Lynch’s Bond Reduced, Attorney Asks for Separate Trials
6/18/11 - A Dodge County judge yesterday approved a motion for bond reduction for Pat Lynch, the former Fox Lake Police Chief who is facing child molestation and stalking charges. The 55-year-old is charged with one count of First Degree Sexual Assault of a Child Under the Age of 13 and three counts of Stalking. The alleged sexual assault of a 7-year-old child occurred in the summer of 1989 at home in Randolph. The victim’s father worked with Lynch at the Randolph Police Department at the time. The victim says, years later, Lynch kept showing up where she worked and would drive his police car past her home. He is also accused of stalking a woman who used to work for the Fox Lake Police Department – as well as a man who was dating his ex-wife. Lynch resigned from his job as police chief in Fox Lake in the spring of 2009. He originally posted a $25,000 cash bond shortly after his arrest in December. Lynch was successful in having his bond reduced to $10,000 in February and received a $15,000 refund. Yesterday’s action will allow another $5000 to be returned. The non-monetary conditions of his bond remain in place, including electronic monitoring and restrictions on having unsupervised contact with minors. Lynch’s attorney has also asked for separate trials on the stalking charges. His request would have the first count of stalking in one trial and the other two charges in another. The court did not rule on that request yesterday. A five-day jury trial is scheduled for October.
Increased Access at the Capitol
6/18/11 - Visitors to the state Capitol will have an easier time entering by the end of the month. State officials have announced they will reopen all eight of the ground floor doors to the building by June 27th and metal detectors will no longer be used to screen visitors. The Department of Administration and Capitol Police put many of the current procedures in place after thousands of people occupied the Capitol for almost two weeks during the debate over the governor’s collective bargaining law. The reduced security is the result of a settlement in a lawsuit against that restricted access to the building.
Dems Withdraw “Placeholder” Candidates
6/18/11 - The State Democratic Party has told three of its members that they won’t have to run in recall primaries against Republican state senators. The G-O-P is using fake candidates to run as Democrats, so the Dems can stay busy with primaries while six Republican senators get an extra month to campaign. The Democrats were not sure if the G-O-P would get fake candidates for all six districts. So they put up three people they called “placeholder” candidates to run in the primaries to make sure all six general elections would be held at the same time. As it turned out, the Republicans were able to recruit fake Democrats for all six primaries – so the “place-holder” Democrats have been withdrawn. In one case, the G-O-P put up Rol Church of Wautoma to run against Assembly Democrat Fred Clark for the Senate seat held by Republican Luther Olsen of Ripon. And the Baraboo News-Republic says that primary and general election will cost taxpayers 350-thousand dollars – twice as much as if Clark didn’t have a primary opponent.
Budget Eliminates Critical Funding for Agriculture
6/18/11 - House Democrat Ron Kind of La Crosse says next year’s federal agriculture budget eliminates critical funding for family farms – and it forces women, infants, and children to take the bulk of the reductions. Kind joined Wisconsin’s two other House Democrats yesterday in opposing the agriculture budget for fiscal 2012. All five Wisconsin Republicans voted in favor. Minnesota Democrat Collin Peterson calls it “another assault on agriculture.” He said the measure takes funds from programs that were carefully-negotiated – and it includes almost two-billion dollars in changes to mandatory spending. Peterson says that if Congress keeps chipping away at ag spending, farmers will be left without an adequate safety net – and it could end up costing the government more money, not less. The budget blueprint from Janesville House Republican Paul Ryan called for 178-billion-dollars in cuts from farm programs. The House action approved funds for the U-S-D-A and related agencies – but it denied money for regulations by the Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration. Meat and poultry groups said a rule involving the group would have cost them millions-of-dollars and lost jobs.
Officials Find Source of Bacteria
6/18/11 - Lab tests show the bacteria that made 16 people sick at a school event in Raymond came from raw milk produced at a nearby farm. Those people were attending a school event earlier this month. The testing shows the bacteria strain found in stool samples from the sickened children and adults matches samples taken from a bulk tank at the farm. The unpasteurized milk wasn't sold and no laws were broken. A parent had supplied the milk from the farm, which is licensed and in good standing with the state.
Madison #6 for Raising Kids
6/18/11 - Want to raise your kids in a family-friendly environment? Come to Madison. Parenting-dot-com ranks Madison sixth in its 100 Best Cities for Families study for 2011. The rankings were based on the number of great schools, affordable homes, low crime rates, jobs and park land. Milwaukee also made the list, coming in at number 50. The top-rated place to raise a family in the country is Washington, D.C.
Ho-Chunk Leader Still on Administrative Leave
A member of the Ho-Chunk Nation Legislature is expected to remain on administrative leave until his term ends next month. Clarence Pettibone is one of three people charged with bribery related to contracts handed out by the Ho-Chunk Nation. Pettibone's term ends July 5 and he did not seek reelection. His attorney says Pettibone intends to plead not guilty. The 14-count indictment was filed in federal court last week.
Supreme Court Won’t Hear Jensen’s Case
6/18/11 - Attorneys for convicted killer Mark Jensen say they are surprised the Wisconsin Supreme Court refused to hear their case. Jensen is appealing his conviction, with his lawyers arguing a letter by Julie Jensen should not have been admitted as evidence. In the letter, the victim said she feared her husband was trying to kill her. Jensen was found guilty of poisoning her in 2008. That was a decade after she had died, following years of investigation and court delays. Jensen is 51 years old and is serving a life sentence. The state's high court decided it would not hear his appeal.
The Body of a Missing Janesville Man Found
6/18/11 - The body of a Janesville man was found in 90 feet of water in a lake in Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Cooke County sheriff's officials had been looking for 23 year old Ty Sitter since June 9. He had left the camp site where he was vacationing with his father and brother to go fishing. He never returned. Sitter's canoe, life jacket and tackle box were found. Sonar had detected his body in the deep water, but bad weather had slowed efforts to recover it.
Shipping Season Off to Solid Start
6/18/11 - The Great Lakes shipping season is off to a solid start, but one of last year’s booms -- wheat exports -- might bust. So far, the numbers are strong. St. Lawrence Seaway cargo connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic is up 10 percent, including a 31 percent increase in grain heading overseas. Grain traffic has more than doubled among U.S.-flagged ships. But last year Russia and the Ukraine -- two of the biggest world growers of wheat -- had to stop exports because of fire and drought. This year, the International Grain Council says both countries are rebounding while flooding in the western U.S. could reverse this strong start.
Fake Ad Causes Frenzy
6/18/11 - A Sheboygan woman says she woke up Thursday morning to find people crowding her front yard. Debbie Brown says if her dog hadn't started barking, her boat might be gone. Those people were responded to an ad on Craigslist offering a free boat and minivan. One problem -- the Brown and her husband didn't place the ad on the Internet site. The boat and minivan weren't even for sale, let alone free. By late morning on Thursday more than two dozen people had responded to the ad. Finally, someone posted that it was a hoax. Brown tells the Sheboygan Press she will sue if the police department discovers who posted the fake ad.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Friday, June 17, 2011
Top Stories June 17th
The Rings are In
6/17/11 - The Green Bay Packers were ecstatic over the Super Bowl rings they received last night. They got their diamond-studded yellow gold rings during a private ceremony at Lambeau Field – the first time the team got together since the N-F-L owners’ lockout began in early March. Veteran corner Charles Woodson said the ring was heavier than he expected – but he said it felt just right, considering what he did to earn it. Contact between players and coaches is prohibited during the lockout, but the N-F-L granted an exception for the ring ceremony. Coach Mike McCarthy said everybody’s been separated for too long – and they’re all anxious to quote, “get going on the next journey.” At one point during the evening, McCarthy wore a cowboy hat and joked with players who wore them to a pre-season lunch last year – showing their desire to head to North Texas to win Super Bowl-45, which they did in February. The ring features the Packers’ “G”-logo with 13 diamonds that represent each of the team’s N-F-L titles. Four more diamonds surround it to commemorate their four Super Bowl championships. Team president Mark Murphy said the ceremony gave everybody a chance to think about their place in the Packers’ long history – and to celebrate a remarkable season.
Senate Approves Budget, Now Heads to Governor
6/17/11 - A new state budget for the next two years was sent to Governor Scott Walker last night without a single vote by the Democrats. The Senate approved the 66-billion-dollar package on a 19-to-14 vote, with all Republicans voting yes. Minority Democrats again offered a host of amendments which the G-O-P struck down before passing the budget around 10 p-m. In the end, the Senate passed the identical budget that the Assembly approved around 3 a-m yesterday. The Republican Walker said he would only take a few days to consider possible line-item vetoes to the budget – which includes business tax breaks to boost the economy and a basic tax freeze for almost everyone else. But it also includes deep cuts in state aid to public schools and local governments, plus reductions in a host of social programs. Minority Leader Mark Miller said the budget quote, “gives to those few who already have a lot, and it takes from those who have less.” But Republicans said tough medicine was needed to put the state’s finances back-on-track, and eliminate deficits both now and in the future.
BD Man Allegedly Locks Himself To Senate Railing
6/17/11 - A Beaver Dam man was one of two people arrested in Senate Chambers over the noon hour Thursday after he used a bike lock to chain himself to the railing in the gallery. 20-year-old Christopher W. French was arrested along with a 23-year-old Elroy woman on charges of Disorderly Conduct, Resisting Arrest and Unlawful Assembly. Officers cut apart the U-shaped locks from around their necks before hauling the two away. They were among a dozen protestors shouting “Kill the Bill” as the Senate began its session late this morning to debate the proposed new state budget. French told Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs he swallowed the key to his bicycle lock. Six other protestors were also removed from the gallery and charged with disorderly conduct. Soon after the shouting, the Senate adjourned so their parties could meet privately to discuss strategy. The start of the formal debate was delayed until around 1pm.
Capitol Access to Return to Normal
6/17/11 - The protest crowds are dwindling – and so are the restrictions for getting into the State Capitol. Starting a week from Monday, all eight entrances will be open again. And the metal detectors that were in place since late February will disappear. But when things heat up in the future, the administration department will have the authority to tighten up security once again. That’s part of a settlement reached yesterday in a lawsuit filed by the state’s largest employee union. The suit was filed during the peak of the protests over the new state law that limits collective bargaining by public employee unions. The administration defied a judge’s order to resume full access – and until this week’s budget debate, six of the Capitol’s eight entrances were locked and security clearance was needed to get in. The administration said it was justified in continuing the tight security, citing damage and threats. But this week, two more entrances were opened. And now that the Legislature has approved the state budget, Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch says the time is right to open up the rest of the building. Under the settlement, Rotunda protest rallies will still be allowed. But signs cannot be put on sticks, and only employees can be in the Capitol after the building officially closes each day.
