Top Stories June 21st

Bedker Resigns Over Furloughs

6/21/10 - Dodge County District Attorney Bill Bedker announced his resignation on Friday. Bedker was sworn-in Friday the 13th of June 2008 and will be leaving office Friday the 13th of August 2010. In that short amount of time, Bedker – who points out he was born on Friday the 13th – says he’s lucky to have dished out justice for the victims of child sex offenses and dangerous drunk drivers given the effect that state budget cuts have had on district attorney offices across the state. He says stepping down and focusing on academics is “personally more constructive and healthy than constantly fuming about a systemic problem that’s completely beyond [his] individual control to fix.” Bedker has been criticized by some for a policy change in the DA’s office that halted prosecution of first-time, stand-alone, small-quantity adult drug offenses but he says that played no role in his decision. As far as advice, Bedker says the next D-A should set their priorities early and follow-through. He says if your “core priorities are dealing with the most violent and vile of criminals – the rapists and murders – then you have to evaluate the additional resources you have available for the person driving without a valid license or caught with a joint.” Bedker will become a legal studies professor with Madison College. Gov. Jim Doyle will have to appoint a successor to fill the term which runs through 2012. We’ll air our interview with Bedker during our final segment of Community Comment this afternoon.


Teen in Critical Condition After Drowning


6/21/10 - A Kewaskum teen is in critical condition after being rescued from a public swimming area yesterday. Witnesses say the 19-year-old dove into the pool at Kewaskum Kiwanis Community Park a little before 3 p.m. He apparently surfaced briefly, then went back under water. Lifeguards immediately began searching for the teenager. They say the pool is built in a sandy depression, making it hard to see under the surface of the water. After more than a half-hour the teen was eventually found in about 12-to-17 feet of water and was pulled out unconscious. The man was taken by helicopter to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa.

Campbellsport Man Dies After Being Electrocuted

6/21/10 - Authorities say a group of neighbors were almost done pouring the concrete for a garage floor when 29-year-old Nicholas Klotz was killed. It happened Saturday morning in the Fond du Lac County town of Empire. The Campbellsport man was helping smooth out the concrete with a long pole when he raised it and came in contact with a 7200-volt power line. Klotz was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. A 47-year-old man and his 26-year-old son were also taken to the hospital but were later treated and released.

Mechancial Problem Shuts Down Columbus Pool

6/21/10 - Authorities say a mechanical problem was to blame for the release of undiluted chlorine into the Columbus pool on Saturday. It happened just after 1:30 p.m. Officials say chlorine vapor was visible and staff members quickly evacuated the 275 people in the pool. More than 20-people became sick and many suffered from wheezing and shortness of breath. They were taken to an area outside the aquatic center where they were treated by EMS. All were eventually taken to hospitals for further treatment and none suffered serious injuries. The pool was closed yesterday.

One Dead, Several Injured on Lake Wisconsin

6/21/10 - At least one person was killed in a boating accident on Lake Wisconsin near Lodi last night. The Columbia County Sheriff’s Department says they got a call around 8pm reporting an accident involving a boat and a jet ski. They say one of the passengers on the boat was killed. Several others were taken to area hospitals, including one who was flown to Madison via MedFlight. Officials say alcohol and drugs do NOT appear to be a factor in the incident, which is still under investigation by the Wisconsin DNR.

Report on Block Scheduling Expected Tonight

6/21/10 - The Beaver Dam School Board is expected to hear the results of an independent study on the high school’s block scheduling format at tonight’s meeting. The program has been in place since 2007 and many parents and community members have been critical of the 4 x 4 system. They say its been a failure as evidenced by what they call drastic drops in test scores. Superintendent in Waiting Steve Vessey and new principal Mark DiStefano say while the schedule is important it does not determine outright success or failure. The meeting is slated for 6:30 at the Educational Service Center.

BDFD Recognized by Flight For Life


6/21/10 - Flight For Life will honor the Beaver Dam Fire Department with the “2009 Scene Call of the Year Award.” Jayce Commo says the Fond du Lac Base selected Beaver Dam for its response to an incident on December 3. There were multiple patients who had been ejected from a motor vehicle versus tractor accident and two medical choppers were called to the scene. Commo also noted that three Beaver Dam paramedics returning from an EMS class in Madison happened to be nearby and assisted at the scene. The award will be presented at tonight’s Beaver Dam Common Council meeting, which begins at 8pm in City Hall. In addition, the public is invited to the Beaver Dam Community Hospital, where a Flight For Life helicopter will be landing at 8:30pm, weather permitting.

US Attorney General and Others Expected at Dairy Workshop

6/21/10 - Two federal agencies are organizing a public workshop next week in Madison focusing on the dairy industry. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is among the high-ranking officials from Washington who are expected to attend. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack and U.S. Senators Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold will be there, too. This is the third in a series of hearings done around the country to discuss things like anti-competitive practices and regulatory issues in the agriculture industry.

Lawsuit Challenging Gun Free School Zone Act

6/21/10 - A lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of Wisconsin’s Gun Free School Zone Act. Nik Clark, president of Wisconsin Carry, Incorporated, says the city of Milwaukee is a good illustration of how gun free school zones impact the right to carry. The lawsuit filed in January against Governor Jim Doyle, the Cities of Milwaukee and Racine and police officers from both cities, claims the act “covers such a broad area that it practically forecloses a meaningful right to keep and bear arms in large parts of the state.”

Sisters Go 1, 2 in Miss Wisconsin Pageant

6/21/10 - It had never happened before. Kimberly Brooke Sawyer is the new Miss Wisconsin and her sister Katie Lee Sawyer was first runner-up Saturday. Both women are from Egg Harbor. Seven years ago sisters Julia Anne and JanaLee Sue Kraschnewski finished in the top 10 finalists, but neither won. Kimberly Sawyer will compete in the 2011 Miss America pageant January 15th in Las Vegas.

Flags at Half-Staff Today for Waterloo Solider

6/21/10 - Governor Jim Doyle orders flags be flown at half-staff to honor U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Paul Bartz. Bartz was killed May 18th while serving in Afghanistan. He was 43 years old and from Waterloo. Bartz was among five soldiers killed by a suicide bomber in Kabul.