendance comprehensive programs are, in essence, teaching kids how to engage in sexual immorality. Franczyk said there’s too little focus on abstinence in the bill known the Healthy Youth Act.
Bloody Bank Robbery in Rusk County
10/31/09 - The Wisconsin State Patrol reports one of three bank robbery suspects has been shot and killed near Bruce, Wisconsin, in Rusk County. Another suspect was arrested and a third is still on the loose. The three tried to rob a bank in Exeland Friday afternoon. One man left the scene in a car, led officers on a chase and was shot to death by a law enforcement officer when he stopped. Investigators say there have been a string of bank robberies in that part of western Wisconsin, but they say they don't know if this latest attempt was connected or not.
White House: Stimulus Created 10K WI Jobs
10/31/09 - The Obama White House maintains federal stimulus money created or saved more than 10 thousand jobs in Wisconsin. Despite some doubters -- who question how you can quantify the number of jobs saved -- Governor Jim Doyle says there is no doubt about the accuracy of the claim. Doyle says thousands of teaching jobs in the state would have been cut if not for the stimulus money. The state of Wisconsin had previously put that number at about 84 hundred. Obama's administration estimated about 650 thousand jobs were saved nationwide, most of them in education or construction. The report released by the White House covers federal stimulus spending through the end of September. Wisconsin ranked 18th among the states for jobs created or saved.
Obama/ Duncan in Madison Wednesday
10/31/09 - President Obama and Education Secretary Arne Duncan will visit Madison's Wright Middle School next Wednesday afternoon. The two mean will meet with students, teachers and administrators -- then talk to the crowd about education reform plans. The visit had been announced last week, but the White House hadn't provided details before now. Wright Middle School is located at 1717 Fish Hatchery Road in Madison.
Madison Mayor Expects Bigger Halloween Crowds
10/31/09 - Following years of mayhem, including riots, downtown Madison’s Halloween party is on its fourth year as a ticketed, city sponsored event. Mayor Dave Cieslewicz says the modern version, Freakfest, has really changed in recent years, saying there hasn’t been a serious incident for more than four years. Although the State Street gathering is geared toward a college age crowd, Cieslewicz expects the crowd to include more alum this year since it coincides with a Badger football home game. At least 200 police officers will be on hand Saturday which 80 fewer than last year. The mayor says they actually started the scaling cops back in 2008, after the initial bump in security.
BD Bulk/ Brush Pick-Up Next Week
10/31/09 - Beaver Dam residents have until next week to gather their yard waste and bulk garbage. The final bulk pick-up of the year begins on Monday, November 2 and continues through Friday, November 6. The collection regulations are the same as in the past. Bulk waste can be placed on the curb no sooner than 24 hours prior to each collection and by 7am on the day of pick-up. Bulk waste is defined as, but no limited to, furniture, wooden doors and windows and rolled carpet, not exceeding 4’ to 6’ in length. No metal items like bed springs, doors, windows and pipes will be collected. No bundled or loose piles of building materials will be collected. Building materials like lumber must be broken down and placed in the weekly collection cart. The next bulk garbage pick-up will be the first waste collection day of May. Brush and shrubbery cuttings, meanwhile, will also be accepted for the last time this year during the same period. Loose tree limbs and shrubbery cuttings up to 7 inches in thickness and 8 feet in length should be placed at the street edge by 7am on the day of solid waste collection. Yard waste also cannot be placed out sooner than 24 hours prior to the scheduled pick-up. Both yard waste and bulk garbage can also be dropped off at the public works garage year round.
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