New Years Eve Snowfall
12/31/09 - About an inch of snow fell over night and area plows and salt trucks are out on the roads this morning. Dodge County Highway Supervisor Ken Stock says he started calling people in around 2:30am this morning and crews were out by 4am. There are scattered flurries in the forecast through mid-morning, then turning partly sunny and breezy in the afternoon. There is a chance of more flurries tonight as the low temperature drops into single digits overnight tonight and below zero by the weekend. The Dodge County Sheriffs Department meanwhile received several reports of runoffs, especially on Highway’s 151, 33 and 41. There were three rollover accidents between 6:30pm and 7:15pm last night; two in the Town of Calamus and one in the Town of Chester. No injuries were reported.
Nehls on War College: ‘Stressful’
12/31/09 - Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls says his first semester in War College was more stressful than his stint in Afghanistan. The Sheriff left for Washington DC in August after being recommended for the opening by Wisconsin Adjunct General Donald Dunbar. Nehls says less that half the class is military, the rest are a cross-section of the federal government; employees from the CIA, FBI, State Department and Homeland Security brought together as strategic thinkers to examine big picture issues at home and abroad. He says he has taken away a lot of useful strategy that can be applied right here in Dodge County. He says the leadership of the county – the county board, county administrator and supervisors -- should develop a strategic plan for services and programs that department heads can use in developing their own strategy to fund activities that need to be fulfilled. He says, for example, his department has been so successful in apprehending criminals that it has put a strain on the county clerk’s department and the district attorney’s office. He says an inter-department strategy needs to be implemented from the top down Nehls says some of the guest speakers this semester included General David Patreaus and Senator John McCain. As far as the Sheriffs Department, Nehls has maintained regular contact with the senior management and says he will visit more frequently over the next six months before graduation in June.
BD Considering Online Payment Options For Utility Bills
12/31/09 - Beaver Dam Utility customers might be able to pay their bills online in the upcoming year. The Administrative Committee held initial discussion on the issue at a recent meeting. Director of Administration John Somers told the committee that there have been numerous requests from city residents to provide the option. Cost has been the primary issue to far. He says after a one time set-up fee of $200 the city could provide the service for roughly $2.65 per transaction. The utility would bear the cost which would be built into the rate structure. Somers says that research has indicated that if the individual customer had to pay the entire charge, the service would simply not be used. Alderwoman Mary Flaherty said the public is strapped for cash right now and she would be reluctant to vote for anything that would add that burden. If one third of the city’s utility customers were to use the service, by our estimates, the cost per customer would be roughly $1 per quarter, assuming there would be some savings in postage and a reduction of paper transactions. Alderman Glen Link suggested the feature might also free up staff time for other responsibilities but Alderman John Litscher said that labor cost savings would be difficult to quantify. The current city of Beaver Dam website was designed to integrate with online bill pay and there is also the possibility that property taxes would also be added. City leaders still have many questions and the matter was tabled until a future agenda so that Somers can get more information.
Appeals Court Refuses To Overturn Anderson Conviction
12/31/09 - A state appeals court refused to overturn a conviction Wednesday for a Jefferson County man found guilty of slaying his father and dumping his remains in North Carolina. Derek Anderson of rural Helenville wanted a new trial. But instead, his life prison term will continue. He appealed on a number of issues, and they were all turned down by the Fourth District Appellate Court in Madison. Anderson changed his name from Andrew Krnak (car-nack) soon after his parents, a brother, and the family dog vanished on a Fourth-of-July weekend trip in 1998. The remains of his father Allen Krnak were discovered in North Carolina in ’99, and his brother and mother were never found. Anderson was convicted in 2006 of first-degree intentional homicide.
