Operations Committee Recommends Highway 33 Consultant
1/12/10 - The Beaver Dam Operations Committee last night threw their support behind the second lowest bidder for consulting work on the Highway 33 reconstruction project. MSA Professional Services submitted a total bid of just over $100,000, which was roughly $27,000 higher than a bid by Vierbicher Associates. City Engineering Coordinator Ritchie Piltz says he was uncomfortable with the of the lack of detail and manpower numbers provided by Virbicher. The recommendation of MSA still needs council approval. The Highway 33 reconstruction project is slated for 2013.
Glacier Hills Wind Farm Gets Initial Approval
1/12/10 - The largest wind farm in state history got the initial green light yesterday by the state’s Public Service Commission. The project, which is expected to include 90-wind turbines and be located on about 17,000 acres of land in the Columbia County towns of Scott and Randolph, could cost up to $434-million and generate enough electricity to power 45,000 homes. We Energies, the company that submitted the proposal for what will be called the Glacier Hills Wind Park, must still review some of the commissioner’s suggestions. Those include increasing the distance between area buildings and the turbines. A PSC spokesperson says the commissioners want to work out those issues before giving a final approval later this month, though they don’t expect the approval given yesterday to change. Construction of the wind farm is expected to be completed in 2011.
FL to Hold Informational Meeting on Wastewater Treatment Upgrades
1/12/10 - An informational meeting will be held next week in Fox Lake to gain citizen input on the city’s plans to move forward with mandated wastewater upgrades. A group consisting of city officials and citizens called the meeting to get feedback from taxpayers about plans to borrow $2.9 million for a retention pond and related upgrades. The city is under a court order from the state to upgrade their wastewater treatment system to avoid bypassing the sewage treatment plant during times of heavy rain, like they did in 2004 and 2008. Alderman Tom Bednarek says some residents think the pond is a million dollar band aid that will only be used once or twice a year. If the city does not follow through, they could face fines for each day the municipality is in violation. Bednarek says it’s important to get input from the public prior to their February meeting when the city will consider a bid from Kunkel Engineering to perform the work. The public input meeting will be held next Tuesday (1/19) at the Fox Lake Community Center from 6:30pm to 8pm.
Fort Atkinson Soldier Killed
1/12/10 - A Marine from Fort Atkinson was one of three people killed in a weekend bomb blast in Afghanistan. 20-year-old Jacob Meinert died on Sunday, a day after the incident. Officials said a Marine patrol vehicle hit a roadside bomb near the town of Nawa in southern Afghanistan. Meinert was a 2007 graduate of Fort Atkinson High School, where he played in several bands and was in the school’s chess club. He was a member of the Marines’ expeditionary force based in Kaneohe (kah-nee-oh’-ay) Bay Hawaii. Also killed were 22-year-old Lance Corporal Mark Juarez of Bakersfield California and Rupert Hamer, a military correspondent for Britain’s Sunday Mirror. Three other Marines and a British photo-journalist were wounded.
Search Goes on for Missing Snowmobiler
1/12/10 - A search continues today for a second missing snowmobiler, after the first was found dead on Lake Winnebago in Menasha. 29-year-old Jay Luniak and 30-year-old Keith Ebben, both of Appleton, had been missing since Saturday night. But authorities have not released the name of the body that was found yesterday, saying relatives needed to be notified first. Coast Guard members and local authorities had been searching parts of the lake and the Fox River from Menasha to Oshkosh. But Outagamie County sheriff’s lieutenant John Zimmerman said the search was narrowed yesterday. An Oshkosh diver saw snowmobile tracks that went from an icy stretch into the lake on a channel near a Menasha park. The first body was found in that area, where the water is 7-to-13 feet deep. Luniak and Ebben were last seen having dinner a bar-and-restaurant south of Neenah. Witnesses said they only had a pint of beer with their meal, and there were no signs the men were drunk when they left. The body found yesterday is the 10th snowmobiler to die in Wisconsin this winter – and the fifth death since the start of the New Year.
