Friday, September 30, 2011

Top Stories September 30th

Busy Weekend For Wisconsin Sports Fans

9/30/11 - This weekend could be the most nationally-significant sports weekend Wisconsin has ever seen. It all starts Saturday, when the Milwaukee Brewers begin what’s only their third playoff run since 1982. The Brewers will host Arizona just after 1pm in Game-One of their National League Division Series. Then on Saturday night at 7pm, the Wisconsin football team will play Nebraska in Madison. It’s the first Big Ten Conference game ever for the nationally-known Cornhuskers, after Nebraska joined the league last year. On Sunday, fans must make some difficult choices – or have a good T-V remote in their hands. That’s because the Brewers and Green Bay Packers will play at the same time. The Super Bowl champion Packers will try to go 4-and-0 when they host Denver at 3:15pm at Lambeau Field. And then 22 minutes later and 120 miles to the south, the Brewers will play Game-Two of their series with the Diamondbacks in Milwaukee. If you’re looking for a ticket for any of those four big events, good luck. They’re all sold out – and in Madison, about 250-dollars is the cheapest price from ticket brokers for the historic Badger-Nebraska game.

Sheriffs Department Urges Responsible Revelry

9/30/11 - Local authorities are encouraging sober planning during a weekend that not only sees several huge sporting events but also some Homecoming activities. Dodge County Sheriffs Department Patrol Captain Molly Soblewski says history has shown that these events are often followed by an increase in family disputes, domestic violence and drunken-driving injury accidents. She urges revelers to designate a driver if they plan on traveling and she also says party hosts should also plan on providing non-alcohol beverages. Citizens are encouraged to call the sheriff’s department if they have information concerning suspected intoxicated motorists or underage drinkers. The sheriff’s department will be stepping up enforcement throughout the weekend.

Strong Winds Knock Out Power for Thousands

9/30/11 - It’s still breezy in Wisconsin this morning – but it’s not as bad as yesterday, when thousands of residents lost their power due to high winds. Gusts were as high as 69 miles an hour at Sister Bay in Door County. Winds hit 58-miles-an-hour at Kenosha, and 56 near Marinette. Sheboygan had sustained winds of around 30 miles-an-hour when gusts of 45 hit. Tree branches fell in a number of places, including in West Bend where winds hit 50-miles per hour. Pardeeville and Lodi each had wind gusts in excess of 45-miles per hour. The Wisconsin Public Service utility said over 21-thousand customers were still without power at 5:30 this morning in northeast Wisconsin. That includes almost seven-thousand customers in Door County, and over two-thousand apiece in the Green Bay, Marinette, and Wabeno areas. There were few if any outages in our area this morning. This morning, winds are generally under 20-miles-an-hour throughout the Badger State. The winds are expected to die down tonight – but it will also get colder. Forecasters predict frost away from the Great Lakes, and lows generally in the 30’s. A clear day is expected statewide tomorrow with highs in the 50’s.

BDHS Athletic HOF Welcomes New Members

9/30/11 - The Beaver Dam Athletic Hall of Fame will welcome three new members to its ranks as part of Homecoming activities tonight. The Hall of Fame committee announced the class of 2011 last month. They include Hank Derleth Sr, Don Paitrick, and Cheri Brooks Brower. Derleth, who was inducted into the Wisconsin High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 1981, was a long time athletic director and led the Golden Beavers football team to 92 wins in 15 seasons. Paitrick, a 1969 graduate of Beaver Dam High School, was a three sport athlete who excelled in tennis in both high school and at Carroll College. After lettering three years at BDHS and went on to letter four times at Carroll where he won the conference singles championship in 1973. Brooks Brower, class of 1980, earned seven varsity letters while playing volleyball, basketball and softball. She was named MVP for each of those sports in her senior year and was named Female Athlete of the Year. The inductees will be in the homecoming parade, followed by a reception in the library at the high school, which is open to the public. Presentation of the Hall of Fame plaques will take place prior to kickoff of the Beavers football game.

Craig Culver in Beaver Dam on Monday

9/30/11 - Culvers Founder and CEO Craig Culver will be speaking in Beaver Dam on Monday to raise funds for Generating a Green Future, a building project at the high school. Organizer Mary Vogl-Rauscher is an advisor for the parent-and-student led fundraising group seeking to raise $75,000 for an Environmental Sciences Classroom which she says will provide hands-on experience for Beaver Dam students. Senior Stacy Rauscher says the agri-science classroom would replace an aging greenhouse but also provide lab space that 100% of students will be able to utilize. She says the building would allow for an emphasis on having a greener environment tomorrow but also allow students to focus on important skills that are needed to get a job today. Craig Culver will be speaking about how important farming has been to the success of his business and will also be talking about the advantages of going green and his newest, totally-green Culvers store. Culver will be at the Beaver Dam Veterans Center at Noon on Monday. Tickets are $10 if purchased from Culvers or the high school by Sunday and lunch is included.

Sentence Upheld In Portage House of Horrors Case

9/30/11 - A woman has failed to get out of a 55-year prison sentence for helping a traveling group of identity thieves kill one of its members and torture the victim’s young son in a tragic case out of Columbia County. The Fourth District Court of Appeals in Madison ruled yesterday (Th) that Candice Clark was properly convicted in what the media called the Portage “House of Horrors” case. Clark was one of three people found guilty in the death of Tammie Garlin – who was found buried in the group’s back yard in 2007 – and burning-and-torturing Garlin’s son who was 11-years-old at the time. Clark struck a plea deal. Later, Clark said she was never told she could have gotten a lesser penalty by arguing that she was a bystander in Garlin’s death. Clark also said a Portage police detective threatened her during an interview, and her sentence was too harsh. But the appellate judges bought none of that. They said the court did not have to inform her about potential defense strategies – the detective did not threaten her – and the sentence was appropriate.

Dells Case Calls Into Question Victim Responsibility

9/30/11 - Should a murder victim be held financially responsible for the medical care of his killer? A judge in Sauk County will hear both sides argue that question on November seventh. The case involves the care of a 13-year-old boy with autism, who’s accused of killing his father. 55-year-old Angelo Crisafulli was shot-in the-head in January of last year at the family’s home near Wisconsin Dells. His 13-year-old son Michael was charged as an adult in the slaying – but that case was suspended after a judge ruled that the youngster was not mentally competent to stand trial. He’s been in an institution ever since, and Sauk County is now paying for his care. The county has asked the courts to require Angelo Crisafulli’s estate to pay for Michael’s care. But the estate said the county filed its request after a legally-set time limit. In April, Circuit Judge Guy Reynolds ruled that Angelo’s estate should pay for the boy’s care. But the judge did not consider the allegation that the county was late in pressing the matter.

Mercury Marine Getting Utility Discount

9/30/11 - Wisconsin’s utility regulators approved a discount Thursday on Mercury Marine’s electric rates. Wisconsin Power-and-Light offered the discounts to the Fond du Lac industry as part of a pilot program. And it was part of 120-million-dollars in state-and-local incentives to stop Mercury Marine from moving its outboard motor factory to Oklahoma a couple years ago. The state’s Public Service Commission okayed the electric discounts, but it left open the question of who should pay for them. For now, the utility’s stockholders will cover the discounts. But the commission said it would consider making other customers pay for Mercury Marine’s price break when the utility’s request for a 2013 rate increase is considered next year. Commission members said the discounts were important – and they noted that utility customers would pay even more to fill the void had Mercury Marine left Wisconsin. Just yesterday, Governor Scott Walker unveiled a bill to allow discounts on electricity for new-and-expanding industries. Critics called it a hidden fee on residents and small businesses which would pay higher bills to cover those discounts. But according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the bill’s supporters say the measure is being re-written to address that concern.

Obama Labor Secretary In Milwaukee Today

9/30/11 - President Obama’s labor secretary will visit Milwaukee today (Fr) to push for the White House jobs initiative. Mayor Tom Barrett plans to join Hilda Solis at a construction site at Milwaukee’s Jones Island wastewater plant, to explain how Obama’s array of job funding and tax breaks could put many of Wisconsin’s unemployed back to work. In announcing the visit, Solis said the president’s plan would upgrade sewer systems, roads, and bridges. She also said the package includes a “national infra-structure bank” which would hand out funds for projects that could reduce pollution and cut utility bills. The Jones Island project would burn landfill gas, while replacing turbines that burn the more expensive natural gas. Solis said Wisconsin needs construction jobs, after the state’s builders cut their employment from 120-thousand in 2007 to 87-thousand this year.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Top Stories September 28th

Scott Fitzgerald On WBEV’s Community Comment Today

9/28/11 - Wisconsin Senate Leader Scott Fitzgerald will be our guest live on Community Comment Wednesday afternoon. The Juneau Republican will join us for the hour to discuss important legislative topics and answer questions from our listeners. Community Comment airs weekdays on WBEV 1430AM beginning at 12:35pm.

Mannel Calls Rogers Training Good Practice

9/28/11 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department conducted a drill at the six-story Rogers Apartment building on East Maple last night. Fire Chief Alan Mannel says it was a good opportunity to find out what works and what does not work. Mannel says the simulation was good practice for the departments Incident Commander in responding to a multiple-alarm fire. He says radio communications need to be streamlined and personnel experienced “growing pains” while everyone got used to the tactical channels that are used. In addition to Beaver Dam, firefighters from Waupun, Burnett, Juneau and Horicon participated. A mutual-aid program for emergency responders called MABAS, or Mutual Alarm Box Alarm System, is set to begin on November 1. MABAS is a nationwide program but it also brings together local departments for everything from small-scale local emergencies to large-scale catastrophic events. Mannel says last nights drill was good practice for its implementation.

