Thiel Hopes Video Can Inspire
12/10/09 - A Beaver Dam man says that he hopes a video his daughter filmed will inspire others to refrain from drinking and driving. Dan Thiel says he never heard his daughter say some the things she said to a video camera while she was alone in her room this past October, confined to a bed where she has spent most of her days since the drunken driving accident eight years ago. They were in Horicon, on their way from their home in Beaver Dam to Indiana when their vehicle was struck head-on by a drunk driver who had crossed the center line. Danni Jo Thiel was paralyzed and her mother Sue was killed. Dan told us on Community Comment yesterday that he had been asking Danni Jo for years to recount her story. She finally agreed in October, telling her father to set up the video camera and leave the room. Over the next 17-minutes, Dan says she poured her heart out, providing details that even he had never heard. Danni says she hopes that her message will inspire others to drive sober or designate a driver. Dan encourages everyone to checkout the video. View the video of Thiel telling her story
Winter Weather Coverage
12/10/09 - The National Weather Service has issued a wind-chill advisory for our area until 11 o'clock this morning. Around 8:15 this morning the wind chill in Beaver Dam was minus-19-degrees and forecasters were expecting wind-chill readings to get as low as 22-below. Acutal temperatures were not expected to get above 10 today expect near Lake Michigan. The arctic blast covers a large portion of the Midwest and we may not see the 20's again until Saturday.
Malfunctioning transmission lines are to blame for some reported power outages in the Dodge County-area. An official with the Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative says transmission lines to its substations in the Randolph and Doylestown-area are not currently working. Crews are on the scene working on the problem. At its peak yesterday the storm knocked out power to more than 100,000 customers statewide.
The Office of Emergency Management is asking residents to take precautions when going outside. A wind chill of minus 15-degrees can cause frostbite in just 15 minutes or less so make sure to keep your skin covered at all times. Officials also say overexertion can be dangerous. Cold weather puts an added strain on the heart, so people unaccustomed to exercise such as shoveling snow or pushing a car are at risk for a heart attack or possibly making an existing medical condition worse. Officials also say pets are at risk in these types of temperatures and should not be left outside for extended amounts of time.
County plow trucks have been out since 3am but roadways in the area remain dangerous. Highway Department Supervisor Ken Stock says much of the wet snow that fell during the storm turned icy as the temperatures dropped. He says the materials they use to thaw the roadways aren't very effective when the temps drop below 20-degrees. Officials are recommending that drivers take it slow this morning during their commute.
Dodge County Emergency Management officials are urging motorists to be prepared for freezing temperatures when hitting the roadway. Director Joe Meagher says it's important to stock your car with a survival kit that includes blankets, flashlights, a first aid kit and energy bars. He says you should also make sure your car has jumper cables, windshield scrapers, flares, basic tools including a shovel, and sand or cat litter for tire traction in case you run off the roadway. Meagher also calls a cell phone vital while traveling in severe weather.
The first big snow storm of the year dumped some impressive amounts of the white stuff yesterday. In Dodge County, Beaver Dam had varying reports of 10 to 16 inches while Watertown finished with 8.5-inches. More than 16.5-inches fell near Rio and Portage got 14.5-inches. In Green Lake County, Berlin received 13.7-inches while in Jefferson County 10.7-inches fell near Sullivan. Allenton and Hartford both reported about 12.5-inches of snow. Oconomowoc had 8.5-inches. A station three miles southwest of Madison recorded the most snow in the Badger State - 18-and-a-half inches. The La Crosse area had 17, and parts of Green Bay reported 16 inches.
Wisconsin might seek federal aid to help pay for the costs of dealing with this week's massive snowstorm. Governor Jim Doyle declared a state-of-emergency on Tuesday night which activates the National Guard to help if necessary. It's also considered to be a first step in seeking federal help. But Lori Getter of Wisconsin Emergency Management says a decision won't be made until after the final snow totals and damage estimates are known. Yesterday's K-to-12 school closings are a fairly common occurrence, and colleges close much less often. But it might have been at least a half-century since virtually all of state government was shut down like it was yesterday. Senate President Fred Risser of Madison has been in the Legislature since 1956 - he can't remember state government grinding to a halt like this.
