(Juneau) Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt recently attended a Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar (LEEDS) hosted by the F.B.I. in Washington DC and had two big takeaways. The first was a presentation done by a northern New York sheriff. He says the sheriff was the best speaker he had ever seen in all his training and wants him to come to the state of Wisconsin to speak. The second takeaway was forensic film analysis and how modern cameras drop frames.
(Madison) State Assembly Republicans want to move forward with redistricting reform by handing control of drawing maps to a non-partisan group. The Legislative Audit Bureau would be in charge of map drawing and send those maps for a vote at the Capitol. State Representative Mark Born of Beaver Dam, who voted in favor of the bill, says the state is experiencing extreme hostility in politics and mounting costs related to redistricting. The bill will head to the State Senate. Republicans there have not signaled support for the plan, so it’s unclear when they might take up the measure.
(Dodge County) Most of Wisconsin is seeing some level of drought conditions. That is according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, which says Dodge County is under a moderate drought while the southwest portion of the county is under severe drought. DNR officials say due to the exceptional and prolonged drought conditions and potential for elevated fire danger, they have issued a special fire order in 12 counties beginning today (Monday). Dodge County is not included but Columbia and Green Lake counties are. The DNR website says Dodge County has low fire danger.
(Beaver Dam) Mental health is top of mind for local organizers as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention prepares for the Out of the Darkness Walk in September. It will be held on September 23rd at the Dodge County Fairgrounds. Check-in time starts at 9am and the walk begins around 11am. Organizers say the half-mile walk allows participants to raise awareness and connect with the mental health resources that are available in Dodge County. Registration and donations for the Walk can be made online. More information and contact details can be found with this story at DailyDodge.com.
(Jefferson County) The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources recently acquired over 18-hundred acres adjacent to Princes Point Wildlife Area in Jefferson County. The addition nearly doubles the size of the state property, located about three miles northeast of Whitewater. The property, currently managed as a muck farm, will initially be closed to the public to allow for the completion of several wetland restoration projects, starting as soon as late 2023. The planned wetland restoration will restore hydrology on the property and feature four impoundments, allowing habitat managers to manipulate water levels in each impoundment separately.