BDUSD Awarded $1.2 Million Grant For Career Counselors

9/28/11 - The Beaver Dam School District has been awarded a grant worth $1.2-million over the next three years that will allow them to expand their counseling services, with a concentration on career development. That’s according to Superintendent Steve Vessey who says the US Department of Education grant is unique in that its primary function is to give them the ability to hire new staff. Vessey says they’ll be able to add one full time counselor for their elementary schools, one full-time career counselor at the high school and a part-time counselor at the Don Smith Learning Academy. Vessey says they plan to act fast in filling the positions.

Columbus Schools Facilities Study Underway

9/28/11 - Columbus Schools has begun a study of what kind of building and grounds facilities they will need for the future. Invitations to join the “Facilities Committee” would be going out to District taxpayers next week. The Committee will be reviewing data from the UW Population Lab, the District’s Financial Consultant and a professional Architectural Assessment. The Board selected Eppstein-Uhen from the firms submitting proposals for the gathering of Architectural Assessment data. The Committee will be meeting monthly beginning in November working towards providing the Board with recommendations in March of 2012.

BDPD Looking For Suspicious Man Photographing Kids

9/28/11 - The Beaver Dam Police Department is looking for a man who was reportedly taking pictures of children playing Monday afternoon. Authorities were contacted just after 5pm when a vehicle stopped in front of a residence on the 100 block of Willow and the driver took pictures of a young girl playing outside. The vehicle is described as a white car, black-and-tan on top, with a sunroof and a front bumper that is rusted off. Beaver Dam police sent out an “Attempt to Locate” bulletin to law enforcement agencies throughout the county. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Beaver Dam Police Department.

Waukesha Postal Carrier Charged With OWI

9/28/11 - A mail carrier in Waukesha is accused of driving drunk on the job. The 45-year-old man was arrested after a series of crashes on Saturday with his postal vehicle. The case was referred to the Waukesha city attorney’s office, as a citation for the man’s first O-W-I offense. Police captain Ron Oremus said the vehicle struck several others both in front of the driver and behind him on a one-block stretch late Saturday morning. Oremus said the vehicle also had fresh damage from an apparent crash just outside of Waukesha. When he was arrested, Oremus said officers found an open bottle of brandy on the floor-board of the postal truck. He said the man’s blood alcohol level was point-18, more than twice the legal limit for intoxication.

Dodge County Reports Bird With West Nile

9/28/11 - Dodge County has its first reported case of West Nile Virus. Public Health Officer Jody Langfeldt says a dead crow tested positive for the mosquito-transmitted disease that could spread to other animals like horses and even humans with the bite of an infected mosquito. Langfeldt says the report is a reminder that people should still protect themselves against mosquito bites by wearing repellant especially at dusk and in heavily wooded areas until the first frost reduces mosquito populations. The state’s first reported human infection came in 2002 when 52 cases were reported. Last year, there were two human cases reported statwide. There have been no human reports of West Nile Virus in the county this year but a few years ago Dodge County did have the state’s first reported case. The Wisconsin Division of Public Health will continue surveillance for West Nile until the end of mosquito season. To report a sick or dead crow, blue jay or raven you can contact the Dead Bird Reporting Hotline 800-433-1610.

Woman Injured in Crash near Lomira

9/28/11 - A 32-year-old woman suffered minor injuries after crashing her car early Tuesday morning in the town of Lomira. According to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department, the woman was driving on County Highway H just before 4am when she lost control of her vehicle after swerving to miss a deer, struck a culvert and vaulted over a driveway. The woman was taken to the hospital to have a possible broken arm checked out.

Walker Unaware of Spokesman’s Immunity In John Doe

9/28/11 - Governor Scott Walker said Tuesday that he didn’t know his chief spokesman was given immunity in a John Doe investigation until the media reported it. We learned last Friday that Cullen Werwie was given a deal to avoid possible prosecution. Walker said it would have been wrong for Werwie to tell the governor about the immunity in private – because it’s against the law to disclose statements made in John Doe probes. The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office is conducting the probe to see if any of Walker’s aides illegally campaigned for him last year, when they served under Walker when he was the county executive. The Republican governor made his comments in Milwaukee, after holding his second statewide forum on job creation. Walker told reporters he lives to the highest ethical standards that he learned from his parents when he became an Eagle Scout. Walker’s father was a Baptist minister and quote, “I continue to have that kind of integrity.” Over the past few days, the governor has also questioned the media’s coverage of the John Doe proceeding – which has been going on for almost a year-and-a-half. Walker said people have commented on the probe who quote, “either don’t know what they’re talking about – or they’re violating the law” by speaking out of turn. The governor also said he has not personally been contacted by investigators in connection with the matter.

Photo ID Hearing Draws Silent Protestors

9/28/11 - Protestors and minority Democrats showed their displeasure Tuesday, when a legislative committee held a hastily-called hearing on the new photo I-D law for voting. Majority Republicans got the Joint Committee for the Review of Administrative Rules together with just one day’s notice. The G-O-P wanted to take a closer look at two provisions approved by the Government Accountability Board. One would let college students apply stickers to their campus I-D’s to show that they’re current. The other change would make it easier to circulate and sign recall petitions online. Democrats blasted the G-O-P for the short notice of the hearing. Protestors jammed the hearing room at the State Capitol. They could not speak directly to the panel, and they protested that fact by taping their mouths shut.

Badger-Care Plus-Basic Dropping Delinquent Recipients

9/28/11 - If you’re on the state government’s bare-bones health plan, you better pay your premiums on time – or you’ll be cut off immediately with no chance to re-enroll. Senate Democrat Jim Holperin of Conover says recipients of Badger-Care-Plus-Basic have complained they were kicked out, even though they were just a couple days late on their payments. Holperin tells the Wisconsin Radio Network that people have asked him for help, but he couldn’t do anything. State health services’ spokeswoman Beth Kaplan said the cut-off policy was necessary because the program’s in a financial bind. It stopped taking new people in March because expenses had exceeded revenues from premiums. Democrats created the Basic plan last year for low-income childless adults who were on a waiting list for the more extensive Badger-Care Plus. Its supporters promised that recipients would pay the entire cost, with the help of a federal grant – and state taxpayers would not have to shell out a dime. But in May of this year, the Legislative Audit Bureau said the plan racked up a 140-thousand-dollar deficit in its first six months. In March, the Walker administration cut off enrollment at 57-hundred – and they raised the monthly premiums to 200-dollars. But the audit said the higher fee was still not enough to cover all the costs. And Kaplan said the deficit rose to nearly two-million-dollars. She said the health agency is now trying to decide whether Badger-Care-Plus-Basic can be sustainable.

Milwaukee May Extend Library Hours

9/28/11 - Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says one of the best ways to combat poverty is through education. Barrett wants the city’s libraries to remain open for longer hours. Last year the city budget reduced those operating hours at several libraries. The budget revealed by the mayor today would restore the longer hours, giving the public greater access to reading materials. It could also cost a dozen firefighters their jobs as that department is restructured. Property taxes and fees would go up. Members of the Common Council will hold hearings on the mayor’s budget plan throughout October.

Growing Season Winding Down

9/28/11 - The growing season is winding down in much of Wisconsin, after a killing frost in the northwest earlier this month. The corn crop is still maturing. Officials said 38-percent of the Badger State’s corn is mature, down from the normal of 43-percent for this time of year. 57-percent of the corn-for-feed has been chopped, 19-percent more than a week ago as farmers rush to get the crop in before it gets too dry. High-moisture corn is starting to be harvested, and two-percent of it is in – and 76-percent of the corn is rated good-to-excellent, two-percent more than the week before. Three-fourths of the soybean crop is also good-to-excellent. The potato harvest is going well, but rain is holding things up in Portage County. Average-to-excellent potato yields are being reported, and the quality is said to be good.

Billboard Cheesehead Obscured

9/28/11 - A doctors’ group says the image of a foam cheesehead has been obscured on its anti-cheese billboard in Green Bay. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine paid for the billboard which featured the Grim Reaper wearing a foam cheese wedge on his head. The message on the billboard was warning of the health dangers of all the fat, cholesterol and sodium in cheese. The Milwaukee-area maker of foam hats and other novelties complained. It said it didn’t want to be a part of any campaign against cheese. That company makes the cheeseheads worn by many Packer fans. Fomation threatened to sue. The physicians’ group says it stands by the message, but the company renting it the billboard has caved into the lawsuit threat.

Beaver Dam Leaf Pick-Up Begins Monday

9/28/11 - Leaf pick-up in Beaver Dam begins on Monday (10/3). Director of Facilities David Stoiser says leaves -- along with lawn grass rakings resulting from leaf gathering, garden vines and stalks – may be placed in the terrace areas of the street edge in loose piles for collection by the Department of Public Works. Collection will continue through late November. Stoiser says yard waste cannot be placed in the street or gutter, or in any containers. Leaves, rakings and garden debris cannot be mixed with other forms of waste like brush or shrubbery cuttings. Stoiser says fruits, nuts and vegetables are not acceptable and should be disposed of as garbage. Beaver Dam’s Yard Waste Drop-Off site is located at 640 South Center Street. No waste of any kind will be allowed from outside the city.

Petri’s Medicare Forums In Beaver Dam Friday

9/28/11 - U.S. Congressman Tom Petri will be in the area this week to host five Medicare forums. The 6th District Republican will be on hand when the Wisconsin Board of Aging and Long Term Care provides an overview of Medicare, including Parts A, B, and D, and a discussion about Advantage plans and military care. There will be an opportunity to ask questions after the presentation. A press release says the presentation for Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit, will be particularly relevant to seniors as Part D has an open season starting October 15, during which beneficiaries can switch to different prescription providers. The five sessions will begin on Thursday in Manitowoc and Sheboygan before moving on to Beaver Dam on Friday. That session will be held at the Senior Center on East Third Street beginning at 8:30 a-m. Later on Friday Petri will go to Fond du Lac and Oshkosh to finish off his tour.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Top Stories September 27th

Beaver Dam Police Station and Court Dedication

9/27/11 - Over 150 people attended yesterday’s dedication of the city of Beaver Dam’s new Police Station and Municipal Court. Because of the rain, state and local officials packed the spacious garage of the facility not far from where the previous property owner, the YMCA of Dodge County, had their pool. Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson told the crowd that while the police department and municipal court are separated within the building they are part of a larger system of justice based on fairness and equality. Police Chief Ron Smith says his department is grateful to the citizens of Beaver Dam who recognized the need and agreed to fund the facility. The public is invited to tour the new building during an Open House this Saturday between 1pm and 4pm. Officers, police and court staff will move into the new $5.1 million building in three weeks.