Washington County Church Burglarized
12/31/09 - A church in Washington County has lost its historical records in a burglary. Saint John’s Lutheran Church in the town of Jackson had its safe stolen the day after Christmas. And the safe contained numerous records about baptisms, marriages, and burials. Pastor Paul Mittermaier says the records don’t have much financial value, but they’re extremely important to the church. He’s asking for the records back. And he says the congregation is praying for the thief and whatever caused the person to steal the items. The church did not lose any offerings, since they’re deposited quickly. Only a small amount of cash was taken in the break-in.
St. Anna FD Out of Service
The Saint Anna Fire Department in Calumet County will be out of service until early next week. A lot of its equipment was damaged Tuesday night in a Dumpster explosion at Bremer Manufacturing’s foundry. Fire-fighter Steven Koeser was killed in the blast, and eight others suffered injuries from ear-ringing to burns. They were all treated at hospitals in Chilton and Neenah, and were later released. Authorities said the fire department was putting out a small fire in the dumpster when water from a hose caused a burning container with metal by-products to explode. Sheriff’s officials, the state fire marshal, and federal agents are still investigating. Saint Anna fire captain Adam Schuh said his small department received numerous offers of support and counseling from throughout Wisconsin. The fire department from nearby Mount Calvary has loaned them equipment. Schuh says about 20 fire-fighters were at the scene just before the explosion. The 33-year-old Koeser died at the scene. He was on the volunteer force for 15 years. The foundry was not open at the time of the fire, and no employees were there. Bremer makes aluminum sand castings for other industries. The fire department’s flag was at half-staff yesterday – and Schuh said it would take awhile before his fire-fighters recover emotionally.
Kohl Continues To Support Butler
12/31/09 - U-S Senate Democrat Herb Kohl says he’ll urge President Obama to re-appoint Louis Butler as a new federal judge for the western half of Wisconsin, which includes Columbia and Jefferson Counties. Senate Republicans used a procedural maneuver last week to return seven federal appointments – including Butler’s – to the White House without a confirmation vote. Kohl spokeswoman Lynn Becker said those end-of-the-year actions are not unusual, and that Kohl still supports Butler for a lifetime judicial appointment. The White House is not saying whether it will reappoint Butler when it has a chance to do so next month. Butler was appointed in October to replace retired Federal Judge John Shabaz (shuh-bahz’) of Madison. Butler is now a lecturer and a jurist-in-residence at the U-W Law School, after he lost an election in 2008 to keep his former seat on the State Supreme Court.
Felon DNA Sample Backlog Grows
12/31/09 - The state Justice Department now says there are almost 13-thousand convicted felons who have not given D-N-A samples to authorities as required by law. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel obtained the latest figure, which is a little bigger than what was first reported this summer. Officials said the list had grown by one-third since then. The Corrections Department obtained D-N-A from 52-hundred offenders in recent months. And a task force continues to round up others. That’s not as easy as it sounds. The Journal Sentinel says 87-percent of those not providing samples are no longer under state supervision. And the Justice Department is still trying to determine whether those who’ve served all their time can be compelled to provide their D-N-A. A law passed in 2000 required convicted felons to submit their D-N-A for a data-base which law enforcement uses to investigate past-and-present crimes. But lots of offenders escaped the requirement soon after it was imposed. Officials have improved their collections since then – and the task force will issue a report next spring on ways to improve it even more. Meanwhile, there’s a bill in the Legislature to require those arrested for felonies – not just those convicted – to submit D-N-A samples. Supporters say it would be much easier for police to collect them. But unlike fingerprints, D-N-A contains a person’s family health history. And civil rights groups question the government’s power to get that data from those the courts don’t find guilty. The corrections agency supports the bill. Attorney General J-B Van Hollen has not endorsed it.
