Beaver Dam Approves Budget
11/17/09 - The Beaver Dam Common Council passed the 2010 city budget Monday night with no dissenting votes (12-0-1). The budget totals $13.1 million dollars with a levy of $7.6 million, which is about four and-a-half percent (4.5%) higher than the current budget. The mill rate is up a quarter over last year at $6.89 per $1000 of assessed value. The owner of a $130,000 home will pay $24 more for the city portion of their tax bill this year. Roughly two-thirds of the budget is for salary and benefits for city employees. There was an 11% increase in the costs of health care. No money was budgeted for an increase in wages for AFSCME employees as its union members will be operating without a contract as 2010 begins. Non-union employees also had a three-percent pay increase eliminated in the budget process. The budget does include, for the first time, $8000 to cover just over half the costs of the fireworks display for Lake Days. Another $7000 was restored in the fire department’s budget for overtime. Mayor Tom Kennedy says the budget does not rob the general fund, it does not include short term benefits that will have to be repaid in later years and city services will not be compromised. Kennedy also says city leaders will begin working on the 2011 budget in January.
Beaver Dam Woman Accused of Embezzlement
11/17/09 - A Beaver Dam woman is accused of embezzling money from her former employer. Sara Livingston is charged with a felony count of Theft in a Business Setting for taking over $24,000 from Alt Chiropractic between May of 2006 and December of 2008. The issue came up after Livingston allegedly wrote a $10,000 check to herself. The 39-year-old told investigators that she thought better of it, advised her employer and the bank stopped payment. Dr. Dale Alt says that was never the case and she went so far as to impersonate his wife in an attempt to cover her tracks. Livingston was then connected to several other checks written to herself from the company credit account over the two and-a-half year period. According to the criminal complaint, the business account was used to purchase various personal items, acquire cash and even make charitable donations. She is also accused of receiving free treatment from chiropractors then billing her insurance company and pocketing the money. Livingston said she was surprised to find out about the complaints. She denied that she stole the money and said she either received authorization for the expenditures or there was an understanding that the money was a loan that she fully intended to pay back. Dr. Alt says there was no such arrangement. The felony charge carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison, if convicted. Signature bond was set at $1000 and a preliminary hearing scheduled for December 30.
11/17/09 - The Beaver Dam Common Council passed the 2010 city budget Monday night with no dissenting votes (12-0-1). The budget totals $13.1 million dollars with a levy of $7.6 million, which is about four and-a-half percent (4.5%) higher than the current budget. The mill rate is up a quarter over last year at $6.89 per $1000 of assessed value. The owner of a $130,000 home will pay $24 more for the city portion of their tax bill this year. Roughly two-thirds of the budget is for salary and benefits for city employees. There was an 11% increase in the costs of health care. No money was budgeted for an increase in wages for AFSCME employees as its union members will be operating without a contract as 2010 begins. Non-union employees also had a three-percent pay increase eliminated in the budget process. The budget does include, for the first time, $8000 to cover just over half the costs of the fireworks display for Lake Days. Another $7000 was restored in the fire department’s budget for overtime. Mayor Tom Kennedy says the budget does not rob the general fund, it does not include short term benefits that will have to be repaid in later years and city services will not be compromised. Kennedy also says city leaders will begin working on the 2011 budget in January.
Beaver Dam Woman Accused of Embezzlement
11/17/09 - A Beaver Dam woman is accused of embezzling money from her former employer. Sara Livingston is charged with a felony count of Theft in a Business Setting for taking over $24,000 from Alt Chiropractic between May of 2006 and December of 2008. The issue came up after Livingston allegedly wrote a $10,000 check to herself. The 39-year-old told investigators that she thought better of it, advised her employer and the bank stopped payment. Dr. Dale Alt says that was never the case and she went so far as to impersonate his wife in an attempt to cover her tracks. Livingston was then connected to several other checks written to herself from the company credit account over the two and-a-half year period. According to the criminal complaint, the business account was used to purchase various personal items, acquire cash and even make charitable donations. She is also accused of receiving free treatment from chiropractors then billing her insurance company and pocketing the money. Livingston said she was surprised to find out about the complaints. She denied that she stole the money and said she either received authorization for the expenditures or there was an understanding that the money was a loan that she fully intended to pay back. Dr. Alt says there was no such arrangement. The felony charge carries a maximum penalty of ten years in prison, if convicted. Signature bond was set at $1000 and a preliminary hearing scheduled for December 30.
