Rain, Snow and Slush Greet Church Goers
12/13/09 - There is a freezing rain advisory in effect until 9am this morning. According to the National Weather Service, area’s of freezing drizzle will continue through the early morning hours glazing roads and sidewalks in some communities. It will taper off by mid-morning as drier air out of the northwest works its way into southern Wisconsin. The temperature today is expected to reach above the freezing point as high as 33 degrees. There’s no rain in Beaver Dam right now, but area’s south are experiencing some precipitation. The biggest obstacle in Beaver Dam right now is the build-up of slush on secondary roads. Director of Facilities David Stoiser says street crews are spending their overtime hours concentrating on primary roads while secondary roads are being cleared on during straight time or normal working hours. Temperatures will dip into the lower 20s tonight and we could see up to an inch of snow accumulation by noon tomorrow.
Didion Gets $5.6 Million Grant
12/13/09 - Didion Milling is slated to receive $5.6 million dollars from the US Department of Energy to finance the company’s energy efficiency projects. Didion, a founding member of the Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance, recently joined the Save Energy Now Leader Program, which is committed to reducing energy intensity by 25% over the next ten years. Didion operates an ethanol facility in Cambria. It was one of a dozen Wisconsin companies to join the Leader program, which was established by the Energy Department. The energy grant will help Didion improve evaporator efficiency in their ring dryer, allowing the company to substantially reduce its electricity and natural gas consumption.
The Harvest Is Over, For Now
12/13/09 - Corn yields were up this year, so there won't be a shortage -- but the heavy snowfall in Wisconsin has ended the state's harvest. That's where Wisconsin farmers are with an estimated 25 percent of their crop still in the field statewide. In Dodge County, ag officials are saying the number is closer to 20 percent. Normally at this time of the year about five percent of the corn crop hasn't been harvested yet. A cool growing season and a wet October delayed things. Matt Hanson, Crops and Soils Agent with the local UW Extension office says anything left behind will have to wait until spring -- but, if the snow settles and warmer temperatures return, farmers might find that they can save more of the crop.
BDHS Parent-Teacher Conferences Rescheduled
12/13/09 - The Beaver Dam High School will hold parent-teacher conferences this Wednesday, after severe weather forced their cancellation last week. Principal Don Patenode says they will also be trying a new format this year by holding conferences in classrooms. Parents will need to pick-up a map when they get to the school. Patenode says student progress reports for term two will also be available during the conferences, which will be held from 4pm to 7:30pm on Wednesday at the high school.
Understanding Your Property Tax Bill
12/13/09 - The Beaver Dam Community Activities and Services department is hosting a program this week entitled “Understanding Your Property Tax Bill.” It’s sponsored by the Dodge County UW Extension and Dodge County Treasurer’s office. Extension officials say the one-hour presentation will explain all the parts of the property tax bill, define how taxes are determined, explain who the taxing entities are, what mill rates are, as well as explain the changes to the 2009 property tax bill. There will also be time for question and answers. “Understanding Your Property Tax Bill” will be held at the Beaver Dam Recreation and Senior Center this Wednesday at 10:30am.
Kind Votes In Favor of Financial Overhaul
12/13/09 - More than a year after the catastrophic near-collapse of Wall Street, the U.S. House has approved what’s called the most sweeping overhaul of the nation’s financial regulatory system since the Great Depression. Wisconsin Congressman Ron Kind says the bill would allow big institutions to fail in the future if they make bad decisions. Kind said that those institutions could be broken up – but that the economic well being of average citizens would be protected. Among other things, the bill creates a new federal agency dedicated to consumer protection. Kind says most financial institutions here in Wisconsin will remain under state oversight. Kind says the bill makes a distinction between those institutions and the so called “too big to fail” financial firms, although House Republicans, who mostly voted against the bill, claim it will fail to rid the nation of those firms. The bill will still need to be approved by the Senate.
Wisconsin Enters Into Multi-State Plant Pest Compact
12/13/09 - Wisconsin is the newest member of a multi-state compact formed to assist in the battle against plant pests such as diseases, insects or weeds. The Interstate Pest Control Compact is a multi-state compact considered to be something like an insurance policy for pest control. The IPCC is supported by nearly 40 states, providing financial support when states may not have the necessary resources to fight outbreaks or infestations of plant diseases that threaten a state’s agricultural or natural resources. As with any insurance plan, there is a premium. Wisconsin pays 19 thousand dollars. One request funded by the compact can quickly regain the cost of a state’s premium. For example, in 2007 Michigan received 75 thousand dollars to combat an insect from Asia that can kill hemlock trees. The loss of hemlock was a threat to Michigan’s timber industry and its forest ecosystem.
