News – June 17, 2020

(Westford) A Beaver Dam man was critically injured last (Tuesday) night after being thrown from his motorcycle in a collision with a deer. The 41-year-old was northbound on Highway 73 in the Town of Westford when he struck the deer near County Road G around 11:15pm. He was not wearing a helmet and was flown to UW-Madison Hospital with life-threatening head injuries. Alcohol is not believed to be a factor; however, a 24-year-old operating a separate motorcycle in the group was arrested for OWI.

(Town of Dekorra) A motorcyclist has succumbed to injuries sustained in an accident last Thursday in Columbia County. It happened at dusk as two northbound motorcycles were attempting to pass a slow-moving vehicle on Highway 51 in the Town of Dekorra. The lead motorcycle was struck from behind in the southbound lanes as the second motorcycle accelerated rapidly. The operator of that second motorcycle was flown to UW Hospital, where they died of their injuries yesterday. The other person was not injured. Neither were wearing a helmet. Alcohol is believed to be a factor.

(Town of Taycheedah) Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s officials say two men were injured last night when a vehicle tried to pass a motorcycle on Highway 151 in the Town of Taycheedah and struck a pickup truck turning onto Deadwood Point Road. The 75-year-old New Holstein man trying to pass the bike and the 74-year-old Eldorado man in the pickup truck were both taken to St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac with non-life threatening injuries. Unsafe passing and alcohol use contributed to the crash.

(Fort Atkinson) A tense situation in Jefferson County last (Tuesday) night. It started at 5:48pm when deputies were dispatched to a burglary report on County Road A in Fort Atkinson. Upon arrival, shots were fired from the residence at the deputy, who returned fire and was able to take cover. The deputy then noticed black smoke coming from the residence. The Wisconsin Department of Justice and State Fire Marshal are leading an investigation.

(Juneau) The Dodge County Board last (Tuesday) night sidelined an ordinance that would have set clearer guidelines for health officials when combating communicable diseases. Work on the ordinance began after the Wisconsin Supreme Court overturned the safer-at-home order, leaving many counties to review their own policies relating to localized orders. It was discovered that Dodge County does not have an ordinance governing public health matters or diseases; instead relying on state statutes. Work on the county’s ordinance, which would have set distinct procedures for health officials, has been postponed as the Wisconsin Counties Association established a committee to work on a state-wide county-level health order.

(Beaver Dam) City officials in Beaver Dam this week hired a company to draw-up plans for a shoreline improvement project near the dam at Cotton Mill Park. The city awarded the contract to the second-lowest bidder, Stantec Consulting Services of Mequon, for $46,500. The project would include enhancements to the shoreline, plantings and habitat along with a paved trail and additional access to Haskell Street, which may require a small land purchase.  The city budgeted $150-thousand dollars for the project in this year’s borrowing plan, though that is not expected to be enough for the entire project.

(Waupun) The Wisconsin National Guard has ramped up coronavirus testing at area prisons. Yesterday (Tuesday) was the second and final day for a team collecting specimens at Dodge Correctional. Last month, two teams collected nearly 2,000 specimens at Dodge, which last week had an employee test positive but to date no inmates. Another National Guard team is on day three of a three-day assignment collecting specimens at Columbia Correctional where four workers and three inmates have tested positive. Meanwhile, collections resumed again yesterday (Tuesday) at Waupun Correctional where 226 inmates and 22 staffers had previously been announced as contracting coronavirus. Also, yesterday (Tuesday), a team is in Fond du Lac County conducting site-based testing in Oakfield.

(Dodge County) Wisconsin health officials are reporting an increase of 266 cases of COVID-19 in yesterday’s (Tuesday’s) daily update. There are 23,198 people now having tested positive. Two-point-four-percent (2.4%) of the nearly 11,000 tests administered came back positive Tuesday, compared to 2.8-percent Monday. State health officials are reporting nine more deaths bringing that number to 703. Dodge County has four deaths on record and 424 cases.

(Beaver Dam) The Beaver Dam Community Library is now open. In a press release, library officials say at this stage of their reopening they will only offer essential services to include browsing and checking out of materials as well as public internet and Wi-Fi access. There will be no in-person programming at this time and there will be a minimum 72-hour delay before returns are checked in because of the quarantine process. The library’s hours are Monday through Friday from 9am to 7pm.

(Watertown) A Watertown man was convicted yesterday (Tuesday) of having inappropriate contact with minors. Nathan Lord assaulted two children who were under the ages of 13 in the fall of 2015. A pre-sentencing investigation was ordered and the 40-year-old is due back in court on August 27th.