Top Stories December 24th

Lynch Makes Initial Appearance


12/24/10 - Former Fox Lake Police Chief Patrick Lynch made his initial appearance yesterday on charges that he sexually assaulted a 7-year-old girl in 1989 and later stalked her and two other people. The 54-year-old was freed on a $25,000 cash bond with conditions following his appearance. Lynch was charged on Wednesday with 1st degree sexual assault of a child and three counts of felony stalking. During yesterday’s proceedings, Lynch told the court he resigned from his job as police chief in 2009 to avoid finger pointing associated with the accusations that he’s been dealing with for some time. And said “It’s time for this to be in a courthouse.” The alleged sexual assault occurred in the summer of 1989 in a bathroom at the girl’s home in Randolph. The victim, who is now 28, says her father was friends with Lynch, who is also charged with allegedly stalking the victim at her place of work beginning in high school and continuing through early-2008. The two other counts of stalking relate to incidents involving the then-boyfriend of Lynch’s ex-wife and a former employee at the Fox Lake Police Department. Lynch is due back in court next week.

Duplex Damaged by Fire

12/24/10 - One half of a duplex in Columbus was badly damaged last night by fire. It happened in the Kestrel Ridge subdivision on Ridgeview Lane around 7:30. Upon arrival, firefighters found the rear of the structure fully engulfed and were still dealing with hotspots late last night.

Break-in Investigated

12/24/10 - Authorities are investigating a break-in that occurred early yesterday morning at a Lomira business. It happened after 2 a-m at Olde Towne Beverage in the 400 block of East Main Street. The security company ADT reported a front motion alarm was set off and upon deputies found the front door smash out. The building was secured for the rest of the morning and more follow up was expected. It’s unclear if anything was missing from the business.

MEC Expanding

12/24/10 - Mayville Engineering plans to start production early next year at an old factory the firm recently bought in Wautoma. Mayville is currently renovating the structure, which used to be a Cummins Filtration plant. The new facility is expected to have 100 employees by the end of next year – and around 200 by the end of 2013. It will start with manual welding work, and later move into robotic welding, laser-cutting, brake-forming, and machine production. The Wautoma plant has over 156-thousand square feet. Mayville Engineering has its headquarters in Mayville. It also has plants in Beaver Dam, Neillsville, and Berlin.

Unemployment Holds Steady

12/24/10 - Unemployment in the region held steady for the most part from October to November. The jobless rate in Dodge County remained at 7.2% over the two months period. That’s a full point-and-a-half lower than at the same time one year ago. Jefferson County was down one-tenth of a point to 7.4-percent, while Fond du Lac County held steady at 6.7%. Washington County dropped two-tenths to 6.4% and Columbia County was at 7.0% up two-tenths. Twenty-three counties had lower rates and another five had no change from October. Meanwhile, five of Wisconsin’s 12 metro areas lost jobs last month, and nine of those areas had steady or lower unemployment rates from October. Madison lost the most jobs, with 13-hundred on a seasonally-adjusted basis. But Wisconsin’s capital still had the state’s lowest jobless rate at an unadjusted five-percent, down two-tenths from the previous month. Janesville had the highest unemployment rate of the metros at nine-point-six-percent, down two-tenths from October. All told, Wisconsin lost 52-hundred jobs last month, with a jobless rate that held steady at seven-point-one-percent.

Trial Scheduled fro Corrections Officer

12/24/10 - A jury trial has been schedule for a guard at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun who’s accused of assaulting an inmate. Driftten Kitzman is facing a felony count of Abuse of Residents of Penal Facilities for an incident in July. According to the criminal complaint, another guard punched the inmate in the mouth and Kitzman intervened as the two struggled. The 41-year-old correctional officer allegedly threw the inmate on the ground face first, kneeled on his head and punched him in the ribs while saying, “Stop resisting.” He told investigators he was using tactics intended to gain compliance. If convicted, Kitzman could spend up to three-and-a-half years in prison. The trial is scheduled for early April.

Trio will be Tried Together

12/24/10 - Prosecutors in Waukesha won a court battle yesterday morning, when a judge ordered a single trial for three men charged in a conspiracy to kill an Oconomowoc woman. Defense lawyers wanted separate trials for 66-year-old Jack Johnson, 27-year-old Justin Welch, and 42-year-old Darren Wold. But Circuit Judge James Kieffer refused to buy the defendants’ arguments that a joint trial would hurt their chances of having their cases heard fairly. The case involves the stabbing death last October of Wold’s ex-girlfriend, 39-year-old Kimberly Smith. Wold was reportedly in a bitter custody battle over his young son. And prosecutors said Wold and Johnson allegedly conspired to hire a hit-man to kill Smith, so Wold could have full custody of the child. Prosecutors said Welch pulled off the actual murder. District Attorney Brad Schimel said the three defendants were part of quote, “the same criminal enterprise,” and therefore a joint trial is justified.

No Salmonella Poisoning at WI Jimmy John’s

12/24/10 - Health officials say none of the Jimmy John’s restaurants in Wisconsin have been affected by a salmonella outbreak reported in neighboring Illinois. The sandwich chain said it was pulling alfalfa sprouts from some of its franchised outlets, after Illinois health officials confirmed that 44 people came down with salmonella poisoning. One of those people was a Wisconsinite who ate at a Jimmy John’s in Chicago – but a public health official in Illinois did not know where the Wisconsin resident lives. Officials say they’re testing produce from the Illinois Jimmy John’s – and alfalfa suppliers are being checked out.

BD Elks Lodge Christmas Food Basket Program

12/24/10 - The Beaver Dam Elks Lodge is gearing up for their annual Christmas Food Basket Program. For 59 years the service organization has been helping families throughout Dodge County put a little extra food on the table over the holiday. Christmas Basket Committee Chairman Rob Radig says last year the Elks packed 480 food baskets for nearly 2000 individuals but this year that number is expected to top 500. In the last three years they’ve delivered over 1200 baskets to over 6000 adults and children. Packing of the food baskets will begin at 8:45am this (Fri) morning at Beaver Dam Ford on North Spring Street, next to Fleet Farm, and the public is encouraged to stop by and deliver a basket. Radig says the delivery process is expected to take a couple hours. The Beaver Dam High School Wrestling team and local Boy Scouts will also be on hand to participate in the process. After the workshop is closed and the sleighs are empty, volunteers are invited over to the Beaver Dam Elks Lodge at 126 South Spring Street for a free lunch.