There were no major accidents during the first big snow storm of the year. Authorities say for the most part people listened to their warnings to stay inside and not drive. The biggest problem for road crews came yesterday morning just south of Fox Lake on Highway 33. Communications Director Pat Ninnman says six vehicles got stuck on the roadway after stopping and another two went into the ditch. That stretch of Highway was closed for a couple of hours as authorities struggled to get the vehicles out. Overnight, there were numerous reports of cars getting stuck in snow drifts and at least two people were cited for going Too Fast for Conditions.
Thousands of University of Wisconsin-Madison students hurled snowballs at one another in a massive snowball fight on campus Wednesday. Students divided into two teams based on what dorms they live in. A couple hundred were at Bascom Hill for the beginning of the melee, but the crowd topped out at a couple thousand or more as the fight ebbed and flowed over the afternoon. Some students came holding trays as shields. Others were bundled up to protect themselves from the below freezing temperatures and winds that gusted to more than 20 miles per hour. Not all were worried about it. Several went shirtless while at least one had on pajamas.
Lodes Cited for 2nd OWI
12/10/09 - The Catholic school superintendent for 10 counties in southeast Wisconsin, including Dodge and Fond du Lac, has been charged in with drunk driving. 59-year-old David Lodes of Delafield told officers he was driving home from an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting the night of his arrest on November 18th. It's his second O-W-I charge, after he was convicted in 2004. That makes his new count a criminal misdemeanor, with penalties of up to six months in jail and an 18-month license revocation. According to a criminal complaint in Waukesha County, a Delafield police officer saw Lodes' S-U-V weaving on Highway 83 - and he passed out while the officer was checking his driving record. A blood test was sent to the state hygiene lab, and the results were not listed. Lodes has spent just over two years as the head of education for the Milwaukee Catholic Archdiocese. Before that, he was the superintendent of the Hartland Arrowhead school district for 14 years. The church says Lodes is seeking treatment, and the archdiocese is standing by him.
Recession Affecting Everyone
12/10/09 - If you think the recession isn't affecting your boss, think again. A survey of 137 C-E-O's in northeast Wisconsin shows that almost two-thirds are spending less on themselves. And 46-percent plans to spend less on Christmas gifts than a year ago. 52-percent of the executives planned to spend about the same for the holidays - and just two-percent said they'd spend more. Nicolet National Bank of Green Bay surveyed business people in the region from November 9th through 16th. When asked how the recession affects their personal spending, half the C-E-O's said they spent less on durable items at home - almost half ate less at restaurants - 42-percent cut their vacation plans - and almost a-third decided to delay their retirements for several years.
Settlement Possibly in Native American Lawsuit
12/10/09 - Over 300-thousand Native Americans would share one-point-four billion dollars under a proposed settlement of a lawsuit brought by a Wisconsin tribal leader. The Lac du Flambeau's Tom Maulson was among six plaintiffs who sued the federal government in 1996. They accused officials of mis-managing royalties owed to Indians since the late 1800's. The settlement also includes two-billion dollars to help buy back and consolidate land parcels divided among Indian owners and generations of their descendants. Attorney General Eric Holder says the current method of dealing with those parcels makes no sense. He cited a recent case involving a 40-acre parcel with 439 owners. And while the Interior Department made sure each owner got its share of the land's income - less than a dollar a year per person - the agency spent 40-thousand dollars to administer the revenue. The buy-backs would be voluntary. And the government would also create 60-million-dollars in scholarships for Indian students. Maulson praises the settlement, and says it will help many older Indians who've waited years for their money. Congress and a federal court in Washington must still approve the deal before it can take effect.
Mother Convicted of Killing Son by Giving Him a Cold Shower
12/10/09 - A jury in Kenosha has convicted a woman of killing of her eight-year-old son by giving him a cold shower as a punishment. Jurors deliberated an-hour-and-a-half last night before convicting 27-year-old Abelina Zalazar of reckless homicide, obstructing officers, and two counts of child abuse. She was found innocent of false imprisonment. Prosecutors said Zalazar made her son Uriel run around their house and then take a shower in 38-degree water until he suffered hypothermia and fell unconscious. It happened in February of 2008. Authorities said Uriel was being punished for hitting his four-year-old brother. A sentencing date was not immediately set. Zalazar faces over 40 years in prison. And because she's an illegal immigrant, she also faces deportation.
