News – November 1, 2016

Assembly Candidates Offer Transportation Funding Solutions

 

11/1/16 – Both Republican Incumbent Keith Ripp of Lodi and Democratic Challenger George Ferriter of Doylestown have plans to address issues with Wisconsin’s transportation funding.  The two are candidates for the state’s 42nd Assembly District seat and appeared on yesterday’s edition of WBEV’s Community Comment program.  Ripp has served in the assembly since 2008 and currently chairs the transportation committee.  He believes a failure to fund routine road maintenance has caused infrastructure to fall apart.  Ripp notes that he did not vote for the last state budget since it did not address transportation issues to his satisfaction.  Since 2002, Ripp says $1,300,000,000 has been raided from the transportation budget.  He says the D.O.T. needs cost-saving reforms, such as only doing preliminary engineering on road projects until it is certain the project is necessary and funding is available.  Ferriter says the transportation committee plays a key role in the funding process and believes they have not done enough in recent years.  He says Wisconsin roads are currently in a state of “crisis.”  Ferriter wants to see rural roads get more attention and funding, even if it means deferring major metro projects.  Ripp defeated Ferriter in the 2014 general election.  This year’s Election Day is one week from today.

 

Candidates Discuss Opiate Drug Problem

 

11/1/16 – The two candidates for the state’s 37th Assembly District seat have ideas on how to deal with the area’s growing opioid drug problem.  Republican Incumbent John Jagler and Democratic Challenger Jordan Turner, both of Watertown, recently joined us on WBEV’s Community Comment program to discuss the issues.  Jagler, who has served in the assembly since 2013 and worked closely on a series of bills aimed at addressing opiate addictions, believes more specialists need to be available for those needing help.  He says the current wait at many Wisconsin counties’ human services and health departments is far too long as many people might be in a worse predicament or possibly dead by the team they are able to see a specialist.  Turner believes addicts need resources that will help them get their lives back on track.  He notes the United States imprisons more people than any other country and believes offering more treatment programs will help people get out of the criminal justice system.  Election Day is November 8.

 

Hustisford Referendum, Congressional Candidate On WBEV

 

11/1/16 – On Community Comment this afternoon we sit down with representatives from the Hustisford School District. Superintendent Heather Cramer will discuss the district’s $5.6-million-dollar referendum for facility upgrades.  In our second segment, our guest will be Independent congressional candidate Jeff Dahlke, who is on the November ballot alongside Republican incumbent Glenn Grothman and Democrat Sarah Lloyd. Both Lloyd and Grothman appeared previously on Community Comment, which airs weekdays on AM1430 at 12:35pm.

 

Walker To Appear With Trump Tonight, Kaine In Appleton, Madison

 

11/1/16 – Scott Walker’s campaign says the governor will appear with G-O-P White House nominee Donald Trump and his running mate Mike Pence in Eau Claire Tuesday night. However, Walker takes issue with Trump’s claim that next Tuesday’s election will be “rigged” against Democrat Hillary Clinton. In a visit to Lakeshore Technical College in Manitowoc County Monday, Walker said there are enough checks and balances to avoid concerns about the security of people’s ballots. A federal judge has told the state to make it easier for people get photo I-Ds to vote, even if they don’t have birth certificates — and Walker says the state has streamlined that process, making it “easy to vote” but “hard to cheat.” Also today (Tuesday), Clinton running mate Tim Kaine has appearances planned in Appleton and Madison.

 

Beaver Dam Trick-Or-Treaters Shot By BB-Gun Wielding Teens

 

11/1/16 – Three trick-or-treaters in Beaver Dam were shot by teenagers with a BB gun Sunday afternoon. Police Lt. Terrence Gebhardt says officers responded to the 300 block of North Lincoln Avenue during trick-or-treating hours to reports of a BB gun being fired. Three victims – ages ten, 12 and 14 – were taken to Beaver Dam Community Hospital by their parents with BB gun injuries, which Gebhardt says were non-life-threatening. Two 15-year-old boys from Beaver Dam were questioned and charges of Battery and Disorderly Conduct are being referred to Dodge County Human Services. An air-soft gun allegedly utilized during the incident has been taken as evidence.

