Top Stories September 19th

Reeseville Man Killed After Truck Rolls Over Him

9/19/11 - A 24-year-old Reeseville man died yesterday after the pickup truck he was working under rolled over him. It happened around 12:40 p-m at a residence in Reeseville. Sheriff Todd Nehls says a neighbor called 9-1-1 after looking out the window and seeing a man pinned underneath the truck. Nehls says first responders got to the scene quickly but were unable to revive the man. He says their initial investigation revealed the man was working under the truck in a driveway with a steep incline and didn’t have the trucks tires blocked. Nehls says the man was attempting to disconnect the drive-shaft when the truck rolled forward, pinning his head and upper body against the driveway resulting in his death. The victim’s name is being withheld pending notification of family.

Beaver Dam Man Cited For OWI After Crashing Into Shore

9/19/11 - Two people were seriously injured after a boat crashed onto the shores of Beaver Dam Lake early Saturday morning. The Dodge County Sheriffs Department and Beaver Dam Police and Fire responded to an area north of McKinley Beach Road and west of Sunset Beach Road in the Town of Beaver Dam at 1:15am. Sheriff Todd Nehls says the initial investigation shows that the boat with four passengers was operating at a high rate of speed. Nehls says when you have a boat crash into the shoreline you have to question what the operator was looking at or paying attention to in order for that to happen. 47-year-old James Windorff of Beaver Dam was cited for Operating a Motor Craft While Intoxicated. He was transported to the Beaver Dam Community Hospital along with 38-year-old Dawn Sewell of Beaver Dam. The other two occupants – a 26-year-old male and a 28-year-old female – were advised at the scene to seek medical treatment if needed. The railroad tracks run along the portion of the shoreline where the boat crashed and Nehls says precautions were taken as a result. There were no train delays needed and first responders were never in harms way. The Department of Natural Resources is investigating.

Minor Accident Slows Traffic Near Waupun

9/19/11 - A three-vehicle accident slowed traffic for a while yesterday afternoon near Waupun. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department says the minor crash happened on Highway 151 near Highway 49 around 4:20 p-m. The left southbound and northbound lanes were closed for about 45-minutes. There were only minor injuries reported. The highway was reopened fully a few minutes after 5-pm.

Rollover Fatality Near Stoughton

9/19/11 - A rollover crash near Stoughton early Saturday morning killed a nine-year-old boy and injured two others. The Wisconsin State Patrol says a 50-year-old Tucson, Arizona-man fell asleep at the wheel, drifted onto the left shoulder and ran over the rumble strip. They believe that woke the driver up, he over-corrected and lost control, with the vehicle rolling over and coming to a stop in the right-side ditch. The boy from St. Paul, Minnesota, was ejected from the car. Two other passengers were injured, including a 13-year-old girl and a 41-year-old woman.

Being Smart On Crime: Dodge County Alternative Court Programs

9/19/11 - Dodge County’s two newest Circuit Court judges are touting the benefits of alternative court programs. Judge Steven Bauer is behind the county’s new Combat Veterans’ Court and Mentor Program, which is designed to assist veterans who may be suffering from a combat-related adjustment issue. Bauer says the idea is based on being smart about crime and not necessarily tough on crime. He says it’s important the court does everything it can to reduce criminal behavior and simply throwing someone in jail does not get at the root cause. Judge Brian Pfitzinger calls it delusional thinking that a few days behind bars will cure addictions. His one-year-old Alcohol Court is more about sobriety than punishment. A person who pleads guilty to a second or third OWI could see a lesser jail sentence but longer probation with regular monitoring. Pfitzinger says alternative court programs force the judicial system to reexamine how it does business. He says the hope is to not only reduce crime but potentially make a difference in people’s lives. Pfitzinger also applauded Bauer’s efforts in establishing the Veterans Court, saying that the need will only come to the forefront as more of our veterans return home from the Middle East.

