Top Stories, April 11th

Fatal Train Vs. Pedestrian In Theresa Marsh

4/11/10 - A man walking along the railroad tracks in the Theresa Marsh was struck and killed yesterday afternoon. According to the Dodge County Sheriffs Department, the investigation shows that the unidentified male was walking south on the tracks when he was hit by the southbound 78-car Canadian National Railroad freight train. The name of the victim is being withheld pending notification of family and the incident remains under investigation by the Sheriffs Department and the Canadian National Railroad Police.

Questions Linger Following Waupun Recount

4/11/10 - The Waupun aldermanic race between incumbent Pete Kaczmarski and challenger Dan Ganz remains unresolved. While a recount yesterday kept Ganz in the lead by one vote, a new issue came to light: missing ballots. Clerk Kyle Clark says there were 107 voters in the second district recorded in the poll books by poll workers on Tuesday but only 105 were found stored in a box sealed following the election. There are questions now about what happened to the two votes and also questions about the procedure for witnesses signing out-of-state absentee ballots. Kaczmarski says the witness signing absentee ballots must reside in the municipality where the votes were cast but the six absentee ballots that were counted Tuesday were signed locally. Clark will contact the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board to verify the process but has said that he believes the witnesses signed the ballots in accordance with state election law.

Grams Honored By State Vets Board

4/11/10 - Dodge County’s Veterans Service Officer has received a top award from the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs. Mark Grams was selected as the County Veterans Service Officer of the Year during the Departments annual awards in Madison. Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls nominated Grams for the award. Nehls noted that Grams assists veterans not only in Dodge County but throughout the state, through his involvement with veterans’ organizations and through his advocacy of the Stars & Stripes Honor Flights programs to bring World War II veterans to visit the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. One of Grams’ fellow CVSOs was quoted as saying, “Mark is an excellent role model for his efforts in community outreach. He represents the work of CVSOs well.”

New Assisted Living Center in Fall River

4/11/10 - Fall River now has an Assisted Living center overlooking Lazy Lake. The Meadows of Fall River has had hundreds of guests tour the facilities and a few rooms are filled. Director Tanya Sutton says Meadows’ services go far beyond the 36 one & two-bedroom apartments. The building houses a dining area, community room, lounges, beauty salon, 24 / 7 staffing, and nursing and pharmacy services. The staff is planning community events with the public invited including a bingo contest April 23rd. The Meadows is located at North Main and Hometown Drive at the northern edge of Fall River.

Kohl, Feingold Play Role In Stevens Replacement

4/11/10 - For the second time in two years, Wisconsin’s U-S senators will both have a larger-than-normal say in choosing a new Supreme Court justice. Democrats Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold are both on the Judiciary Committee, which will help confirm a successor to Justice John Paul Stevens who announced his retirement Friday. He’s the court’s oldest member, just shy of turning 90. And he has led the court’s liberal wing on major issues involving abortion, civil rights, church-state relationships, and criminal law. Kohl said Stevens contributed a lifetime of knowledge and experience to some of the most important legal issues in the nation’s history. And Kohl said he’ll look forward to quote, “confirming a nominee that will carry on his distinguished legacy.” President Obama is expected to appoint another liberal, so the court’s philosophical make-up will not be affected. The announcement gives the president and Senate enough time to install a new justice before the Supreme Court’s next term begins in October.

Another Canadian Bail Scam Hits Dane County

4/11/10 - For the third time in a month, an elderly woman in the Madison area lost thousands-of-dollars in a telephone scam. The latest victim was an 84-year-old Madison woman who called police after realizing she was duped out of 27-hundred-dollars. According to police, she got a call from a man who said to be the boyfriend of her grand-daughter – and he needed money to get out of a jail in Canada after being arrested for drunk driving. To make the call sound legit, another man came on the line claiming to be a police officer, and said the man was too nice to stay in jail. Police said the so-called officer called back several times to check on the progress of the bail money, and she eventually wired it. One of the earlier Dane County cases also involved a caller from Canada – and investigators said many fraudulent schemes are run from there.

Madison Sweetens The Deal For Google

4/11/10 - Madison is offering a sweet deal to Google, to try-and-get the company to choose the Capital City for its new high-speed fiber-optic network. The U-W’s Babcock Hall unveiled a new flavor of ice cream Friday called “Mad Fiber.” The mayor, school superintendent, and U-W ag dean served up samples at a promotional event. The ice cream has mini M-and-M’s in Google’s colors, along with granola to represent the fiber. The U-W is also sending samples to Google, as another part of Madison’s sales pitch. Cities throughout the country have been bidding to host Google’s 97-million-dollar fiber optic network, which could raise Internet speeds 100 times above their current fastest speeds. Google has not said if it would choose more than one city, or when its decision might be made. Milwaukee, Appleton, Superior, and Marshfield have also applied to host the new network.

Brewers Pitcher Pitches Census

4/11/10 - Milwaukee Brewers’ pitcher Yovani Gallardo is making a pitch to the 25-percent of Wisconsinites who have not returned their Census forms. Gallardo is one of several athletes who’ve recorded public service announcements urging people to answer the Census. Gallardo says baseball people count everything, and the country does the same every 10 years. And he told viewers to “step up to the plate and be counted.” Wisconsin has the nation’s highest participation rate. 75-percent of Badger State residents have mailed back their Census forms. Those who don’t by next Friday can expect a Census taker at their door starting in May. By the way, Gallardo won’t be changing his address for awhile. He signed a new contract yesterday that will pay him up to 43-million dollars over six years.