Split Decision Means Fox Lake is Staying Put...For Now
11/4/09 - One community voted no. Another voted yes. And because of that split Fox Lake won’t be joining a new school district…at least not right now. That comes as a result of yesterday’s referendum that would have allowed the city and town of Fox Lake to detach from the Waupun School District and join the Randolph School District. While about 60-percent of the 3,000 voters in the Waupun district voted no to the detachment nearly 57-percent of the over 600 voters in Randolph said yes to bringing Fox Lake in. Both communities needed to approve the referendum for detachment to happen. Despite the referendum being voted down by Waupun it appears the Fox Lake citizen’s group that spearheaded the process may revisit the idea of detachment on a smaller scale in a couple of years. As for the Fox Lake Elementary building, which was one of three district elementary schools closed in June, Superintendent Randy Refsland says he expects the school board to put the building up for sale at their next meeting on the 16th of this month. In Randolph, where building upgrade plans were put on the backburner during this process, Superintendent Greg Peyer says he expects the school board to hold discussions on whether to keep them there for the next few years while waiting on Fox Lake or to move forward without them.
DHS: ‘Changes Enhance Employment Opportunities for Disabled’
11/4/09 – Officials with the Department of Health Services say proposed changes that affect job placement programs for the disabled will enhance employment opportunities. DHS spokesperson Stephanie Marquis says the department is in the process of renewing its Family Care waiver with the federal government. She says new federal guidelines expand job placement beyond traditional “sheltered” job centers – like those offered by Green Valley Enterprises in Beaver Dam where a disabled employee might work at a job site alongside other disabled individuals – to also include work sites throughout the community, like libraries and bakeries. Marquis says there will not be significant changes in funding to agencies like Green Valley, and grant monies could also be used to help disabled workers integrate the community-based model. Also, she says changes would be gradual and would not be realized for several years.
Schubert Not Surprised By MSA Findings
11/4/09 - Officials with the Beaver Dam Police Department were pleased to hear that a recent study recommends the city build a brand new police station on the former YMCA property. The space needs report by MSA Integrated Services says the 50-year-old YMCA building should be torn down. Deputy Chief Dan Schubert says he was not surprised by the recommendation. The cost to renovate the building is estimated at $4.4 million, while the cost of building new would be just shy of $5.4 million. The report says when long term operating, maintenance and energy costs are factored in building new would be more cost-effective. There has been some talk by city officials that the price tag is too high given the current state of the economy. Schubert says construction costs are low now and quick action could save the taxpayers money down the road.
Mannel Commends Lake Rescue Responders
11/4/09 - Beaver Dam Fire Chief Alan Mannel told the Police and Fire Commission last night that a quick and well organized response kept a recent lake rescue from turning into a body recovery. The department responded to Waterworks Park on Beaver Dam Lake on October 21 in response to a boat that had sunk several hundred yards from shore. A 36-year-old Iron Ridge man was swimming in the cold water without a personal floatation device when emergency responders arrived and pulled him to safety. Mannel commended the emergency responders who turned a possible tragedy into a success story.
Final Hearing on Columbia County Windmill Farm Today
11/4/09 - The public will have its say today on 90 high-tech windmills planned for northeast Columbia County. We Energies asked the state last year for the okay to build the Glacier Hills Wind Park. The turbines would cover over 17-thousand acres, creating 207-megawatts of electricity. The cost would be 335-to-413 million dollars. The state Public Service Commission will hold a hearing this afternoon at 3pm and tonight at 7pm on the project at the Randolph Town Hall in Friesland. Administrative Law Judge Michael Newmark will preside. Anyone with an opinion on the wind farm can testify, but they will have to take an oath and objections could be made that could lead to testimony not being admitted to the record.
Obama in Madison Today
11/4/09 - When President Obama speaks in Madison today, the White House says he’ll praise Wisconsin for coming up with innovative ways to improve education. But none of them have passed the state Legislature yet, and some are getting resistance from lawmakers in both parties. On Monday, some Wisconsin school boards said they would oppose a bill the state needs to pass, to qualify for federal stimulus money that Obama will highlight in his speech as part of his “Race to the Top” program. Some legislators are worried about committing the state to expensive educational changes with no assurance of how much would come in federal grants. Obama is the first President to visit Madison while in office since Harry Truman in 1950.
Republicans Block Passage of Sex Education Bill
11/4/09 - A bill to expand sex education in Wisconsin schools was delayed yesterday in the state Assembly. Republicans blocked passage at least until tomorrow, which is the final day that lawmakers will meet this year. Under the bill, the 60-percent of schools which offer sex education would have to teach kids how to use contraceptives. Supporters say it’s not enough to teach abstinence. But Republican Dan LeMahieu said students should also learn about the development of a fetus – and that it’s a crime in Wisconsin to have sex with anyone under 16. He said it’s appropriate to teach kids about the criminal penalties. But Democrats rejected to changes. And G-O-P lawmakers then used a procedural move to block immediate passage.
November Has Largest Percentage of Deer Crashes Each Year
11/4/09 - November is when deer hunting goes into high gear. And it’s also when a quarter of the year’s car-deer crashes take place in Wisconsin. State D-O-T analyst Donald Lyden says deer are too busy mating in November to pay much attention to traffic. They’ve been trying to escape hunters’ arrows since October, and the gun season begins November 21st. Dusk is the most common time-of-day for car-deer crashes. And Lyden says the end of daylight savings time means that more commuters are on the road when darkness falls. There were almost 16-thousand car-deer mishaps in the Badger State last year. Twenty-four percent of them took place in November.
