Top Stories, October 25th

Watertown Company Gets $450K Grant

10/25/10 - A Watertown company has been awarded nearly a half-million dollars to expand its production capacity and create jobs. Idle Free Systems Incorporated makes a battery-powered device that allows truckers to power up the cab of their semi while taking a break from the road. The system stores electricity for use when the engine is off to power things like televisions and microwaves, saving on fuel costs and routine engine maintenance. The five-year-old company is getting $450,000 to increase production and add 20 positions; the award represents a total investment of over $2 million dollars. The funding is part of nearly $3 million dollars from the Commerce Department being given to three companies to create a total of 36 new jobs. The money comes from the state’s economic development tax credits and the State Energy Program (SEP), which is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Domestic Abuse Shelter Awarded WTAF Funding

10/25/10 - A Jefferson County domestic abuse shelter was among the organizations benefiting from a series of statewide grants from the Wisconsin Trust Account Foundation. The $7200 in funding for People Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse will be used to provide civil legal services in areas such as domestic abuse, housing, employment, and disability for the state’s poor and underserved. PADA offers 24-hour crisis intervention in addition to options-based counseling, legal advocacy, support groups, community resource advocacy and access to other community services. PADA also provides prevention education throughout the community and in Jefferson County schools. More information is available at www.padajc.org.

DNR Holds Open Water Duck Hunting Meeting Tonight

10/25/10 - The DNR is holding an informational meeting tonight (Mon) on the possibility of allowing open water duck hunting on Beaver Dam Lake. Open water duck hunting is currently limited to the Great Lakes, Lake Winnebago, Green Lake, Petenwell Flowage and some areas of the Mississippi River. Officials say the idea to expand open water hunting started in 2006 when a citizen submitted the idea during the annual Conservation Congress meetings held in each of the state’s 72 counties. In 2007, the question of forming an ad hoc committee to study the issue received a positive vote during Conservation Congress meetings held in every county. Duck hunters would have to be 1000 feet from shore. Van Horn says these are “scoping” meetings to receive local input before reporting committee recommendations to the Natural Resources Board. The meeting will be held at the Beaver Dam Town Hall on County Highway W at 7pm.

SKDS Puts Expansion Vote To Parishioners

10/25/10 - Parishioners with the St. Katherine Drexel Church in Beaver Dam will hold a Town Hall Meeting this week in advance of a vote on future building projects. One plan is to build a new church and school complex at the intersection of County Highway B and Crystal Lake Road at a cost of $15 million. The other plan costs roughly $4 million and involves the purchase of the furniture store at the corner of South Spring and Mill streets for office space while renovating the church and school on Spring Street. Parish Council Chair Judy Johnson says they want community input instead of having a small number of church members make the decision. The Town Hall Meeting will be this Thursday at 7pm in the Spring Street church. Parishioners will be able to vote in November and the decision will be made by majority rule.

BDFD Responded To Small Grease Fire

10/25/10 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department responded to a North Center street apartment just after noon Sunday. Officials say the residence filled with smoke from burning food on the stove. The apartment unit was ventilated and firefighters were on the scene for less than a half hour. Firefighters were only back at the station for a few minutes when they were called out to a gas odor investigation at a South Spring Street residence. Alliant Energy also responded and wound up replacing a faulty valve.

E-Cycle Law Affects Bulk Pickup

10/25/10 - Beaver Dam residents will face more restrictions during their bulk garbage pick-up which begins next Monday. Collection regulations have changed as a result of the state’s new E-Cycle law. Items that will no longer be collected include desktop and laptop computers, printers, fax machines, cell phones, DVD players and video devices with screens over 7” long such as TV’s and computer monitors. Previous restrictions remain in place and that includes no metal items like bed springs and pipes. Among the items that will be accepted: furniture, wooden doors and rolled carpet not exceeding 4’ to 6’ in length. Bulk waste can be placed on the curb no sooner than 24 hours prior to each collection and by 7am on the day of pick-up. The next bulk garbage pick-up after next week will be the first waste collection day of May. Brush and shrubbery cuttings will also be accepted for the last time this year during the same period. Bulk items and yard waste can also be dropped off at the public works garage year round.

Small Packet Trees Available

10/25/10 - Trees and shrubs are now available for the annual Fall Small Packet Tree sales program in Dodge County. The Land Conservation Department is offering several species of trees for sale for the 2011 planting season, including red and white Oak, White Cedar, Norway Spruce, Silver Maple and American Cranberry Bush. Most trees are sold in bundles of 25 for $23 per bundle. The deadline to place orders is January 28, but there are limited amounts of some species, so early orders are encouraged. For more information or to get an order form, contact the Dodge County Land Conservation Department at 386-3660. http://www.co.dodge.wi.us/conservation/landserv.html#treesales