Two Hurt in Washington County Accident
1/12/10 - A 19-year-old West Bend woman and 16-year-old Town of Farmington boy were hurt when the vehicles they were driving crashed into each other in Washington County yesterday afternoon. Sheriff's officials say the woman ended up at Froedtert Hospital in critical condition and the boy at St. Joseph's Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The accident happened on Highway 144. Alcohol was not a factor in the accident. (KFIZ)
Facilities Report Approved in Columbus.
1/12/10 - The Columbus School Board approved the district facilities report at last nights meeting and commended the administration and maintenance staff for their work. Despite the fact that the buildings in the district date back to the late 1950’s and early 1960’s they remain in good shape. Officials credit policies of student safety first, regular roof repair and scheduled inspections for keeping the elementary, middle and high school facilities in good shape.
Brief Standoff in Horicon
1/12/10 - Area authorities were involved a very brief, non-violent, standoff with a man in Horicon Sunday. Acting Horicon Police Chief Adrian Bump says they responded around 9pm to a report of a 45-year-old man being suicidal and barricaded in his apartment on Colonial Drive. Bump says after about 40-minutes they were able to make contact with the man and were able to end the encounter without incident. Though he is not facing any criminal charges, Bump says they took the man into custody to protect him from hurting himself.
Erdmann Named Watertown Chamber Executive Director
1/12/10 - There is a new executive director for the Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce. Kim Erdmann has been tabbed to replace Randy Roesler. That’s according to chamber board president Tim Raether. Erdmann, a Watertown native, was hired from a pool of about 40-people that applied.
Legislators to Decide Whether Motorists Can Keep Road Kill
1/12/10 - Wisconsin legislators are about to decide whether to let motorists keep the animals they kill on the road. They can already keep deer under certain conditions. Now, Assembly Democrat Ann Hraychuck of Balsam Lake wants to let drivers keep the bears, wild turkeys, and other animals they hit. The bill had a public hearing last week, and did not get any opposition. Insiders call it the “road-kill equity bill.” The D-N-R says about 150 bears are killed by cars each yearn and warden Tom Van Haren says it would save time and money to let the drivers keep those animals. Right now, the state decides whether to keep them or sell them. Hraychuck says her bill would reduce waste by letting drivers keep the animals as meat or trophies. And if the drivers don’t want them, others could have them with authorities’ permission. Motorists could also keep smaller animals if they’re struck in an open session, and the drivers have hunting or trapping licenses.
DNR to Start Deer Population Count
1/12/10 - Wildlife biologists will take to their air this month to count deer. The D-N-R says it will use helicopters to count the deer in the state’s main chronic wasting disease zone in Dane and Iowa counties. The D-N-R often uses aircraft to survey eagle and wolf populations. The deer counters will be in choppers about 150-feet above the ground – and if they see livestock, they promise to fly higher so those animals won’t be spooked. The deer count is expected to be finished by the end of January.
Whooping Cranes Almost to Winter Nesting Spot
1/12/10 - Twenty Wisconsin whooping cranes have made it to Florida – and they’re getting close to their final winter nesting spots. The baby cranes landed yesterday in Jefferson County Florida. They’ll soon break into two groups and fly to a pair of national wildlife refuges, where experts hope they’ll mate with other cranes. It’s part of a nine-year-old project called “Operation Migration.” The goal is to re-introduce the endangered whooping crane in the eastern U-S. The baby cranes will be joined by others who’ve made the trip before them. The veterans fly on their own – just like the baby cranes will, when they head north this spring.
National Influenza Vaccination Week
1/12/10 - The National Influenza Vaccination Week began yesterday and will run through this Saturday. The Dodge County Human Services and Health Department is joining with other local health departments as they attempt to highlight the importance of continuing influenza vaccination, as well as fostering greater use of flue vaccine after the holiday season. Since, a third wave of the 2009 H1N1 disease is anticipated and Wisconsin is heading into its normal influenza season, the health department says its important for people to continue to receive the vaccinations as it’s the best way to reduce the health impact of influenza. With that in mind the county is offering weekly vaccination clinics where resident can get both their H1N1 vaccination as well as their season influenza shot. The times for those are as follows: The first and third Thursdays of the month from 3-6pm, the second Tuesday of the month from 1-4pm and the fourth Friday of the month from 9-11am. All of the clinics will be held at the Public Health Unit at 143 East Center Street in Juneau.
