Heavy Rain Pounds Wisconsin
6/16/10 - Southern Wisconsin will dry out today from some massive downpours. Manitowoc had four-and-a-quarter inches of rain yesterday and last night. And much of the Milwaukee Metro area had two to two-and-a-half inches. In Fond du Lac, more than two-inches of rain fell flooding streets and pooling in yards and fields. Emergency Management Director Erin Gerred says the Fond du Lac River, which is usually around 4 feet deep, was at a height of about 9 feet during the storms. Gerred says not much damage was reported though a few basements were flooded. In Beaver Dam, about a half-inch of rain fell yesterday.
DC Board to Cut Number of Supervisors
6/16/10 - There will be four less supervisors on the Dodge County Board following the spring elections in 2012. That’s after the board voted last night to lower the number of members from 37 to 33. The vote followed months of research by a committee to determine if they could be more efficient and cut the costs for taxpayers. Committee Chair Dave Frohling believes the number they settled on was a good compromise, evidenced by calls he got from residents asking for either more cuts or fewer cuts. The passage didn’t come without opposition, including an attempted motion by Supervisor James Layman that would have the board only cutting two members. Supervisor Jeff Berres, who was part of the resizing committee, said prior to the vote that he’s concerned that cutting four positions will deprive residents in rural areas of proper representation. The change is expected to save the county between $7,000 and $12,000 on a yearly basis. The reduction of members won’t take place until a restructuring of the municipal voting districts is completed.
Waupun Hires City Administrator
6/16/10 - The Waupun Common Council last night opted to hire from within in finding a new City Administrator. Kyle Clark begins the new position today after previously serving as the city’s Clerk-Treasurer. Mayor Jodi Steger says the next step is to address the now vacant position of Clerk-Treasurer. Steger says city leaders will be meeting to review job descriptions but she says it does not look like there will be additional hiring. While nothing has been finalized, she says it is anticipated that Deputy Clerk Angie Hull will be taking on additional responsibilities. Interim Administrator Ed Madere will be working with Clark in a part-time capacity for the next two months to help with the transition. Clark’s salary will remain the same at $75,600.
Columbus City Hall Renovation Begins
6/16/10 - Renovation of Columbus City Hall has begun. What used to be City Police Headquarters has been cleared out to make room for a relocated Council and Court chambers. Crews will be installing a replacement metal main beam that will remove the sag in the chamber area’s ceiling. Work on the project will cause some July location changes in City Hall meetings. The newly renovated chambers won’t be complete and Council and Municipal Court business will have to be held outside the current “under construction” chambers.
WDOT Radio Scandle
The state Transportation Department wants to know if one of its employees had a conflict-of-interest, by selling radio frequencies from his private company to the state for a profit. Carl Guse manages radio channels used by emergency responders. And according to the Wisconsin State Journal, Guse and a partner bought the rights to numerous radio frequencies in their private business – and they sold those frequencies to the D-O-T and the state’s Office of Justice Assistance. The paper said Guse’s company received 247-thousand-dollars from the two agencies since 2003. The D-O-T’s chief counsel said he has asked the state Employment Relations office for an advisory opinion on a possible conflict. The State Journal says it raises the question of whether Guse used his state government for his private gain. But he tells the paper he has done nothing wrong. There’s been an especially high demand for governments to acquire emergency radio frequencies, after many were criticized for not being prepared enough in the wake of disasters like 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina.
Three Arrested In Toilet Paper Caper
6/16/10 - Three people were arrested Monday following the alleged theft of two rolls of toilet paper from a Waupun business. Police Chief Dale Herringa says a 30-year-old Waupun woman was reportedly attempting to activate a stolen phone at a US Cellular store when a friend of hers left the bathroom with the toilet rolls. Officers later stopped his brand new Mercedes and the 28-year-old Fox Lake man driving the vehicle faces possible drug possession charges after a K-9 search allegedly uncovered illegal contraband. The Waupun woman was arrested on felony bail jumping charges because the conditions her probation prohibits her from being in the presence of illegal drug activity. Herringa says the woman’s mother was taken into custody a short time later after reportedly harassing police officers over her daughter’s arrest. The toilet paper was returned.
