Top Stories, July 28th

BDPFC Proceeds To Chief Interviews

7/28/10 - The Beaver Dam Police and Fire Commission held a special meeting in closed session last night to discuss the search for a new police chief. A consultant firm provided the city with 14 candidates to replace retired Chief Dale Bolt and the PFC has narrowed the field to six finalists with one alternate. Interviews with the remaining candidates will take place in closed session on August 13 and 14.

Race To Top Rejected

7/28/10 - Wisconsin was rejected in its second effort to get a quarter-billion dollars in federal stimulus money to improve its public schools. The Badger State was not on the list of 19 states and Washington D-C that are finalists to receive the Race To The Top grants. When Wisconsin was snubbed earlier this year, federal evaluators said officials did not get enough input from teachers’ unions throughout the state. This time, Governor Jim Doyle had said he bent over backwards to give the unions and others input into what the state would do with the money. Among other things, they came up with a system to improve the public schools in Milwaukee – which has most of the lowest-performing schools in the state. Only Delaware and Tennessee got funded the first time. Wisconsin’s application was rated the 26th best of the 40 states which applied.

Litscher Excited About Revisiting Supt Position

7/28/10 - The incoming Superintendent of the Cambria-Friesland School District says he is excited about the upcoming school year and looks forward to the challenges. The school board this week approved a one-year, part-time contract with Jon Litscher, who spent 21 years in education before settling into a state job under Governor Thompson. Litscher had previously served as Superintendent in Waupun, Lake Mills and also Cambria Friesland. In the half-time position Litscher will work two and a half days per week; three days when there is a school board meeting. Litscher is also a Beaver Dam Alderman and while meeting nights may conflict on occasion, he says it should have no effect on his ability to serve his constituents. The contract runs through next June.

FEMA in Milwaukee Today

7/28/10 - Federal disaster inspectors will visit flood-ravaged Milwaukee as early as today. The sheriff’s department says a team from the Federal Emergency Management Agency is now due in Wednesday, to see if last week’s flood damage qualifies for federal disaster aid. Governor Jim Doyle’s office originally said a FEMA team would not be in the state until next Monday. But Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, Sheriff David Clarke, and other local leaders had accused the state of moving too slowly to help their community. State emergency management officials said they were still working with other Wisconsin counties to determine their flood losses. Normally, the governor doesn’t seek disaster aid until he gets a final statewide damage total. Milwaukee County submitted its damage figures last Friday, at 28-and-a-half million dollars. They then updated that figure yesterday to 37-and-a-half million.

Three Minor Injuries in Wreck

7/28/10 - Three people were transported from the scene of a two-vehicle accident Tuesday in Beaver Dam. The car versus SUV collision was reported at 9:55am at the intersection of Beichl and Wayland Street. The Beaver Dam Fire Department responded to assist EMS personnel and for fluid clean-up. The three were transported to the Beaver Dam Community Hospital with minor injuries.