Top Stories, March 28th

Horicon Secures Brownfield Grant

3/28/10 - Horicon will be receiving a $100,000 Brownfield Grants to redevelop the former Gardner Manufacturing building on Kansas Street. Clerk-Treasurer Dave Pasewald says the city received a $30,000 Brownfield Grant last year and was able to determine that there was ground water and soil contamination. The grant will allow for additional testing on the property to determine the extent of contamination and to demolish the old brick building that is currently on the site. A 20% local match is required. The site was purchased by the city in February of last year after it went into a state of disrepair and the owner was unable to be located. Pasewald says the city has already entered into a contract to begin the process but he says it could take years to complete.

Contractor Critical of Baraboo Ammo Clean-Up

3/28/10 - Researcher Peter deFur says the Army didn't like his conclusions -- so, it fired him. The scientist was contracted to analyze the U.S. Army's cleanup plans at the Badger Army Ammunition Center near Baraboo. He submitted his review, but the Army said it wasn't "objective." DeFur is a private consultant based at Virginia Commonwealth University who has worked on several projects for the Army and the EPA. The Army says deFur was hired to review its remedy to clean up contaminants at the seven thousand acre facility which has been closed for more than 32 years. It says, instead, deFur criticized the process. DeFur says the government didn't like his results, so it is "trying to shoot the messenger."

Columbus Man Appears On Growing Charge

A Columbus man faces nine years in prison for having an alleged marijuana growing operation in his Columbus home. After a six-week investigation authorities executed a search warrant last week that resulted in the arrest of 45-year-old David D. Salek. Police say they discovered the growing operation in a bedroom of the residence. Among the items allegedly seized were 17 marijuana plants in various stages of growth, a book on growing marijuana, a baggie of processed marijuana and a number of other drug related items. Salek had a signature bond set at $5000 Friday.

Driver Injured in Rollover

3/28/10 - One injury was reported after a one-vehicle rollover last night in the Town of Calamus. The Dodge County Sheriffs Department responded to Highway 151 and County Trunk S at 9pm. The 19-year-old woman driving the vehicle was transported to the hospital by Lifestar EMS.

DOT Testing ‘Smart Work Zones’

3/28/10 - Wouldn't it be nice to know how long it will take you to get through that work zone ahead? At several major work zones in Wisconsin, you will. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is using new technology to give travelers more information. DOT Regional Director Joe Olson describes one such effort, called a "Smart Zone," near Tomah. "Well, the Smart Zone consists of a series of cameras and microwave detectors located both north and south of Tomah on I-94 and then again just west of Tomah on I-90,” Olson says. “This gives the State Traffic Operations Center real-time traffic volume and speed information and they can then, in turn, communicate that to motorists through our message boards and the state's 511 Traveler Information System." The system will be especially important since there could be three- to four-mile backups in the Tomah area on Friday and Sunday afternoons every weekend through May due to lane restrictions. Additionally, there will be lane restrictions in that area for the next two years as the highway is reconstructed.

Madison Seeking Google High Speed

3/28/10 - Madison's standing on a list of cities who want Google to install high-speed fiber access to the Internet not only depends on infrastructure -- it also can be affected by blog entries, tweets and the numbers of fans for its Facebook page. Google announced last month it would pick one or more communities where it will open the door to one gigabit per second service. The application deadline was last Friday and it was filled out online. The process is a "blind" one, since the company hasn't specified what criteria it will use to make its choice. A Michigan firm has been ranking cities' chances to get the service based on things like Facebook activity. Just recently, Madison dropped from fifth to eighth on that list - despite the 45 hundred friends signed up for the Madison Facebook page.

