Top Stories January 27th

Mayville Soldier Killed by IED

1/27/12 - The U.S. Department of Defense says the 24-year-old Mayville soldier, who was killed on Wednesday in Afghanistan, died after encountering an improvised explosive device (IED) while on patrol. First Lieutenant David Johnson became the second state resident this year to be killed in Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Johnson was the son of Dodge County Pioneer publisher Andrew Johnson, and is survived by his mother, Laura, and three siblings. The family issued a statement on the paper’s website, which called David Johnson an American hero, a man of God first, and a strong leader at school and in his Army unit. After graduating from Mayville High School, Johnson went on to Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri where he earned his degree in 2010. He had been deployed since last December and led the Army's Third Brigade Combat Team. Campus pastor John Plake said Johnson was a well-respected student leader, and he headed the school's R-O-T-C military program. He kept ties with the university after he graduated, and he attended a special Veterans Day service there last November. Johnson’s family was to fly to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware where David’s body is expected to arrive shortly.

Columbus Woman Charged In Walker Probe

1/27/12 - Two more of Governor Scott Walker's former Milwaukee County aides were charged Thursday as part of an ongoing John Doe investigation. 43-year-old Kelly Rindfleisch of Columbus has four felony charges of misconduct in public office. And 61-year-old Darlene Wink is charged with two misdemeanor counts of internal political solicitation by public employees. Rindfleisch is due in court February 22nd. Prosecutors said she was Walker's deputy chief-of-staff in the Milwaukee County Executive's office when she did extensive campaign work on county time for Brett Davis through a private e-mail network. Davis is a former Assembly Republican who ran and lost for lieutenant governor in 2010. He's now the state's Medicaid director. Wink resigned in May of 2010 as Walker's constituent services director. She was accused of spending part of her workdays doing campaign work for Walker's G-O-P bid for governor. Ciara Matthews of the Walker campaign said his office made it clear that county employees were not allowed to use tax-funded time and resources to conduct any political activity – and Walker expected everyone to follow that law. There are now four ex-Walker aides charged as a result of the John Doe probe. Former county aides Tim Russell and Kevin Kavanaugh are both accused of embezzling over 63-thousand-dollars from an annual event that benefits veterans and their families.

Hartford Man Gets Probation In BD Pistol-Whipping

1/27/12 - A Hartford man was placed on probation for pistol-whipping in Beaver Dam last summer. It happened in the 600 block of Madison Street on August 4 around 2am. Mark Patterson pleaded “no contest” to Disorderly Conduct and Operating a Firearm While Intoxicated had four other misdemeanors and a felony dismissed but read into the record. According to the criminal complaint, the 46-year-old met up with a group of people at a Madison Street bar and they went to a nearby residence for an “after hours” party. A woman in the group says Patterson attempted to kiss her while the two were alone outside and then he became enraged and made up a story about her owing him $70. Patterson says he loaned her $70 so that she could purchase cocaine for herself then she lied about his advances and had the group kick him out so that she didn’t have to pay him back. Authorities say he pulled a gun and everyone ran into the house except a 23-year-old Beaver Dam man who apparently did not want Patterson messing with his car which was parked outside. Patterson says he approached the house looking for his money, was confronted by two men and acted in self-defense. His blood alcohol level was said to be point-one-four. The victim sustained a closed head injury, eye contusion and concussion.

Lodi Man Indicted For Pharmacy Robbery

1/27/12 - A Columbia County man has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly robbing a pharmacy at gunpoint. Officials with the US Justice Department say Anthony Carriola of Lodi walked into Eannelli’s Pharmacy in Prairie Du Dac on January 10 and stole morphine pills. The 28-year-old reportedly brandished a .44 caliber revolver. If convicted, Carriola faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on the robbery count, and a mandatory minimum penalty of seven years for using a firearm, which would be served consecutively to any other prison term imposed.

