Top Stories, June 22nd

BD Reaches Tentative Agreement with AFSCME

6/22/10 - in Beaver Dam have reached a tentative three-year agreement with AFSCME, the union that covers a majority of city workers. Finance Director John Somers says there will be a two-two split for the current year, meaning union employees will receive a two percent increase for the first six-months followed by a two percent increase beginning July 1. There will be no increase in 2011 and a 1 and three-quarter percent increase in 2012. AFSCME covers nearly every city employee except police and fire personnel and record keepers. The council will vote on the contract at their meeting July 19.

City Smoking Ban Approved

6/22/10 - The Beaver Dam Common Council last night adopted a local smoking ban, which closely mirrors the state statute. The ordinance has gone through multiple changes since it was first discussed in committee in April. The city had planned to go above-and-beyond the statewide ban which takes effect July 5. Original wording has been removed that would have prohibited smoking outdoors in places like taverns with patios where food is served or around volleyball courts, as well as in city park. City Attorney Mary Ann Schacht says the state has informed municipalities that they cannot adopt a smoking ban that is more stringent that the state statute. Passage of the city ordinance will allow the city to keep any money collected from fines. Before the vote, Schacht said fine collection is only one component of the ordinance, which was designed to send a message that the city of Beaver Dam does not condone smoking. For that reason, Alderman Laine Meyer changed his vote. Two alderpersons voted against the ordinance, nine were in support and there was one abstention.

Edwards Sentenced In Wisconsin

6/22/10 - Edward Edwards was sentenced to two life terms in Jefferson County Monday for killing a teenage couple 30-years ago. The 77-year-old pled guilty earlier this month to killing Tim Hack and Kelly Drew after they left a wedding reception near Sullivan in 1980. The sentence handed down this morning comes about week and half after he pled guilty to killing another couple near his hometown of Akron, Ohio in 1977. He was given two life terms in that state last week. Edwards also told the Associated Press last week that he killed a fifth person, a 24-year-old man he considered a foster son. He said he confessed because he wanted the death penalty, something Ohio now has and Wisconsin doesn’t. After the ruling Drew’s only sister issued a statement to the media saying about Edwards, “You took my only sister. You are a coward who ran away, and you’re still running away to Ohio. You’re despicable. I wanted you to die instantly. But now, I hope you suffer the way our family has.” Edwards will not serve the jail time in Wisconsin until his Ohio sentence is complete. He’s not eligible for parole in Ohio until age 97.

Outhouse Bomber Gets Prison

6/22/10 - A former Beaver Dam man behind a series of random shootings and explosions was sentenced Monday to three-and-a-half years in prison. Stephen Peterson pleaded “no contest” back in January to charges of First Degree Reckless Endangerment, Causing Damage With Explosives, and Possessing Explosives For An Unlawful Purpose. The 20-year-old had three other charges dismissed but read into the record. Peterson, who now lives in Fitchburg, acted alone when he fired a rifle into two mobile homes in April of 2008, and it was that incident that earned him the prison time. Peterson was also charged -- along with 21-year-old’s Kyle Livingston and Michael Peters – with the bombings of a mailbox in Burnett and a port-a-potty at Lost Lake Park in April of last year. The trio was apprehended with the use of in-store video surveillance after purchasing the explosive components at a Beaver Dam retailer. Investigators say they used pipe bombs and, in the case of the porta-potty, also used liquefied gas. Livingston was previously sentenced to one year in jail while Peters was given a seven-month jail sentence. As part of Judge John’s Storck’ sentence, Peterson is prohibited from possessing weapons, explosives or body armor. Peterson was also sentenced to five years of extended supervision followed by five years of probation, in addition to 200 hours of community service. Former Beaver Dam Alderman Clancy Knaup was arrested for disorderly conduct in May of 2008 for taking guns, ammunition and body armor from Peterson, who was a tenant of his at the time. Knaup said he was looking out for the safety of his other tenants.

Hron Seeks Re-Election

6/22/10 - Clerk of Courts Lynn Hron is seeking re-election. Hron says under her leadership, millions of dollars in past due fines and forfeitures has been collected through the intercept of tax refunds. She also says since first elected, her office has successfully incorporated technology which has made access to court records more easily available to the public and the media. Hron was first elected eight years ago and served two, two year terms before election to a four-year term. She has been an employee of the Clerk of Courts office since 1981.

BD School Board Hears Report on Block Scheduling

6/22/10 - A larger than normal crowd joined the Beaver Dam School Board last night to hear a report on the high school’s block scheduling format. Put in place in 2007, the 4x4 block schedule has students taking four classes per semester, an opportunity for some electives, and an advisory period. Bob Gilpatrick, who conducted the study, laid out the numbers and said the data is not conclusive one way or the other in terms of the effect block scheduling has had on student performance. However, he did add that there are a number of areas the block scheduling format needs to be improved, including more training for teachers, an increase in students taking and passing AP tests and a tweak to the schedule so a kid does not go a year without math or foreign language. Gilpatrick says it’s now up to the district to decide the best way to work on those problems.

