Man Killed in Columbia County Accident
1/16/10 - One person was killed and another injured in an early afternoon accident yesterday in Columbia County. According the Sheriff’s Department, a man was driving southbound on Traut Road just south of Wyocena when he pulled into the path of a minivan driving west on Highway 16. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. His name is being withheld pending notification of family. The driver of the minivan, 49-year-old Ann Marie Austin of Prairie Du Chien, was taken to Divine Savior Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The investigation into the accident is ongoing.
Peterson Enters into Plea Agreement
1/16/10 - The purported ring leader in a pair of mailbox and outhouse explosions as well as being involved in a shooting spree with a rife has entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors. 19-year-old Stephen Peterson pled no contest to the charges of first degree reckless endangering safety, causing damage with explosives, and possessing explosives for an unlawful purpose. The Beaver Dam teen had three other charges dismissed but read into the record. Peterson alone was accused of firing a rifle into two mobile homes but was also charged along with 20-year-old’s Kyle Livingston and Michael Peters with the bombings of a mailbox in Burnett and a port-a-potty at Lost Lake Park this past April. The trio was apprehended with the use of in-store video surveillance after allegedly purchasing the explosive components at a Beaver Dam retailer. Investigators say they used a pipe bomb and, in the case of the porta-potty, also used liquefied gas. Livingston was sentenced last week to a year in jail while Peters was given a seven-month jail sentence. Peterson is slated to be sentenced in April.
Local Bank Getting Pressure from Federal Government
1/16/10 - Two more banks, including a local one, are getting pressure from regulators to improve their credit management and loan portfolios. It was revealed yesterday that the National Bank of Waupun had entered into an agreement with the federal Office of the Comptroller of the Currency designed to end “unsafe and unsound” banking practices the regulator found. The agreement with the National Bank of Waupun, which has four locations in and around Waupun, will force them to deal with problem loans on its books and establish an independent review system to identify problem loans in a timely matter. National Bank of Waupun President Jerry O’Connor says the bank has both the capital and the earnings to withstand the challenges that they’re facing. He added that the agreement will have no impact on their relationships with local customers. According to the most up to date numbers, the National Bank of Waupun lost $429,000 through the first nine months of last year, and more than 10-percent of their loans were considered non-current.
BDUSD Signs onto “Race to the Top” Program
1/16/10 - The deadline has passed for Wisconsin schools to apply for the federal stimulus money the state might get in the president’s “Race to the Top” program. The 425 school districts had until Wednesday to apply to the state’s education agency. And as of Tuesday, about 350 districts had signed on including Beaver Dam. Superintendent Don Childs says the schools had to agree to a number of reforms, many of which Beaver Dam is already doing. Childs says they do have some concerns about the program, including whether they’ll have to comply with every aspect of the program to be eligible for the money. Childs says initial figures show the district would be eligible for about a half-million-dollars. The state as a whole will apply for 254-million dollars.
Baby Boomers Hearing Better than their Parents
1/16/10 - Today’s 60-year-olds hear a lot more than their parents did at that age. That’s according to a study of Beaver Dam residents by the U-W Madison School of Medicine, which said baby boomers had 31-percent less hearing loss than their parents – even with the loud rock concerts, boom boxes, and I-Pods they enjoyed over the years. The study’s lead author, Weihai Zhan, says actual hearing losses have dropped from one generation to the next. The study also indicated that about 51-million Americans would have hearing impairments by 2030 – down from the 66-million that was previously estimated. The study used data from the Beaver Dam Off-spring Study, which involved over five-thousand people and their kids-and-grandkids born from 1902-to-1962. Because the study was based solely in Beaver Dam, the authors’ caution that the same results might not be true everywhere. But in general, Zahn says quieter workplaces, less smoking, and better medicines have all played roles in reducing hearing losses.
Bryant Enters Not Guilty Plea
1/16/10 - A former Waupun woman entered a “not guilty” plea this week (Th) to charges that she and her spouse burglarized several storage units. Amanda Bryant was connected to break-ins this past May at Verhage Storage after authorities found a sack of broken padlocks in her car.
The 23-year-old Amanda Bryant was being questioned about a series of purse snatchings in the Horicon Marsh area when the padlocks were discovered. She and her boyfriend reportedly used credit cards stolen from the purse for a shopping spree and were tracked down with the help of video surveillance footage from two Beaver Dam businesses. Bryant has court activity is scheduled for next month.
Brummond in Court
1/16/10 - A Mayville man has entered a “not guilty” plea to charges that he inappropriately touched an 8-year-old girl. Kenneth W. Brummond is charged with one felony count of First Degree Child Sexual Assault for the alleged incident August 21. According to the criminal complaint, the 82-year-old admitted the offense and told authorities he wasn’t sure why he did it. Brummond is free on a $100,000 signature bond and has court activity scheduled for next month.
