News – February 19, 2022


(Wisconsin) A Wisconsin child has died, from a rare but serious condition associated with COVID. The Department of Health Services reports a 10 year-old who lived in southeast Wisconsin died from multisystem inflammatory syndrome, or MIS-C, the state’s first such case resulting in a death. MIS-C causes inflammation and can affect multiple organs. Most cases occur in the age range of 3-12 years. If your child is experiencing any warning signs, you should call 911 or go to the emergency room. Those include lingering fever, trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure that doesn’t go away, confusion, inability to wake up or stay awake, bluish lips or face and severe abdominal pain. – WRN

(Beaver Dam) Dodge County’s free COVID testing clinic will be closed on Monday for President’s Day. The facility, located at 1701 North Spring Street in Beaver Dam, is operated by the county’s testing vendor – Curative. Testing is offered to all ages and regardless of insurance status. Results will be delivered digitally within one to two days after the sample is received by the lab. Health officials say walk-ins are welcomed but appointments are preferred. Normal operating hours include Mondays and Tuesdays between 8am and 4pm, Wednesdays between noon and 6pm, and Saturdays between 10am and 4pm. Information about registering is available at DailyDodge.com.

(Madison) Tommy Thompson says he will announce in April if he’s going to run for governor again. The Republican is already Wisconsin’s longest-serving governor in history, holding that office from 1987 to 2001. Most recently, he’s been acting president of the University of Wisconsin System, a post he’ll step away from in March. The Republican primary field is already crowded with Rebecca Kleefisch, Kevin Nicholson, and Tim Ramthun. – WRN

(Madison) Tommy Thompson will be immortalized at the state capital. The Wisconsin Assembly this week voted to rename the assembly parlor in honor of Thompson. State Representative Mark Born of Beaver Dam says it was a positive experience on the assembly floor. Born says Thompson’s unique ability to adapt to each situation helped him greatly over his years in leadership positions. Born says the news was a surprise to Thompson who was able to be on hand for the announcement.

(Wisconsin) An attempt to try to recall the state’s electoral votes from the 2020 presidential election has been flatly rejected. An Assembly committee Thursday unanimously rejected the call from state Representative Tim Ramthun to award Wisconsin’s ten electoral votes to Donald Trump. Lawyers for the Legislature say Ramthun’s plan violates state election laws, and the U-S Constitution. Ramthun is running for governor, campaigning on the idea that Wisconsin somehow can change its electoral votes. Some Republicans are angry that lawmakers won’t even vote on it. – WRN

(Juneau) The Juneau Fire Department was dispatched to a small fire at Sensient Flavors Thursday night. Chief Curt Ninmann says the call came in around 7:45pm as an explosion, but he says it was very minor. Ninmann says the small fire caused a spark in a dust collection system resulting in a release of pressure that disengaged an exhaust hose. There were no injuries. There was no damage to equipment, but a door frame was damaged. Juneau initially called in mutual aid from multiple departments, but they were called off within a half hour. The Juneau Fire Department was on scene for around 45 minutes. Sensient is reviewing the incident to determine a cause.

(Theresa) A two-day jury trial was scheduled this week for a Theresa woman charged with stabbing another person multiple times. Michele Schacht is facing felony charges of First Degree Recklessly Endangering Safety, Aggravated Battery, and Substantial Battery. Schacht allegedly stabbed the male victim with a large kitchen knife in the neck, thigh, and stomach in December of 2020. The victim also reportedly said that Schacht punched him in the face twice. According to the criminal complaint, the victim told authorities that Schacht got upset and told him to leave. He added that the attack was unprovoked. If convicted, the 52-year-old faces up to 29 years in prison. The trial is slated to begin on June 23rd.

(Beaver Dam) A two-day jury was scheduled this week for a Beaver Dam man charged with possessing illicit content of children. Matthew Haase is facing 10 felony counts of Possession of Child Pornography. The social media platform Snapchat filed a CyberTip report in October of 2020 that a user uploaded two files suspected to be child porn. The account was allegedly tied back to Haase. When questioned by authorities, Haase reportedly admitted to possessing images of child porn. The 40-year-old also allegedly told investigators that he would send these images to friends. If convicted, Haase faces 250-years in prison. The trial is slated to begin on July 13th.

(Beaver Dam) Some elementary students in Beaver Dam will be going to a different location for summer school. Kids through grade five will still be going to Jefferson School as one of the two sites, but officials added Lincoln Elementary as the other site because Prairie View will be seeing improvements. Students who are recommended for a core class will have an option for bussing. Middle and elementary students will see school start on June 13 and run through July 28 Mondays through Thursdays with a July Fourth break. High School students will have five days of classes for course credit recovery, ending on July 29. There is no cost for academic summer school courses but some enrichments classes may have a materials fee of no more than five dollars.

(Fox Lake) SAGES Charter School in Fox Lake is holding a project showcase and chili supper fundraiser this week. The event features guided towers, learner project displays, 10-year school timeline, SAGES alumni panel discussion, 2012 time capsule opening, plus more. Visitors can journey among SAGE’s hallways to view classrooms and learner projects. They can also take a guided tower featuring stops by indoor and outdoor learning spaces from the teaching kitchen and greenhouse to the chicken coop, school gardens and living schoolyard. The showcase is this Thursday, February 24th, between 4:30pm and 6:30pm at SAGES on 200 South Depot Street in Fox Lake. Guided tours take placed between 5 and 5:30pm. A link to more information can be found at DailyDodge.com.