Several parents spoke prior to the report about their issues with the format, including the possibility that the district wasn’t taking their concerns to heart. Chuck Sena, who has two kids in the high school, said afterward he was pleased with the response of the school board is hopeful changes can and will be made to the schedule.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Designee Steve Vessey says he and the parents are on the same page in trying to turn things around at the high school and reiterated his goal of making the school one of the best in the state. Vessey starts his job on July 1st and within the first week plans to meet with the board to begin addressing the issues detailed in the report.

Childs Approved as Superintendent, Stellmacher as Business Director

6/22/10 - There is a new Superintendent and Business Director in the Waupun School District. At their meeting last night the school board officially approved the appointment of Dr. Don Childs as interim District Administrator and chose John Stellmacher as a replacement for Bill Zeininger, who is retiring next week. Childs has served as the Superintendent in the Beaver Dam School District for the past four years and will take over for (Randy) Refsland, who took a similar position in a district near Janesville. Stellmacher joins the district after serving as the Business Director of the Barron School District for the past three years. Both men will begin their jobs at the beginning of next month.

Change in Start Times Coming for Waupun Students

6/22/10 - The Waupun School Board believes it will save $43,000 by going to a single loop busing schedule this fall. The board approved the change last night and in doing so forced a change in start times at the districts three schools. Junior/Senior High students will start a half-hour earlier than this year at 8 a.m. At Rock River Intermediate they’ll begin 15-minutes later than before at 8:15 a.m. And kids at Meadowview Primary will also begin 15-minutes later than this year but at 8 a.m.

Buss Resigns as Principal of Rock River Intermediate

6/22/10 - Rock River Intermediate School in Waupun is looking for a new principal. Steve Buss submitted his letter of resignation to the school board recently and will be moving on to the Tomah School District to become the middle school principal there. Administrators in Waupun say the search for his replacement will begin immediately.

Tornado Reported In Waukesha County

6/22/10 - A tornado in Waukesha County destroyed six homes and caused damage to several others. Workers will spend the morning assessing the damage caused by the storms, which hit after dark last night. Several people were injured, and officials in the village of Eagle say the tornado alarms did NOT go off before the twister struck. Dozens of trees were knocked down or damaged by the storm. Strong winds knocked out power to nearly 48-thousand customers of We Energies in and around Waukesha County. Emergency workers from several nearby communities responded to Eagle overnight, searching home-to-home in the dark for victims of the storm. One person ended up in a hospital, but none of the ten or so victims was seriously hurt. In Muskego, several mail delivery trucks suffered heavy damage and were knocked out of commission by the storm. The rest of southern Wisconsin suffered scattered damage.

Oconomowoc Woman Dies In Motorcycle Accident

6/22/10 - An Oconomowoc woman died yesterday from injures sustained in a motorcycle accident on Saturday. According to the Jefferson County Sheriffs Department, Susan Forster was pronounced dead at Froedtert Hospital. The 55-year-old was a passenger on a bike that had swerved to miss a pick-up truck in the Town of Farmington. Forster and the driver of the motorcycle, 57-year-old Gary Broom of Ixonia, were both ejected. Broom sustained non-life-threatening injuries. The crash remains under investigation.

Teen Succumbs To Boating Injuries

6/22/10 - The teenager killed in a boat and Jet Ski collision on Lake Wisconsin has been identified. Columbia County sheriff's officers say the crash happened near Lodi Sunday night at about 8pm. 18-year-old Joseph Pfuhl of Hollandale was a passenger on the boat driver by a 20-year-old relative. There were several other injuries, and another passenger on the boat was also Medflighted from the scene. The Department of Natural Resources is involved in the accident investigation. Authorities say alcohol and drugs do not appear to be a factor in the accident.

Kewaskum Pool Fatality

6/22/10 - A Kewaskum man has died after spending more than a half-hour underwater. Alexander Becker was pronounced dead Monday afternoon at Froedtert Hospital. He was found Sunday afternoon in about 12 to 17 feet of water at the Kewaskum Kiwanis Community Park. He'd jumped off a diving board, surfaced briefly, and then went back under. The search for Becker took rescuers about 38 minutes.

Columbus Pool Still Closed

6/22/10 - The Columbus Outdoor Pool may not reopen to the public until Wednesday. The Aquatic Center Board and Department of Public works are hoping to reopen the facility after a Chlorine Gas incident on Saturday afternoon. However, Investigation and debriefing continue in the incident that sent 25 persons to Columbus Community Hospital and 8 persons to Beaver Dam Community Hospital. There have been NO reports of Chemical Burns or Respiratory problems. Last night’s CAAC Board meeting heard reports that the Pool has been returned to a safe and clean condition for public use. However, the facility manager has been asked to wait for an OK from State Health and Insurance officials before reopening. The Aquatic Center staff will be having a debriefing at noon today and the City Council will be hearing a report on the incident at tonight’s Committee of the Whole. There will also be a meeting Wednesday night for the Fire Department and Ambulance personnel who were credited with a speedy and coordinated evacuation of the affected swimmers.

American Idol Coming To Wisconsin

6/22/10 - Fox TV's American Idol competition is coming to the Badger State. Milwaukee is reported to be among six cities hosting those tryouts for the next edition of Idol. Other cities hosting tryouts are Austin, Texas, East Rutherford, New Jersey, Nashville, New Orleans and San Francisco. Try-outs are at the Bradley Center July 21st.