12/10/09 - A Beaver Dam man says that he hopes a video his daughter filmed will inspire others to refrain from drinking and driving. Dan Thiel says he never heard his daughter say some the things she said to a video camera while she was alone in her room this past October, confined to a bed where she has spent most of her days since the drunken driving accident eight years ago. They were in Horicon, on their way from their home in Beaver Dam to Indiana when their vehicle was struck head-on by a drunk driver who had crossed the center line. Danni Jo Thiel was paralyzed and her mother Sue was killed. Dan told us on Community Comment yesterday that he had been asking Danni Jo for years to recount her story. She finally agreed in October, telling her father to set up the video camera and leave the room. Over the next 17-minutes, Dan says she poured her heart out, providing details that even he had never heard. Danni says she hopes that her message will inspire others to drive sober or designate a driver. Dan encourages everyone to checkout the video. View the video of Thiel telling her story
Winter Weather Coverage
12/10/09 - The National Weather Service has issued a wind-chill advisory for our area until 11 o'clock this morning. Around 8:15 this morning the wind chill in Beaver Dam was minus-19-degrees and forecasters were expecting wind-chill readings to get as low as 22-below. Acutal temperatures were not expected to get above 10 today expect near Lake Michigan. The arctic blast covers a large portion of the Midwest and we may not see the 20's again until Saturday.
Malfunctioning transmission lines are to blame for some reported power outages in the Dodge County-area. An official with the Adams-Columbia Electric Cooperative says transmission lines to its substations in the Randolph and Doylestown-area are not currently working. Crews are on the scene working on the problem. At its peak yesterday the storm knocked out power to more than 100,000 customers statewide.
The Office of Emergency Management is asking residents to take precautions when going outside. A wind chill of minus 15-degrees can cause frostbite in just 15 minutes or less so make sure to keep your skin covered at all times. Officials also say overexertion can be dangerous. Cold weather puts an added strain on the heart, so people unaccustomed to exercise such as shoveling snow or pushing a car are at risk for a heart attack or possibly making an existing medical condition worse. Officials also say pets are at risk in these types of temperatures and should not be left outside for extended amounts of time.
County plow trucks have been out since 3am but roadways in the area remain dangerous. Highway Department Supervisor Ken Stock says much of the wet snow that fell during the storm turned icy as the temperatures dropped. He says the materials they use to thaw the roadways aren't very effective when the temps drop below 20-degrees. Officials are recommending that drivers take it slow this morning during their commute.
Dodge County Emergency Management officials are urging motorists to be prepared for freezing temperatures when hitting the roadway. Director Joe Meagher says it's important to stock your car with a survival kit that includes blankets, flashlights, a first aid kit and energy bars. He says you should also make sure your car has jumper cables, windshield scrapers, flares, basic tools including a shovel, and sand or cat litter for tire traction in case you run off the roadway. Meagher also calls a cell phone vital while traveling in severe weather.
The first big snow storm of the year dumped some impressive amounts of the white stuff yesterday. In Dodge County, Beaver Dam had varying reports of 10 to 16 inches while Watertown finished with 8.5-inches. More than 16.5-inches fell near Rio and Portage got 14.5-inches. In Green Lake County, Berlin received 13.7-inches while in Jefferson County 10.7-inches fell near Sullivan. Allenton and Hartford both reported about 12.5-inches of snow. Oconomowoc had 8.5-inches. A station three miles southwest of Madison recorded the most snow in the Badger State - 18-and-a-half inches. The La Crosse area had 17, and parts of Green Bay reported 16 inches.
Wisconsin might seek federal aid to help pay for the costs of dealing with this week's massive snowstorm. Governor Jim Doyle declared a state-of-emergency on Tuesday night which activates the National Guard to help if necessary. It's also considered to be a first step in seeking federal help. But Lori Getter of Wisconsin Emergency Management says a decision won't be made until after the final snow totals and damage estimates are known. Yesterday's K-to-12 school closings are a fairly common occurrence, and colleges close much less often. But it might have been at least a half-century since virtually all of state government was shut down like it was yesterday. Senate President Fred Risser of Madison has been in the Legislature since 1956 - he can't remember state government grinding to a halt like this.