Columbus Enrollment Numbers Up

9/27/11 - Columbus Schools received favorable 2011-2012 enrollment news at last night’s school board meeting. The amount of state funding for schools is tied to enrollment figures that are tallied on the third Friday of each September. Preliminary figures showed an increase from 1,149 students last school year eleven hundred and forty-nine students enrolled last year to eleven hundred and seventy this year. There was also an increase in the “open enrollment - IN” numbers. The confirmed figures are due into the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) by the end of the month.

Milwaukee Woman Admits To Smuggling Drugs Into FLCI

9/27/11 - A Milwaukee woman has entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors on charges that she smuggled tobacco and marijuana into the Fox Lake Correctional Institution. Janell Prasalowicz will spend 60 days on electronic monitoring after entered a “no contest” plea to misdemeanor charges of Violating State Institution Laws and Disorderly Conduct. The 25-year-old was also placed on Deferred Prosecution for drug possession and will avoid a felony record if she stays out of trouble while on probation for the next year. Prasalowicz visited the prison with another woman in June and brought the contraband inside a condom hidden in her bra. Corrections officers say the two had been under investigation and they were monitoring phone conversations and have video of exchange attempts with the inmates. Her friend, 31-year-old Christina Andrzejewski of Milwaukee, entered a “not guilty” plea at arraignment last week.

Homes Sales Up, Prices Down

9/27/11 - Sales of existing homes in Wisconsin rose by a whopping 31% in August compared to the year before. But state Realtors said the median price of a home dropped by 7.3% percent, to $139,000. According to a numbers released yesterday, realtors sold just over 5400 houses throughout the Badger State last month. There were 82 homes sold in Dodge County compared to 48 at the same time in 2010, that’s a 71% increase. But sellers got 19% less for their home than they did a year ago as the median price dropped from $127,000 to $103,000. There were eight more homes sold in Columbia County last month compared to 2010 and the value dropped by $30,000 to just over $102,000. In Jefferson County, there was a 50% increase in homes sold and a 17% decrease in price to $150,000. Conversely, home sales in Washington County doubled while the median price edged up one-percent last month compared to 2010. Fond du Lac County saw a 35% increase in homes sales and a one-percent drop in home values. Wisconsin Realtors Association Board Chairman Rob Keefe says the big sales increase was not a surprise, because sales were very low last summer after the federal tax credits for home buyers had expired. The group says its monthly year-to-year comparisons will not really be valid until the fourth quarter which starts in October. For the first eight months of the year, Wisconsin home sales were down almost 6% from the same period in 2010.

BDPD Involved in Short Standoff

9/27/11 - The Beaver Dam Police Department responded to the 600 block of South Vita Avenue Sunday afternoon after receiving reports of a suicidal man that may be armed with a gun. That’s according to a press release issued yesterday. It says officers arrived just before 3 p-m and saw the 52-year-old man exiting his vehicle. Officials say the man did not comply with officers commands. They shot two bean bag rounds at him to try and get him to comply, but were unsuccessful. After about 15-minutes the man finally did follow the officer’s orders, and he was taken into custody without further incident. He was taken to the Beaver Dam Community Hospital, and later transferred to Winnebago Mental Health facility for further evaluation. .

Union at Oshkosh Corp. On Verge of Strike

9/27/11 - Contract talks are expected to resume today at the Oshkosh Corporation, where the United Auto Workers say they’re preparing for a strike. The union says it might call for a walk-out if a new deal is not reached by midnight Friday. It would affect 31-hundred U-A-W members at the plants that make military vehicles – and it could also affect dozens of suppliers. Company president Charles Szews says the company’s five-year offer reflects the billions-of-dollars in budget cuts planned for the Defense Department, which is the main customer of Oshkosh. The firm is offering a total pay raise of eight-percent over five years, and a two-thousand-dollar lump sum if a contract deal is reached by Friday night. But the union is not happy that health insurance premiums would nearly double, and temporary workers could be used totaling up to 10-percent of the workforce starting in 2013. The temps would work for up to six months – and they would not be used if regular employees are laid off and waiting to be recalled. Still, union president Nick Nitschke says it’s a job security issue. They’re also concerned about working conditions in the Oshkosh plants, which have been running full-tilt to make vehicles for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Warning for Badger-Care-Plus-Basic Subscribers

9/27/11 - If you’re on the state government’s bare-bones health plan, you better pay your premiums on time – or you’ll be cut off immediately with no chance to re-enroll. Senate Democrat Jim Holperin of Conover says recipients of Badger-Care-Plus-Basic have complained they were kicked out, even though they were just a couple days late on their payments. Holperin tells the Wisconsin Radio Network that people have asked him for help, but he couldn’t do anything. State health services’ spokeswoman Beth Kaplan said the cut-off policy was necessary because the program’s in a financial bind. It stopped taking new people in March because expenses had exceeded revenues from premiums. Democrats created the Basic plan last year for low-income childless adults who were on a waiting list for the more extensive Badger-Care Plus. Its supporters promised that recipients would pay the entire cost, with the help of a federal grant – and state taxpayers would not have to shell out a dime. But in May of this year, the Legislative Audit Bureau said the plan racked up a 140-thousand-dollar deficit in its first six months. In March, the Walker administration cut off enrollment at 57-hundred – and they raised the monthly premiums to 200-dollars. But the audit said the higher fee was still not enough to cover all the costs. And Kaplan said the deficit rose to nearly two-million-dollars. She said the health agency is now trying to decide whether Badger-Care-Plus-Basic can be sustainable.

Lawsuit Over Cheese Billboard Possible

9/27/11 - The group that’s putting up a billboard in Wisconsin on the dangers of eating cheese says it’s not infringing on intellectual property rights by using a Cheese-head in its ad. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine says it’s practicing its right to free speech. But the firm that makes Cheese-head hats, Foamation of Saint Francis, is considering a lawsuit to prevent the billboard from going up, saying it violates the company’s intellectual property. Foamation’s Denise Kaminski says there’s no way her company condones the message on the billboard. It features the Grim Reaper wearing a Cheese-head with a warning that cheese can sack your health. The sign was supposed to go up yesterday on Highway 41 near Green Bay, where Packer fans will see it when they go to the football game against Denver on Sunday. But rainy weather delayed its installation. Wisconsin is the nation’s top cheese producer, and its Milk Marketing Board has tied the Physicians Committee to an animal rights group. The group also wanted Green Bay’s mayor to put up warning signs for high-fat cheese products sold at Lambeau Field. But Jim Schmitt says he might not have the power to do that – and he certainly doesn’t have the desire to hurt one of the state’s biggest industries.

Monday, September 26, 2011

Top Stories, September 26th

DCSO Busy With Car Sunday Accidents

9/26/11 - The Dodge County Sheriffs Department handled four accidents in 90 minutes Sunday morning. At 3:50am, deputies came across a vehicle that had crashed at the intersection of County Highway M and Oak Road in the Town of Emmet. The driver, 23-year-old James J Roberts of Watertown, was taken by helicopter to Froedtert Hospital. A half-hour later, a Reeseville woman called to report that she swerved to avoid a deer and flipped her vehicle on Old Highway J in the Town of Lowell. Further investigation revealed that her 20-year-old son was driving and he was arrested for OWI. At 5:07am, there was a one-vehicle accident reported at the intersection County Highway’s B and W in the Town of Beaver Dam. The vehicle was unoccupied but authorities eventually made contact with the 18-year-old driver. Seven minutes later, deputies were called to the Town of Ashippun, where a 20-year-old Hartford man had crashed into a tree. He was taken into custody for Operating While Intoxicated.

Lake Mills Woman Killed In Illinois Motorcycle Accident

9/26/11 - A Jefferson County motorcyclist was killed in a weekend crash in neighboring Illinois. 52-year-old Robyn Chambers of Lake Mills was killed on Saturday night near Savanna, Illinois. Authorities said she was a passenger on a bike that went into a ditch after it swerved to avoid debris on a roadway. Chambers died at a hospital in Rockford. The motorcycle driver, a 52-year-old Lake Mills man, was treated and later released.

Thiel Discusses Danni Jo’s Death With D-A

9/26/11 - Dan Thiel had what he called a “productive conversation” with Dodge County District Attorney Kurt Klomberg on Saturday. Thiel’s wife was killed by a drunk driver ten years ago and his daughter Danni Jo was left bedridden for a decade. Danni Jo died in May and an autopsy recently concluded that she died as a result of that tragic drunk driving accident in August of 2001. Thiel told us on WBEV’s Community Comment that he received Danni Jo’s death certificate last Wednesday and he hopes the man responsible will face new charges now that the official cause of death is “car accident.” 32-year-old Nicholas Gross of Burnett is serving a ten-year prison sentence for Homicide By Intoxicated Use of a Vehicle and is due to be released from prison next May. Thiel tells us that his conversation with Klomberg was “positive” and he says the “ball is rolling.” No formal charges have been filed at this time. Thiel says he will be involved with a series of meetings with the District Attorneys office and other law enforcement agencies. Klomberg says the matter is under investigation and he cannot comment further.

