News – October 21, 2016

School Taxes Increasing In Hustisford

 

10/21/16 – The school portion of property taxes is on the rise in Hustisford.  Homeowners will see a mill rate of $10.32 per thousand dollars of assessed value this December, which is up $0.29 from last winter.  The $6,500,000 document, which the school board adopted this week, brings a tax levy of $3,100,000, up nearly 3.5% from last year.  Finance Director Michael Gerlach says the tax hike is largely due to the district receiving $87,000 less in state aid than it did in 2015-16.  Gerlach says district property values increased $1,600,000 from last year to nearly $306,000,000.  Gerlach says the major expense in this year’s budget is the district entering year three of a four year, $240,000 technology initiative that is incorporating laptops, iPads, and smart boards into classroom instruction.

 

Name Released In Fatal Dodge County Accident

 

10/21/16 – The man killed in a single vehicle accident Tuesday night in the Town of Rubicon has been identified. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department says 40-year-old Jamie D. Peszko was the driver of the car that crashed two miles east of Neosho. He was heading eastbound on Pond Road when it left the roadway and came to rest on its roof in a farm field. Fight For Life was contacted but canceled prior to arrival.

 

Beaver Dam Woman Heading To Jail For Burglary

 

10/21/16 – A Beaver Dam woman will spend one month in jail for stealing from multiple family members.  Emily Hanefeld pled no contest yesterday to four felony counts, including Burglary, Forgery, and Delivering Heroin while nine other counts were dismissed and read into the record.  The 25-year-old broke into her family’s shop in Burnett in late December and early January to steal tools.  She also took cash and checks from other relatives.  Hanefeld cashed the checks at various Beaver Dam stores and used the money to fund her heroin addiction.  Hanefeld can avoid further time behind bars if she successfully completes Dodge County’s Treatment Alternatives and Diversions Program.

 

Waupun Man Pleads No Contest To Strangling Girlfriend

 

10/21/16 – A Waupun man pled no contest yesterday to injuring his girlfriend.  Christopher Schuett was found guilty of felony Strangulation and Suffocation while four other counts were dismissed and read into the record.  The 27-year-old hit, choked, and kept his girlfriend from leaving her house when she tried to kick him out after a June argument.  Schuett will be sentenced January 19.

 

Watertown Man Accused Of Child Sex Assault

 

10/21/16 – A Watertown man is accused of having inappropriate contact with a teenager. Charles A. Schmidt is charged with two felony counts of Sexual Assault of a Child Under 16 Years of Age. According to the criminal complaint, an anonymous tipster told police about the relationship the 21-year-old was having with the teen. The victim told police they were in a physical relationship for over one month before breaking up. Schmidt reportedly told authorities that he had contact with her on one-or-two occasions and was aware of her age. If convicted, the charges carry a combined maximum of 80 years in prison. Schmidt is scheduled to make his initial court appearance in Dodge County court next month.

 

Beaver Dam Man Waives Hearing On Child Porn Charge

 

10/21/16 – A Beaver Dam man accused of electronically storing illegal materials waived his right to a preliminary hearing yesterday.  Marc Nadig is facing five felony counts of Possessing of Child Pornography.  By using investigative software, officers were tipped to the alleged offense.  A search warrant of the 23-year-old’s house reportedly found an SD card with both video and still images of child porn.  If he is convicted, Nadig faces up to 125 years in prison.  He will be arraigned November 15.

 

Hartford Woman Waives Hearing On Hit And Run Charge

 

10/21/16 – A Hartford woman accused of fleeing the scene of an accident has waived her right to a preliminary hearing.  Alyssa Busateri is facing one felony count of Hit and Run Involving Injury.  In July, the 18-year-old allegedly drove off at speeds around 100 miles per hour after striking another vehicle from behind in the Town of Rubicon.  The driver of the other vehicle suffered multiple injuries, including a herniated disc.  If she is convicted, Busateri faces up to nine months behind bars.  She will be arraigned November 23.

 

WCI Inmate Pleads Not Guilty To Attacking Officer

 

10/21/16 – A Waupun Correctional Institution inmate accused of punching a correctional officer in the face pled not guilty at arraignment yesterday.  Corby Collins told investigators that the May incident was the result of the officer having sexually assaulting him.  If he is convicted, the 26-year-old faces up to ten additional years in prison.  Collins has a plea hearing set for December 8.

 

Horicon Woman Headed To Trial On Obstruction Charge

 

10/21/16 – A Horicon woman will proceed to trial on charges that she lied to a police officer.  Faith Murphy is facing counts of felony Identity Theft and misdemeanor Obstructing an Officer, both as a repeat offender.  An officer saw the 27-year-old walking in the Town of Hubbard in August.  When he stopped his squad car and began to turn around to check on her well-being, Murphy allegedly dashed into a nearby wooded area.  She reportedly provided officers with a false name, stating she was the mother of her ex-boyfriend’s child.  Officers believed Murphy lied about her identity since she had been drinking, which was a violation of her probation.  If she is convicted on both counts, Murphy faces up to ten years in prison.  She will be arraigned November 9.

