Top Stories, January 24th

Warrant Issued For Convicted Burglar

1/24/10 - A warrant has been issued for a former Beaver Dam man who pleaded “no contest” last fall to charges that he and two others broke into several area churches and businesses. 28-year-old Trevor Waller failed to appear Friday for a sentencing hearing in Dodge County court. That was after he pleaded “no contest” to a felony Burglary charge related to the series of break-ins in October of 2008. Authorities heard about a break-in at First Lutheran Church while they were one block down the street at the United Methodist Church investigating a similar break-in. Authorities found blood and fingerprint evidence at First Lutheran and connected it to Waller, who was also charged, along with the two others, with a handful of business break-ins around the same time. Waller is considered to be the “primary instigator” in the burglaries. In July, Tabatha Pellett pled to reduced charges for her role in one of the business break-ins and was sentenced to probation. Kurtis Billings was previously sentenced two years in prison and four years of extended supervision.

Dassey Decision May Take Months

1/24/10 - The judge may take several months to decide whether convicted murderer Brendan Dassey gets a new trial. Dassey got a life sentence for the role he played in the murder of Teresa Halbach in 2005. His attorneys argued that Dassey was coerced into giving his confession. They also told the court his lawyers at the trial worked harder to get a plea agreement than they did at mounting an effective defense. Prosecutors said there was no coercion, saying Dassey even gave investigators some information that led them to evidence they hadn't known about.

Heroin ODs Up In Dane County Youth

1/24/10 - Dane County officials worry about a rash of drug overdose deaths -- and the victims seem to be getting younger. A 16 year old high school student is the latest, the fifth so far this year. The first four fatalities were caused by heroin. Investigators say there was no evidence of trauma and they are waiting for toxicology tests to confirm the death was an overdose. The unidentified victim was a student at a Madison high school. Authorities are reporting a noticeable increase in the use of heroin in Dane County. Most users are between the ages of 15 and 21.

Five Injured in Bus Wreck

1/24/10 - A teenager riding a Milwaukee County Transit System bus says a van cut them off, forcing that bus driver to swerve. At least five passengers were taken to an area hospital after the Saturday morning wreck. The bus crashed through a gate made of iron and brick. The 16 year old passenger called her family on a cell phone immediately after the crash. She told her father about the van cutting the bus off, saying it then crashed through the fence. More than a dozen people were on the bus. Witnesses say several were taken off the bus on stretchers.

Wisconsin Man Charged With Vehicular Homicide in Iowa

1/24/10 - Iowa authorities charge a Prairie du Chien man with vehicular homicide. Chad Robert Feller was driving his pickup just north of Monona last September when he lost control going around a curve. When the truck rolled, passenger David Kirschbaum was ejected and killed. A second passenger suffered injuries, too. Crash investigators say Feller was driving recklessly at the time of the fatal crash. Kirschbaum was also from Prairie du Chien and was 27 years old.

JCSO Animal Auction Today

1/24/10 - The Jefferson County Sheriffs Department is conducting a sale of confiscated animals. The auction includes nine horses and two colts that were confiscated by court order in December and are being boarded at a local stable. Members of the Jefferson County Sheriffs Office Animal Control Unit are monitoring their care. Sheriff Paul Milbrath says the sale will give the animals a chance at a better life. Proceeds from the sale will be used to cover the expenses incurred by the sheriff’s office in the course of investigating, confiscating, caring for and selling the animals. All the animals have passed health screenings and must be removed by the purchaser at the end of the auction, which will be held at the Jefferson County Fair Park beginning at 1:30pm.

WDNR: ‘Good Weekend For Fishing’

1/24/10 - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says this might be a good weekend for fishing -- not that fishermen ever have to be urged to pursue their favorite sports. The DNR says warmer temperatures have hurt snowmobile trails, but the ice on most lakes is still 12-to-16 inches thick. Reports have anglers on the Fox River taking a lot of walleye and perch. Others have gone for northern pike with more limited success rates. Those fishing Lake Michigan have been taking brown and rainbow trout through the ice. Don't forget to be cautious, since ice thickness across a lake can vary widely.

Doyle Wants To Keep Politics Out of Carp Debate

1/24/10 - Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle says he hopes to keep politics out of next month's summit meeting in Washington on the threat from the Asian Carp. The meeting was set up after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request to force the closing of locks near Chicago. The Obama White House had been on the other side of that legal argument. Despite that, Doyle says he thinks the president has an open mind on the matter. Illinois officials say the Asian Carp isn't as big a threat as has been suggested. Several states have joined Wisconsin in warning the fish offers a major threat to the Great Lakes fishing industry and to the environment.

Federal Lawsuit Filed Against Foremost Farms

1/24/10 - Department of Justice officials say the purchase of Wisconsin-based Foremost Farms USA eliminates competition over milk sales in three states. A federal antitrust lawsuit has been filed in Milwaukee. Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen has joined attorneys general from Michigan and Illinois in the suit. Van Hollen says it is important consumers have choice when it comes to milk products -- and equally important dairy farmers have choices when they sell their milk to processors. Foremost is a dairy cooperative owned by farmers in seven states. Its consumer products division was bought by Dallas-based Dean Foods last year.

New MPS Supt Has Financial Baggage

1/24/10 - The new superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools brings a little financial baggage along. Philadelphia native Gregory Thornton was unanimously approved by the school board last Friday. His official contract will be presented for final board approval next month. Thornton has a strong reputation for academic work and his ability to interact with students and parents. He has also gone through personal bankruptcy and has had his ethics challenged. The board says Thornton's bankruptcy was no factor in the decision. He arrives as Milwaukee schools continue to struggle with huge financial challenges.