Top Stories, December 8th

Good Karma Food Drive Today

12/8/10 - The annual WBEV-WXRO Food Drive will held this morning (Wed) at our studio’s in Beaver Dam. Our morning show hosts will brave the cold weather to collect non-perishable food items and cash donations outside our studio’s at 100 Stoddart Street. You don’t even have to get out of your car, just roll down your window and they’ll take the items right there on the street. Last year’s Food Drive resulted in $1461 in cash donations and large quantity of non-perishable food items for the Dodge County Food Pantry.

Chamber Announces Award Reciepients

12/8/10 - The Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce has selected the reciepients for their annual Citizen, Non-Profit and Business of the Year award. Executive Director Phil Fritsche says the Citizen of the Year is none other than Good Karma Broadcastings own Laura Slosser. Fritsche says Slosser is a dedicated community servant who has not only been a volunteer with a wide variety of service organizations but also a leader. Inter-Quest Corporation has been tabbed to be the 2011 Business of the Year for donating their knowledge of computers along with hundreds of man hours to local projects that benefit the region. American Legion Post #146 is this year’s Non-Profit winner; they were singled out for going beyond the needs of the military and their families to support youth activities and other charitable organiztions. Laura Slosser, the American Legion and Interquest will be recognized at the Chambers Annual Dinner on Wednesday, January 26.

Former Priest Pleads Guilty In Church Theft

12/8/10 - A former priest from St. Bernard Catholic Church in Watertown pleaded guilty Tuesday to charges that he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars from the church and its parishioners. Thomas Marr solicited money from parishioners, fellow priests, friends and family members saying he wanted to help members of the congregation. In borrowing the money he said it was a short-term loan to help a fellow priest or a needy member of the congregation. In July of last year, the church president ordered an audit after learning that as much as $125,000 in bills had gone unpaid. According to the criminal complaint, church officials then discovered a $50,000 IOU from Marr, dating back to November of 2008. The criminal complaint also lists 21 families bilked out of more than $168,000. Marr is said to have wired those funds, along with around $160,000 from his own retirement account, to a parishioner from Juneau who invested millions of dollars in a Nigerian scheme. Marr said that he never intended to keep the money and planned to give it back when the scheme panned out, plus one million dollars. A pre-sentencing investigation was ordered and Marr faces up to 20 years in prison. Both Marr and the parishioner were named in a civil lawsuit filed by the church that was later dismissed.

PFC Tables Chief Vote

12/8/10 - The Beaver Dam Police and Fire Commission met in regular session last night but did not act on hiring a new police chief. Commissioners reached consensus on a candidate in closed session last week. At that time, Chair Nancy Conley said the PFC would not vote on the official hiring until the city’s offer has been formally accepted. She said yesterday was the earliest the vote would come and did not rule out calling a special session. Conley told us last night the process is still underway. In July, The PFC narrowed the field to four candidates: a former Police Chief from Westchester, Illinois; a former Deputy Chief from Glencoe, Illinois; a former Deputy Chief from Janesville; and a Lieutenant with the Norwalk, Connecticut Police Department. The candidate chosen will succeed Dale Boldt, who retired in May.

Couple Injured In Loose Semi Wheel Wreck

12/8/10 - A Waukesha couple was injured Tuesday morning after the tires from a semi truck came off the trailer and slammed into their car. The accident occurred just after 10am in Washington County. According to the Wisconsin State Patrol, the semi was traveling southbound on Highway 41, just south of Highway 28 near Theresa, when the drivers-side dual rear tires came off the back end of the trailer, crossed the median and entered the northbound lanes of traffic where it struck the front drivers side of a northbound Dodge Neon. The driver of the car, 29-year-old James Likeric, braked and the vehicle spun out and came to rest in the median. The Theresa Fire Department used the jaws-of-life to extricate him from the car. Likeric and a passenger were transported to Hartford Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The crash is under investigation.

BDFD Battles Two Truck Fires

12/8/10 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department had its hands full with truck fires this week. Crews responded to parking lot of Air Care Incorporated on Highway 33 in the Town of Beaver Dam Tuesday afternoon just after 2pm. When firefighters arrived the engine compartment of a van was fully engulfed. They were able to keep the flames from spreading to the nearby business. Officials were on the scene for about a half hour. It is unknown what caused the blaze. Beaver Dam firefighters responded to a truck fire on Monday around 1:20pm in the Town of Westford. A torpedo heater ignited some cardboard and the flames quickly spread to the truck. The Dodge County Sheriffs Department was the first on scene and deputies pushed the vehicle outside the garage before extinguishing the flames. Crews were on the scene for about one hour.

