Top Stories, July 8th

Twister Touches Down Near Cambria

7/8/10 - There were no injuries but there were “confined incidents” of tornado damage reported last night in northeastern Columbia County. Tornado sirens began to sound in portions of Columbia, Dodge and Fond du Lac beginning at 6:30pm last night, triggered by a small isolated cell that arrived with little fanfare and fizzled out about an hour later. Cambria Fire Department Public Information Officer Cody Doucette (dew-set) says the tornado touched down on the Hendrickson Dairy Farm on County Road B and Jones Drive. It narrowly missed the main house but destroyed several barns and leveled a nearby cornfield. The twister was described by a trained weather spotter as a multi-vortex tornado. Meteorologist Jeff Smith describes that as a “thunderstorm complex that produces an initial funnel surrounded by smaller funnel clouds capable of producing damaging winds. Dodge County Emergency Management Director Joe Meagher says all the damage apparently stayed west of the county line. Just the same he will be meeting today with Rusty Kapela (cul-PELL) with the National Weather Service to assess the storms path.

BDPD K-9 Passes Away

7/8/10 - The Beaver Dam Police Department is mourning the loss of one of their own as their recently retired police dog Ali has died. Deputy Chief Dan Schubert says Ali spent her short retirement with her longtime K-9 handler Officer Andy Strachota and his family until Monday when she died suddenly from complications of a stomach problem. Ali spent over six years with the department and Schubert says when she wasn’t locating narcotics, tracking fleeing suspects and searching buildings she was out meeting kids in the community. In fact, a significant portion of the $10,000 needed to purchase Ali was obtained through fundraisers by Middle School students. Schubert says the department will wait until a new police chief is hired before determining the next step in the departments K-9 program. The K-9 dog in Waupun was put down in March. Last month it was learned that the police dog in Mayville has terminal cancer. As a result, options for Dodge County area law enforcement in using a K-9 unit have been limited. If a canine officer is needed though, the Beaver Dam Police Department would ask for assistance from the Horicon Police Department.

Thieves Steal Gas From Rescue Boat

7/8/10 - Fond du Lac County Sheriff Mick Fink has to choose his words carefully when describing a recent theft in which his own department was the victim. Someone stole about 100 gallons of gasoline from one of the boats they use for rescue and assistance calls on Lake Winnebago. It happened on the Fourth of July when deputies were getting ready to assist a boater and found out there was no fuel in the tanks of the SS Mercury, the work horse of their fleet. Sheriff Fink says they believe someone pulled up near the boat in the Lakeside Park Harbor and siphoned off the gas. Because it was an older boat there was no locked gas cap on it, but they are working now on a cap with a padlock. There are already security fences to the docks. Fink says the boating community should be up in arms because it could have been one of them they were on their way out to rescue. He says because it is a rescue vehicle the thief could be facing enhanced charges when they are caught.

Free Groceries For A Year

7/8/10 - Wisconsin residents have an opportunity to win free groceries for a year. Christine Lindner, the 63rd Alice in Dairyland, says that can be done at the Farmers Feed US website. You’ll have an opportunity to view a short video and register with each of the eight featured farmers daily through October 3. One of the eight farmers featured on the site is from Columbus and two are from Watertown. As Wisconsin’s Agricultural Ambassador, Lindner will be promoting the “Free Groceries for a Year!” program during her stops throughout the state including the State Fair. Agriculture is a $59 billion industry in the state. You too can register for the free groceries at FarmersFeedUS.org.

Violent Crime Down

7/8/10 - The number of violent crimes in Wisconsin went down by six-percent last year. The state Office of Justice Assistance also said property crimes like theft went down by five-percent compared to 2008. And the total number of arrests dropped by three-percent. The Badger State had 146 homicides last year, one fewer than in 2008. Arrests were made for all but one of every 10 slayings, and that’s up four-percent. But the total number of arson fires rose by three-percent. And only 17-percent were solved by arrests, four-percent fewer than the previous year.

Coal Plants Face Additional Pollution Limits

7/8/10 - Coal and natural-gas fired power plants in Wisconsin would likely face additional pollution limits under a new proposal from the U.S. EPA. The federal plan aims to cut emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide that drifts across 31 eastern states. The plan is a re-do of a Bush Administration clean air interstate rule that was ordered changed by the courts. An EPA map released yesterday shows Wisconsin needs to pay attention to reducing fine particle pollution. But the state DNR declined comment, until the agency could study about 1,300 pages of proposed rules.

Farmland Preservation Program

7/8/10 - Wisconsin farmers owning land within designated Agricultural Enterprise Areas will be eligible to enter into voluntary farmland preservation agreements. State spokesperson Jane Larson says the agreement doesn’t involve land use restrictions. There are 12 AEAs covering some 200,000 acres recommended for designation in the first round of the program, in which participating farmers will collect farmland preservation tax credits. All are different. Larson says some have traditional agriculture, and some involve a lot of community supported agriculture. There’s some organic farms, traditional dairy. The Antigo Flats is a large potato and vegetable production area. Each of them has seized on their uniqueness.

Wet Weather Increases Earwig Numbers

7/8/10 - Wet weather this summer is creating a boom in Wisconsin’s earwig population. UW-Madison bug expert Phil Pellitteri says he’s been fielding a number of calls from people who are upset about the insects invading their home and yards. Pellitteri says the bugs enjoy eating a wide variety of plants and can easily find their way inside through cracks or small openings around homes. He suggests using caulk or some other sealant to close open potential spots where they can slip in.

Property Taxes Due At Months End

7/8/10 - Dodge County Treasurer Patti Hilker is reminding taxpayers who postponed the second installment of their property taxes that the balance must be paid on or before July 31. Hilker says to make sure you check the balance of your first installment receipt to ensure proper payment because your second payment is not the same as your first payment…as the first payment may have been reduced by lottery credit. Payments can be made online with a credit card or electronic check at www.witreasurers.org, by telephone at 800-272-9829 or at the treasurers office, 127 East Oak Street in Juneau. Payments must be postmarked by July 31, 2010. Taxpayers mailing after the deadline are subject to interest and a penalty of ten point five percent (10.5%).