Top Stories April 4th

Child Rescued from YMCA Pool

4/4/10 - A young girl was rescued from a pool at the YMCA of Dodge County yesterday afternoon. According to a press release, the child and family members were inside the Y’s Family Adventure Water Park when one of the lifeguards found the girl unresponsive in the pool. While waiting for paramedics to arrive lifeguard staff performed lifesaving measures. The child was taken to the Beaver Dam Community Hospital where Y officials said she was thought to be in stable condition. Executive Director of the Y, Jen Kruel, says the performance of their lifeguards and staff during the incident demonstrated their high level of safety training and life saving skills.

Sale of Waupun Elementary School on Agenda

4/4/10 - One of the three former elementary buildings in the Waupun School District could be sold following a meeting of the school board tomorrow night. Last month the district received an offer of $150,000 from the owner of Soodsma Heating and Air Conditioning to purchase the former Jefferson Elementary. That’s way below the appraised value of $426,000 but administration officials say it may be better to take less money than to hold on to the property and hope for another buyer to come along. Meanwhile, the other two buildings up for sale, Alto and Fox Lake Elementary, have had a number of inquiries into buying them, though the districts realtor says they may need to lower the asking prices. All three schools were closed at the end of the 2008-2009 school year. The board meets at 7pm tomorrow night at the Educational Service Center.

Texting Ban Could Advance to Senate Floor Despite Tie Vote

4/4/10 - A Wisconsin Senate Committee has deadlocked on a bill to ban texting while driving, but the issue could still advance to the Senate floor. De Pere Republican, Senator Alan Lasee hopes so, saying it’s a dangerous, dangerous practice. Lasee is the author of a bill to prohibit texting while driving. The Senate Transportation Committee deadlocked on a tie vote on a texting ban approved by the Assembly earlier this year – but, the panel chairman will let it advance, anyway.

Wisconsin Gets C for How Money and Property is Used

4/4/10 - Wisconsin gets a passing grade in a new national report on how law enforcement agencies use the money and property they confiscate during criminal investigations. Wisconsin got a ‘C,’ according to "The Policing for Profit" report released by the Institute for Justice. The study ranked states by how difficult they make it for people to prove they are innocent and be reimbursed for forfeitures imposed on them, sometimes even before they are charged with a crime. John Kramer is one of the authors of the report. He says Wisconsin law allows police and prosecutors to take property without so much as charging the owner with a crime, and then profit from the proceeds. Kramer says that is wrong and needs to change. Wisconsin Department of Justice spokesman Kevin St. John says Wisconsin law does not give police an incentive to confiscate money or property from people to enrich themselves because it only allows police to take the amount of money from defendants that is equal to the amount spent to investigate and prosecute a crime. But some legislators are looking at tweaking the state forfeiture laws.

Man Won’t Be Charged for Not Registering

4/4/10 - A federal judge is ordering the Government Accountability Board not to enforce campaign disclosure laws against a town of Whitewater man. A referendum will be held Tuesday to allow beer sales in the town. Charles Hatchett has been passing out flyers and postcards urging people to vote "no." Wisconsin law requires anyone who spends more than 25 dollars to influence a referendum to register, disclose donor names and reveal who paid for materials used in the campaign. In a ruling last year, a judge said that limits free speech. The board had already stopped enforcing the law, but Hatchett wanted a judge's order so he would know he wouldn't be prosecuted.

Bank in Elkhart Lake Robbed

4/4/10 - It was just a normal day at work for the branch manager of National Exchange Bank & Trust in Elkhart Lake last Thursday. As she walked into the bank an unassuming man walked out. Little did she know that the man had just robbed the bank. Investigators say the gunman locked bank employees in a vault and left a package with flashing lights behind. He told the three tellers it was no April Fool's joke and they would be electrocuted if they left before the lights stopped flashing. The man was apparently wearing a wig, a fake mustache and beard. He took cash from the bank.

Man Turns Himself In for Alleged Shooting

4/4/10 - A North Dakota man spends the night in a Minnesota jail in connection with a shooting in Wisconsin. Authorities say the 21 year old suspect called police in Cottage Grove, Minnesota, saying he wanted to turn himself in. He was wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting of 24 year old Kyle Ryba of Boyd and an 18 year old woman. Chippewa County deputies had found Ryba dead at the scene about 3 a.m. Saturday in the Village of Boyd. An 18 year old woman had suffered a gunshot injury to her leg. Authorities thought the suspect in the shooting was headed for his home in Minot, North Dakota. He was being held in Washington County Jail last night.

Republic Airways Expected to Announce New Brand Identity

4/4/10 - A week from next Tuesday we will learn the brand identity for Midwest Airlines and its sister company, Frontier. Officials with the parent company, Republic Airways, promise to reveal what they call their one promise, one vision and one goal for the new brand at April 13th events in Milwaukee, Denver and Indianapolis. Midwest was headquartered in Milwaukee, while Frontier had its headquarters in Denver. Indianapolis-based Republic has spent the months since purchase trying to integrate Midwest and Frontier services.

Easter Egg Roll Event at White House will have WI Flavor

4/4/10 - Eleven kids from Wisconsin will be in Washington, D.C., tomorrow for the Easter Egg Roll on the south lawn of the White House. Urban farmer Will Allen of Milwaukee says he received an offer of 11 tickets to the event from First Lady Michelle Obama's office. Six of the tickets go to young people from Growing Power's Youth Corps program. The other five are held by students at Henry David Thoreau Elementary School. Corporate sponsors and Growing Power will cover travel expenses for the kids.

Young Outlaw Takes Car for a Drive

4/4/10 - Maybe it was just a good day for a short drive. In Oshkosh, a 23 year old woman tells police she left her son sleeping in her running car while she ran inside the house for a moment. When she came back outside, the 1985 Buick was two blocks away. A police officer stopped the vehicle, and the three year old driver showed him how he pulled down the gearshift to get the car moving. Nobody was injured.