News – May 4, 2023

(Fox Lake) Some property owners around Fox Lake are asking elected officials to consider alternatives to euthanizing geese to control feces. The city and township are partnering to depopulate Canada geese around their shoreline citing health concerns. Town of Fox Lake property owner Robert Culver asked the city council Wednesday night to consider an alternative method involving a synthetic grape powder used in Jolly Ranchers and Kool-Aid that repels geese when applied to their food source. Culver is willing to fund the effort in hopes that officials will see the cost savings. The city will revisit the matter at their committee meeting in two weeks.

(Columbus) The Columbus Common Council has a new president. Alderwoman Amy Roelke will serve in the role after the mayor cast the tiebreaking vote between her and Alderwoman Sarah Motiff at their meeting this week. She succeeds Alderman Ian Gray who had been president for the last two terms.

(Beaver Dam) Beaver Dam’s Water Utility plans to flush fire hydrants throughout the city starting next week. The flushing will mainly occur between 6:30am to 3:30pm Monday through Friday, with weekend flushing as needed. Flushing should take around a month, beginning May 8th and continuing through June 2nd.

(Beaver Dam) A stretch of road in Beaver Dam will be closed starting Thursday. City officials say an excavation is scheduled to begin this morning to repair an underground utility near the intersection of Prospect Avenue and Roosevelt Drive. They note that Prospect Avenue will be closed near this intersection beginning shortly after 6am. A detour will be set up for northbound traffic on North University – to avoid Prospect – that will take motorists to East Burnett Street, to McKinley Street, and then back to Prospect Avenue. Officials say the construction and detour will continue into Friday.

(Beaver Dam) The Beaver Dam Police Department recommends those calling dispatch to report illegal activity think twice about remaining anonymous. Officer Megan Ruhland says that anonymous reports, such as noise complaints, limit the actions officers can take. She says providing your identity can be very helpful in building a case against an offender in a court of law, especially if the investigating officers do not witness the illegal activity first-hand.

(Fond du Lac) The Oakfield man who crashed his car into a Fond du Lac business could face over 60 years in prison. Benjamin Ayer is accused of huffing duster spray before he crashed into a Verizon store and injured five people. A 29-year-old woman in the store was pinned under Ayer’s vehicle and suffered a fractured skull, pelvis, spine and hand. Cash bond was set at $300-thousand-dollars. – WRN

(Beaver Dam) The Beaver Dam High School FFA annual plant sale gets underway Thursday. There are several varieties of vegetable plants available including peppers, tomatoes, egg plants and watermelon along with flowers like petunias, impatiens, snapdragons and marigolds. The cost is $6 for a six pack while potted plants are $5 each, cash only. The sale pays for the school’s spring greenhouse class, the fall plant science class and, depending on its success, also helps students attend FFA workshops, conferences and competitions throughout the year. The greenhouse is located between the high school’s tennis courts and football field off McKinley Street. The hours are 8am to 5pm weekdays and 9am to 2pm Saturdays.