Top Stories March 3rd

BD Police Chief Retiring

3/3/10 - Beaver Dam Police Chief Dale Boldt is retiring. A more than 30-year veteran of the force Boldt delivered his news to a shocked Police and Fire Commission last night. He says it's a decision he's put a lot of thought into and while it's hard to step away at this time he felt it was also the right time. PFC Chairperson Nancy Conley called Boldt one of the most honest people she's ever met in her life and says he'll be missed greatly. It's expected Boldt's resignation will be accepted at next month's PFC meeting and his last day on the job will be May 16th. Conley says the April meeting will also be when they will first discuss how to replace him.
BDHS Looking for New Principal

3/3/10 - The Beaver Dam High School is looking for a new Principal. As part of a number of administrative changes in the district Don Patnode, by his own request, will move from the high school to take over as principal of the Alternative School. In other changes approved by the school board, current Alternative School Principal Jesse Peters will replace the retiring Jeff Rehberg as principal of Prairie View Elementary. Meanwhile, current Trenton Elementary Principal Sharon Bliefernicht will take over as Director of Human Resources when the current director, Steve Vessey, assumes his role as Superintendent. The search to replace Patnode and Bliefernicht will begin soon. All of the changes are effective July 1st.

Crash Closes Down Highway 16/60

3/3/10 - A stretch of Highway 16/60 was closed Tuesday afternoon after a two-vehicle accident near Columbus. Both vehicles were towing trailers when the accident occurred. Authorities say the driver one of the vehicles, 56-year-old Dennis Woodward was taken to the Columbus hospital before being transferred to UW-Hospital in Madison. His trailer and vehicle were totaled. The second vehicle involved had two passengers and neither was injured. The crash remains under investigation. The stretch of 16/60 where the accident occurred was closed for about an hour.

BD Man Facing Abuse Charges

3/3/10 - A 27-year-old Beaver Dam man is facing close to 25-years in prison following his actions on Saturday in Columbus. Jared R. Chase is accused of choking a 17-year-old girl before biting and head-butting another man. He’s been charged with child abuse, strangulation and suffocation and substantial battery. According the criminal complaint, Chase allegedly pushed and then punched the 17-year-old girl at an apartment on Farnham Street early Saturday morning. The girl told authorities that she passed out and when she woke up Chase was on top of her and choking her. When another man tried to pull him off Chase hit and bit him before causing lacerations by head-butting him. Before authorities arrived Chase took off on foot but was eventually taken into custody. He’s currently being held in the Columbia County Jail on a 2,000 signature bond. Chase has court activity scheduled for later this month.

Zeininger Calling it a Career in Waupun

3/3/10 - After close to 30-years on the job, Waupun School District Business Manager Bill Zeininger is retiring. Zeininger recently informed the district he would be leaving at the end of the school year. Superintendent Randy Refsland says Zeininger’s experience will be sorely missed and finding someone with any kind of experience could hamper the search for his replacement. Refsland says not too many experienced business managers are leaving their current posts and there are fewer college students going into business management. The job is expected to be posted today and the district hopes to have someone hired by the end of April.

Oxycodone Pills Go Missing from Home

3/3/10 - Authorities in Beaver Dam are looking into the theft of prescription medication from a residence on DeClark Street. The alleged victim says 20 to 25 pills of the powerful pain killer Oxycodone were taken from the home between the 22nd of February and yesterday (Monday). Police currently have no suspects.

BD Police Looking into Laundry Mat Break-in

3/3/10 - Beaver Dam police are investigating a breaking and entering at the Laundry Mat at 211 Stoddart Street. Police say they were notified early yesterday morning that the coin machines had been broken into and an undetermined amount of money was taken. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Beaver Dam Police Department or the anonymous We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME.

Wall of Fame Recipients Announced

3/3/10 - Beaver Dam’s first full-time Mayor, Clarence Keller, has been named the 2010 Outstanding Alumnus of the Beaver Dam High School. The 1921 graduate will be recognized on the school’s Wall of Fame alongside such notables as film star Fred MacMurray who was the first graduate to be inducted. Also, Laurie Propst and Dr. Ayaz Samadani were chosen as Friends of Education, along with Beaver Dam Noon Kiwanis. They will all be honored at the 14th Annual Wall of Fame Banquet, which will be held Sunday, April 11th at the Old Hickory Golf Club.

Car Sales Have Plummeted in Last Decade

3/3/10 - Annual car sales plunged by 46-percent in Wisconsin over the last decade. According to Cross-Sell Incorporated, 172-thousand new vehicles were registered in the state last year. That’s down from almost 320-thousand registered in 2000. And in Metro Milwaukee, industry figures show a 48-percent decline in annual sales during the period. The recession is mostly to blame, as unemployment rose and credit became harder to get. Also, quality has improved – and that’s letting buyers delay their next vehicle purchases.

Special Committee to Hear Testimony on Possible Rep. Wood Expulsion

3/3/10 - A special committee is expected to hear testimony today on a request to have the state Assembly punish Representative Jeff Wood. The ethics panel is not expected to make a recommendation immediately. The panel was formed after Whitewater Republican Steve Nass (nahss) introduced a resolution to expel Wood. The independent from Chippewa Falls is facing charges of driving while under the influence in Columbia, Marathon, and Monroe counties over the last 15 months. Those court cases are still pending, although a plea bargain has been set in the Columbia County case – and it’s expected to be settled in April. The six-member Assembly panel could recommend to expel, censure, or reprimand Wood, or do nothing.

Help for Veterans Looking for Jobs

3/3/10 - Wisconsin veterans who are looking for jobs will soon get some help. Eighteen job fairs for veterans will be held this year. The first one is on March 11th in Madison, and the last is October 15th in Superior. Employers and agencies will be on hand to provide information on job openings. Veterans can also get help with updating their resumes, improving their job interview skills, and obtaining information on benefits. The state departments of veterans affairs, military affairs, and workforce development are putting on the job fairs with help from the American Legion. A list of the job fairs and their dates are on the state’s workforce development Web site, accessible at Wisconsin-Dot-Gov.

Frozen Road Exemption Expires at Midnight

3/3/10 - Here's a sign that spring's on the way. The state Transportation Department will end its winter frozen road exemption at 12:01 tomorrow morning for roads south of Highway Eight in northern Wisconsin. For the past couple months, state roads have allowed heavier weight limits for trucks carrying forest products and highway salt-and-sand. Also, spring thaw restrictions go into effect Monday morning in all but the northern-most zone. More information is available at the D-O-T's Web site, accessible at Wisconsin-Dot-Gov.

No Winner in Mega Millions

3/3/10 - Nobody won the Mega Millions jackpot last night, so it goes up to 133-million dollars for the next drawing on Friday. We’re not sure yet how many players from Wisconsin won smaller prizes. The winning numbers were 9, 12, 47, 48, and 56. The Mega Ball was 25, and the Megaplier – similar to the Power Play multiplier in Powerball – was three. And speaking of Powerball, the second-highest jackpot of the year is up for grabs tonight, 114-million dollars.