Top Stories April 3rd

Large Fire Burns Hundreds of Acres


4/3/10 - Area farmers helped in controlling a fire that burned more than 300 acres of land yesterday afternoon in Hustisford. Fire Chief Matt Pieper says they were called out to a farm belonging to Wayne and Betty Hildebrandt on Level Valley Road around 2:30pm. When they arrived on scene the fire was already spreading and was being fueled by dry conditions and 30-mile-per-hour winds. The blaze moved south and jumped Hillcrest Road but was finally brought under control with the help of five other fire departments. No structures were damaged, something Pieper credited to some area farmers who plowed around the buildings to create a barrier between them and the fire. Officials say embers from a garbage barrel started the fire. No one was injured, and Pieper says they cleared the scene around 6:30pm.

Meagher: Use Common Sense

4/3/10 - Dodge County Emergency Management Director Joe Meagher says people need to use common sense when burning this time of year. Yesterday’s fire in Hustisford was just one of many that have started in recent weeks due to dry and windy conditions. Meagher says people don’t realize how quick a “controlled” burn can get out of control. The DNR says the current danger level for more than half of the states 72 counties is Very High.

Man Arrested After Pursuit

4/3/10 - A 47-year-old man was arrested yesterday morning after allegedly fleeing from police early yesterday morning. Authorities say they attempted to pull over Brian Borden on Chapel Road in the Town of Lowell around 1:30 but he didn’t stop. After a short pursuit he eventually pulled into a driveway on County Road I and was taken into custody. Borden faces charges for OWI 5th offense, felony fleeing, and two counts of felony bail jumping.

Three Politicians to be in Beaver Dam this Week

4/3/10 - Beaver Dam is apparently the place for politicians to be this coming week. On Monday U.S. Representative Tom Petri of Fond du Lac, who represents much of our area, will be in town taking questions at the city hall from 3 p.m. until 4 p.m. Meanwhile, on Election Day the Republican Party of Dodge County will sponsor Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker at the Veteran’s Center. The doors open at five with Walker taking the stage at 5:30 p.m. At least 20-minutes will be set aside for the public to ask questions. The following day, the Democratic Party of Dodge County will sponsor Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett at the Veterans Center. Doors will open at 2:30 p.m. with Barrett taking the stage at 3 p.m. He will also set aside 20-minutes for questions from the public. Both Barrett and Walker are running for Governor. The Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce’s Breakfast Network Committee is hosting the two candidates.

Menasha Man Accused of Helping Kids Play Choking Game

4/3/10 - Winnebago County authorities have accused a 43 year old Menasha man of helping his stepson and two other boys take part in a choking game. The boys are 12, 13 and 14 years of age. Investigators say Joseph Lango even tried choking one of the boys himself. Increasing reports have been received of teenagers trying to get high from the risky endeavor. Lango is a registered sex offender, but none of the charges he faces now are sexual in nature. The choking game has claimed lives, including Columbus teen Mack Jensen last July. Lango faces counts of second-degree reckless endangerment and two counts of strangulation.

Group Demands Governors Step Down

4/3/10 - Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle is among 30 governors getting letters from an extremist group demanding their immediate resignation. The letters came from Guardians of Free Republics – and, in some cases, the governors have been told to leave their offices or they would be “commandeered.” Wisconsin Department of Administration spokeswoman Carla Vigue says there were “no explicit threats to the governor” in the letter, but that the FBI was notified. Some states added security or in some cases even closed down. The state capitol in Madison remained open.

DOJ Looking to Make Collecting Felon DNA Easier

4/3/10 - The Department of Justice is asking Wisconsin lawmakers to make it easier to collect DNA samples from convicted felons. A review of the state’s DNA database last year found samples from several thousand convicted felons were either missing or never collected. DOJ spokesman Kevin St. John says collecting samples from felons who won’t voluntarily give it up is proving difficult. The DOJ wants a change in state law that would help to simplify the process by clearly defining when samples have to be provided and making it easier to compel felons who are no longer in state custody to submit their DNA. The bill has been approved in committee. A vote on the Assembly floor is next.

Lawmaker Wants Lanes Added to I90-I39

4/3/10 - Assembly Speaker Mike Sheridan says Interstate 39-90 should be widened from Madison to the Illinois state line. Estimates put the price tag on adding a lane in both directions at a billion dollars or more. Sheridan says the improvement would be good for commerce in the whole state. Sheridan's Janesville home is right in the middle of that stretch of road. The Democrat has said he wants to do whatever he can to get the project approved, including advancing a bill at the Capitol this month.

Chocolate Bunnies are Fine

4/3/10 - Don’t give the kids a live bunny for Easter. They will like the chocolate one just as well. Renee Webb of the Fond du Lac Humane Society says they’re cute when they’re baby bunnies, but they grow up and definitely demand a lot of your time. If you’re determined to buy a live one, Webb suggests a little research first. She says you should find out exactly what it takes to care for a bunny. She calls them great pets, but says they are time consuming. The Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association says rabbits and chicks carry a risk for disease that can have detrimental effects on children.

Two Running for Mayor in Juneau

4/3/10 - In the city of Juneau, the incumbent mayor is seeking a third term while a longtime city alderman is giving him some competition. Mayor Ron Bosak says the local economy has held steady under his watch and in the next five or six years he expects to see the industrial park filled. Bosak says that there has been zero percent property tax increases in three of the four years he has been mayor and this past year, taxes increased by $9 on a $100,000 home. Alderman Dan Jahnke (yon-key) says it’s not enough to keep taxes down if there is no long range planning that examines both city services and contracted services. Jahnke says under his leadership, city departments would be more efficient and he would look for new ways to save money and cut costs. There are two contested aldermanic races in Juneau: Clarence “Butch” Chase is running against Daniel Schamberger to keep his Third Ward Seat. In Juneau’s Second Ward, incumbent Robert Affled faces opposition from Roxanne Buss.