Top Stories December 23rd

Former Fox Lake Chief Lynch Charged


12/23/10 - A former Fox Lake Police Chief has been charged with the sexual assault of a child and stalking. 54-year-old Patrick Lynch was arrested Wednesday morning yesterday the conclusion of an investigation by the state Department of Justice and the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department. Lynch is charged with one count of 1st degree sexual assault of a child under the age of 13 and three counts of stalking. The alleged sexual assault occurred in the summer of 1989 at home in Randolph. The victim’s father was friends with Lynch, who was an officer with the Randolph Police Department. In the criminal complaint, the victim says that beginning in high school Lynch would show up at her place of employment, and that continued until at least early 2008. A 2nd stalking count came as a result of numerous alleged altercations between Lynch and the then-boyfriend of Lynch’s ex-wife. The criminal complaint states the two got in a shoving match in a bar in 2005 and another incident in 2007 that resulted in charges being filed against the boyfriend. The complaint states Lynch followed the boyfriend around Fox Lake in his squad car, while serving as the police chief. The third count relates to a former Fox Lake Police Department employee, who says Lynch stalked her after she left the department, including driving past her home as many as 10-times per day, coming into her home uninvited and to her place of employment. Lynch resigned from his job as police chief in Fox Lake in the spring of 2009. He’s due in court Thursday morning for his initial appearance.

One Injured in Semi-Trailer Fire

12/23/10 - One person was injured after the wheels on a tractor-trailer caught on fire in Beaver Dam late Wednesday morning. It happened near the intersection of South Lincoln Ave and Washington Streets, just steps from the fire department. Captain Matt Christian says they were called out just before noon and were able to extinguish the fire quickly. The driver of the truck suffered minor injuries when the fire caused the airbags in the tractor-trailers suspension to deploy. Christian says heat generated by the brakes is what caused the tires to start on fire.

Principal Could Be Done in Horicon

12/23/10 - The Horicon School District has taken the first step towards not renewing the contract of current assistant high school principal and athletic director Jeff Higgins. The school board met in closed session this week and issued a preliminary notice of non-renewal to Higgins, whose contract is up in June of 2012. A final notice would be issued next month if the board so chooses. Higgins was put on administrative leave while serving as Principal of the high school in early June when issues between he and his staff came to light but was reinstated in August. Superintendent Gary Berger says the non-renewal isn’t based solely on this summer’s events and that the school board is looking at the big picture.

Closed Campus Coming to BDHS

12/23/10 - In conjunction with the new scheduling format at the high school, the Beaver Dam School Board approved closing the campus. That means students, beginning with this fall’s freshmen class, will not be able to leave the grounds during school hours. Superintendent Steve Vessey says there will be opportunities for upperclassmen to earn the right of having open campus through a rewards program but they felt a closed campus would make for a safer environment for freshmen and sophomores. as of two years ago just 20 of the more than 450 school districts in the state had open campus at some of their schools.

4-K Becoming the Norm

12/23/10 - Four-year-old kindergarten has almost become standard in Wisconsin public schools. A new state report said 85-percent of districts with elementary schools have kindergarten for four-year-olds in the current school year. It’s offered in 350 districts, and over 41-thousand youngsters are enrolled. Ten years ago, 166 Wisconsin school systems had four-year-old kindergarten. And just under 15-thousand youngsters were attending those classes. District in our area that are currently running 4-K programs or will be in the near future include Beaver Dam, Waupun, Horicon and Columbus. Others, such as Mayville, are studying the possibility of starting their own program.

New Simulator Looks to Increase Highway Safety

12/23/10 - Two U-W Madison experts hope to improve highway safety with a sophisticated driving simulator they created. It’s a Ford Fusion that’s connected to a 24-foot screen and a network of computers and projectors. The vehicle stays still while a person drives it. But the screen shows the consequences of a driver’s every move, as simulated in real-looking street and highway scenes. The device cost a half-million dollars, funded in part by the state D-O-T. Creators say the simulator will create a new world of research, as it studies everything from a driver’s distractions by cell phones to safety features on freeway ramps.