Top Stories November 2nd

Jobs for the Disabled May Be at Risk

11/2/09 - Wisconsin legislators are working to reverse a decision made by the Department of Health Services that may be putting jobs for the disabled at risk. Assembly Minority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald says he received dozens of calls from constituents served by Green Valley Enterprises late last week. The Beaver Dam non-profit is one of several organizations in the state that offer job training and job placement for thousands of disabled people. The Horicon Republican says a “bureaucratic decision made by the department without any input from legislators or the public” is putting as many as 10,000 jobs for the disabled at risk. In an e-Newsletter sent out Friday, Fitzgerald said for reasons he still doesn’t understand the department is “actively working to change rules concerning prevocational services, specifically eliminating people’s ability to choose ongoing placement in a work center.” Fitzgerald drafted a letter to Governor Doyle asking him and DHS to reverse their decision; the letter has the signatures of 45 other legislators. In reaction to the e-Newsletter, Jack Hankes with Green Valley Enterprises sent out an email saying that it would not be accurate to say Green Valley is in trouble, but he says there is some “potentially adverse economic impact to the agency with the proposed changes.”

Referendums Set for Tomorrow

11/2/09 - Residents in the Waupun and Randolph School Districts will head to the polls tomorrow to determine which one will have the Fox Lake-area as a part of their district. The referendum asks whether the territory that makes up the city and town of Fox Lake be detached from the Waupun School District and added to the Randolph School District. The detachment was set in motion by a Fox Lake-area citizens group following the decision by the Waupun School Board to close three elementary schools, including Fox Lake. Members of the citizens group cite long bus trips for kids as their main reason for wanting to leave Waupun. Polls will be open from 7am to 8pm tomorrow.

Eight other Wisconsin school districts will hold spending referendums tomorrow – and four of them would spend over 20-million-dollars each. The Cedar Grove-Belgium district in Sheboygan and Ozaukee counties wants to borrow over 25-million dollars to build a new middle school and a technical education facility. A separate question asks voters for a new swimming pool. Pewaukee voters will be asked to borrow almost 25-million to add classrooms, expand the auditorium, and put in a new pool at the high school – and make improvements at a middle school. Whitefish Bay officials want permission to borrow over 20-million dollars for various school improvements. And Stevens Point school voters will consider an extra 23-million over three years for operational expenses. Smaller referendums are planned in Florence, Oakfield, Wisconsin Dells, and Trevor-Wilmot. School officials say they want to take advantage of low interest and construction costs resulting from the weak economy. But cash-strapped taxpayers say it’s hard to afford. Jamie Kowalski of a Whitefish Bay voters’ group says lots of people who don’t have ties to the school district know about tomorrow’s referendum.

Officials in Columbus Looking at CIP for 2010

11/2/09 - The Columbus Council is reviewing the City’s proposed $1.8 million dollar Capital Improvements list for 2010. The $322,000 repair of the Udey Dam tops the list. The City hopes to receive a 50 % DNR grant to offset repair costs. Another project is the $120,000 remodeling of City Hall municipal court facilities when the Police Department moves out. The most expensive project being considered is the $359,000 reconstruction of Water Street. Other projects on the 2010 list are $30,000 for new sidewalks; $150,000 in Parks and Recreation improvements; a new $125,000 Water & Light Truck; and the $175,000 reconstruction of Farnham Street.

BD School Board Meets Tonight

11/2/09 - The Beaver Dam School Board will be presented with the 3rd quarter ends monitoring report during their meeting tonight. The report is designed to show where the district needs improvement and to calculate if progress is being made. Much of the recent focus for administration officials has been to close the gap between students with disabilities and the regular student population in terms of proficiency in math and reading. The board is also set to discuss the future of the districts buildings. The meeting begins at 6:30 at the Educational Service Center.