Former Elementary School Buildings Put Up for Sale
11/17/09 - The three elementary schools closed earlier this year in the Waupun School District are now officially on the market. The school board voted unanimously last night to put Fox Lake and Jefferson Elementary up for sale. They join Alto Elementary, which was put on the market last month with a price of $200,000. Fox Lake has a listing price of $311,000 while Jefferson’s price was set at $426,000. That price includes four of its 15 acres of land. District officials say they will now look for a real estate company to market the properties.
Grafton Man Facing Murder Charges in Death of Step-son
11/17/09 - A homicide charge could be filed today against a man accused of killing his step-son north of Milwaukee. 37-year-old Charles Avey Senior of Grafton is being held, after Germantown Police found the body of 14-year-old Cody Reetz Sunday night inside a vehicle parked at a Walmart. Police Chief Peter Hoell said it was premeditated murder, but would not say how the boy died. Grafton Police said Reetz saw Avey hit his mother with a hammer more than once on November eighth. She went to Grafton Police to report the incident on Sunday, but did not express fears for Reetz’s safety. Still, police put out an alert for both her husband and her son. A few hours later, Avey surrendered to Washington County sheriff’s deputies. And officers alerted Germantown Police to the murder, and they found the teen’s body. Charles Avey has five identity theft charges pending in Washington County. Prosecutors said he opened credit card accounts in the name of his wife’s ex-husband – Cody’s father – and charged over 22-thousand dollars in merchandise.
Madison Army Reserve Unit Won’t Deploy Next Month as Scheduled
11/17/09 - The Madison Army Reserve unit that had seven casualties in the Fort Hood massacre will not go to Afghanistan next month as scheduled. Commander Robert LaFountain says the mission is being put off indefinitely, until replacements can be found for the three members who were killed and at least some of the four who were wounded. When they’re ready, the 467th Medical Detachment unit will provide combat-stress counseling for fellow troops in Afghanistan. But for now, the members are getting the same type of mental help they were planning to give. LaFountain told the Wisconsin State Journal his troops are doing quote, “fair-to-middling.”
Childs Not In Favor of New Teacher Evaluation Bill
11/17/09 - Beaver Dam Superintendent Don Childs says he doesn’t believe school districts have adequate testing data to be making judgments about teacher performance based on how students perform on standardized tests. Childs made the comments in the wake of Governor Doyle signing a bill that would allow teachers to be judged by test scores. The bill is one of four Doyle signed in an effort to become eligible for funds from President Obama’s “Race to the Top” education program. Childs says there are a lot of other aspects of evaluating a teacher and it’s unfair to judge them solely on the tests.
Columbus PFC Hires Background Consultant
11/17/09 - The Columbus Police and Fire Commission have selected Moffit and Associates of Appleton to do the background investigation on the final candidate for Police Chief.
The PFC is narrowing the list of over twenty candidates who have applied for the job. Because of deer hunting, Thanksgiving and the holidays it is unlikely that the short list of final candidates will be selected before mid-December. The Commission will be planning interview goals with peer consultants tomorrow and they hope to be starting interview sessions by December 5th.
Open House Today for New “Community Center” in Columbus
11/17/09 - The first of two City renovation projects in downtown Columbus will have an Open House and Ribbon Cutting this afternoon. The new Columbus Community Center will officially open this afternoon. The Center is located at 161 North Dickason Street…at the end of the City Hall block. The former “Anchor Bank” building had been a vacant city-owned property for years.
It will now be the home of the Recreation Department and the Office of Economic Development and Energy Sustainability. City construction projects also completed a new parking lot surface and installed energy efficient lights to the area between the Senior Center and the new “Community Center.” The second renovation project won’t be completed till mid January. That’s when the Columbus Police move into their new location in the former Law Offices on Ludington Street. The Community Center will have Open House from 5:30 to 7:00 pm tonight and the Ribbon Cutting will be at 6:30 pm.
Moisture Still a Concern for State Farmers
11/17/09 - Dry weather has helped Wisconsin farmers catch up with their harvest activities. But moisture levels remain high in the corn crop – and some farmers are letting it dry in the fields for now, while they bring in their soybeans. Officials said 38-percent of Wisconsin’s corn-for-grain was harvested as of Sunday. That’s up 15-percent from a week ago, but it’s still only about half the normal harvest for this time of year. Mold is also a problem in some of the corn, and some yields are said to be disappointing. Eighty-percent of the soybeans were in by Sunday – up 38-percent from a week ago, but still nine-percent behind the norm. But with more dry weather expected this week, the soybean harvest could be finished quickly. Winter wheat planting is 84-percent complete. Only 12-percent of Wisconsin fields now have surplus moisture.
