2/20/12 - It was a tragic weekend on Beaver Dam Lake after a group of a half dozen snowmobile riders fell into the water. One person was killed and three were transported to the hospital. Dodge County Sheriff’s Sgt. Brian Loos says the call was reported to dispatch at 6:30pm and the rescue operation took two hours until they pulled the last person out, who was the fatality. There was initial concern because first responders were not sure if there were six people involved or seven. Two of the six were able to ride their snowmobile back to shore. The incident occurred in the middle of the lake but most emergency personnel assembled at Beaver Dam’s Waterworks Park. Loos says the snowmobiles did not crash through the ice but instead hit an open patch of water. He described the area as a “goose hole” where geese have congregated for most of the season. The incident is under investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. There was also help from fire departments in Horicon, Hustisford, Fox Lake and Beaver Dam along with Dodge County Sheriffs Department, Beaver Dam Police Department, the Air One Helicopter and the Fond du Lac and Columbia County dive teams. Loos says if the ice rescue equipment and the personnel trained to use it were did not respond then there probably would have been more fatalities than one. The names of those involved have not yet been released but Sheriff Todd Nehls confirmed that the man killed was a family member. All the victims were from Beaver Dam and ranged in age from their teens to their 40’s.
Two Dead, Three Hurt in Town of Ixonia Crash
2/20/12 - Two people were killed and three others were injured in an accident southeast of Watertown last night. It happened at the intersection of Highway 16 and North Street just after 5:30pm in the town of Ixonia. According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, a pickup truck heading west on Highway 16 collided with a Buick when the car pulled away from the stop sign and into the path of the truck. One man and one woman in the car were killed and two other were taken to the hospital. A passenger in the truck was also taken to the hospital. No names have been released but officials say the people in the car are from the Hartford and West Bend area.
Apt Fire Update: All But One Unit Cleared For Occupancy
2/20/12 - All but one unit in this weekend’s apartment fire in Beaver Dam has been cleared for occupancy. Crews were called out Saturday morning just before noon to the 100 block of Judson Drive. Chief Alan Mannel says fire damage was restricted to one upstairs unit, where the blaze started though there was minor water damage on the first floor. There were no injuries. Mannel says the management company got the alarm working by Saturday evening and all of the residents were allowed to return except those in the affected unit. The Beaver Dam Police Department is conducting the investigation into the cause of the fire.
New Voter-ID Law to be Used Tomorrow
2/20/12 - Almost 30-percent of Wisconsin communities will hold local primary elections tomorrow – and they’ll be the first to require voters to show photo I-D’s under the new law passed last year. About 525 cities, villages, and towns will have primaries for various local government and school board positions. There are no statewide contests. The biggest election could be in Sheboygan, where half the city’s 30-thousand voters are expected to turn out for a mayoral recall election. Mayor Bob Ryan will be challenged by former state Representative Terry Van Akkeren. Sheboygan City Clerk Sue Richards says a lot of different things are being thrown at the voters and the poll workers but quote, “We’re working our way through them.” Workshops have been held to train poll workers on the photo I-D law – and voters could see more of those people. In Green Bay, each ward will have five poll workers instead of three – and one poll worker in each ward will focus solely on the I-D law. Voters will have to sign in before getting ballots. Green Bay Interim City Clerk Kris Teske says her people are ready, and they expect no problems. Reid Magney of the Government Accountability Board says those who vote in primaries are generally more engaged, so his agency does not expect problems tomorrow. The first statewide test of the new I-D law will be on April third, when Wisconsin holds its presidential primary on the same day that local contests will be decided.
The Pope of Dodge County
2/20/12 - There has been international talk that the former archbishop who once headed the archdiocese that oversees Dodge County could become the Pope one day. Former Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan received a lot of attention and praise for his speech on Saturday about spreading the faith at Vatican City. Some Italian media are describing Dolan as having the qualities to be pope someday. Dolan was one of 22 Catholic churchmen ordained as Cardinals this weekend. For decades the leader of the Roman Catholic Church has been Polish or German, but Italy now has 30 Cardinals younger than 80 years old – and those are the ones eligible to vote for a future conclave. While it is unlikely, it is not impossible for an American to be named leader of the Catholic Church. The current pope reportedly described Dolan’s speech as, quoting here, “enthusiastic, joyful and profound.”
Fondy Police Officer Facing Possible OWI Charges
2/20/12 - An off-duty Fond du Lac police officer could face charges of drunken driving and hit-and-run in connection with an accident early Friday morning. The officer was reportedly driving his personal vehicle at about 2am when he hit a parked vehicle. He is then accused of leaving the scene, but a neighbor who witnessed the accident had called 9-1-1. A Fond du Lac squad car pulled over the suspect in his vehicle, finding front-end damage and a broken headlight. The police department reports it has started an internal investigation. The 12-year veteran of the police force is on paid administrative leave while the case is investigated.
Kennedy Has Listening Session on Tuesday
2/20/12 - Beaver Dam Mayor Tom Kennedy has listening sessions scheduled for Tuesday. City residents are invited to meet with the mayor without appointment, in a one-on-one setting, on the first and third Tuesday of every month. Kennedy says he wants constituents to have the opportunity to speak with him the day after each regular meeting of the common council. The listening sessions are held in Room 109 on the first floor of City Hall from 10am until noon and again from 5pm to 6pm. If the regular schedule doesn’t fir into your schedule, residents are encouraged to schedule a private meeting through the mayor’s office.
2nd Person Wins $1M in WI Lottery
2/20/12 - We could find out this week who won Wisconsin’s second million-dollar lottery prize in six days. A ticket sold at a Weiler convenience store in Marshfield won a million dollars in Friday night’s Mega Millions’ drawing by buying the Megaplier option and matching all five regular numbers but not the Mega Ball. Friday’s Megaplier was three, but those who win the quarter-million-dollar second prize with the multiplier automatically get a million. Friday’s numbers were 16, 25, 28, 32, and 40. The Mega Ball was three. The big winner has almost six months to claim the prize at the state Lottery office in Madison. On February 11th, Christy Stanczak of West Allis won the second prize of a million dollars in Powerball. Tomorrow night’s Mega Millions jackpot is 72-million-dollars, and Powerball is at 60-million for Wednesday night.
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