Top Stories, April 30th

Forbes Trial Delayed

4/30/10 - The trial for accused murderer Curtis Forbes has been postponed indefinitely. The 52-year-old Forbes is charged with killing 18-year-old Marilyn McIntyre in her Columbus apartment in March of 1980. Prosecutors asked for the delay following a judge’s decision Wednesday that DNA evidence from the sink in McIntyre’s bathroom could not be tied directly to Forbes. Assistant Attorney General David Wambach says they are still deciding whether to appeal that ruling. If they decided to that the trial, which was slated to begin with jury selection today, could be delayed for a number of months. Forbes attorney’s say they plan to file a motion asking that his bail be reduced from its current level of $450,000. If convicted Forbes could be sentenced to life in prison.

Fire Damages Shed Near Columbus

4/30/10 - Yesterday’s windy conditions made fighting a shed fire in the Town of Elba difficult for area firefighters. Jerrod Fox with the Columbus Fire Department says they received a call about the fire on Ghost Hill Road just before 5 p.m. By the time they arrived on scene the owner had already gotten the cattle being housed in the shed out, and was in the process of removing hay and straw from the structure. Firefighters from three departments were able to get the fire under control despite winds gusts of more than 30-miles-per-hour. Fox says no firefighters were injured, but the owner’s son was treated for a burn to his hand. Fire personnel were on scene until 7:30 p.m. Officials are still trying to determine the cause of the fire.

Cow Euthanized Following Cattle Truck Rollover

4/30/10 - Both lanes of Highway 151 at Fond du Lac were closed for nearly three hours during the noon hour following a semi-trailer accident. According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, the truck driver swerved to avoid a vehicle that had crossed Highway 151 at Fourth Street. The cattle truck was going south when it entered the opposite lanes, fell onto its side, and came to rest in the median. The driver and lone occupant of the truck, a 55-year-old Chilton man, was seriously injured after getting pinned inside the cab and was transported from the scene by Med-Flight to Theda Clark Medical Center. The truck was carrying thirteen head of cattle in the trailer. One cow had to be euthanized and the remaining cattle were removed from the scene. Rescuers were called right away because a Taycheedah Town Constable just happened to be on the phone with the sheriff’s department when he saw the crash. Authorities continue their search for the driver of the vehicle that crossed in front of the semi. It is described as a grey vehicle, possibly an SUV. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Wisconsin State Patrol.

More Counterfeit Bill Circulating

4/30/10 - Another counterfeit $10 bill has popped up in Beaver Dam. According to police department records, a local bank found the fake money in a deposit from a fast food restaurant Wednesday morning. It is the fourth phony $10 bill reported in Beaver Dam in the past week. Deputy Chief Dan Schubert says they are not high quality reproductions, and the back side looks especially unrealistic. Schubert has been urging those who work with money to remain alert and test all suspicious bills. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Beaver Dam Police Department or the anonymous We-Tip Hotline at 800-78-CRIME.

BDPD March Stats

4/30/10 - The Beaver Dam Police Department has released crime statistics for the month of March. According to the activity report, there were 11 burglaries reported last month; two involved forced entry. Six of the burglaries were residential; the others were business-related. There were 44 general thefts reported. All of that resulted in a total of $14,358 in stolen property, of which $693 was recovered. Beaver Dam police officers issued 13 tickets for Operating While Intoxicated, and issued six citations for liquor law violations. There were 15 citations for Disorderly Conduct along with six domestic incidents, three child abuse offenses and 14 sex offenses reported. There were 86 adults arrested in March along with 36 minors. There were 39 traffic accidents in the city last month resulting in five injuries.

The Warmbold Family on Food For Thought

4/30/10 - The family of WBEV-WXRO News Director Craig Warmbold spent three days eating from a local food pantry as part of the Dodge County UW Extension “Food For Thought” program. Craig, his wife Jen and their two children spent three days earlier this month eating only food from the local pantry. Jen says it was a rewarding experience for the family, and while it wasn’t always easy the kids were good sports. She says it was easier to prepare meals on days one and two than it was on day three. More difficult was finding kid-friendly food between meals. 12-year-old Marlana didn’t exactly understand how a food pantry operated until the family started talking about the program at the dinner table. While she liked some of the food, she wasn’t too crazy about the canned vegetables and the lack of sweets. Marlana says the experience will affect how she donates at school can drives in the future, specifically (quote) “less gross mashed peas and more fruit and maybe even corn.”