WI Soldier Killed in Afghanistan
6/17/11 - An Army private from Adams County is the latest Wisconsinite to be killed in Afghanistan. The Pentagon said yesterday that 19-year-old Ryan Larson of Friendship died on Wednesday, when insurgents attacked his unit in the Kandahar Province. He was the senior class president at Adams-Friendship High School, where he graduated a year ago. He joined the Army right after that, and was sent to Afghanistan in April. Larson was also a wrestler in high school. His coach said he was driven to succeed – and he always seemed to have a good time. Governor Scott Walker said Larson quote, “gave his life so that we may enjoy the blessings of a free society.” He was part of the 25th Infantry Division based at Fort Wainwright in Alaska.
Reilley Waives Prelim
6/17/11 - A Columbus man charged with possession of Child Pornography waived his right to a preliminary hearing yesterday in Columbia County court. James J. Reilley is charged with five felony counts. Reilley, whose former address was rural Pardeeville, is currently living with his parents in a home located between the Columbus Middle School and High School. In April, Columbus School District parents received a precautionary letter from Superintendent Bryan Davis detailing the judge’s decision to release the 44-year-old into the city on signature bond. Davis asked the public to report any contact they witness involving Reilley and any children and said that he should not be on school property. Authorities note that Reilley is not a registered sex offender and has not been convicted of any offense. If he is convicted, he faces a maximum of over forty-one years in prison. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for late next month.
Waukesha Woman Jailed For Smuggling Drugs
6/17/11 - A Waukesha woman will spend six months in jail for trying to smuggle drugs into the Waupun Correctional Institution. Harriet Hoffer pleaded “no contest” to a felony count of Narcotics Delivery and had a count of Delivering Illegal Articles to an Inmate dismissed but read in. The 47-year-old was acting nervous and corrections officers say she was constantly looking at the cameras when she visited the prison last November. Hoffer was then observed in the vending area putting something inside a potato chip bag. It turned out to be seven balloons, each with ten pills of methadone inside. The inmate is Hoffer’s nephew, who is serving a life prison sentence for murder. He is said to have ingested all seven balloons. When questioned, Hoffer told investigators that her nephew was suicidal, suffering from emotional pain and would have hurt someone without the pills. In addition to six months in jail, Hoffer was placed on probation for three years and is prohibited from entering the grounds of a corrections institution.
Fox Lake Approves Land Purchases
6/17/11 - The Fox Lake Common Council has approved the sale of two parcels of land and denied a bid on a third parcel. The lots are located on Warehouse Street and were used to house the city’s public works department until the city moved those operations to another, larger property on Warehouse Street. The city approved a bid of about $3,300 for Lot 1 to Josh Meyer. That lot had an appraised value of $8,000. Lot 2 was awarded to Todd Nehls for a bid of about $21,400, which is about $18,000 less than what the property was appraised for. The council tabled a bid for the third lot because the highest bid was $25,500, much less than the appraised value of $93,500.
Columbus Carriage Festival This Weekend
6/17/11 - The Columbus Horse and Carriage Festival is taking place this weekend in Fireman’s Park. Show Manager Rebecca Remmich with the Renaissance Project says over 60 carriage drivers from Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and Illinois will be competing in the two-day, American Driving Society-sanctioned event. She says volunteers have been working tirelessly over the past three months to put on the festival after the organization that previously hosted cancelled their event in February. Remmich says the group would not let them use their wooden fence arena but with the help of the city of Columbus, volunteers rebuilt the arena which will remain as city property. The Columbus Horse and Carriage Festival will also feature a silent auction in the pavilion at Fireman’s Park with the proceeds going to benefit the park and other historic local landmarks. Remmich says the free event will be fun for the whole family.
6/17/11 - The Green Bay Packers were ecstatic over the Super Bowl rings they received last night. They got their diamond-studded yellow gold rings during a private ceremony at Lambeau Field – the first time the team got together since the N-F-L owners’ lockout began in early March. Veteran corner Charles Woodson said the ring was heavier than he expected – but he said it felt just right, considering what he did to earn it. Contact between players and coaches is prohibited during the lockout, but the N-F-L granted an exception for the ring ceremony. Coach Mike McCarthy said everybody’s been separated for too long – and they’re all anxious to quote, “get going on the next journey.” At one point during the evening, McCarthy wore a cowboy hat and joked with players who wore them to a pre-season lunch last year – showing their desire to head to North Texas to win Super Bowl-45, which they did in February. The ring features the Packers’ “G”-logo with 13 diamonds that represent each of the team’s N-F-L titles. Four more diamonds surround it to commemorate their four Super Bowl championships. Team president Mark Murphy said the ceremony gave everybody a chance to think about their place in the Packers’ long history – and to celebrate a remarkable season.
Senate Approves Budget, Now Heads to Governor
6/17/11 - A new state budget for the next two years was sent to Governor Scott Walker last night without a single vote by the Democrats. The Senate approved the 66-billion-dollar package on a 19-to-14 vote, with all Republicans voting yes. Minority Democrats again offered a host of amendments which the G-O-P struck down before passing the budget around 10 p-m. In the end, the Senate passed the identical budget that the Assembly approved around 3 a-m yesterday. The Republican Walker said he would only take a few days to consider possible line-item vetoes to the budget – which includes business tax breaks to boost the economy and a basic tax freeze for almost everyone else. But it also includes deep cuts in state aid to public schools and local governments, plus reductions in a host of social programs. Minority Leader Mark Miller said the budget quote, “gives to those few who already have a lot, and it takes from those who have less.” But Republicans said tough medicine was needed to put the state’s finances back-on-track, and eliminate deficits both now and in the future.
BD Man Allegedly Locks Himself To Senate Railing
6/17/11 - A Beaver Dam man was one of two people arrested in Senate Chambers over the noon hour Thursday after he used a bike lock to chain himself to the railing in the gallery. 20-year-old Christopher W. French was arrested along with a 23-year-old Elroy woman on charges of Disorderly Conduct, Resisting Arrest and Unlawful Assembly. Officers cut apart the U-shaped locks from around their necks before hauling the two away. They were among a dozen protestors shouting “Kill the Bill” as the Senate began its session late this morning to debate the proposed new state budget. French told Capitol Police Chief Charles Tubbs he swallowed the key to his bicycle lock. Six other protestors were also removed from the gallery and charged with disorderly conduct. Soon after the shouting, the Senate adjourned so their parties could meet privately to discuss strategy. The start of the formal debate was delayed until around 1pm.
Capitol Access to Return to Normal
6/17/11 - The protest crowds are dwindling – and so are the restrictions for getting into the State Capitol. Starting a week from Monday, all eight entrances will be open again. And the metal detectors that were in place since late February will disappear. But when things heat up in the future, the administration department will have the authority to tighten up security once again. That’s part of a settlement reached yesterday in a lawsuit filed by the state’s largest employee union. The suit was filed during the peak of the protests over the new state law that limits collective bargaining by public employee unions. The administration defied a judge’s order to resume full access – and until this week’s budget debate, six of the Capitol’s eight entrances were locked and security clearance was needed to get in. The administration said it was justified in continuing the tight security, citing damage and threats. But this week, two more entrances were opened. And now that the Legislature has approved the state budget, Administration Secretary Mike Huebsch says the time is right to open up the rest of the building. Under the settlement, Rotunda protest rallies will still be allowed. But signs cannot be put on sticks, and only employees can be in the Capitol after the building officially closes each day.
WI Soldier Killed in Afghanistan
6/17/11 - An Army private from Adams County is the latest Wisconsinite to be killed in Afghanistan. The Pentagon said yesterday that 19-year-old Ryan Larson of Friendship died on Wednesday, when insurgents attacked his unit in the Kandahar Province. He was the senior class president at Adams-Friendship High School, where he graduated a year ago. He joined the Army right after that, and was sent to Afghanistan in April. Larson was also a wrestler in high school. His coach said he was driven to succeed – and he always seemed to have a good time. Governor Scott Walker said Larson quote, “gave his life so that we may enjoy the blessings of a free society.” He was part of the 25th Infantry Division based at Fort Wainwright in Alaska.
Reilley Waives Prelim
6/17/11 - A Columbus man charged with possession of Child Pornography waived his right to a preliminary hearing yesterday in Columbia County court. James J. Reilley is charged with five felony counts. Reilley, whose former address was rural Pardeeville, is currently living with his parents in a home located between the Columbus Middle School and High School. In April, Columbus School District parents received a precautionary letter from Superintendent Bryan Davis detailing the judge’s decision to release the 44-year-old into the city on signature bond. Davis asked the public to report any contact they witness involving Reilley and any children and said that he should not be on school property. Authorities note that Reilley is not a registered sex offender and has not been convicted of any offense. If he is convicted, he faces a maximum of over forty-one years in prison. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for late next month.
Waukesha Woman Jailed For Smuggling Drugs
6/17/11 - A Waukesha woman will spend six months in jail for trying to smuggle drugs into the Waupun Correctional Institution. Harriet Hoffer pleaded “no contest” to a felony count of Narcotics Delivery and had a count of Delivering Illegal Articles to an Inmate dismissed but read in. The 47-year-old was acting nervous and corrections officers say she was constantly looking at the cameras when she visited the prison last November. Hoffer was then observed in the vending area putting something inside a potato chip bag. It turned out to be seven balloons, each with ten pills of methadone inside. The inmate is Hoffer’s nephew, who is serving a life prison sentence for murder. He is said to have ingested all seven balloons. When questioned, Hoffer told investigators that her nephew was suicidal, suffering from emotional pain and would have hurt someone without the pills. In addition to six months in jail, Hoffer was placed on probation for three years and is prohibited from entering the grounds of a corrections institution.
Fox Lake Approves Land Purchases
6/17/11 - The Fox Lake Common Council has approved the sale of two parcels of land and denied a bid on a third parcel. The lots are located on Warehouse Street and were used to house the city’s public works department until the city moved those operations to another, larger property on Warehouse Street. The city approved a bid of about $3,300 for Lot 1 to Josh Meyer. That lot had an appraised value of $8,000. Lot 2 was awarded to Todd Nehls for a bid of about $21,400, which is about $18,000 less than what the property was appraised for. The council tabled a bid for the third lot because the highest bid was $25,500, much less than the appraised value of $93,500.
