Top Stories, June 15th

MSA: New PD “Right On Schedule’

6/15/10 - The Beaver Dam Operations Committee last night heard another update on the preliminary floor designs, budget and schedule for the city’s new police station. Marty Sell with MSA Professional Services says the project is right on schedule and the costs for the building alone is right on target. He says the estimated cost for just the building is currently $170 per square foot, not factoring in the costs of furniture, fixtures and equipment. Sell says the station will be constructed of concrete and concrete block in the spirit of surrounding historic buildings. It will be single story, which will save the city around $300,000. Unlike the current municipal building which was designed for upward expansion, the new police station will see any future expansion to the east or south. The station will only be open to the public during business hours, but the lobby will be accessible 24-7 and even include a “safe room.” Designs are still in the preliminary stage. Sell says final drawing will be presented to the common council in August with bids expected to be returned by the end of September and the project awarded in October.

Details Emerge In Geschke Disappearance

6/15/10 - A former Horicon woman who went missing for six days tried in vain to find her family’s property in central Wisconsin. So she lived in her car on candy-and-soda until she finally called her husband for help. Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney said Monday that 36-year-old Keri Geschke of Morrisonville was distraught over her family’s financial situation. Geschke disappeared last Tuesday after she took her daughter to school. Mahoney said she then drove north to the Adams-Waushara county line where she thought her family’s land was located. But her car got stuck in a secluded right-of-way, and Geschke stayed there until Saturday night when she finally walked a couple miles to Coloma and called her husband. The day before leaving, Middleton Police spoke to Geschke about the theft of thousands-of-dollars from an accounting office she was laid off from. Middleton Police are continuing an investigating into that theft. Mahoney said Geschke had suffered for a long time from an emotional crisis over her family’s finances.

Motorcycle Vs. Deer Fatality

6/15/10 - A Washington County man was killed overnight when his motorcycle collided with a deer. It happened about 1:30am Monday morning near Jackson, which is where biker is from. Authorities said the 40-year-old was not wearing a helmet when he hit the deer on County Trunk G. He was thrown from his bike, and was found by another motorist who called authorities.

BDPD Investigates Business Break-Ins

6/15/10 - Authorities in Beaver Dam say a pair of business break-ins last week are “definitely connected.” Badgerland Financial at 138 Corporate Drive was burglarized Thursday night or Friday morning. An undetermined number of computer towers and monitors along with petty cash were stolen. During the same timeframe, MSA Professional Services at 201 Corporate Drive was broken into. A camcorder and camera were taken. Deputy Chief Dan Schubert says there is no question the burglaries are related. The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Beaver Dam Police Department or the anonymous We-Tip hotline at 800-78-CRIME.

West Bend Woman Pleads To Child Care Fraud

6/15/10 - A West Bend woman pleaded guilty Monday to illegally getting over 36-thousand-dollars in state child care funds. 31-year-old Rosiland Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced August 18th on a felony conviction of theft-by-fraud. Prosecutors said she billed the state to care for low-income kids in the Wisconsin Shares program, at a place where there was no electric power for months. Authorities said Johnson had state licenses for two care facilities on Milwaukee’s north side. She was investigated by an anti-fraud task force that was formed after the Journal Sentinel and a state audit uncovered millions-of-dollars of fraud by child care providers in the Wisconsin Shares’ program for the working poor.

Rubicon Man Accused of Fleeing Accident

6/15/10 - A Rubicon man is accused of causing an accident that resulted in injury and leaving the scene. Michael M. Schulteis is charged with a felony count of Hit and Run Causing Injury. The 25-year-old caused a sports utility vehicle to roll into a ditch. The injured party saw the suspects pick-up in his driveway a couple days later and contacted authorities. According to the criminal complaint, Schulteis admitted to investigators that he caused the wreck and said he fled because he didn’t want to get in trouble. A signature bond was set yesterday at $1000.