Sabbatini Bound Over for Trial
1/16/10 - A Burnett man who was in the back of a squad car as the clock struck midnight on New Years was bound over for trial this week on charges of his eight OWI. According to authorities, deputies responded to Highway 33 and Dakota Road in the Town of Herman just before midnight on December 31st after receiving reports that a motorist needed assistance. 41-year-old Raymond M. Sabbatini was struck in a snow bank. Authorities say when they arrived on scene he was sitting in the driver’s seat. His blood alcohol level was said to be point .113. Sabbatini faces up to ten years in prison, if convicted. Arraignment is set for February 2.
White House Says Stimulus Created or Saved 44,000 Jobs in WI
1/16/10 - The Obama White House estimates federal stimulus money has created or saved 44 thousand Wisconsin jobs. The report from the Council of Economic Advisors didn't break down the jobs by sector and cautions the numbers are speculative and uncertain. The governor's office says the figures represent statewide jobs created or saved over the last nine months. The jobs are being counted by a different method after the Associated Press found flaws in those reported last October.
“Denver Boot” Heading to Wisconsin?
1/16/10 - A state Senate committee has endorsed a bill to let cities immobilize vehicles with numerous parking tickets that don’t get paid. Cities are not allowed to use the so-called “Denver boot” to freeze the cars-and-trucks of those who ignore tickets. Senate Democrat Tim Carpenter of Milwaukee proposed the bill to change that. He says some drivers have glove boxes filled with parking tickets, and they put a strain on local governments in providing public safety. He says Milwaukee is owed about 60-million dollars in unpaid tickets. About one-fifth of that is from scofflaws who have three-or-more tickets that are least 28 days old.
Returning Soldiers Welcomed Back with “Wisconsin Day”
1/16/10 - Returning soldiers from Iraq are taking part in a new, daylong orientation at Fort McCoy, called “Wisconsin Day.” It’s to help them adjust to civilian life. Jeffrey Unger of the State Department of Military Affairs heads the transition team, which gives presentations on job hunting, marriage counseling, and treating stress disorders. Unger hopes "Wisconsin Day" will help stem rising unemployment and suicide rates among today's veterans. Some veterans say they're grateful for the briefings but are more eager to go home. The soldiers of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team were briefly reunited with their family and friends, after landing at Volk Field this week, but then had to begin the five-day demobilization process at Fort McCoy. The Department of Military Affairs says more “Wisconsin Days” are planned as troops continue to return from Iraq and Afghanistan.
1/16/10 - One person was killed and another injured in an early afternoon accident yesterday in Columbia County. According the Sheriff’s Department, a man was driving southbound on Traut Road just south of Wyocena when he pulled into the path of a minivan driving west on Highway 16. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. His name is being withheld pending notification of family. The driver of the minivan, 49-year-old Ann Marie Austin of Prairie Du Chien, was taken to Divine Savior Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The investigation into the accident is ongoing.
Peterson Enters into Plea Agreement
1/16/10 - The purported ring leader in a pair of mailbox and outhouse explosions as well as being involved in a shooting spree with a rife has entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors. 19-year-old Stephen Peterson pled no contest to the charges of first degree reckless endangering safety, causing damage with explosives, and possessing explosives for an unlawful purpose. The Beaver Dam teen had three other charges dismissed but read into the record. Peterson alone was accused of firing a rifle into two mobile homes but was also charged along with 20-year-old’s Kyle Livingston and Michael Peters with the bombings of a mailbox in Burnett and a port-a-potty at Lost Lake Park this past April. The trio was apprehended with the use of in-store video surveillance after allegedly purchasing the explosive components at a Beaver Dam retailer. Investigators say they used a pipe bomb and, in the case of the porta-potty, also used liquefied gas. Livingston was sentenced last week to a year in jail while Peters was given a seven-month jail sentence. Peterson is slated to be sentenced in April.
Local Bank Getting Pressure from Federal Government
1/16/10 - Two more banks, including a local one, are getting pressure from regulators to improve their credit management and loan portfolios. It was revealed yesterday that the National Bank of Waupun had entered into an agreement with the federal Office of the Comptroller of the Currency designed to end “unsafe and unsound” banking practices the regulator found. The agreement with the National Bank of Waupun, which has four locations in and around Waupun, will force them to deal with problem loans on its books and establish an independent review system to identify problem loans in a timely matter. National Bank of Waupun President Jerry O’Connor says the bank has both the capital and the earnings to withstand the challenges that they’re facing. He added that the agreement will have no impact on their relationships with local customers. According to the most up to date numbers, the National Bank of Waupun lost $429,000 through the first nine months of last year, and more than 10-percent of their loans were considered non-current.
