Top Stories December 2nd

Highway 151 Accident Injures Three

12/2/11 - Two people were seriously hurt in a two-vehicle head on collision yesterday afternoon on Highway 151 just south of Columbus. Authorities say it happened at the Dane County-Columbia County line and forced the road to be shut down for three hours. According to the Dane County Sheriff’s Department, a Ford Expedition driving north veered over a grassy median strip and into the oncoming lanes where it struck a southbound Honda Civic. The driver of the Ford Expedition, 19-year-old Chase Yarbrough of West Bend, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The two occupants of the other vehicle, 32-year-old Delfino Gomez-Tome and 32-year-old Elizabeth Cuatle-Castillo, both of Sun Prairie, were seriously injured and flown to local hospitals. The investigation is ongoing but officials say inattentive driving is believed to a factor in the accident.

Knoll Sentenced to Prison

12/2/11 - A Fox Lake man was sentenced Thursday morning to 30 months in prison for burglarizing a Town of Calamus home. 39-year-old Chad Knoll had previously pleaded guilty to a felony charge 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 residence 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 term at the same time as a five-year prison sentence, for a different burglary, that was imposed in February after her probation was revoked. In addition to two-and-a-half years in prison, Knoll will spend five years on extended supervision and was ordered to pay $4500 in restitution.

BD Teen Sentenced in Burglary

12/2/11 - A Beaver Dam teen was sentenced Thursday morning to a year in the county jail for burglarizing a friend’s house. Patrick Tratar only has to serve one week behind bars and the remaining time on electronic monitoring. The 19-year-old pleaded “no contest” to felony count of bail jumping and was placed on deferred prosecution on a charge of felony Burglary. Tratar broke into a residence in February and stole $2300 worth of computer equipment. He was charged with bail jumping for selling marijuana at the Beaver Dam High School last October. Tratar was also placed on probation for three years.

Bond Set for Suspected Murderer

12/2/11 - A one-million-dollar bond was ordered yesterday (Th) for a Fond du Lac man charged with killing his wife. 35-year-old Jason Anderson appeared in Fond du Lac County Circuit Court, after he was arrested in his mother’s hometown of Birmingham Alabama. Authorities said Nicole Anderson was shot once in the head. Police found her body November eighth in the master bedroom of the couple’s Fond du Lac home. Officers said her husband was an immediate suspect – and they said they followed a paper trail as Anderson kept using his debit card. He waived extra extradition in mid-November, and he was brought back to Wisconsin to face a charge of first-degree intentional homicide. Anderson is due back in court January sixth, when a judge will decide if there’s enough evidence to order a trial.

Jacobsen Named Clerk/Treasurer in Horicon

12/2/11 - Horicon has a new clerk/treasurer. The city council last night approved the promotion of current deputy clerk/treasurer Kristin Jacobsen to the top spot effective January 1st. Jacobsen, who’s been with the department for 12-years, replaced Dave Pasewald who retired from the position earlier this year after more than 30-years on the job. The council also had further discussions about trying to preserve the job of police officer John Krentz. As part of the 2012 budget approved earlier this week the police department is losing one full-time officer. However, the city’s finance committee and the police union have been in discussions to save the job and there is a proposal from the city on the table that would do just that. The two sides are slated to meet early next week and if a deal can be reached before the end of the month Krentz may be able to stay on the job.

Hearing Postponed for Woman Accused of Emailing Death Threats

12/2/11 - A plea hearing has been delayed for a Dane County woman accused of e-mailing death threats to State Senator Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau and 15 other Wisconsin legislators. The attorney for Katherine Windels of Cross Plains said he couldn’t make yesterday (Th) scheduled court appearance in Madison due to a conflict. Another date for the proceeding has not been set. Windels was scheduled to go on trial in January before an apparent plea deal had been reached. She’s currently charged with two felony bomb scare counts, and two misdemeanors of using computers to threaten bodily harm. Prosecutors said she wrote the G-O-P lawmakers in March, on the night the Senate passed the law which virtually ended most public union bargaining. Windels reportedly said she would shoot the lawmakers in the head -- and that bombs were planted around their homes and vehicles. Windels reportedly told investigators she was upset with what the Republicans did, but was not planning to carry out the threat.

