News – March 31, 2022

(Beaver Dam) The Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce hosted a candidate’s debate Wednesday featuring candidates for school board and county supervisor. There are five candidates vying for four open seats on the Beaver Dam school board. The candidates for three Beaver Dam-area seats on the Dodge County board also discussed the issues at last night’s forum. Audio and video can be found at DailyDodge.com.

(Beaver Dam) Beaver Dam residents can begin to leave brush at the streets edge beginning tomorrow. Neatly-piled, loose tree limbs and shrubbery cuttings should be left out by 7am on the first waste collection day of the month. Yard waste can also be dropped off at the DPW garage on South Center Street which starting the week, on April 2nd, will also be open on Saturday’s from 8am until noon. Brush pick-up continues once a month through the first collection day in November.

(Portage) A detached garage in Portage was destroyed by fire Tuesday afternoon. The Portage Fire Department was dispatched to W10488 Rowley Road around 1:30pm. Upon arrival, crews encountered heavy fire conditions with the structure fully involved and the side of a nearby house impacted. Firefighters attacked the shed fire, but the building was a total loss. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire was due to improper disposal of ashes.

(Jefferson County) Another update was given as the state continues to deal with the highly pathogenic bird flu that was detected at a Jefferson County laying hen facility. Officials with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection say depopulation efforts were completed Tuesday. The DATCP has now begun compost disposal at a nearby site.

(Wisconsin) The Food and Drug Administration has expanded emergency use authorization of Pfizer and Moderna COVID vaccines. This allows adults 50 and older to get a second booster as early as four months after their first booster dose. Health officials say this will help keep COVID infections down when a new strain appears. – WRN

(Wisconsin) Another report says too many people in Wisconsin drink too much. The report from the Wisconsin Council on Alcohol and other Drug Abuse says drinking and binge-drinking rates in Wisconsin are much higher than the national average. The report says 64-percent of people in Wisconsin have had a drink in the past month, and 21 percent have had four-or-more in one sitting. – WRN