Top Stories April 17th

Charges Filed in Case of Missing Girl



4/17/10 - One person has been charged and two others could be charged for their roles in the case of a missing teen found in Beaver Dam Tuesday. Deputy Chief Dan Schubert says 19-year-old Christopher Bowers of Beaver Dam has been charged with two counts of 2nd degree sexual assault of a child. Bowers made his initial appearance in court Thursday and had his cash bond set at $10,000. Schubert says they has also requested charges be filed against an 18-year-old man for sexual assault of child and a woman for interfering with child custody. All of the alleged offenses are connected to the case of a young Waupun teen that had gone missing on April 9th.


Henry Changes Plea


4/17/10 - A Waupun man accused of killing his wife last June changed his plea to guilty yesterday.. 47-year-old Larry Henry initially pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity but in court yesterday changed that plea to guilty. With the plea change the district attorney’s office must now convince a jury that Henry was mentally capable of killing 42-year-old Tammy Henry. In October of last year doctors chosen by both sides returned conflicting reports on Henry’s mental state. So yesterday lawyers asked that the court assign a third doctor to make a final determination before the case proceeds. Larry Henry allegedly beat his wife to death with a metal rod before walking into the Waupun Police Department lobby and confessing to 911 operators.


B&E in Hustisford under Investigation


4/17/10 - Authorities are investigating a Breaking and Entering in the Town of Hustisford that was reported just before six last night. The Sheriff’s Department says a resident reported that someone had broken into the home on Hillcrest Road through a back door. Items taken from the home included a flat screen TV, rings, watches, and a jar where money was being saved for retirement. Authorities are asking anyone with information to call them or the anonymous We-Tip Hotline at 1-800-78-CRIME.


Kaczmarski Won’t Appeal Recount


4/17/10 - Waupun 2nd District Alderman Pete Kaczmarski will not appeal last weeks recount that saw him come up one vote short to Dan Ganz in his bid to be reelected. Kaczmarski was considering the appeal after the recount uncovered an additional two votes than were originally counted the night of the election. However, City Clerk/Treasurer Kyle Clark says that discrepancy was cleared up by canvassers when they found that poll workers had given those votes to the 2nd District by mistake. Kaczmarski and his lawyer looked for case law that may have led to a judge ordering a new trial but were unsuccessful. Ganz will now take a seat on the council less than a year removed from a campaign to have Mayor Jodi Steger recalled.


Milwaukee Courtroom Erupts after Sentencing


4/17/10 - Witnesses say a Milwaukee County courtroom exploded with violence and yelling when a life sentence was handed down yesterday Friday morning. Three deputies had to tackle Seandell Jackson and use pepper spray to subdue the 19 year old. Jackson reportedly glared at his victim's family when heard his fate. Jackson was convicted in February of killing University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee student Nathan Potter. Jackson's family turned to Potter's family members and shouted, quoting here, "We hate you. God is the judge." Jackson's sentence includes no possibility of parole.


Crosswinds May Have Caused Fatal Plane Crash


4/17/10 - Early reports indicate its possible strong crosswinds caused the crash of a small plane near Baraboo-Wisconsin Dells Airport Thursday afternoon. Pilot Bill Reed was reported to be in critical condition last night by the Stevens Point Journal. Two planes were returning from a trip to Florida when Reed's plane slammed into a plowed field while he was landing. Reed was alone in the plane. He is from Hull and is considered to be an experienced, skilled pilot.


Get the Lead Out


4/17/10 - Work is underway to remove lead from the Beaver Dam Municipal Building. Lead dust has been spreading throughout City Hall from the police department’s basement firing range, constructed over five decades ago when standards were less stringent. Test results came back this winter with what city officials called a “staggering” presence of lead, much of it carried by the heating and cooling system. Facilities Supervisor John Neumann says Green Bay Lead began work Thursday morning and things have been going “smoothly.” The company had planned on finishing by next Wednesday, but Neumann says things are going so well they could be done by Monday. In the meantime, he says the remediation poses no threat to the public or city employees. The council last month entered into an environmental services agreement with Green Bay Lead at a cost not to exceed $33,500. The Police Department had already budgeted $3000 for the lead clean-up this year and the remaining $30,000 came from the city’s general fund. Lead contamination is not expected to be an issue after the clean-up because the police department will be switching to lead-free ammunition.


Most Watertown Businesses Pass Compliance Checks


4/17/10 - In the past year more than 80-percent of businesses licensed to sell alcohol in the city of Watertown have passed compliance checks by the police department. Since November the department has conducted checks at 64-different locations and 53 passed the checks. Officials say the employees or bartenders at the 11-locations that failed the check were issued citations. To complete the checks authorities have a person under the age of 21 use their own ID when attempting to purchase the alcohol. All of the random compliance checks were done under the supervision of the Watertown Police Department.


Legislator Sorry for Comments


4/17/10 - State Representative Pedro Colon says he is sorry his statements on the floor of the Assembly Friday morning were misconstrued. The Democrat from Milwaukee has apologized for saying State Representative Steve Nass should have shown up for a vote on expelling Assembly member Jeff Wood. The actual vote came in the middle of the night, seven hours before Nass was to attend his mother's funeral. Colon, commenting on Nass' absence, said, quoting here, "If he wants to prosecute, he can show up." Nass called Colon's comment "unforgivable." Later on Friday Colon said he didn't intend to criticize Nass for missing the debate due to his mother's death. Nass is a Republican who has been pushing for Wood's expulsion due to three drunken driving charges. No official vote on Wood's status was taken.


Universities Look to Federal Government to Help with Funding


4/17/10 - Presidents from public universities meet this month to discuss plans for replacing shrinking state support with federal dollars. One of five meetings nationwide is scheduled for the University of Wisconsin-Madison April 28th. State funding started the nation's public universities, but recession-forced cutbacks have impacted the bottom line for those schools. The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities is holding the meetings. Some university presidents are saying it would be in the country's best interest for the federal government to take a bigger role in supporting the financial needs of those schools.