News – March 7, 2022

(Stoughton) The National Weather Service yesterday (Sunday) confirmed yesterday (Sunday) that an EF-1 tornado in Stoughton. Wind speeds of 95-miles-per-hour touched down near Leslie Road around 10:30pm Saturday. Damage was reported to several buildings and power outages were reported across Dane and Jefferson counties.

(Beaver Dam) The Beaver Dam Police Department has a new deputy chief. Brandon Stommel was promoted from lieutenant to replace Scott Bahr who has retired. Sergeant Jeremiah Johnson says Bahr will remain with the department until April in an advisory role though his last day was Friday. Bahr has been with Beaver Dam for 30 years and was a patrolman before being promoted to sergeant in 1995, then to lieutenant in 2014. Five years ago Bahr was named deputy chief.

(Fond du Lac) The Fond du Lac County sheriff is commending his drone team for their work in apprehending two suspects who were on the run. Sheriff Ryan Waldschmidt says the two Green Bay men drove into the Eldorado (el-doe-ray-doe) Marsh Friday to avoid authorities, but their drone team utilized thermal cameras to find them. The drones then hovered over their location so deputies on foot could navigate the rough terrain and apprehend the suspects. Waldschmidt says this was a great example of leveraging technology and partnerships to “get the job done.”

(Beaver Dam) Public comments are being accepted as part of the city of Beaver Dam’s application for funding through the Safe Drinking Water Loan Program to address deficiencies in its public drinking water system. The projects primarily include the replacement of water mains and sanitary sewers throughout the city. The DNR has determined that the project will not result in significant adverse environmental effects, though based on public comments received by their deadline on March 18th, the state may prepare an environmental analysis before proceeding with the funding process.

(Lebanon) A church in Lebanon will host a food pantry distribution event tomorrow (Tuesday). The monthly Ruby’s Pantry Food Distribution will be at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church on W4661 County Road MM. The cost is $22 per share and those going can purchase more than one. Organizers say each share may not be identical but will contain at least $100 to $150 worth of groceries. The event gets underway at 3:30pm and continues to 6pm or until all 312 shares are gone. To enter, drive through the fire station parking lot directly from Highway R to get in line for distribution.

(Madison) Finalists for the 75th Alice in Dairyland will be introduced this Friday. Applicants from all over Wisconsin will meet the media and begin their 10-week campaign of “becoming Alice” – one of the most recognizable spokespersons of Wisconsin agriculture. Dane County will host the 75th Alice in Dairyland event. The finals will be at the Monona Terrace on May 21st. The Dodge County-area’s most recent connection to Alice in Dairyland was in 2010. Christine Lindner of Fall River, who grew up on her family’s farm just outside of Beaver Dam, was the state’s 63rd Alice.

(Wisconsin) If you are looking to donate to a charity to help those affected by the war in Ukraine, the Better Business Bureau has some tips. BBB of Wisconsin President Jim Temmer says that for the time being, it’s probably best to stick with larger, more established agencies such as the Red Cross, Doctors without Borders, and UNICEF. The BBB has a list of other large, qualified charities online at Give-dot-Org. – WRN