Wisconsin Enters Asian Carp Battle
12/31/09 - Wisconsin has joined the legal battle against the invasive Asian carp. Attorney General J-B Van Hollen filed a brief yesterday with the U-S Supreme Court, in an effort to keep the dangerous carp out of the Great Lakes. The brief supports Michigan’s request to close two navigational locks at Chicago, on a canal which links Lake Michigan with the Mississippi River – where the Asian carp has eaten away at the food supply for native fish-and-plants. Minnesota and Ohio have also asked the Supreme Court to close the locks. The barge industry objects to the proposed closings, saying it uses the canal to send a billion-dollars worth of petroleum into Chicago each year. Other industries use the canal as well, and they say 400 jobs would be lost by even a brief shut-down. Also, Chicago would have to find another way to dump its waste-water – which now goes down the canal to keep sewage out of Lake Michigan. But Michigan and the other states say the Asian carp threatens the Great Lakes’ multi-million-dollar fishing industry. Van Hollen’s legal brief says the industry supports five-thousand Wisconsin jobs, and creates 400-million-dollars a year in economic activity for the state.
Republican Candidate For Treasurer Withdraws
12/31/09 - One of two Republican candidates for state treasurer has pulled out of the race. Jason Punzel, the head of a Madison real estate firm, says the campaign would take too much time away from his family. Democratic Treasurer Dawn Marie Sass is seeking her second four-year term next year. Kurt Schuller of Eden is running as a Republican, and Madison budget analyst Dan Bohrod plans to challenge Sass in the Democratic primary. Sass was under fire this year for having a niece on her payroll, and for creating a backlog of claims for unclaimed property. She was also criticized for not reporting travel costs to conventions that were paid by her national association – but the Government Accountability Board said she did not have to report those costs.
Wisconsin Whooping Cranes Stalled in Alabama
12/31/09 - Twenty Wisconsin whooping cranes are still stuck in Alabama as they try to get to Florida to begin their winter migration. They were supposed to leave Russellville on Tuesday after a holiday break, but there was too much wind for the birds to reach the required altitude. Over 70 gathered at an airport to watch a take-off that never took place. They’ll try again today. But observer Liz Condie wrote on the project’s Web site that the forecast is for more rain and strong winds, and the chance of a takeoff today is quote, “somewhere between zero and zilch.” The baby cranes left Necedah a few weeks ago with the help of an ultra-light pilot. They’ll join dozens of other cranes at two nesting places in Florida, with the goal of growing the whooping crane population in the eastern U-S. It’s the ninth year of the effort, known as “Operation Migration.” The baby cranes fly back to Wisconsin on their own each spring – and many return on their own each winter.
World Champion Liar From Beaver Dam (OK, Sun Prairie)
12/31/09 - A state health inspector from Sun Prairie is this year’s World Champion Liar. Larry Legro won the annual award from the Burlington Liars Club, which announces the winner every New Year’s Eve. The 58-year-old Legro poked fun at the nation’s banking crisis with this line: “I just realized how bad the economy really is. I recently bought a new toaster oven – and as a complimentary gift, I was given a bank.” He was referring to the government’s 700-billion-dollar bailout of the banking industry. Over 100 people submitted entries for this year’s World Champion Lie. Joel Weis, the president of the Burlington Liars Club, said three judges chose Legro’s lie because it’s so relevant. Legro said he’s been submitting entries for about five years – and he told people all year he planned to win the contest.
Once In A Blue Moon
12/31/09 - If you're celebrating the end of 2009, and welcoming 2010, tonight, you will do it under a "blue moon." A full moon will be overhead while Wisconsin residents party. A blue moon means we're seeing a full moon for the second time in the same month. We also had a full moon December 2nd. Lots of celebrations are on hand as we end a decade at the same time we end a year -- unless, of course, you're not a traditionalist and are among those who feel the decade ends next year.
New Years Day Garbage Pick-Up Delayed
12/31/09 - Due to the New Years Holiday, Veolia Environmental will be delaying garbage collections by one day after Thursday’s regularly scheduled collection. Beaver Dam Director of Facilities David Stoiser says the Friday route will be collected on Saturday but, once again, there will be no change in pick-up today. In addition, the Beaver Dam Public Works Garage will be closed today and tomorrow.