Columbus Carriage Festival This Weekend
6/17/11 - The Columbus Horse and Carriage Festival is taking place this weekend in Fireman’s Park. Show Manager Rebecca Remmich with the Renaissance Project says over 60 carriage drivers from Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan and Illinois will be competing in the two-day, American Driving Society-sanctioned event. She says volunteers have been working tirelessly over the past three months to put on the festival after the organization that previously hosted cancelled their event in February. Remmich says the group would not let them use their wooden fence arena but with the help of the city of Columbus, volunteers rebuilt the arena which will remain as city property. The Columbus Horse and Carriage Festival will also feature a silent auction in the pavilion at Fireman’s Park with the proceeds going to benefit the park and other historic local landmarks. Remmich says the free event will be fun for the whole family.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Top Stories June 16th
Budget Approved by Assembly, Heads to Senate
6/16/11 - The Wisconsin Assembly approved the new state budget just after three o’clock this morning. The vote was 60-to-38, with Independent Bob Ziegelbauer joining all Republicans in voting yes. All Democrats voted no, after they offered numerous amendments that the G-O-P rejected. One of them would have wiped out a cut in the Earned Income Tax credit for the working poor. Majority Republicans added numerous changes to the budget late last night, rejecting several last-minute items from the Joint Finance Committee. The Senate will take up the two-year, 66-billion-dollar budget today. The Assembly decided not to make it harder for landowners to challenge government land seizures for new roads and utilities. They also dropped the idea of making private contractors build most smaller road projects. Transit workers would keep their bargaining rights, so the state doesn’t lose millions in federal aid. And people can still get ethics statements of public officials by e-mail, instead of having to drive to Madison to see them. Republicans also agreed not to touch Wisc-Net, which provides high-speed Web service to schools and public libraries. Republican Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald said the budget still includes the sacrifices needed to get the state’s fiscal house in order. But Democratic leader Peter Barca said it comes at the expense of the poor and the middle class.
Lawsuits Filed to Challenge Collective Bargaining Restrictions
6/16/11 - Governor Scott Walker says most Wisconsinites want the lawsuits to go away, and to move forward with ending most collective bargaining by public employee unions. The Republican governor made his remark yesterday, after seven unions filed a lawsuit in federal court to strike down parts of the law which was reinstated by the State Supreme Court on Tuesday. The state A-F-L C-I-O says they’re only challenging those parts of the law that restrict public workers from collective bargaining and free association. They’re not challenging the part that makes state employees pay more toward their pensions and health insurance. State A-F-L C-I-O president Phil Neuenfeldt said the union law violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U-S Constitution, by eliminating basic rights to organize and bargain. He also said Walker is illegally creating two classes of public sector employees by exempting police-and-fire unions from most of the bill’s provisions. The new state budget passed by the Assembly early this morning also exempts transit workers. That’s because the state would lose 47-million-dollars in federal aid for busses if the bargaining status of transit workers is changed during the funding period. The new law is scheduled to take effect June 29th.
BDUSD Expected To Vote On Union Contracts Monday
6/16/11 - The Beaver Dam School Board is expected to decide on Monday whether to ratify two-year contracts for the teachers and support staff unions. And its possible Tuesday’s action by the Supreme Court to reinstate the collective bargaining restrictions could play a role in their decision. During his radio program last week Superintendent Steve Vessey said the district was facing a 2.8-million-dollar deficit for the 2011-2012 school year. He said through staffing and efficiency adjustments they were able to fill half of the deficit. The other half was going to be filled in one of two ways. Either the district would reach a contract agreement with the unions that would have them paying 5.8-percent more into their retirement accounts. Or the budget repair bill would pass, which would force teachers and staff to pay the 5.8-percent contribution. With the collective bargaining restrictions apparently not going into effect until June 29 any contract approved prior to that would have to be honored. No contract details have been released. The board meets at 6:30pm Monday night at the Educational Service Center.
BD Officials Mulling Change To Liquor Ordinance Wording
6/16/11 - City officials in Beaver Dam may change the wording of the city’s liquor licensing ordinance to address problems that have arisen since the state smoking ban was put into effect last July. At issue are the tavern patrons who step outside to have a cigarette and bring their drink with them. Bar owners are prohibiting those patrons from carrying a drink out the front door to smoke on city sidewalks. They are instead encouraging them to smoke on a deck or patio with their drinks. City liquor licenses permit alcohol on those outside decks and patio’s if they are listed on the license application. The problem is that city ordinance requires those areas to be (quote) “controlled” and no one in city government seems to be able to explain exactly what “controlled” means. Bar owners say they could not afford to keep their doors open if they had to staff someone outside full-time to monitor smokers. The city identified seven establishments as “uncontrolled” based on site descriptions outlined in their liquor license applications. John Hammen with Johnny’s Lounge says the smoking ban is hurting business enough as it is, without having to tell patrons to leave their drinks unattended at the bar. Administration Committee Chair Don Neuert says the ordinance language needs to be “tightened-up” in such a way that it remains strong enough to prevent underage access to alcohol. The wording of the ordinance is expected to be addressed this month, as new licenses are being issued as of July 1. In the meantime, the affected bar owners have been asked to control outside drinking or risk violating city ordinance.
Waupun Expands Liquor License Ordinance
6/16/11 - Waupun has adopted an ordinance change that will add grocery stores to the list of businesses that can get a Class A liquor license. Currently the city has only two liquor stores that have the ability to sell hard alcohol but City Administrator Kyle Clark says the change will expand that to include grocery stores. He says the idea behind the change was, in part, to lure another grocery store to town after the SuperValu store on the west side of town closed. Clark says they’ve been in discussions with a potential buyer with one of the contingencies being the ordinance change.
Dems Go to Court Over Recalls
6/16/11 - Democrats are trying to again to drop recall elections against three of their state senators. The State Democratic Party asked a judge yesterday to nullify the Government Accountability Board’s decision last week to schedule votes against Dave Hansen, Jim Holperin, and Bob Wirch. The party said it found that numerous people were misled when they signed the petitions, claiming they told it would support schools or preserve Indian tribal rights. The board rejected thousands of petition signatures due to fraud – but it certified enough valid signatures to hold the elections. State Democratic chairman Mike Tate said a higher authority should review what he called a “stunning conspiracy to defraud the voters.” Six Republican senators who face recalls have also asked the courts to cancel their elections. They said petition organizers filed improper paperwork when they started their drives. For now, though, the recall primaries against the Republican senators are set for July 12th with the general elections on August ninth. The votes against the Democrats would be held a week later.
Thompson on the Defensive
6/16/11 - Republican Tommy Thompson is fighting back at claims that he supported the Democratic health care reform law. The former Wisconsin governor and Bush health secretary is thinking about running for the U-S Senate next year. He told G-O-P donors in Washington yesterday that the Obama health law must be quote, “repealed and replaced and rewritten.” The conservative Club-for-Growth said Thompson gave the Obama package his blessing – which he strongly denies. The former governor said he did work to achieve reforms that both parties could support. But in the end, he said the package became too liberal. The 69-year-old Thompson has been out of the public sector since 2004, and he’s toyed several times with the idea of returning to public office. He says voters have a right to be skeptical that he’ll run this time – but he says the opportunity is better for him now. Thompson was Wisconsin’s governor for 14 years before he joined the Bush cabinet in 2001. He says he’ll decide after this summer’s state Senate recall elections whether he’ll run for the seat to be given up by Democrat Herb Kohl next year.
Clyman FD Puts Grant Money To Good Use
6/16/11 - The Clyman Fire and Rescue Department has recently put into service equipment purchased with grant funding. The department recently received Assistance to Firefighters grant from the U.S. Fire totaling $121,500. Fire Chief John Haase says the department is now using new Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus, or SCBA gear, that will give firefighters up to 35 minutes of breathing time; their old equipment only allowed for 15 to 20 minutes of oxygen. Haase says each of the 14 SCBA air packs are worth $5000 to $6000 dollars while the air compressor filling station cost around $45,000. The grant also paid for the purchase of custom-fit, voice-activated face pieces that will allow firefighters to communicate with the command center during a fire.
BDFD Responds To Car Fire
6/16/11 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department responded to a passenger car fire last night. The vehicle was in the parking lot of the KFC on East Industrial Drive. It was fully involved when crews arrived on scene just before 8:30pm. There no injuries and the car was a complete loss. Firefighters were on scene for about 45 minutes.
Tavern Burglary Spree Ringleader In Court
6/16/11 - A Mauston man arrested in connection with a series of Dodge County tavern break-ins was in a Dodge County courtroom this morning. Thomas Dahlgren had a public defender assigned and a preliminary hearing scheduled for next week. The 44-year-old is charged with three felony counts of Burglary and three misdemeanor counts of Theft. Dahlgren and two others are accused of breaking into the Dockside Pub and Grille in the Town of Westford in January, Jumpers Bar in the Town of Beaver Dam in February and Chances Bar in the Town of Burnett in March. Thousands of dollars was stolen from poker machines, ATM’s and safes. 32-year-old Nicholas J. Etter of West Salem and 32-year-old Michelle L. Novak of Mayville were the first to be charged in the case. According to the criminal complaint, Novak reportedly admitted to being the getaway driver and lookout; she has since waived her right to a preliminary hearing and has court activity on the calendar next month. Etter admitted that he was involved but blamed someone else for orchestrating the break-ins. Etter entered a “no contest” plea earlier this month and will be sentenced in September. Dahlgren, meanwhile, was on probation for Attempted Homicide at the time of his arrest and is currently incarcerated at the Waupun Correctional Institution.
A-G Refuses To Honor Federal Request
6/16/11 - Wisconsin’s attorney general says he will not honor a federal request to seek the repeal of state laws which make it harder for ex-convicts to find jobs and housing. Republican J-B Van Hollen says he believes all of Wisconsin’s laws address legitimate public safety concerns. U-S Attorney General Eric Holder has asked all the states to review their laws, and ask legislators to eliminate those which place un-due burdens on ex-offenders. Holder’s request was connected with the release of a new data-base from the American Bar Association. It lists all state laws throughout the country that impose post-prison sanctions on offenders. Wisconsin has 525 such laws, fewer than the national average of around 700. George Washington University law professor Stephen Saltzburg, who helped create the data-base, says states can use it to help prevent ex-convicts from going back to prison. Holder says new research has shown that good jobs and stable housing are the best ways to prevent offenders from committing new crimes. Saltzburg says he’d like to see punishments that hold offenders accountable, but do not unduly destroy their chances of being productive citizens once they’ve served their time.
6/16/11 - The Wisconsin Assembly approved the new state budget just after three o’clock this morning. The vote was 60-to-38, with Independent Bob Ziegelbauer joining all Republicans in voting yes. All Democrats voted no, after they offered numerous amendments that the G-O-P rejected. One of them would have wiped out a cut in the Earned Income Tax credit for the working poor. Majority Republicans added numerous changes to the budget late last night, rejecting several last-minute items from the Joint Finance Committee. The Senate will take up the two-year, 66-billion-dollar budget today. The Assembly decided not to make it harder for landowners to challenge government land seizures for new roads and utilities. They also dropped the idea of making private contractors build most smaller road projects. Transit workers would keep their bargaining rights, so the state doesn’t lose millions in federal aid. And people can still get ethics statements of public officials by e-mail, instead of having to drive to Madison to see them. Republicans also agreed not to touch Wisc-Net, which provides high-speed Web service to schools and public libraries. Republican Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald said the budget still includes the sacrifices needed to get the state’s fiscal house in order. But Democratic leader Peter Barca said it comes at the expense of the poor and the middle class.
