Top Stories December 26th

FDL Child Abuse Case turns into Homicide Investigation

12/26/10 - The death of an 18 month old girl turns a child abuse investigation into a homicide case. The little girl died at a Fond du Lac County hospital. Authorities say they had arrested a 22 year old man in connection with the child's severe injuries. A criminal complaint hadn't been filed because authorities were focused on the little girl's medical condition. Emergency responders were told the child had fallen down some stairs, but the physical evidence didn't match the girl's injuries.

Names in Columbia Co. Crash Released

12/26/10 - Authorities have released the name of the woman killed in a two vehicle accident Friday morning in Columbia County. According to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, a semi driver, 44-year-old Joseph Knapstein, had stopped on the right shoulder of I-90 westbound near Arlington to assist with a previous crash at about 9 a.m. Friday. Within minutes, the driver of a north bound pick up, 22-year-old Kali Mann of St. Louis Park, MN, lost control and struck the rear of the semi. She was pronounced dead at the scene by the Columbia County Coroner’s office and the only passenger in the vehicle, 23-year-old Gordon Hicks, also of St. Louis Park, was taken to UW Hospital with serious injuries. The semi driver was uninjured. Speed is considered a contributing factor.

New Years Travel

12/26/10 - Nearly two million people are expected to be traveling on Wisconsin roads and highways over the next two weeks. Triple-A Wisconsin expects another 55 thousand people to fly. Travelers are advised to make sure their cars are in working order before they take to the road. Triple-A puts the figure at 1-point-8 million travelers on the state's highways.

More Charges Filed Against Waupaca Man

12/26/10 - A man charged with possessing child pornography now faces additional charges. Fifty one year old Joseph A. Bohman is accused of sexually assaulting a six year old girl. The girl tells police the Waupaca man touched her inappropriately last Monday, then told her to keep it a secret. Police say Bohman denied the accusation. Bohman was charged with 25 child porn counts last July. Police had served a search warrant and the subsequent computer search turned up 60 pictures of child pornography on his machine.

Federal Judge Seat to Remain Empty for Now

12/26/10 - The empty seat in the federal Court House in Madison will remain empty for the foreseeable future, thanks to a deal reached between the Democratic and Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate. That deal appears to be the end of the line for Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Louis Butler. Last fall, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved his nomination to fill the seat of retiring judge, John Shabazz. But Republican Senators have refused to bring his confirmation to a vote deeming him too liberal for the federal bench. This week, Senators Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell agreed to vote on 19 other judgeships, but to freeze Butler's and three others.

EPA will Continue to Regulate

12/26/10 - The EPA says it still plans to regulate greenhouse gas emissions next year, despite calls from conservatives in Wisconsin and elsewhere, to halt those plans. Federal courts have told the EPA that the agency should regulate carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. The EPA has just released a broad plan, to issue final standards for emissions from fossil-fueled power plants and petroleum refineries by 2012. The EPA's Gina McCarthy promises a flexible approach that will use a lot of input from businesses, states and others. She says her agency is not trying to have power plants and refineries trigger layoffs at other firms. She says the refineries and power plants probably won't make any improvements for about five years, but contends the EPA is still making progress on reducing pollution that harms human health and contributes to climate change.

“Reach Out and Read” Expanding

12/26/10 - The Children’s hospitals in Madison and Milwaukee are joining forces to expand the “Reach Out and Read” program across Wisconsin. UW Hospital and Clinics President Donna Katen-Bahensky says the effort will make free books available to thousands of pre-school aged children. An estimated 96-percent of children in that age group visit the doctor at least once a year. Katen-Bahensky says that means doctors can fill a vital role in educating parents about the importance of reading to their kids at a young age, which research has shown helps to prepare them when they enter school later in life. She says parents who receive books through the program are more likely to read to their kids. The program will make books available at over 50 hospitals and clinics across the state.

Social Media Goes Mainstream

12/26/10 - The communications director for Milwaukee police says the department understands how the social media can help law enforcement do its job. Anne E. Schwartz says Milwaukee police are using Facebook and Twitter, saying all the tools together have helped get the word out much quicker when trying to catch at dangerous suspect. Departments large and small, like the city of Madison and Washington County, are now on Twitter or Facebook and use those sites to get information out to the public. Of course the media are also using their web sites and social media to put out “as it happens” information on crime – and there can be a downside to that. Of course, that immediacy lets suspect know, too.

Local Food Pantry Gets $1,000 Donation

12/26/10 - The Alliant Energy Foundation is spreading a little extra holiday cheer to 27 food pantries across Wisconsin through a wide-ranging giving campaign. As part of that initiative, the Foundation is providing the St. Vincent de Paul Dodge County Food Pantry in Beaver Dam with a $1,000 gift to help low-income families and individuals in the area during the holiday season. The Foundation’s Executive Director, Julie Bauer, says they are honored and humbled to be able to reach out to food pantries during the holidays to assist their customer and neighbors in need.

No Swearing on the Bus

12/26/10 - Milwaukee County bus passenger Terry Duncan says he didn't know you couldn't swear while riding on the bus. Duncan was fined 500 dollars for disorderly conduct, basically using profane language while riding a county bus. Milwaukee County has zero tolerance for disorderly conduct on its buses. Duncan says he is new to the area and didn't know about the rule on swearing because there are no signs posted on the bus he was using.