Lead Whooping Crane Gunned Down
12/13/09 - One of the first whooping cranes taught to migrate from Wisconsin to Florida has been killed. The seven year old crane was shot in the sky over Indiana last month with her body found near the Illinois border. She and other young cranes were trained to follow an ultra-light aircraft to a winter home back in 2002. Wildlife experts had tagged the bird number 217. The head of Operation Migration called number 217, quoting here, "the most important bird in the entire eastern migratory population." A 25 hundred dollar reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for shooting the bird.
Milwaukee PD Union Loses Furlough Grievance
12/13/09 - The union representing Milwaukee police loses its grievance against scheduled unpaid furlough days. Most workers for the city of Milwaukee were required to take two unpaid days off during 2009 as a part of an effort to prevent a budget shortfall next year. Then, next year, the city budget includes two furlough days for all cops and four for most other city employees. On firefighters were exempted. The Milwaukee Police Association argued the move challenged its contract by dropping members' pay below the base wages established in the agreement.
Snow Plow Driver Delivers Pregnant Woman To Hospital
12/13/09 - Wisconsin snow plow drivers have to deal with wintry conditions, slick roads and, occasionally, a motorist who needs some help. Last Wednesday, an unidentified Green County snow plow driver gave an expectant mother a ride to the hospital. Jennifer Scace lives just 10 minutes from the hospital in Monroe, but when she went into labor there was more than a foot of snow on the ground. Her car got stuck in a ditch, so her husband ran two blocks to ask the snow plow driver for help. They couldn't get the car out of the ditch, so the soon-to-be new mom jumped in the cab of the snow plow and got a ride to the hospital. Jennifer says the ride was bumpy -- and very painful -- but she got there in time. Brynlee Scace was born just a few hours later.
Tech Criminals Didn’t See The Signs
12/13/09 - A group of stumbling, bumbling thieves didn't get too far after their computer store robbery last week. The suspects are accused of taking an estimated four thousand dollars worth of computer equipment from Techwise computers in Waukesha. They grabbed the goodies, raced out the door, jumped into their rental car -- and slammed into a parking lot sign. The bad guys scrambled out of that vehicle and hailed a taxi cab -- but, by the time they were able to all get in -- police had arrived, surrounded the taxi and pulled the would-be robbers out, one-by-one.
12/13/09 - There is a freezing rain advisory in effect until 9am this morning. According to the National Weather Service, area’s of freezing drizzle will continue through the early morning hours glazing roads and sidewalks in some communities. It will taper off by mid-morning as drier air out of the northwest works its way into southern Wisconsin. The temperature today is expected to reach above the freezing point as high as 33 degrees. There’s no rain in Beaver Dam right now, but area’s south are experiencing some precipitation. The biggest obstacle in Beaver Dam right now is the build-up of slush on secondary roads. Director of Facilities David Stoiser says street crews are spending their overtime hours concentrating on primary roads while secondary roads are being cleared on during straight time or normal working hours. Temperatures will dip into the lower 20s tonight and we could see up to an inch of snow accumulation by noon tomorrow.
Didion Gets $5.6 Million Grant
12/13/09 - Didion Milling is slated to receive $5.6 million dollars from the US Department of Energy to finance the company’s energy efficiency projects. Didion, a founding member of the Wisconsin Bio Industry Alliance, recently joined the Save Energy Now Leader Program, which is committed to reducing energy intensity by 25% over the next ten years. Didion operates an ethanol facility in Cambria. It was one of a dozen Wisconsin companies to join the Leader program, which was established by the Energy Department. The energy grant will help Didion improve evaporator efficiency in their ring dryer, allowing the company to substantially reduce its electricity and natural gas consumption.
The Harvest Is Over, For Now
12/13/09 - Corn yields were up this year, so there won't be a shortage -- but the heavy snowfall in Wisconsin has ended the state's harvest. That's where Wisconsin farmers are with an estimated 25 percent of their crop still in the field statewide. In Dodge County, ag officials are saying the number is closer to 20 percent. Normally at this time of the year about five percent of the corn crop hasn't been harvested yet. A cool growing season and a wet October delayed things. Matt Hanson, Crops and Soils Agent with the local UW Extension office says anything left behind will have to wait until spring -- but, if the snow settles and warmer temperatures return, farmers might find that they can save more of the crop.
BDHS Parent-Teacher Conferences Rescheduled
12/13/09 - The Beaver Dam High School will hold parent-teacher conferences this Wednesday, after severe weather forced their cancellation last week. Principal Don Patenode says they will also be trying a new format this year by holding conferences in classrooms. Parents will need to pick-up a map when they get to the school. Patenode says student progress reports for term two will also be available during the conferences, which will be held from 4pm to 7:30pm on Wednesday at the high school.