Hearing on Medical Marijuana Use Set for Next Month
11/17/09 - Wisconsin lawmakers will hold a public hearing December 15th on a bill to let cancer patients and others take marijuana to relieve their pain. Senate Democrat Jon Erpenbach of Waunakee and Assembly Democrat Mark Pocan of Madison pushed for the measure at a news conference yesterday, along with those who have chronic diseases who say the drug would help them. Most of them also spoke at a Madison rally a few weeks ago. But that was before the Obama White House said it would not prosecute users and providers of medicinal marijuana in states where it’s legal – and Governor Jim Doyle said he had no problem with it. Thirteen states legalize it with a doctor’s prescription. But in Wisconsin, Republicans who ran the Legislature until a year ago would not take up similar measures. Now, Erpenbach says he’ll try to get a vote on the bill in January. It has 17 co-sponsors among the 132 in the Assembly and Senate.
10-Percent of Families in WI Struggle to put Food on the Table
11/17/09 - One of every 10 Wisconsin households had trouble putting enough food on the table at the end of last year. That’s according to the U-S-D-A, which said the Badger State was a little better off than the nation as a whole. One-of-every-seven U-S households had what the government calls “food insecurity” at the end of 2008. That’s a sharp increase from the year before, when one-of-every-nine households had trouble getting enough food. U-W Madison professor Judi Bartfeld said the big year-to-year increase was uncommon. And it does not take this year’s increase in unemployment into account – so Bartfeld says the numbers for 2009 will most likely be worse. For more than a year, food pantries throughout Wisconsin said they’ve been seeing people who never needed the help before. In the Madison area, the Community Action Coalition predicts a double-digit increase this year in the total number of visits to its pantries.
Temporary Bridge to Impact Travel on Rock River near Watertown
11/17/09 - A temporary bridge span on the Rock River south of Watertown is limiting boaters during the daytime hours. The bridge, which was installed last week, is removed at the end of each working day and on weekends. Boaters will be able to navigate without issues during those time periods. Waterway markers, reflective tape and night lighting mark the construction site. The bridge is being used by the contractor to move materials across the river for the Highway 26 bypass project. It will remain in use until April 1st of 2010. State DOT officials are advising snowmobilers to avoid the area during the winter months. The Sheriff’s Department also intends to close trails in the area and is working with a local snowmobile club to develop an alternative route.
11/17/09 - The three elementary schools closed earlier this year in the Waupun School District are now officially on the market. The school board voted unanimously last night to put Fox Lake and Jefferson Elementary up for sale. They join Alto Elementary, which was put on the market last month with a price of $200,000. Fox Lake has a listing price of $311,000 while Jefferson’s price was set at $426,000. That price includes four of its 15 acres of land. District officials say they will now look for a real estate company to market the properties.
Grafton Man Facing Murder Charges in Death of Step-son
11/17/09 - A homicide charge could be filed today against a man accused of killing his step-son north of Milwaukee. 37-year-old Charles Avey Senior of Grafton is being held, after Germantown Police found the body of 14-year-old Cody Reetz Sunday night inside a vehicle parked at a Walmart. Police Chief Peter Hoell said it was premeditated murder, but would not say how the boy died. Grafton Police said Reetz saw Avey hit his mother with a hammer more than once on November eighth. She went to Grafton Police to report the incident on Sunday, but did not express fears for Reetz’s safety. Still, police put out an alert for both her husband and her son. A few hours later, Avey surrendered to Washington County sheriff’s deputies. And officers alerted Germantown Police to the murder, and they found the teen’s body. Charles Avey has five identity theft charges pending in Washington County. Prosecutors said he opened credit card accounts in the name of his wife’s ex-husband – Cody’s father – and charged over 22-thousand dollars in merchandise.
Madison Army Reserve Unit Won’t Deploy Next Month as Scheduled
11/17/09 - The Madison Army Reserve unit that had seven casualties in the Fort Hood massacre will not go to Afghanistan next month as scheduled. Commander Robert LaFountain says the mission is being put off indefinitely, until replacements can be found for the three members who were killed and at least some of the four who were wounded. When they’re ready, the 467th Medical Detachment unit will provide combat-stress counseling for fellow troops in Afghanistan. But for now, the members are getting the same type of mental help they were planning to give. LaFountain told the Wisconsin State Journal his troops are doing quote, “fair-to-middling.”
Childs Not In Favor of New Teacher Evaluation Bill
11/17/09 - Beaver Dam Superintendent Don Childs says he doesn’t believe school districts have adequate testing data to be making judgments about teacher performance based on how students perform on standardized tests. Childs made the comments in the wake of Governor Doyle signing a bill that would allow teachers to be judged by test scores. The bill is one of four Doyle signed in an effort to become eligible for funds from President Obama’s “Race to the Top” education program. Childs says there are a lot of other aspects of evaluating a teacher and it’s unfair to judge them solely on the tests.