Drug Czar In Milwaukee
6/16/10 - The nation's drug czar visits Milwaukee tomorrow. Gil Kerlikowske directs the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. He will hold an open discussion with community leaders and teenagers about the new ad campaign -- "Influence Project." The just launched effort pushes teens to talk about the positive and negative pressures that influence their decisions when it comes to substance abuse.
Injuries Risk Increases During Summer Break
6/16/10 - As kids get out of school and spend more time at home for the summer months, there’s more risk for accidental injuries in the house. Wisconsin Consumer Protection spokesman Brock Bergey says those injuries are often the result of “kids being kids,” and can be easily prevented. Bergey says it’s not the amusement park, the school or the playground that parents need to worry the most about. Each year, about 3.5 million children, under age 14, are treated for unintentional injuries at home; another 2,000 die. The major problem area is the kitchen - burns, falls, choking, or poisoning. Bergey says there are some common sense prevention ideas, such as turning the handle of pots and pans inward on the stove-top, lock cabinets, invest in a stairway gate, attach dressers to the wall, and use electric outlet covers. He says it’s a good time to reevaluate child-proofing the entire house. And, if kids are old enough, talk to them about the potential dangers.
Kohl On Kagan
6/16/10 - U.S. Senator Herb Kohl says he's not made up his mind yet about Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan yet. Kohl -- the second ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee -- heard the bipartisan Supreme Court Task Force’s thoughts on Kagan while he was in Milwaukee this week. Though the Wisconsin Democrat says he's still undecided about the president's pick for the nation's highest court, Kohl says he has been impressed during her previous visits with the Senate. He says Kagen “has done a lot with her life, and done it well.” As to Republicans possibly blocking her nomination, Kohl says the hearings will bear that out. The Senate Judiciary Committee hearings begin June 28
6/16/10 - Southern Wisconsin will dry out today from some massive downpours. Manitowoc had four-and-a-quarter inches of rain yesterday and last night. And much of the Milwaukee Metro area had two to two-and-a-half inches. In Fond du Lac, more than two-inches of rain fell flooding streets and pooling in yards and fields. Emergency Management Director Erin Gerred says the Fond du Lac River, which is usually around 4 feet deep, was at a height of about 9 feet during the storms. Gerred says not much damage was reported though a few basements were flooded. In Beaver Dam, about a half-inch of rain fell yesterday.
DC Board to Cut Number of Supervisors
6/16/10 - There will be four less supervisors on the Dodge County Board following the spring elections in 2012. That’s after the board voted last night to lower the number of members from 37 to 33. The vote followed months of research by a committee to determine if they could be more efficient and cut the costs for taxpayers. Committee Chair Dave Frohling believes the number they settled on was a good compromise, evidenced by calls he got from residents asking for either more cuts or fewer cuts. The passage didn’t come without opposition, including an attempted motion by Supervisor James Layman that would have the board only cutting two members. Supervisor Jeff Berres, who was part of the resizing committee, said prior to the vote that he’s concerned that cutting four positions will deprive residents in rural areas of proper representation. The change is expected to save the county between $7,000 and $12,000 on a yearly basis. The reduction of members won’t take place until a restructuring of the municipal voting districts is completed.
Waupun Hires City Administrator
6/16/10 - The Waupun Common Council last night opted to hire from within in finding a new City Administrator. Kyle Clark begins the new position today after previously serving as the city’s Clerk-Treasurer. Mayor Jodi Steger says the next step is to address the now vacant position of Clerk-Treasurer. Steger says city leaders will be meeting to review job descriptions but she says it does not look like there will be additional hiring. While nothing has been finalized, she says it is anticipated that Deputy Clerk Angie Hull will be taking on additional responsibilities. Interim Administrator Ed Madere will be working with Clark in a part-time capacity for the next two months to help with the transition. Clark’s salary will remain the same at $75,600.
