Top Stories March 7th

FDL Fire: Owner Was Worried About Smoking Ban


The owner of the Fond du Lac bowling center that was gutted by a fire he allegedly started feared the smoking ban adopted by the city would ruin his business. 46-year-old Lyle Huss is currently in the Fond du Lac County Jail on a charge of arson after police connected him to the Wednesday morning fire at the Last Stop Bar and Lanes. Huss was one of a number of speakers at an October 2008 city council meeting as the city was debating whether or not to implement a smoking ban. At the time Huss said he had spent his entire life savings on remodeling the building which dates back to 1917 saying he'd lose everything he had worked his whole life for. The ban went into effect in February of 2009. Charges are expected to be filed against Huss early this week. If convicted a charge of arson could land him in prison for 25 years.


Fire in Oakfield Still Being Investigated


Authorities are still investigating a fire in the town of Oakfield that caused around 400,000 in damage late Thursday night. According to a press release from the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Department, authorities were called out to a farm on Vielbig Road just north of Oakfield to a report of a pole building on fire. Firefighters from six department responded to the blaze though the pole building was deemed a complete loss. The building was a workshop and housed a number of tractors, a combine and other farm implements. It's believed the fire started in the workshop but officials have not determined a cause.


Doyle Says WI Can Prosper


3/7/10 - Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle says the state will prosper as there is investment in quality. Doyle says he’s not talking about chasing low-wage jobs, but about competing for highly-engineered, highly-sophisticated products. The governor has been recognized for his efforts to keep Mercury Marine from consolidating manufacturing operations to Stillwater, Oklahoma. He says the difficult decisions to retain Mercury will be proven correct in five or 10 years when energy-conscious Americans are buying hybrid engines made from the company. Doyle also said the state needs to continue to offer a quality education to its students and keep investing in more “Green Energy” jobs.


Officer “Flabbergasted” by Actions, Gets Jail Time


3/7/10 - Punching a handcuffed suspect in the face several times earns former Milwaukee County Sergeant Scott Krause 18 months in prison. Prosecutors played a video recording of the attack. At the time, Ray Calderon was repeatedly tapping and kicking the patrol car window, cursing deputies and asking to use the bathroom. His attorney says the former deputy has been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder after two tours of Army combat duty. He says Krause doesn't remember the attack and was "flabbergasted" when he saw the video. Calderon told the judge he suffered eye and back injuries and is now paranoid about law enforcement officers and what they might do to him.


Father Who Abused Baby Could get 9-years in Prison


3/7/10 - The Wood County district attorney says he will ask the judge to give Joshua Werner the maximum sentence. That would mean the 25 year old Wisconsin Rapids man would get nine years in prison for abusing his two month old daughter. The case dates back to 2008 when a hospital contacted police about the possible abuse of a baby that had a broken leg. The subsequent investigation found 22 fractures, including a spinal injury and broken ribs. Werner pleaded no contest to charges of child abuse and second degree reckless injury.




MADD Not in Favor of Early Release


3/7/10 - The Wisconsin head of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers says the early release of four prisoners is a potential time bomb. The four each had several convictions on drunken driving charges. They got out of their cells under the state's early release program. MADD state leader John Vose says that action has him and his organization concerned. One of the early-release prisoners had six convictions and another had seven.


Jefferson County Business Fined for Violation


3/7/10 - A Lake Mills fiberglass maker agrees to pay 35 thousand dollars in fines for violating its state air pollution control permit guidelines. DNR investigators said Fiberdome released excessive amounts of styrene into the air. That's a chemical used in plastics and resins. Styrene can damage your body's central nervous system. When he announced the fines, Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen said emission of large amounts of air pollution poses a health risk to the community.


Instructors Will Need License to Teach Martial Arts


3/7/10 - Martial arts teachers working with Wisconsin kids are going to need to have a license. Department of Regulation and Licensing Executive Assistant Hector Colon says his agency has four months to work out the details of the new law. Applicants who’ve been convicted of sex crimes or murder will be turned down. Colon says his department will look at other states with similar requirements and will get input from the industry first. The bill was authored by State Representative Marlin Schneider who says there have been incidents nationwide, including in Wisconsin, where martial artists have taken sexual advantage of their child students.


Mailboxes Targeted by Identity Thieves


3/7/10 - New Berlin authorities say they think identity thieves are targeted mailboxes in the area. Police say the thieves have stolen the identity of at least two victims. The bad guys take credit card and other documents out of the mailboxes, then use the personal information. Cops say thieves drive around in neighborhoods and search for mailbox flags in the up position, assuming that checks paying for bills are being mailed out.