Newscast – September 28, 2020

(Beaver Dam) The reconstruction of Lake Shore Drive is on the city of Beaver Dam’s five-year borrowing plan. The Capital Improvements Plan earmarks $3.1-million dollars for the reconstruction from Oneida to Denning in 2024, marking the first time any portion of the controversial street project has appeared on the five-year planning document since being scrapped a decade ago. The Lake Shore Drive project made headlines in 2010 when residents came out in opposition to the plan and funding was removed to make way for the new police station. City officials begin looking at next year’s borrowing plan during a special meeting tonight.

(Juneau) We are starting to get a clearer picture of the 2021 Dodge County budget. During a recent Finance Committee meeting, the proposed tax levy for next year’s document was presented. The $36-million-dollars would be a jump of roughly $1.4-million from the 2020 levy. The preliminary mill rate for next year could vary depending on highway road construction projects. If the county board approves borrowing roughly $9-million-dollars for road work in 2021, taxpayers could pay $5.11 per one-thousand-dollars of assessed value. If borrowing is not approved, the mill rate could be $4.98. Final budget adoption is slated for November.

(Dodge County) Wisconsin health officials are reporting 2,217 positive coronavirus cases in Sunday’s daily update, which is 27.6-percent of the 8,000 tests announced. There are 19,050 active cases in the state, an increase of 798 from Saturday. State health officials recorded no deaths Sunday and that number remains unchanged at 1,281. Dodge County has 16 deaths on record and 1,837 cases, an increase of 31 from Saturday.

(Reeseville) There will be a two-day, free community coronavirus testing in Reeseville this week. The testing site will be at the Reeseville Highway Shop located at 404 North Main Street from 10am to 6pm tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday. More information is available with this news story at DailyDodge.com.

(Leeds) Authorities in Columbia County are still trying to piece together details of a year old homicide investigation. Thirty-five-year-old Keith Wolf of rural Poynette was shot on September 27th of 2019 when he went to investigate a noise he heard coming from the basement. Sheriff Roger Brandner says their office has teamed up with state and federal investigators, forensic scientists and criminal analysts to work diligently on this case. There is a $2,500 reward for information that leads to an arrest. Contact information can be found with this news story at DailyDodge.com.

(Kenosha) The family of Jacob Blake is pushing back against claims by Kenosha Police officers that he was trying to kidnap his own children when he was shot. Brendan Matthews, the attorney for suspended officer Rusten Sheskey, told CNN that his client thought that Blake was about to abduct one of his children, and that he opened fire on Blake because he was making a move towards police. Blake’s uncle Justin tells the Kenosha News that those claims are gaslighting and outright lies. Sheskey was caught on video shooting Blake seven times in the back in August, sparking weeks of protests. – WRN

(Wisconsin) A federal court has put a hold on a judge’s extension of the window by which absentee ballots will be accepted in Wisconsin. In a Sunday meeting of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, a judge’s panel put a stay on a ruling by Judge William Conley that would have lengthened the amount of time absentee ballots would have been accepted until November 9. That’s so that either the 7th Circuit or the US Supreme Court can issue a proper ruling in the case. Democrats want the state to have more time to handle what’s expected to be a record number of absentee ballots. – WRN

(Wisconsin) Congressman Glenn Grothman says he voted against a bill that funds the federal government for another six weeks because he did not know enough about what was in the bill. The federal lawmaker says that was through no fault of his own. He says they were told they would be considering it over about a week’s time, but instead were forced to vote on it the same day they received a copy of the bill, which was 115 pages long. The bill will fund the federal government from October 1st through December 11th.