Bon-Ton Reports Sales are Down

12/2/11 - Despite big sales on Black Friday, the owner of Boston Stores reported a same-store revenue drop of almost five-percent in November. Bon-Ton Stores blamed the decline on unseasonably warm weather which hurt sales of its winter merchandise. Bon-Ton also owns Herberger’s and Elder-Beerman department stores. The firm said cold weather merchandise accounted for two-thirds of its overall sales decline last month – and people bought fewer apparel items and accessories. Still, Bon-Ton merchandising president Tony Buccina said its Black Friday sales were the highest in the company’s history. He said home items were strong, along with shoes and juniors’ clothing.

Report: WI Not Spending Enough to Help People Quit Smoking

12/2/11 - Wisconsin only spends eight-percent of what federal health officials recommend to help people stop smoking – or not start in the first place. And of every dollar in tobacco revenue, Wisconsin is spending less than a penny this year on stop-smoking programs. The figures are from a new report released by a coalition of health groups, including the American Cancer Society. The nation’s four largest tobacco companies agreed in 1998 to pay billions to Wisconsin and 45 other states in perpetuity. The money’s supposed to be used to cover the state’s medical costs related to smoking. But in 2001, Wisconsin Governor Scott McCallum sold the state’s lawsuit proceeds to a financing firm, in exchange for a much larger sum which was used to balance the state budget. But Wisconsin still gets millions from the settlement. And it’s getting almost 800-million dollars this year from the settlement and the cigarette tax. Yet, only five-point-three million dollars are being spent on stop-smoking programs – 22-percent less than in the previous state budget. The national health report said Wisconsin slashed its tobacco cessation spending by 65-percent since 2009. The state did score points for its statewide public indoor smoking ban, big increases in the cigarette tax, and new efforts to beef up tax collections. But Matthew Myers of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free kids says Wisconsin youngsters remain at risk unless the state spends more on stopping smoking.

Nomination Papers Can Be Circulated

12/2/11 - Those seeking public office in the spring have begun circulating nomination papers. There are races throughout the county and state in the April election. This spring will be the first time the new supervisory districts will be used to elect Dodge County Board supervisors. The board cut its members from 37 to 33 and the election is expected to feature as many as four races in which current supervisors will face off against each other. There are also a number of school board races. In Beaver Dam, seats currently held by Dan Feuling, Gary Spielman and Board President Marge Jorgensen are up for reelection. City council races are also part of the spring election. That includes all even-numbered wards in Beaver Dam. Those currently serving are Mary Flaherty in Ward Two, Matt O’Brion in Ward Four, Theresa Hiles-Olson in Ward Six, Mick McConaghy in Ward Eight, Don Neuert in Ward Ten, Donna Maly in Ward 12 and Rob Radig in Ward 14. Candidates who do not intend to seek re-election must have their non-candidacy forms turned in by December 23, while those wishing to run must return their nomination papers by 5pm on January 3.

Policy Change Coming for Permits

12/2/11 - State Capitol demonstrators might have to pay for extra police costs, cleanups, and damages under a new policy unveiled by the Walker administration yesterday (Th). The policy also requires activities and displays at state buildings to have permits 72 hours before those activities begin. Administration spokeswoman Jocelyn Webster says the Solidarity Singers have been notified in order to get them in compliance with the permit policy. Spontaneous and unplanned events could still be allowed, and Webster says permits will not be denied based on their political content. As for the clean-up costs, the policy says groups holding demonstrations could be charged for the cost of having extra police on hand. A Capitol Police officer would cost 50-dollars-an-hour, and the cost for others would hinge on how much those departments bill the state for their services. Signs could no longer be taped on the Capitol’s marble walls which were not intended for signs. Hundreds of signs were taped there during the massive pro-union demonstrations earlier this year. And the policy says damage and clean-up fees could be charged to responsible groups – and those putting on counter-demonstrations could get their own bills. Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch says officials want to provide “equal and continual access” to state buildings in a safe-and-reasonable manner.

Packers to Begin Stock Sale

12/2/11 - The Green Bay Packers will begin their first stock sale in 13 years on Tuesday morning at eight o’clock. It will cost 250-dollars a share, plus a handling fee for the right to become a National Football League owner. Only individuals and joint spouses can buy stock – and the limit is 200 shares, including those purchases in the Packers’ last stock sale in 1997-and-’98. Cheeseheads from throughout the U-S can buy stock, along with people in Guam, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. They can be purchased online at Packers-Dot-Com, or by mail. The Packers said they would release more information about the sale on Tuesday on its Web site. The proceeds will help pay for a 143-million-dollar renovation of Lambeau Field, highlighted by 66-hundred new seats in the south end zone. New video boards will also be part of the project – and it’s all expected to be finished in time for the 2013 season. The stock sale is the fifth for the only N-F-L team that’s publicly owned.