Lawsuits Filed to Challenge Collective Bargaining Restrictions
6/16/11 - Governor Scott Walker says most Wisconsinites want the lawsuits to go away, and to move forward with ending most collective bargaining by public employee unions. The Republican governor made his remark yesterday, after seven unions filed a lawsuit in federal court to strike down parts of the law which was reinstated by the State Supreme Court on Tuesday. The state A-F-L C-I-O says they’re only challenging those parts of the law that restrict public workers from collective bargaining and free association. They’re not challenging the part that makes state employees pay more toward their pensions and health insurance. State A-F-L C-I-O president Phil Neuenfeldt said the union law violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments of the U-S Constitution, by eliminating basic rights to organize and bargain. He also said Walker is illegally creating two classes of public sector employees by exempting police-and-fire unions from most of the bill’s provisions. The new state budget passed by the Assembly early this morning also exempts transit workers. That’s because the state would lose 47-million-dollars in federal aid for busses if the bargaining status of transit workers is changed during the funding period. The new law is scheduled to take effect June 29th.
BDUSD Expected To Vote On Union Contracts Monday
6/16/11 - The Beaver Dam School Board is expected to decide on Monday whether to ratify two-year contracts for the teachers and support staff unions. And its possible Tuesday’s action by the Supreme Court to reinstate the collective bargaining restrictions could play a role in their decision. During his radio program last week Superintendent Steve Vessey said the district was facing a 2.8-million-dollar deficit for the 2011-2012 school year. He said through staffing and efficiency adjustments they were able to fill half of the deficit. The other half was going to be filled in one of two ways. Either the district would reach a contract agreement with the unions that would have them paying 5.8-percent more into their retirement accounts. Or the budget repair bill would pass, which would force teachers and staff to pay the 5.8-percent contribution. With the collective bargaining restrictions apparently not going into effect until June 29 any contract approved prior to that would have to be honored. No contract details have been released. The board meets at 6:30pm Monday night at the Educational Service Center.
BD Officials Mulling Change To Liquor Ordinance Wording
6/16/11 - City officials in Beaver Dam may change the wording of the city’s liquor licensing ordinance to address problems that have arisen since the state smoking ban was put into effect last July. At issue are the tavern patrons who step outside to have a cigarette and bring their drink with them. Bar owners are prohibiting those patrons from carrying a drink out the front door to smoke on city sidewalks. They are instead encouraging them to smoke on a deck or patio with their drinks. City liquor licenses permit alcohol on those outside decks and patio’s if they are listed on the license application. The problem is that city ordinance requires those areas to be (quote) “controlled” and no one in city government seems to be able to explain exactly what “controlled” means. Bar owners say they could not afford to keep their doors open if they had to staff someone outside full-time to monitor smokers. The city identified seven establishments as “uncontrolled” based on site descriptions outlined in their liquor license applications. John Hammen with Johnny’s Lounge says the smoking ban is hurting business enough as it is, without having to tell patrons to leave their drinks unattended at the bar. Administration Committee Chair Don Neuert says the ordinance language needs to be “tightened-up” in such a way that it remains strong enough to prevent underage access to alcohol. The wording of the ordinance is expected to be addressed this month, as new licenses are being issued as of July 1. In the meantime, the affected bar owners have been asked to control outside drinking or risk violating city ordinance.
Waupun Expands Liquor License Ordinance
6/16/11 - Waupun has adopted an ordinance change that will add grocery stores to the list of businesses that can get a Class A liquor license. Currently the city has only two liquor stores that have the ability to sell hard alcohol but City Administrator Kyle Clark says the change will expand that to include grocery stores. He says the idea behind the change was, in part, to lure another grocery store to town after the SuperValu store on the west side of town closed. Clark says they’ve been in discussions with a potential buyer with one of the contingencies being the ordinance change.
Dems Go to Court Over Recalls
6/16/11 - Democrats are trying to again to drop recall elections against three of their state senators. The State Democratic Party asked a judge yesterday to nullify the Government Accountability Board’s decision last week to schedule votes against Dave Hansen, Jim Holperin, and Bob Wirch. The party said it found that numerous people were misled when they signed the petitions, claiming they told it would support schools or preserve Indian tribal rights. The board rejected thousands of petition signatures due to fraud – but it certified enough valid signatures to hold the elections. State Democratic chairman Mike Tate said a higher authority should review what he called a “stunning conspiracy to defraud the voters.” Six Republican senators who face recalls have also asked the courts to cancel their elections. They said petition organizers filed improper paperwork when they started their drives. For now, though, the recall primaries against the Republican senators are set for July 12th with the general elections on August ninth. The votes against the Democrats would be held a week later.
Thompson on the Defensive
6/16/11 - Republican Tommy Thompson is fighting back at claims that he supported the Democratic health care reform law. The former Wisconsin governor and Bush health secretary is thinking about running for the U-S Senate next year. He told G-O-P donors in Washington yesterday that the Obama health law must be quote, “repealed and replaced and rewritten.” The conservative Club-for-Growth said Thompson gave the Obama package his blessing – which he strongly denies. The former governor said he did work to achieve reforms that both parties could support. But in the end, he said the package became too liberal. The 69-year-old Thompson has been out of the public sector since 2004, and he’s toyed several times with the idea of returning to public office. He says voters have a right to be skeptical that he’ll run this time – but he says the opportunity is better for him now. Thompson was Wisconsin’s governor for 14 years before he joined the Bush cabinet in 2001. He says he’ll decide after this summer’s state Senate recall elections whether he’ll run for the seat to be given up by Democrat Herb Kohl next year.
Clyman FD Puts Grant Money To Good Use
6/16/11 - The Clyman Fire and Rescue Department has recently put into service equipment purchased with grant funding. The department recently received Assistance to Firefighters grant from the U.S. Fire totaling $121,500. Fire Chief John Haase says the department is now using new Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus, or SCBA gear, that will give firefighters up to 35 minutes of breathing time; their old equipment only allowed for 15 to 20 minutes of oxygen. Haase says each of the 14 SCBA air packs are worth $5000 to $6000 dollars while the air compressor filling station cost around $45,000. The grant also paid for the purchase of custom-fit, voice-activated face pieces that will allow firefighters to communicate with the command center during a fire.
BDFD Responds To Car Fire
6/16/11 - The Beaver Dam Fire Department responded to a passenger car fire last night. The vehicle was in the parking lot of the KFC on East Industrial Drive. It was fully involved when crews arrived on scene just before 8:30pm. There no injuries and the car was a complete loss. Firefighters were on scene for about 45 minutes.
Tavern Burglary Spree Ringleader In Court
6/16/11 - A Mauston man arrested in connection with a series of Dodge County tavern break-ins was in a Dodge County courtroom this morning. Thomas Dahlgren had a public defender assigned and a preliminary hearing scheduled for next week. The 44-year-old is charged with three felony counts of Burglary and three misdemeanor counts of Theft. Dahlgren and two others are accused of breaking into the Dockside Pub and Grille in the Town of Westford in January, Jumpers Bar in the Town of Beaver Dam in February and Chances Bar in the Town of Burnett in March. Thousands of dollars was stolen from poker machines, ATM’s and safes. 32-year-old Nicholas J. Etter of West Salem and 32-year-old Michelle L. Novak of Mayville were the first to be charged in the case. According to the criminal complaint, Novak reportedly admitted to being the getaway driver and lookout; she has since waived her right to a preliminary hearing and has court activity on the calendar next month. Etter admitted that he was involved but blamed someone else for orchestrating the break-ins. Etter entered a “no contest” plea earlier this month and will be sentenced in September. Dahlgren, meanwhile, was on probation for Attempted Homicide at the time of his arrest and is currently incarcerated at the Waupun Correctional Institution.
A-G Refuses To Honor Federal Request
6/16/11 - Wisconsin’s attorney general says he will not honor a federal request to seek the repeal of state laws which make it harder for ex-convicts to find jobs and housing. Republican J-B Van Hollen says he believes all of Wisconsin’s laws address legitimate public safety concerns. U-S Attorney General Eric Holder has asked all the states to review their laws, and ask legislators to eliminate those which place un-due burdens on ex-offenders. Holder’s request was connected with the release of a new data-base from the American Bar Association. It lists all state laws throughout the country that impose post-prison sanctions on offenders. Wisconsin has 525 such laws, fewer than the national average of around 700. George Washington University law professor Stephen Saltzburg, who helped create the data-base, says states can use it to help prevent ex-convicts from going back to prison. Holder says new research has shown that good jobs and stable housing are the best ways to prevent offenders from committing new crimes. Saltzburg says he’d like to see punishments that hold offenders accountable, but do not unduly destroy their chances of being productive citizens once they’ve served their time.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Top Stories June 14th
Collective Bargaining Limits Likely to be in Budget
Republicans will add the governor’s collective bargaining limits to the new state budget if the Supreme Court doesn’t restore them by the end of today. That’s what Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald told reporters yesterday. The clampdown on public union negotiating power has been held up in the courts, after a judge ruled that lawmakers did not pass them properly in March. Fitzgerald said Republicans are “more solid than they’ve ever been” on passing the union limits a second time if need be. And they would not apply to transit workers, so the state would not risk losing 47-million dollars in federal money to help keep public buses running. The Assembly begins its debate today on the new budget. And it’s possible that some last-minute measures could be cut out – including a requirement that private contractors do most work that costs at least 100-thousand-dollars. That measure was debated privately by Assembly Republicans yesterday, after Door County’s highway commissioner said he would stop maintenance work on state highways if the item passes.
Officials Say Budget Would Leave Surplus
The Legislative Fiscal Bureau says the current version of the state budget – as adopted by the Joint Finance Committee – would leave a 306-million-dollar surplus. It would be the first truly balanced two-year state budget in over a decade. The package would freeze state-and-local taxes, but fees would go up by around 100-million dollars. The Assembly will start debating the 66-billion-dollar budget today. Republican Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald expects the Assembly to debate it for a day-or-two. The speaker and his brother, Senate leader Scott Fitzgerald, have called an extraordinary session. Among other things, it would prevent Assembly Democrats from blocking passage of the budget for a couple days – and it would go right to the Senate after the Assembly finishes it. Scott Fitzgerald says the goal is to get the budget to Governor Scott Walker by the end of the week, so it can take effect on July first.
