News – October 22, 2022

(Beaver Dam) A Richland Center woman who stole merchandise from a Beaver Dam business then ran from police was sentenced Friday to two years in prison. Destiny Marie Dull pled guilty to one felony count each of Retail Theft and Fleeing from police and had two other felonies and a pair of misdemeanors dismissed but read into the record. The 24-year-old must also pay $665 in restitution. Two others were charged in connection with the incident. Thirty-two-year-old Joshua Schaaf of Beaver Dam pled out last year, was placed on probation and ordered to pay restitution. Twenty-nine-year-old Timothy McEvoy of Baraboo entered a not guilty plea at arraignment last week. Beaver Dam police were notified in June of 2021 that two people were filling garbage cans with various items at a local business, later estimated at $3200 worth of merchandise. The officer arrived on scene and approached two people matching the suspect’s descriptions. The suspects fled and authorities quickly lost sight of their vehicle but later located them at a gas station. Schaaf, who was initially the getaway driver, was exiting the store when officers arrived and he was promptly arrested. A high speed chase then ensued with Dull behind the wheel, driving southbound in the northbound lanes of Highway 151. The car lost control near County Highway DE and crashed. At that point, McEvoy was identified as the driver and Dull was the passenger. Dull told authorities that she put the car on cruise control going 90 miles-per-hour when she switched seats with McEvoy. In addition to two years in prison, Dull was also sentenced to three years of extended supervision.

(Waukesha) Friday was another day of frustration for Judge Jennifer Dorow in the Waukesha Christmas Parade attack trial, as she again dealt with numerous disruptions from defendant Darrell Brooks. Dorow said Brooks repeated questioning of her legal rulings may be an attempt to lay the groundwork for an appeal. Brooks faces more than 70 charges in connection with last November’s attack, in which he’s accused of driving an SUV through the parade route. Six people were killed and dozens more were injured. There was talk that testimony could be wrapped up by the end of the day Friday. But Brooks himself said “That’s not gonna happen.”

(Hartland) Six people were killed in an apartment fire yesterday (Friday) morning in the Village of Hartland. Crews were called to the complex located on Mansfield Court around 5:10am and found the four unit complex engulfed in flames. Firefighters rescued several people from balconies. The State Fire Marshal’s office is investigating.

(Trenton) A Dodge County judge has issued a bench warrant for a Fox Lake man who failed to appear in court yesterday (Friday) for a plea hearing on his tenth Operating While Intoxicated offense. Judge Brian Pfitzinger also granted the prosecution’s request to have Daniel Kraft forfeit his $25-thousand dollar cash bond. Kraft’s attorney was in court but told the judge that he did not have knowledge of the defendants whereabouts. According to the criminal complaint, a sheriff’s deputy responded to a vehicle runoff on New Year’s Day in the Town of Trenton near the intersection of County Road A and Point Road just after 7:30pm. When he arrived, the deputy reportedly noticed that Kraft had very slurred speech as well as glassy and bloodshot eyes. Kraft allegedly told law enforcement that he was not the driver but two witnesses advised otherwise. The witnesses reportedly said that Kraft veered off the road on County A and into the ditch after he cut them off. When asked how much he had to drink, Kraft allegedly said (quote) “a lot” but that it did not matter because he was not driving. He is also accused of refusing a Field Sobriety Test; he was taken to the Beaver Dam hospital for a blood draw. Kraft racked up nine OWI convictions between 1991 and 2003. If convicted, the 58-year-old faces up to 15 years in prison.            

(Columbus) The Columbus City Council got a first look at the preliminary budget for 2023 this week. The proposed document includes estimated expenditures of $4.49-million dollars, an increase of just over $90-thousand dollars from 2022. The projected tax levy is $2.21-million dollars, an increase of $12-thousand dollars from the current year. The mill rate is not known at this time. There are two key dates coming up in the budget process. A listening session is scheduled for Tuesday (October 25) with final adoption slated for November 15.   

(Fond du Lac) Moraine Park Technical College will be hosting its annual open house event on Wednesday. Discover Moraine Park is open for high school students, displaced workers, and individuals looking for a career change. Those interested in attending must pre-register online. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the different programs of study at the College and tour the campus, labs, and classrooms. Program instructors, staff, and financial aid specialists will be available to help attendees. The open house is on October 26th from 4:30pm to six at the Fond du Lac campus.

(Waupun) There is a fundraiser s the city of sculpture this weekend for the Waupun Area Animal Shelter. Hours for the Pop Into Fall Craft and Vendor Fair are from 9am to 4pm today (Saturday) and tomorrow (Sunday). The event features over 30 crafters and direct sales vendors, food, raffle baskets, and a bake sale. There will be trick or treating tomorrow (Sunday) from noon to 4pm with people are encouraged to wear a costume and bring the kids. The Pop Into Fall Craft and Vendor Fair is free to attend and is held at the Waupun Junior/Senior High School Commons.

(Dodge County) The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is accepting nominations for three seats on the state Corn Promotion Board. One of those seats is in District Seven which includes Dodge, Green Lake, Washington, Ozaukee, Waukesha, and Milwaukee counties. The Wisconsin Corn Promotion Board is composed of nine producers in nine districts across the state. The board oversees the collection and use of approximately $1.7-million-dollars in assessment fees paid by Wisconsin corn growers. This funding is used to support the corn industry through research, education, and promotion of Wisconsin-grown corn. Nominations are being accepted through November 1st. DATCP will mail nomination forms to any producer who requests one prior to that date. The forms must be signed, notarized, and postmarked by November 1st and include the signatures of five eligible corn growers other than the nominee. Elected growers will serve three-year terms beginning February 1, 2023. Contact details can be found at DailyDodge.com.