Hartford Man Sentenced For High Speed Chase

9/26/11 - A Hartford man who sparked a high speed chase with police will spend four months in jail. Luke J. Vogds entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors in a Dodge County courtroom late Friday. As part of the deferred prosecution agreement, if he stays out of trouble while on probation for the next two years, he’ll avoid a felony record. Vogds pleaded to reduced misdemeanor charges of Failure to Obey a Traffic Officer, Disorderly Conduct and Operating While Revoked. Authorities say Vogds sparked a chase in May, leading deputies on a pursuit in and around Neosho that reached speeds of over 100 mph. A passenger on the back of his motorcycle told police that she repeatedly asked the 22-year-old to stop and said she feared for her life. Vogds told arresting officers that he fled because he did not want to jeopardize his chances of getting his suspended license back.

Newburg Man Found Guilty Of Lawn Mowing Murder

9/26/11 - A Washington County jury last Friday found a 64-year-old Newburg man guilty of killing a 39-year-old West Ben man over a lawn mowing issue. George Trinka shot Steve Szerbowski to death in July of last year as Szerbowski was mowing his mother-in-law’s lawn. The two families had some history between them and Trinka had been drinking. The jury found him guilty of 1st degree reckless homicide and First Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for November 30.

Supreme Court Rejects Deer-Killer Case

9/26/11 - Cases against three men accused of using their snowmobiles to kill deer will resume next month after the Wisconsin Supreme Court refused to review it. The request for review was made by an attorney for 27 year old Rory Kuenzi of rural Wewauwega. He and his brother Robby, and Nicholas Hermes of Waupaca, all have court dates in October. The state Supreme Court was asked to review a decision by the 4th District Court of Appeals in Madison. It had ruled a Waupaca County judge made an error by dismissing felony animal mistreatment charges against the three defendants. The deer were killed in January 2009.

Police Station Dedication Ceremony This Morning

9/26/11 - A Dedication Ceremony for the city of Beaver Dam’s new $5.1 million dollar Police Station and Municipal Court will be held this morning (Monday). Mayor Tom Kennedy will act as Master of Ceremonies for the program which will include several special guest speakers and those involved in the construction project. That will take place at 11am today at the Main Entrance of the facility located at 123 Park Avenue. The 100 block of Park will be closed to thru-traffic though access to adjoining businesses will not be affected during the temporary closure. A public Open House has also been scheduled for this coming Saturday from 1pm to 4pm. The public will have an opportunity at that time to tour the new facility. In the event of rain the dedication ceremony will be held in the garage of the new facility. Attendees are asked to enter through the far east side of the building and not the main entrance.

Downtown Street Closures Expected For Beaver Dam Drill

9/26/11 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department will be conducting a drill in the downtown Tuesday and it will result in some street closures. The department will be using a smoke machine to simulate smoke as part of the exercise at the Rogers at 103 East Maple. Smoke will be visible coming from the windows of the six-story structure during the training. Firefighters from Waupun, Burnett, Juneau and Horicon will also be participating. Street closures include East Maple Street at North Lincoln Avenue, North Spring Street at Third Street, Maple Street at North Center Street and North Spring Street at Park Avenue. The drill is scheduled to begin at 5:30pm tomorrow and should last around 90 minutes.

John Doe Probe Targets Pro-Life Election Activities

9/26/11 - Milwaukee prosecutors have reportedly started a John Doe probe into alleged bribery to round up pro-life voters in last month’s state Senate recall elections. The Journal Sentinel said subpoenas are being distributed “like candy” – but prosecutors and Wisconsin Right-to-Life are not commenting on that. The pro-life group recently defended the way it offered rewards to volunteers who signed up pro-life voters, and urged them to vote early with absentee ballots. According to a group e-mail, those who signed up 15 pro-life, pro-family voters by July fifth would get 25-dollar gas-or-gift cards – and those signing up the most in each Senate district would get 75-dollar cards. Before the John Doe probe, Sue Armacost of Wisconsin Right-to-Life said her group consulted with Indiana attorney James Bopp – and he found nothing wrong with the effort. Bopp would not comment on the current investigation. In a John Doe probe, witnesses are called to give secret testimony which helps prosecutors decide whether to file charges. Milwaukee prosecutor Bruce Landgraf confirmed last month his office was looking into the Right-to-Life case – as well as one involving a community-and-labor coalition called Wisconsin Jobs Now. That group reportedly held five parties in Milwaukee in which people were given free food and free bus rides to City Hall to vote absentee in a Senate recall contest. State elections’ officials said last month it would not be legal to combine free food and rides to the polls.

Supreme Court To Review Pay-Day Loan Case

9/26/11 - The Wisconsin Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether a judge can order a pay-day loan store to lower its interest rates in certain cases. A circuit judge had ruled against the Pay-day Loan Stores of Wisconsin in a lawsuit filed by Jesica Mount of Onalaska. She took out multiple loans in 2008 – and their annual interest ranged from 446-percent to 13-hundred-38 percent. The company sued her for not making payments, and the judge called the interest “unconscionable.” The Pay-day Loan Stores appealed the ruling. But in June, the Fourth District Court of Appeals wouldn’t touch the case and sent it directly to the Supreme Court, saying the matter would have a statewide impact on credit transactions. Mount claims the company broke the Wisconsin Consumer Act because the rates were unconscionable. The alleged incident took place a year-and-a-half before a new state law regulated the roll-overs on pay-day loans, in an effort to keep interest rates under control. The law did not set the interest rates itself.

Elected Coroners Could Have Professional Standards Set

9/26/11 - Wisconsin’s elected coroners would have to meet professional standards under a bill that’s being drafted in the Legislature. Assembly Democrat Amy Sue Vruwink of Milladore says coroners have no training requirements – and that can be a problem in death investigations. If they’re not done properly, Vruwink says survivors might not be able to collect on a loved one’s life insurance policy. Portage County coroner Scott Rifleman is working with Vruwink on the legislation. He says there are numerous opportunities for training – but not all coroners take advantage of them. Rifleman says he and his deputies are all certified by the American Board of Medico-legal Death Investigators. And a growing number of coroners and medical examiners are getting certified. Also, more counties have done away with their elected coroners, in favor of doctors who are appointed as medical examiners. Dane County, which includes Madison, made the switch earlier this year.

Evers To Seek Waiver From NCLB

9/26/11 - State Superintendent of Schools Tony Evers says Wisconsin will seek waivers from having to meet the standards of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Evers has long pushed for states to be allowed to avoid meeting some parts of that Bush-era law. President Obama is allowing states to skip the requirement that all children be proficient in reading and math by 2014 if they can meet alternate conditions designed to better prepare and test their students. Evers is working with the governor and education leaders to develop a new system. It would still identify high- and low-performing Wisconsin schools. Most states are expected to apply for the waivers.

Tazed Student Parents Question Methods

9/26/11 - The family of the former Bay Port High School student Tasered earlier this month says this is not the first time they’ve had problems with Brown County Deputy Jody Lemmens. Seventeen year old Raymond Peters faces charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct from an incident at the school September 12th. He could face a fine and more than 10 months in jail. Peters and another boy had a dispute that morning outside the school. When he was placed in a conference room, he’s accused of throwing a backpack, kicking a chair, pushing tables around and refusing to comply with orders from Lemmens, a school resource officer. Lemmens used the Taser. Robert Peters say the device shouldn’t have been used on his son. He says the same officer has had problems with his other children. He says the family hasn’t discussed filing a lawsuit. The teenager didn’t need medical attention after the incident.

United Coop Awarded $1.5 Million DOT Loan

9/26/11 – A Beaver Dam-based business has been awarded $1.5 million dollars from the state to help improve its rail infrastructure. A project by United Cooperative is among ten statewide splitting a total of over $17 million in freight rail awards.

Frank Huntington with the DOT’s Rails and Harbors Section says the awards will be generally used to improve rail infrastructure, construct rail-served facilities and help preserve freight rail service. Huntington says, “Freight rail service supports economic development across Wisconsin. This includes moving raw materials to industries and finished products to other markets. There are many jobs in our rural areas and villages that depend on freight service — so these awards really help strengthen the local economy and the agricultural industry.”

United Cooperative will use the loan to construct a new grain elevator and rail loading facilities between Mazomanie and Sauk City. The Coop will be constructing two, 48-foot diameter grain storage bins, a grain elevator leg and associated conveying equipment to load rail cars on the mainline track. The improvements are intended to improve market access for farmers in southern Sauk and northern Dane counties.

The DOT has awarded a total of six loans totaling $4.6 million as part of their Freight Railroad Infrastructure Improvement Program (FRIIP). The revolving loans are awarded not only private industry like United Coop, but also to railroads and local governments with the overall goal of boosting economic development and jobs. As the loans are repaid, the dollars are used to help fund new projects.

Four grants totaling $12.8 million are being distributed through the state’s Freight Railroad Preservation Program (FRPP). FRPP grants cover up to 80 percent of the cost of projects designed to preserve rail service or rehabilitate fixed facilities on publicly owned rail lines.

Super-Duper Zippin Pippin Numbers

9/26/11 - Green Bay city officials expected the replica of Elvis Presley’s favorite roller coaster to be a success, but maybe not this big a success. The Zippin Pippin has doubled expectations with nearly a half-million rides. Total revenue at the Bay Beach amusement park is almost two and a half million dollars, half again as much as last year. Bay Beach closed for the season last (Sun) night. The city spent about 3-point-8 million dollars to build the wooden roller coaster replica, just like the one that thrilled riders for years in Memphis.