Columbus PFC Hires Background Consultant
11/17/09 - The Columbus Police and Fire Commission have selected Moffit and Associates of Appleton to do the background investigation on the final candidate for Police Chief.
The PFC is narrowing the list of over twenty candidates who have applied for the job. Because of deer hunting, Thanksgiving and the holidays it is unlikely that the short list of final candidates will be selected before mid-December. The Commission will be planning interview goals with peer consultants tomorrow and they hope to be starting interview sessions by December 5th.
Open House Today for New “Community Center” in Columbus
11/17/09 - The first of two City renovation projects in downtown Columbus will have an Open House and Ribbon Cutting this afternoon. The new Columbus Community Center will officially open this afternoon. The Center is located at 161 North Dickason Street…at the end of the City Hall block. The former “Anchor Bank” building had been a vacant city-owned property for years.
It will now be the home of the Recreation Department and the Office of Economic Development and Energy Sustainability. City construction projects also completed a new parking lot surface and installed energy efficient lights to the area between the Senior Center and the new “Community Center.” The second renovation project won’t be completed till mid January. That’s when the Columbus Police move into their new location in the former Law Offices on Ludington Street. The Community Center will have Open House from 5:30 to 7:00 pm tonight and the Ribbon Cutting will be at 6:30 pm.
Moisture Still a Concern for State Farmers
11/17/09 - Dry weather has helped Wisconsin farmers catch up with their harvest activities. But moisture levels remain high in the corn crop – and some farmers are letting it dry in the fields for now, while they bring in their soybeans. Officials said 38-percent of Wisconsin’s corn-for-grain was harvested as of Sunday. That’s up 15-percent from a week ago, but it’s still only about half the normal harvest for this time of year. Mold is also a problem in some of the corn, and some yields are said to be disappointing. Eighty-percent of the soybeans were in by Sunday – up 38-percent from a week ago, but still nine-percent behind the norm. But with more dry weather expected this week, the soybean harvest could be finished quickly. Winter wheat planting is 84-percent complete. Only 12-percent of Wisconsin fields now have surplus moisture.
Hearing on Medical Marijuana Use Set for Next Month
11/17/09 - Wisconsin lawmakers will hold a public hearing December 15th on a bill to let cancer patients and others take marijuana to relieve their pain. Senate Democrat Jon Erpenbach of Waunakee and Assembly Democrat Mark Pocan of Madison pushed for the measure at a news conference yesterday, along with those who have chronic diseases who say the drug would help them. Most of them also spoke at a Madison rally a few weeks ago. But that was before the Obama White House said it would not prosecute users and providers of medicinal marijuana in states where it’s legal – and Governor Jim Doyle said he had no problem with it. Thirteen states legalize it with a doctor’s prescription. But in Wisconsin, Republicans who ran the Legislature until a year ago would not take up similar measures. Now, Erpenbach says he’ll try to get a vote on the bill in January. It has 17 co-sponsors among the 132 in the Assembly and Senate.
10-Percent of Families in WI Struggle to put Food on the Table
11/17/09 - One of every 10 Wisconsin households had trouble putting enough food on the table at the end of last year. That’s according to the U-S-D-A, which said the Badger State was a little better off than the nation as a whole. One-of-every-seven U-S households had what the government calls “food insecurity” at the end of 2008. That’s a sharp increase from the year before, when one-of-every-nine households had trouble getting enough food. U-W Madison professor Judi Bartfeld said the big year-to-year increase was uncommon. And it does not take this year’s increase in unemployment into account – so Bartfeld says the numbers for 2009 will most likely be worse. For more than a year, food pantries throughout Wisconsin said they’ve been seeing people who never needed the help before. In the Madison area, the Community Action Coalition predicts a double-digit increase this year in the total number of visits to its pantries.
Temporary Bridge to Impact Travel on Rock River near Watertown
11/17/09 - A temporary bridge span on the Rock River south of Watertown is limiting boaters during the daytime hours. The bridge, which was installed last week, is removed at the end of each working day and on weekends. Boaters will be able to navigate without issues during those time periods. Waterway markers, reflective tape and night lighting mark the construction site. The bridge is being used by the contractor to move materials across the river for the Highway 26 bypass project. It will remain in use until April 1st of 2010. State DOT officials are advising snowmobilers to avoid the area during the winter months. The Sheriff’s Department also intends to close trails in the area and is working with a local snowmobile club to develop an alternative route.
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