Top Stories March 8th and 9th

Dense Fog Advisory Until 10am

3/9/10 - It's another foggy morning in much of Wisconsin. It rolled in last night with a new band of cloud cover. And the National Weather Service has issued a dense-fog advisory through 10 this morning for about the southern two-thirds of the Badger State. Visibilities could be a quarter-mile or less in many places. Meanwhile, a low pressure system will bring light rain to southwest Wisconsin this afternoon. It's supposed to spread into most of the state by late tonight. Some smaller systems are then expected to bring occasional light-to-moderate rainfalls for the rest of the week. And that will result in a rapid snow-melt in some spots.

BD Officials Get Student Insight Into New PD

3/9/10 - The Beaver Dam Operations Committee last night got a three-dimensional look at three different police stations envisioned by architectural students at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. As part of the project, the engineering students were divided into three groups last fall. Three weeks ago, those students presented their final designs and models to city and police officials. Architectural History Professor Marty Sell says he was very impressed with the finished product and very proud of the students. He says while each model had its own, unique approach, they all shared common elements like the use of bricks that match the Historical Society and Chamber, access to both Park Avenue and Washington Street and all three had two story building with the police garage on the east side of the structure. Sell says if city officials were to want to incorporate any of the students elements into the final professional designs, decisions will have to be made regarding parking and the possible addition of a second floor. Operations Committee Chair Laine Meyer says while no one design will be selected, elements of all three will likely be incorporated into the final plans. Those interested in viewing the police department renderings can see them at the community library through next Monday, when they will be displayed during the common council meeting before being returned to the students so they can complete their project. The other models can be viewed HERE.

Time To Get The Lead Out

3/9/10 - Beaver Dam has hired a company to remove lead from the municipal building. Facilities Supervisor John Neumann says lead dust has been spreading throughout the building from the police department’s basement firing range. He says the grounds had never before been tested for lead and when the results came back, they were “staggering.” Neumann says they did lead testing on employees in the most affected areas and their exposure levels were low. Tom Demerse with Green Bay Lead says when the firing range was constructed over 50 years ago standards were less stringent. The Beaver Dam Operations Committee last night approved the hiring of Green Bay Lead for remediation work at the municipal building at a cost not to exceed $33,500. Work should begin in mid-April and will take about a week to complete. Lead contamination is not expected to be an issue after the clean-up because the police department will be switching to lead-free ammunition.

Enter Ice At Your Own Risk

3/9/10 - Any time you get on the ice it can be dangerous, but Doug Sackett with Beaver Dam Lake Improvement Association says you must be especially careful as warm weather sets in. Sackett says his guys testing oxygen on Beaver Dam Lake are reporting an ice thickness of 26 inches to 28 inches, but that doesn’t mean there is any structural integrity to the ice. He says the sun thins both the top and the bottom of the ice creating a “honeycomb” effect. Sackett says the bottom line is to “be careful” and enter the ice at your own risk. Meanwhile, the snowmobiler, who was pulled from the icy waters of Lake Sinissippi Sunday afternoon, has been cited with OWI. Authorities say 51-year-old Berry Scott Davis’ initial blood alcohol level was nearly double the legal limit.

"Family Night" Proposal Fails

3/9/10 - A proposal to turn an unwritten rule into board policy failed at last nights Columbus School Board meeting. Board President Jerry Gaska proposed an addition to board policies that would allow the Superintendent to restrict school and co-curricular activities after 6pm Wednesday nights because it's considered "Family Night". A lively crowd debated the issue before the vote was taken with most saying they were not against the idea of a "Family Night" but felt the current unwritten practice was working and that an addition to the District's policies was not needed. A motion to adopt the proposal stalled in a 3 to 3 tie.

Wood Hearing Next Week

3/9/10 - A special state Assembly panel will meet a week from today to hear from the man who wants to expel Representative Jeff Wood. Republican Steve Nass of Whitewater will testify about the resolution he introduced late last year. He said the independent from Chippewa Falls brought disrepute on the Legislature, after he was arrested three times for driving-under-the-influence since December of 2008. The six-member panel will make a recommendation to the full Assembly about Wood’s fate. He told the panel last week that he’s guilty of driving drunk in Columbia County – but he’s innocent of charges that he later drove under the influence of medicines in Marathon and Monroe counties. The panel was hoping Nass would testify. But he said he stayed away because he wasn’t invited – he was tending to family matters at the time – and he thought his presence would create a quote, “three-ring circus.” But the panel members said they have questions for Nass, and Wood and his attorney have the right to cross-examine him. Nass has accused Democrats on the committee of stalling, says they can get Wood’s vote on matters pending before the Assembly. Wood says he won’t run for re-election this fall, but he refuses to quit before then.