Appellate Court Upholds Dismissal of BD Lawsuit
6/14/11 - Former Beaver Dam Department of Public Works Supervisor Dan Wackett has lost an appeal of his federal lawsuit filed against the city that claims he was unjustly passed over for a promotion. The Seventh US Circuit Court of Appeals Monday upheld a district court decision to dismiss the case. The matter dates back to 2003, when Wackett spoke against a Board of Public Works recommendation to purchase a front-end loader that was the highest of three bids. The board ignored Wackett's recommendation to go with John Deere, and instead voted to buy a Caterpillar that cost $10,000 more. Wackett accused the board of accepting an all-expense paid, overnight trip to Chicago from Caterpillar, influencing the decision. The city council ultimately opted to go with the John Deere but Wackett contends he paid the price. He was passed over for a promotion to Public Works Director and filed the federal lawsuit in February of 2008, claiming the city retaliated against him for exercising his First Amendment rights. The appellate court cited a 2006 Supreme Court case that held (quote) “when public employees make statements pursuant to their official duties, the employees are not speaking as citizens for First Amendment purposes, and the Constitution does not insulate their communications from employer discipline.” The city also presented evidence that officials simply did not care for Wackett's management style. The appellate court determined that the city’s treatment of Wackett was unrelated to his First Amendment rights.
http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/tmp/8P0J8H00.pdf
Homeless Man Charged In Bar Break-Ins
6/14/11 - A homeless man has been charged with burglarizing a Beaver Dam tavern twice in one week. Jeremy Parmer is charged with two counts of felony burglary, along with misdemeanor Theft and Criminal Damage To Property for allegedly breaking into the Cellar on Christmas Eve and then again four days later. According to the criminal complaint, the 39-year-old removed an air conditioner the first time and broke a window the second time to gain entrance. Parmer stole surveillance equipment, tools, liquor and gaming pull tabs. He was connected to the crime after trying to cash in the pull tabs in at a different bar. An anonymous source also came forward, leading authorities to the shuttered hospital on La Crosse street, where Parmer has been residing. Authorities say most of the stolen items were found there, along with a municipal citation issued to Parmer. If convicted, the charges carry a maximum prison sentence of nearly 30 years but because Parmer was previously convicted of burglary on five separate occasions, he could have another 20 years added. He had a signature bond set at $1000 yesterday and will be back in court for a preliminary hearing next month. The former manager of the Cellar was placed on probation last month for pulling a gun on a patron he wrongfully accused of breaking into the business.
Man Sentenced in Overdose Death
A Washington County man will spend seven years in prison for providing the heroin that killed a West Bend woman. 26-year-old Michael Cacchione must also spend eight years under extended supervision when he gets out. He pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless homicide in the death of 28-year-old Courtney Broeckel 15 months ago. Prosecutors said she died in her home from acute heroin intoxication, and Cacchione supplied the drugs.
Chamber Seeks To Take Ownership of Depot
6/14/11 - Officials with the Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce plan to take ownership of the city-owned building where their offices are located by the end of the month. The Chamber has been leasing the depot for 25 years but the Chamber Board and its membership have recently begun the process of purchasing the century-old building from the city. The Chamber’s Executive Director Phil Fritsche says the city will sell the building to the Chamber for $1 but retain the option to re-purchase the property if it ever goes back on the market. The Chamber will also pay the expenses of the sale, including closing costs and land surveys. He says that will allow the Chamber to focus its budget on needed repairs, including tuck-pointing, heating and cooling system upgrades, the addition of energy-efficient windows, refinishing the floors and installing a handicap accessible restroom. The Chamber is located in the former train depot on South Spring Street. Once a stop on the rail line between Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, it was closed in the years following World War and was acquired by the city about ten years later. For years it served as the Dodge County Historical Society Museum before they moved next door to the former Williams Free Library and the Chamber set up shop in 1986. The Beaver Dam Chamber will celebrate its own 100 year anniversary in 2013.
Deadline for Nomination Papers in Recall Election
Today is the deadline for candidates to file nomination papers in the recall elections against six Republican state senators. Primaries are expected in all six races, and they’re set for July 12th. The general elections are scheduled for August ninth. Republicans vowed to put up fake Democrats to guarantee the primaries, for the purpose of giving their incumbent senators an extra month to campaign. But Democrats called that dishonest – and they vowed to have enough of their own candidates in the primaries. Three Democratic senators are also up for recall. But their elections won’t be held until a week after the Republicans.’ And that’s county clerks upset, because they’ll be paying the tab for all the political shenanigans. In Brown County, senators from both parties are facing recalls – and that means the county clerk will have to pay for up to four extra elections. Darlene Marcelle said she wished the Government Accountability Board would have scheduled the two parties’ elections at the same time, so the cost wouldn’t be so great. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel figures that the fake primaries will cost 428-thousand-dollars in the six G-O-P Senate districts alone. And that does not include at least three counties and the extra costs by municipalities. Katie McCollum of the State G-O-P defends her party’s fake primary candidates. She says they have a right to be heard – and they think it’s ridiculous for G-O-P incumbents to be recalled for doing their jobs. The Republicans are targeted for voting in favor of the bill that limits public union bargaining. Democrats are targeted for staying away from the Capitol for three weeks in a failed attempt to block a vote on the union bill.
Teachers Union Calls For Organized Protest
6/14/11 - Wisconsin’s largest teachers union has changed its mind about not having an organized protest at the State Capitol against the proposed budget. On its Web site Monday, WEAC has asked teachers to drive to Madison Tuesday to quote, “Stand up for democracy.” Last week, union president Mary Bell told a reporter that many teachers would not be able to make it to the Capitol because of school and part-time jobs. But WEAC now says it wants members to rally against quote, “a budget that guts public schools, strips workers of their rights, and erodes our state’s quality-of-life.” Among other things, the budget cuts 800-million-dollars in state aid to public schools over the next two years. The teachers’ union says its protest will begin late tomorrow morning on the Capitol Square, and a late afternoon rally is planned near the “Walkerville” protest tents on State Street. Also, the Wisconsin A-F-L C-I-O has asked its supporters to sign petitions against the limits on collective bargaining that might be placed into the budget if the courts don’t approve the law by later in the week.
Concealed Carry Vote Planned For Today
6/14/11 - While the Wisconsin Assembly debates the state budget, senators will be acting on another hot-button issue – concealed weapons. The Senate is scheduled to vote on a compromise measure endorsed last week that would require state permits and training for law-abiding residents who want to carry hidden guns. They would also have to under-go background checks. Most tax-funded facilities would ban hidden heat – and businesses would have the option to do so. Governor Scott Walker supports the measure. Wisconsin Republicans have tried for years to pass concealed carry. And they’re scrambling to do it while they have the majority in both houses and the governor’s office. The Badger State and Illinois are the only two that don’t allow some form of concealed weapons.
Green Bay Tourism Bureau Cautiously Optimistic
6/14/11 - Tourist businesses in Green Bay are getting a little nervous as the N-F-L lockout continues with training camp just a month-and-a-half away. Fred Monique of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce says a number of people take their vacations at Packer Camp – and it would be a big blow to the community if it’s not held on time. Aecom Technical Services said an estimated 34-thousand people went to the Packers’ training camp in 2009, not including the annual Family Night at Lambeau Field. The total economic impact was almost seven-and-a-half million dollars. The study said over 80-percent of training camp visitors come from outside Brown County – and their average stay is almost two days. The N-F-L owners’ lockout is heading into its fourth month – and it’s got training camp hosts throughout the league on edge, as well as fans. The Packers have scheduled this year’s Family Night for Saturday, August sixth – but only if the lockout is over and camp’s going on by then.
Republicans will add the governor’s collective bargaining limits to the new state budget if the Supreme Court doesn’t restore them by the end of today. That’s what Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald told reporters yesterday. The clampdown on public union negotiating power has been held up in the courts, after a judge ruled that lawmakers did not pass them properly in March. Fitzgerald said Republicans are “more solid than they’ve ever been” on passing the union limits a second time if need be. And they would not apply to transit workers, so the state would not risk losing 47-million dollars in federal money to help keep public buses running. The Assembly begins its debate today on the new budget. And it’s possible that some last-minute measures could be cut out – including a requirement that private contractors do most work that costs at least 100-thousand-dollars. That measure was debated privately by Assembly Republicans yesterday, after Door County’s highway commissioner said he would stop maintenance work on state highways if the item passes.
Officials Say Budget Would Leave Surplus
The Legislative Fiscal Bureau says the current version of the state budget – as adopted by the Joint Finance Committee – would leave a 306-million-dollar surplus. It would be the first truly balanced two-year state budget in over a decade. The package would freeze state-and-local taxes, but fees would go up by around 100-million dollars. The Assembly will start debating the 66-billion-dollar budget today. Republican Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald expects the Assembly to debate it for a day-or-two. The speaker and his brother, Senate leader Scott Fitzgerald, have called an extraordinary session. Among other things, it would prevent Assembly Democrats from blocking passage of the budget for a couple days – and it would go right to the Senate after the Assembly finishes it. Scott Fitzgerald says the goal is to get the budget to Governor Scott Walker by the end of the week, so it can take effect on July first.
Appellate Court Upholds Dismissal of BD Lawsuit
6/14/11 - Former Beaver Dam Department of Public Works Supervisor Dan Wackett has lost an appeal of his federal lawsuit filed against the city that claims he was unjustly passed over for a promotion. The Seventh US Circuit Court of Appeals Monday upheld a district court decision to dismiss the case. The matter dates back to 2003, when Wackett spoke against a Board of Public Works recommendation to purchase a front-end loader that was the highest of three bids. The board ignored Wackett's recommendation to go with John Deere, and instead voted to buy a Caterpillar that cost $10,000 more. Wackett accused the board of accepting an all-expense paid, overnight trip to Chicago from Caterpillar, influencing the decision. The city council ultimately opted to go with the John Deere but Wackett contends he paid the price. He was passed over for a promotion to Public Works Director and filed the federal lawsuit in February of 2008, claiming the city retaliated against him for exercising his First Amendment rights. The appellate court cited a 2006 Supreme Court case that held (quote) “when public employees make statements pursuant to their official duties, the employees are not speaking as citizens for First Amendment purposes, and the Constitution does not insulate their communications from employer discipline.” The city also presented evidence that officials simply did not care for Wackett's management style. The appellate court determined that the city’s treatment of Wackett was unrelated to his First Amendment rights.
http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/tmp/8P0J8H00.pdf
Homeless Man Charged In Bar Break-Ins
6/14/11 - A homeless man has been charged with burglarizing a Beaver Dam tavern twice in one week. Jeremy Parmer is charged with two counts of felony burglary, along with misdemeanor Theft and Criminal Damage To Property for allegedly breaking into the Cellar on Christmas Eve and then again four days later. According to the criminal complaint, the 39-year-old removed an air conditioner the first time and broke a window the second time to gain entrance. Parmer stole surveillance equipment, tools, liquor and gaming pull tabs. He was connected to the crime after trying to cash in the pull tabs in at a different bar. An anonymous source also came forward, leading authorities to the shuttered hospital on La Crosse street, where Parmer has been residing. Authorities say most of the stolen items were found there, along with a municipal citation issued to Parmer. If convicted, the charges carry a maximum prison sentence of nearly 30 years but because Parmer was previously convicted of burglary on five separate occasions, he could have another 20 years added. He had a signature bond set at $1000 yesterday and will be back in court for a preliminary hearing next month. The former manager of the Cellar was placed on probation last month for pulling a gun on a patron he wrongfully accused of breaking into the business.