Watertown Man Waives Prelim In Assault Case

1/27/12 - A Watertown man has waived his right to preliminary hearing on a variety of charges related to the alleged abuse his girlfriend. Floyd Holcomb Jr. is charged with felony Second Degree Sexual Assault and misdemeanor counts of Battery, Disorderly Conduct and Criminal Damage to Property. According to the criminal complaint, the 25-year-old broke into her apartment earlier this month and the two had a violent exchange. The next day, Holcomb was said to be violent again and reportedly tried to rape the woman with young children nearby. If he is convicted, the charges carry a maximum penalty of 42 years in prison. Holcomb is being held on a $5000 cash bond.

WI Assembly Approves Mining Bill

1/27/12 - Amid heavy debate and protests, the Wisconsin Assembly voted 59-to-36 last night to limit environmental restrictions and public challenges for a new mine near Lake Superior. All Republicans voted yes. All Democrats voted no. The bill creates a one-year time limit for state officials to act on permits for new iron ore mines -- and it's tailored to Gogebic Taconite's plan to open a vast mine in parts of Ashland and Iron counties. The Assembly debate ran for four-and-a-half hours. Republicans called the bill a massive job creator not just for the mine, but for equipment makers and other suppliers as far away as Milwaukee. But Democrats said the bill was written to guarantee profits for Gogebic Taconite, while slashing tax revenues that local communities would otherwise get from a mine. Bad River Indians feared that pollution would hurt pristine lands in the far north for generations. One of their drummers was cited for disorderly conduct during a Rotunda protest. And spectators questioned the legality of the vote, saying it wasn't totally done in public. There were several outbursts in the gallery during the debate. And Speaker Pro Tem Bill Kramer finally removed all the spectators after some people rained down obscenities under covers of throat clearing and group coughing. The package now goes to the Senate, where its prospects are less certain. Senate Mining Committee chairman Neal Kedzie, a Republican from Elkhorn, has questioned whether the Assembly package goes too far.

Ellis Apologizes for Calling High School in GB a “Sewer”

1/27/12 - The president of the Wisconsin Senate has apologized for calling Green Bay Preble High School a "sewer" during a private dinner with some colleagues at a Madison restaurant. Somebody used a cell phone to record Mike Ellis's conversation -- and it ended up on PolitiScoop-Dot-Com. His group was talking about the possibility of expanding private school voucher programs beyond Milwaukee and Racine. The voucher program gives state tax funding to low-income kids to attend private schools, with a goal of escaping poverty. Ellis, of Neenah, brought up the idea of letting just part of a school district be in the program -- and he used Green Bay as an example. In the recording, he said quote, "Green Bay East is fine. West is fine. Preble's a sewer. They have the poverty possum." Ellis said he was only mentioning a hypothetical example. He apologized to a reporter, and said he called the Green Bay superintendent to aplogize as well. Preble students, staff members, and parents went to the school to protest Ellis's remarks and highlight the school's achievements.

Improvised Geocaching Devices Sparking Concern

1/27/12 - There is a new trend sweeping the country and it’s got local authorities on a wild goose chase. It’s called “geocaching” and it’s a real-world outdoor treasure hunting game. Players try to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, using GPS-enabled devices – like smart phones -- and then share their experiences online. If you log into Geocache.com you’ll find there are over 15,000 hidden geocache containers in the Beaver Dam zip code alone. It’s safe, family-friendly entertainment. There’s only one problem. People who are not in on the game think participants are planting random bombs all over the place. Dodge County Sheriff Todd Nehls says his department just got another call on Wednesday from the Town of Theresa reporting that a pill bottle was duct-taped to a road sign. Nehls says whenever somebody is hiding or concealing a container on public or private property many citizens report this activity as suspicious, suspecting either drug or terrorist activity. The Sheriff’s Department responds to these calls and quickly uncovers the suspicious items as a “geocache.” Nehls says he is hoping to educate the public about the possibility that suspicious activity could be the result of geocaching enthusiast’s favorite pastime. He also wants to let geocacher’s know that their actions could be misconstrued and lead to a lot of wasted time for law enforcement. For more information you can go to www.geocaching.com