Top Stories, November 12th

Veterans Tell Their Story

11/12/10 - Veterans from all branches of the Armed Forces, representing wars from the Middle East to World War II shared their stories with us during a special, four-hour broadcast on WBEV yesterday. Several World War II veterans shared their war stories with our listeners yesterday, but they were most eager to talk about their experience with “Honor Flight.” Jim Kaiser of Beaver Dam served in the Navy during World War II. Kaiser told of surviving a kamikaze attack, watching planes that steered away from his ship to instead strike the neighboring USS Pennsylvania. He says he was proud of the men who fought to keep the Pennsylvania afloat and later heartbroken when the battleship was used to test the atomic bomb. Kaiser spoke most passionately about his recent experience aboard the Badger Honor Flight, a program that flies World War II veterans to their Memorial in Washington DC at no cost to them. He says thinking about it brings a tear to his eye and he’ll never forget the experience.

Retired Judge Daniel Klossner of Juneau recounted his experiences as an Army medic in Vietnam, and – in what he later called “therapeutic” – he recounted in exacting detail the bullets that he took on the front lines while at the same time having to tend to fellow soldiers. Klossner says he did not lose consciousness when he was shot in the forehead and recited a prayer with a friend who died in his arms. “It was the choice of the good Lord that the North Vietnamese didn’t finish [him] off,” Klossner said.

FTD Awards $68K In Grant Funding

11/12/10 - The Dodge County Farm Tech Days Executive Committee has announced its latest round of grant recipients. Executive Committee Secretary Matt Hanson says the committee had over $150,000 in profits remaining after last year’s event in Waterloo and began accepting applications earlier this year with the intention of funding new or existing agriculture friendly programs. Hanson says there were more than $225,000 in requests reviewed by the committee and they gave out just over $68,000. Funding will be provided to make a number of improvements to the Dodge County Fairgrounds. Earlier this year, the committee awarded funding to help in the construction of a new restroom facility on the fairgrounds. Now, money is being awarded to make improvements to the Co-Op Building and small animal building, there will also be upgrades to the Youth Building and renovations to the Horse Arena. Money was also awarded to a variety of FFA organizations. There is over $80,000 left in the fund. Hanson says the next round of awards will be for scholarships that have been requested. Hanson says there should be around $70,000 remaining after this recent round of grant scholarship awards and the committee plans to announce additional grant opportunities in the future.

More Appointments To Joint Finance

11/12/10 - Five more Republicans were appointed Thursday to the state Legislature’s most powerful committee. Assembly Speaker-elect Jeff Fitzgerald named Mark Gottlieb of Port Washington to the Joint Finance Committee along with Pat Strachota of West Bend, John Nygren of Marinette, Dan Meyer of Eagle River, and Dan LeMahieu (leh-may-hew) of Cascade. The panel rewrites the governor’s version of the state budget for legislative approval – and it also considers a host of expenditures throughout the year. Republicans will have 12 of the 16 committee members, after winning both houses of the Legislature in last week’s elections.

Nine Seek To Replace Kratz

11/12/10 - Nine attorneys want to become Calumet County’s next chief prosecutor. They’ve applied to the governor’s office for Jim Doyle’s appointment to replace Ken Kratz. Spokesman Adam Collins says Doyle will appoint a new district attorney soon for Calumet County – but he did not give a date. Kratz resigned a few weeks ago amid allegations that gave sexually-explicit messages to women who had business with his office.

Winnebago Co To Penalize Adults Who Host

11/12/10 - Winnebago County will become the second municipality in Wisconsin to penalize adults who provide places for underage drinking parties. The County Board in Oshkosh has voted 33-to-1 to join Manitowoc County as the only ones to have such an ordinance. It would be against the law for adults to knowingly allow underage parties in specific locations – be it in a private home, or a hotel room. Joe Yana, who co-chairs a group that pushed for the ordinance, says the new law sends a message to parents to make sure their teens do not use their homes or another spot to have drinking parties. Enforcement begins December first in un-incorporated areas of Winnebago County. But Yana says cities and villages in the county are also looking at the measure. The penalty for breaking the ordinance is 500-dollars the first time, and a-thousand-dollars plus jail time for a second offense within 30 months. The only supervisor to vote against the measure, John Reinert of Larsen, said government has no business telling adults how to lead their private lives.