Walker Looking To Reduce State Employee Benefits

12/8/10 - Governor-elect Scott Walker says the state might save enough money to cover the deficit in its current budget by reducing state employee benefits. The Republican Walker said today that 154-million dollars could be saved by making employees contribute five-percent toward their pensions – and by making undisclosed adjustments to their health insurance. Walker said the state faces a revenue shortfall of over 150-million-dollars in the budget that runs until next June 30th. And that doesn’t include the estimated three-billion-dollar shortfall expected in the next budget starting in July of 2011. The current deficit is caused by the higher-than-expected use of Medicaid health programs and public defenders for the poor – plus lower-than-expected revenues for highway projects. In a statement, Walker said he wants a “range of options” when choosing between a reduction in government services and quote, “bringing public sector employee benefits in line with the private sector.” State legislative Democrats promise to block Walker’s attempt to cut benefits in the current budget. They plan to approve new contracts with 15 unions before the G-O-P takes over on January third – but the unions need to ratify the deals first.

Manpower Employment Projections

12/8/10 - Employers in Wisconsin expect to hire at “a respectable pace” during the first quarter of 2011, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey. The Milwaukee-based firm says it survey shows 17 percent of the companies contacted plan to hire more workers. Manpower surveyed 282 Wisconsin employers. There’s also good news in terms of employers who intend to maintain their staffing levels -- 71 percent of the companies surveyed plan to maintain their current levels. The best prospects for jobs in the next quarters are in manufacturing, transportation and utilities, wholesale and retail, information, professional and business services and leisure and hospitality.

Mental Exam Ordered For Tongue Biting Suspect

12/8/10 - A judge in Sheboygan ordered a mental exam Tuesday for a woman accused of biting off half of her husband’s tongue. 57-year-old Karen Lueders appeared before Circuit Judge Edward Stengel on a felony mayhem charge. Prosecutor Jim Haasch asked for the mental evaluation, saying Lueders’ behavior was quote, “bizarre to say the least.” She remains held on a five-thousand-dollar bond. According to authorities, Lueders’ husband Willard tried to kiss her good-night around 11pm Monday night when she allegedly bit half the man’s tongue. The victim called 9-1-1. Police said Karen Lueders was singing Christmas carols outside when they arrived – and she threw a cup of coffee at officers and blew a horn in a patrolman’s ear. Responders found Willard in the bedroom holding a gauze to his mouth. He was taken to a Sheboygan hospital, and then to Froedert in Milwaukee where doctors were trying to re-attach the tongue Tuesday morning. Police said the couple does not have a history of domestic problems.

Legislature Targets Fake Pot

12/8/10 - Some Wisconsin communities – including Beaver Dam – have banned synthetic marijuana. Now, at least one Democrat wants to ban it statewide. State Senator Bob Jauch of Poplar expects to introduce his bill in January or February – but he hopes a nationwide ban would take place before then. Last month, the federal government moved to outlaw five chemicals found in many types of synthetic marijuana. It’s a mix of herbs and a formulated compound which a chemist from Clemson developed over 15 years ago. And while it lacks the active ingredient in marijuana, some critics say the high is stronger – and it can have a dangerous effect on users. Jauch calls it “poison” and far more dangerous than the real pot. He says it’s not enough just to ban certain ingredients. Jauch says the recipe constantly changes with synthetic marijuana. He says it makes no sense for a city or a county to adopt a ban if neighboring places don’t do the same.

Dunkin’ Donuts Expanding in Region

12/8/10 - The Dunkin’ Donuts chain plans to open 36 restaurants in southeast Wisconsin, including one in Jefferson County and possibly one in Dodge County. Six current franchise holders have created a partnership to operate the doughnut houses. Those six franchisees now own 370 Dunkin Donut places in five states in the northeast U-S. Metro Milwaukee only has a couple of those restaurants now. The new group is called the Milwaukee Coffee Brewing Company. And spokeswoman Jenna Kantrowitz says the company plans to open restaurants in not only Jefferson County but also Milwaukee, Waukesha, Walworth, Kenosha and Racine counties. Dunkin’ Donuts opened 75 new restaurants throughout the country this year – and it’s seeking new and existing franchisees to develop restaurants in Sheboygan, Ozaukee, Washington and Dodge counties.

Antlerless Hunt Begins Thursday

12/8/10 - Wisconsin deer hunters will get one more chance for a catch this week. An antlerless-only hunt begins Thursday and runs through Sunday. It comes after the state’s regular nine-day gun season last month. This time, bucks are off limits. The D-N-R reminds hunters to wear their blaze-orange – and to watch for snowmobilers and cross-country skiers who may not know that another hunting season is taking place.