12/31/09 - About an inch of snow fell over night and area plows and salt trucks are out on the roads this morning. Dodge County Highway Supervisor Ken Stock says he started calling people in around 2:30am this morning and crews were out by 4am. There are scattered flurries in the forecast through mid-morning, then turning partly sunny and breezy in the afternoon. There is a chance of more flurries tonight as the low temperature drops into single digits overnight tonight and below zero by the weekend. The Dodge County Sheriffs Department meanwhile received several reports of runoffs, especially on Highway’s 151, 33 and 41. There were three rollover accidents between 6:30pm and 7:15pm last night; two in the Town of Calamus and one in the Town of Chester. No injuries were reported.
Nehls on War College: ‘Stressful’
12/31/09 - Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls says his first semester in War College was more stressful than his stint in Afghanistan. The Sheriff left for Washington DC in August after being recommended for the opening by Wisconsin Adjunct General Donald Dunbar. Nehls says less that half the class is military, the rest are a cross-section of the federal government; employees from the CIA, FBI, State Department and Homeland Security brought together as strategic thinkers to examine big picture issues at home and abroad. He says he has taken away a lot of useful strategy that can be applied right here in Dodge County. He says the leadership of the county – the county board, county administrator and supervisors -- should develop a strategic plan for services and programs that department heads can use in developing their own strategy to fund activities that need to be fulfilled. He says, for example, his department has been so successful in apprehending criminals that it has put a strain on the county clerk’s department and the district attorney’s office. He says an inter-department strategy needs to be implemented from the top down Nehls says some of the guest speakers this semester included General David Patreaus and Senator John McCain. As far as the Sheriffs Department, Nehls has maintained regular contact with the senior management and says he will visit more frequently over the next six months before graduation in June.
BD Considering Online Payment Options For Utility Bills
12/31/09 - Beaver Dam Utility customers might be able to pay their bills online in the upcoming year. The Administrative Committee held initial discussion on the issue at a recent meeting. Director of Administration John Somers told the committee that there have been numerous requests from city residents to provide the option. Cost has been the primary issue to far. He says after a one time set-up fee of $200 the city could provide the service for roughly $2.65 per transaction. The utility would bear the cost which would be built into the rate structure. Somers says that research has indicated that if the individual customer had to pay the entire charge, the service would simply not be used. Alderwoman Mary Flaherty said the public is strapped for cash right now and she would be reluctant to vote for anything that would add that burden. If one third of the city’s utility customers were to use the service, by our estimates, the cost per customer would be roughly $1 per quarter, assuming there would be some savings in postage and a reduction of paper transactions. Alderman Glen Link suggested the feature might also free up staff time for other responsibilities but Alderman John Litscher said that labor cost savings would be difficult to quantify. The current city of Beaver Dam website was designed to integrate with online bill pay and there is also the possibility that property taxes would also be added. City leaders still have many questions and the matter was tabled until a future agenda so that Somers can get more information.
Appeals Court Refuses To Overturn Anderson Conviction
12/31/09 - A state appeals court refused to overturn a conviction Wednesday for a Jefferson County man found guilty of slaying his father and dumping his remains in North Carolina. Derek Anderson of rural Helenville wanted a new trial. But instead, his life prison term will continue. He appealed on a number of issues, and they were all turned down by the Fourth District Appellate Court in Madison. Anderson changed his name from Andrew Krnak (car-nack) soon after his parents, a brother, and the family dog vanished on a Fourth-of-July weekend trip in 1998. The remains of his father Allen Krnak were discovered in North Carolina in ’99, and his brother and mother were never found. Anderson was convicted in 2006 of first-degree intentional homicide.
