Top Stories March 16th

DNR: Reduction of Deer Population in Dodge County Needed


3/16/10 - The DNR and deer hunters clashed over a proposal to reduce the local deer population last night at a deer management open house at the Horicon Marsh International Education Center. DNR officials said that the local deer population is too high, but hunters said that does not match up with what they saw during last season's hunt. Dale Maas, the chairman of the Dodge County delegation to the Conservation Congress, an advisory body to the DNR, said many hunters are frustrated.

Last year hunters in the 68B deer management unit, which encompasses all but a sliver of Dodge County, killed about half as many deer as they did the year before and the lowest number since 2002. But that doesn't mean there are fewer deer in the unit, according to DNR officials, who said many of the deer find refuge on land where hunters are not allowed to hunt. DNR officials said that the over winter population this year was about 38 deer per square mile, or about 7000 deer, well over the current goal of about 30 deer per square mile, or about 5500 deer. Now officials want to reduce their over winter population goal to about 25 deer per square mile, or about 4600 deer.

According to the DNR's Dodge County Wildlife Biologist Brenda Kelly, reaching that goal would mean a more stable and healthy population that would quell the need for restrictive programs like earn-a-buck, which requires hunters to first kill a female deer before tagging a male deer. Virtually every hunter in the room, however, said they believed the reduced goal will just make hunting worse locally.

The state Natural Resources Board, which sets policy for the DNR, is expected to take up changes to the deer management unit goals today at a meeting Madison. The Dodge County unit is one of only two in the state that has been proposed to be reduced, while 43 others across the state have been pegged for an increase.

Alderman Introduces Debt Cap Policy

3/16/10 - Beaver Dam Alderman John Litscher introduced a debt cap ordinance in committee last night. He says over the past decade, debt payments from capital projects have increased annually by 9% on average. That increase was not reflected in the mill rate because the city experienced what Litscher called “a decade of prolific growth” meaning the mill rate held to three percent thanks to a rapidly growing tax base. With the economic downturn and dismal growth projections over the next five years, Litscher says that debt is starting to catch up with us. He says borrowing should be limited to $1.5 million per year, except in extreme circumstances like natural disasters. It was suggested in committee that an ordinance would be too strict. Litscher says he is comfortable with the less restrictive “debt policy” because he wouldn’t want to tie the hands of future councils. The debt cap policy will be drafted by the city attorney and finance director with input from Litscher and brought back before the Administrative Committee for additional review.

BDPD Planning Committee Established

3/16/10 - Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy has appointed a handful of city and law enforcement officials to a police department facility planning committee. Earlier this month, the council approved plans to move forward with the construction of a brand-new $5.1 million dollar police station at the site of the former YMCA property on Park Avenue. The committee will consist of the Facilities Director Dave Stoiser, Operations Committee Chair Laine Meyer, Deputy Police Chief Dan Schubert, Police Detective Corey Johnson and the mayor. Finance Director John Somers and City Attorney Mary Ann Schacht will serve as advisors. Kennedy says the committee will be tasked with interviewing consultants and handling the day-to-day operations with staff, architects and engineers.

Lead Decontamination Gets Council Support

3/16/10 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night signed-off on the hiring of a company to remove lead from the municipal building. Lead dust has been spreading throughout City Hall from the police department’s basement firing range, constructed over five decades ago when standards were less stringent. Test results came back with what city officials called a “staggering” presence of lead, much of it carried by the heating and cooling system. The council entered into an environmental services agreement with Green Bay Lead for decontamination a cost not to exceed $33,500. The Police Department budgeted $3000 for the lead clean-up this year and the remaining $30,000 will come from the city’s general fund. Work is expected to begin next month and should take about a week.

Arrest Made Amid String Of Vehicle Break-Ins

3/16/10 - A number of vehicles had windows smashed last week in Beaver Dam. Deputy Chief Dan Schubert says his department is investigating not only vehicle break-in and vandalism reports but also a pair of attempted residential break-ins that occurred around the same time. Vehicle damage was reported Friday morning on the 500 block of Grove, the 200 block of Starkweather, the 100 block of Burchard, the 100 block of Lake Street and the 1000 block of MacArthur. On Friday afternoon, a vehicle parked at Front and Center Streets also had a windshield smashed.