There were no major accidents during the first big snow storm of the year. Authorities say for the most part people listened to their warnings to stay inside and not drive. The biggest problem for road crews came yesterday morning just south of Fox Lake on Highway 33. Communications Director Pat Ninnman says six vehicles got stuck on the roadway after stopping and another two went into the ditch. That stretch of Highway was closed for a couple of hours as authorities struggled to get the vehicles out. Overnight, there were numerous reports of cars getting stuck in snow drifts and at least two people were cited for going Too Fast for Conditions.
Thousands of University of Wisconsin-Madison students hurled snowballs at one another in a massive snowball fight on campus Wednesday. Students divided into two teams based on what dorms they live in. A couple hundred were at Bascom Hill for the beginning of the melee, but the crowd topped out at a couple thousand or more as the fight ebbed and flowed over the afternoon. Some students came holding trays as shields. Others were bundled up to protect themselves from the below freezing temperatures and winds that gusted to more than 20 miles per hour. Not all were worried about it. Several went shirtless while at least one had on pajamas.
Lodes Cited for 2nd OWI
12/10/09 - The Catholic school superintendent for 10 counties in southeast Wisconsin, including Dodge and Fond du Lac, has been charged in with drunk driving. 59-year-old David Lodes of Delafield told officers he was driving home from an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting the night of his arrest on November 18th. It's his second O-W-I charge, after he was convicted in 2004. That makes his new count a criminal misdemeanor, with penalties of up to six months in jail and an 18-month license revocation. According to a criminal complaint in Waukesha County, a Delafield police officer saw Lodes' S-U-V weaving on Highway 83 - and he passed out while the officer was checking his driving record. A blood test was sent to the state hygiene lab, and the results were not listed. Lodes has spent just over two years as the head of education for the Milwaukee Catholic Archdiocese. Before that, he was the superintendent of the Hartland Arrowhead school district for 14 years. The church says Lodes is seeking treatment, and the archdiocese is standing by him.
Recession Affecting Everyone
12/10/09 - If you think the recession isn't affecting your boss, think again. A survey of 137 C-E-O's in northeast Wisconsin shows that almost two-thirds are spending less on themselves. And 46-percent plans to spend less on Christmas gifts than a year ago. 52-percent of the executives planned to spend about the same for the holidays - and just two-percent said they'd spend more. Nicolet National Bank of Green Bay surveyed business people in the region from November 9th through 16th. When asked how the recession affects their personal spending, half the C-E-O's said they spent less on durable items at home - almost half ate less at restaurants - 42-percent cut their vacation plans - and almost a-third decided to delay their retirements for several years.
Settlement Possibly in Native American Lawsuit
12/10/09 - Over 300-thousand Native Americans would share one-point-four billion dollars under a proposed settlement of a lawsuit brought by a Wisconsin tribal leader. The Lac du Flambeau's Tom Maulson was among six plaintiffs who sued the federal government in 1996. They accused officials of mis-managing royalties owed to Indians since the late 1800's. The settlement also includes two-billion dollars to help buy back and consolidate land parcels divided among Indian owners and generations of their descendants. Attorney General Eric Holder says the current method of dealing with those parcels makes no sense. He cited a recent case involving a 40-acre parcel with 439 owners. And while the Interior Department made sure each owner got its share of the land's income - less than a dollar a year per person - the agency spent 40-thousand dollars to administer the revenue. The buy-backs would be voluntary. And the government would also create 60-million-dollars in scholarships for Indian students. Maulson praises the settlement, and says it will help many older Indians who've waited years for their money. Congress and a federal court in Washington must still approve the deal before it can take effect.
Mother Convicted of Killing Son by Giving Him a Cold Shower
12/10/09 - A jury in Kenosha has convicted a woman of killing of her eight-year-old son by giving him a cold shower as a punishment. Jurors deliberated an-hour-and-a-half last night before convicting 27-year-old Abelina Zalazar of reckless homicide, obstructing officers, and two counts of child abuse. She was found innocent of false imprisonment. Prosecutors said Zalazar made her son Uriel run around their house and then take a shower in 38-degree water until he suffered hypothermia and fell unconscious. It happened in February of 2008. Authorities said Uriel was being punished for hitting his four-year-old brother. A sentencing date was not immediately set. Zalazar faces over 40 years in prison. And because she's an illegal immigrant, she also faces deportation.
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