One Person Killed In Columbia County Accident
4/2/16 – The Columbia County Sheriff’s Office responded to a pair of crashes yesterday. One person was killed in a head-on semi versus car accident on Highway 60 near Gannon Road in the Town of West Point at 9:30 am. Rescue personnel helped free the car’s driver, who was trapped. He was flown to UW Hospital in Madison, where he was pronounced dead. The semi’s driver was uninjured, and there were no passengers in either vehicle. Highway 60 was shut down for roughly two hours. The other incident occurred at 8:44 am on Highway 33 near Larson Road in the Town of Scott. A semi reportedly tried passing and struck an Amish buggy as both were headed east. The people and horse involved were not injured, but there was significant damage to the buggy. The semi driver was cited for failing to yield the right of way.
Mayville Mayoral Candidates Discuss Helping Downtown Business
4/2/16 – Mayville’s mayoral candidates both have ideas to help the city’s downtown businesses. Funding was cut in the 2015 budget for the group that was tasked with sprucing up the downtown area, Main Street Mayville. Those funds have not been restored. On WBEV’s Community Comment this week, Alderman Rob Boelk said the city should create a downtown committee that does not cost a single taxpayer dollar. He says Mayville will need to provide incentives for business owners, such as offering low-interest loans or grants. While Alderman Joe Hohmann says the city should encourage local banks to offer low-interest loans, he is not in favor of handing out tax dollars in a form of redistribution. Hohmann and Boelk are looking to replace one-term Mayor Bob Redeker who decided not to seek re-election.
To listen to the entire Mayville mayoral debate or to hear our interviews with candidates in contested races for Dodge County Board and city of Beaver Dam alderman, click the link below:
http://www.wxroradio.com/common/more.php?m=49&post_id=53631
Beaver Dam Contested Aldermanic Races Preview
4/2/16 – There are three contested aldermanic races in the city of Beaver Dam, however two of them are being incumbents registered this week to run as a write-in candidates after previously filing non-candidacy papers. That is the situation in Beaver Dam’s Eighth Ward where Becky Glewen is the only name on the ballot. Incumbent Mick McConaghy, who has been on the council for 16 years, filed his declaration of candidacy papers this week. McConaghy, who has been a consistent opponent of spending taxpayer dollars on the $2.1-million dollar Watermark Community and Senior Center, declined our invitation for an interview. On WBEV’s Community Comment yesterday, Glewen touted her support for the Watermark project. Glewen says she “sees very good things at the Watermark” including huge participation numbers in a variety of program offerings. She says a community center helps members of a community feel connected and that connection is “important to bringing people [to Beaver Dam], keeping them here and making them feel that they are a part of something.” The other Beaver Dam aldermanic race where the incumbent is running as a write-in is in Ward Six where Ken Anderson is on the ballot and Teresa Hiles-Olson is the registered write-in. We’ll have a news story on the race Monday morning, and complete audio from all of our Community Comment elections programs can be found on our website wbevradio.com.
Clerk Explains Procedure For Breaking Tie Between Write-Ins
4/2/16 – With Election Day this Tuesday, Dodge County Clerk Karen Gibson recently spoke with us about how a tie vote between two write-in candidates is broken. Write-in candidates do not have to be registered if it is an uncontested race or if there are not enough candidates on the ballot to fill the number of vacancies. In the event of a tie between two write-ins, Gibson says the first step is determining a winner by picking a name from a hat or drawing cards. After that, the clerk needs to determine if the winner is eligible to hold the office. If the person is eligible, Gibson says the winner is contacted to ensure they want the position. If the person does not want the position, someone is appointed by the board of jurisdiction. Gibson says it is the same process for breaking a tie that involves two candidates who are on the ballot.