Washington County Church Burglarized
12/31/09 - A church in Washington County has lost its historical records in a burglary. Saint John’s Lutheran Church in the town of Jackson had its safe stolen the day after Christmas. And the safe contained numerous records about baptisms, marriages, and burials. Pastor Paul Mittermaier says the records don’t have much financial value, but they’re extremely important to the church. He’s asking for the records back. And he says the congregation is praying for the thief and whatever caused the person to steal the items. The church did not lose any offerings, since they’re deposited quickly. Only a small amount of cash was taken in the break-in.
St. Anna FD Out of Service
The Saint Anna Fire Department in Calumet County will be out of service until early next week. A lot of its equipment was damaged Tuesday night in a Dumpster explosion at Bremer Manufacturing’s foundry. Fire-fighter Steven Koeser was killed in the blast, and eight others suffered injuries from ear-ringing to burns. They were all treated at hospitals in Chilton and Neenah, and were later released. Authorities said the fire department was putting out a small fire in the dumpster when water from a hose caused a burning container with metal by-products to explode. Sheriff’s officials, the state fire marshal, and federal agents are still investigating. Saint Anna fire captain Adam Schuh said his small department received numerous offers of support and counseling from throughout Wisconsin. The fire department from nearby Mount Calvary has loaned them equipment. Schuh says about 20 fire-fighters were at the scene just before the explosion. The 33-year-old Koeser died at the scene. He was on the volunteer force for 15 years. The foundry was not open at the time of the fire, and no employees were there. Bremer makes aluminum sand castings for other industries. The fire department’s flag was at half-staff yesterday – and Schuh said it would take awhile before his fire-fighters recover emotionally.
Kohl Continues To Support Butler
12/31/09 - U-S Senate Democrat Herb Kohl says he’ll urge President Obama to re-appoint Louis Butler as a new federal judge for the western half of Wisconsin, which includes Columbia and Jefferson Counties. Senate Republicans used a procedural maneuver last week to return seven federal appointments – including Butler’s – to the White House without a confirmation vote. Kohl spokeswoman Lynn Becker said those end-of-the-year actions are not unusual, and that Kohl still supports Butler for a lifetime judicial appointment. The White House is not saying whether it will reappoint Butler when it has a chance to do so next month. Butler was appointed in October to replace retired Federal Judge John Shabaz (shuh-bahz’) of Madison. Butler is now a lecturer and a jurist-in-residence at the U-W Law School, after he lost an election in 2008 to keep his former seat on the State Supreme Court.
Felon DNA Sample Backlog Grows
12/31/09 - The state Justice Department now says there are almost 13-thousand convicted felons who have not given D-N-A samples to authorities as required by law. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel obtained the latest figure, which is a little bigger than what was first reported this summer. Officials said the list had grown by one-third since then. The Corrections Department obtained D-N-A from 52-hundred offenders in recent months. And a task force continues to round up others. That’s not as easy as it sounds. The Journal Sentinel says 87-percent of those not providing samples are no longer under state supervision. And the Justice Department is still trying to determine whether those who’ve served all their time can be compelled to provide their D-N-A. A law passed in 2000 required convicted felons to submit their D-N-A for a data-base which law enforcement uses to investigate past-and-present crimes. But lots of offenders escaped the requirement soon after it was imposed. Officials have improved their collections since then – and the task force will issue a report next spring on ways to improve it even more. Meanwhile, there’s a bill in the Legislature to require those arrested for felonies – not just those convicted – to submit D-N-A samples. Supporters say it would be much easier for police to collect them. But unlike fingerprints, D-N-A contains a person’s family health history. And civil rights groups question the government’s power to get that data from those the courts don’t find guilty. The corrections agency supports the bill. Attorney General J-B Van Hollen has not endorsed it.
