Top Stories December 26th

Fire Destroys Barn South of Columbus

12/26/09 - Many Columbus-area firefighters spent most of their Christmas fighting a barn fire in cold, windy and wet conditions. Officials say they responded to the Ronald Lewke farm on Marshall Road south of Columbus around 3:30am. Firefighters from eight departments tried to contain the fire to the barn, which was full of straw. Though the barn was a complete loss they were able to save the house and two other buildings on the farm that received fire damage. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. There were no injuries reported. The cattle were outside of the barn when firefighters arrived.

Bar Fire Under Investigation

12/26/09 - Authorities say no one was hurt in an early evening bar fire just outside of Waterloo yesterday. The Dane County Sheriff’s Department says they were called out to Club 19 on Highway 19 southwest of Waterloo around 6pm. Once on seen, firefighters were able to get the fire out by about 6:20pm. Authorities could not confirm the extent of damage or a cause of the fire as of late last night. The business was closed and there were no people inside.

Pinno Sentenced in FDL County

12/26/09 - The Fond du Lac woman who helped get rid of the body that her son allegedly strangled has been sentenced to more than 8-years in prison. 53-year-old Nancy Pinno was found guilty on charges of being party to the crime of mutilating a corpse and resisting and obstructing an officer. The sentence came down earlier this week. Pinno's son, 36-year-old Brandon Mueller of Brookfield, faces charges that he strangled 28-year-old Renee Redmer in January at his mother's apartment and then hid the corpse inside a cooler in a garage at the complex. Pinno then helped Mueller move the body to property owned by Donald R. Worth on Kinker Road where it was burned and then dumped into Lake Winnebago.

Injuries Lead to Arrest for Possession of Explosive Devices

12/26/09 - Two Sheboygan men are in trouble with the authorities after a third man was dropped off at a local hospital. The suspects were caught with homemade explosive devices and each faces several charges. They were found after the 23 year old man was treated for severe hand injuries. The victim is expected to recover. When investigators followed up on his injuries and how he sustained them, they found the other two men in possession of the illegal devices.

Milwaukee PD Shoot Suspect in the Face

12/26/09 - Milwaukee police say officers were responding to a domestic disturbance call when a suspect was shot last night. The 26 year old man was shot in the face when he allegedly charged at officers while he was holding a knife. A woman called 9-1-1 Friday. While the dispatcher was taking the call she said she could hear a man in the background saying he would kill police when they showed up. The suspect was hit in the cheek. His injury isn't thought to be life-threatening. No one else was injured.

Off-Duty Cop Helps Catch Robbery Suspect

12/26/09 - An off-duty Milwaukee police sergeant is given a lot of credit for helping nab a man suspected of armed robbery. It happened earlier this week at a CVS Pharmacy. The sergeant was in a checkout line when the clerk shouted she had just been robbed. The sergeant called 9-1-1 and chased the suspect in her car. He got away initially, but was caught a few blocks away. Cops say the 22 year old suspect was carrying a gun and a CVS bag filled with cash.

Bashynski Files Non-Candidacy Papers

12/26/09 - Another long-time county supervisor will not be running for reelection in April. Supervisor Arnold Bashynski filed his non-candidacy papers with Dodge County Clerk Karen Gibson earlier this week. Bashynski currently serves as the supervisor for the first and second wards of Randolph and the first ward in the town of Westford. He joins another county board veteran, Gerald Mullin, in ending his political career. It was reported earlier this month that along with not running for supervisor of the second and third wards in Fox Lake, Mullin will also not run for reelection as Mayor in the city. Anyone wishing to fill either spot on the county board is asked to call Gibson’s office at 386-3602. Nomination papers are due on the 5th of January.

Deployment Wrapping Up for WI National Guard Soldiers

12/26/09 - The largest deployment of Wisconsin National Guard soldiers since World War II will be coming to end in the next month. The 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team is in the midst of transferring their mission all over Iraq to their replacement unit. Once that process is complete the 32nd Brigade will move south into Kuwait to process out before flying into Wisconsin sometime in January. It’s expected that the various units in the brigade will spend up to a week at Fort McCoy near Tomah to demobilize. Lieutenant Tim Donovan says the group has made a difference for the people of Iraq. They’ve done so with having lost any soldiers due to hostile action. Donovan says quote “We’re going to give the people of Wisconsin their money’s worth from our deployment by making sure that we left Iraq a better place than we found it.”

BDUSD Tours Rescheduled

12/26/09 - A tour of the Jefferson and South Beaver Dam Elementary Schools has been rescheduled for January 6th at 10am. The tour will begin at Jefferson and then proceed to South Beaver Dam. The school board has been hosting schools tours over the past few months as they prepare for a possible referendum this April. The referendum would pay for maintenance upgrades at all of the buildings across the district. Two other tours, to Washington and Trenton Elementary, are set for January 11th at 6:30pm and again on January 13th at 10am. A discussion among participants will follow at the conclusion of each tour. School officials say the community’s understanding of the districts operations and challenges is critical to the direction and future of education in Beaver Dam. If you intend to come to a tour you are asked to RSVP to the district office by email (posthumam@beaverdam.k12.wi.us) or phone (885-7470 ex 1114).

Suicide Rates Drop

12/26/09 - The percentage of Wisconsin teenagers who have attempted suicide has remained steady over the past decade. But a new survey of the state's high school students shows that those who have seriously considered suicide has dropped in half since 1993. Survey results released by the state Department of Public Instruction show that 6 percent of high school students said they had attempted to commit suicide. That is down slightly from 8 percent who said that in 1999. However, only 13 percent said they seriously considered suicide, down from 27 percent in 1993. The survey of more than 2,400 students in 57 public high schools this spring is part of a larger national effort to study risky behaviors conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Chrysler Looking to Retirees to Teach

12/26/09 - Chrysler wants to re-hire some of its retirees -- to help train temporary workers at the Kenosha engine plant next year. The retirees will teach an estimated 85 new workers how to use the machines they used to operate. They will help give the local economy a boost. Chrysler is reopening the plant to built 2-point-7 and 3-point-5 liter engines. That means help for the local economy which was seriously impacted by the loss of hundreds of jobs when the plant shut down.

BD Announces Pickup Dates for Christmas Trees and Boughs

12/26/09 - With Christmas now in the past the city of Beaver Dam is letting residents know how to get rid of their holiday decorations. Starting January 4th through the 29th residents will be allowed to place their Christmas trees and boughs on the street side for pickup. Because they will be chipped, city officials say the trees and boughs must be free of ornaments, lights and stands. If your wreath or bough contains roping or wire they can be placed in the non-recyclable cart for collection as garbage. Residents will also be able to get rid of their holiday decorations at the public works garage Monday through Friday from 7am to 3:30pm. Officials remind residents that the special collection does not include other brush or shrubbery cuttings.