Top Stories July 4th

Happy Fourth of July!


7/4/10 - It’s the final day of the Columbus 4th of July Celebration. It gets underway this morning at 7:30 with the Firecracker 5, which is a five mile run and two mile run/walk. That starts at the Columbus High School where there will also be a kids race circling the athletic field. The 4th of July Parade kicks off at noon and you can listen to it live on WBEV. Music gets started at 2:30 when Diamonds and Martinis take the main stage. At 3pm Wayne the Wizard will start on the KC Brat Stand. And tonight Cross County Junction closes out the entertainment on the main stage. They’ll get going around 7:30 and are slated to run until 11:30. In case of inclement weather all Main Stage Entertainment will be in the Park Pavilion. Organizers say the fireworks will begin at dusk.

Jefferson County Crash Injures Four

7/4/10 - Four people were hurt, including one with life threatening injuries, after a serious accident in the town of Watertown last night. It happened just before 7:30 on Highway A in Jefferson County. Authorities say a Buick LeSabre was traveling north on Highway A near Riverdale Road when it went onto the gravel shoulder, came back across the roadway into the opposite ditch. The car hit some construction barricades, then a gravel driveway before rolling over several times. The 21-year-old Watertown man driving the car was thrown from the vehicle and was taken by Flight for Life to the hospital. The other three passengers were injured and taken to the Fort Atkinson Hospital. Police say speed was a factor but they have not determined whether alcohol was as well. The crash is still under investigation.

Obey Fighting for Teacher Jobs

7/4/10 - It might be his last job, while he's on the job -- saving teaching jobs. Wisconsin Congressman Dave Obey is trying to come up with 10 billion dollars to prevent layoffs at public schools. Obey is chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. He is retiring at the end of this year, ending his 41-year political career. His idea has enemies on both sides of the aisle. Though it was approved as part of a war spending bill just before lawmakers left on their holiday recess. Obey wants to make cuts to other programs to pay for it, including a half-billion dollars from the President's Race to the Top fund. Obama has said he will veto the measure if it includes that cut. Republicans say military spending bills should be about funding the military. Even Department of Education officials have spoken against the plan -- because it impacts Race to the Top.

Smoking Ban Takes Effect Tomorrow

7/4/10 - Today is the last day for many places where one can legally light up indoors. That changes Monday, when the state’s smoking ban takes effect. At Ripp’s Bar in Waunakee, smoking customers don’t see the logic in the new law. One patron says a smoking ban makes no sense if cigarettes are still legal. Ripp’s, like many other taverns around the state, is planning some remodeling to accommodate smoking customers. A patio will give those people a place to go and take a puff or two. Dane County towns went smoke free last August. The statewide smoking ban kicks in on Monday.

Authorities Conducting Boat Checks this Weekend

7/4/10 - Watercraft inspectors and volunteers will be out in force this holiday weekend, conducting free courtesy boat checks. The effort is aimed at slowing the spread of invasive species. If you have a clump of Eurasian water-milfoil tangled in your boat's propeller, you will be asked to get rid of it before you pull your boat to the next lake. Wisconsin has a new law making that illegal. First infractions could cost you from 232 to more than 760 dollars. Second offenses could be more expensive, up to 26-hundred dollars. Just last year inspectors checked out more than 52 thousand boats and the Department of Natural Resources reports 16 percent had plants attached. That's almost nine thousand boats will sneaky little invasive species possibly hitching a ride to their next home.

Road Builders Association and Governor Face Off

7/4/10 - Governor Jim Doyle says an attempt by a road builders' association to amend the state’s constitution could put future budgets at risk, while the group counters that it’s trying to protect Wisconsin's transportation fund. The Wisconsin Transportation Development Association and other business groups want to ban future governors or lawmakers from transferring money out of the state’s transportation fund to fill budget shortfalls. But Doyle says the result of such a ban could mean deep cuts for education in the state. He says ending budget transfers from the Transportation Department will tie future governors and legislatures and they’ll find themselves asking why they’re cutting schools “when transportation is going up 10-12-percent?” Several counties are planning to hold advisory referenda on whether people would support a constitutional amendment this fall.

Well Respected Doctor Commits Suicide After Shooting Wife

7/4/10 - Chicago investigators say UW Hospital pediatric heart surgeon Dr. Hani Hennein apparently committed suicide. His estranged wife is expected to survive a gunshot wound to her face. The couple had four children. Hennein reportedly left a suicide note behind. In happier times, the talented doctor lived in Madison during the week and commuted to the home in the Chicago area on weekends. Julia Hennein filed for divorce and an order of protection against the doctor last month. She accused him of physical abuse and extreme mental cruelty, but Dr. Hennein was granted visitation rights with their children.

Presence of Mosquitoes Expected to Increase

7/4/10 - Stock up on the "Off" and citronella, heavy rains across northern and western Wisconsin figure to result in a bloated mosquito population in the summer weeks to come. Any water that stands in place for four days can breed mosquitoes and there is plenty of that. Health officials say you should be using insect repllent when you are outside. No extra spraying is planned right now. Officials only use that approach when there is fear of a West Nile virus outbreak. That's not the case right now. Rusk County health officials say the best thing you can do to fight the onslaught of mosquitoes is to remove their possible breeding grounds. Get rid of all that standing water.

Garbage and Recycling Not Affected by Holiday Weekend in BD

7/4/10 - The holiday weekend will not affect garbage and recycling pick-up this week for residents in Beaver Dam and other customers of Veolia Environmental. Facilities Director David Stoiser Veolia will work their normal Monday through Friday schedule. However, Department of Public Works employees will be off Monday in observance of the holiday, so brush pick-up will be delayed by one day for the first half of the week. Monday’s brush pick-up will be on Tuesday, Tuesday’s will be picked-up on Wednesday and Wednesday’s will be picked-up on Thursday. However, by Thursday crews will be caught up and there will be no change in the Thursday and Friday schedule. In addition, the Yard Waste Drop-off at the Public Works Garage will be closed on Monday.