Top Stories, August 4th

BDPFC Commends Six For River Rescue

8/4/10 - The Beaver Dam Police and Fire Commission last night commended the six police officers and firefighters who recently pulled a woman from the river. They include Police Sergeant Eric Feucht, Police Officers Nathan Keener, Andy Strachota, Jake Vosters and Firefighters Charlie Bau and Doug Sackett. A 58-year-old Beaver Dam woman lost control of her SUV late last month, went through the Madison Street Bridge guardrail, and landed upside down in the river. She was cited for OWI. The six were given Certificates of Commendation and “Life-Saving Service Bars” to wear on their uniforms.

Chief of Police Candidates Named

8/4/10 - The list of candidates for the vacant position of Beaver Dam Police Chief has been narrowed to four. They are: Matthew Evans, former Chief of Police from Westchester, Illinois; John Fay, former Deputy Chief from Glencoe, Illinois; Steven Kopp, former Deputy Chief from Janesville, Wisconsin; and Ronald Smith, Lieutenant with the Norwalk, Connecticut Police Department. Interviews with the remaining candidates will take place in closed session on August 13 and 14. The candidate chosen will succeed Dale Boldt, who retired in May.

Hartford Man Enters Plea In Chase

8/4/10 - A Hartford man entered into a plea agreement with Dodge County prosecutors this week in connection with a high speed chase. Officers attempted to stop Joshua Neu in February of last year after he was observed swerving and driving erratically on Highway 60. The 26-year-old led police on a 12-mile chase across two counties with a blood-alcohol level that was twice the legal limit. The chase eventually went off road on Highway 67 just outside of Neosho. His vehicle got stuck, and in an effort to get away, Neu backed up and repeatedly rammed the squad car. The officer had to shoot out the window to get out of his squad car; he sustained minor injuries. Neu and his passenger escaped the scene, but Dodge County deputies tracked down the two about ten minutes later. Neu pleaded guilty to felony Fleeing, Criminal Damage To Property and Operating While Intoxicated and had three other felony charges and a misdemeanor dismissed. A sentencing hearing is set for October 13.

Tanzanian Education Project Update: Parkhurst Contracts Malaria

8/4/10 - The Beaver Dam woman who founded the Tanzanian Education Project has contracted Malaria. In her most recent blog update, Cassie Parkhurst wrote that she and another member of her group have been down with the mosquito-borne illness for the past week. She says they are feeling better and they had tests planned to see if they are Malaria-free. Meanwhile, they are making progress with the library construction. Parkhurst and two others are over halfway through a four month trip to Tanzania. With the help of her home community of Beaver Dam, Parkhurst packed a 20-foot crate with books, sports equipment and school supplies. She writes that the shelves are stocked with non-fiction and reference materials and they are currently working on organizing the fiction section. Parkhurst says the teachers are utilizing the front of the library for a class everyday and the children are so excited about the books they have asked for a special period during the day just for library time. National Geographic is said to be especially useful in lectures. The group hopes to have a librarian in place by the time they leave the East African country next month.

BDEA Pres: ‘Time To Move Forward’

8/4/10 - The current Beaver Dam Education Association President says she hopes the school board and administrators can work together to resolve what she calls “serious human resources issues” in the district. Janet Kilde Shumaker, who has taught in the district for 41-years, wrote an open letter to board members and district officials that echoed much of what was in an open records lawsuit filed last week against the district, including that administrators didn’t enforce the harassment policy or evaluate teachers on the proper schedule. Kilde-Shumaker says with new leadership in place, including Superintendent Steve Vessey, the district needs to learn from its past and move forward.

Bicyclist Injured

8/4/10 - A bicyclist was injured after a collision with a car yesterday in Beaver Dam. It happened just before 5pm at the intersection of West Third and North Spring streets. The 29-year-old Beaver Dam man was transported to the Beaver Dam Community Hospital with minor injuries.

Campaign Donations Reach Record Amount

8/4/10 - Candidates for the Wisconsin Legislature are taking a record amount of campaign donations. The Wisconsin Democracy Campaign said lawmakers and their would-be replacements collected three-and-a-half million dollars in the first half of the year. That’s about 200-thousand more than two years ago, and double what it was in 2002. Almost 30 more people are running for the state Assembly this time than in 2008. And 381 candidates filed for state-and-federal offices – 27-percent more than two years ago. The governor’s office is open, as are about two-dozen Assembly and Senate seats.

CDC Calls For Obesity Reduction

8/4/10 - The federal government is being told that it must step up its efforts to reduce obesity. The U-S Centers for Disease Control announced yesterday (Tu) that nine states now have obesity rates of 30-percent or higher. Just ten years ago, no state had 30-percent of its residents in that category. The report said Wisconsin’s obesity rate was just over 25-percent. That’s in line with a recent study conducted in part by U-W Madison researchers. That report said 27-percent of Wisconsinites were regarded as obese from 2007-through-last year. The C-D-C says it costs an extra 14-hundred dollars a year to treat an obese person, than it does to treat a person of normal weight. The health agency put the nation’s medical costs for treating obesity at 147-billion-dollars a year.