Top Stories, February 27th

Slinger Man Airlifted From Hustisford Accident Scene

2/27/10 - A Slinger man was seriously injured in a one-vehicle accident in the Town of Hustisford late Friday afternoon. The Dodge County Sheriffs Department says Richard Justmann lost control of the straight truck he was driving on County DJ, just north of State Highway 60, around 5:20pm. The truck went into a counter-clockwise spin, through the oncoming traffic lane and into the ditch. The truck then went airborne, struck a power pole and came to rest with the power lines lying across the top of the truck. Justmann was ejected from the vehicle and was flown from the scene by Flight For Life to Froedtert Hospital. The roadway was closed and local residents were without power for about six hours. The accident remains under investigation by the Dodge County Crash Investigation Team.

Pharmacy Burglar Sentenced

2/27/10 - One of the men who broke into a Horicon pharmacy in September has was sentenced yesterday in Dodge County court to nine months in jail. 22-year-old Andrew W. Stockwell of Watertown pleaded “no contest” in December to felony charges of Burglary and Possession With intent To Deliver Narcotics. Two felony drug possession counts and a misdemeanor were dismissed but read into the record. Officers responded to an alarm at the Marshland Pharmacy just after 3am on September 23. Stockwell was in possession of a large duffel bag filled with stolen prescription narcotics and was taken into custody without incident. His alleged accomplice, Nathan G. Davis of Beaver Dam was reportedly seen running from the scene with a hammer and was taken into custody after a brief foot chase. The 34-year-old Davis is being held on a $50,000 cash bond and has a jury trial scheduled for next month. In addition to nine months in jail with work privileges, Stockwell was placed on probation for seven-and-a-half years, ordered to perform 80 hours of community service and must pay $2700 in restitution.

Two Charged In Robbery of Pregnant Woman

2/27/10 - Formal charges have been filed against two men accused of beating up a woman in the Watertown High School parking lot and stealing her purse. Cash bond has been set at $50,000 for 20-year-old Andrew Hoffman of Madison and at $10,000 for 22-year-old Brad Kiefer of Delafield. Hoffman and Kiefer are charged with felony Theft and Robbery with the Use of Force and a misdemeanor count of Batter related to the February 8 incident. The victim was attempting to get into her car around 9:30pm when Hoffman and Kiefer allegedly walked up behind her and knocked her to the ground and started kicking her. A 23-year-old Lake Mills man was identified in the criminal complaint as a participant but has not been formally charged. The victim was around four months pregnant at the time and she sustained cuts and scrapes in the strong armed robbery. Approximately $1000 in student loan money was stolen from her purse. She was able to get a partial license plate and it turns out she may have known her alleged attackers. According to the criminal complaint, the battery in her vehicle was manually disconnected. After the attack, she arrived at home to find her apartment had been broken into. Police were able to lift fingerprints from both the hood of her vehicle and the point of entry to her residence and connect it to her assailants, who were friends of friends. The suspects claim the victim had stolen $400 that they had collected to purchase illegal drugs and they were just trying to get their money back. Kiefer was in court yesterday. He had a motion to change his bail from a cash bond to a signature bond denied; a preliminary hearing scheduled for next Thursday.

Seven Years For Pocketed Pipe Bomb

2/27/10 - A Waterloo man has been sentenced to seven years in a federal prison for carrying around a pipe bomb. 21-year-old Christopher Hamlin pleaded guilty in December to a possession charge. He was sentenced Thursday by Federal Judge Barbara Crabb in Madison. Justice officials said police stopped Hamlin as he walked down a street in Watertown last August, because he had a strong scent on intoxicants. An officer found the five-inch pipe bomb during that stop – and the Milwaukee County bomb later detonated it.

Shed Destroyed In Alto

2/27/10 - Fire destroyed a shed in the Town of Alto yesterday afternoon. A skid loader parked in the shed caught fire around 2pm, destroying the loader, four tractors, hay and bedding. Traffic was diverted on Highway AW for several hours as crews from Alto, Fox Lake, Brandon and Waupun battled the blaze. Despite strong winds, firefighters were able to contain the flames to the shed.

Deer Population meeting In Horicon March 15

2/27/10 - The state D-N-R will hold almost 40 deer management meetings throughout Wisconsin next month. This fall’s hunting seasons will be discussed, along with efforts to increase the number of hunters, and deer research that’s part of a new two-million-dollar effort to examine the deer herd. The program is called “Investing in Wisconsin’s White-tails,” and it was announced this week. The meetings run March 8th through the 18th statewide and will include video presentations and round-table discussions. On Monday, March 15 the program will be held at the Horicon Marsh International Education Center beginning at 5:30pm.

Farm Bureau Hosts Working Lands Program

2/27/10 - The Dodge County Farm Bureau is hosting a public meeting Monday to discuss the Working Lands program, which used to be known as the Farmland Preservation Program. Farm Bureau Coordinator Becky Anding says anyone with agricultural interests is encouraged to attend the meeting to learn more about the program and what it entails in the future. Speakers include Nate Olson, Senior Planner for Dodge County Land Resources and Parks and Paul Zimmerman, the Wisconsin Farm Bureau Director of Public Relations. There will be an open discussion period after both speakers. The Working Lands meeting will be held at the Dodge County Administration Building beginning at 1pm.

BDPD Citizens Academy Application Deadline

2/27/10 - Applications for the Beaver Dam Police Department’s Seventh Annual Citizens Police Academy will be accepted through Monday. Officer Bill Linzenmeyer says the 10-week course covers a number of topics including firearms training, defensive tactics, OWI procedures and cadets even participate in a ride-along. Linzenmeyer says that the academy is not designed to certify citizens to perform law enforcement services. The course is free of charge, but applicants must be 18 years old and either reside or own property in Beaver Dam. The programs begin March 10 and continue on consecutive Wednesday’s through May 12. Applications can be picked up at the police department. Around two dozen applications have already been received and the top 12 candidates will be selected. Additional contact information is available on our website wbevradio.com. Contact Bill Linzenmeyer at 382-6529 or 887-4614 or email blinzenmeyer@bdpd.org.

Oconomowoc MS Building Sale Imminent

2/27/10 - The former Oconomowoc Middle School building could be converted into 60 loft-style apartments, if a planned sale moves forward. The Oconomowoc Area School District accepted a million-dollar offer from an in-state developer. There is one catch. That developer says his offer is dependent on the company receiving nine million dollars in tax credits from WHEDA, the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. It will also seek another two million in historical tax credits.

Water Bills Could Surge In Waukesha

2/27/10 - People living in Waukesha can anticipate a rapidly-rising water bill. The Waukesha Water Utility says the cost of buying Lake Michigan water from Milwaukee and pumping to city customers would inflate those bills anywhere from 67 to 142 dollars. The mayor says a radium-free water supply is critical to the city. The Waukesha Common Council will be asked to approve the Great Lakes water option at a meeting in April.

Risser Challenges Governor Veto Pen

2/27/10 - Democratic state Senator Fred Risser says the governor is supposed to approve or reject laws, not create new ones on his own. Risser is backing a constitutional amendment that would limit the veto power for a Wisconsin governor. The amendment would eliminate a governor's ability to delete parts of a sentence in a law with his veto pen. It's called "line-item veto" power. The veteran Madison legislator says the change would bring this state's veto powers more in line with other states.