Top Stories, August 1st

BD Woman Charged With Felony Fleeing

8/1/10 - A Beaver Dam woman faces felony fleeing charges for allegedly running from police early Friday morning. According to department records, Nicole E. Steltz was arrested just before 3am on South Spring Street and Washington. The 27-year-old was also charged with Bail Jumping and driving on a suspended license. Steltz was taken into custody and is being held on an outstanding warrant out of Dane County, where she allegedly failed to appear on a charge related to her second Operating While Intoxicated charge from this March.

Extreme World In Foreclosure

8/1/10 - The extreme sports park where a 12 year old girl was badly hurt is scheduled to go to a sheriff's sale next month. The girl plunged more than 40 feet at Extreme World Friday. She was seriously injured when a safety net under a "free fall" attraction failed to stop her. A judgment of foreclosure was was obtained against Anderson Amusements LLC and Extreme World in court. The Sauk County Sheriff's Sale is scheduled for September 7th.

Doyle Appoints New Dane County D-A

8/1/10 - The newest Dane County District Attorney is also the first African-American to hold the position in any county in Wisconsin. Governor Jim Doyle has appointed Ismael Ozanne to take the place of Brian Blanchard, who has been elected an appeals court judge. Ozanne was an assistant district attorney for 10 years, leaving in 2008 to hold a position with the Department of Corrections. He was deputy secretary of that department when the governor called on him for the position in Madison. Doyle is expected to announce a replacement for outgoing Dodge County District Attorney Bill Bedker as early as this month. Bedker announced this summer that he would be stepping effective August 13.

BD Drops 4-Run Lead

8/1/10 - Holman scored six straight runs, after trailing 4-0, to defeat the White Construction/Beaver Dam American Legion Post 146 baseball team, 6-5 on Saturday night at the Class AA American Legion State Tournament in Merrill. Beaver Dam scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning, but couldn't push the tying run across. Post 146 drops into the consolation bracket to play the hosts, this afternoon at 2:00. You can listen to the game on AM 14-30, WBEV, with coverage starting at 1:50. White Construction/ Beaver Dam American Legion Post 146, falls to 19-13, with the loss and will need to win the rest of their games to win the state tournament.

SAGBRAW Begins Today

8/1/10 - Columbus will be saying farewell this morning to nearly 500 bikers embarking on one of Wisconsin’s largest cycle tours. The six-day tour gets underway today with bikers leaving Columbus High School on a tour loop that will take them through Waupun, Plymouth, Mishicot, Appleton, Green Lake and back to Columbus. The Schramm’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Wisconsin (SAGBRAW) is in its 33rd year. Today’s stops along the tour loop include Mullin’s Drive-in in Fox Lake and an Apple stand outside of Waupun. Waupun will be the first overnight stop on the tour. Yesterday was registration day in Columbus and the front yard of the High School was turned into a “tent” city. The bikers were all welcomed to the School Gym and Shower facilities to prepare for the six-day ride in 80 degree temperatures. The ride will include interesting stops from the shores of Lake Michigan to the Green Lake County Fair.

Kennedy Holds Listening Session

8/1/10 - Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy will hold another one of his listening sessions on Tuesday. Kennedy says city residents are invited to meet with him, one-on-one, without appointment on the first and third Tuesday of every month. He says it is important that constituents have the opportunity to speak with him the day after each regular meeting of the common council. The meetings are held in Room 109 on the first floor of City Hall from 10am until noon. Kennedy says he also make himself available for private meetings by appointment by contacting the mayor office.

Walker Blames Company In Fatal Incident

8/1/10 - The investigation continues, but Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker is suggesting a concrete panel that killed a teenager was attached improperly. Walker says no evidence has been found to single out a cause for last month's fatal accident. The 13-ton slab of concrete fell on Jared Kellner, killing the teenager. Two other people were hurt. A lawyer for the company that built and installed the panels says it's too early to say the current investigation has reached any conclusions. Joshua Levy represents Advance Cast Stone. He says it's not at all clear that the panel failed.

DNR Website: Duck Season Structure

8/1/10 - You can check out the Department of Natural Resources website to see the complete structure for this year's fall duck season by Monday. The DNR says it wants to hear from duck hunters on its plans for the 60-day season. The total bag limit will be six ducks. Public meetings on the season and waterfall management as a whole start tomorrow in La Crosse, running through Thursday. After La Crosse, the meetings will be held in Rice Lake, Appleton and Pewaukee. The official structure of the season will be established by the Natural Resources Board at an August 11th meeting in Superior.

Mayors Group on Madison: ‘Broken Relationship’

8/1/10 - The Wisconsin Alliance of Cities wants the next governor of Wisconsin to know state policies are tying their hands. Alliance members just met in Racine. Mayor John Dickert, current president of the organization, says the mayors want to send a clear and simple message to Madison, “we’re here to help.” Dickert says unlike the federal or state government, municipalities can’t ask Wall Street for money or print up new dollars. Appleton Mayor Tim Hanna says continued reductions in state aid to cities is the result of a “broken relationship” with Madison. He says comprehensive reform in how cities and counties are funded needs to happen.

Seatbelt Usage Below Neighboring States

8/1/10 - Nearly eight out of 10 Wisconsin motorists are buckling up, according to the latest survey numbers from the Wisconsin State Patrol. That’s pretty good, but Michigan reports a 98 percent safety belt use rate. That state isn’t the only one topping 90 percent. Iowa is at 93 percent, Illinois is at 91 percent, and Minnesota is at 90 percent. All of those neighboring states have fines higher than Wisconsin, which is just 10 dollars per violation. Still, seat belt use has been the law in Wisconsin since 1987 and Hughes says it’s no secret seat belts save lives and reduce injuries.

Baby Born in Fire Station

8/1/10 - A young Madison couple realizes they’re not going to make it to the hospital in time, so they call 9-1-1. It happened Thursday, ending with the birth of a baby at a fire station on the city’s east side. Dispatcher Mike Chamberlain directed them to that fire station as the woman, a first-time mom, was already in labor. Then, in just a couple minutes, another call to dispatch -- Fire Station Number Five confirmed the baby’s arrival at 5:45 p.m.