(Juneau) The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office say they are still dealing with a high volume of accidental 911 calls. The agency says in the month of June, dispatchers have fielded roughly 823 911 misdials. The issue started several years ago when Apple launched an emergency SOS feature which dials 911 by pressing the cellphones side button five times or more rapidly. Android added this same feature and it amplified the problem exponentially. A recent update by Android does include an option to play a warning sound before a call is made. The issue still exist on Apple devices, but Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt says he plans to work with state and federal partners to encourage the company to follow suit with an update of their own.
(Emmet) Cash bond was set at $10,000 for a Watertown teen accused of running from law enforcement. Anthony Topel (toe-pull) allegedly fled deputies after they ran his plates and learned his license was suspended on June 15th. Authorities reportedly observed the 15-year-old operate left of center, fail to stop at a stop sign, and pass a vehicle in a no passing zone during the 24-mile pursuit. Roughly .19 grams of meth was apparently located in the vehicle. If convicted, the 17-year-old faces up to 29 years in prison. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
(Mayville) Mayville Engineering Company has reached a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Mid-States Aluminum Corporation. It will cost the company approximately $96-million-dollars. For nearly 60 years Mid-States has served major original equipment manufacturers in the building, construction, recreational, medical, agriculture, transportation, and other diverse end markets. Mid-States operate two state-of-the-art facilities, both in Fond du Lac that include approximately 325,000 square-feet of manufacturing space. The proposed acquisition is expected to close during the third quarter of this year.
(Juneau) The Dodge County Board received an overview of the 2024 budget process at their meeting this week. It included a review of county funds, updates on wage and benefit trends, discussion of revenue and expenditures, highlighted upcoming capital projects, and important factors to consider for next year and beyond. Department budget reviews will be held between July and August. A public hearing on the proposed budget is scheduled for October 31st. Final adoption is slated for November 14th.
(Beaver Dam) The Beaver Dam Area Community Foundation recently announced that nearly $30-thousand-dollars in grants will be disbursed to 23 Dodge County non-profits. The $29,790 marks the largest grant awards in the organizations history. Grants from the foundation are intended to provide seed money to organizations that have identified needs and have designed constructive action programs aimed at solutions. In the past four years, the Foundation has granted nearly $140-thousand-dollars to 46 Dodge County nonprofits from their bi-annual grant cycles. A list of non-profits receiving grant funds as well as information about their projects can be found at DailyDodge.com.
