News – April 5, 2019

(Columbus) A newly-formed committee, looking at the possibility of a referendum in Columbus, met for the first time on Monday. The Columbus School District Community Facility Advisory Committee was created by school board action last month. The committee’s two dozen members – from various parts of the community – are tasked with reviewing facility needs and financial data then making a recommendation to the school board on how to best formulate and implement a plan. The next meeting of the Facility Advisory Committee is on Monday, April 15 at the Columbus Elementary School library. There are a dozen meetings planned in coming months with the committee expected to make a recommendation on a possible facilities referendum to the school board on July 22.

(Fond du Lac) A Campbellsport man is accused of trying to kill his girlfriend. Cash bond was set at a half-million dollars during an initial appearance yesterday for James Allen following an incident early Saturday morning while the two were on their way home from dinner and drinks. The victim told investigators she felt Allen planned the attack and was looking forward to killing her. She was stabbed three times in the neck. The 33-year-old Allen will be back in court for a preliminary hearing on May 2nd.

(Berlin) A stand-off in Green Lake County early yesterday was resolved without anyone getting hurt. Authorities were dispatched to reports of a disturbance in the city of Berlin around 8am. The suspect left the scene and was tracked down at his apartment on Mound Street a short time later. While being taken into custody, he allegedly threatened harm to himself and an officer before barricading himself inside his residence. The Green Lake County Combined Tactical Unit made entry and an arrest was made.

(Reeseville) A Carlisle, Pennsylvania man was charged yesterday (Thursday) with assaulting two minors in Reeseville. Steven Barlow allegedly admitted to the assaults that occurred while he was living with the victim’s family between 2015 and 2017. If convicted, the 23-year-old is facing a maximum sentence of 120 years in prison. An initial appearance is scheduled for April 22.

(Watertown) A rural Watertown man serving a 31-year prison sentence for sexual assault was in court yesterday (Thursday) trying to reduce his sentence. Peter Weyker sought to overturn two of the eight charges against him. Judge Brian Pfitzinger denied the motion. After a five-day jury trial in 2009, the 53-year-old Weyker was convicted of Child Sexual Assault and videotaping young girls.

(Green Bay) The lawsuit filed in Manitowoc County by a retired police detective against Netflix has been moved to federal court. Detective Andrew Colborn investigated the Teresa Halbach killing which led to in the convictions of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey. Colborn is suing Netflix and the producers of “Making a Murderer.” He says portions of the Netflix series are false and defamatory toward him and others.  Colborn says substantial facts were left out or distorted in the series.

(Fond du Lac) Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac has a new president. Mercury parent company the Brunswick Corporation announced yesterday (Thursday) that Christopher Drees is succeeding John Pfeiffer (FIFE-fur) as president. Drees had been president of parts and accessories at Mercury and has been with the company since 1998. Pfeiffer is leaving Mercury to join Oshkosh Corporation as Executive Vice President and Chief Operation Officer, but will stay on a brief time during the transition.

(Beaver Dam) Beaver Dam Lake was declared officially open and free of ice late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning. That’s according to Dick McMillan of the Beaver Dam Lake Improvement Association who says the lake is open when there’s no more ice between the Highway G bridge at Bayside Supper Club and the bridge on the north end of the lake near the Dockside Bar and Grill. The earliest the ice was opened was on February 28 in 1998.  The latest was April 20 in both 1923 and 1972.  Last year, the ice opened on March 27.

(Beaver Dam) It has been a tumultuous couple of weeks in Beaver Dam. Police Chief John Kreuziger will join us this afternoon on WBEV’s Community Comment to discuss last month’s murder and Tuesday’s apparent drunk driving homicide. Community Comment airs weekdays on AM1430 WBEV at 12:35pm.