(Beaver Dam) State Representative Mark Born says a likely oversight has led to legislation that would increase the penalties for not reporting a child’s death. The bill from the Beaver Dam republican and Senator John Jagler of Watertown would make concealing a child’s death a class F felony, which carries a prison term of seven-and-a-half years. Its current penalty is a year-and-a-half behind bars. Born says when the Hiding a Corpse statute was updated a few years ago to increase its penalty, legislatures did not recognize its similarities with the Concealing the Death of a Child statute. Born and Jagler’s bill was authored after Karin Luttinen of Milwaukee was charged in the “Baby Theresa” case.
(Fond du Lac) A staple of the Fond du Lac community has passed away. County Executive Al Buechel died Sunday, one day after suffering a heart attack. Buechel had been executive since 1993 after serving on the county board for 17 years. He was the longest serving county executive in Wisconsin. Funeral arrangements are pending. Buechel was 74-years-old.
(Waupun) A Dane County man convicted in the grisly deaths of his parents has begun serving his life sentence at a Dodge County prison. Chandler Halderson was moved Friday to Dodge Correctional in Waupun. He was found guilty in January of numerous charges in connection to the 2021 murders and dismemberment of his parents Bart and Krista Halderson. The 24-year-old has already filed for an appeal.
(Clyman) Roads has been one of the issues that the candidates in contested races for Dodge County Board have been discussing throughout the month on WBEV’s Community Comment. In District 18, challenger Ajay Schnitzler of Reeseville says a feasible solution would be to allow low-traffic, back roads with less than one-to-two hundred vehicles per day to be converted to ground-blacktop. Incumbent Jeff Caine of Clyman strongly disagrees saying aggregate roads are unable to hold paint for fog and centerlines, cannot be plowed clean to avoid ice buildup, and have issues with mud, dust, and potholes. You can hear candidates from all 12 contested Dodge County Board races at DailyDodge.com.
(Juneau) The Dodge County clerk is reminding those voting absentee in the upcoming general election of new procedures to follow. Clerk Karen Gibson says due to recent court decisions, drop boxes are no longer an option to drop off absentee ballots unless it is staffed. A number of municipalities have a drop box attached to their municipal building that is used for utility or tax payments. Gibson urges voters to not place their absentee ballots in that drop box. The clerk says voters in the city of Beaver Dam and the city of Watertown are encouraged to use the myvote website to determine their correct polling place as it may have changed due to the redistricting process. A link is at DailyDodge.com.
(Juneau) The Dodge County Master Gardener is offering a $1,000 scholarship to a high school senior. The recipient must live in the county, be a graduating senior from any public high school, parochial or home school as well as planning a career in horticulture. Application forms are available in the guidance office of Dodge County high schools and must be submitted by this Friday, April 1st. The forms are also available online, a link can be found at DailyDodge.com.
