News – July 27, 2019

(Mayville) A downed tornado siren in Mayville will be up and running next week. The siren located on Breckenridge and Wisconsin was struck by lightning in early May. Police Chief Jim Ketchem says once they found out about the issue, he immediately contacted their vendor and insurance company to begin the process of repairing the siren. Badgerland Communications and Alliant Energy will be on site Tuesday to complete work on the siren. Ketchem says once they are finished, a test will be done. The project cost is around $18,000 with the city’s insurance company paying $15,000 and the city chipping in $3,000 from the general fund.

(Stevens Point) Stevens Point Mayor Mike Wiza is calling his city  “downright Inspiring” as cleanup from last weekend’s storm hits its final phases. “Sentry had a big tournament this weekend, the Junior Girls Golf Championships, and of course after the storm rolled through, they said they had about 100 volunteers show up at their gate saying what can we do to help?  How can we move brush, how can we get this thing back on track so we can have a good tournament?” Most of the power is now restored to Stevens Point and Plover.

(Viroqua) Two people were seriously injured after a plane bound for the EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh crashed in Vernon County. Authorities say the plane went down Thursday afternoon near Viroqua.  A 70-year-old Idaho man was piloting the 1940 fixed-wing airplane with his son, a 41-year-old Chicago man, when the aircraft experienced engine problems. He attempted to make an emergency landing at the Viroqua Municipal Airport but the plane’s wheels got stuck in a field and it flipped.  The two managed to escape the wreckage before being transported to the hospital.

(Burlington) A Burlington man was put in a medically induced coma from vaping. Patrick DeGrave says his brother almost died from a vape cartridge purchased on the street.  Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin reported Thursday that vaping sent eight teenagers to the hospital.

(Milwaukee) For the second time in less than two weeks, Milwaukee Police are investigating a road-rage shooting where the victim is a little girl. Police say a five-year-old girl was grazed by a bullet Thursday morning in a shooting on the city’s north side. She’s expected to pull through. A suspect is in jail. On July 13th, three-year-old Brooklyn Harris was killed in a road-rage shooting in Milwaukee. Her alleged killer is charged with first-degree reckless homicide.

(West Bend) There are warnings about scams tied to the winner of a record-breaking Powerball jackpot from West Bend. There are at least a couple of social media accounts in Manuel Franco’s name, and at least one is offering to give people money. The trick is that the scam artists ask for your bank account information, and instead of striking it rich, they clean you out. Franco’s lawyer says he is 100-percent not part of any public cash giveaway.

(Beaver Dam) The public is encouraged to sign up for an art exhibit that will feature works created around Beaver Dam. The four-day Plein Air Festival will see artist take to the streets on August 15 and they will have three days to complete their artwork. Plein Air means to paint in open air and artists who participate must capture an actual image from within the geographic area designated by festival organizers, in this case within the city limits. Dodge County Center for the Arts Board Secretary Kraig Kasten says the festival provides a unique experience. Subject matter can include a wide variety of things including historic buildings, landscapes and local waterways. Kasten says the festival is a great opportunity for those who want to try out painting. Those interested in painting must be members or pay a $25 membership fee but Kasten says that is good for the entire year whenever the payment is made. He says the deadline to signup is August 2nd but any late stragglers will likely not be turned away. There will be an opening reception on August 18th from 1pm to 4pm and the exhibit will run until September 20. For more information visit bdaaa.org.

(Beaver Dam) Beaver Dam will be celebrating the Latino culture this afternoon. Fiesta Beaver Dam is a family-friendly event with plenty of free entertainment, including a bounce house and lots of children’s activities. There will be a jalapeño eating contest and a salsa tasting contest along with lots of opportunities to try authentic Latino cuisine and enjoy live music and dancing. Fiesta Beaver Dam is being held at downtown Rotary Park, along the river under the water tower getting underway over the noon hour and wrapping up at 6:30pm.

(Beaver Dam) When Big Boy, the world’s largest operating steam-powered engine, came through the region this week, it was a once-in-a-life opportunity for many train enthusiasts. That was not necessarily the case for Bob Wyman of Beaver Dam who on Thursday in Friesland saw the 132-foot locomotive rolling down the tracks for the second time in his life. The first time was as a child while on a family trip out west, in Wyoming, in the late 1940s. Wyman tells is he took a picture of the train coming right at him that he still has to this day. As camera-equipped drone helicopters swirled overhead on Thursday, Wyman told us that it was a different time during his first experience with the locomotive. Big Boy started and will be ending its journey in Wyoming as the recently remodeled train traverses middle America once again, this time in celebration of 150 years of the transcontinental railroad.