Top Stories January 28th

Unemployment Rates Increase


1/28/10 - Unemployment increased in 69 of the states 72 counties from November to December. That’s according to the Department of Workforce Development. Dodge County is up six-tenths of a percent to 9.4%, more than three full percentage points higher than at this same time a year ago. Jefferson County is up eight-tenths to 8.4%. Fond du Lac County jumped seven-tenths to 8.6%. Columbia County is up four-tenths to 8.4%. Washington County saw a half-percent increase to 8.6%. Dane County continued to have the lowest rate at 5.4% while Menominee County suffered with the highest rate of unemployment at 12.2%. The statewide rate is up four-tenths to 8.3%.


Death at Jefferson County Jail Being Investigated


1/28/10 - Jefferson County authorities are investigating the death of a Watertown man at their jail early yesterday morning. Sheriff Paul Milbrath says while conducting a cell walk-thru around 2 o’clock deputies discovered 49-year-old Mark L. Seeber unconscious and not breathing. City of Jefferson EMS attempted to resuscitate Seeber but wee unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene by the county coroner. Milbrath says an autopsy will be performed and the incident is still under investigation by the Jefferson County Detective Bureau.


Chamber Holds Annual Recognition Dinner


1/28/10 - The Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce honored its Citizens of the Year, Business of the Year and Non Profit Organization of the Year at the Chambers annual meeting at Bayside Supper Club last night. Earning the title of Citizen’s of the Year were Jerry and Marcia Recheck of Rechecks Food Pride. The couple was cited for their contributions to the community in time and money. Former Mayor Jack Hankes estimated Rechecks has donated over $1-million to various local organizations and causes, including over $278,000 to St. Katharine Drexel School with funds from an annual golf outing sponsored by Rechecks.


Kraft Foods was named Business of the Year. A member of the business community for over 82-years, Kraft partnered with the city and was instrumental in getting almost $20-million in stimulus funding for the upgrade of Beaver Dam’s Wastewater Treatment Plant. Biogas from Kraft’s manufacturing process will be turned into electricity. Kraft also supports a large number of local groups, organizations and events with funding and volunteers.


Wayland Academy, the first private coed college prep school in the country, won the Chambers Non-Profit of the Year Award. Wayland was honored for its active participation in the community in a variety of ways, including hundreds of hours of community service each year by Wayland student volunteers. Wayland was also cited for its contribution to the Beaver Dam economy by way of students, parents, visitors and staff. Wayland hosts students from the area, around the country, and a number of other countries.


Interquest’s Bill Schwartz, a former Chamber President, was named Chamber Member of the Year for his volunteer service. Outgoing Chamber President Laura Slosser of Good Karma Broadcasting turned the Presidents gavel over to the 2010 president, Michelle Lesher of Westbury Bank.


Mixed Reviews for Obama’s Speech


1/28/10 - Wisconsin legislators gave President Obama’s State-of-the-Union address a mixed review. House Republican Paul Ryan of Janesville said the speech, which consisted of vows to fix the economy, improve health care, and build the public’s trust in government, was full of rhetoric which Obama could not back up. Milwaukee House Democrat Gwen Moore praised the president for being bold, but she feared his proposed slowdown in spending would hurt education. Senate Democrat Herb Kohl said it would take both parties to cut the deficit – but there’s been no bi-partisanship in Congress since Obama took office.


High Speed Rail Line Coming to Wisconsin


1/28/10 - Wisconsin will get 810-million dollars to build a high-speed rail line from Milwaukee-to-Madison that will include stop in Watertown and Oconomowoc. The money will also be used speed up the current trains from Milwaukee-to-Chicago. The White House announced the federal stimulus grant yesterday. President Obama is expected this morning to outline 13 rail projects throughout the country using eight-billion-dollars in stimulus funds. Wisconsin got a leg up on the competitive grants, by getting a contract with Talgo Incorporated of Spain to build two high-speed rail cars at a plant somewhere in Wisconsin. State officials say the Milwaukee-to-Madison line could be up-and-running by 2013. And the tracks from Milwaukee-to-Chicago will be improved so Amtrak could run its line there at 110-miles-an-hour, up from the current 79. Governor Doyle says it will create 13-thousand jobs, reduce total car trips by almost eight-million over a decade, and save millions of gallons of gasoline. Rick Harnish of the Midwest High Speed Rail Association called the grant an “exciting first step” toward connections throughout the region.


Horicon Begins Process for Levying Special Assessments


1/28/10 - The Horicon City Council passed a preliminary resolution earlier this week that may eventually force some residents on East Maple Street to pay an assessment for street improvements. The project will include properties on Maple Street from Vine St to Clarke St. The board of Public Works will now compile a report that will contain which properties will be assessed as well as how much. Once that is completed a public hearing will held for residents to express their concerns. Work on Maple Street is scheduled for this spring but the public hearing will have to wait until a final report is done on the cost of the project.


$200M to be Cut from WI Budget


1/28/10 - Governor Jim Doyle says he’ll cut another 200-million-dollars in state spending this year – and in the process, he hopes not to lay off any more state workers. During his State-of-the-State address Tuesday, the Democratic governor alluded to more budget cuts. He did not say how they would happen. But yesterday, Doyle said the new cuts have already been authorized in vetoes he made to the current state budget last spring. And he believes they can be made without hurting education, health care, and the state’s other top priorities. Doyle says the new cuts should be enough to avoid the need for a repair bill to keep the budget in balance. But that could hinge on new projections for state tax collections.


Website Gets High Marks for Stimulus Transparency


1/28/10 - A state website showing how Wisconsin is spending federal stimulus money is better than most, according to an economic group which analyzed how much information the sites provided. Each state has a website showing federal stimulus spending designed to help the country out of its economic slump. It wasn't required under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, but this kind of transparency was strongly encouraged by President Obama. A nonprofit economic group called Good Jobs First assessed the different websites, which range from bare bones to complex. Wisconsin’s "recovery" website was in the top ten for its design and information provided. It goes so far as to compare the unemployment rate with stimulus dollars in each of the state's 72 counties. (The comparison of recovery websites can be found online at http://goodjobsfirst.org.)