Horicon Makes Pledge Toward Gold Star Memorial Trail
2/24/16 – Horicon’s Council pledged $5,000 last night for the design and construction of a portion of the Gold Star Memorial Trail that would run through the city. The proposed 15-mile trail would run from Mayville to Horicon to Beaver Dam and would honor six Dodge County veterans who were killed in action. The city’s funds would go toward the trail’s second of five phases, which would connect Horicon and the Wild Goose State Trail at a cost of $755,000. Horicon’s pledge is contingent on Dodge County receiving a $525,000 federal grant. Council President Carl Fausett believes pledging funds could encourage the county to also fund the project. Alderman Nathan Anfinson feels the money would have been better spent making upgrades in city parks and believes the trail should be funded by revenues from Dodge County’s half-a-percent sales tax. The Dodge County Board is expected to take the matter up in March. If funding is in place, design work for this segment of the trail could begin next year with construction in 2019 or 2020.
Horicon Council Votes To Repeal Snow Removal Fees
2/24/16 – Three Horicon property owners may have snow removal fees waived. The council voted to drop fines issued to the three residents at last night’s meeting. The public works department billed the owners for snow removal costs this winter; claiming the sidewalk in front of the properties were not cleared within 24 hours of a snow or wind incident as the city requires. After the council’s vote, Public Works Director Dave Magnussen asked Mayor Steve Neitzel to veto the action. Neitzel had not made a decision on the matter at last word. It was suggested last night the council may look into changing its snow removal ordinance before next winter. Also, Mayor Steve Neitzel broke a three-three council split in voting against reimbursing a homeowner one-half the cost of a plumbing bill for unclogging her sewer. She claimed it was due to a lateral backup, but the city says a plumber determined it was an issue with the sewer main.
Beaver Dam Utility Says Water Tested Regularly
2/24/16 – Beaver Dam has not had any issues with lead contaminated water from the city since testing was implements 16 years ago. That’s according to Water Utility Foreman Rob Minnema who told city leaders recently that he has received two emails from concerned citizens inquiring about lead content in city water in the wake of national media reports of contaminated water in Flint, Michigan. Minnema says in 2000, municipalities across the country were required by the federal government to conduct annual testing. Since that time the city has been in compliance with the requirement and has had no instances of lead contamination in homes. The city currently tests 30 homes every three years. Minnema says his department gets occasional requests from homeowners to replace their private lead or iron lateral. He says in those cases city policy obliges and also replaces the city portion to the main. There are no mandates in Beaver Dam for residents to replace their outdated laterals.
Born Weighs In On Voucher Changes
2/24/16 – Under a bill moving through the state legislature, public schools could levy for less local taxpayer dollars to make up for the loss of state aid when students move to private voucher schools. The law would change an item in the new state budget which allowed public schools to raise property taxes up to the state’s revenue limit for each student, which covers state aid losses when kids leave for voucher schools. On WBEV’s Community Comment Friday, State Representative Mark Born called the budget item a “drafting error.” The Republican from Beaver Dam says the intention of the original bill was to treat voucher students the same as open enrollment students. When an open enrollment student moves districts a portion of that money goes with them but the district can tax for a portion of the aid they lose. However, school districts were levying for more than they were losing, which Born says “is not right.” He says the new amendment lets schools tax only the actual aid they lose — an average of almost three-thousand dollars less per student. An earlier version of the bill would have dropped the extra taxes altogether, and school officials said it would have cost them 14-million dollars statewide. Three schools districts in the area Born represents are currently impacted by the voucher program: Beaver Dam, which is losing around $16-thousand dollars this year, and Horicon and Mayville which are losing less than $5000 each.
Program On WWII Coming To Fall River VFW In March
2/24/16 – A program coming to Fall River next month will recount the true story of an American officer who miraculously liberates his grandparent’s Czechoslovakian village in World War Two. The Accidental Hero has been presented in over 100 American and Czech communities, including the Bush Presidential Library. The audience will also have a chance to speak with presenter Patrick Dewane following the program. The one-man, multi-media, program The Accidental Hero will be presented by VFW Post 2219 on Sunday, March 13, at 2pm in Savanna Oaks.
Hartford High School Reopening Today Following Threats
2/24/16 – Hartford Union High School is re-opening Wednesday, after threats on social media resulted in an early dismissal Tuesday. Sheriff’s deputies in neighboring Sheboygan County say a 19-year-old student was armed when they arrested him at 1:45 p-m in the Kettle Moraine State Forest, and he never made it to class Tuesday. Officers say they confiscated several weapons — and the teen faces possible charges of disorderly conduct and illegal use of a computer. Somebody told Hartford Union’s police-school liaison officer about a threatening photo on social media that suggested a possible incident Wednesday. School officials told parents on the school’s website that the building is now safe.
Bill Would Make Bomb Threats A Felony
2/24/16 – A bill pending in the Wisconsin Senate would make school threats close to the one in Watertown Monday and Hartford on Tuesday a felony. A 16-year-old boy is facing court action for showing photos of weapons on Snapchat with the warning, “Don’t come to school tomorrow fam.” State Assembly Republican John Jagler of Watertown says that the worst the boy could face would be a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge. Jagler says the Assembly passed a bill last week to make school threats felonies, with fines of up to ten-thousand dollars and a maximum prison term of three-and-one-half years. Classes at Watertown High and an alternative school re-opened yesterday (Tuesday), after students were sent home early Monday morning — although police later said the post did not represent an “active” threat against anyone.
Justice’s Uncle Turned Away From Polls
2/24/16 – State Supreme Court Justice Ann Walsh Bradley says her 90-year-old uncle was turned away at a polling place last week, after he showed a veterans’ I-D that was not allowed. Leo Olson of Reedsburg fought in the World War Two battle of Iwo Jima, which had its 71st anniversary Tuesday. Bradley wrote Governor Scott Walker, asking him to sign a bill that’s expected to be voted upon in the Senate next month, in which federal veterans’ I-Ds would be allowed for voting. The governor’s office says Walker will sign the bill if the Senate sends it to him, but it may not happen in time for Olson to use his veterans’ I-D in the April fifth balloting. Election officials say they submitted paperwork to allow Olson to vote absentee without an I-D, a provision that applies to older and infirmed Wisconsinites.
Fitzgerald Makes Appointment To New Elections Panel
2/24/16 – The secretary of the State Republican Party is the first appointee to a new panel that will investigate violations of government ethics laws. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald has named Katie McCallum, who was a fourth vice-chair of the state G-O-P, an ex-legislative aide, and a daughter-in-law of former Governor Scott McCallum. The Republican Legislature and Governor Scott Walker eliminated the non-partisan Government Accountability Board as of June 30th, and bring back separate elections-and-ethics panels with mostly political appointees plus some retired judges and local election clerks. Fitzgerald’s office cites McCallum’s background and experience in the state. But Jay Heck of the watchdog group Common Cause tells the Wisconsin State Journal that McCallum will be allegiant to Fitzgerald, and it’s what his group feared.
Theresa Man Released From Hospital After Car Accident
2/24/16 – The 24-year-old Theresa man who was ejected from his vehicle during a two-vehicle accident in front of the Menard’s in Fond du Lac has been released from a Neenah hospital. Travis Dennison was treated at Theda Clark Medical Center. Police say a preliminary investigation found Dennison may have failed to yield to 18-year-old Jordan Winkelman of Fond du Lac who was taken to St. Agnes Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
