Top Stories, July 27th

Vo-Tech Name Change Fails

7/27/10 - A request to change the name of Beaver Dam’s “Vo-Tech Park” did not make it out of committee last night. Josh Bullock, Vice President of Strategic Advancement at Moraine Park Technical College, says the park located off of Prospect Avenue at Highway 151 was named for Beaver Dam Vocational School and Technical Institute. He says changing the name to “College Park” would better reflect the changes in the schools name and mission. Operations Committee Chair Laine Meyer suggested naming the park after Beaver Dam Mayor Mary Spellman because she was not only an educator but also the first female mayor in the state. There were also suggestions to name the park after film star Fred MacMurray, or the Otto family who have spear-headed local youth baseball and softball for decades. “School Park” and “Education Park” were also considered because of the proximity to both the technical College and the high school. After extensive debate, the vote to change the name to “Spellman Park” failed 3 to 2.

BD Considers Limited Access To Burnett, Oneida Inlets

7/27/10 - City officials in Beaver Dam are considering plans to prohibit vehicle access to the lake on two dead-end streets. Both Oneida and Burnett Streets are popular for fishing and lake viewing, so much so that neighbors of the inlets are complaining of all-night camping, bonfires and public urination. The Operations Committee last night approved moving forward with design options for adding curb and gutter, sidewalk, lighting and signage.

Charges Filed In Drunken High Speed Chase

7/27/10 - A Madison man could spend up to 33 years in prison for allegedly leading Dodge County deputies on a drunken high-speed chase that ended with himself and a passenger at UW Hospital in Madison. 29-year-old Anthony Pekarske faces felony charges of Reckless Endangerment, Fleeing and OWI Causing Injury along with a pair of misdemeanors related to the incident in May of 2009. Authorities say they clocked Pekarske’s Ford Mustang traveling 73mph in a 55mph zone on Highway 33 at Highway 26. After a nine-mile pursuit that reportedly reached speeds of 130mph, the vehicle crashed in the median on Highway 151 and Hemlock Road. Pekarske and a passenger were both ejected and sustained serious injury. His blood alcohol level was said to be over twice the legal limit for driving. A signature bond was set at $1000 yesterday and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for September. If convicted, Pekarske faces up to 33 years in prison.

Markesan Man Charged In Two Separate Chases

7/27/10 - A Markesan man is charged in Dodge County with running from police. Sheriffs deputies on patrol in Fox Lake attempted to pull over a vehicle allegedly driven by Benjamin Wills on May 30 after receiving reports from Green Lake County that he had fled from them earlier in the evening. Dodge County deputies say the 27-year-old fled at a high rate of speed and crashed into a front end loader in the Highway 33 construction zone. Wills and another man reportedly fled on foot. According to the criminal complaint, Wills went to a convenience store and called police to report his vehicle stolen. Authorities say they have both a witness and video footage showing Wills exit the vehicle after the accident. The felony charge carries a maximum three-and-a-half years in prison but because Wills is a repeat offender, he could have up to four years added to the sentence. Cash bond was set at $1000 yesterday and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 4. The next morning, Wills has a plea and sentencing hearing in a Green Lake County courtroom on felony Fleeing charges from earlier that evening.

River Rescue Misunderstanding

7/27/10 - Fox Lake authorities spent part of their (Monday) morning searching the river after a resident reported hearing a yell for help around 6:30 a-m. Fox Lake Police Chief Jim Rohr says they searched both sides of the river from the State Street Bridge down to the dam twice but didn’t find anything to indicate someone had gone into the river. Rohr says the mystery was solved a couple hours later after a 9-1-1 call sent EMS to a home in the area of Seminary Street and Rechek Drive by the river. A home owner there had suffered a heart attack and Rohr believes he was the person who the woman had heard earlier calling for help. The man was taken to the Waupun Hospital for treatment.

Woman Charged With OWI In River Crash

7/27/10 - Alcohol played a factor in a crash that sent a 58-year-old Beaver Dam woman and her vehicle into the Beaver Dam River last night. It happened just before 9 p-m at the Beaver Street Bridge downtown. Police say Carrie Nelson Wapneski was driving north on Madison Street when she lost control of the SUV, went through the guardrail, and landed upside down in the river. Beaver Dam Police Sgt. Eric Feucht tells us that when he arrived on scene there were already three emergency responders in the water. Feucht jumped in and he and four others were able to flip the GMC Trailblazer upright while Nelson-Wapneski was pulled to safety. She was taken to the Beaver Dam Hospital and later cited for OWI.