Egypt Places Oshkosh Corp Order

3/9/10 - The Oshkosh Corporation received two more orders Monday to make military vehicles. One of them is from Egypt, which will pay 29-million-dollars for over 75 trucks designed to transport fuel. Those units are called Heavy Expanded Military Trucks. Also, the U-S Army has placed another 35-million-dollar for upgrades to the trucks made by Oshkosh for use in Iraq and Afghanistan. The firm will provide equipment for protecting soldiers from roadside bombs.

Job Market Could Be on Its Way up this Spring

3/9/10 - The job market in Metro Milwaukee may finally begin to recover this spring. Manpower Incorporated says 21-percent of employers plan to add workers in April, May, and June - and only five-percent expect more layoffs. It's the 13th-best job outlook among 201 U-S metros in the Manpower survey. And it comes after metro Milwaukee lost five-point-seven-percent of its total jobs in 2009. But the Midwest as a whole does not fare as well. Manpower says 16-percent of Midwest employers expect to add workers in the next quarter of the year - and nine-percent are planning layoffs. The regional job outlook is better than a year ago, but worse than the current quarter

Former ACORN Workers Charged with Election Fraud

3/9/10 - The community organizing group ACORN defended its voter registration drive in Milwaukee, after two of its workers were charged with felony election fraud. 36-year-old Maria Miles of Milwaukee and 26-year-old Kevin Clancy of Racine were accused of trying to sign up the same voters more than once - so they could meet ACORN's quota of 20 signatures per day. It happened during the 2008 presidential campaign. Former ACORN organizer Carolyn Castore said Miles and Clancy were fired after the group discovered the fraud before anybody else did. And Castore called it a "victimless crime," since it was caught before anyone could actually vote illegally. But according to prosecutors, Miles told investigators that ACORN workers were quote, "all hoodlums" with criminal histories - and they were going to "do whatever they had to do" to get the money each day. ACORN has been dogged by allegations of voter registration fraud - and Congress voted last year to cut off its federal funding. Miles and Clancy were among five Milwaukee area people charged yesterday with voter fraud. A husband-and-wife were accused of voting twice in '08, and Milwaukeean was charged with illegally voting as a convicted felon.

Man Rescued from Lake Sinissippi

3/8/10 - Authorities say a 51-year-old Hustisford man was in the freezing waters of Lake Sinissippi for about 20-minutes after he broke through the ice while riding his snowmobile yesterday afternoon. The Sheriff's Department says the man was conscious and alert when members of the Hustisford Fire Department Ice Rescue team and first responders pulled him from the lake around 4:30pm. Apparently the man was riding his snowmobile near the southeast end of the lake, where it empties into the Rock River, when the machine crashed through the thin ice. He was taken by Hustisford EMS to the Hartford hospital where he was treated for possible hypothermia. The sheriff's department is expected to release the mans name later this morning. The snowmobile remained under water at last word.

Ivestigation Into Game Stop Robberies Continues

3/8/10 - Authorities continue their investigation into the connection between the armed robbery at the Game Stop in Beaver Dam in January and the fatal shooting of a suspect following a Game Stop robbery in suburban Milwaukee last month. Beaver Dam Police Lt. John Kreuzinger told us on WBEV’s Community Comment that while the description and MO appear to match, it’s important for investigators not to jump to conclusions, especially when there are still suspects that have yet to be apprehended. Fox Point Police were called to the Milwaukee Game Stop on February 16. Officers tracked down the suspect on a street in Glendale and they say the robber opened fire on them. Officers returned fire, and the suspect died at the scene of an apparent gunshot wound. No officers were hurt.

Future of Teen Center Uncertain

3/8/10 - The future of the Teen Center of Beaver Dam remains uncertain as organizers closed the doors of the facility last week. The future of its parent organization “High Expectations” is also unknown. High Expectations Executive Director Ruth Lindegarde says they ran out of money. While a few remaining program will be operated out of the South Spring Street building, the High Expectation offices on Park Avenue are empty. Lindegarde says grant funding ran out and fundraising efforts were not successful. She says after being turned down for 12 grants last year, support from the community will be needed to reopen the doors. The Teen Center’s operating costs for 2009 were $159,000. Over 700 kids were signed-up as members of the Teen Center, and there were 250 to 300 teens who actively attended the facility.

Bedker Pleased With Luedtke Sentence

3/8/10 - Dodge County District Attorney Bill Bedker says he was pleased with the 13 year prison sentence handed down Friday to a Lomira man who molested a young girl over a six-year period. Maynard Luedtke pleaded “no contest” to a felony charge in December. The 61-year-old sexually assaulted the girl on numerous occasions between 2002 and ending in 2007, when she came forward to school officials. Judge Steven Bauer told Luedtke at sentencing that his actions were “sickening” and that he had a “warped sense of what went on.” Luedtke was also sentenced to 12 years of extended supervision.

Owner Worried About Ban

3/8/10 - 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

3/8/10 - 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.

Jefferson County Business Fined for Violation

3/8/10 - 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.