 

Beaver Dam Man Waives Hearing On Theft Charge

 

10/21/16 – A Beaver Dam man will proceed to trial on charges that he stole money from his sister.  Jordan Vujnovich is facing four felony Identity Theft counts for allegedly taking and forging his sister’s checks to support his heroin addiction.  If he is found guilty, the 27-year-old faces up to 24 years in prison.  Vujnovich will be arraigned November 23.

 

Columbus Street Closed For Gas Leak

 

10/21/16 – The street in front of Columbus City Hall was closed for over an hour yesterday.  Crews responded to Dickason Boulevard around lunchtime after a lawn mower ran over a protruding pipe, causing a natural gas leak.  Columbus Police Chief Dan Meister says the response was precautionary until WE Energies could arrive on scene.  He says there is no danger to the public.

 

Wisconsin Leaders Believe Trump Should Accept Election Results

 

10/21/16 – Most of Wisconsin’s top Republicans mused as diplomatically as they could about Donald Trump’s contention that he might not accept the results of the November 8 election. The G-O-P White House nominee said in Wednesday night’s debate that he would keep people “in suspense,” and in Ohio Thursday, Trump said he would accept the results if he wins — but he might not concede if he loses, saying he reserves the right to challenge what he calls a “questionable result.” In Green Bay Thursday, Governor Scott Walker stopped short of condemning Trump’s stand — but he says Trump has little to gain from it. U-S Senate Republican Ron Johnson’s campaign says we need to respect the Election Day results, but he put that in the context of his own reelection battle against Democrat Russ Feingold. House Speaker Paul Ryan simply referred to his comment from last weekend that the states would “carry out this election with integrity” — and House Republican Glenn Grothman of Campbellsport says he trusts the election process, but he does believe there’s fraud.

 

Many Absentee Ballots Coming From Democratic Counties

 

10/21/16 – State election agency data shows that about 30% of all absentee ballots cast in Wisconsin so far have come from the state’s most heavily Democratic counties. The latest data from the Wisconsin Elections Commission website shows ballots cast in Milwaukee and Dane counties are far outpacing those that have come from the conservative suburban counties of Washington, Waukesha and Ozaukee. As of Wednesday, there were just over 55,000 ballots returned in Dane and Milwaukee counties compared with about 21,700 in Washington, Waukesha and Ozaukee counties. Just under 184,000 ballots were cast statewide. Absentee ballots must be returned by November 8.

 

Disaster Aid Approved For Ten Wisconsin Counties

 

10/21/16 – President Barack Obama has approved federal disaster aid for ten counties in the southwest third of Wisconsin hit by torrential rains and heavy flooding in late September. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Thursday it would make federal money available to help fix roads, bridges, and other public amenities in Adams, Chippewa, Clark, Crawford, Jackson, Juneau, La Crosse, Monroe, Richland, and Vernon counties. Governor Scott Walker also asked that Eau Claire and Trempealeau counties be part of the disaster area — but FEMA shut that down. The agency found $11,000,000 in damage from the September storms, about half of it in Vernon County where two people were killed. The federal designation does not include relief for homes and businesses, and Walker has asked the Small Business Administration to review those damages and consider low interest repair loans.

 

State Law Library Renamed After Retired Justice

 

10/21/16 – The State Law Library in Madison has been renamed in honor of retired Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice David Prosser. About 130 people attended a ceremony that recognized both Prosser and the 180-year-old law library where the Supreme Court and other state government attorneys do investigative legal research. Prosser retired in late July after 18 years on the state’s highest court. It capped a 40 year career in state government, in which Prosser also served on the state Tax Appeals Commission and the state Assembly which include a term as speaker for a Republican majority. The David T. Prosser, Junior Law Library is located in the Risser Justice Center in downtown Madison.

 

UW Offering Immunization Against Deadly Disease

 

10/21/16 – U-W Madison students are starting to get immunized from the potentially deadly meningitis from which two students are recovering. The free vaccines are being made available for five days, which began Thursday and continues today as well as next Tuesday through Thursday. Most U-W students have been vaccinated against the A-C-Y-W form of meningococcal disease — but not the “Serogroup ‘B'” meningitis received by the afflicted students. The University Health Services at Madison has urged all undergraduate students 25 and younger to receive the vaccines, which are offered in cooperation with the U-S Centers for Disease Control.

 

Deadline Today To Register For Gardening Seminar

 

10/21/16 – Today is the deadline to register for a seminar on improving one’s backyard.  The Dodge County Master Gardener Association is holding an event called ‘Gardening for Gold’ on November 5.  The day-long seminar will cover a variety of topics including vernacular gardens, hydrangeas, and making paper from dried plants.  Registration can be completed by contacting the Dodge County UW-Extension office.