Top Stories, October 23rd

Final Feingold- Johnson Debate

10/23/10 - The two candidates for Wisconsin's U.S. Senate seat debated for the third and final time last night. Democratic incumbent Russ Feingold said he was the more fiscally responsible choice in a debate that was more contentious than past meetings. Republican challenger Ron Johnson says he's the one with business experience who could create jobs. Both men said the other was distorting their positions, while Feingold accused Johnson of failing to give direct answers. Johnson continued the push his point of view that the best way to help the economy recover is to repeal the health care reform bill.

Five Years In Prison For Assault and Robbery

10/23/10 - A Beaver Dam man was sentenced to five years in prison Friday in connection with an assault and robbery. The victim allowed Michael Dufay into his apartment this past April but was later struck in the back of the head with a gun while playing a video game. The victim was then ordered to the floor while Dufay took $2200 in cash hidden in the kitchen. The 26-year-old was arrested after going to the police station to deny his involvement. He entered a plea of “no contest” to the felony charge of Robbery with the Use of Force in August. Dufay was also sentenced to four years of extended supervision and ordered to pay $2200 in restitution.

BDPD Responds To Gun at School Report

10/23/10- The Beaver Dam Police Department responded to Prairie View Elementary school Thursday after reports that a 27-year-old man was bringing a gun to a parent-teacher conference. Deputy Chief Dan Schubert says the school received the tip just before 3pm. Officers frisked the subject when he arrived and was found to be in possession of a utility knife. He was advised not to return to the school grounds or he’d be arrested. Open carry laws for guns do not apply to schools; in fact state statute prohibits any weapons from being brought onto school campuses.

Inmate Pleads To Forgery Charge

10/23/10 - Forging documents could keep a Fond du Lac woman behind bars for more than 22 years. Kristine Flynn has pleaded guilty to three counts of falsely acting as a public official. The 53-year-old will be sentenced next month. Flynn was an inmate at Taycheedah Correctional Institution when she forged orders last June granting her custody of another inmate’s son and his bank accounts. Earlier this month, Flynn was sentenced to a five-year term for filing fraudulent tax credit forms. She did that while she was in prison as well.

Car Fumes Lead To John Deer Evacuation

10/23/10 - It turns out there wasn’t a gas leak in Horicon Friday morning. Fire Chief Jim Bandsma says the smell that prompted the evacuation of John Deere was a vehicle outside of the facility having front differential problems. The fumes from the vehicle got into the ventilation system of the plant, which spread the odor. After some testing by Alliant Energy, employees were able to return to work after 8am.

Washington County Man Flown Following Collision

10/23/10 - A 22-year-old Washington County man was seriously injured in a head-on collision Friday morning. It happened around 6:45am on Highway 83 about four miles south of Hartford. The Sheriff’s Department says a 16-year-old girl traveling southbound when her vehicle crossed the center line and struck the vehicle driven by the 22-year-old man. The impact caused both vehicles to go into the ditch and overturn. The man had to be extricated and was flown by Flight for Life to Froedert Hospital. The girl was taken to Hartford Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Authorities say they have not determined a cause for the accident but have said that cell phone use was NOT a factor, nor were drugs or alcohol.

Flood Disaster Declaration for Nine Counties

10/23/10 - Local governments in nine Wisconsin counties will get help in recovering from the September floods. While there was some damage downstream in Columbia County, the federal disaster declarations were for the hardest hit areas of the state in western and central Wisconsin. Trempealeau and Buffalo counties were declared as federal disaster areas, along with Jackson, Clark, Wood, Portage, Marathon, Juneau, and Taylor counties. State officials reported almost seven-and-a-half million dollars to roads, bridges, and other public facilities in the floods that began September 22nd. Arcadia had about seven inches of rain, and the entire city was shut down for a day. At least three homes were destroyed in the floods, and hundreds more were damaged. But it was not enough to qualify for individual disaster assistance. Columbia County was also not part of the declaration as officials there did not think the damage warranted the declaration once the waters receded. Lori Getter of Wisconsin Emergency Management says most of the damage was to the levees near Portage and FEMA does not cover levees. Getter says if Columbia County officials change their mind, FEMA officials could always go back and re-assess the damage. Governor Jim Doyle, who applied for the public aid, said it will help those communities rebuild quickly. The federal money will cover 75-percent of repair costs, and state-and-local governments will pick up the rest.

Manitowoc Marine Funeral Arrangements Complete

10/23/10 - Funeral services are complete for a 22-year-old Marine from Manitowoc killed in southern Afghanistan last week. Relatives and friends of Justin Cain can pay their respects from 1 until 6pm Saturday at JFK Fieldhouse on the Lincoln High School campus. A private visitation and funeral service for family and close friends will be held Monday at Salem Ebenezer Reformed Church in Manitowoc. Cain was one of four Marines in his battalion riding a mine resistant ATV in Helmand Province when an improvised explosive device detonated, killing all four aboard. Cain graduated from Lincoln High School in 2007 and enlisted in the Marines shortly thereafter. He had just been deployed to Afghanistan in September.

High School Football Playoff Pairings

10/23/10 - Seven area high school football teams will start their "March to Madison" when the state football playoffs begin on Tuesday night. In Division Two, the 6 - 3 Beaver Dam Golden Beavers will travel to top-seeded Waunakee; you can listen to the game on AM 1430, WBEV with coverage starting at 6:45pm. In Division Four, Platteville will visit Marshall, and in Division Five, Waterloo will host Shoreland Lutheran. In Division Six, Markesan travels to Stevens Point Paceilli, while in Division Seven, Randolph will host Port Edwards, you can listen to this game on FM 95-3, WXRO, with coverage starting at 6:40. Also in Division Seven, Cambria-Friesland will host Assumption, and Rio will play Living Word Lutheran at Portage. All games will kickoff at 7:00.

Security Lessened For Freak Fest

10/23/10 - Madison’s annual Halloween bash will be held next Saturday. And because it’s gotten a lot tamer in recent years, Alderman Mike Verveer says the city will back off from some of its security measures. It used to be that college students from throughout Wisconsin and other states made a pilgrimage to Madison, where they got drunk and then set bonfires and broke store windows after the bars closed. But in 2006, the city fenced off the party area, brought in live music, and began charging admission. And the hundreds of arrests each year finally started going down. Verveer says lots of people miss the chaos, but he doesn’t. He said he’s been to every Halloween bash for two decades, and he knows how dangerous they once were. Verveer expects a capacity crowd of 55-thousand for this year’s “Freak-fest” on October 30th.