Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Top Stories, January 14th

Hustisford Woman Found Safe in Haiti

1/14/10 - At least one Wisconsin resident was still missing in Haiti last night, as dozens from the Badger State, including a woman from Hustisford, turned up okay amid the chaos of the earthquake. David Strysick of Hustisford says he found out last evening that his wife, Carol, was ok. Strysick told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that his wife, a Moraine Park Techinical College nursing instructor, had been in Haiti since last week as part of a crew of volunteers. She was scheduled to return this Saturday but Strysick was unsure if that was still the case. Meanwhile, 20-year-old Melissa Elliott of the Waukesha County town of Merton remains unaccounted for. She was among 12 students and two instructors from Lynn University in Florida who were on a food relief project during the winter break. They were staying in a hotel that reportedly collapsed, and the university hired helicopters to search for the students.

The American Red Cross is asking for help as they respond to the disaster in Haiti. They say you can help the victims of this crisis as well as others by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund, which will provide immediate relief and long-term support through supplies, technical assistance and other support to help those in need. Also, the U.S. State Department, working with other services, has set up a legitimate mobile texting service. Donors may text the word “HAITI” to “90999” and a donation of $10 will be given to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts.
BD Senior Center To Gauge Fundraising Support

1/14/10 - Beaver Dam Senior Center officials are commissioning a study to determine how much money they might be able to raise for a new facility. Members of the Senior Centers Building Committee met last night with city officials to review designs drawn up by the Renschler Company. John Litscher, the city’s Ad Hoc Committee Chair, said that with the plans complete and most questions answered, the next logical step is to gauge community support. The cost of the study is estimated at between $3000 and $12,000 and will be paid for with donated funds. Senior Center Administrator Evonne Koeppen they have already interviewed to candidates to perform the study and plan to move forward very soon. Last night’s meeting was also an opportunity for the ad hoc committee to discuss the possibility of collaborating with nearby communities in funding the center. Representatives with the Towns of Beaver Dam and Trenton both said they would welcome discussion the proposal at their meetings. However, Trenton Town Chair Russ Kottke cautioned that some might be leery of the proposal because there are sour grapes over Beaver Dam’s annexation of land now occupied by the Wal-Mart Distribution Center. The ad hoc committee has no plans to meet again until after the fundraising feasibility study is completed and only then if it looks like fundraising would adequately supplement taxpayer dollars for a new facility.

Daytime Burglar Convicted By Jury

1/14/10 - A Dodge County jury yesterday found a Beaver Dam man guilty of breaking into several homes in the fall of 2008. Oscar Jasper Jr. was found guilty on three of the eight felony Theft and Burglary charges, as well as a handful of misdemeanors related to the series daytime break-ins. It took the jury just under three hours. The 48-year-old was apprehended with the help of video surveillance footage after he tried to sell stolen tools outside a Beaver Dam business in the days after the burglary. Jasper stole mostly firearms, jewelry and tools from homes in the Towns of Shields, Hubbard, Oak Grove and in Juneau and Washington County; several of the items were recovered from a pawn shop in Milwaukee. Dodge County DA Bill Bedker tells us that the reason he suspects the jury acquitted him on three counts they did was because of the lack of forensic evidence in those homes, even though the stolen items were found in his car, in his apartment or in a pawn shop under his name. The penalties carry a maximum penalty of over 48 years in prison but because Jasper is a repeat offender, he could have up to another 30 years added to his sentence. Bedker says he will ask for the maximum penalty. A sentencing hearing will be held in the next 60 to 90 days.

Man Accused of Murdering Stepson Waives Prelim

1/14/10 - A Grafton man who’s charged with killing his step-son waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday, and a judge ordered him to stand trial. 37-year-old Charles Avey is scheduled to enter pleas January 28th to charges of first-degree intentional homicide and bail jumping. Prosecutors said Avey strangled 14-year-old Cody Reetz with a necktie on November eighth to get back at his wife for telling police how he abused her. Authorities said Trista Avey waited a full week to tell officers that her husband repeatedly struck her with a hammer. After he was charged in Washington County, Avey was charged in neighboring Ozaukee County with battery and domestic abuse. That case won’t be taken up until his homicide case is over.

Fox Lake Officials Urging Residents To Return Survey

1/14/10 - The city of Fox Lake is still asking residents to return a survey they say will help the city get grant money to pay for court mandated upgrades to their wastewater treatment system. The city is currently under a court order from the state to upgrade the system to avoid bypassing sewage during times of heavy rain as they did in 2004 and 2008. City Administrator Bill Petracek says the survey sent to residents is to show that the city is a low to moderate income community, which he says will increase their chances of getting the grant. So far, the city has seen a little more than half of those survey’s returned and they are asking residents to have them returned by this Monday. A meeting to discuss the entire wastewater situation in Fox Lake has been slated for next Tuesday at City Hall beginning at 6:30pm.

Advisory Panel To Examine Raw Milk Issue

1/14/10 - Agriculture Secretary Rod Nilsestuen says he will form an advisory panel to take a closer look at the sale of raw milk. Nilsestuen says the panel will make recommendations to state lawmakers about legal and regulatory issues that have to be addressed when unpasteurized milk is sold directly to the public. Concerns about chemicals, hormones and drugs in milk have recently increased the demand for unpasteurized milk. The advisory panel will hold its first meeting next month.

Obesity Skyrockets In Wisconsin Youth

1/14/10 - State officials estimate that 25-percent of Wisconsin children are currently considered obese. State Representative Chuck Benedict says it’s a battle that the Badger State appears to be losing, and a new approach is needed. Part of that change is to take the battle into Wisconsin schools. Benedict is sponsoring legislation that requires schools to track the fitness level of students, sets nutrition guidelines for food served during the school day, and bans soda and junk food from vending machines. He says students need to be taught health habits at school which they will then be able to take home with them. The bill would not impact food brought from home or concessions sold at school events, although it would urge similar nutritional standards.

Health Sec Says Hospital Tax Works

1/14/10 - A state official says Wisconsin’s new hospital tax is doing exactly what it was meant to do – bring in more federal money to help those hospitals treat Medicaid patients. In a new report, Health Services Secretary Karen Timberlake said hospitals paid 382-million dollars to the state last year. And under the Medicaid formula, the federal government gave the state an extra 582-million dollars to reimburse the hospitals for treating poor and elderly patients. Timberlake says the tax has been a great success, because hospitals are getting back a lot more than they’re being taxed. Also, she said the extra funding has helped the state expand its Badger-Care Plus program to cover about 60-thousand adults who don’t have kids. Governor Jim Doyle tried three times to approve a hospital tax. But he could only do it after his fellow Democrats took control of both houses of the Legislature last year. Republicans killed the hospital tax the first two times, saying those with private insurance would have to pay more for what the hospitals send to Madison in the first place.

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