Knoll Enters In Plea Agreement For Calamus Burglary

9/19/11 - A Fox Lake man has entered into a plea agreement with prosecutors on charges that he burglarized the Town of Calamus home of a family member. Chad Knoll pleaded guilty on Friday to a felony count of Burglary as a Party to a Crime and had a felony count of Theft dismissed but read into the record. According to the criminal complaint, 31-year-old Erica Plummer of Beaver Dam drove Knoll to the home and she served as lookout during the August 2010 break-in. Witnesses near the home identified the two as did owners of the resale shop where the stolen jewelry was sold. Police spent the days following the burglary trying to track down Knoll but he repeatedly told them that he was out-of-town; he was later apprehended while mowing his lawn. Plummer, who was on probation at the time of her arrest and was prohibited from seeing Knoll, was sentenced in April to two years in prison. She will serve that at the same time as a five-year prison sentence for a different burglary that was imposed in February after her probation was revoked. A pre-sentencing investigation was ordered for Knoll and a hearing is scheduled in November. The state is asking the judge for a three-year prison sentence.

Former Fond du Lac Teacher Sentenced

9/19/11 - He will not be able to teach children anymore but a former Fond du Lac High School teacher and coach – convicted of crimes related to a sexual relationship with a female student – will be able to share what he has learned with his peers. 36-year-old Eugene Henry Dennis was sentenced in Fond du Lac County Court Friday to three years of probation, six months of conditional jail time and community service. Judge Gary Sharpe is also requiring Dennis to write a letter to 200 of the 426 school districts in the state and offer to talk with teachers and coaches to make sure they do not have to learn the same lesson. Dennis also has to put up $5,000 to pay for those trips. His will not be able to teach kids again and will be placed on the state’s sex offender registry for life.

Beaver Dam Boat Launch Replacement Project Beginning

9/19/11 - Boat launches in Beaver Dam are being upgraded. Director of Facilities David Stoiser says that the city’s only two boat launches at Tahoe Park and Waterworks Park will be replaced. Work begins today and is being handled by Ptaschinski Construction. The city is picking up 60% of the total cost of the $82,000 project. That includes $10,000 in boat launch fee revenues. The remaining $38,000 is coming from the Wisconsin DNR Waterway Commission. Stoiser says that two 40-foot concrete launches will replace the existing 25-footers and ensure that longer boat trailers no longer fall off the end of the concrete pad. A new handicap-accessible pier will also be installed at each location in the spring. The project begins today at Waterworks Park and will move on to Tahoe Park after the first launch is completed.

Trail Cameras Capture Cougar

9/19/11 - Trail cameras captured a picture of a cougar as it passed through northern Wisconsin this summer. Though mountain lions are rare, there are more and more trail cameras deployed in the state’s Northwoods. Pictures of the big cat were caught three times, July 25th, August 30th and September 8th. The Wisconsin DNR says it believes it’s the same mountain lion in all three photos, since the animal has an ear tag and wears a radio collar each time.

It’s National Child Passenger Safety Week

9/19/11 - This week is National Child Passenger Safety Week. John Remy with the Wisconsin DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Safety, says it’s estimated that since 1975, child safety seats have saved over 9,300 lives in the U.S. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for children between ages one and 12. That’s why it’s important that parents and caregivers ensure that children are properly restrained every time they ride in a motor vehicle. But for safety seats to be truly effective, they need to be used properly — and it’s estimated that about 80 percent of safety seats are used incorrectly. So we encourage parents to get child safety seats inspected and learn more about how and where they should be placed in a vehicle. Remy says for the best protection, children should be in an age-appropriate child safety seat and, at all times, should be in the back seat.

Kennedy Holds Listening Sessions Tuesday

9/19/11 - Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy has listening sessions scheduled for Tuesday. Kennedy says city residents are invited to meet with him, one-on-one, without appointment on the first and third Tuesday of every month. He says it is important that constituents have the opportunity to speak with him the day after each regular meeting of the common council. The meetings are held in Room 109 on the first floor of City Hall from 10am until noon and again from 5pm to 6pm. Kennedy also makes himself available for private meetings by appointment by contacting the mayor office.