Kathy Hetzel with Dodge County’s UW Extension says a lot was learned with the “Food For Thought” program for both her office and the participants. Hetzel says after all the participants got together to talk about their experience, it became apparent knowing what kind of food is needed by the pantry before a donation can be especially helpful. She says if a family, church group or civic organization is thinking about making a donation, they should call the pantry first to see what’s needed. Hetzel says when you donate is also very important. Donations are highest around Christmas but donations are especially needed in the summer months. Hetzel says the Extension may revive the “Food For Thought” again in coming years.

Wood On Work Release

4/30/10 - State Representative Jeff Wood is getting out of jail for four-hours-a-day to handle his legislative business. He’s now being held in the Chippewa County Jail near his home, after he started a 45-day sentence on Monday for driving drunk and possessing drug paraphernalia in Columbia County. Chippewa County Sheriff Jim Kowalczyk says Wood gets to check his computer and make phone calls from his Chippewa Falls home between 2:30pm and 6:30pm. But Kowalczyk said he will not let Wood stay at home 24-7 under electronic monitoring. The Columbia County sheriff said no to Wood’s request for home detention – and the Chippewa Falls sheriff said he’ll abide by that. Wood called a reporter a “vulture” and a “moron” when he checked into jail in Portage on Monday night – but once behind bars, Kowalczyk said the lawmaker has been a model prisoner so far. Wood still faces charges of driving under the influence of prescription drugs in Marathon and Monroe counties.

Harley-Davidson Exploring Relocation

4/30/10 - One of Wisconsin’s most famous home-grown companies says it will have to cut millions-of-dollars in manufacturing costs – or else it will move its production elsewhere. Harley-Davidson of Milwaukee told employees today there are significant “cost gaps” that must be filled. Spokesman Bob Klein told the Journal Sentinel that Harley prefers to keep its production base in Wisconsin – but it must explore other U-S sites in case it cannot achieve what he called “concrete workable solutions.” The paper says hundreds-of-jobs are at stake at Harley’s factory on Pilgrim Road in Milwaukee. Earlier this month, Harley reported a 71-percent drop in its quarterly profits, compared to a year ago. And the profit was eight-cents-a-share less than what outside analysts had predicted.

WDNR Looking For Text Tips

4/30/10 - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says you can now "text" in a tip about people who you think are violating state laws covering outdoor recreation. The DNR has long offered a toll-free telephone line to allow anonymous reporting of violations of laws pertaining to hunting, fishing, trapping, recreational vehicle use, and environmental pollution. Now with the growing use of text messaging from cell phones, the DNR has added a service called “Tip 411” to let you text in a report. Chief conservation warden Randy Stark says a Minnesota firm has developed software that will assign the incoming cell phone number a code that can't be traced back the phone. Stark says texts will work from anywhere a cell phone will, and that more hunters and anglers are carrying cell phones.

Are You Richer Than A Fifth Grader?

4/30/10 - Are you getting a 60-percent return on your stock investments? If not, you might want to consult three fifth-graders from Tullar Elementary School in Neenah. They won a statewide stock-investment contest, by turning 100-thousand-dollars into 160-thousand in just 10 weeks. The money wasn’t real, but the gains were. As a result, 10-year-old Luke Kelley, 11-year-old Raven Wallene, and 11-year-old Eleanor Erbach beat out 14-hundred other student investment teams throughout Wisconsin. And most of their challengers were much older and in high school. The three kids said they did their homework. They studied the historical performances and quarterly reports of the companies they invested in. It’s the third state title since 2007 for the team led by Neenah teacher Tim Hopfensperger. He credits the kids’ hard work – and other than that, he has no secret to all the success.

Kennedy on Community Comment

4/30/10 - Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy will join us on WBEV’s Community Comment this afternoon for the first time since he was re-elected to his second term. Kennedy will update us on the progress of two major downtown housing developments and plans for a new police station. Kennedy will also look ahead to ordinances will be coming before the council in coming months, including one that allow the city to prosecute those caught with small amounts of marijuana and another that would add teeth to an existing beautification ordinance. Community Comment airs weekdays on WBEV 1430AM beginning at 12:35pm.