Playoff Rally This Thursday

9/26/11 - The Brewers Playoff Rally will be held this Thursday at the Summerfest Grounds along the Milwaukee lakefront. The Brewers and their fans will celebrate the team’s first division title since 1982. All the Brewers players, coaches, and even some former players are expected to be on hand. The Brewers clinched the National League Central Division title with a 4-1 win Friday against the Florida Marlins.






































































Saturday, September 24, 2011

Top Stories, September 25th

UPDATE: District Attorney Contacts Dan Thiel

9/25/11 - There has been a development in the Danni Jo Thiel story. On Friday, we began reporting that the death of the 24-year-old Beaver Dam woman this past May has been attributed to a drunken driving car accident nearly ten years ago when she was 14-year-old. It all started in August of 2001 when the Thiel family was driving through Horicon and an oncoming truck crossed the centerline and collided head-on with their vehicle. The accident took her mother’s life and left Danni Jo bedridden. The driver of the offending vehicle, Nicholas Gross, was convicted of Homicide by Intoxicated Use of a Vehicle and is due to be released from prison next May. Danni Jo’s father Dan Thiel told us on WBEV’s Community Comment that a recently-completed autopsy determined her death to be from a “car accident.” Thiel says he would like to see additional charges brought against Gross now that “car accident” is the official cause of death on the death certificate, which arrived last Wednesday, four months after Danni Jo’s death. Dan Thiel was contacted by Dodge County District Attorney Kurt Klomberg on Saturday afternoon and Thiel tells us that the “ball is rolling.” We’ll have more details for you during our Monday morning newscasts right here on WBEV 1430AM.

Texas Man Sentenced In Fond du Lac Molestation

9/25/11 - A 54-year-old Texas man who sexually assaulted a Fond du Lac girl over a period of 17 years has been sentenced to prison for 60 years. Tomas Flores was sentenced in Fond du Lac County Court this week on charges of 1st degree sexual assault of a child and repeated sexual assault of the same child. Judge Robert Wirtz gave Flores two 30-year terms on the charges that will run consecutive to each other. The victim supplied a detailed statement to authorities in May of 2009 and a warrant was issued for Flores in September of that year. The victim said the assaults began in the early 1990s when she was 5 years old. She told investigators that the sexual relationship continued over the years because Flores allegedly threatened to kill her, a family member, and when she became pregnant her baby if the sex stopped.

Honadel: ‘Child Porn Offense Punishment Weak’

9/25/11 - Wisconsin state Representative Mark Honadel says child porn offenders rarely wind up serving any jail time in the state. Speaking at this week’s Assembly Criminal Justice Committee hearing, Honadel said only three people arrested for child pornography were jail in Wisconsin. Honadel is backing new legislation which would require automatic sentences for anyone convicted on child porn charges.

Milwaukee Cop Sentenced In Drug Ring

9/25/11 - A former Milwaukee police officer was sentenced Friday to two years in a federal prison, for his involvement in a drug deal that was staged as part of a sting operation. Royce Lockett was arrested after an informant told Milwaukee Police that several officers had been dealing with drug traffickers. As part of the sting operation, Lockett was given a thousand dollars to give the informant a ride to a certain location – and then the officer delivered over four-pounds of fake cocaine to somebody else. Lockett apparently believed he was transporting almost 20-thousand-dollars worth of cocaine. The activities were all videotaped as evidence. Lockett arranged a plea deal – but it’s sealed along with several other documents in the case. He resigned from the Milwaukee police force in early February, after serving for 14 years.

Mequon Man Charged With Hitting Milwaukee Bike Cop

9/25/11 - A Mequon man is due back in court next Thursday, on charges that his van struck-and-injured a Milwaukee police officer who was on a bicycle. A Milwaukee County circuit judge is expected to decide if there’s enough evidence to put 47-year-old Vladimir Krivoshein on trial on two counts of causing injury by drunk driving, and injury by hit-and-run. Prosecutors quoted Krivoshein as saying he had “several swigs of vodka” before his van struck officer Allan Tenhaken and kept going. Officers arrested the van driver a few minutes later – and they said he did not perform well on his sobriety tests. Authorities said Tenhaken was conducting a field interview with a colleague when the van struck him at a high rate of speed on the night of September 15th. Prosecutors said the side mirror hit the officer and sent him sprawling.

Thieves Strike Lock-and-Dam

9/25/11 - Being a thief can be hard work, as evidenced by the theft of metal gates at a lock-and-dam on the Mississippi River in southwest Wisconsin. Grant County sheriff’s deputies said concrete was broken when the gates were removed from a cement barricade at Lock-and-Dam Number-11 near Dubuque Iowa. Authorities said the metal gates were positioned on the dam’s levee. They have the words “Lock-and-Dam 11” and “U-S-A-C-E” welded on them. The metal was valued at three-thousand dollars. The theft took place sometime between Monday and Wednesday. It was discovered by a lock-master for the Army Corps of Engineers.

Anti-Smoking Groups Praise Roll-Your-Own Crackdown

9/25/11 - Wisconsin’s Revenue Department is getting a heap of praise from anti-smoking groups. That’s after the agency warned tobacco shops that they must pay two sets of state taxes if they let customers roll their own cigarettes. About 50-to-100 stores have roll-your-own machines – and the state says they must register and pay taxes for being both a distributor and a manufacturer of smokes. The group Smoke-Free Wisconsin contended that some shops were breaking the law by not paying the required taxes. Alison Miller of the American Cancer Society said the machines are out-in-the-open, where underage customers could buy cigarettes illegally at a cheaper price that teens can afford. The Revenue Department says they’ll check on those places. The agency sent out a letter Friday reminding retailers of their tax obligations. Over the last 10 years, Wisconsin’s consumer cigarette tax has jumped from 59-cents a pack to just over two-and-a-half dollars.

Wisconsin Innocence Project Gets $778K Grant

9/25/11 - The U-W Madison group that seeks to exonerate wrongly-convicted criminals is getting over a million-dollars in new grants. The Wisconsin Innocence Project has been awarded 778-thousand-dollars from the National Institute of Justice, to expand its efforts to find cases where D-N-A evidence supports a convict’s claim of innocence. Also, the Innocence Project is getting almost a quarter-million dollars from the Wrongful Conviction Review Program in the Bureau of Justice Assistance. That funding will put an Innocence Project attorney in the state public defender’s office. The person will look for cases where D-N-A evidence can be used to prove people’s innocence earlier in the court process.

Mayor Ryan Opponents Gearing Up

9/25/11 - An effort is moving forward to have voters recall Sheboygan Mayor Bob Ryan, at the same time the City Council is working on a separate process to remove him. An alderman took out recall petitions a few weeks ago. And one of the organizers, Mary Jo Stoelb says 12-hundred signatures have been collected. About 41-hundred valid signatures must be submitted by November first in order to hold a recall vote. Ryan has been heavily criticized for three major alcohol-related episodes since becoming Sheboygan’s mayor in 2009 – including a three-day binge in Elkhart Lake in July. Earlier this week, the council voted to have two attorneys review a pair of formal complaints against Ryan, and prepare the city’s case for removing the mayor should a quasi-judicial proceeding be held. Ryan is an admitted alcoholic, and he promises to resign if he’s caught in a major drinking episode again. But for now, the mayor refuses to quit. And he says he’ll challenge any effort to boot him out.

Luxemburg Dairy Fines $55K

9/25/11 - An eastern Wisconsin dairy farm will pay 55-thousand-dollars to settle a state lawsuit that involved the spilling of 100-thousand gallons of manure. The Justice Department said the Stahl Brothers Dairy of Luxemburg released the manure into the Kewaunee River in Kewaunee County in 2009. Officials said the spill affected at least 13 miles of the river. The dairy has 13-hundred cows. Owner Lary Stahl said he cooperated with authorities from the beginning, and he’s glad to put the case behind him. The dairy was ordered to pay 16-thousand-dollars in fines, 15-thousand in restitution, and 24-thousand to cover the state’s response to the incident.

Physicians Group Bad-Mouthing Cheese

9/25/11 - A national medical group is attacking Wisconsinites’ love affair with cheese. The Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine has rented a billboard just south of Green Bay on the Highway 41 expressway. It shows the Grim Reaper wearing a Cheese-head. And it says “Warning – Cheese Can Sack Your Health – Fat, Cholesterol, Sodium.” Northbound drivers on 41 will start seeing the billboard Monday. And Packer fans will see it a week from Sunday as they head to the Green Bay-Denver football game at Lambeau Field. The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board disputes both the message and the messenger. Board senior vice president Patrick Geoghegan says the Physicians’ Committee has backing from animal rights’ groups. And he says the American Medical Association is among those who’ve said the group’s practices are quote, “irresponsible and potentially dangerous” to people’s health. The Marketing Board said all of its nutrition information is scientifically-based – and his organization takes that very seriously, and not everybody else does.

Dodge County Land Conservation Offering Trees, Shrubs

9/25/11 - Trees and shrubs are now available for the annual fall Small Packet Tree sales program in Dodge County. The Land Conservation Department is offering several species of trees for sale for the 2012 planting season, including Red and White Oak, Sugar Maple, White Cedar, White Pine, Colorado Blue Spruce, Norway Spruce, Hazelnut and Fraser Fir. Most trees are sold in bundles of 25 and most are $24 per bundle, tax included. Sugar Maple bundles are $40 per bundle. The deadline to place orders is January 27, but there are limited amounts of some species, so early orders are encouraged. For more information or to get an order form, contact the Dodge County Land Conservation Department. Contact information is on our website.
Contact: 386-3660 or http://www.co.dodge.wi.us/conservation/landserv.html#treesales

BDAAA Hosting Local Author Book Reading

9/25/11 - The Beaver Dam Area Arts Associations this week is hosting an “All Area Book Club Read of ‘Swimming in the Daylight’ with author Lisa Paul, Beaver Dam native.” Paul will be at the Seippel Arts Center on Wednesday, September 28 at 6:30 pm. This free event will include discussion and refreshments. Books are available at the Beaver Dam Library, Seippel Arts Center, Vineyard Books and Book World.
The BDAAA: (920) 885-3635 or email bdarts@seippelcenter.com to RSVP.
For more upcoming classes and events, please visit their website www.bdaaa.org.