Photo Voting Fight Continues

3/28/10 - The push for requiring photo ID to vote isn’t dead. State Representative Jeff Stone says there are a lot of problems with accuracy in the current system, and such a requirement would help to address those issues. His bill is similar to one previously approved by lawmakers, which Governor Doyle vetoed. Stone argues a strong majority of the public wants a photo ID requirement in place. The proposal is unlikely to see any action before the Legislature wraps up its current session next month. However, Stone says it’s important to start a discussion as lawmakers consider other bills that would make it easier for voters to register.

GAB: ‘Donor Fines Total $23K’

3/28/10 - The Government Accountability Board reports it has collected more than $23,000 in fines from people who violated campaign contribution limits in 2008. State law allows individuals to give a maximum of 10 thousand dollars to a candidate during an election cycle. Seven people were caught violating that law. Fines ranged from 300 dollars to more than 64 hundred dollars. Herzing University executive Stacey Herzing gave more than 18 thousand dollars in contributions to a candidate -- the most among the violators. He paid a 32 hundred dollar fine. Seven other people investigated by state regulators showed documentation that their contributions should have been at least partially attributed to a family member, so they avoided the fines.

Bill Would Make Straw Gun Purchase Felony

3/28/10 - If you buy a gun for a felon, you can get in a lot of trouble. A bill is being proposed at the Capitol which would make those penalties even tougher. The legislation would hit persons who knowingly accept guns through those kinds of purchases, too. Felons can’t legally possess firearms. Milwaukee Chief of Police Edward Flynn says his officers are going up against drug dealers and gang bangers who are often just as well armed as they are, yet buying and accepting the guns in most cases results in a misdemeanor charge. Flynn says guns used to shoot six Milwaukee officers were purchased at a single shop: Badger Guns. And who are the straw buyers? Retired ATF agent Brad Hayes, who spent fifteen years in Milwaukee, says they’re often the clients of drug dealers. Senate bill 611 increases that misdemeanor to a felony charge.

Abuse Investigation At Milwaukee Mental Health

3/28/10 - The watchdog agency Disability Rights Wisconsin starts an investigation into patient sexual abuse allegations at the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex. The agency says it wants complex records, as it prepares to interview staff members, patients and the guardians of those patients. A federal inspection last January found some serious problems. Before that, in August of last year, a 22 year old woman at the complex was found to be pregnant. A male patient living there was identified by federal inspectors as having a history of sexual aggression. The inspector found members of the complex staff who were unaware of the official hospital policy of no sexual contact between patients.

Racine Investigates Murder-Suicide

3/28/10 - Racine investigators say they may be dealing with a case of murder-suicide. The bodies of a man and a woman were found in a Racine apartment last Thursday. Police say a neighbor called to tell them Fredrick Bolden and Starkeesha Wilkins were lying on the floor inside the apartment next to a gun. Police say both were shot to death. The neighbor had gone to that apartment to check on the welfare of Bolden and Wilkins. Autopsies were done on both bodies Friday. Investigators say they believe Bolden shot Wilkins, then turned the gun on himself.

UW Eau Claire Suspends Mexico Trip

3/28/10 - If you’re headed to Mexico for spring break, a Wisconsin expert says you need to travel in groups, know the local laws and stay in touch with your family. The State Department has warned of increasing violence in that country, as wars between drug sellers break out. Joel Dhein is president of the Wisconsin Crime Prevention Practitioners Association. He suggests researching how Mexican gunmen sometimes impersonate police officers is a good idea – so you can be prepared if it happens. Dhein says 15 minutes of research can make a major difference. The University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire has suspended two student trips to Mexico this week, due to safety concerns.

BD Brush Pick-Up Starts This Week

3/28/10 - The Beaver Dam Department of Public Works will begin picking up brush and shrubbery cuttings this Thursday. Facilities Director Dave Stoiser says city residents that receive solid waste collection services can place neatly-piled, loose tree limbs and shrubbery cuttings at the street edge by 7am on their first waste collection day of the month. Yard waste can also be dropped off at the DPW garage on South Center Street, which starting this week will be open on Saturdays. Brush pick-up continues once a month through the first collection day in November.