Wisconsin Enters Asian Carp Battle
12/31/09 - Wisconsin has joined the legal battle against the invasive Asian carp. Attorney General J-B Van Hollen filed a brief yesterday with the U-S Supreme Court, in an effort to keep the dangerous carp out of the Great Lakes. The brief supports Michigan’s request to close two navigational locks at Chicago, on a canal which links Lake Michigan with the Mississippi River – where the Asian carp has eaten away at the food supply for native fish-and-plants. Minnesota and Ohio have also asked the Supreme Court to close the locks. The barge industry objects to the proposed closings, saying it uses the canal to send a billion-dollars worth of petroleum into Chicago each year. Other industries use the canal as well, and they say 400 jobs would be lost by even a brief shut-down. Also, Chicago would have to find another way to dump its waste-water – which now goes down the canal to keep sewage out of Lake Michigan. But Michigan and the other states say the Asian carp threatens the Great Lakes’ multi-million-dollar fishing industry. Van Hollen’s legal brief says the industry supports five-thousand Wisconsin jobs, and creates 400-million-dollars a year in economic activity for the state.
Republican Candidate For Treasurer Withdraws
12/31/09 - One of two Republican candidates for state treasurer has pulled out of the race. Jason Punzel, the head of a Madison real estate firm, says the campaign would take too much time away from his family. Democratic Treasurer Dawn Marie Sass is seeking her second four-year term next year. Kurt Schuller of Eden is running as a Republican, and Madison budget analyst Dan Bohrod plans to challenge Sass in the Democratic primary. Sass was under fire this year for having a niece on her payroll, and for creating a backlog of claims for unclaimed property. She was also criticized for not reporting travel costs to conventions that were paid by her national association – but the Government Accountability Board said she did not have to report those costs.
Wisconsin Whooping Cranes Stalled in Alabama
12/31/09 - Twenty Wisconsin whooping cranes are still stuck in Alabama as they try to get to Florida to begin their winter migration. They were supposed to leave Russellville on Tuesday after a holiday break, but there was too much wind for the birds to reach the required altitude. Over 70 gathered at an airport to watch a take-off that never took place. They’ll try again today. But observer Liz Condie wrote on the project’s Web site that the forecast is for more rain and strong winds, and the chance of a takeoff today is quote, “somewhere between zero and zilch.” The baby cranes left Necedah a few weeks ago with the help of an ultra-light pilot. They’ll join dozens of other cranes at two nesting places in Florida, with the goal of growing the whooping crane population in the eastern U-S. It’s the ninth year of the effort, known as “Operation Migration.” The baby cranes fly back to Wisconsin on their own each spring – and many return on their own each winter.
World Champion Liar From Beaver Dam (OK, Sun Prairie)
12/31/09 - A state health inspector from Sun Prairie is this year’s World Champion Liar. Larry Legro won the annual award from the Burlington Liars Club, which announces the winner every New Year’s Eve. The 58-year-old Legro poked fun at the nation’s banking crisis with this line: “I just realized how bad the economy really is. I recently bought a new toaster oven – and as a complimentary gift, I was given a bank.” He was referring to the government’s 700-billion-dollar bailout of the banking industry. Over 100 people submitted entries for this year’s World Champion Lie. Joel Weis, the president of the Burlington Liars Club, said three judges chose Legro’s lie because it’s so relevant. Legro said he’s been submitting entries for about five years – and he told people all year he planned to win the contest.
Once In A Blue Moon
12/31/09 - If you're celebrating the end of 2009, and welcoming 2010, tonight, you will do it under a "blue moon." A full moon will be overhead while Wisconsin residents party. A blue moon means we're seeing a full moon for the second time in the same month. We also had a full moon December 2nd. Lots of celebrations are on hand as we end a decade at the same time we end a year -- unless, of course, you're not a traditionalist and are among those who feel the decade ends next year.
New Years Day Garbage Pick-Up Delayed
12/31/09 - Due to the New Years Holiday, Veolia Environmental will be delaying garbage collections by one day after Thursday’s regularly scheduled collection. Beaver Dam Director of Facilities David Stoiser says the Friday route will be collected on Saturday but, once again, there will be no change in pick-up today. In addition, the Beaver Dam Public Works Garage will be closed today and tomorrow.
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