Top Stories February 25th

Hartford Man Killed at Railroad Crossing

2/25/12 - A 47-year-old man was killed yesterday (Fr) when his pick-up truck collided with a passing train in Hartford. It happened just before 8am on North Wacker Drive, just north of Highway 60. Hartford police say the driver might not have been paying full attention due to the possible use of his cell phone. They also said roads were slippery due to fresh snow and his visibility was limited because of snow and ice accumulation on his windows. The Washington County Medical Examiners Office pronounced the driver and lone occupant dead at the scene. The victim’s name was not immediately released. The Sheriff’s Department Accident Reconstruction Team is investigating.

Man Facing Charges After Passing Out Behind the Wheel

2/25/12 - A man was apparently drunk when he passed out behind the wheel of his truck at an intersection last night. It happened on County Highway TT just south of Astico Park. Authorities say a passerby reported that the 21-year-old was sitting at the intersection and was unresponsive. Deputies were able to gain access to the truck by breaking the passenger side window. The man was taken into custody for OWI 2nd Offense and also had open intoxicants in the truck.

Woman Charged for Supplying Drugs for Son to Sell

2/25/12 - A Hustisford woman is accused of supplying her son with drugs so that he can sell them. 54-year-old Debra S. Steffen is charged with Using a Child to Distribute Drugs, Conspiracy to Distribute Drugs, Maintaining A Drug Trafficking Place and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. Authorities say an undercover member of the Dodge County Drug Task Force purchased 20 pills of Diazepam, which similar to Valium, late last year from her 16-year-old son. Steffen allegedly told investigators that she knew he was selling her prescription medications to make “a few extra bucks” and said he was not a “high-level drug dealer.” Starting last summer, she reportedly started to give him about half of the 60 pills she is prescribed each month and he would sell them for between $2 and $3 each. If she is convicted, the four felony charges carry a maximum total of 26 years in prison. Steffen is scheduled to make her Initial Appearance on March 12.

Panel to Determine Fate of New Election Maps

2/25/12 - The three-judge panel hearing testimony on the state’s new election maps says it will have a written decision in the coming weeks. Two days of testimony were wrapped up last night. The panel is to determine whether the maps are constitutional. Opponents say they split up two Hispanic districts in Milwaukee, diluting the political power of residents. Supporters say the new boundaries would help Latinos elect two Hispanics. The redistricting maps are redrawn every 10 years to ensure political districts include approximately the same number of voters in each. Republican lawmakers drew up these maps and Democrats and some minority groups are challenging.

Doping Agency Wouldn’t Have Cleared Braun

2/25/12 - The head of the World Anti-Doping Agency said Friday that Brewers’ M-V-P Ryan Braun would not have been cleared of a drug allegation if the case had followed his agency’s protocol. An independent arbitration panel cleared the Milwaukee All-Star Thursday, saying a urine sample from a routine drug test might not have been handled properly because it was not shipped to a lab for 44 hours after it was taken. But director general David Howman of the Anti-Doping Agency said that under his department’s rules, Braun would have to prove that the two-day delay caused his positive test result – and that didn’t happen. The agency’s lab in Montreal received and tested the sample, and he said the lab’s director gave evidence that Braun’s sample was not tampered with or compromised. Another agency official told E-S-P-N yesterday there was evidence of a synthetic testosterone that was not naturally made in Braun’s body – and nobody has explained how it got there. Braun, at a news conference, said he would bet his life that he never took the banned substance. And Braun said the extremely high testosterone levels found in his sample raised suspicions about its validity. The arbitrator’s ruling nullified Braun’s positive test – and it wiped out a 50-game suspension he would have had to serve had the test been upheld. E-S-P-N said Major League Baseball is “incensed” over the ruling – and it’s thinking about asking a federal court to reverse it.

Ex-Walker Aide Pleads “Not Guilty”

2/25/12 - Former Milwaukee County Walker aide Tim Russell pleaded innocent Friday to charges that he stole 21-thousand-dollars from a county program aimed at helping veterans. The 48-year-old Russell also asked that his trial be moved to a different county because of all the publicity the case has attracted. Circuit Judge David Hansher rejected the request for now – but he agreed to review the matter before a hearing on pre-trial requests June fourth. A tentative trial date was set for June 18th. The veterans’ program is an annual event held at the Milwaukee County Zoo. Russell has also pleaded innocent to stealing 550-dollars from a County Board candidate’s fund. Also yesterday, a judge in Waukesha refused to dismiss child enticement charges against Russell’s domestic partner, Brian Pierick. He was accused of meeting a 17-year-old Waukesha boy for possible sex. His attorney said the boy claimed he was 19, and his client never intended to have sex with the youngster. The case is not related to Russell’s charges – but officials said the evidence cropped up during the same John Doe investigation in which Russell and three other former Walker aides were charged.

Customers Will Get Appliances They Paid For

2/25/12 - Customers of Milwaukee-area retailer Appliance World have been assured they will still get the products they paid deposits on, even though the company’s three stores have been closed. Wisconsin’s consumer protection agency reports it has received more than 90 complaints since the closing. A spokesman for the Trade and Consumer Protection Division of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection says it may take several weeks to sort everything out. When the Appliance World stores closed their doors January 28th, it ended 56 years of doing business in the Milwaukee area.

39th Annual Birkebeiner is Today

2/25/12 - The 39th annual American Birkebeiner, North America’s largest cross-country ski race is held today. Media Coordinator Susan Kendrick says conditions on the Birkie Trail between Hayward and Cable ought to be excellent. Unlike much of the rest of the state, Kendrick says the Hayward area has had timely snowfall dating back to December. The weather also looks to be ideal for some 9,500 participants in the Birkie and related events. With a projected high temperature of 25 degrees, Kendrick says skiers can expect “a perfect blue wax type of day.” Saturday will be special for John Kotar and Ernie St. Germaine — they’re the only remaining founders who’ve skied every Birkie since 1973. A third founder, Dave Landgraf, was killed in a bicycle accident last August.