Top Stories September 24th

Report: Thiel’s Death Attributed to Car Accident

9/24/11 - A death of a Beaver Dam woman who died in May has been attributed to a car accident nearly ten years ago. 24-year-old Dannielle “Danni Jo” Thiel died May 22 at her home in Beaver Dam. Thiel, her mother Suzanne and her siblings were driving on Highway E in August of 2001 when an oncoming truck failed to negotiate a curve, crossed the centerline and collided head-on with the Thiel’s. The accident took the life of Sue and left Danni Jo bedridden for the past decade. The driver of the offending vehicle, Nicholas Gross, was convicted of Homicide by Intoxicated Use of a Vehicle and two counts of Causing Injury by Intoxicated Use of a Vehicle. Gross is due to be released from prison next May. Danni Jo’s father Dan Thiel told us on WBEV’s Community Comment Thursday that her death certificate arrived in the mail on Wednesday. Thiel says he would like to see additional charges brought against Gross now that the autopsy results confirmed “car accident” as the official cause of death on the death certificate. Under Wisconsin law, there is a six-year statute of limitations on felony cases but there are exceptions to that. Charges would have to come from the law enforcement agency that investigated the accident and our calls to the Horicon Police Department were not immediately returned. Bob Barrington, the Managing Attorney with the Dodge County District Attorneys Office, says he cannot comment on the specifics of the case other than to say that his office has not received any formal request for charges. Since the accident, Dan Thiel has become an advocate for drunken driving prevention, often speaking to first-time offenders about the impact of their actions. About three ago, Danni Jo made a tape describing her life since the accident, which can be seen by visiting our website wbevradio.com.

Fox Lake Teen Charged with Sexually Assaulting Young Girls

9/24/11 - A 17-year-old Fox Lake boy is facing ten felony charges including six counts of sexual assaulting a child. Eric Watters, who is a senior at Randolph High School, made his initial appearance in Columbia County yesterday on charges that he sexually assaulted a 3-year-old and 4-year-old girl last week at a home in the town of Courtland. Watters is charged with three counts of first-degree child sexual assault of a person younger than 12, three counts of first-degree child sexual assault of a person younger than 13, two counts of child enticement – sexual contact, and two counts of causing a child younger than 13 to view or listen to a sexual act. According to authorities, Watters admitted to the assaults and told them another assault of a 3-year-old girl happened a few weeks earlier. If convicted on all charges, Watters could spend 285 years in prison. He had cash bail set at $2500 and is due back in court next month.

Report Outlines Deficient Bridges

9/24/11 - A public policy group says one-of-every-12 bridges in Wisconsin need some type of repairs. The Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group says over 11-hundred bridges throughout the Badger State are structurally-deficient, according to federal standards. That includes 10 of Dodge County’s 203 bridges or 4.9-percent. That’s the lowest percentage in the region. Next is Jefferson County with 6.2-percent of their bridges deficient. The report says 7.1-percent of Washington County’s bridges need work, while 9.5-percent of the bridges in Fond du Lac County are considered deficient. The highest rate in our area comes from Columbia County where nearly 14-percent of their 180 bridges are labeled structurally deficient. The Public Interest group issued its report as Congress considers President Obama’s request for 447-billion-dollars in infra-structure improvements, tax breaks, and other stimulus efforts. Bailey said bridge projects normally create more jobs than highway expansions – and bridge repairs would be a wiser use of tax dollars. The group’s findings do not appear to be much different than a formal review of Wisconsin’s bridges by the Legislative Audit Bureau in 2008. It found that four-point-two percent of state-owned bridges were structurally-deficient – and that D-O-T officials were doing a poor job of monitoring bridge repairs by counties.

Ryan to Serve as RNC Presidential Trust

9/24/11 - Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan will serve as chairman of the Republican National Committee Presidential Trust. That means the Janesville Republican will head the party's fundraising effort to win back the White House. RNC Chairman Reince Priebus is a close friend of Ryan's. He says the Trust will raise money and act as a partner with the Republican nominee for president. Ryan says raising the money needed to win the election will be the deciding factor in 2012. At one time Ryan was considered a potential candidate, but he announced earlier this year that he wasn't running.

More Details on Death of Darlington Soldier

9/24/11 - We’re learning more today about the death of a southwest Wisconsin soldier in Afghanistan. The Pentagon said 24-year-old Army Specialist Jakob Roelli of Darlington was one of two soldiers shot-to-death during an attack by insurgents in Kandahar province. The attack happened Wednesday. Specialist Robert Dyas of Nampa Idaho was also killed. Both were members of the Army Special Forces’ 34th Armor Regiment based at Fort Riley Kansas. Roelli graduated from Darlington High School in 2006, and went to U-W Oshkosh for a year before joining the military. He’s the 27th Wisconsinite to die in Afghanistan – and he’s the first Darlington resident to be killed in combat since the Vietnam War.

State Will Seek NCLB Waivers

9/24/11 - State school superintendent Tony Evers says Wisconsin will seek waivers as soon as possible from basic parts of the federal No Child Left Behind Act. That’s after President Obama announced that he would let states seek the waivers. He said states can scrap the requirement that all children must be proficient in math-and-reading by 2014, if the states can show that they’ve done better to prepare students. Evers is working with Governor Scott Walker and a task force of education leaders on developing a new system of testing and standards. Evers said yesterday’s (Fr) White House announcement would let Wisconsin be innovative, and design a system of accountability that’s more meaningful. Evers and school officials throughout Wisconsin have long criticized the former Bush education act, saying it only encourages kids to pass tests. States also took offense to being called “failures” for not meeting certain parts of the law. Evers said the Wisconsin plan would still address ways to improve low-performing schools – something Obama insists upon before Washington grants waivers.

“Deer Trustee” to be Appointed

9/24/11 - Wisconsin’s long-promised “deer trustee” is about to come on board. Governor Scott Walker issued an executive order Friday which orders his administration to retain an independent expert in managing the state’s deer herd. The new person will told to review the D-N-R’s deer management practices by October first, and submit a preliminary report by next March first on any recommendations for changes. The governor’s office says the new deer trustee will most likely be named next week. The Republican Walker promised during his election campaign last year that he would bring in a deer expert. That’s after hunters have long complained that the state’s deer control policies are so out-of-date, they’ve caused a big drop in the herd – and much lower harvests by hunters.

Horses Found to Have EEE

9/24/11 - More than two dozen horses in six Wisconsin counties have been diagnosed with the deadly eastern equine encephalitis since the middle of last month. Mosquitoes carry the disease which can kill horses by striking their central nervous system. It has a mortality rate reported at 90 percent. State Veterinarian Dr. Robert Ehlenfeldt says horse owners need to call a vet if their horses show any of the symptoms of EEE.

Frontier Airlines Cutting Positions in Milwaukee

9/24/11 - Frontier Airlines has notified the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development it plans to cut 213 jobs at Mitchell International Airport. The positions will be eliminated between November 14th and 23rd. Frontier has about 12 hundred people working in Milwaukee right now. Frontier announced last week its plans to cut nearly one-third of its 67 flights from Milwaukee to eliminate routes that are losing money. Flights to Green Bay, Madison, Dayton, Cleveland, Des Moines and Minneapolis will be cut in November.

Jobs Coming to Wisconsin from Mexico

9/24/11 - It's a reverse of a trend. Osseo-based Global Finishing Solutions is going to import 110 jobs from Mexico. A spokesman for the copany says it will be able to offset higher wages by streamlining manufacturing and cutting out quite a bit of transportation costs. The move to the Osseo headquarters makes Global Finishing Solutions eligible for up to 600 thousand dollars in economic development tax credits -- to build and equip expansion efforts in Wisconsin. The company says the incentives were part of its decision, but it's more about services the markets better.

Church Collecting Items to Help Liberia Recover

9/24/11 - A local church is collecting a variety of items this (Sat) morning to send overseas to an impoverished West African country. Liberia is an English-speaking nation that is in the process of recovering from a bloody civil war. Pastor Mark Molldrem of the First Lutheran Church of Beaver Dam says their relationship with Liberia began in 2006 when a parishioner was stationed there as part of a UN peacekeeping force during their first democratic elections. Molldrem says the civil war was devastating and they need a lot of help in rebuilding their country. The church is collecting school supplies, including reading books, encyclopedias, globes and computer’s in addition things like office and sports equipment even good-condition twin beds and box springs. The items will be sent over in a cargo container later this year. They are being collected in the parking lot of the former Breuer Metal factory on North Spring Street in Beaver Dam today and on the second and fourth Saturday’s of October from 10am until noon. Collections can be dropped off beginning this Saturday.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Top Stories September 23rd

Economists: No Double-Dip Recession

9/23/11 - Bank economists in the Upper Midwest do not believe America is headed toward a double-dip recession. But Associated Trust vice president Sara Walker of Milwaukee says “everyone is ratcheting their expectations down” after stock markets throughout the world took a tumble yesterday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged by 391 points, or three-and-a-half percent. And after big sell-offs on Wednesday, the Dow completed its biggest two-day drop since December of 2008. European stock markets fared even worse. Germany’s market plunged by five-percent. U-S Bank investment strategist Jim Russell says Europe now appears to be the biggest short-term problem for the American economy. There were numerous concerns that the European Union is not prepared to a handle a credit crisis that could turn into a double-dip recession there. As the world’s financial leaders get together in Washington this weekend, Russell said U-S Bank expects slow economic growth here for the next year-and-a-half. He said unemployment would remain high, and it would not take much of a foreign disruption to drive the country into another recession.

