Top Stories February 16th

BD Child Abuse Suspect Apprehended, Bond Set

2/16/12 - Cash bond has been set at $25,000 for a Beaver Dam man said to be behind a severe case of child abuse and neglect. 44-year-old Larry Hillyer was in a Dodge County courtroom for an Initial Appearance Wednesday afternoon on two felony charges of Child Abuse, Intentionally Causing Harm. Three children – ages 12, seven and one – were found by police who were responding to a tip from a relative. Authorities entered the home on the night of January 20 and found the children starving, huddled together on a couch wrapped in blankets to keep them from freezing. The baby had bruising, and blistering consistent with burns. The oldest was found with dried eggs on his head in a room littered with food. The middle child had scrapes from reportedly being thrown down the stairs. Hillyer is not the children’s father but their mother is also charged. Police say they found Hillyer and 33-year-old Mandy Molina upstairs under a blanket, unable to comprehend questioning. Investigators say Molina turned a blind eye to the assaults of her children. Everyone in the home, though, may have fallen victim to Hillyer’s physical and psychological abuse. According to the criminal complaint, Hillyer made everyone refer to him as “god,” even police when he was questioned. The children were treated at a local hospital and are with relatives. A judge found probable cause last week for Molina to proceed to trial. She is free after posting a $2000 cash bond. Hillyer has a preliminary hearing March 1.

Horicon and Police Reach Contract Agreement

2/16/12 - Horicon and the police union have reached a tentative contract agreement. That’s according to Mayor Jim Grigg, who says during a bargaining session last night the two sides were able to strike a three-year deal that will be put in front of the council for approval next week. The deal comes after the city flirted with shutting down the department and contracting out coverage to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department. Horicon hasn’t had a police contract since their last deal expired after 2010. The tentative contract would cover 2011, 2012 and 2013.

E-coli Breakout at Jimmy John’s

2/16/12 - Federal health officials said a Wisconsin resident was among 12 people who got sick nationwide, after eating sprouts sold at Jimmy John's sandwich shops. The Centers for Disease Control did not say where the Wisconsin case happened. Officials said all 12 people ate at Jimmy John's restaurants where raw clover sprouts were served -- and they all suffered from E-coli bacteria. The illnesses are said to have occurred from last Christmas through January 15th. Five of the other cases were in Iowa, three in Missouri, two in Kansas, and one in Arkansas.

Charges Likely in FDL Overdose

2/16/12 - Two people in Fond du Lac are awaiting criminal charges in the drug overdose death of a 32-year-old woman. A 52-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman were arrested on Tuesday, but prosecutors had not filed charges as of late yesterday. Authorities said the two provided methadone to 32-year-old Jennifer Ferstl, who died in her home in late December from an overdose of the drug. Police have asked the Fond du Lac County district attorney to charge the suspects with being parties to first-degree reckless homicide.

Madison Couple Accused of Child Abuse

2/16/12 - Bond is set at $20,000 for a Madison couple accused of starving and torturing the man’s teenage daughter. Charges are still pending in Dane County against 40-year-old Chad Chritton and his 42-year-old wife Melinda Drabek-Chritton. The daughter’s step-brother, 18-year-old Joshua Drabek, was also arrested for violating an earlier probation. The 15-year-old girl reportedly told police she was forced to live in the basement of her father’s house for over five years. And she was apparently told to eat her own feces – plus the food she could dig up on the floor, in the laundry, or in the garbage. Police said an alarm sounded when the girl tried to go upstairs with the rest of her family – and she was being home-schooled by her step-mother. And she said both her father and step-mother physically abused her. She told officers she ran away from the house last week after fearing she’d get thrown down the stairs. After arresting the parents last Friday, police said they learned from a medical expert that the girl suffered from “serial torture, with a prolonged exposure to starvation.” A man saw her outside last week wearing only pajamas – and police said she only weighed 70 pounds.

Reeseville Woman Pleads Out In Pharmacy Burglaries

2/16/12 - A Reeseville woman entered a “no contest” plea Wednesday for charges that she burglarized the same pharmacy twice in a month. Abigail Newell pled to one felony count of Burglary and had another felony and two misdemeanors dismissed but read into the record. The 19-year-old broke into the Village Pharmacy in Reeseville in the early morning hours of March 24 and then again on April 21. According to the criminal complaint, a witness saw a maroon van after the first break-in and Newell was a suspect. After a vehicle matching the same description was spotted leaving the scene of the second break-in, authorities went to Newell’s home around 2am and noticed that her vehicle was still warm. When questioned, she said she just felt like taking a late night drive. The description she gave police of her late-night route was no where the pharmacy. Newell later admitted to breaking the window to take pain pills and commented that she was surprised how quickly deputies arrived at her house following the burglary. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for next month.

Watertown Man Arraigned For Assault

2/16/12 - A Watertown man pled “not guilty” at arraignment Wednesday to a variety of domestic abuse charges. 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 his girlfriend’s apartment last 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.

