Top Stories, March 15th

$50 Million Clearview / Highway Dept Vote Tuesday

3/15/10 - The Dodge County Board will be voting Tuesday on plans to build a new Clearview Long Term Care and Rehabilitation facility. Chairman Russ Kottke says Supervisors will consider borrowing $30 million of the $44.5 million needed for the project. The 236-bded facility would be built on the site of the current Clearview South site. Clearview serves some of the county’s aging population but they also serve people with behavioral and mental health issues and they have one of only three brain injury rehabilitation centers in the state. Kottke says the services they offer are much lower than other state facilities. While some units make money, others currently do not and he says the county budget currently supplements Clearview to the tune of $2 million a year. County officials have established a multi-county consortium that will allow Dodge County to collect the revenue shortfall – money not covered by Medicare -- from counties with residents at Clearview. The consortium already has nine counties and two more are close to signing on. In addition to consortium revenue, Kottke says money for the new construction would also come from the half-percent sales tax increase that is already in place. It was approved decades ago for building projects, but those restrictions have since been lifted. The County Board will also consider borrowing just over $5 million dollars for a new $8 million addition to the Highway Department facility in Juneau when they meet Tuesday afternoon.

Columbus Secures LED Grant

3/15/10 - Columbus is one of the 80 Wisconsin communities who will be receiving federal stimulus money from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. Director of Economic Development and Energy Sustainability Steve Sobiek said the grant will be used to light up the City with new L-E-D street lights. Sobiek said that the pilot program award was due to the efforts of Columbus Water and Light leaders John Andler and Bill Daley. The same make of L-E-D street light was installed in the Senior Center and Ludington Street parking lots in 2009. The conversion to the new energy efficient lighting is expected to save the City thousands of dollars in annual energy and maintenance costs. The $159 thousand dollar Columbus grant will be awarded through the state and Governor Doyle will be announcing the other community energy grant awards today.

Motorist Safety Urged On St Pats Day

3/15/10 - St. Patrick's Day gives everyone an excuse to claim to be Irish, but it doesn't give you an excuse to drink too much green beer. Law enforcement agencies across the state will be keeping a sharp eye out for drunk drivers come St. Patrick's Day on Wednesday. The Bureau of Transportation Safety's Alcohol Program Coordinator Janet Nodorft says drunk driving remains a serious problem.

"It's a sad fact that someone is injured or killed in an alcohol-related crash every 90 minutes in Wisconsin. Every year, there are nearly 40,000 drunk driving convictions and three out of four — it was their first conviction. Drunk driving is a serious offense, and law enforcement officers do not give warnings or second chances to drivers who are impaired."

"Before you start partying, make sure you choose a designated driver,” Nodorft says, “and if you feel buzzed, you probably are over the legal limit and should not drive. Other options: take mass transit, a taxicab or ask a sober friend. And keep in mind some restaurants and taverns have a safe ride home program so check that out before driving home."

Several area law enforcement agencies are conducting “Safety Belt Enforcement Sweeps” this week. Among them, the Columbia County Sheriffs Department, where Sheriff Dennis Richards says any preventable traffic death or injury is one too many. Richards says their goal this week is not to see how many more tickets they can write but to increase voluntary seatbelt compliance.

Deer Management Meeting Tonight

3/15/10 - The DNR is hosting a pair of open houses in our area this week to present information on deer management, herd status and hunting. DNR wildlife biologists will focus on the 2009 deer harvest and season summary for chronic wasting disease in the effected areas. Officials says they will also show a video covering updates on deer management, hunter involvement in deer management, new research initiatives, and the DNR’s proposed chronic wasting disease management plan. A meeting for Dodge County will be held tonight (Mon) at the Horicon Marsh International Education Center beginning at 5:30pm. Another meeting covering Jefferson and Rock Counties, along with southern Dodge County, will be held at the Fort Atkinson Library from 6pm to 8:30pm on Thursday (3/18).

Watertown Bypass Public Info Meeting Tonight

3/15/10 - A public information meeting will be held today (Mon) for the State Highway 26 North Watertown bypass project, which will run from state Highway 19 to County Highway Q. The Michels Corporation is the project contractor. They will have representatives at the meeting to discuss the construction schedule and related road closures and answer questions. The meeting will be held from 4pm to 6pm at the Watertown Municipal Building.