Top Stories, February 9th

Alderman/ Supervisor Arrested Following Scuffle

2/9/10 - A Beaver Dam Alderman and County Board Supervisor was arrested in Fox Lake over the weekend. 46-year-old Robert Ballweg was taken into custody on misdemeanor charges of Criminal Damage To Property, Disorderly Conduct and Battery. Authorities say the incident occurred Sunday afternoon around 4:30pm at a repair shop / residence on the 200 block of West State Street. Ballweg tells us that he went to the garage to talk with the complainant about lewd comments that were allegedly made in reference to one of Ballweg’s family members. Ballweg says his intention was to pound loudly on the door with his foot, but he says his foot easily went through the quarter inch plywood door. Ballweg confronted the man and says there was a minor scuffle and the two tripped over a dog bowl. Ballweg was not drinking. He was taken into custody, booked into the Dodge County Jail and has since posted bond. Formal charges are pending.

DCI Inmate Accused of “Lock-In-A-Sock” Attack

2/9/10 - An inmate at the Dodge Correctional Institution is charged with a felony count of Battery By Prisoner for allegedly assaulting a fellow inmate over a football game. Lee Sanders is accused of putting a combination lock inside a sock and beating the inmate in the head following last month’s Packers – Cardinals game. Sander’s, a Cardinals fan, reportedly told authorities that he responded with a “lock-in-the-sock” after the inmate spit in his face. The 20-year-old – who had eight days remaining on his sentence for vehicle theft, battery and drug possession –

faces a sentence of up to ten years if convicted.

Child Porn Suspect Makes Initial Appearance

2/9/10 - A $1000 signature bond was set Monday for a Beaver Dam man accused of possessing child pornography. Brandon J. Alexander could spend up to 25 years in prison for allegedly downloading videos featuring pre-pubescent girls from a file sharing website. Special Agents with the state Justice Department say they were able to use specialized software to identify the digital fingerprint of the illegal video and trace it back to all the users who download the video. Alexander originally told investigators that he accidentally downloaded the videos because he could not tell based on the title alone that the files contained child porn. According to criminal complaint, he later conceded that he knew that terms like “12 y-o” means “12-year-old.” The sentence carries a prison sentence of up to 25 years and a surcharge of up to $500 for each photograph recovered. Alexander will be back for a preliminary hearing on March 25.

Oshkosh Man Charged In Hit and Run Injuries

2/9/10 - An Oshkosh man is accused of striking a vehicle on Highway 151 near Beaver Dam and leaving the scene. The incident occurred on the afternoon of Christmas Eve when Justin Van Dera allegedly struck the vehicle from behind. Two of the passengers complained of neck injures but were not transported. The 29-year-old Van Dera has six active traffic cases in the state and in the last two years has been found guilty of 21 traffic offenses in five counties and had another half dozen charges dismissed. Cash bond was set at $500 yesterday and a preliminary hearing is scheduled later this month.

Operations Committee Advances Lakeview Hospital Street Extension

2/9/10 - The Beaver Dam Operations Committee last night approved a 130 foot extension of Third Street to accommodate for future development of the old Lakeview Hospital. We reported in September that a developer is interested in turning the shuttered hospital into a hospice and assisted living facility. Gene Kirschbaum is in the process of purchasing the building from Dick Powell. He has an option to purchase the property, which is dependent on city council actions related to the street extension and other zoning matters. The council will consider the extension at their meeting on Monday.