Valentines Flowers Result In Restraining Order Violation

2/16/12 - A Sheboygan man sent flowers to his estranged wife for Valentine’s Day – and in return, he was given a felony bail jumping charge. Prosecutors said 23-year-old Zachary Zelko violated a restraining order when he sent the flowers to his wife’s workplace on Monday. They came with a note saying, “Happy Valentine’s Day, enjoy the chocolates.” The woman called a staffer in the district attorney’s office who helps crime victims – and that person called the police. Zelko was not supposed to have direct or indirect contact with his wife after he was charged January 17th with battery, strangulation, and false imprisonment. A Sheboygan police investigator went to the store where the flowers were bought – and a clerk asked that Zelko’s name not be given out, because he was not allowed to have contact with his wife. He has pleaded innocent to his original charges. And he’s due back in court a week from today, when a judge will decide if there’s enough evidence to order a trial for bail jumping. Zelko is free after posting a 300-dollar bond.

Sen. Fitzgerald Promoting Assembly Mining Bill

2/16/12 - `Wisconsin Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald disbanded his chamber’s mining committee on Wednesday. And he disavowed the panel’s more moderate approach in speeding up the state’s process to approve iron ore mining permits. Instead, the Republican Fitzgerald asked the Joint Finance Committee to approve the Assembly’s version of the mining bill, which was passed last month. It’s geared toward Gogebic Taconite’s proposed mine near Lake Superior in Ashland and Iron counties. The Assembly bill has a firm 360-day time limit to approve mining permits, whereas the Senate bill allows delays if all parties agree. The Senate panel also restored the ability of mining opponents to challenge the D-N-R’s decisions before final permits are issued – something the Assembly did away with. And the Senate committee decided to let communities keep 70-percent of local mining tax revenues instead of the 60-percent adopted by the lower house. Eight Republican senators joined Fitzgerald yesterday in co-sponsoring the Assembly package. But not all G-O-P senators are behind Fitzgerald – and observers say it could put the entire mining bill in jeopardy. It will die unless it’s passed before the Legislature adjourns for the year in late March. Fitzgerald said the Assembly bill promises the fastest and surest way to add jobs in northern Wisconsin.

Obama Touts Wisconsin Manufacturing

2/16/12 - In Milwaukee Wednesday afternoon, President Obama promoted tax breaks for businesses that move into cities hurt by the departures of older plants. Obama made his first visit to Wisconsin in over a year by touring and speaking at the Master Lock plant which brought back 100 jobs from China in early 2011. The Democratic president reinforced ideas from his State-of-the-Union address in suggesting a minimum tax on multi-national companies – so U-S firms cannot escape taxes by moving profits and jobs overseas. With his jacket off and shirt-sleeves up, Obama stood in front a crate that said “Made in the U-S-A” as he prodded Congress to approve his tax changes. He cited a recovery in American manufacturing as he urged companies to quote, “Ask what you can do to bring jobs back to your country, and your country will do everything we can to help you succeed.” The Milwaukee trip was the first stop in a three-day swing that includes campaign fund-raisers in California and Washington State.

Governor Scott Walker, fighting a flu bug, greeted Obama at the airport and presented him with a Milwaukee Brewers’ jersey with his name and the Number-One on it. The Republican Walker, who’s been extremely critical of Obama’s policies, told a pool reporter he appreciated the president’s focus on manufacturing and quote, “We’ll leave politics for another day.” But 100 of Walker’s detractors didn’t give politics a rest. They showed up at Master Lock and chanted for the governor’s recall – even though the governor wasn’t there.

Walker To Seek Recall Petition Extension

2/16/12 - Governor Scott Walker’s campaign plans to ask a judge on Friday for another two weeks to review the petitions for a recall election. Walker’s camp was originally given until next Monday to file challenges to signatures it considers false or duplicates. But the campaign says it needs more time to go over the estimated one-million signatures filed on January 17th. If Walker’s request is granted, the campaign would have until March 12th to file its challenges. Recall supporters would then have five days to respond to the challenges – and then Walker would have two days to answer the response. That would push back the Government Accountability Board’s March 19th deadline to validate the Walker recall petitions. Just over 540-thousand valid signatures are needed to order the special gubernatorial election.

PA Man Named To Packer Hall-Of-Fame

2/16/12 - A cheese-head who lives in “Steelers Country” has been named the 14th member of the Green Bay Packers’ Fan Hall-of-Fame. 39-year-old Rick Steele of Greensburg Pennsylvania is only the third person from outside Wisconsin to be enshrined. He was chosen in a vote by over 100-thousand Packer fans. Rick Wiltzius of Wausau finished second. Steele is a teacher and a volunteer fire-fighter. His wife Kristi nominated him, and said the Packers are the one thing they enjoy non-stop together. Steele has attended 18 Packer games since 2003, plus three Fan-Fests. He has a large collection of green-and-gold memorabilia in his home, and the Packers said he was the first from outside Packer Country to have the team’s floor carpeting. Steele said Pittsburgh fans threatened to burn down his house after he appeared on local T-V just before the Packers beat the Steelers in Super Bowl-45 last February. Among other things, Steele won four club seats to a game this fall at Lambeau Field, plus a trip for two to a Green Bay road game.