Top Stories, January 6th

Motions Filed In Kuehl Murder Case

1/6/11 - Lawyers for a Hustisford babysitter accused of injuring one child and killing another are seeking to have the cases tried separately. Renee Kuehl appeared in a Dodge County courtroom Wednesday. Kuehl is accused of inflicting fatal trauma on a 22-month-old boy she was babysitting in November of 2007. The incident was reviewed after another child was allegedly injured while in her care two years later. The 48-year-old says the child died from a fall down the stairs. The medical examiner testified at the preliminary hearing that the child sustained a fractured skull and broken arm along with abdominal injuries and a torn bowel consistent with a punch or a kick. In the most recent case, Kuehl says she was outside babysitting a 2-year-old girl who was twirling and fell on concrete. She sustained two skull fractures, along with a golf ball sized impact wound on her forehead and bruising under her right eye. A doctor with Children’s Hospital testified that the contusions came from “multiple different angles” and it didn’t make sense how one fall could cause all of the injuries, unless the girl had fallen down the stairs. In filing the motion, Kuehl’s attorney Gerald Boyle said that his client cannot have a fair trial if the charges are combined. Dodge County District Attorney Kurt Klomberg opposed the motion. Both sides were each given three weeks to file their respective written arguments after which time Judge Steven Bauer will render a decision. Kuehl faces up to 70 years in prison, if convicted.

Lueck Enters Plea In Bilking

1/6/11 - A Marshall woman who bilked an elderly Dodge County man out of tens of thousands of dollars has entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors. Nicole Lueck was placed on deferred prosecution on a felony Theft charge and was found guilty of three misdemeanors. According to the criminal complaint, the 22-year-old knew the man her whole life, and he thought of her as a daughter. Investigators say Lueck exploited that relationship and over a five-year period got thousands of dollars in cash on a monthly basis, driving him to the bank to make each withdrawal. She made up stories and forged letters detailing a variety of medical issues, like brain tumors, to justify the need for the money. The victim was under the impression it would be paid back. Lueck did not deny receiving the cash but contends he gave it to her willingly. Judge John Storck ordered that Lueck pay the victim at least $50 per week and he will monitor her compliance every December for the next three years. If Lueck fails to meet her obligation, she will have to spend 45 days in jail. Attorneys for Lueck say she took $27,000 from the victim but the District Attorney is seeking restitution in excess of $88,000. A hearing to determine the final numbers is set for Friday.

$75K Cash Bond Set In Alleged Drunken Flee

1/6/11 - Police were forced to taze a man twice following a short traffic pursuit Tuesday night. It started just after 9pm in the town of Lomira. Authorities say they pulled over David Salek near County Highway H and Center Drive. When the officer went to check his license, the 46-year-old Burnett man 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 has been formally charged with felony Fleeing and Bail Jumping along with misdemeanor Resisting Arrest, Operating After Revocation and Operating While Intoxicated – Fourth Offense. He had a cash bond set at $75,000 during an initial appearance Wednesday and will be back in court next week for a preliminary hearing.

Realtors Association Cautiously Optimistic

1/6/11 - Wisconsin Realtors Association President Bill Malkasian predicts home sales should be “solid but not spectacular” during the first half of the new year. Malkasian says some things need to change before significant gains are seen again. He expects the first couple of quarters of 2011 to stay relatively flat, due largely to an excellent selection of inventory on the market and reasonable interest rates being available. However, Malkasian says the state’s jobless rate needs to come down significantly before home sales pick up. He says it has a direct impact on housing, since people can’t really afford to buy a home if they don’t have a job currently.

Feingold To Teach At Marquette

1/6/11 - Many of Wisconsin’s federal lawmakers stay in Washington when they leave the Capitol – but not Russ Feingold. Marquette University announced Wednesday that the former U-S senator will teach a course about the Senate and the law this spring to upper-level law students. Feingold also told the Journal Sentinel he plans to write a book about national-and-international events over the last 10 years, describing his own role in a number of policy debates. And the 57-year-old Democrat is not ruling out another run for elective office – but he has no idea what those long-term plans might be. Many pundits have speculated that Feingold will run for Wisconsin’s other Senate seat if Democrat Herb Kohl retires in 2012. But today, Feingold said he hoped Kohl would run again – and he’d be “eager to support him.” Feingold also ruled out a run for the White House in 2012, saying he wants President Obama to be re-elected. Feingold lost to Republican Ron Johnson in November, and Johnson was sworn in today. Feingold said the two “had a nice chat” after the election about what it’s like to serve in the Senate. He said the meeting was very cordial.

Democrats Shut Out Of Redistricting Plans

1/6/11 - State legislative Republicans are using a tax-funded law firm to draw new Senate and Assembly districts – and they’re not letting Democrats do the same. An Assembly committee agreed to let the G-O-P majority hire the firm of Michael, Best, and Friedrich to suggest new boundaries for legislative and congressional districts. But on a 5-to-3 party line vote, the panel refused to let Democrats hire their own to draw alternative maps. Minority Leader Peter Barca said there was quote, “nothing fair about this whatsoever.” In the Senate, a committee voted 3-to-1 to let Republicans continue to use Michael, Best, and Friedrich to suggest new district boundaries. And the new G-O-P majority on the panel voted to fire the Democratic firm, to the objection of Minority Leader Mark Miller. Lawmakers are required to draw new districts every 10 years with equal populations according to the Census. But the party-in-power traditionally tries to get as many of their own voters into the districts as possible – with the hope of keeping power at the Capitol for the entire 10-year period. But the minority party traditionally sues over the plans. And in the last three re-apportionments, a federal court ended up writing the final boundaries.

‘Op Migration’ Cranes Killed In Georgia

1/6/11 - Officials in Georgia are investigating the deaths of three Wisconsin whooping cranes that were heading to Florida in a migration project. Hunters found the birds last Thursday in Calhoun County in south Georgia. The cranes left Necedah in October as part of “Operation Migration” – the program that’s been reintroducing the endangered whooping crane to the eastern U-S. The birds equipped with transmitters, and they had special bands. Tom MacKenzie of the U-S Fish-and-Wildlife Service says the deaths are thought to be suspicious, because the cranes were found so close together. He said predators generally kill one bird at a time. A landowner told authorities the cranes were in the area for several weeks before they were found to be dead. Necropsies on the cranes are expected to be finished in a couple of weeks.

Ag Team Readies For Afghanistan

1/6/11 - A Wisconsin National Guard unit will be sent to Afghanistan this year to help farmers re-build their fields. Fifty-eight members of the 82nd Agri-business Development Team will start training next month, and will then be deployed to Afghanistan for 10 months. Colonel Darrell Feucht of Fall River said Afghanistan used to be an excellent crop producer. But after years of war, he said the farming infra-structure has been damaged – and even destroyed in some places. Officials say the Wisconsin unit will be going to a place that’s still considered a combat zone.

Traffic Deaths Up 4%

1/6/11 - Traffic deaths in Wisconsin rose by four-percent last year. The D-O-T said 564 people were killed in highway crashes in 2010. That’s 22 more than the year before, but it’s still 112 fewer than the average for the last five years. Wisconsin has gone three straight years with fewer than 600 traffic deaths. The last time that happened was from 1942-through-’44, during World War Two. Mark Gottlieb, the state’s new transportation secretary, says his department is encouraged that traffic deaths remain at levels not seen since a time folks traveled a lot less than they do today. But motorcycle deaths rose by 20-percent last year to 104. And the state’s motorcycle safety program plans to offer more courses around the state this year for riders with all types of experience.