News – December 23, 2020

(Beaver Dam) The Beaver Dam Fire Department and the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office assisted in rescuing an individual who fell through the ice on Beaver Dam Lake yesterday (Tuesday) morning. The individual reported to authorities that he had fallen through the ice by an ice heave and was able to get back onto the ice. He also reported that he could not make it back to shore. A sheriff’s deputy deployed a drone which made visual contact and a Beaver Dam Fire and Rescue Department hovercraft brought him back to shore. The individual was treated for hypothermia and was released.

(Madison) Governor Tony Evers announced yesterday (Tuesday) a special election to fill the 13th Senate District seat being vacated by Scott Fitzgerald. Senator Fitzgerald, who was elected to the House of Representatives, intends to resign from the legislature on January 1st. The special election will be held on April 6th, the same day as the statewide spring election. Evers says if a primary is necessary it will be held on February 6th. The 13th Senate District includes parts of Dodge, Columbia, Jefferson, Washington, Dane and Waukesha counties.

(Wisconsin) A new strain of coronavirus has not been detected in Wisconsin – at least not yet. Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ryan Westergaard, said a relatively small number of COVID-19 tests performed here get the full genome sequencing, which led to discovery of the new strain in the U.K. and South Africa. – WRN

(Dodge County) A record 120 more deaths due to COVID-19 were recorded in a single day in Wisconsin yesterday (Tuesday). Although the deaths were reported Tuesday, they may have occurred earlier. Still, it’s the highest single day number reported by the state Department of Health Services since the beginning of the pandemic. That brings the total in Wisconsin to 4,545 and the average over the past week to 60 per-day. There were 2,403 new confirmed cases in yesterday’s daily update. Dodge County reported six deaths yesterday for a total of 113 and 10,085 cases, a one-day increase of 55. County health officials are actively monitoring 643 people, a decrease of 149. – WRN

(Wisconsin) More than ten-thousand people in Wisconsin have been vaccinated against COVID-19. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services says health care workers and people living in long-term care facilities were among the first to get the vaccine. Wisconsin began administering Pfizer’s vaccine after it got FDA approval for emergency use on December 11th. As of Sunday, ten-thousand, 538 doses of the vaccine were administered to people in Wisconsin. Nearly 185-thousand doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been allocated for people in Wisconsin. – WRN

(Beaver Dam) A holiday event that feeds Dodge County families in need is back for another year, with pandemic precautions in place. The Beaver Dam Elks Lodge is holding its 69th Annual Christmas Basket Program tomorrow (Thursday). Elks members are setting up shop at Summit Ford Beaver Dam packaging food products wearing personal protective gear. During a recent appearance on WBEV’s Community Comment program, Coordinator Rob Radig told us that the program typically serves 500 families, but the numbers are down this year to around 400 families. Members of the public interested in delivering a food basket in the city of Beaver Dam should go to Summit Ford on North Spring Street tomorrow (Thursday) between 9am and 10:30am. Drivers are asked this year to stay in their cars.