Top Stories January 3rd

Dodge County 2011 Traffic Fatalities

1/3/12 - Traffic fatalities on Dodge County roadways in 2011 tied for the lowest since 1945. There were nine fatal accidents last year, the same number of deaths as in 2010. Sheriff Todd Nehls attributes the lower-than-average numbers to a combination of traffic enforcement, educating the public, improved engineering on state highway and county roadways and also safer vehicles. Since 1945, the yearly average has been 20.8 fatalities, though in the past six years that number has declined to 14.5. Dodge County had the states tenth highest fatality rank in 2006 when 16 people died. In 2008, Dodge County had the fourth highest rank with 21 fatalities. In 2009, the ranking was seventh on the list with 18 deaths. Last year, Dodge County was 20th. There was also a statewide drop in fatalities. Five years ago there were 737 traffic deaths, compared to an average of 563 over the past four years. Nehls says the number of driving deaths resulting from impaired driving is down significantly. Currently, only one of last years deaths can be attributed to alcohol, though toxicology results are still pending in some recent cases. The victims of vehicle accidents in Dodge County range in age from 21-years-old to 76-years-old with a median age of 46.

Nomination Papers Due Today

1/3/12 - Today is the deadline for candidates to file nomination papers for this spring’s state-and-local elections. In Dodge County, there are several mayoral seats up for grabs, along with spots on city councils, school boards and the county board. As of late last week, there were four contested races for the 33 seats up for election on the Dodge County Board. There is also a contested mayoral race in Waupun, while Horicon will be looking for a new mayor as Jim Grigg attempts to replace Republican Jeff Fitzgerald in the state assembly. There are also several seats up for grabs on local school boards, including in Beaver Dam where current board member Dan Feuling is not running for reelection. All papers must be turned in at local clerks offices by 5pm today. In most cases, seats with three-or-more candidates will have primaries on February 21st. The general election is on April third.

Victim in Columbia County Accident Identified

1/3/12 - A southwest Wisconsin man has died in a one-car crash near Lodi (low-die) in Columbia County. 26-year-old Mark Moore of Lancaster lost control of his car about 12:30 yesterday morning on Highway 60. Sheriff's deputies said it went airborne, fell into a ditch, and overturned. Moore was the only person in the vehicle. He died at the scene. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Justice Department Wont Meet Deadlines

1/3/12 - The state Justice Department says it probably won't meet deadlines this month to approve permits to carry concealed weapons. Law enforcement administrator Brian O'Keefe says his agency will probably need one-or-two extra days beyond the deadlines for at least the few weeks. The government is not penalized for being late, but those who apply to carry hidden guns must wait a little longer. State law gives the agency 45 days to act on requests filed in November, when the concealed carry law took effect, and 21 days to process applications filed since December. O'Keefe says his department has received thousands of applications in a single day, and dozens of Justice Department employees have been pulled off other duties to keep up. As of last Wednesday, there were almost 65-thousand requests for concealed weapon permits. Thirty-six thousand were approved and about 800 were rejected -- mainly because the addresses on the applications didn't match those on driver's licenses. The law authorized 11 people to process applications at the start, but that wasn't nearly enough. O'Keefe said administrative employees have worked on their days-off and delayed vacations to help. About 30-thousand-dollars in overtime had been spent thorugh mid-December. But criminal investigations have not been affected, and no special agents or crime lab specialists have been pulled from their duties.

Survey: Manufactures Expect to Add Jobs

1/3/12 - Wisconsin's largest employment sector is expected to grow in the next three months. Q-P-S of Brookfield says manufacturers are more optimistic about their hiring trends than they were in the last quarter. A survey by Q-P-S shows that 41-percent of 184 manufacturers plan to add jobs from January-through-March -- especially in machine shops and metal fabricating. Nine-percent of industrial firms expect layoffs, most notably in paper and commercial printing. Wisconsin's job recovery has lagged behind the nation as a whole, but Mark Immekus of Q-P-S says metal-working industries have added jobs throughout the last year. The survey shows that 40-percent of manufacturers expect the economy to grow between now and the end of March. Fifteen percent expect a decline. About two-thirds say the economy has impeded their growth. But 43-percent say they have a hard time finding qualified workers -- especially machinists and welders. Most of the industries Q-P-S surveys are from Wisconsin, but a few are from Illinois. The average company has almost 90 employees.

