Former Police Officer Facing Charges In Four Counties
9/27/14 – A former Waupun police officer entered into a plea agreement Friday in one of the four counties he is facing charges in connection with an extensive crime spree. Bradley Young appeared in a Barron County courtroom where he entered a guilty plea to a felony count of Taking a Vehicle Without Consent and had a felony charge of Fleeing an Officer dismissed but read into the record. Most of Young’s alleged crimes took place in a two-day period in August of last year. Prosecutors say he stole a pick-up truck in Green Lake County, crashed it in Barron County during a police chase, stole another vehicle near Rice Lake, broke into to a cabin west of Spooner where he considered killing himself, and later gave up at the cabin after he realized that officers were surrounding him. Young was later connected to several other crimes in the area and is still facing charges in three other counties. Felony charges related to the cabin break-in are still pending in Burnett County. Young is charged in Green Lake County with seven felonies – for not only Vehicle Theft but also Burglary– for breaking into grocery stores and burglarizing restaurants in Berlin and Markesan, along with stealing that pick-up truck in Green Lake. The most recent charges were filed in Waushara County where he will make his first appearance next Thursday on charges of Burglary and Criminal Damage to Property for an October of 2011 tavern break-in. Young has a sentencing hearing on the Barron County charges in December.
Former Officer Sentenced For Inappropriate Contact With Inmate
9/27/14 – A former corrections officer at the John Burke Center in Waupun was sentenced Friday morning to seven months in jail for having inappropriate contact with an inmate. 40-year-old Andrea Teschendorf of Oakfield previously pled to a felony count of Second-Degree Sexual Assault by Correctional Staff and had a misdemeanor obstruction charge dismissed but read into the record. Detectives were called to a job site in March of last year after an inmate on work release had gotten into a car similar to Teschendorf’s. The inmate told authorities that he and Teschendorf had contact on several occasions, including a job site in Fond du Lac County. Prosecutors say Teschendorf admitted to the relationship in an interview with detectives. She said she knew it was wrong but could not stop. Teschendorf faces the same charge in Fond du Lac County court where she has a status conference scheduled next month.
Beaver Dam Man Sentenced To Four Years In Prison
9/27/14 – A Beaver Dam man who broke into three area business break-ins in one night was sentenced Friday to four years in prison. Randall Riese had previously entered the plea to felony Burglary and had a handful of misdemeanors dismissed but read into the record. Riese, along with 25-year-old Rylee Umland of Beaver Dam, broke into Cocktail’s Bar and Grill and the North Plaza Laundromat and Schmid’s Car Wash in March. A propane torch was used to open the coin machines at the car wash and laundromat. Alcohol and frozen pizzas were stolen from the tavern. Umland was connected to the Beaver Dam property crimes after he reportedly used the coin machine at ShopKo to cash-in over $300 dollars in stolen quarters. He dropped a bank bag with “Schmid’s Car Wash” written on it at the department store. Umland was then identified at the scene of the crime in video surveillance footage. When he was stopped, officers found a small propane torch in the backseat. Umland will be sentenced next month. In addition to four years in prison, Riese was sentenced to five years of extended supervision.
Iron Ridge Man Sentenced For Stealing Copper
9/27/14 – An Iron Ridge man who stole copper from utility poles throughout Dodge County was sentenced yesterday to four years in prison and four years of extended supervision. Kevin Kaul had previously pled “no contest” to five felony counts of Theft of Movable Property and Criminal Damage to Utility Property and had a half-dozen other felonies dismissed. The 36-year-old stole $175,000 worth of copper. An official with WE Energies contacted authorities after learning secondhand that Kaul had found religion and wanted to confess to the thefts. Kaul told a deputy that he had a bad prescription drug habit last winter but became a Jehovah’s Witness and is on a new mission to help out the human race.