Columbus City Hall Renovation Begins
6/16/10 - Renovation of Columbus City Hall has begun. What used to be City Police Headquarters has been cleared out to make room for a relocated Council and Court chambers. Crews will be installing a replacement metal main beam that will remove the sag in the chamber area’s ceiling. Work on the project will cause some July location changes in City Hall meetings. The newly renovated chambers won’t be complete and Council and Municipal Court business will have to be held outside the current “under construction” chambers.
WDOT Radio Scandle
The state Transportation Department wants to know if one of its employees had a conflict-of-interest, by selling radio frequencies from his private company to the state for a profit. Carl Guse manages radio channels used by emergency responders. And according to the Wisconsin State Journal, Guse and a partner bought the rights to numerous radio frequencies in their private business – and they sold those frequencies to the D-O-T and the state’s Office of Justice Assistance. The paper said Guse’s company received 247-thousand-dollars from the two agencies since 2003. The D-O-T’s chief counsel said he has asked the state Employment Relations office for an advisory opinion on a possible conflict. The State Journal says it raises the question of whether Guse used his state government for his private gain. But he tells the paper he has done nothing wrong. There’s been an especially high demand for governments to acquire emergency radio frequencies, after many were criticized for not being prepared enough in the wake of disasters like 9-11 and Hurricane Katrina.
Three Arrested In Toilet Paper Caper
6/16/10 - Three people were arrested Monday following the alleged theft of two rolls of toilet paper from a Waupun business. Police Chief Dale Herringa says a 30-year-old Waupun woman was reportedly attempting to activate a stolen phone at a US Cellular store when a friend of hers left the bathroom with the toilet rolls. Officers later stopped his brand new Mercedes and the 28-year-old Fox Lake man driving the vehicle faces possible drug possession charges after a K-9 search allegedly uncovered illegal contraband. The Waupun woman was arrested on felony bail jumping charges because the conditions her probation prohibits her from being in the presence of illegal drug activity. Herringa says the woman’s mother was taken into custody a short time later after reportedly harassing police officers over her daughter’s arrest. The toilet paper was returned.
Drug Czar In Milwaukee
6/16/10 - The nation's drug czar visits Milwaukee tomorrow. Gil Kerlikowske directs the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. He will hold an open discussion with community leaders and teenagers about the new ad campaign -- "Influence Project." The just launched effort pushes teens to talk about the positive and negative pressures that influence their decisions when it comes to substance abuse.
Injuries Risk Increases During Summer Break
6/16/10 - As kids get out of school and spend more time at home for the summer months, there’s more risk for accidental injuries in the house. Wisconsin Consumer Protection spokesman Brock Bergey says those injuries are often the result of “kids being kids,” and can be easily prevented. Bergey says it’s not the amusement park, the school or the playground that parents need to worry the most about. Each year, about 3.5 million children, under age 14, are treated for unintentional injuries at home; another 2,000 die. The major problem area is the kitchen - burns, falls, choking, or poisoning. Bergey says there are some common sense prevention ideas, such as turning the handle of pots and pans inward on the stove-top, lock cabinets, invest in a stairway gate, attach dressers to the wall, and use electric outlet covers. He says it’s a good time to reevaluate child-proofing the entire house. And, if kids are old enough, talk to them about the potential dangers.
Kohl On Kagan
6/16/10 - U.S. Senator Herb Kohl says he's not made up his mind yet about Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan yet. Kohl -- the second ranking Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee -- heard the bipartisan Supreme Court Task Force’s thoughts on Kagan while he was in Milwaukee this week. Though the Wisconsin Democrat says he's still undecided about the president's pick for the nation's highest court, Kohl says he has been impressed during her previous visits with the Senate. He says Kagen “has done a lot with her life, and done it well.” As to Republicans possibly blocking her nomination, Kohl says the hearings will bear that out. The Senate Judiciary Committee hearings begin June 28
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