News – July 2, 2020

 

(Beaver Dam) Beaver Dam Mayor Becky Glewen says a referendum to fund six new positions in the fire department is expected to be considered by the council in time to make it to the November ballot. However, Glewen told us this week on WBEV’s Community Comment that, in her opinion, there are too many questions to justify moving forward. She notes the shrinking staff in volunteer fire departments, as local stakeholders are looking at a possible consolidation of services. Beaver Dam also generates revenue by transporting non-emergency patients between health care facilities, which requires personneland is a program Glewen says the city may not be able to afford. The fire chief is hoping to see the council sign-off on the referendum by the end of next month, the deadline to get the question on the November ballot. 

(Dodge County) Clearview Nursing Home is now being investigated by state health officials. In their weekly update, Wisconsin Department of Health says the Juneau facility is being monitored along with Bedrock HCS at Beaver Dam, Hope Health and Rehabilitation Center in Lomira and Randall Health Care Center. Investigations are also ongoing at four workplaces in Dodge County as well as two group housing facilities including Waupun Correctional. While one confirmed case can trigger an investigation at a long-term care facility, two or more confirmed cases are needed to begin investigations at workplaces or group housing facilities, which includes prisons.

(Dodge County) Wisconsin health officials are reporting 540 cases of COVID-19 in yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) daily update. There are 29,199 people now having tested positive. Four-point-three-percent (4.3%) of the 12,000 tests administered came back positive Wednesday, compared to 4.7-percent on Tuesday. State health officials recorded two more deaths bringing that number to 786. Dodge County has five deaths on record and 561 cases, an increase of two from Tuesday. Public health officials in Dodge County are actively monitoring 30 people while 203 have recovered.

(Beaver Dam) The jury trial for a Beaver Dam man accused of murdering his ex-wife has been rescheduled. The original trial date for Ulisses Medina Espinosa, set for June 1st, was pushed back in May because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Yesterday (Wednesday), the two-week trial was scheduled to begin on January 25th of next year. The thirty-two-year-old is facing a felony charge of First Degree Intentional Homicide in the death of Stacia Hollinshead of Sycamore, Illinois. Hollinshead was shot to death last March inside a home on East Third Street in Beaver Dam.

(Beaver Dam) A Beaver Dam man charged with his ninth OWI offense entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment hearing yesterday. Gregory Rasnick allegedly admitted to drinking eight beers prior to driving the evening of May 29th. When police were questioning Rasnick, he reportedly had blood shot eyes, was slurring his speech and smelled heavily of intoxicants. Due to his eight prior convictions, dating back to 1991 with the most recent in 2007, Rasnick had a reduced blood alcohol concentration limit of point-zero-two (.02). If convicted, the 57-year-old faces no more than 18-and-a-half years in prison.

(Beaver Dam) A Beaver Dam man charged with fleeing police with a revoked license entered a not guilty plea at his arraignment hearing yesterday. In April, Timothy Jones allegedly drove away at speeds above 50-miles-per-hour along North Spring Street after a Beaver Dam officer ran a DOT records search that showed he did not have a valid license. He eventually stopped in the parking lot of the Hotel Rogers and reportedly admitted his lack of a driver’s license as the reason he ran. If convicted, the 53-year-old faces around five years behind bars.

(Beaver Dam) A Merrill man charged with running from Beaver Dam police in a stolen vehicle entered a not guilty plea at arraignment yesterday. Noah Rossio was allegedly driving a vehicle tied a theft report at a gas station on North Center Street on May 22nd. Police pursued Rossio to Juneau where the vehicle crashed in the front lawn of a residence on North Main Street. Officers deployed K9 Yeti who was able to bite Rossio in the ankle as he attempted to jump over a fence. The vehicle Rossio was driving was reportedly listed as stolen by the Grand Chute Police Department. If convicted, the 18-year-old faces over four years in prison