Top Stories February 20th

Train v Minivan Ruled a Suicide


2/20/10 - Authorities have ruled the death of West Bend man, who was killed when his minivan was struck by a freight train in Allenton Wednesday night, as a suicide. Officers said 47-year-old Gary Lewein drove past two vehicles and a warning gate before stopping on the tracks. The minivan was then immediately hit by the Canadian National train, which pushed it more than a quarter mile south of the Highway 33 intersection. Lewein was the only person in his vehicle, and he died at the scene. Washington County authorities say they believe Lewein intentionally drove into the crossing.


Woman Cited for OWI after Rolling Car into a Ditch


2/20/10 - A 23-year-old woman was apparently drunk when she put her car into a Town of Leroy ditch early this (Friday) morning. Dodge County Patrol Captain Molly Soblewski says the woman showed up the Beaver Dam hospital around 4am with injuries consistent with being involved in a traffic crash. She told the hospital she had put her car into the ditch near the intersection of County Y and Z. Deputies went to the scene and found the vehicle, which had apparently rolled over several times and the air bags had deployed as well. The woman was treated for her injuries before being arrested for driving under the influence.


Three People Indicted in Connection with Bank Robbery


2/20/10 - Three people have been indicted in connection with a bank robbery in Madison earlier this month. 33-year-old Jennifer DeBoef of Poynette and 28-year-old Gregory Allen of Memphis, TN each face up to 25 years in federal prison if convicted on the felony charge. The two also face charges of possessing stolen money, along with Allen’s brother 39-year-old Raymond Allen, who is also from Poynette. That charge carries a 10 year prison sentence. Witnesses say the robber had a handgun and stole money from two cash drawers. Authorities say the money stolen from the Anchor Bank contained dye-packs which exploded and tainted the money red. The FBI and Columbia County SWAT team joined local police in arresting the trio in Poynette in the days after the robbery. Gregory Allen and DeBoef made an initial court appearance in federal court earlier this month and were detained pending an arraignment hearing which is scheduled for this afternoon.


White House to Release Plan to Fight Invasive Species in Great Lakes


2/20/10 - The Obama administration is expected to release details of a plan to fight invasive species in the Great Lakes at a news conference tomorrow morning. EPA Director Lisa Jackson is expected to release details of the effort to restore the lakes by reducing toxic contamination and reversing the loss of wildlife habitat. President Obama has pledged to spend five billion dollars over the next decade and Congress has already appropriated 475 million toward the goal. A portion of that money will go toward efforts to keep the predatory Asian carp from reaching Lake Michigan waters.


Power Plant Not in Compliance


2/20/10 - Five state-run power plants are out of compliance with federal clean air regulations. The Department of Natural Resources says those plants need tighter pollution controls. The Doyle administration is promising to fix the problems uncovered by the DNR. The plants provide power to University of Wisconsin campuses in Eau Claire, La Crosse, River Falls and Oshkosh. The DNR says more study is needed to find out whether five additional plants will have to be fixed. A consultant has said the second group of five power plants don't violated the Clearn Air Act, but the DNR disputes that finding.


Book Won’t Be Removed from FDL Library


2/20/10 - Thirteen-year-old Fond du Lac middle school student Shelby Berg says the Sonya Sones book One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies moved her. She says that’s one of the reasons she asked it be included at the Theisen (TIE-sun) Middle School Library. Berg testified last night during a public hearing for a Fond du Lac Schools committee considering whether the book should be removed from the library. Ann Wentworth who wanted the book removed from the school library also testified. She’s the parent of an 11-year-old girl who brought the book home from the school. She says the sexual content in the book wasn’t age appropriate. The committee is sending District Superintendent Jim Sebert a unanimous recommendation to keep the book in the school’s library.


Bill Aimed at Helping Kids with Dyslexia


2/20/10 - A parents’ group is urging Wisconsin lawmakers to pass two bills to help school kids with dyslexia. Assembly Republican Keith Ripp of Lodi introduced both measures. One would screen all kindergarten-through-second graders for dyslexia – along with third-through-fifth graders who do poorly on reading tests. The other bill would require elementary reading teachers, reading specialists, and special-ed teachers to be trained in methods to help dyslexic children learn to read. The Learning Differences Network of Madison is pushing for votes on both measures before the current legislative session ends in a month-and-a-half. Both measures are now in the Assembly Education Committee, and lawmakers of both parties have signed on as co-sponsors. One of the learning network’s founders, Doctor Julie Gocey, says she calls every week from Wisconsin parents looking for help in getting their kids to read. Representative Ripp said he had reading problems growing up, and his son is dyslexic – and he said both measures would be a huge help in providing answers to affected families.


Legislator Wants Virtual Schools Enrollment Cap Lifted


2/20/10 - Enrollment in Wisconsin's virtual schools is growing rapidly -- leading a state lawmaker to call for a removal of the enrollment cap. Under a 2007 state law enrollment in distance learning programs is limited to 52-hundred-50 students statewide. State Representative Brett Davis predicts that limit will be hit within the next two years. More than 36 hundred students are currently enrolled, taking classes at home using a computer. Enrollment is up 21 percent this year. The Oregon Republican is sponsoring legislation lifting the cap completely. He says the only ones opposing the idea are members of the state teachers' union.


Improved Education Benefits for Veterans Sought


2/20/10 - A state representative from Dodgeville is calling on other Wisconsin lawmakers to support his plan which improves education benefits for veterans. Democrat Steve Hilgenberg says he's upset veterans have to exhaust a new federal education benefit before they can use the Wisconsin G.I. bill to pay their tuition. Hilgenberg is the chairman of the Assembly committee on veterans and military affairs. He wants to give veterans up to 64 credits of free tuition through the Wisconsin G.I. bill after they use their federal benefits. He says this would keep more veterans in the state and give them the ability to attend graduate school.


Brown Deer Soccer Coach Faces Sexual Assault Charges


2/20/10 - An assistant soccer coach at Brown Deer High School is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with a 16 year old student. Emily Patterson was charged with felony sexual assault of a student yesterday. Patterson is 26 years old. The student says they became close after they talked about the teenager's personal and family problems. Patterson is accused of staying overnight at the girl's house two times last month. That is when they allegedly touched each other inappropriately. Patterson has an initial court appearance scheduled for next Wednesday.


Ellis Wants New Lawyer


2/20/10 - Accused serial killer Walter Ellis tells the judge he wants a new lawyer. Ellis is charged with killing seven women over a 21-year period. He has pleaded not guilty to first degree intentional homicide charges in the deaths. He says he hasn't had enough contact with his current lawyer. He also told the judge he hadn't seen a witness list and he didn't think his lawyer had filed enough pretrial motions. Judge Rebecca Dallet told Ellis is was normal not to have much contact with a legal representative at this stage of a trial. She has scheduled a hearing for March 3rd when she will rule on his request. The prosecution objected, pointing out that it only turned over its witness list to Ellis' attorney yesterday morning.


Merger Talk Continues in Pewaukee


2/20/10 - Merger talks have been going on for the past 40 years or so -- and they may keep on. Efforts to merge the City of Pewaukee and the Village of Pewaukee could be unraveling. The two communities have spent about a quarter-million dollars studying a possible merger. Now, City of Pewaukee alderman H. Roger Hathaway is calling for the merger advisory committee to quit working and quit spending taxpayer money on studies. Hathaway says it is time to "stop the bleeding." He's going to ask the City of Pewaukee Common Council to vote to cease the merger committee's activities at the next meeting March 1st.