Top Stories February 5th

Dionysius Charged in Bar Incident
2/5/11 - Charges were filed this week against the former bar manager of The Cellar in Beaver Dam. 36-year-old David Dionysius is charged with a felony count of threatening to injure another person and four other misdemeanors. The criminal complaint says Dionysius put a gun to the head and then in the mouth of a man he thought was responsible for previous break-ins at the bar. Dionysius is also charged with intentionally pointing a firearm at a person, operating a firearm while intoxicated, battery and disorderly conduct. The charges stem from an incident at the bar in the early morning hours of January 3rd.

2nd Man Sentenced for Bottom’s Up Tavern Break-In

2/5/11 - The second of two Cascade men who burglarized the Bottom’s Up Tavern in Mayville nearly two years ago was sentenced yesterday to six years in prison. 28-year-old Charles Sramek pleaded no contest to a charge of felony burglary and had a second misdemeanor count of Theft dismissed but read into the record. In August, 24-year-old Tyler Diedrich of Cascade pleaded no contest to felony burglary and was sentenced to two years in prison and ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution. Diedrich and Sramek broke into the tavern in March of 2009 and stole about $1000 in cash. In addition to six years in prison, Sramek was also ordered to serve five years of extended supervision. A restitution hearing is scheduled for later this month.

Walker, Republican Legislators Differ on Wind Energy Farms

2/5/11 - Governor Scott Walker’s office says it will keep trying to limit the locating of new wind energy farms in Wisconsin – even though his own Republicans in the Legislature are not going along with it for now. Spokesman Cullen Werwie says Walker will try to get the state Public Service Commission to adopt his proposal. That’s after Republican legislative leaders said they wanted more time to review the impact. Walker wants wind turbines to be at least 18-hundred-feet away from neighboring homes, instead of the current 12-hundred-50 feet. Walker said it would help property owners who say the turbines cause too much noise and flickering light. But the wind energy industry says it would be the most restrictive setback in the nation – and they’re calling it a de-facto ban on new wind energy projects. The group Renew Wisconsin says it could put up to one-point-eight billion dollars worth of future wind projects in jeopardy. And Denise Bode of the American Wind Energy Association said it would make a mockery of Walker’s claim that Wisconsin is “open for business.” A spokesman for Senate Judiciary chairman Rich Zipperer says the bill is dead for now, but it could be revived later in the session. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald says lawmakers want to give it some thought – and the idea is not going anywhere. A majority of the states current wind farms are located in Fond du Lac and Dodge Counties.

Walker Believes Bill Will Create Jobs

2/5/11 - Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker says the bill he signed yesterday creates the opportunity for jobs in the Green Bay area while balancing environmental considerations. The legislation is designed to bring a Bass Pro Shop store to a location near Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Neenah-based car dealer John Bergstrom wants to fill in about one and a half acres of wetland. Environmentalists argue that Bergstrom is getting special consideration. Just last week a spokesperson for Bass Pro Shop said the company wouldn't built on a wetland and hadn't committed to the project. The land is located between U.S. Highway 41 and the home of the Packers.

Moore Criticizes Vote ID Bill

2/5/11 - Members of Congress usually don't weigh in on state legislation, but Democrat Gwen Moore held a news conference at her Milwaukee office to criticize the voter ID bill now being debated in Madison. Standing behind her were representatives of civil rights, disability rights, seniors and clergy groups. Moore says she battled then-state Rep. Scott Walker on the issue in the 1990's. She says she still thinks requiring a photo ID to vote would amount to a poll tax. Unless the bill is weakened through amendments, critics say it would be the most restrictive voter ID bill in the U.S. The NAACP says it would likely file a legal challenge.

Near Tragedy at Cowboy Stadium

2/5/11 - It's too cold -- and now people are getting hurt. But, Green Bay and Pittsburgh football fans feel right at home. Cold temperatures and more snow have surprised proud Texas officials hosting the Super Bowl this weekend. Then, a near-tragedy struck yesterday. Six private contractors getting Cowboy Stadium ready for the big game were hurt when sheets of ice fell off the stadium roof. One man was hit in the head and another in the shoulder. Most entrances to the stadium were closed and officials raised the inside temperature in hopes of melting the remaining ice. Game day temperatures are forecast to be in the 40s, but the roof will be closed for the game.

Weather Creating Havoc for Super Bowl Travelers

2/5/11 - What if your Packers were in the biggest game of the year – and you couldn’t get to Texas? Some anxious Packer fans on their way from Wisconsin to Texas were having a rough travel day Friday. They left bright and early in the morning, boarding a flight to Dallas, but several inches of snow in the Lone Star state left hundreds of flights canceled. Barry Vechinski of Madison had been stuck at the airport in Kansas City for nearly five hours. He and the other passengers though learned they’d finally get a flight. He said while the day was been challenging, it’s been fun too. “It’s been kind of fun. There are Pittsburgh fans here, even Chicago fans wearing their stuff. They must not have gotten the memo that they weren’t invited to the Super Bowl.”

Be Careful When Purchasing Big Electronics says State Agency

2/5/11 - With the Packers in the Super Bowl this weekend, many fans are in the market for a new big screen TV. If you’re one of them, state officials are suggesting you consider your options when it comes to getting an extended warranty. Brock Bergey with the state Office of Consumer Protection says they frequently hear from people who are unaware that a warranty is not automatically included in major electronic purchases. Bergey says you should also make sure extended warranties are actually needed. He says people need to consider the cost of that extended warranty compared to the risk of something actually going wrong. Looking at online reviews for the model or brand you plan to buy can help determine if a warranty may be a good idea. State law does require retailers to take back a TV if it does not work properly when you first get it home.

Packer Products Also Affected by the Weather

2/5/11 - While this week's storm complicated travel for many Packer fans headed to Texas for the Super Bowl, it's also delayed shipments of Wisconsin products headed to fans nationwide. Tara Forrer (four) owns the Wisconsin Cheese and Wine Chalet, an Edgerton-based seller of Wisconsin foods and other products. She says they've been busy shipping cheese, sausage, and anything with the Packers logo across the nation in the advance of the Super Bowl. But Wednesday's blizzard couldn't have come at a worse time. Denise Kaminski works for St.Francis-based Foamation, the original maker of the famous cheesehead hat. She won't say how many cheeseheads the company has made in advance of the big game, but she says they've been making cheeseheads 20 hours a day to keep up. Wednesday's storm also slowed them down. Despite the delays this week, Kaminski says that based on sales she still expects to see a lot of yellow cheeseheads, cheese cowboy hats, and even cheese fedoras on display this weekend.