BDUSD Signs onto “Race to the Top” Program
1/16/10 - The deadline has passed for Wisconsin schools to apply for the federal stimulus money the state might get in the president’s “Race to the Top” program. The 425 school districts had until Wednesday to apply to the state’s education agency. And as of Tuesday, about 350 districts had signed on including Beaver Dam. Superintendent Don Childs says the schools had to agree to a number of reforms, many of which Beaver Dam is already doing. Childs says they do have some concerns about the program, including whether they’ll have to comply with every aspect of the program to be eligible for the money. Childs says initial figures show the district would be eligible for about a half-million-dollars. The state as a whole will apply for 254-million dollars.
Baby Boomers Hearing Better than their Parents
1/16/10 - Today’s 60-year-olds hear a lot more than their parents did at that age. That’s according to a study of Beaver Dam residents by the U-W Madison School of Medicine, which said baby boomers had 31-percent less hearing loss than their parents – even with the loud rock concerts, boom boxes, and I-Pods they enjoyed over the years. The study’s lead author, Weihai Zhan, says actual hearing losses have dropped from one generation to the next. The study also indicated that about 51-million Americans would have hearing impairments by 2030 – down from the 66-million that was previously estimated. The study used data from the Beaver Dam Off-spring Study, which involved over five-thousand people and their kids-and-grandkids born from 1902-to-1962. Because the study was based solely in Beaver Dam, the authors’ caution that the same results might not be true everywhere. But in general, Zahn says quieter workplaces, less smoking, and better medicines have all played roles in reducing hearing losses.
Bryant Enters Not Guilty Plea
1/16/10 - A former Waupun woman entered a “not guilty” plea this week (Th) to charges that she and her spouse burglarized several storage units. Amanda Bryant was connected to break-ins this past May at Verhage Storage after authorities found a sack of broken padlocks in her car.
The 23-year-old Amanda Bryant was being questioned about a series of purse snatchings in the Horicon Marsh area when the padlocks were discovered. She and her boyfriend reportedly used credit cards stolen from the purse for a shopping spree and were tracked down with the help of video surveillance footage from two Beaver Dam businesses. Bryant has court activity is scheduled for next month.
Brummond in Court
1/16/10 - A Mayville man has entered a “not guilty” plea to charges that he inappropriately touched an 8-year-old girl. Kenneth W. Brummond is charged with one felony count of First Degree Child Sexual Assault for the alleged incident August 21. According to the criminal complaint, the 82-year-old admitted the offense and told authorities he wasn’t sure why he did it. Brummond is free on a $100,000 signature bond and has court activity scheduled for next month.
Sabbatini Bound Over for Trial
1/16/10 - A Burnett man who was in the back of a squad car as the clock struck midnight on New Years was bound over for trial this week on charges of his eight OWI. According to authorities, deputies responded to Highway 33 and Dakota Road in the Town of Herman just before midnight on December 31st after receiving reports that a motorist needed assistance. 41-year-old Raymond M. Sabbatini was struck in a snow bank. Authorities say when they arrived on scene he was sitting in the driver’s seat. His blood alcohol level was said to be point .113. Sabbatini faces up to ten years in prison, if convicted. Arraignment is set for February 2.
White House Says Stimulus Created or Saved 44,000 Jobs in WI
1/16/10 - The Obama White House estimates federal stimulus money has created or saved 44 thousand Wisconsin jobs. The report from the Council of Economic Advisors didn't break down the jobs by sector and cautions the numbers are speculative and uncertain. The governor's office says the figures represent statewide jobs created or saved over the last nine months. The jobs are being counted by a different method after the Associated Press found flaws in those reported last October.
“Denver Boot” Heading to Wisconsin?
1/16/10 - A state Senate committee has endorsed a bill to let cities immobilize vehicles with numerous parking tickets that don’t get paid. Cities are not allowed to use the so-called “Denver boot” to freeze the cars-and-trucks of those who ignore tickets. Senate Democrat Tim Carpenter of Milwaukee proposed the bill to change that. He says some drivers have glove boxes filled with parking tickets, and they put a strain on local governments in providing public safety. He says Milwaukee is owed about 60-million dollars in unpaid tickets. About one-fifth of that is from scofflaws who have three-or-more tickets that are least 28 days old.
Returning Soldiers Welcomed Back with “Wisconsin Day”
1/16/10 - Returning soldiers from Iraq are taking part in a new, daylong orientation at Fort McCoy, called “Wisconsin Day.” It’s to help them adjust to civilian life. Jeffrey Unger of the State Department of Military Affairs heads the transition team, which gives presentations on job hunting, marriage counseling, and treating stress disorders. Unger hopes "Wisconsin Day" will help stem rising unemployment and suicide rates among today's veterans. Some veterans say they're grateful for the briefings but are more eager to go home. The soldiers of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team were briefly reunited with their family and friends, after landing at Volk Field this week, but then had to begin the five-day demobilization process at Fort McCoy. The Department of Military Affairs says more “Wisconsin Days” are planned as troops continue to return from Iraq and Afghanistan.
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