Tribute To Be Held For Life Lost At Beaver Dam Raceway
9/27/14 – A tribute will be held tonight at the Dodge County Fairgrounds for the Brookfield man who lost his life last Saturday at the Beaver Dam Raceway. 47-year-old Scott Semmelmann of Brookfield was killed after his sprint car flipped and crashed into the concrete wall. Tonight is the final race of the season for the Bumper to Bumper IRA Outlaw Sprint Car Series. During pace laps at the fairgrounds tonight, drivers will be holding up three fingers to honor Semmelmenn, who drove with the number “3x” on his vehicle. Beaver Dam Raceway General Manager Carolyn Mueller presented a $9000 check to the Semmelmann family this week, which came from donations by drivers, fans and crew members at the track last Saturday and in the days since the accident. In addition, another $10-thousand dollars has been donated to the Scott Semmelmann Memorial Fund, which can be found on the website www.giveforward.com.
Federal Appeals Court Splits Vote For Voter I-D Law
9/27/14 – A full federal appeals court split 5-5 Friday on a request to get the full court to hear an appeal to stop Wisconsin’s voter I-D law. The split vote of the 7th Circuit U-S Court of Appeals in Chicago means that the request did not get a majority of votes needed for the full court to take up the appeal and it fails. A three-judge panel of the same court had ruled on September 12th that the state could implement the law for the November 4th election. This was another courtroom loss for the opponents of the law. The Wisconsin Supreme Court upheld the law in a pair of rulings last month. The legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin, Larry Dupuis, said his group will look at further legal action on behalf of the voters and other groups who are plaintiffs in the case. There is a chance that the U-S Supreme Court could yet consider the case. The U-S Supreme Court upheld Indiana’s voter I-D law in 2008, and the panel considering the Wisconsin case earlier this month called the Wisconsin law “materially identical” to Indiana’s.
National Drug Take Back Day Today
9/27/14 – The National Prescription Drug “Take-Back” Day is today. Wisconsin residents may drop off their unused, unwanted or expired prescription drugs at collection sites statewide between 10am and 2pm. The “Take-Back” service is free and anonymous. The April “Take-Back” Day saw Wisconsin residents dropped off 25 tons (50,485 lbs.) of unwanted, expired or unused prescription drugs at 200 collection sites statewide. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which coordinates the biannual “Take-Back” events nationwide, Wisconsin ranked third in the nation in the total amount collected, trailing only California and Texas. This is the last Take-Back day that will be sponsored by the D-E-A as the rules for turning in the unwanted prescription meds are going to change. Police departments in Beaver Dam, Fox Lake, Juneau, Watertown and Oakfield are participating along with the Dodge County Sheriff Department.
Eighth Annual Don Reilly Cardiac Run-Walk Held Today
9/27/14 – The Eighth Annual Don Reilly “Race the Parks” Cardiac Run-Walk will be held Saturday morning. The Reilly family started the event in 2007 in memory of their father to increase awareness of heart disease and to raise funds for heart-related programs. At age 66, Don Reilly had open heart surgery and discovered the benefits of cardiac rehab as soon as he recovered. Reilly believed strongly that the rehab increased the length and quality of his life. Today’s event will include a 10K/5K run, a 5K walk and a Kids Fun Run. The start and finish of the adult events will be at Swan City Park on South University Avenue in Beaver Dam, and the Kids Fun Run will go through Swan City Park. The fee for the race will be $35 while the Kids Fun Run is $15. All proceeds from the run will benefit the Beaver Dam Community Hospitals Foundation AED and Cardiac Care Fund. There is no age limit, but bikes, roller blades and skateboards are not permitted. Complimentary refreshments will be available for participants after the race.
Fire Destroys Car In Beaver Dam
9/27/14 – The Beaver Dam Fire Department responded to a car fire Friday afternoon. The vehicle was in the Walmart Shopping Center parking lot in Beaver Dam. It was fully destroyed when crews arrived on scene around 1:30pm. There were no injuries. The cause of the fire is being investigated.