Man Sentenced in Overdose Death
A Washington County man will spend seven years in prison for providing the heroin that killed a West Bend woman. 26-year-old Michael Cacchione must also spend eight years under extended supervision when he gets out. He pleaded guilty to second-degree reckless homicide in the death of 28-year-old Courtney Broeckel 15 months ago. Prosecutors said she died in her home from acute heroin intoxication, and Cacchione supplied the drugs.
Chamber Seeks To Take Ownership of Depot
6/14/11 - Officials with the Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce plan to take ownership of the city-owned building where their offices are located by the end of the month. The Chamber has been leasing the depot for 25 years but the Chamber Board and its membership have recently begun the process of purchasing the century-old building from the city. The Chamber’s Executive Director Phil Fritsche says the city will sell the building to the Chamber for $1 but retain the option to re-purchase the property if it ever goes back on the market. The Chamber will also pay the expenses of the sale, including closing costs and land surveys. He says that will allow the Chamber to focus its budget on needed repairs, including tuck-pointing, heating and cooling system upgrades, the addition of energy-efficient windows, refinishing the floors and installing a handicap accessible restroom. The Chamber is located in the former train depot on South Spring Street. Once a stop on the rail line between Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul, it was closed in the years following World War and was acquired by the city about ten years later. For years it served as the Dodge County Historical Society Museum before they moved next door to the former Williams Free Library and the Chamber set up shop in 1986. The Beaver Dam Chamber will celebrate its own 100 year anniversary in 2013.
Deadline for Nomination Papers in Recall Election
Today is the deadline for candidates to file nomination papers in the recall elections against six Republican state senators. Primaries are expected in all six races, and they’re set for July 12th. The general elections are scheduled for August ninth. Republicans vowed to put up fake Democrats to guarantee the primaries, for the purpose of giving their incumbent senators an extra month to campaign. But Democrats called that dishonest – and they vowed to have enough of their own candidates in the primaries. Three Democratic senators are also up for recall. But their elections won’t be held until a week after the Republicans.’ And that’s county clerks upset, because they’ll be paying the tab for all the political shenanigans. In Brown County, senators from both parties are facing recalls – and that means the county clerk will have to pay for up to four extra elections. Darlene Marcelle said she wished the Government Accountability Board would have scheduled the two parties’ elections at the same time, so the cost wouldn’t be so great. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel figures that the fake primaries will cost 428-thousand-dollars in the six G-O-P Senate districts alone. And that does not include at least three counties and the extra costs by municipalities. Katie McCollum of the State G-O-P defends her party’s fake primary candidates. She says they have a right to be heard – and they think it’s ridiculous for G-O-P incumbents to be recalled for doing their jobs. The Republicans are targeted for voting in favor of the bill that limits public union bargaining. Democrats are targeted for staying away from the Capitol for three weeks in a failed attempt to block a vote on the union bill.
Teachers Union Calls For Organized Protest
6/14/11 - Wisconsin’s largest teachers union has changed its mind about not having an organized protest at the State Capitol against the proposed budget. On its Web site Monday, WEAC has asked teachers to drive to Madison Tuesday to quote, “Stand up for democracy.” Last week, union president Mary Bell told a reporter that many teachers would not be able to make it to the Capitol because of school and part-time jobs. But WEAC now says it wants members to rally against quote, “a budget that guts public schools, strips workers of their rights, and erodes our state’s quality-of-life.” Among other things, the budget cuts 800-million-dollars in state aid to public schools over the next two years. The teachers’ union says its protest will begin late tomorrow morning on the Capitol Square, and a late afternoon rally is planned near the “Walkerville” protest tents on State Street. Also, the Wisconsin A-F-L C-I-O has asked its supporters to sign petitions against the limits on collective bargaining that might be placed into the budget if the courts don’t approve the law by later in the week.
Concealed Carry Vote Planned For Today
6/14/11 - While the Wisconsin Assembly debates the state budget, senators will be acting on another hot-button issue – concealed weapons. The Senate is scheduled to vote on a compromise measure endorsed last week that would require state permits and training for law-abiding residents who want to carry hidden guns. They would also have to under-go background checks. Most tax-funded facilities would ban hidden heat – and businesses would have the option to do so. Governor Scott Walker supports the measure. Wisconsin Republicans have tried for years to pass concealed carry. And they’re scrambling to do it while they have the majority in both houses and the governor’s office. The Badger State and Illinois are the only two that don’t allow some form of concealed weapons.
Green Bay Tourism Bureau Cautiously Optimistic
6/14/11 - Tourist businesses in Green Bay are getting a little nervous as the N-F-L lockout continues with training camp just a month-and-a-half away. Fred Monique of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce says a number of people take their vacations at Packer Camp – and it would be a big blow to the community if it’s not held on time. Aecom Technical Services said an estimated 34-thousand people went to the Packers’ training camp in 2009, not including the annual Family Night at Lambeau Field. The total economic impact was almost seven-and-a-half million dollars. The study said over 80-percent of training camp visitors come from outside Brown County – and their average stay is almost two days. The N-F-L owners’ lockout is heading into its fourth month – and it’s got training camp hosts throughout the league on edge, as well as fans. The Packers have scheduled this year’s Family Night for Saturday, August sixth – but only if the lockout is over and camp’s going on by then.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Top Stories June 13th
State Legislature to Discuss Budget
6/13/11 - Some questions remain about the new state budget that lawmakers will vote on this week. Majority Republicans must still decide whether to re-insert the limits on public union bargaining which were passed in March, and are still tied up in the courts. But except for some other last-minute changes, the budget for the next two years appears to be a done deal. The Assembly will start discussing it tomorrow, followed by the Senate. It would spend 66-billion-dollars, one-point-eight-percent more than the current budget, and it would eliminate over a-thousand jobs. It reduces state aid to schools and local governments and a number of social programs – all with the goal of eliminating not only the three-point-six-billion-dollar deficit for the next two years, but also multi-billion-dollar deficits that previous budgets have left behind for future years. Senate Democratic leader Mark Miller says the G-O-P budget hurts public education in exchange for a host of tax giveaways to prop up business. But G-O-P Governor Scott Walker says it’s necessary medicine to fix the state’s ailing economy and get the state on the road to prosperity. Labor and community groups will protest the business tax breaks during a march in Madison today to the Wisconsin Manufacturers-and-Commerce, the state’s largest business group.
Feingold Speaks to Residents of “Walkerville”
6/13/11 - Former U-S Senate Democrat Russ Feingold fired up the Walker protest campers near the State Capitol last night. He told supporters that Republicans quote, “went right for the jugular” when they chose Wisconsin to demonize public employees with the governor’s limits on collective bargaining. Feingold also accused the G-O-P of destroying the right to vote by passing the photo I-D mandate. And he said Republicans abused the budget process by crafting a package that cuts local government and school aid while helping business. Feingold told the campers at the so-called “Walkerville” they’re there because quote, “We will not stop until we win.” Some people chanted “Run Russ Run” during his speech. Democrats at their recent state convention said Feingold was the top candidate for both Herb Kohl’s U-S Senate seat in 2012, and the governor’s office should Republican Scott Walker go up for a recall vote next year.
SKDS Breaks Ground On Addition
6/13/11 - Officials with St. Katherine Drexel broke ground yesterday on an expansion of their Elementary School. Parishioners voted on the project last year that involves the purchase of the furniture store and surrounding land at the corner of South Spring and Mill streets for office space while renovating the church and school on Spring Street at a cost of roughly $4 million. Under the plan, the entire campus would consolidate into the one location. The other plan would have consolidated the campus at an entirely new location outside of town and carried a price tag of $15 million. Beginning this fall, all classes will be consolidated onto their Spring Street campus. Construction will begin today in the schools courtyard on an addition that will include an elevator, new handicapped accessible bathrooms, offices and a conference room. Classrooms will be updated to accommodate pre-school, 4K and Kindergarten classes. Fr. Mike Erwin told the crowd of over 100 parishioners yesterday (Sun) that the addition has been needed for over 50 years and now is the time to bring the school back to one location. Over the decades the catholic churches in Beaver Dam have consolidated from three separate locations with different names into St. Katherine Drexel. Major construction on this phase of the plan is expected to be completed by the time student’s return in the fall.
Gas Prices Down
6/13/11 - The price of a gallon of gas in Wisconsin dropped 13.5-cents in the past week and is now averaging $3.78 this morning. That’s according to WisconsinGasPrices.com, which also reports gas is $3.65 in Beaver Dam, $3.72 in Waupun and $3.79 in Fond du Lac. The statewide price is $1.11 higher than the same day a year ago but 23-cents lower than last month. The high price in the state is $4.09 in Racine while the low price is $3.58 in Reedsburg. The national average sits at $3.71. That’s $1.10 higher than a year ago but 23-cents lower than a month ago.
Walkers Signs Enterprise Zone Law At Quad
6/13/11 - A bill signed into law in Dodge County on Friday would increase the number of enterprise zones in Wisconsin from 12 to 20. Those zones are designed to increase economic development and create jobs. Businesses opening in those zones, or expanding there, become eligible for a series of state tax breaks. Three of the new zones are required to be located in areas of less than five thousand people. Two others would have been in areas with a population between five and 30 thousand people. Tax breaks are aimed at creating jobs in economically distressed areas of the state. Governor Walker signed the legislation at the Quad-Graphics plant in Lomira.
Baraboo Woman Up For Parole In Fatal Stabbing
6/13/11 - After 30 years, a former Baraboo woman is up for a parole board hearing this week. Bonnie Smith is 63 now and is being held in the minimum-security John C. Burke Correctional Center in Waupun. She and James Willison were convicted of stabbing elderly storekeeper Leona Milfred to death in February 1982. Members of the Milfred family say the premeditated nature of the brutal crime should mean Smith stays behind bars. Milfred died from blood loss after being stabbed more than 50 times.
