Top Stories, May 30th

Man Struck, Killed By Train in Ixonia

5/30/11 - One man is dead after being struck by a train Sunday night near Ixonia. Jefferson County Sheriff Paul Milbrath says authorities responded to the railroad tracks behind W2623 Highway 16 in the Town of Ixonia just before 9pm. 24-year-old Michael S. Schmidt was pronounced dead at the scene as the result of severe head and leg trauma. It was later learned that Schmidt had been with friends at a salvage yard in the Ixonia area for part of the evening and left walking westbound on the railroad tracks. A witness noticed Schmidt walking along the tracks about a half hour prior to the call. An employee of the Canadian Pacific railway said that they saw an object next to the tracks and by the time they could stop the train, Schmidt had been struck.

Former BD Administrator Pleads Guilty In Sex Sting

5/30/11 - A former Randolph and Beaver Dam school administrator has pleaded guilty to charges that he tried to arrange sex with an underage boy. New Holstein School Superintendent Christopher Nelson took out an ad on craigslist, chatted online with a male who said he was 15-years-old and then arranged a rendezvous. The 59-year-old was arrested while attending a school boards’ convention in Milwaukee when he tried to meet the person, who was actually a police detective. Nelson started teaching in Randolph in 1974 and was principal for nearly a decade before leaving in 1994. He later went on to serve as Athletic Director at the Beaver Dam High School in the late 1990’s and also spent time in the Madison School District. Nelson pleaded “guilty” on Friday to a felony charge of Using A Computer To Facilitate a Child Sex Crime, which carries a maximum 25 years in prison. A sentencing hearing will be held June 30.

‘Will You Remember Me, The Veteran?’

5/30/11 - The theme of the Beaver Dam Memorial Day 2011 Parade is “Will You Remember Me, The Veteran.” The parade will be starting at Front and Center Streets and then proceed down Front Street/ Park Avenue to Veterans Memorial Park at Oakwood Cemetery. Before the parade starts, at 8:45am, there will be a wreath-laying ceremony in the Tower Parking Lot, where a wreath will be tossed into the water honoring servicemen and women lost to sea. The ceremony from Oakwood Cemetery begins at 10:15am and will be broadcast live on WBEV. The guest speaker this year is retired Dodge County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Klossner, a Vietnam veteran and Purple Heart recipient. Scroll down for a list of Memorial Day Ceremonies in other communities.

BD Vets Memorial Bid Deadline Extended

5/30/11 - Local veteran’s organizations in Beaver Dam have extended the deadline for submission of bids for their project to expand the Veterans Memorial at Oakwood Cemetery. That’s where today’s Memorial Day Ceremony is being held. There are currently over 1100 names of area soldiers are displayed on engraved bricks, but there is no room left to add any new names. The new addition would allow for another 600 names. The plans call for removing the granite sign that reads “Veterans Memorial” from the main wall and constructing a smaller wall for that sign closer to Highway 33. There would be more space for names on the backside of that new wall, in addition to the backside of the main wall where the granite sign is currently located. The plans also call for the addition of six flag poles along the north side of the main wall, representing each branch of the service. A heart-shaped sidewalk would also be added around the main wall. The original Memorial was completed in 2004 after an aggressive two-year fundraising campaign. The price tag was $100,000, not counting in-kind labor donations. The Veterans Memorial Park Committee is hoping for the same generosity with this effort, estimated to cost between $45,000 and $55,000. Any service member, living or deceased, who honorably served their county in war or peace time, can have a name on the wall. A waiting list has been started. Those interested in being involved in the project should get a hold of David Noe with the Marine Corps League at PO Box 97, Beaver Dam WI 53916.

Beaverland Must-skis Season Starts Tonight

5/30/11 - The Beaverland Must-skis Water-ski Show Team’s first show of the season is 6pm tonight at Tahoe Park. The Team has been practicing in the cold and wind all May in hopes of a good start to their 17th year of show skiing. The theme this year is “On Possum Lake” with your host: Red Green-ski. For a complete schedule you can visit their website at www.mustskis.com.

Summer Wins The Race

5/30/11 - Passing afternoon showers thinned the crowds a little but enthusiasm ran high during the annual Race Into Summer event Sunday at Beaver Dam’s Swan Park. The event, sponsored by WBEV-WXRO and The Chamber of Commerce, featured live music and karaoke, children’s activities, food and refreshments. The Vintage Modified Car Club also had a display of refurbished race cars from local legends who raced at local and area tracks as far back as the 1960’s.