11/4/09 - One community voted no. Another voted yes. And because of that split Fox Lake won’t be joining a new school district…at least not right now. That comes as a result of yesterday’s referendum that would have allowed the city and town of Fox Lake to detach from the Waupun School District and join the Randolph School District. While about 60-percent of the 3,000 voters in the Waupun district voted no to the detachment nearly 57-percent of the over 600 voters in Randolph said yes to bringing Fox Lake in. Both communities needed to approve the referendum for detachment to happen. Despite the referendum being voted down by Waupun it appears the Fox Lake citizen’s group that spearheaded the process may revisit the idea of detachment on a smaller scale in a couple of years. As for the Fox Lake Elementary building, which was one of three district elementary schools closed in June, Superintendent Randy Refsland says he expects the school board to put the building up for sale at their next meeting on the 16th of this month. In Randolph, where building upgrade plans were put on the backburner during this process, Superintendent Greg Peyer says he expects the school board to hold discussions on whether to keep them there for the next few years while waiting on Fox Lake or to move forward without them.
DHS: ‘Changes Enhance Employment Opportunities for Disabled’
11/4/09 – Officials with the Department of Health Services say proposed changes that affect job placement programs for the disabled will enhance employment opportunities. DHS spokesperson Stephanie Marquis says the department is in the process of renewing its Family Care waiver with the federal government. She says new federal guidelines expand job placement beyond traditional “sheltered” job centers – like those offered by Green Valley Enterprises in Beaver Dam where a disabled employee might work at a job site alongside other disabled individuals – to also include work sites throughout the community, like libraries and bakeries. Marquis says there will not be significant changes in funding to agencies like Green Valley, and grant monies could also be used to help disabled workers integrate the community-based model. Also, she says changes would be gradual and would not be realized for several years.
Schubert Not Surprised By MSA Findings
11/4/09 - Officials with the Beaver Dam Police Department were pleased to hear that a recent study recommends the city build a brand new police station on the former YMCA property. The space needs report by MSA Integrated Services says the 50-year-old YMCA building should be torn down. Deputy Chief Dan Schubert says he was not surprised by the recommendation. The cost to renovate the building is estimated at $4.4 million, while the cost of building new would be just shy of $5.4 million. The report says when long term operating, maintenance and energy costs are factored in building new would be more cost-effective. There has been some talk by city officials that the price tag is too high given the current state of the economy. Schubert says construction costs are low now and quick action could save the taxpayers money down the road.
Mannel Commends Lake Rescue Responders
11/4/09 - Beaver Dam Fire Chief Alan Mannel told the Police and Fire Commission last night that a quick and well organized response kept a recent lake rescue from turning into a body recovery. The department responded to Waterworks Park on Beaver Dam Lake on October 21 in response to a boat that had sunk several hundred yards from shore. A 36-year-old Iron Ridge man was swimming in the cold water without a personal floatation device when emergency responders arrived and pulled him to safety. Mannel commended the emergency responders who turned a possible tragedy into a success story.
Final Hearing on Columbia County Windmill Farm Today
11/4/09 - The public will have its say today on 90 high-tech windmills planned for northeast Columbia County. We Energies asked the state last year for the okay to build the Glacier Hills Wind Park. The turbines would cover over 17-thousand acres, creating 207-megawatts of electricity. The cost would be 335-to-413 million dollars. The state Public Service Commission will hold a hearing this afternoon at 3pm and tonight at 7pm on the project at the Randolph Town Hall in Friesland. Administrative Law Judge Michael Newmark will preside. Anyone with an opinion on the wind farm can testify, but they will have to take an oath and objections could be made that could lead to testimony not being admitted to the record.
Obama in Madison Today
11/4/09 - When President Obama speaks in Madison today, the White House says he’ll praise Wisconsin for coming up with innovative ways to improve education. But none of them have passed the state Legislature yet, and some are getting resistance from lawmakers in both parties. On Monday, some Wisconsin school boards said they would oppose a bill the state needs to pass, to qualify for federal stimulus money that Obama will highlight in his speech as part of his “Race to the Top” program. Some legislators are worried about committing the state to expensive educational changes with no assurance of how much would come in federal grants. Obama is the first President to visit Madison while in office since Harry Truman in 1950.
Republicans Block Passage of Sex Education Bill
11/4/09 - A bill to expand sex education in Wisconsin schools was delayed yesterday in the state Assembly. Republicans blocked passage at least until tomorrow, which is the final day that lawmakers will meet this year. Under the bill, the 60-percent of schools which offer sex education would have to teach kids how to use contraceptives. Supporters say it’s not enough to teach abstinence. But Republican Dan LeMahieu said students should also learn about the development of a fetus – and that it’s a crime in Wisconsin to have sex with anyone under 16. He said it’s appropriate to teach kids about the criminal penalties. But Democrats rejected to changes. And G-O-P lawmakers then used a procedural move to block immediate passage.
November Has Largest Percentage of Deer Crashes Each Year
11/4/09 - November is when deer hunting goes into high gear. And it’s also when a quarter of the year’s car-deer crashes take place in Wisconsin. State D-O-T analyst Donald Lyden says deer are too busy mating in November to pay much attention to traffic. They’ve been trying to escape hunters’ arrows since October, and the gun season begins November 21st. Dusk is the most common time-of-day for car-deer crashes. And Lyden says the end of daylight savings time means that more commuters are on the road when darkness falls. There were almost 16-thousand car-deer mishaps in the Badger State last year. Twenty-four percent of them took place in November.
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