State Fair Park Finances Improving
6/13/11 - Finances at Wisconsin State Fair Park are improving. Figures from the Legislative Audit Bureau show the park took in 1-point-6 million dollars over its expenses in the last fiscal year. That makes four straight years the park operations have shown a profit, although it still faces more than a four and a half million dollar deficit. Projected figures for this year suggest the park could knock another million dollars off that deficit by the end of this month. Auditors have been focusing on the park's policies on things like free tickets as it continues to try to improve its financial picture.
6/13/11 - Some questions remain about the new state budget that lawmakers will vote on this week. Majority Republicans must still decide whether to re-insert the limits on public union bargaining which were passed in March, and are still tied up in the courts. But except for some other last-minute changes, the budget for the next two years appears to be a done deal. The Assembly will start discussing it tomorrow, followed by the Senate. It would spend 66-billion-dollars, one-point-eight-percent more than the current budget, and it would eliminate over a-thousand jobs. It reduces state aid to schools and local governments and a number of social programs – all with the goal of eliminating not only the three-point-six-billion-dollar deficit for the next two years, but also multi-billion-dollar deficits that previous budgets have left behind for future years. Senate Democratic leader Mark Miller says the G-O-P budget hurts public education in exchange for a host of tax giveaways to prop up business. But G-O-P Governor Scott Walker says it’s necessary medicine to fix the state’s ailing economy and get the state on the road to prosperity. Labor and community groups will protest the business tax breaks during a march in Madison today to the Wisconsin Manufacturers-and-Commerce, the state’s largest business group.
Feingold Speaks to Residents of “Walkerville”
6/13/11 - Former U-S Senate Democrat Russ Feingold fired up the Walker protest campers near the State Capitol last night. He told supporters that Republicans quote, “went right for the jugular” when they chose Wisconsin to demonize public employees with the governor’s limits on collective bargaining. Feingold also accused the G-O-P of destroying the right to vote by passing the photo I-D mandate. And he said Republicans abused the budget process by crafting a package that cuts local government and school aid while helping business. Feingold told the campers at the so-called “Walkerville” they’re there because quote, “We will not stop until we win.” Some people chanted “Run Russ Run” during his speech. Democrats at their recent state convention said Feingold was the top candidate for both Herb Kohl’s U-S Senate seat in 2012, and the governor’s office should Republican Scott Walker go up for a recall vote next year.
SKDS Breaks Ground On Addition
6/13/11 - Officials with St. Katherine Drexel broke ground yesterday on an expansion of their Elementary School. Parishioners voted on the project last year that involves the purchase of the furniture store and surrounding land at the corner of South Spring and Mill streets for office space while renovating the church and school on Spring Street at a cost of roughly $4 million. Under the plan, the entire campus would consolidate into the one location. The other plan would have consolidated the campus at an entirely new location outside of town and carried a price tag of $15 million. Beginning this fall, all classes will be consolidated onto their Spring Street campus. Construction will begin today in the schools courtyard on an addition that will include an elevator, new handicapped accessible bathrooms, offices and a conference room. Classrooms will be updated to accommodate pre-school, 4K and Kindergarten classes. Fr. Mike Erwin told the crowd of over 100 parishioners yesterday (Sun) that the addition has been needed for over 50 years and now is the time to bring the school back to one location. Over the decades the catholic churches in Beaver Dam have consolidated from three separate locations with different names into St. Katherine Drexel. Major construction on this phase of the plan is expected to be completed by the time student’s return in the fall.
Gas Prices Down
6/13/11 - The price of a gallon of gas in Wisconsin dropped 13.5-cents in the past week and is now averaging $3.78 this morning. That’s according to WisconsinGasPrices.com, which also reports gas is $3.65 in Beaver Dam, $3.72 in Waupun and $3.79 in Fond du Lac. The statewide price is $1.11 higher than the same day a year ago but 23-cents lower than last month. The high price in the state is $4.09 in Racine while the low price is $3.58 in Reedsburg. The national average sits at $3.71. That’s $1.10 higher than a year ago but 23-cents lower than a month ago.
Walkers Signs Enterprise Zone Law At Quad
6/13/11 - A bill signed into law in Dodge County on Friday would increase the number of enterprise zones in Wisconsin from 12 to 20. Those zones are designed to increase economic development and create jobs. Businesses opening in those zones, or expanding there, become eligible for a series of state tax breaks. Three of the new zones are required to be located in areas of less than five thousand people. Two others would have been in areas with a population between five and 30 thousand people. Tax breaks are aimed at creating jobs in economically distressed areas of the state. Governor Walker signed the legislation at the Quad-Graphics plant in Lomira.
Baraboo Woman Up For Parole In Fatal Stabbing
6/13/11 - After 30 years, a former Baraboo woman is up for a parole board hearing this week. Bonnie Smith is 63 now and is being held in the minimum-security John C. Burke Correctional Center in Waupun. She and James Willison were convicted of stabbing elderly storekeeper Leona Milfred to death in February 1982. Members of the Milfred family say the premeditated nature of the brutal crime should mean Smith stays behind bars. Milfred died from blood loss after being stabbed more than 50 times.
State Fair Park Finances Improving
6/13/11 - Finances at Wisconsin State Fair Park are improving. Figures from the Legislative Audit Bureau show the park took in 1-point-6 million dollars over its expenses in the last fiscal year. That makes four straight years the park operations have shown a profit, although it still faces more than a four and a half million dollar deficit. Projected figures for this year suggest the park could knock another million dollars off that deficit by the end of this month. Auditors have been focusing on the park's policies on things like free tickets as it continues to try to improve its financial picture.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Top Stories, June 12th
SKDS Holding Spring Street Groundbreaking
6/12/11 - St. Katherine Drexel School in Beaver Dam will hold a groundbreaking ceremony Sunday morning. Beginning this fall, all classes will be held on their Spring Street campus. Construction will begin Monday on an addition that will include an elevator and new bathrooms. Classrooms will be updated to accommodate pre-school, 4K and Kindergarten classes. Major construction is expected to be completed by the time student’s return in the fall. The groundbreaking ceremony at St. Katherine Drexel School will take place immediately following Sunday’s 10am Mass in the school courtyard.
First Lutheran Church Reaches 151 Year Milestone
6/12/11 - The First Lutheran Church of Beaver Dam is celebrating a milestone anniversary. The church has been in the city for 151 years and officials are tying that number into a theme for the weekend. Members of the church’s planning team say their proximity to Highway 151 made for a fitting theme in “Route 151 to the Future.” In keeping with that theme, a car will be driven into Friendship Hall. Inside the car will be suit cases, a picnic cooler and a map. The planning team says those items show the church is ready to change course from reflecting on the past 150 years to imagining the next 150 years. Sunday services are at 8am and 10:30am with a reception in Friendship Hall at 9:15am.
Senator Kohl Rep In Beaver Dam on Wednesday
6/12/11 - A representative for Senator Herb Kohl will be in Beaver Dam this coming Wednesday. Marlene Mielke, Kohl’s regional representative, will be available to meet with constituents from 11 a-m to noon inside the council chambers at City Hall on South Lincoln Avenue. Kohl says people should meet with Mielke if they are having a problem with a federal program or agency, or have an opinion on an issue before Congress. No appointment is necessary. Mielke can also be contacted at Kohl’s regional office in Appleton at (920) 738-1640.
Slots Filling Up For Senator Johnson BD Appearance
6/12/11 - Wisconsin’s other US Senator will be in Beaver Dam next month and spots are filling up. The Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce announced this past week that they’ll be hosting U.S. Senator Ron Johnson as part of their Breakfast Network series on July 5. The freshman Senator is expected to discuss the federal budget, healthcare legislation and the deficit. Breakfast Networks are not exclusive to Chamber members and are open to the public. The cost is $5 to attend and includes a continental breakfast. It will be held at the Rogers Cinema on Front Street in their MegaScreen Theater. More information is available at www.beaverdamchamber.com.
Dem’s Won’t Run Fake GOP Candidates
6/12/11 - The state Democratic Party said Saturday that it does not plan to run fake GOP candidates in this summers state Senate recall elections. Republicans admitted last week that they will run what they called “protest” candidates, phony Democrats meant to force primary runoffs in the six recalls targeting Republican senators. The primaries would be July 12. The Republicans are seeking to have their general elections are held in August, giving incumbent GOP senators more time to campaign after the state budget is adopted next week. State Democratic Party Chairman Michael Tate said in a statement that his party won't copy the GOP's strategy. But he said his party intends to force primaries in the six recalls of Republicans by running two Democrats in each of them; a legitimate candidate and a so-called "placeholder" who will not actively campaign. The move is intended to guarantee that all of the general elections in those races will be held in August, regardless of which races the Republicans run candidates as Democrats. Tate says Democrats “will not stoop to the Republicans' level by encouraging candidates to lie about their party affiliation, or recommending that people try to deceive voters." Republicans have accused Democrats of hypocrisy in their criticism and point to the fake Republican who ran last fall against independent candidate Assemblymen Bob Ziegelbauer of Manitowoc in an attempt to split the vote and help a Democrat win.
Thompson: ‘Time, Planning, Effort’ Needed To Replace Kohl
6/12/11 - Tommy Thompson says it would take what he calls a “great deal of time, planning, and effort” to make a U-S Senate bid during a presidential election year. Thompson announced on Friday that he’ll wait until after the state Senate recall elections to decide if he’ll run for the U-S Senate, for the seat to be vacated by Democrat Herb Kohl at the end of next year. The former Republican governor and Bush health secretary says he’ll make his intentions clear once the quote, “critical period” of the state recalls has ended. Six Republican state senators face possible recall votes, along with three Democrats. They could determine whether Democrats have a chance at regaining one of Legislature’s two houses before the 2012 contests. Barring court challenges, the recall elections will take place in July and August. It’s been over a decade since Thompson has held elected office.
Home Building Remains Sluggish
6/12/11 - Home building continues to be sluggish in Wisconsin’s largest cities. According to M-T-D Marketing Services, building permits for one-and-two-family homes are down 24-and-a-half percent from a year ago in the state’s five largest metros. Just over one-thousand building permits were issued in those places this year – down from over 13-hundred-50 last year at this time. The Green Bay-Door County region has the biggest decline in home-building permits, at 39-percent. Metro Milwaukee is down 30-percent, and the Fox Cities are down 14-and-a-half percent. Home building is on the rise in Madison and the Racine-Kenosha region. Dominic Collar of M-T-D says the large amount of existing homes-for-sale is putting a crimp into new construction. He said builders are emphasizing that overall construction costs are down, and so are interest rates – and that makes it a great time to build a new house.
