February 8, 2013

Snow Keeps Law Enforcement, Street Crews Busy

 

The snowstorm is gone – but strong winds caused drifting in much of eastern Wisconsin during the night. The Kenosha area received the most snow. Pleasant Prairie got eight inches yesterday and last night, while nearby Kenosha picked up seven-and-a-half. Locally, Beaver Dam had 6.7-inches, West Bend saw six-inches and Oconomowoc had five-inches. The slick roads kept law enforcement busy. According to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department, from 7 a.m. yesterday to 5 a.m. today, deputies dealt with 58 runoffs, nine accidents and 18 reports of stranded vehicles. Roads are still slippery this morning and strong winds in places is causing for some blowing and drifting. Partly cloudy and dry conditions are expected throughout Wisconsin the next two days, with highs in the 20’s and 30’s. The next storm system is due in Sunday. Forecasters expect rain and freezing rain in the south, and snow in the north – but they say it’s too early to say which areas will get what.

 

Jones Arraigned for Tavern Break-In

 

2/8/13 – The suspect in this summer’s break-in at Charlie Brown’s Tavern in Beaver Dam was arraigned yesterday after waiving a preliminary hearing. Nathan J. Jones pled “not guilty” to charges of felony Burglary and misdemeanor Criminal Damage to Property for the break-in at the North Spring Street tavern in June. Prosecutors say the 27-year-old was fresh out of prison when he smashed a glass door to gain entry around 3am, getting away with cash and cigarettes. Witnesses say Jones was the last person on the property and he was identified by photo line-up and with the assistance of video surveillance. He allegedly told investigators that the burglary was a “spur of the moment thing” because it looked easy to do. Jones is also accused of burglarizing the Columbus Pick ‘N Save in August. Columbus police say Jones admitted that he broke into the Pick n’ Save, stole a large amount of cash and then set a shed on fire behind the nearby Peterson Elementary School as a diversion. Jones was arrested on an outstanding warrant in South Dakota and extradited back to Wisconsin. If he is convicted, he faces over 13 years in prison on the Dodge County charges but because he is a repeat offender up to another six years could be added.

 

Suspect in AmeriGas Burglary Denied Cash Bond Reduction

 

2/8/13 – One of the suspects accused of breaking into AmeriGas in Beaver Dam twice in the last year had a motion to reduce his cash bond denied yesterday. 20-year-old Anthony Kavcich of Madison will proceed to trial after he waived his right to a preliminary hearing yesterday and will be arraigned on February 26. His alleged co-conspirator, 27-year-old Joshua Travers of Baraboo, will be arraigned next week. An alarm was tripped at the business on Highway 151 just after 1:30am on January 18. When a Beaver Dam police officer got to the scene he arrested Kavcich and waited until backup arrived to search for the second suspect. Travers was reportedly found hiding in a ditch. The two are also charged with a break-in at AmeriGas in March of 2012. A window was broken to gain access in that incident and around $650 in cash was stolen. Authorities believe the two are responsible for break-ins at AmeriGas locations across the state dating back to last fall.

 

McLellan Pleads Not Guilty to Felony Charge

 

2/8/13 – A Campbellsport woman was arraigned yesterday in connection a drunken driving accident with injuries. Megan McLellan pled “not guilty” to a felony charge of Injury by Intoxicated Use of a Vehicle. Two people were flighted to a Milwaukee hospital following a two-vehicle accident on State Highway 175 in Theresa last May. Authorities say the 27-year-old was northbound on Highway 175 when her vehicle crossed the centerline and struck a southbound pickup truck operated by a 51-year-old Mayville man. The jaws of life were needed to remove both drivers. According to the criminal complaint, McLellan said she left work at 6am and had two Bloody Mary’s in Rubicon, leaving the bar around 9:30. Her blood alcohol level four hours after the crash was just below the legal limit for driving at .zero-seven-seven (.077). Prosecutors say results from the State Crime Lab show that she was legally drunk at the time of the accident. McLellan has a court date on the calendar next month.

 

Drowning from 25 Years Ago Under Investigation

 

2/8/13 – A judge in Jefferson County has told prosecutors to investigate the drowning death of a foster child that happened almost a quarter-century ago. Eight-year-old Artis Echoles was said to have disappeared while swimming in the Bark River at a campground in 1988. The coroner at the time ruled the death as an accident. But Artis’ foster mother – Carmin White of Racine – she never believed the coroner’s ruling. White, who later had problems of her own that sent her to prison, said she never read a report on the boy’s death until last December. And when she read what witnesses had said, she wrote the Circuit Court to ask for an investigation. According to Judge Jennifer Weston, witnesses saw a man throw Artis into the river and hold his head under the water. Weston ordered the district attorney’s office last week to review the matter. White said she just wants to know what happened to the youngster.

 

Actor One of Two People Arrested at UW Regents Meeting

 

2/8/13 – An Oscar-nominated actor was one of the two people arrested for interrupting a meeting of the U-W Board of Regents in Madison today. James Cromwell, who starred in “Babe” and “L-A Confidential” was hauled out of the meeting after he screamed that U-W researchers were being cruel to cats in their studies. The 73-year-old Cromwell told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he was filming a T-V series a few weeks ago when PETA – the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals – asked him to do the Madison protest. PETA spokesman Jeremy Beckham of Salt Lake City was the other protestor arrested – and he fell limp while he was taken out of the Regents’ meeting. He said both men have court dates set for next Thursday. PETA said about 30 cats a year are starved and decapitated at the U-W, for brain research that has not met its goal of improving the hearing ability of humans. Eric Sandgren of the U-W Animal Resources Center said PETA’s claims are false – and the U-S-D-A has done independent studies which also rejected the claims of the animal rights’ group.

 

Gerber Waives Preliminary Hearing

 

2/8/13 – A Waupun man will proceed to trial on charges that his threatening comments shutdown the Waupun Library. Ricky Gerber yesterday waived his right to a preliminary hearing on charges of Disorderly Conduct and Battery to a Workforce Development Employee. Authorities say the 46-year-old was meeting with a vocational rehabilitation employee at the library in December when he said that he had nothing to lose and that he should come back and shoot everyone. The library went on lockdown after Gerber left. Police found him a short time later outside of a Waupun home. He told them that he doesn’t even own a gun. The charges carry a sentence of up to six years in prison if convicted. Gerber will be arraigned next week.