1/12/10 - The largest wind farm in state history got the initial green light yesterday by the state’s Public Service Commission. The project, which is expected to include 90-wind turbines and be located on about 17,000 acres of land in the Columbia County towns of Scott and Randolph, could cost up to $434-million and generate enough electricity to power 45,000 homes. We Energies, the company that submitted the proposal for what will be called the Glacier Hills Wind Park, must still review some of the commissioner’s suggestions. Those include increasing the distance between area buildings and the turbines. A PSC spokesperson says the commissioners want to work out those issues before giving a final approval later this month, though they don’t expect the approval given yesterday to change. Construction of the wind farm is expected to be completed in 2011.
FL to Hold Informational Meeting on Wastewater Treatment Upgrades
1/12/10 - An informational meeting will be held next week in Fox Lake to gain citizen input on the city’s plans to move forward with mandated wastewater upgrades. A group consisting of city officials and citizens called the meeting to get feedback from taxpayers about plans to borrow $2.9 million for a retention pond and related upgrades. The city is under a court order from the state to upgrade their wastewater treatment system to avoid bypassing the sewage treatment plant during times of heavy rain, like they did in 2004 and 2008. Alderman Tom Bednarek says some residents think the pond is a million dollar band aid that will only be used once or twice a year. If the city does not follow through, they could face fines for each day the municipality is in violation. Bednarek says it’s important to get input from the public prior to their February meeting when the city will consider a bid from Kunkel Engineering to perform the work. The public input meeting will be held next Tuesday (1/19) at the Fox Lake Community Center from 6:30pm to 8pm.
Fort Atkinson Soldier Killed
1/12/10 - A Marine from Fort Atkinson was one of three people killed in a weekend bomb blast in Afghanistan. 20-year-old Jacob Meinert died on Sunday, a day after the incident. Officials said a Marine patrol vehicle hit a roadside bomb near the town of Nawa in southern Afghanistan. Meinert was a 2007 graduate of Fort Atkinson High School, where he played in several bands and was in the school’s chess club. He was a member of the Marines’ expeditionary force based in Kaneohe (kah-nee-oh’-ay) Bay Hawaii. Also killed were 22-year-old Lance Corporal Mark Juarez of Bakersfield California and Rupert Hamer, a military correspondent for Britain’s Sunday Mirror. Three other Marines and a British photo-journalist were wounded.
Search Goes on for Missing Snowmobiler
1/12/10 - A search continues today for a second missing snowmobiler, after the first was found dead on Lake Winnebago in Menasha. 29-year-old Jay Luniak and 30-year-old Keith Ebben, both of Appleton, had been missing since Saturday night. But authorities have not released the name of the body that was found yesterday, saying relatives needed to be notified first. Coast Guard members and local authorities had been searching parts of the lake and the Fox River from Menasha to Oshkosh. But Outagamie County sheriff’s lieutenant John Zimmerman said the search was narrowed yesterday. An Oshkosh diver saw snowmobile tracks that went from an icy stretch into the lake on a channel near a Menasha park. The first body was found in that area, where the water is 7-to-13 feet deep. Luniak and Ebben were last seen having dinner a bar-and-restaurant south of Neenah. Witnesses said they only had a pint of beer with their meal, and there were no signs the men were drunk when they left. The body found yesterday is the 10th snowmobiler to die in Wisconsin this winter – and the fifth death since the start of the New Year.
Two Hurt in Washington County Accident
1/12/10 - A 19-year-old West Bend woman and 16-year-old Town of Farmington boy were hurt when the vehicles they were driving crashed into each other in Washington County yesterday afternoon. Sheriff's officials say the woman ended up at Froedtert Hospital in critical condition and the boy at St. Joseph's Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The accident happened on Highway 144. Alcohol was not a factor in the accident. (KFIZ)
Facilities Report Approved in Columbus.
