Top Stories August 22nd

Man Faces 20-years in Prison for Animal Neglect


8/22/10 - A Portage man faces up to 20 charges of neglecting more than 170 cats. Allan Roach is accused of keeping dead kittens wrapped in foil in his refrigerator. Two years ago, when Roach lived in Fond du Lac, police say they entered his house, finding the smell of urine so strong it made their eyes water and made it hard to breathe. That was in 2008. Fond du Lac District Attorney Dan Kaminsky says it took so long to file the charges against Roach, in part, because of employee turnover in his office.

Beaver Dam Woman Sentenced

8/22/10 - A 24-year old woman was sentenced this week after being convicted as a repeat drug offender. According to prosecutors, Ashley Chapman of Beaver Dam sold a baggie of what turned out to be a gram of cocaine to a police informant back in March. The conviction comes nearly four years after Chapman was found guilty of the same manufacturing/delivering charge. Chapman was sentenced to three-years in prison, five years of extended supervision, and had her license revoked for six months. Another charge was dismissed but read into the record.

Columbia County Authorities Warn About Break-ins

8/22/10 - Authorities in Columbia County are looking for those responsible for a number of recent break-ins at residences and businesses in the Pardeeville-area, as well few thefts from unlocked vehicles. Sheriff Dennis Richards says at least one of the vehicle break-ins resulted in a handgun being stolen. Anybody with information about this or similar break-ins are asked to contact the Sheriff’s Department or the Crime Stoppers tip line at 1-800-293-8477.

Fall Victim’s Mother: “Worst Day of My Life”

8/22/10 - The mother of a 12-year-old Florida girl who plunged 100 feet to the ground on a free-fall ride at a Wisconsin Dells amusement park last month says watching her daughter fall was the "worst day of my life." Julie Marti spoke Friday at the Madison hospital where her daughter Teagan is being treated following the July 30 accident at Extreme World. Julie Marti says she immediately rushed to her daughter's side after the fall. She says she was bleeding from her ears, mouth and nose and she thought she was dead. Julie Marti says her daughter remains on a ventilator and is in stable but critical condition. The update came two days after the Terminal Velocity ride operator was charged with a felony count of first-degree reckless injury for releasing Marti too early.

Information Meeting Set on Future of Jefferson School in Waupun

8/22/10 - Officials in Waupun plan to hold a public information at the end of the month to discuss the possible future of the property on which the Jefferson Elementary stands. There has been talk about using the property to create a community recreational facility but that mostly stemmed from a resident applying for grant through a national program put on by Pepsi. The meeting is an attempt to separate the facts and rumors of the plan and also to hear feedback from representatives of the different groups that currently use the facility, including softball, baseball, and soccer. The meeting is slated for August 30th at 6pm in city hall.

Recovery from Recession Happening but Slowly

8/22/10 - A new economic forecast says there has been more hiring in 2010 than once expected, but employment won't return to pre-recession levels in Wisconsin until 2013. The quarterly Wisconsin Economic Outlook from the state revenue department was released Friday. It says the state had been forecast to add 20,150 jobs in 2010, but it has already added 24,500 since January. Manufacturing led the way with 10,900 jobs. More jobs should slowly be added in the coming months. The forecast calls for 1.7 percent employment growth in 2011 and 2.5 percent in 2012. Wages and salaries are expected to rebound with a 1.2 percent increase in 2010 after falling 4.5 percent in 2009. Personal income, a broader measure than wages and salaries, is predicted to grow by 2.5 percent in 2010 and 4.4 percent in 2011.

Health Care Will Be Hot Topic

8/22/10 - Wisconsin lawmakers will likely spend a lot of time talking about health care in the next year. They have to prepare for new federal health rules and how many people in the state should receive Medicaid. One of the first tough decisions of the newly-elected state legislature when it convenes next year has to do with health care for the poor, and how much Wisconsin can afford. Although federal health reform expands Medicaid, a provision allows states with deficits to scale back coverage by changing eligibility requirements. Funding the burgeoning Medicaid budget isn't the only challenge facing lawmakers as they get ready for health reform. Milwaukee Representative John Richards co-chairs a special committee which is discussing health reform implementation. The special committee will meet over the summer and into the fall to lay the groundwork needed for federal health reform. States have to show they are ready by 2013, with implementation the following year.

Large Disparity in ACT Scores of Blacks and Whites

8/22/10 - The latest ACT scores for Wisconsin show one of the highest disparities between black and white students ever recorded. The 2010 numbers show African-American students with an average ACT composite score of 16, compared to 23 for white students. In recent years, the difference has been just over five points. African-Americans in Wisconsin have also generally tested around 17 for an average ACT composite score. Thirty-one percent more African-Americans in Wisconsin took the ACT compared to last year. A spokesman for the state Department of Public Affairs says while a large achievement gap exists between white and black students, the DPI has adopted what’s called the Common Core State Standards for English, language arts, and math. The goal is to implement those standards in school districts, to boost student performance.

Another Marijuana Grow Operation Uncovered

8/22/10 - Marinette County officials have uncovered another marijuana grow operation and it may be connected to similar ones found last week in Menominee and Oconto Counties. Marinette County Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Jerry Sauve says more than 3,000 plants were located and eradicated this week at a grow site found in a wooded area. While they don’t know for sure, officials believe it is connected to a larger bust last week that uncovered thousands of pounds of marijuana. No arrests have been made. Sauve says they’ve suspected growing was going on in the County for some time, but it wasn’t until this week that a major effort was made to find it through a ground search. He says they suspect there may be others in the area, and anyone who finds marijuana growing in the woods should contact authorities.

Trade-in Mercury Thermometers at the Fair

8/22/10 - It’s not too late for attendees of the Dodge County Fair to trade-in their dangerous mercury thermometers for battery-operated digital thermometers at no cost. Mercury is a toxic substance that can harm both humans and wildlife, and has been blamed for illnesses ranging from mood swings and gum disease to paralysis, poisoning of the nervous system, and even death. When a mercury vapor thermometer breaks, the mercury can evaporate, creating a risk of dangerous exposures to mercury vapor in indoor air. The thermometers should be brought in their storage cases or a disposable rigid plastic container. The Dodge County Health Department is coordinating the exchange and they will have a booth in the Family Living Tent.