La Crosse Marijuana Decriminalization Veto Up-In-The-Air
6/12/11 - The mayor of La Crosse has until Tuesday to veto a measure to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. The Common Council voted 11-to-4 Thursday night to give tickets instead of criminal charges to first-time offenders caught with seven grams of pot or less. Mayor Matt Harder vetoed a similar measure last November. But he says the new version is somewhat different – and he’s not saying what he’ll do. He has until five p-m Tuesday to decide. Alderman Dick Swantz said the change would deter marijuana use without saddling small first-time offenders with a criminal record. Alderman Chris Olson said a judge actually suggested it – and he proposed an amendment giving half the revenue from the fines to the La Crosse DARE drug education program. Alderman Doug Happel said the decriminalization sends the wrong message about drug use.
Mining Company Begins Lake Superior Drilling
6/12/11 - The mining company that is about to begin drilling about 30 miles inland from Lake Superior may end up sinking 30 exploratory holes, more than the eight they’ve applied for with the Department of Natural Resources. G-Tac Mining President Bill Williams says eight holes is just the beginning. He says they need to fill in information gaps about the iron ore body along the Penokee Mountain Range. Thirty-five holes were drilled by other companies in the mine area during the 1950’s. The DNR issued storm water permits June 3, which allows G-Tac to begin its first phase of drilling eight holes. Williams expects drill rigs to be in place this month. Six holes will be drilled in Iron County and two in the Ashland County. The depths will range from 350 to 1,500 feet.
FDA Admits Shortcoming In Triad Inspection
6/12/11 - The federal government admits it should have given a warning to a Hartland company whose medical swabs-and-wipes were recalled due to contamination. In a letter to two U-S senators, the Food-and-Drug Administration said it should have been tougher in its most recent probe into the Triad Group. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel said it received a copy of the letter. The paper said it found that the F-D-A was aware for years about sterilization problems at Triad’s plant – but nothing was done until the recalls began last December. The letter said a regulatory meeting with Triad and a plant inspection should have been followed up with a warning letter to quote, “reinforce F-D-A concerns.” Triad was sued earlier this year by a couple from Texas. Sandra and Shanoop Kothari said alcohol wipes made at Triad’s H-and-P plant most likely caused a bacterial infection that killed their son Harry last December. A month later, the F-D-A announced a recall of Triad’s products, saying they might have been contaminated by the Bacillus cereus bacteria. The company said the recall was made due to caution, and was not connected with any deaths or illnesses. Triad has denied responsibility for the child’s death.
Marinette Sheriff Says Deputy Shooting Justified
6/12/11 - Marinette County Sheriff Jerry Sauve says his deputies acted with valor in a difficult situation. Sauve calls their conduct appropriate in the domestic incident that left 82-year-old Ralph Slattery dead. Three deputies were called to Slattery's home in the town of Beaver last Wednesday morning. Slattery's wife had told a dispatcher he had pulled a gun on her. She also said he wanted to kill himself. During the standoff Slattery raised and racked his shotgun at deputies in a threatening manner, refusing to drop it and pointing it at one of the officers. Deputy Lance Lincoln fired three shots, hitting Slattery twice in the chest and once in the stomach. A check after the incident found the shotgun was loaded with a round in the chamber.
Top Stories, June 11th
Walker Signs Enterprise Zone Expansion Law At Quad
6/11/11 - Governor Scott Walker signed a bill into law Friday at the Quad Graphics plant in Lomira. The legislation increases the number of enterprise zones the Department of Commerce may designate from 12 to 20. Enterprise zones are used to attract and retain businesses by offering tax incentives to firms that locate within the zones. In addition to creating eight more enterprise zones, the law requires that at least three zones be in rural areas with populations fewer than 5,000 people, and at least two zones must be in areas with populations greater than 5,000 but no more than 30,000 people. Walker calls it another important step in the process of allowing the private sector to create a quarter million jobs by 2015. He says by nearly doubling the amount of enterprise zones in Wisconsin we will make our state more attractive to potential employers who are looking to relocate to a more pro-business, pro-jobs environment.
Thompson Senate Decision Coming After Recall Elections
6/11/11 - Former Governor Tommy Thompson says he will wait until after the series of summer recall elections before making up his mind about a run for the US Senate seat. Thompson has been considering a campaign for the position being vacated by the retiring U.S. Senator Herb Kohl. The Republican is leaving open the possibility he might run for office again, but he is making no official announcements for the next two months. Thompson has hired a consulting firm, Persuasion Partners, Incorporated, which released the statement about his plans for another run for office.
Budget Could Impact Library Internet Costs
6/11/11 - The state’s library systems could be paying a lot more for Internet access if proposed cuts to a nonprofit cooperative run by the UW System are included in the final budget. Gus Falkenberg, technology coordinator for the Indianhead Federated Library System in Eau Claire, said WiscNet provides an affordable Internet portal and being forced to go with a private ISP would be a significant cost increase, from around $9,000 to as much as $60,000. State schools Superintendent Tony Evers has also raised concerns over cuts to WiscNet. State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau has said the issue may get another look before the budget is finalized.
Civil War Re-Enactment in Beaver Dam
6/11/11 - A Civil War re-enactment is being held in Beaver Dam’s Edgewater Park this weekend. The free, family-friendly event is sponsored by the Beaver Dam Exchange Club and Tenth Tennessee Company D. Organizer Robert Krist says the re-enactment features authentic civilian and soldier encampments, with participants dressed in period-specific uniforms and firing historically-accurate muskets and canons. Krist says there is a general blueprint for the battles that is based on historical fact. While it may not be shot-for-shot, the fight re-enacted will be the Battle of Bull Run, or as the Confederacy called it, First Manassas. The Civil War Re-enactment is free to attend and will be held Saturday from 9am to 5pm and Sunday from 9am to 4pm, with battles each day at 2pm. Food and refreshments will be available. Edgewater Park is located off Highway 33 on Beaver Dam’s north side.
Revolutionary War Vet Gets New Grave Stone
6/11/11 - Forty veterans of the Revolutionary War are buried in Wisconsin cemeteries – and one of them will get some long overdue recognition on Sunday. The Sons of the American Revolution will dedicate a new grave marker for Andrew Howard, who’s buried in the Oak Center Cemetery in Fond du Lac County. He served with a Massachusetts Regiment in a Hudson River defense unit until the early 1780’s. He moved to Wisconsin in 1847 to live with relatives, and he died two years later. At a service Sunday afternoon, Howard’s story will be told – and a color guard will give a solemn salute. He was among many who moved West after the Revolutionary War and helped build the Wisconsin territory.
Fitchburg Woman Arrested For Capitol Bomb Threats
6/11/11 - Capitol Police arrest a Fitchburg woman in connection with bomb threats last week at a pair of state office buildings. 24-year-old Antoinette Jackson has been charged with two counts of causing a bomb scare following two threats made at downtown Madison state government office buildings. Police say the written threats were discovered by cleaning crews in the GEF-2 and GEF-3 buildings, which were evacuated and searched by law enforcement. Jackson herself was working for a contract cleaning company. The case has been turned over to the Dane County District Attorney’s office.
BD Man Sentenced In Memorial Statue Theft
6/11/11 - A Beaver Dam man has been ordered to pay restitution for his role in stealing a bronze eagle from the Veterans Memorial in the Randolph Community Cemetery. Robert Hansen pleaded “no contest” in Columbia County court to a felony charge of Theft as a Party to a Crime. The 20-year-old was placed on probation for three years and ordered to split $4580 in restitution with his accomplice. 21-year-old Stephen Peterson of Beaver Dam was previously sentenced to one-and-a-half years in prison and ordered to pay his share of the restitution. Peterson will begin serving that sentence after he serves a Dodge County prison sentence for a series of pipe bomb incidents. The eagle, valued at $3,000, was first reported missing in May of 2009 but was returned before Memorial Day Ceremonies were held. Peterson told authorities he took the eagle that April; it was later found at Edgewater Park in Beaver Dam.
Waupun Woman Arraigned On Sexual Assault Charges
6/11/11 - A Waupun woman entered a “not guilty” plea at arraignment this week to charges that she had a relationship with a 15-year-old boy. Carol Coonfield is being held on four counts of Second Degree Sexual Assault of a Child. The 20-year-old is also charged with Bail Jumping because her alleged actions violated a condition of bond in a Fond du Lac County case where she’s facing two more counts of Second Degree Sexual Assault of a Child for different alleged relationship. Coonfield has court activity on the calendar next month.
Oconomowoc Man Charged With Dealing Heroin
6/11/11 - A 28-year-old Oconomowoc man could spend over 60-years in prison for allegedly selling around $100 worth of heroin. Jason Ross was in Dodge County Court for his initial hearing this week after being charged with five counts of manufacturing or delivering heroin. The criminal complaint states that Ross sold $50 worth of heroin on two occasions to informants with the Dodge County Drug Taskforce. The offenses are said to have occurred between September and November of 2010. Ross is due in court again for a preliminary hearing next month.
One Injured in Single Vehicle Rollover
6/11/11 - One injury was reported following a single vehicle rollover Friday night. According to the Dodge County Sheriffs Department, the accident happened just before 7:30pm on Pond Road in the Town of Rubicon. 21-year-old Joshua Brezovar-Corbeil of Oak Grove was transported to Hartford Hospital.
Counterfeit Bill Discovered At A Beaver Dam Bank
6/11/11 - A counterfeit $20 bill was found at a Beaver Dam bank on Thursday. The Beaver Dam Police Department received a report of the phony cash from the Horicon Bank branch on Industrial Drive. The money will be turned over the Secret Service for investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Beaver Dam Police Department.
Barrett Concerned With Milwaukee Infant Mortality Rate
6/11/11 - Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says the city’s infant mortality rate remains a major problem, especially when looking at racial breakdowns. While speaking to the UW-System Board of Regents, he pointed to a disparity between Caucasian and African-American babies. The mortality rate is two and a half times worse among African-Americans. The mayor says in some Milwaukee neighborhoods, the rate of infants who die surpasses third world countries. However, Barrett had some positive news. There has been progress in reducing the city’s teen pregnancy rate. Barrett also plugs the city’s partnership with the UW-Milwaukee School of Public Health. He says the joint effort will be essential in tackling the city’s high rates of infant mortality, STDs, diabetes and asthma.
Milwaukee Man Sentenced To Life In Murders
6/11/11 - A Milwaukee man is given four life terms in prison with no chance for parole. Desmond Dejuan Laster was convicted last March in the killings of two boys, their mother and an accomplice in the crime. Laster was found guilty of being party to first-degree intentional homicide. A co-conspirator, Anthony Barnes, will be sentenced next month. Laster and Barnes were accused of helping Brittney Robertson confront and stab Rachel Thompson in February of last year. Robertson was jealous of Thompson. She then helped Laster suffocate Thompson's three and four year old sons. They set Thompson's apartment on fire before leaving with her six week old son. Barnes killed Robertson when Laster told him to do it.
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