Understanding Your Property Tax Bill
12/13/09 - The Beaver Dam Community Activities and Services department is hosting a program this week entitled “Understanding Your Property Tax Bill.” It’s sponsored by the Dodge County UW Extension and Dodge County Treasurer’s office. Extension officials say the one-hour presentation will explain all the parts of the property tax bill, define how taxes are determined, explain who the taxing entities are, what mill rates are, as well as explain the changes to the 2009 property tax bill. There will also be time for question and answers. “Understanding Your Property Tax Bill” will be held at the Beaver Dam Recreation and Senior Center this Wednesday at 10:30am.
Kind Votes In Favor of Financial Overhaul
12/13/09 - More than a year after the catastrophic near-collapse of Wall Street, the U.S. House has approved what’s called the most sweeping overhaul of the nation’s financial regulatory system since the Great Depression. Wisconsin Congressman Ron Kind says the bill would allow big institutions to fail in the future if they make bad decisions. Kind said that those institutions could be broken up – but that the economic well being of average citizens would be protected. Among other things, the bill creates a new federal agency dedicated to consumer protection. Kind says most financial institutions here in Wisconsin will remain under state oversight. Kind says the bill makes a distinction between those institutions and the so called “too big to fail” financial firms, although House Republicans, who mostly voted against the bill, claim it will fail to rid the nation of those firms. The bill will still need to be approved by the Senate.
Wisconsin Enters Into Multi-State Plant Pest Compact
12/13/09 - Wisconsin is the newest member of a multi-state compact formed to assist in the battle against plant pests such as diseases, insects or weeds. The Interstate Pest Control Compact is a multi-state compact considered to be something like an insurance policy for pest control. The IPCC is supported by nearly 40 states, providing financial support when states may not have the necessary resources to fight outbreaks or infestations of plant diseases that threaten a state’s agricultural or natural resources. As with any insurance plan, there is a premium. Wisconsin pays 19 thousand dollars. One request funded by the compact can quickly regain the cost of a state’s premium. For example, in 2007 Michigan received 75 thousand dollars to combat an insect from Asia that can kill hemlock trees. The loss of hemlock was a threat to Michigan’s timber industry and its forest ecosystem.
Lead Whooping Crane Gunned Down
12/13/09 - One of the first whooping cranes taught to migrate from Wisconsin to Florida has been killed. The seven year old crane was shot in the sky over Indiana last month with her body found near the Illinois border. She and other young cranes were trained to follow an ultra-light aircraft to a winter home back in 2002. Wildlife experts had tagged the bird number 217. The head of Operation Migration called number 217, quoting here, "the most important bird in the entire eastern migratory population." A 25 hundred dollar reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for shooting the bird.
Milwaukee PD Union Loses Furlough Grievance
12/13/09 - The union representing Milwaukee police loses its grievance against scheduled unpaid furlough days. Most workers for the city of Milwaukee were required to take two unpaid days off during 2009 as a part of an effort to prevent a budget shortfall next year. Then, next year, the city budget includes two furlough days for all cops and four for most other city employees. On firefighters were exempted. The Milwaukee Police Association argued the move challenged its contract by dropping members' pay below the base wages established in the agreement.
Snow Plow Driver Delivers Pregnant Woman To Hospital
12/13/09 - Wisconsin snow plow drivers have to deal with wintry conditions, slick roads and, occasionally, a motorist who needs some help. Last Wednesday, an unidentified Green County snow plow driver gave an expectant mother a ride to the hospital. Jennifer Scace lives just 10 minutes from the hospital in Monroe, but when she went into labor there was more than a foot of snow on the ground. Her car got stuck in a ditch, so her husband ran two blocks to ask the snow plow driver for help. They couldn't get the car out of the ditch, so the soon-to-be new mom jumped in the cab of the snow plow and got a ride to the hospital. Jennifer says the ride was bumpy -- and very painful -- but she got there in time. Brynlee Scace was born just a few hours later.
Tech Criminals Didn’t See The Signs
12/13/09 - A group of stumbling, bumbling thieves didn't get too far after their computer store robbery last week. The suspects are accused of taking an estimated four thousand dollars worth of computer equipment from Techwise computers in Waukesha. They grabbed the goodies, raced out the door, jumped into their rental car -- and slammed into a parking lot sign. The bad guys scrambled out of that vehicle and hailed a taxi cab -- but, by the time they were able to all get in -- police had arrived, surrounded the taxi and pulled the would-be robbers out, one-by-one.
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