News – July 23, 2022

(Beaver Dam) A small plane crashed Friday afternoon in Beaver Dam. The incident happened just before 5pm near the soccer fields at Commercial and Woodland Drive, near the planned Department of Public Works site. Eyewitness Dennis Kuhlman, lives nearby on Elser Drive, says he was in his pool when he saw a line of five planes flying north. The last plane, however, veered to the west. Kuhlman says he could hear the engine sputtering before disappearing over the tree line. A minute or two later, he heard a crash. A light pole and a port-a-potty were damaged. The pilot and two passengers apparently walked away without a scratch.                  

(Madison) Wisconsin elections officials are not backing down in the latest fight over absentee ballot rules. The Wisconsin Elections Commission says it will not abide by a legislative committee’s decision to stop telling local election clerks they can fill in missing information on absentee ballots. Majority Republicans on the Joint Rules Review Committee say clerks can only add information to absentee ballots after speaking with voters. If not, that ballot must be set aside. But an Elections Commission spokesman says state law also requires a 4-to-2 vote from Election Commissioners before that guidance can be reversed. Observers say the disagreement could be headed to court.

(Madison) Public health officials in Madison say they’ve discovered a unique variant of the virus that causes COVID-19. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services confirms the variant was found in wastewater Thursday. There’s no evidence the variant has made anyone sick. Public Health Madison and Dane County says the variant has also not been found anywhere else. Public health experts say they’re planning to do more tests.

(Hayward) A clerk’s alleged refusal to sell condoms to a Minnesota couple at Walgreens in northwest Wisconsin has gotten national attention. Nate Pentz said he and his wife, Jess, had stopped at the store in Hayward on July 3, and the clerk refused to sell her condoms, citing his faith. Pentz said the clerk offered to have another employee check out the items, but the situation caused his wife much embarrassment in front of other customers. A spokesperson for Walgreens told national news outlets that company policy allows cashiers to refuse to sell items on moral or religious grounds, but they should refer the customer to a manager or other clerk to complete the purchase. On Twitter yesterday, Pentz said due to this incident, he is looking to get a vasectomy.

(Beaver Dam) A federal judge has sentenced a Beaver Dam man to 15 years in prison for producing child pornography. Following his release from prison, Kyle Halgrimson will spend three years on supervised release. The 38-year-old will also be required to register as a sexual offender. During his sentencing hearing, Chief US District Judge Pamela Pepper noted this was an extremely aggravating and serious offense. When entering his guilty plea, Halgrimson acknowledged that he had recorded his girlfriend at the time, Angelique Boll, having intercourse with a child on several different occasions. Angelique Boll is also charged in this case with production of child pornography. Boll has entered a plea of not guilty, and her case is scheduled for trial starting on October 31. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals use federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. The case was investigated by the Beaver Dam Police Department. You can find more information about Project Safe Childhood at DailyDodge.com.

(Juneau) A Juneau man accused of having inappropriate contact with a minor was arraigned this week. Nehemiah Reiss entered a not guilty by reason of mental defect plea to felony counts of Repeated Sexual Assault of the Same Child, Second Degree Sexual Assault of a Child, Attempted Second Degree Sexual Assault of a Child, and Child Enticement. The victim was questioned by Dodge County sheriff’s deputies in November. She reportedly said that the assaults happened while staying at Reiss’ home in Juneau over last summer and fall. If convicted, the 30-year-old faces up to 185 years in prison. The court ordered an evaluation and a hearing is scheduled for August 2nd.

(Oshkosh) The Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office has released a report and video of the July 9th crash on the Fox River in Oshkosh involving a 45-foot powerboat and two-story paddleboat. Seven of the 43 occupants and crew of the Riverboat suffered minor injuries, but one of them a 48 year-old woman was hospitalized with back injuries. There was substantial damage to the port side of the boat. Seven people were on the powerboat including the operator 52-year-old Jason Lindemann of Oshkosh who was charged for the incident. A 57-year-old man on the powerboat suffered back injuries and cuts to the face. The DNR says alcohol and excessive speed were several factors in the crash. But they also say careless and reckless operation, improper lookout, navigation rules violation, and operator inattention contributed to the crash. They estimate the powerboat was going between 21 and 40 miles an hour and the paddleboat 10 miles an hour.

(Ripon) For the third month in a row a 26-year-old Ripon man is free on bond after posting thousands of dollars following a felony offense. Jesus Lozoya, Jr. posted a $5,000 cash bond during his initial hearing in Fond du Lac County court Tuesday on felony counts of strangulation and suffocation, false imprisonment, 2 counts of felony bail jumping and a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct. According to the criminal complaint Lozoya was involved in a domestic abuse incident last Friday in the City of Ripon while he was intoxicated.  In May he posted a $5,000 cash bond after being charged for allegedly shooting off a gun in a residence and last month posted a $3,000 cash bond after an allegedly lewd and lascivious incident in a city parking lot. He was also believed to be intoxicated during those incidents. A preliminary hearing on the latest charges is scheduled for September 22nd.

(Beaver Dam) The days are numbered for the aging pool at Beaver Dam’s Swan Park. The common council this week unanimously approved the hiring of a company to demolish the Swan Park wading pool. Interstate Sawing and Demolition of West Bend will be paid $096,400. The city has tabbed a splash pad to be installed in place of the decades old pool at a cost of $1.7-million dollars. This year is the final season that the pool will be open.