Top Stories, January 27th

Interquest, Legion, Slosser Recognized By Chamber

1/27/11 - The Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce held their annual dinner last night recognizing the Business, Non-Profit and Citizen of the Year. Inter-Quest Corporation was named the 2011 Business of the Year. Owner Jeff Davidson says it’s the employees that make the company what it is. American Legion Post #146 is this year’s Non-Profit winner. Legion Commander Robert Koch credits the 400 members of the Legion and its volunteers for their success in the community. Citizen of the Year is none other than WBEV’s own Laura Slosser. Good Karma Broadcasting president and CEO Craig Karmazin says the station is proud to have Laura as part of its team and the Beaver Dam community is very lucky to have Slosser as part of its family. Also last night, Outgoing Chamber Board of Directors President Michell Lesher was named the Volunteer of the Year.

Missing Madison Man Could Be In Dodge County

1/27/11 - Authorities are seeking the publics help in locating a missing Madison man believed to be in the Dodge County area. 22-year-old Joseph Sjoberg was last seen on December 1. Madison Police Detective Clare McCoy says his family is very concerned. Sjoberg is believed to be in the area of Seven Hills Road and Maiden Lane in rural Dodge County, east of Columbus. He was last seen driving a 1991 silver or gray Chevrolet Caprice with Washington State license plates (513WYN). Sjoberg is described as a white male with brown hair and brown eyes, five-feet ten inches tall, weighing approximately 180 pounds. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Madison Police Department, your local law enforcement agency or 9-1-1.

Salek Arraigned

1/27/11 - A Burnett man accused of running from police and resisting arrest entered a “not guilty” plea at arraignment Wednesday morning. Authorities say they pulled over David Salek earlier this month in the town of Lomira. When the officer went to check his license, the 46-year-old allegedly took off, leading police on a five mile pursuit. Top speeds were said to be around 50-miles per hour. Salek did finally pull over near the intersection of County Highways V and W. Deputies say once he was out of the car he was uncooperative and became combative so they tased him twice to bring him under control. Salek is charged with felony Fleeing and Bail Jumping along with misdemeanor Resisting Arrest, Operating After Revocation and Operating While Intoxicated – Fourth Offense. He is being held on a $75,000 cash bond and has a status conference scheduled in March.

Teen Waives Prelim on Burglary Charge

1/27/11 - A Horicon teen recently waived his right to a preliminary hearing on charges that he burglarized a home and business in Mayville. 17-year-old Cory J. Frederiksen and a juvenile friend are accused of breaking into the friend’s grandfathers’ house in May and stealing a cell phone, pills and keys to the grandfathers business. The two are then said to have gone to the business and stole cash. The teens used the stolen cell phone and police were able to use that to connect them to the crime. Frederick will be back in court next month.

BDPD Investigates Paintball Vandalism

1/27/11 - The Beaver Dam Police Department is investigating a paintball vandalism spree. There were three reports of homes and vehicles targeted Tuesday night between 10pm and 11:30pm. Paintball damage was targeted on Lakeshore, North Spring and De Clark streets. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Beaver Dam Police Department.

Charter School Groundwork Being Laid

1/27/11 - The Waupun School District is continuing to move forward in preparing to open for the former Fox Lake Elementary building as a charter school this fall. Superintendent Don Childs says they are beginning the grant writing process and will also begin scheduling tours of current charter schools. Childs says the school will focus on agriculture and environmental studies, with emphasis on using technology and field work to better students learning. The first year will run kindergarten through sixth grade, a second year would include seventh graders, and the third year would allow for eighth graders. Childs says they aren’t sure how many kids would be attending the first year but thinks 100 would be the minimum they could open with. Officials say a grant will be used to operate the school, and the reopening will not have an impact on the district’s tax levy.

Dodgeland Board Approves Bids

1/27/11 - The Dodgeland School Board this week approved several bids for a variety of different projects. A bid of nearly $19,000 from Convergent Solutions was approved for an addition to the security system. Part of the costs for the upgrade will be paid for with grant funding. The board also approved a bid of just more than $25,000 from Baseman Hardwood Floors to sand, stripe, and refinish the gym floor. A plan to resurface the schools track was put on the back burner until the board can get more information as the project is a major expenditure.

Medicaid Programs Face $214M Deficit

1/27/11 - Wisconsin’s Medicaid health care programs for the poor-and-elderly will have a deficit of 214-million-dollars in the current fiscal year. That’s what state Health Services Secretary Dennis Smith told a congressional committee in Washington Wednesday. The shortfall has grown considerably in recent months, as the recession and its aftermath forced a growing number of people to get on government care. The Medicaid deficit is about 26-million-dollars higher than it was projected to be in December – and 66-million higher than the estimate from last November. Smith told the House Budget Committee that Wisconsin is not alone, as other states also struggle with growing numbers of cases. Governor Scott Walker said earlier this week that the Legislature will have to fix a deficit in the current state budget that ends June 30th – but he has not said how big the deficit will be. Today’s Washington hearing was the first to be run by the new Budget Committee chairman, Janesville Republican Paul Ryan.

State Cranberry Harvest Up

1/27/11 - Last year’s cranberry crop in Wisconsin was the second-highest ever, despite problems caused by the weather. The U-S-D-A said the Badger State made three-point-nine-six million barrels of cranberries in 2010 – up less than one-percent from the previous year. Nationally, production was down by two-percent to around six-point-eight million barrels. Wisconsin is the nation’s top cranberry producer, and it made 58-percent of the U-S total. Growers had to deal with warmer-than-normal temperatures last April. And a hot-and-humid summer produced heavy rains, which led to too much water in the bogs. Some farmers had complained that the heavy moisture caused some of their crops to rot.