 

First Merit Bank Of Jefferson Robbed Monday Afternoon

 

11/1/16 – A Jefferson County bank was robbed yesterday afternoon. The incident happened at 2:20pm at the First Merit Bank in Jefferson. The suspect entered the bank, passed a note to the teller and ran off on foot with an undisclosed amount of cash. He is identified as a lone white male approximately (5’7”) five-feet, seven-inches tall, 230-pounds wearing a gray and black knit cap, sunglasses, dark gray or black coat and dark colored pants.

 

Randolph Man Accused Of Attacking Girlfriend

 

11/1/16 – Bond was set at $1,000 for a Randolph man accused of attacking his ex-girlfriend.  Wesley Zumm reportedly started choking the woman when she came to pick up her belongings from the room he was staying at in the Randolph Motel.  If he is convicted, the 59-year-old faces over seven years in prison.  Zumm’s preliminary hearing is December 15.

 

Bond Set For Officer Accused Of Abusing Inmate

 

11/1/16 – Bond was set at $1,000 yesterday for a former officer at Fox Lake Correctional Institution accused of harassing an inmate.  Thomas Lukas is facing one felony count of Abusing Residents of Penal Facilities.  The 45-year-old allegedly made sexual contact and racial comments to the same inmate on a number of occasions between 2011 and 2013.  Incidents included throwing a toilet brush at and grabbing the inmate’s privates. If he is convicted, Lukas faces over three years in prison. His preliminary hearing is December 15.

 

Saudi Arabian Student Death Investigated As Homicide

 

11/1/16 – A U-W Stout junior from Saudi Arabia has died, one day after he was beaten near a pizza place in downtown Menomonie. Police say they’re treating the death of 24-year-old Hussain Alnahdi as a homicide, and they’re asking for public tips to help find the assailant who was described as a six foot white male. Police say Alnahdi was beaten around two a-m Sunday, close to when the local taverns closed for the night. Officials say he was unconscious and bleeding before he was taken to a hospital, where he died Monday from his injuries. Leaders from both the Stout campus in Menomonie and the statewide U-W System expressed condolences to Almahdi’s family in Saudi Arabia — and System President Ray Cross said “it’s difficult to find the right words in light of such a tragedy, except to express our sorrow for all that knew Hussain.”

 

Former BDPD Lieutenant Named To DOJ Division Of Law Enforcement

 

11/1/16 – A former Beaver Dam police officer has been named the Deputy Administrator of the Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Law Enforcement Services (DLES). Attorney General Brad Schimel yesterday announced the appointment of former Rhinelander Chief of Police Michael Steffes to the position. The deputy administrator works with the administrator to manage and oversee the Wisconsin State Crime Laboratories; the Crime Information Bureau, which is responsible for managing four statewide programs, including Wisconsin’s Concealed Carry Weapon license; the Training and Standards Bureau, which develops law enforcement training programs in conjunction with the Law Enforcement Standards Board; and the Bureau of Justice Information and Analysis, which is responsible for evaluating policy development and Uniform Crime Reporting.  A Fond du Lac native, Steffes served as Rhinelander Chief of Police from 2007 until his recent appointment at DOJ. He began his law enforcement career in 1994 as a prison guard at Dodge Correctional. He then earned his way from police officer to Lieutenant at the Beaver Dam Police Department before being hired as Rhinelander Chief of Police. Steffes replaces David Zibolski, who left DOJ in June 2016 when he became Beloit Chief of Police. Rhinelander Fire Chief Terry Williams said of Steffes that his new role is a huge loss for Rhinelander but is a great gain for the State and our entire public safety community.”

 

Waupun Historical Society Honors Laird

 

11/1/16 – The Waupun Historical Society honored James Laird with a lifetime achievement award Sunday night. Laird has been active in the society for 52 years and is a past president. Among his many contributions is entering 13,000 entries to the society’s collection and programs. He also acquired thousands of artifacts connected to Waupun’s past. Laird was honored during a Waupun Historical Society dinner at Feil’s Supper Club in Randolph.