Top Stories, December 3rd

Lake Shore Drive Residents Critical of Reconstruction

12/3/10 - City officials in Beaver Dam held a pair of informational meetings yesterday for residents on Lake Shore Drive facing a major street reconstruction this summer. The $1.7 million project from Oneida to Denning is proposed to include concrete street, curb and gutter, decorative street lighting and sidewalk installation on both sides of the street. Close to 50 people turned out between the two sessions, which come in advance of a formal public hearing next week.

When asked why the project needed to be done, Engineering Coordinator Ritchie Piltz says the 55-year-old street is well beyond its intended life expectancy. The meeting was at times contentious, with residents citing $7000 to $10,000 assessment letters they’ve been receiving and criticizing the (quote) “cookie-cutter” approach of the city’s policy that requires sidewalk installation with new road construction. Others questioned why the city wants to destroy the ambiance of the neighborhood by removing as many as 76 trees. Several residents were skeptical of the process itself, saying that city officials have already made up their mind. Piltz pointed out that engineering on the project has been approved but the construction and funding have not. Mayor Tom Kennedy said he expects alderpersons to look at each project individually, take citizen suggestions and vote on what’s best for the city.

At the request of residents last night, Piltz agreed to provide cost estimates for alternative options, including the use of asphalt instead of concrete, the installation of a bike lane in lieu of a sidewalk one side of the street and reconstructing the roadway without installing sidewalks at all. The formal hearing on the proposed reconstruction will be held next Wednesday at the Beaver Dam Community Library at 6:30pm.

Details Emerge In Shooting of Beaver Dam Soldier

12/3/10 - More details are emerging in the circumstances surrounding the death of a Beaver Dam soldier in Afghanistan. A U-S commander said Thursday that a lone gunman from Afghanistan’s Border Police killed five Army soldiers, and then turned around and killed a sixth before other soldiers killed the gunman. 21-year-old Army Private Jacob Gassen of Beaver Dam was among the 101st Airborne Division members from Fort Campbell Kentucky who died on Monday. The division’s top officer, Major General John Campbell, said the soldiers were working with several Afghan units at an observation post when the Afghan policeman fired on them. The Taliban claimed responsibility, saying they infiltrated a volunteer who wanted to kill foreigners. But Campbell said he’s not sure how much truth there is to that. He said the gunman was with the Afghan police force for about three years – and he was screened before being allowed to join. The cause of the attack remains under investigation by officials of both the U-S and Afghanistan. And both nations are reviewing how partnerships are created, and how candidates for duty are screened. The attack was the deadliest in Afghanistan in two years. Some of the president’s top military leaders were at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware last night for a ceremony after the troops’ bodies landed.

Foreclosures Drop In State, Region

12/3/10 - New home foreclosure cases in southeast Wisconsin have dropped to their lowest levels in over two years – but not necessarily because the economy got better. Some banks have delayed new foreclosures, while state justice departments determine if mortgage service companies hastily approved cases without fully reviewing the necessary documents. As a result, foreclosures in Dodge County were down substantially in November when compared to October, AND the same time period a year ago. According to foreclosurealarm-dot-com, there were 21-forclosures in the county during November, which was down 38-percent from October and 48-percent from last year during the same period. Columbia County saw a similar decrease going from 38-foreclosures in October to 22 last month, a 29-percent decrease. Washington County was down 32-percent last month and 14-percent from the same period a year ago. Meanwhile, Fond du Lac County was up 3-percent in November from October, but was still 25-percent lower than November of ’09. It was the same case in Jefferson County which saw an increase of 10-percent in November but a 15-percent decrease from last year.

Burglars Scared Off By Homeowner

12/3/10 - A Lomira man scared off some would-be burglar’s early Thursday morning. According to the Dodge County Sheriffs Department, the attempted break-in occurred on County AY around 1am. The homeowner told police that someone broke out his kitchen window in an attempt to gain entry to the residence. The man was able to scare off the suspects, who fled in a older-model white Pontiac. Deputies were unable to locate the vehicle. Anyone with information should contact the Dodge County Sheriffs Department or the anonymous We-Tip hotline at 800-78-CRIME.