Columbus Gets To Work On 2012 Budget

9/23/11 - Columbus is getting an early start on 2012 budget deliberations. Administrator Boyd Kraemer presented a proposed budget to the City Council this week. The proposed Budget was drafted after receiving State Department of Revenue news that the City’s equalized evaluation was decreased by $7.5 million for the coming year. Kraemer said that the decrease in evaluation was being faced by municipalities throughout Wisconsin. The proposed $3.5 million dollar City General Fund budget would result in an estimated 31 cent decrease in Columbus property owner’s mil rate. The 2012 mil rate estimate would be $8.08 per thousand dollars compared to $8.39 in 2011. The Common Council has scheduled budget workshops in October and November to determine if any changes will be needed.

Worker Killed At Mid-State Equipment

9/23/11 - Federal officials are investigating an accident that killed a man at a farm equipment repair shop in Washington County. Authorities said 21-year-old Jacob Eickstedt of Jackson was trying to fix a harvesting machine when an attachment fell and trapped him underneath. He died later at a hospital in West Bend. The mishap occurred Wednesday morning at Mid-State Equipment in the Washington County town of Polk. Sheriff’s deputies and the U-S Occupational Safety-and-Health Administration are both investigating.

Army Investigating the Death of Appleton Soldier

9/23/11 - U-S Army Police have reportedly launched an investigation into the death of an Appleton soldier in Afghanistan. Three sisters of Staff Sergeant Garrick Eppinger Junior told the Appleton Post-Crescent about the investigation – and it could last for six months to a year. They said they were informed about it by an Army crisis officer. Army officials have not confirmed the probe. The 25-year-old Eppinger died last Saturday in Afghanistan. The initial word was that he was shot, but Army officials have not disclosed a cause of death. Sisters Amy Strong, Robbyn Stanley, and Shandra Smith all said Eppinger worked at a desk job at Bagram Airbase in eastern Afghanistan. They said he was not in an area with heavy fighting, and he was not in the line of fire. Eppinger’s body has not been released to his family yet. It’s at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware. Funeral arrangements are on hold. Epping was a member of the Army Reserve’s 395th Ordnance Company. He was a supply specialist at the Bagram Airbase. He held the rank of sergeant when he died, and was posthumously promoted to staff sergeant.

Darlington Soldier Killed In Afghanistan

9/23/11 - The latest Wisconsin soldier killed in Afghanistan was the first resident of Darlington to die on duty since the Vietnam War. 24-year-old Jakob Roelli, a member of the Army Special Forces, died yesterday in Afghanistan. His name will be added to a veterans’ memorial that’s being created in Darlington, and is scheduled to be dedicated in 2013. High school principal Doug McArthur said organizers said his community has been fortunate to avoid the grief of losing a service member. Roelli graduated from Darlington High School in 2006. He played football and golf there, performed in musicals, and skipped his graduation so he could compete in the national “Odyssey of the Mind” competition. He left U-W Oshkosh after a year to join the Army. He was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas. The Roelli family was on its way to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware today to wait for Jakob’s remains.

BD Man Arraigned On Seventh OWI

9/23/11 - A Beaver Dam man waived his right to a preliminary hearing yesterday and then entered a “not guilty” plea on charges of seventh-offense drunk driving. Brian Gilmore is also charged with possessing drugs and drug paraphernalia when he was arrested on the afternoon of September 11. According to the criminal complaint, it all started with a relative’s call to 9-1-1 reporting that she had found a marijuana pipe in her brother’s bedroom, where he was staying following his release from prison for sixth offense drunk driving. Gilmore was pulled over a short time later near the residence. His blood alcohol level was allegedly over three times the legal limit for driving at point-two-seven-five (.275). If convicted, seventh offense drunk driving carries a minimum prison sentence of three years and a maximum of ten years, in addition to a loss of driving privileges of at least three years and as many as 13.

Waupun Child Molester Placed On Deferred Prosecution

9/23/11 - A Waupun man who molested a pre-teen has entered into a plea agreement with Dodge County prosecutors. Michael M. Nutt entered a “no contest” plea to a felony count of Sexual Assault of a Child Under the Age of 16 and a reduced misdemeanor count of Fourth Degree Sexual Assault. The 20-year-old was placed on deferred prosecution and will avoid a felony record if he stays out of trouble while on probation for the next year. According to the criminal complaint, Nutt would pick-up the victim in his truck after she snuck out of her house. He first denied the claim to investigators but admitted to the incidents after further questioning and said he thought she was 15-years-old.

Pocket Dial Prevents Domestic Assault

9/23/11 - An accidental call from a cell phone might have spared a Sheboygan County woman from more severe injuries in attack allegedly made by her boyfriend. Prosecutors said 21-year-old Floyd Rashid of Sheboygan pinned his girlfriend to the ground and threatened her on Monday night. And while that was happening, his cell phone placed a call while it was in his pocket – and the woman’s father answered. Authorities said the man heard his daughter screaming, as Rashid asked her if she wanted to die. The father then reportedly sped to the couple’s home and found Rashid still on top of his daughter. Officials said the man threw Rashid against a wall – and the boyfriend ran away. Rashid is now charged in Sheboygan County Circuit Court with false imprisonment, strangulation-and-suffocation, and misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

No Charges In Cheney-Style Shooting

9/23/11 - No charges will be filed against a hunter who was arrested for shooting another hunter in the face northwest of Oshkosh last weekend. Winnebago County prosecutors cleared a 59-year-old Appleton man of wrongdoing in the incident. A 27-year-old Appleton man was wounded while the two were hunting at Winchester last Saturday. The victim was wearing camouflage at the time. He was conscious when he was taken to a hospital. The man suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Assistant District Attorney Scott Cernan said the only possible charge he could have filed was causing injury by the negligent use of a firearm – and he would have had to prove that the shooter exercised a high degree of negligence. Cernan said the incident appeared to be a tragic accident.

DiStefano on BDHS Closed Campus: ‘So Far, So Good’

9/23/11 - As part of the new scheduling format at the Beaver Dam High School, the school board earlier this year approved closing the campus beginning with the current freshmen class. That means students are not allowed to leave the grounds during school and Principal Mark DiStefano says so far, so good. They’ve had a couple freshmen test their security but for the most part the students have accepted the new policy. DiStefano says making things easier is the fact the freshmen don’t know any different. Beaver Dam was one of the last districts to move to closed campus and, as of two years ago, just 20 of the more than 450 school districts in the state had open campus at some of their schools.

Udey Dam Ribbon Cutting Today

9/23/11 - The Udey Dam Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will be held this afternoon in Columbus. Restoration of the Udey Dam was completed earlier this summer after a six year debate over the Dam’s removal or restoration. The 2pm ceremonies will feature remarks by city officials, engineers and DNR representatives. City Administrator Boyd Kraemer said that the new water control gates are already in use. The Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony will be held on the eastern bank of the Crawfish at the end of Campbell Street.

Lowest Paid State Workers Hit Hardest

9/23/11 - The lowest-paid state government workers are taking the biggest hits from the new law that requires them to pay more toward their health insurance and pensions. That’s according to an analysis released Thursday by the Legislative Fiscal Bureau. The bureau is non-partisan, but Democratic lawmakers who opposed the increases are the ones who asked for the numbers. They show that state employees who make 25-thousand-dollars a year are seeing their total health and pension costs rise from four-and-a-half percent of their salaries to 11-point-three percent. Workers making 50-thousand a year are paying an average of eight-and-a-half percent of their salaries toward those benefits, up from two-point-three percent. And those making 100-thousand a year saw an increase from one-point-one-percent of their salaries to six-point-seven percent.

Legislator Wants Utilities Responsible For Broken Meters

9/23/11 - The president of the Wisconsin Senate says it’s unfair for utilities to have two years to bill customers for service that was never billed because of malfunctioning meters. Republican Mike Ellis of Neenah has proposed a bill to make electric, water, and sewer utilities responsible for any missed charges after a monthly billing cycle has passed. At a public hearing, Ellis said it should not be the customers’ job to make sure the equipment which monitors their energy use is working properly. The bill is the result of what happened at a supper club in Kaukauna. Kathleen Frieble’s place went out of business when it was found that her electric meter was not working properly for over a decade. We Energies had charged a-thousand-dollars a month to collect the charges of 16-thousand dollars that had built up. Frieble said the utility would not negotiate a settlement, and she ended up filing for bankruptcy. Joan Shafer of We Energies said those errors are rare – but the utility needs to go after unpaid electric use to keep rates under control or everybody. She said Senator Ellis’s bill is unfair, in that it assumes that all equipment always works properly. She said about 15-thousand of We Energies’ two-point-two million meters failed last year. Shafer also warned lawmakers that the bill could hurt utilities’ efforts to bring energy thieves to justice. She said it’s hard sometimes to prove that a meter had been tampered with.

Milwaukee Company Mulling Mexico Move

9/23/11 - Milwaukee-based C-and-D Technologies says it may have to send its production efforts to Mexico to stay competitive. The company blames a tough economy and high production costs for possibly making the drastic move. The company is negotiating a new contract with the union representing production workers at its Riverwest neighborhood factory right now, trying to keep those jobs in Wisconsin.