Winter Finally Hits Wisconsin

1/3/12 - It finally looks like winter in far northern Wisconsin. Gile in Iron County had 12-inches of snow in a weekend storm that ended yesterday. Presque Isle in Vilas County had over 11 inches, and Montreal in Iron County had 10. Places as far north as Peshtigo and Waupaca still have no snow on the ground -- but many parts of Wisconsin are having their coldest mornings of the season. It was 15-below in Land O'Lakes at six o'clock. Phillips and Tomahawk had 11-below. And it was minus-10 in Hayward. It's around zero in central Wisconsin. Milwaukee and Kenosha had 10 above, with wind chills barely below zero. Mineral Point was the state's warm spot at 12-degrees at six a-m. Forecasters say we'll have one more cold night before things warm up tomorrow. Southwest winds will push temperatures back up into the 30's-and-40's by Thursday -- and it's supposed to stay mild at least into Saturday.

Occupy Wall Street Protest Follows Rose Parade

1/3/12 - An Occupy Wall Street protest parade followed the Tournament of Roses Parade yesterday in Pasadena California. Police said about 400 protestors took part, but organizers said it was more like five-thousand. The Pulaski High School marching band near Green Bay was one of 16 bands in the official two-hour Rose Parade. It took place under sunny skies with readings in the 60's. And while the N-B-C T-V announcers mentioned the temperature difference between Pulaski and Pasadena, they did not say that the band's classmates were in school at the time. As one of the two teams in the Rose Bowl Game, Wisconsin had a float with a huge white football helmet and the Badger cheerleaders doing their routines. The Wisconsin marching band performed right behind. The Rose Parade went for five-and-a-half miles, while the Occupy Wall Street protestors marched for about a-third of the same route before veering off to a rally. Three truckloads of Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies in riot gear took up the rear. There were no immediate arrests, and officials said the marchers were noisy but peaceful. Wisconsin lost the Rose Bowl Game to Oregon, 45-to-38.

Waupun Hospital Hosting Blood Drive Today

1/3/12 - The Waupun Memorial Hospital is hosting a BloodCenter of Wisconsin blood drive this afternoon. Blood donations will be accepted in the Lower Level Meeting Room from 12:30pm to 5pm at the hospital on the 600-block of West Brown Street in Waupun. Organizers say the process includes registering, giving a brief medical history, and having temperature, blood pressure and hemoglobin checked. Blood that is donated remains local, as the BloodCenter of Wisconsin is the sole supplier of blood to Waupun Memorial Hospital and St. Agnes Hospital, as well as 55 other Wisconsin hospitals in 27 counties; that includes the Beaver Dam Community Hospital. Drop-ins are welcome but if you’d like to schedule an appointment, or have questions, contact the Waupun Memorial Hospital at (920) 324-6512 or the Blood Center of Wisconsin website is www.bcw.edu.Waupun

BDACT Announces Auditions For Spring Play

1/3/12 - The Beaver Dam Area Community Theater is holding auditions next week for their spring production. The play “Arsenic and Old Lace” will be in the stage for seven performances beginning March 9. The cast includes roles for three women and twelve men. Copies of the script are available at the Beaver Dam Public Library and can be checked-out overnight. Rehearsals are tentatively planned Sunday through Thursday evenings. The auditions will be held next week, Wednesday and Thursday, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm at the theater on North Spring Street; enter through the side door. For more information, contact producer Sheri Born at 885-5285.