Computer Problems Affect Last Day Of Early Voting
4/2/16 – On the final day of early voting in Wisconsin, a state government computer problem cut off the system that local clerks use to register voters and give out absentee ballots. It went back online around noon yesterday, after being down for 3 ½ hours. The server problem also affected state Transportation Department computers. Administration spokesman Jim Dick blamed an internal hardware problem, saying the network slowed to the point that state agencies could not communicate with each other. Under state law, in-person absentee voting ended yesterday for Tuesday’s Wisconsin presidential primary and Supreme Court election. As of Thursday, officials issued almost twice as many absentee ballots as in the same election four years ago.
Man Pleads Guilty To Supplying Drugs That Killed Markesan Student
4/2/16 – A Madison man was found guilty of supplying the heroin that killed a Markesan student. Charlie Phillips-Moore pled no contest yesterday to a reduced charge of Second Degree Reckless Homicide in the death of 21-year-old U-W Stevens Point Student Jordan Peterson. Peterson was found dead in November 2013 by a roommate who returned to their off-campus apartment after a weekend away. The 23-year-old Phillips-Moore has been in prison since October 2014 for an unrelated drug conviction in Dane County. He will be sentenced in this case on June 24. The man who gave Petersen the fatal dose, 29-year-old Erik Olsen of Hancock, was sentenced last year to three-and-a-half years in prison, six-and-a-half years of extended supervision and ordered to pay restitution for funeral costs.
Plea Set For Beaver Dam Woman Accused Of Fleeing
4/2/16 – A plea hearing was set yesterday for a Beaver Dam woman accused of running from police. Samantha Crawford is facing one felony count of Attempting to Flee or Elude a Traffic Officer. According to the criminal complaint, an officer tried to pull the 22-year-old over in October for having an expired registration and suspended driver’s license. Crawford allegedly fled at speeds up to 50 miles per hour while blowing multiple red lights and stop signs. When she finally stopped, Crawford reportedly moved from the driver’s seat to the passenger seat, claiming the driver had jumped out of the vehicle. She also admitted to consuming alcohol that night. If she is found guilty, Crawford faces up to three-and-a-half years in prison. Her hearing is set for April 14.
Court Says Horicon Man Not Competent To Stand Trial
4/2/16 – The case against a Horicon man accused of giving pornography to a minor was suspended yesterday. Craig Seelow was deemed not competent to stand trial. The court also said he could not be treated to competency so the case was suspended. The 45-year-old was facing one felony count of Exposing a Child to Harmful Material for allegedly giving his friend’s child four DVD’s for helping him move in 2011. The kid’s mom called police after she caught her son watching one of the discs.
State Seeing Record Number Of Concealed Weapons Requests
4/2/16 – The state Justice Department says it’s getting a record number of requests this year for permits to carry concealed weapons. The agency has processed almost 20,000 permit applications since the start of 2016 — and at the current pace, the tally for the entire year would be much higher than the 45,000 applications received in 2015. Wisconsin was the second-to-last state to let law-abiding citizens carry concealed weapons in late 2011. Back then, former Attorney General J-B Van Hollen predicted about 250,000 permit holders. The 300,000th permit was issued last Thursday.
Mayville Crews Out Less For Salting/Plowing This Winter
4/2/16 – City of Mayville crews were out fewer times this winter to clear the roads than they were in the 2014-2015 season. At this week’s Public Works Committee meeting, Department of Public Works officials said crews were out twenty times this winter- eight for plowing and salting and twelve just for salting. That is two less than last winter and 13 less than two years ago. The city has taken all contracted salt this winter and was able to fit the full supply in its storage shed. With nicer weather arriving, Mayville’s brush picking is moving to twice a month starting in April- on the second and fourth Mondays.
Beaver Dam Fundraiser To Honor Deceased Graduate
4/2/16 – Beaver Dam High School students are raising money this weekend for a scholarship that honors a late graduate. The Emily’s Closet fundraiser is in memory of 2014 grad Emily Lyons who died in a snowmobile accident last year. Organizers received donations of over 300 gently-used, formal dresses last month. They will be sold for $20-$60 apiece, with all proceeds benefitting the Emily Lyons Scholarship Foundation. The sale runs from 4pm-7pm today and 12pm-2pm tomorrow in the Beaver Dam High School’s south gymnasium.