The Dollar Getting Blame for High Gas Prices

11/2/09 - Wisconsin residents are paying 33-cents more than they were a month ago for a gallon of regular gas. On October first the average price was 2.41 and yesterday drivers were paying 2.74. Beaver Dam was right around that average with prices ranging from 2.72 to 2.74. The price increase is expected to continue despite large supplies of oil being available and the value of the dollar is having the biggest impact. Because oil is bought and sold in dollars the 18-percent drop in its value against the euro since March has allowed European investors to purchase more for less. Another factor, and a reason why prices are likely to remain high, is last years drop in energy prices which has oil companies being more conservative in producing oil.

Traffic Deaths Down Statewide, Locally

11/2/09 - Wisconsin continues to have fewer traffic deaths. 441 people were killed in state crashes going into the Halloween weekend. That’s down 57 from the same time in 2008 – when the Badger State had its lowest traffic death toll since World War Two. Dodge County follows that same trend as there have been 11 traffic deaths this year down from 17 at the same point last year. Statewide, 587 motorists were killed last year – only half as many as in 1972, when the state had its all-time death toll of 11-hundred-68. Officials say we’re driving less because of the recession. They also credit tighter enforcement for the big drop in road deaths.

Woman Injured in Town of Emmett Crash

11/2/09 - An 18-year-old woman was injured in the Town of Emmet yesterday after rolling her vehicle. The woman was on County Trunk E-M when the car she was in left the road and rolled over. Authorities say she was thrown from the vehicle and taken to the Watertown hospital. There was no immediate word on the severity of her injuries. The accident happened around 11:45 a.m.

Bill Would Make it Harder for Suspects to Lie About Identity

11/2/09 - The Wisconsin Assembly will act tomorrow on a bill which could make it harder for suspects to lie about their names when they’re stopped by police. The bill would give authorities electronic access to driver’s license photos – thus letting officers with computers get them from their squad cars. Police currently have access to those photos, but they must make written requests to the D-O-T. The new bill would put Wisconsin license photos on the state Justice Department’s computer network, where officers can make electronic requests.

Election Observers Say GOP can Still Challenge Feingold

11/2/09 - The next U-S Senate election is a year away – and a non-partisan observer says there’s still time for a Republican to wage a competitive race against Democrat Russ Feingold. Jennifer Duffy of the Cook Political Report says the G-O-P believes Feingold can be beaten with the right circumstances – but he’s not among the Republicans’ biggest targets. Madison developer Terrence Wall recently said he plans to take on Feingold, and Watertown businessman Dave Westlake is running as well. U-W Green Bay political scientist Michael Kraft said Feingold has never had enormous margins of victory – and with his kind of seniority, it makes him vulnerable. Feingold is going for his fourth six-year term.

“Freak-Fest” in Madison Called a Success

11/2/09 - About 44-thousand people attended Madison’s annual Halloween bash. And for the fourth straight year, police reported very few notable incidents in what’s now called “Freak-Fest.” Forty-seven people were arrested, but only two were sent to jail. Police said there were no serious injuries, and no property damage. Halloween used to be a spontaneous, uncontrolled event on State Street – and it often turned into a minor riot after the bars closed. But when the city began charging admission and added music, the crowds stopped getting out of hand. This year’s tickets cost up to 10-dollars, and most of the revenue went toward security. About 300 police officers were on hand Saturday night to keep things in check.

Tax Increase Could Be Coming Under Health Care Reform

11/2/09 - A number of Wisconsin families would get an immediate tax increase under the Senate Finance Committee’s version of health care reform. It would start taxing health plans which cost 21-thousand dollars a year for family coverage, and eight-thousand dollars for singles beginning in 2013. The House Democratic package unveiled last week does not contain the proposed tax. But it could still be included once the two versions are combined. The current national average premiums are well below the taxing threshold. But official say there are middle-class people in the state with excellent health plans – and they’ll be hit right away. Experts say southeast Wisconsin could be hit the hardest, because their health care costs are the highest in the state.

Last Opportunity for Bulk Pickup is This Week

11/2/09 - Beaver Dam residents have bulk garbage pick-up this week. The final bulk collection of the year begins today and continues through Friday. The next bulk pick-up will be the first waste collection day of May. It’s also the final week to have brush and shrubbery cuttings collected. Pick-up is the same day as regular solid waste collection. Bulk items and yard waste can also be dropped off at the public works garage year round.