A teen was arrested early Friday morning after being spotted going through vehicles at Wayland and Burnett. Schubert says the witness described the suspects clothing and the high school liaison officer connected it to a 17-year-old male student who was cited for Theft. Schubert says Dylan Clark was allegedly found in possession of a camera stolen from a vehicle. He was only connected to the one incident and Schubert says it’s too early in the investigation to connect anyone to the other crimes. Not everyone reported items missing, but stuff reported stolen included an iPod, a flashlight and a wallet. Schubert says it appears there could be two different motives because windshields were smashed in some of the incidents where nothing was taken, leading them to believe it was a matter of vandalism. In incidents were belongings were stolen, the side windows were smashed. Schubert says the incidents highlight the importance of securing your valuables in a locked vehicle. If you don’t bring valuables with you, he says make sure they’re hidden.

An attempted residential break-in was also reported Friday morning on the 700 block of MacArthur. Later in the evening, someone tried to break into a home on the 600 block of Marsh Terrace, but the resident saw the suspect and fled the scene. Anyone with information on any of the incidents is asked to contact the Beaver Dam Police Department or the anonymous We-Tip Hotline at 800-78-CRIME.

BD Girl's Hockey Team to be Funded

3/16/10 - The girl's hockey team is now officially a part of the Beaver Dam athletics program. That's after the school board unanimously approved funding the team for the next two years. When the program was started prior to the 2008-2009 school year it was determined they would be self-funded for the first two seasons with the idea that if it appeared viable the district would take over. The program will be funded at the same level as the boy's team, which officials say costs around $14,400 per year. In its first seasons the team compiled a record of 25-20-3 and went to the state tournament last spring. This year's team consisted of 20 girls and is made up of kids from Beaver Dam, Randolph, and Wayland Academy.

Phosphorous Limits Considered Today

3/16/10 - The state D-N-R proposes new limits on phosphorus in Wisconsin lakes – and they could be rather expensive for local governments and businesses. The Natural Resources Board is expected to decide Tuesday whether to hold public hearings on the new rules. They’re designed to prevent algae in the name of protecting fish and insects in the waters. But officials say over 100 community sewage plants would have to install filtration systems at a total cost of one-point-one-billion dollars. And up to 35 food processors and paper companies would have to put filters on their wastewater systems at a cost of 440-million dollars.

GOP Founding Re-Enactment Saturday

3/16/10 - The founding of the Republican Party will be re-enacted on Saturday in Ripon, in the same school-house where it originally took place in 1854. Historians, designers, and writers are among those putting the event together. Those attending are asked to dress like they might have looked a century-and-a-half ago. Ripon’s Republican Party Historical Society is putting on the re-enactment.

Packers To Honor Vietnam Vets

3/16/10 - Many Americans were so down on the Vietnam War in the 1970’s, that many veterans were ignored when they got home. Well, three Wisconsin groups and the Green Bay Packers are about to change that. An event called “L-Z Lambeau” will take place in late May – and a celebration on May 22nd will thank the Wisconsinites who served in Vietnam. Wisconsin Public Television, the state Historical Society, and the Veterans Affairs department are helping sponsor the event. It will feature activities both in the parking lots and the Lambeau atrium. Packers’ corporate sales manager Beth Magnin says the team has been working with the project’s organizers for over a year. She says that when Lambeau is mentioned, it puts smiles on the veterans’ faces. Erik Ernst of Wisconsin Public Television says everyone in the state will be invited to be a part of it.

Mullet Place Outpaces Favre Pass, Lombardi Ave

3/16/10 - You might think that the most stolen street sign in Green Bay is Lombardi Avenue, Holmgren Way, or Brett Favre Pass. But actually, it’s Mullet Place – named for the 1980’s helmet-style haircut best known to be worn by Billy Ray Cyrus. Public works manager Chris Pirlot tells the Green Bay Press-Gazette that the Mullet Place sign has been ripped off so often, the city moved it higher on a street pole in an effort to put it out of reach. Pirlot jokes that the thief is stuck in the ‘80’s – or the person may be in the witness-protection program, and doesn’t want anyone to know where he or she lives.