Milwaukee Measles Outbreak Traced To Burma

9/23/11 - Three measles cases in Milwaukee were caused by a 23-month-old refugee from Burma who had flown to Wisconsin from Malaysia. That’s what the U-S Centers for Disease Control said Thursday. The toddler was one of the three who got sick. The others were an adult in Milwaukee and a baby in suburban Greendale. Milwaukee disease control director Paul Biedrzycki said the C-D-C is still investigating some facets of the three cases. He said the toddler who spread the disease had flown in on August 24th, and his measles were confirmed September seventh. Meanwhile, the C-D-C said a 15-year-old boy who’s also a refugee from Burma flew to California on a different flight than the Milwaukee youngster. But the C-D-C said three other young refugees on that flight caught the measles – and a total of 31 refugees on the California trip eventually went to seven other states, including Wisconsin. Officials said refugee travel from Malaysia to the U-S has been suspended to avoid a further spread of the measles.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Top Stories September 22nd

Unemployment Down in the Region

9/22/11 - The jobless rate in the region, and most of the all of the state, went down over the two-month reporting period from July to August. According to the Department of Workforce Development, the jobless rate in Dodge County was at 7.6% last month, down three-tenths from July and four-tenths from the same time last year. Jefferson and Fond du Lac counties are also down three-tenths; Jefferson is at 7.8% while Fond du Lac is at 7%. Washington County is at 6.5% while Columbia County is at 6.8%, both decreased by four-tenths of a percent in August. Green Lake County is down two-tenths to 7.2%. Only two counties saw increases: Douglas County edged up slightly to 7%. Menominee County continued to have the highest jobless rate in the state after jumping nearly two full percentage points to 21.9%. To put that in perspective, Rusk County has the second-highest rate at 10%. Dane County still has the fewest people applying for unemployment, they are at 5.1%. The seasonally-adjusted statewide rate edged up one-tenth to 7.9%, which remains below the national rate of 9.1%.

Median Income Down in Wisconsin

9/22/11 - Wisconsin’s family incomes are being hit a lot harder than others around the country. The U-S Census Bureau says the median household income in the Badger State plunged by 14-and-a-half percent from 1999-through-last year. The national decline is lower, at eight-point-nine percent. Wisconsin’s median income was just over 49-thousand-dollars last year. It just over 57-thousand in the 2000 Census, when adjusted for inflation using last year’s dollars. In Milwaukee, the income drop was even bigger, at 22-percent. Timothy Smeeding of the U-W Madison Poverty Research Institute says it’s another sign that the middle class is taking a beating – and high unemployment is the big reason. Smeeding said “we were building S-U-V’s and everyone was buying them” when unemployment was at three-percent. But that’s all changed with the state’s jobless rate at close to eight-percent, and the national rate still over nine. And those with jobs have had cuts in pay, pensions, and benefits. Mark Zilges, the union president at Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac, says workers have cut back on the everyday fun stuff because there are other bills to pay. His members took a seven-year wage freeze to keep their jobs two years ago – and to keep their plant from moving to Oklahoma.

Costly Mistake by City Assessor in Fox Lake

9/22/11 - A mistake by the city assessor is going to leave Fox Lake about $300,000 short during their budget planning for 2012. Citing a computer error, Assessor Art Kind told the Committee of the Whole last night that the report he filed with the state on the TIF District’s valuation was nearly $16-million less than it should have been. The error wont effect the amount of money they can collect for taxes, but does impact the amount it gets from the TIF District. Kind filed an amended report with the state meaning they’ll eventually see the money lost. However, Mayor Tom Bednarek says it could cost the city thousands of dollars in interest if they have to borrow money for 2012. A decision on whether to borrow money will be made during the budget planning process.

BDPD Public Dedication Ceremony On Monday

9/22/11 - A Dedication Ceremony for the city of Beaver Dam’s new $5.1 million dollar Police Station and Municipal Court will be held on Monday. Mayor Tom Kennedy will act as Master of Ceremonies for the program which will include several special guest speakers and those involved in the construction project. That will take place at 11am on Monday at the Main Entrance of the facility located at 123 Park Avenue. The 100 block of Park will be closed to thru-traffic though access to adjoining businesses will not be affected during the temporary closure. A public Open House has also been scheduled for Saturday, October 1 from 1pm to 4pm. The public will have an opportunity at that time to tour the new facility.

Mannel Commends Crew Following Record-Setting Day

9/22/11 - Last week at this time the Beaver Dam Fire Department was handling a record 17 Emergency 9-1-1 calls. Fire Chief Alan Mannel says last Thursday’s totals top the previous years-old record of 15 emergency calls and is three times on average more than they receive on the average day. Mannel says department personnel rose to the challenge admirably as they always do. There were 1597 Emergency 9-1-1 calls in 2010. So far this year, the department has fielded 1290 calls, an average of 4.9 per day. Those numbers do not include revenue-generating, inter-facility transports that Beaver Dam provides when crews are available. There were 470 inter-facility transports last year and 257 so far this year.

Fair Association Donates To Local Charities

9/22/11 - The Dodge County Fair Association has awarded $8000 to seven local charities and organizations. Association Treasurer Sharon Keil says the money comes from the sale of $1 alcohol wristbands, a program stated in 2010 to reduce underage alcohol consumption on the grounds. The organizations benefiting include the Dodge County Boots and Saddle Club, the Beaver Dam Exchange Club, the Dodge County Emergency Response Team, Shop with a Cop, Honor Flight, the Veterans Assistant Program for Homeless Veterans and the WBEV-WXRO Children’s Radiothon. Keil says the organizations that have benefited have all contributed to the fair over the years and they are looking for more volunteer organizations next year, when the fair celebrates it’s 125th year. Organizations interested in volunteering should contact the Fair Association. Contact information is on our website.
PO Box 654, Beaver Dam WI 53916 or at www.dodgecountyfairgrounds.com

Regional Jobless Rate Down In August

9/22/11 - The jobless rate in the region, and most of the all of the state, went down over the two-month reporting period from July to August. According to the Department of Workforce Development, the jobless rate in Dodge County was at 7.6% last month, down three-tenths from July and four-tenths from the same time last year. Jefferson and Fond du Lac counties are also down three-tenths; Jefferson is at 7.8% while Fond du Lac is at 7%. Washington County is at 6.5% while Columbia County is at 6.8%, both decreased by four-tenths of a percent in August. Green Lake County is down two-tenths to 7.2%. Only two counties saw increases: Douglas County edged up slightly to 7%. Menominee County continued to have the highest jobless rate in the state after jumping nearly two full percentage points to 21.9%. To put that in perspective, Rusk County has the second-highest rate at 10%. Dane County still has the fewest people applying for unemployment, they are at 5.1%. The seasonally-adjusted statewide rate edged up one-tenth to 7.9%, which remains below the national rate of 9.1%.

Most Public Unions Opting Not To Re-Certify

9/22/11 - Wisconsin’s largest state government employee unions will lose their official status after Thursday. That’s because they won’t try to re-certify under the new state law which took away most of their collective bargaining privileges. Only three smaller unions that represent prosecutors, other attorneys, and building trade workers have filed for re-certification votes. And a fourth group that represents state research employees is also expected to file for an election before the deadline. Marty Beil, head of the Wisconsin State Employees’ Union that represents 23-thousand workers, says none of his units plan to re-certify. He calls it an “exercise in wasted resources.” But Beil vowed to keep the group together and quote, “use our resources to organize our members and advocate for our members.” The new certification votes require approval from 51-percent of all group members – and not a simple majority of those who vote. The new law allows most public unions to bargain only for pay raises at-or-below inflation. And union dues are no longer being deducted from paychecks. Governor Scott Walker, who proposed the union limits, had no immediate comment on the lack of certification votes.

Romney In Milwaukee Monday

9/22/11 - Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney visits Wisconsin this Sunday. Invitations have been sent out for a 250 dollar per person brunch with the former Massachusetts governor at noon at the Wisconsin Club in Milwaukee. Romney has close ties to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and several members of his administration. Romney spoke at a fundraiser for Walker when he was running for his current office. For a 25 hundred dollar donation, those attending can meet with Romney during a private reception, have a picture taken with him and get to sit nearby.

Milwaukee Woman Arraigned On FLCI Smuggling Charges

9/22/11 - A Milwaukee woman accused of smuggling tobacco and marijuana into the Fox Lake Correctional Institution entered a “not guilty” plea at arraignment yesterday (Th) in Dodge County court. 31-year-old Christina Andrzejewski is accused of visiting the prison with another woman in June and bringing the contraband inside a condom hidden in her bra. Corrections officers say the two had been under investigation and they were monitoring phone conversations and have video of exchange attempts with the inmates. Her friend, 25-year-old Janell Prasalowicz of Milwaukee, will be arraigned next week. If convicted, the felony charge of Delivering Illegal Articles to an Inmate carries a maximum three-and-a-half year prison sentence.

Madison Group Stops Alabama HS Football Prayers

9/22/11 - Madison’s Freedom from Religion Foundation has scored a victory in removing prayers from high school football games in Alabama. The foundation said a parent complained to the group about the prayers at the start of every football game at Arab High School. Superintendent John Mullins started the policy about 10 years ago – and he never knew until now that anyone was offended. He apologized if the prayers offended somebody, and he agreed that the tradition does not go along with the constitutional separation of church-and-state. Officials said all football games at Arab High School in Alabama would now begin with a moment of silence.

Duck Hunting Season Opens Saturday

9/22/11 - The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says duck hunters who scout at least three times take home an average of 15 ducks. That figure is three times what hunters who don’t scout take in. Duck season in northern Wisconsin opens Saturday at 9am and runs through November 22. The hunt in the new Mississippi River zone also opens Saturday. The southern zone season opens October 1st.

Chicago Packer-Fan Car Salesmen Is A Top Seller

9/22/11 - Do you remember the car salesman near Chicago who got fired for wearing a Green Bay Packers’ tie to work last January? Well, John Stone is still alive – and doing very well. A competing auto dealership in Homewood Illinois hired the 35-year-old Stone right after he got canned. And since then, Fox Sports says he’s been the dealer’s salesman-of-the-month three times. Stone has been first-or-second among his 15 colleagues in car sales every month he’s been there. And Guy Cesario, the general manager of Chevrolet-of-Homewood, says potential car buyers still ask for the “Packers tie guy.” Stone got in trouble at his old job for wearing a Packers’ tie while selling cars to Bears’ fans the week before the NFC Championship Game. He’s talking about wearing the Packer tie again this week, as Green Bay gets ready to play the Bears again on Sunday. But his boss has a different idea. Cesario says they’re talking about framing the tie and putting it above Stone’s desk. Cesario says the tie is quote, “certainly a big part of our history now.”