1/12/10 - The Columbus School Board approved the district facilities report at last nights meeting and commended the administration and maintenance staff for their work. Despite the fact that the buildings in the district date back to the late 1950’s and early 1960’s they remain in good shape. Officials credit policies of student safety first, regular roof repair and scheduled inspections for keeping the elementary, middle and high school facilities in good shape.
Brief Standoff in Horicon
1/12/10 - Area authorities were involved a very brief, non-violent, standoff with a man in Horicon Sunday. Acting Horicon Police Chief Adrian Bump says they responded around 9pm to a report of a 45-year-old man being suicidal and barricaded in his apartment on Colonial Drive. Bump says after about 40-minutes they were able to make contact with the man and were able to end the encounter without incident. Though he is not facing any criminal charges, Bump says they took the man into custody to protect him from hurting himself.
Erdmann Named Watertown Chamber Executive Director
1/12/10 - There is a new executive director for the Watertown Area Chamber of Commerce. Kim Erdmann has been tabbed to replace Randy Roesler. That’s according to chamber board president Tim Raether. Erdmann, a Watertown native, was hired from a pool of about 40-people that applied.
Legislators to Decide Whether Motorists Can Keep Road Kill
1/12/10 - Wisconsin legislators are about to decide whether to let motorists keep the animals they kill on the road. They can already keep deer under certain conditions. Now, Assembly Democrat Ann Hraychuck of Balsam Lake wants to let drivers keep the bears, wild turkeys, and other animals they hit. The bill had a public hearing last week, and did not get any opposition. Insiders call it the “road-kill equity bill.” The D-N-R says about 150 bears are killed by cars each yearn and warden Tom Van Haren says it would save time and money to let the drivers keep those animals. Right now, the state decides whether to keep them or sell them. Hraychuck says her bill would reduce waste by letting drivers keep the animals as meat or trophies. And if the drivers don’t want them, others could have them with authorities’ permission. Motorists could also keep smaller animals if they’re struck in an open session, and the drivers have hunting or trapping licenses.
DNR to Start Deer Population Count
1/12/10 - Wildlife biologists will take to their air this month to count deer. The D-N-R says it will use helicopters to count the deer in the state’s main chronic wasting disease zone in Dane and Iowa counties. The D-N-R often uses aircraft to survey eagle and wolf populations. The deer counters will be in choppers about 150-feet above the ground – and if they see livestock, they promise to fly higher so those animals won’t be spooked. The deer count is expected to be finished by the end of January.
Whooping Cranes Almost to Winter Nesting Spot
1/12/10 - Twenty Wisconsin whooping cranes have made it to Florida – and they’re getting close to their final winter nesting spots. The baby cranes landed yesterday in Jefferson County Florida. They’ll soon break into two groups and fly to a pair of national wildlife refuges, where experts hope they’ll mate with other cranes. It’s part of a nine-year-old project called “Operation Migration.” The goal is to re-introduce the endangered whooping crane in the eastern U-S. The baby cranes will be joined by others who’ve made the trip before them. The veterans fly on their own – just like the baby cranes will, when they head north this spring.
National Influenza Vaccination Week
1/12/10 - The National Influenza Vaccination Week began yesterday and will run through this Saturday. The Dodge County Human Services and Health Department is joining with other local health departments as they attempt to highlight the importance of continuing influenza vaccination, as well as fostering greater use of flue vaccine after the holiday season. Since, a third wave of the 2009 H1N1 disease is anticipated and Wisconsin is heading into its normal influenza season, the health department says its important for people to continue to receive the vaccinations as it’s the best way to reduce the health impact of influenza. With that in mind the county is offering weekly vaccination clinics where resident can get both their H1N1 vaccination as well as their season influenza shot. The times for those are as follows: The first and third Thursdays of the month from 3-6pm, the second Tuesday of the month from 1-4pm and the fourth Friday of the month from 9-11am. All of the clinics will be held at the Public Health Unit at 143 East Center Street in Juneau.
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