Law Enforcement Out In Full Force

5/30/11 - It’s another busy holiday travel day and authorities are out in full force.

The Dodge County Sheriffs Department is among the more than 385 law enforcement agencies in the state participating in the “Click It Or Ticket” campaign. The annual campaign is intended to get more motorists to buckle-up. Dodge County Patrol Captain Molly Soblewski says officers will stop vehicles when they see either a driver or a passenger not wearing a shoulder harness. It’s the second most common infraction behind speeding. Last year’s two-week campaign resulted in 120-thousand convictions for not wearing seat-belts. Officials say 79-percent of Wisconsinites normally buckle-up – behind the national average of 85-percent. Eleven people died last year on Wisconsin roadways over the Memorial Day weekend. The campaign runs through next weekend.

Standoff Changes Venue, Twice

5/30/11 - It was a "moving" standoff. Cudahy police report they spent six hours chasing after a man thought to be suicidal. It started about 5pm Saturday when police got a call about a 37 year old man thought to be suicidal. As officers were surrounding the house, the man managed to get away. He was tracked to another location, another perimeter was set up - only to find out he had gotten away again. The man, who was wanted by several law enforcement agencies on outstanding warrants, was finally tracked down to a location in Caledonia. He held off officers for three hours there until he finally surrendered. The man reportedly has a history of depression and has had several violent interactions with law enforcement officers.

Teens Crash Stolen Truck Into Police Station

5/30/11 - Milwaukee police say the parents support the charges filed against their two teenage sons. The two are accused of taking the family's pickup truck for a joy ride early Sunday morning and crashing it into a Milwaukee Police Department building. At about 2:40 a.m. investigators say the driver lost control of the vehicle, drove it up onto the sidewalk, hit two light poles and crashed into the side of the department's station for District 3. The truck was destroyed and the passenger slightly injured. The driver wasn't hurt. Police say they suspect the driver was under the influence of drugs.

Highway 41 Conversion Expected To Boost Economy

5/30/11 - Designating the 142 miles of U.S. Highway 41 between Milwaukee and Green Bay as an interstate is seen as an economic boost to northeastern Wisconsin. The last, similar interstate conversion was done 15 years ago, making U.S. Highway 51 between Portage of Wausau Interstate 39. That move reportedly brought 10s of millions of dollars of development to the region. Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker brought attention to the idea this month during an appearance in Green Bay, but the effort to convert U.S. 41 to an interstate actually got its start in 2005. At that time, Congressman Tom Petri started work to designate the road as a future interstate by including it in federal transportation legislation. Since that time all improvements to the highway have been designed to interstate standards.

McConnell On Ryan Plan: ‘Not Dead Yet’

5/30/11 - Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky says Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan's Medicare plan is still, in his words, "on the table." McConnell is a Republican from Kentucky. He said on NBC's "Meet the Press" yesterday that he supports Ryan's plan. Democrats maintain the approach would end Medicare as it is currently structured, putting more of the burden on retired Americans. Members of that party used the Medicare message while winning a special election in New York state in a strongly conservative district. With a Democrat in the White House, McConnell seemed to agree that Ryan's plan can't be passed now. It may be simply a bargaining chip at this point as members of Congress negotiate with the White House on the budget.

DNR Seeking Land For Disabled Hunts

5/30/11 - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will take applications from landowners willing to sponsor deer hunts for disabled people through Wednesday. The disabled hunts have been conducted for more than 20 years. Private individuals sponsor them on privately owned land. This year's hunt is scheduled for the first nine days in October. Last year there were more than 100 sponsors of the hunt, covering a little over 60 thousand acres. Names of sponsors will appear on the DNR website effective July 1. Disabled hunters should contact the listed sponsors directly.

Telemarketer Do-Not-Call Deadline Tuesday

5/30/11 - Tuesday is the next deadline to block telemarketers from calling your phone. If you call the toll free number, 1-866-966-2255, your phone number will be placed on the list effective July 1. You can also have your phone blocked by going online. More than two million numbers are on the list, with half of those registered the last time representing cell phone numbers. Registration has to be renewed every two years. Telemarketers violating the Wisconsin law can be fined 100 dollars per call.