Man Flown To Hospital Following High-Speed Chase
12/21/16 – A Madison man was flown to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries after crashing his vehicle while leading officers on a high-speed chase. According to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office, a deputy made a traffic stop at 2:23 am on Highway 16 near Highway 26 in the Town of Emmet. 26-year-old Sean Maurice Johnson was heading westbound on 16 when the deputy pulled him over on suspicion of impaired driving. Johnson reportedly fled, leading the deputy on a one-mile pursuit before his vehicle left the road, rolled, and came to rest. He allegedly fled on foot but was taken into custody a short time later. Both drugs and alcohol are believed to have been factors in the incident, which remains under investigation.
Watertown Has Two Crashes In Rapid Succession
12/21/16 – One person was injured in a Watertown accident yesterday morning. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office responded to an incident on Highway 26 northbound near Highway 19. Officers say Alyssa Charland of Fort Atkinson was passing Ronald Weber of Waukesha when Charland’s vehicle spun out of control due to icy road conditions. Charland’s vehicle stopped in the middle of the highway and was struck on the driver’s side by Weber’s vehicle as he was unable to avoid the spun out car. Charland had shoulder pain but refused medical treatment. Her vehicle had significant damage while Weber’s had minor damage. That crash sparked a second accident. Officers say James Copeland of Fort Atkinson slowed his vehicle while approaching the accident scene. Melinda Quinn of Janesville was behind Copeland and unable to brake before striking the back of his vehicle and then hitting the cement divider. Both vehicles sustained minor damage. Road conditions were an issue throughout Dodge County from Monday night into Tuesday. A total of 43 runoffs were reported to the sheriff’s office during their second and third shifts.
Sentencing Date Set For Former Beaver Dam Coach
12/21/16 – A sentencing date is officially on the court calendar in Winnebago County for a former Beaver Dam High School soccer coach convicted of child sex crimes. Colin Stringer of Bettendorf, Iowa pled guilty earlier this month to a felony count of Child Enticement and had a marijuana possession charge dismissed but read into the record. Prosecutors say an Oshkosh police officer was monitoring posts on social media in June and responded to a post from Stinger by sending a picture of a 14-year-old girl then engaging the 30-year-old former Horicon man in explicit conversation. He was arrested with marijuana and condoms after showing up at an arranged meeting place. Stringer was the Beaver Dam High School girls’ junior varsity coach during the 2015 season and was also a WIAA high school soccer official and youth soccer coach. No victims have been identified in the Beaver Dam area. A pre-sentencing investigation was ordered during this month’s plea hearing and this week a sentencing hearing was scheduled for Stringer on March 1, 2017.
Brantner Decision Expected Today
12/21/16 – A Fond du Lac County judge today will make some decisions about whether a 63-year-old Kenosha man will stand trial a second time for allegedly killing Berit Beck in 1990. Judge Robert Wirtz will rule on several motions regarding the First Degree Murder charge Dennis Brantner is facing for allegedly murdering the 18-year-old Sturtevant woman whose body was found near Waupun. During a jury trial in June the jury could not reach a unanimous verdict and were dismissed.
Appeals Court Rules In Favor Of Megyn Kelly
12/21/16 – A Wisconsin appeals court has ruled in favor of Megyn Kelly in a defamation lawsuit. The First District Appellate panel upheld a circuit judge’s dismissal of a suit from former suburban Milwaukee firefighter Aaron Marjala, who says he was defamed when Kelly and two guests criticized him on the “America Live” show in 2011 for running marathons while being on disability with the North Shore Fire Department. Doctors found that he had nerve damage in the funny bone of his right elbow, and it did not go away after two surgeries — and he said he was turned down for light duty with the fire department despite being physically active. Soon after that, Kelly implied that Marjala was “taking advantage of the system” and said he should be ordered back to work. Marjala filed suit, saying his honesty was questioned — but the appeals court ruled that the case was fair game, saying it was not defamatory even though Kelly may have been “sarcastic, belittling, and impolite.”
Dodge Co. Board Approves Highway Vehicle Purchase
12/21/16 – New vehicle purchases were approved for one Dodge County department last night. The county board signed off on buying five new dump trucks for the highway department. Dodge County will pay Kriete Truck Center of Madison a total of $670,000.
Four Dodge County 4-H Members Honored
12/21/16 – Four Dodge County 4-H members were presented with Key Awards last night. The honor is given to youth who demonstrate consistent growth, leadership development, and community outreach. To be eligible, members must have completed at least three years of 4-H participation, one year of a youth leadership program, and be in either high school or college. The first award winner was Madeline McGauley of Leipsic 4-H who graduated from Beaver Dam High School earlier this year. She says leadership opportunities she received through 4-H have made her a confident public speaker. McGauley is studying engineering at Texas A&M University. Next up was Emma Meyer of the A-OK 4-H Club. Meyer credits 4-H for making her a community leader and says working with various groups, such as veterans and disabled persons, has given her a better understanding of the role every person plays in society. Dylon Pokorny of Achievers 4-H is a senior at Waupun Area High School. Pokorny says a key takeaway from 4-H has been the ‘beekeeping project.’ He began with one hive and says he has turned it into a business, increasing the operation by 700% in recent years. Pokorny plans to continue his business endeavors at UW-Green Bay this fall. The fourth recipient was Nicole Wenzel of the Lomira Clover Leaves 4-H Club, who was unable to attend last night’s meeting due to school responsibilities. She is majoring in engineering at the University of Minnesota.
Promotion Encourages Residents To Shop Local
12/21/16 – The Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce is encouraging residents to shop locally during the Christmas season. During a recent edition of WBEV’s Community Comment program, Chamber President Phil Fritsche explained his organization’s ‘Ring in the Holidays Passport Contest,’ which is part of a national campaign. Fritsche says the event, which began late last month on ‘Small Business Saturday,’ requires people to pick up a passport book from the Chamber, get the passport stamped at 12 area businesses, and return the completed document for a chance to win prizes, which Fritsche says will be donated by area businesses. Fritsche feels it is important to shop locally as he describes homegrown businesses as the “heart and soul of the community,” noting that they often give to local charities. The event runs through December 24, and all completed passports must be returned to the Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce by December 27.
Beaver Dam Municipal Race Update
12/21/16 – The Beaver Dam aldermanic race continues to take shape with a newcomer now circulating papers for a vacant seat. In Ward 11, Kay Appenfeldt has submitted declaration of candidacy papers for the seat being vacated by longtime council president Jon Litscher, who is not seeking re-election. Four incumbents have all their paperwork submitted: Jon Abfall in Ward Three, Mick Fischer in Ward Five, Kevin Burnett in Ward 13 and Mayor Tom Kennedy have all submitted completed nomination papers and are currently running unopposed. Lisa Davidson in Ward Nine has filed her Declaration of Candidacy but is still circulating nomination papers. Incumbents David Hansen in Ward One and Robert Ballweg in Ward Seven have yet to file anything. The deadline is close of business on Tuesday, January 3.
Local Municipality Receives Loan Funding
12/21/16 – A loan has been approved for one local municipality. The City of Columbus is getting $800,000 in a State Trust Fund Loan to purchase land for its fire station and library. A total of five Wisconsin municipalities were approved for funding, totaling over $2.2-million dollars. The loans are approved by the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, which invests all interest earnings from the program into Wisconsin public schools.
