FEMA Funds Continue to Flow
7/6/08 - The Federal Emergency Management Agency reports disaster funds are flowing from Washington, D.C., to Wisconsin residents at a rate of 1-point-3-million dollars a day. That money is going to people hit hard by last month's storms and flooding. Hydrologists from at least two federal agencies are coming to the state to try to help local governments get rid of standing water. They say the water tables are still high because rivers are about their flood stage. That means standing water can't be pumped away because it has no place to go. FEMA is also offering workshops through tomorrow to help you make your home more resistant to disasters like flooding. Those workshops are held at home improvement stores and county fairs.
Woman Found Wedged Under Car Axle
7/6/08 - Ninety-one-year-old Betty Borowski can thank her mail man for getting concerned. She had been stuck under her car for two days. Last week that mail carrier realized the Greendale woman hadn't picked up the previous day's mail, so her rang her doorbell, then asked a neighbor about her. That neighbor called police. The woman was found wedged under her car's axle. She had apparently crawled under the car looking for her keys. Borowski is recovering in the intensive care unit of a nearby hospital. Her keys were in the car's door.
Big Drinking Party Busted
7/6/08 - Sheboygan police say many of the young people attending a house party were hiding under beds, in closets and even on the roof. Police had been called to the scene to deal with a fight in progress. The people hiding were underage and there was reportedly a lot of drinking going on. Three were arrested and 15 were given citations. The 24-year-old host of the party was arrested for disorderly conduct while armed and was ticketed for permitting underage people to drink in his home. He was reportedly swinging a heavy chain and threatening people on his porch shortly before police arrived.
Hot Grill to Blame for Apartment Fire
7/6/08 - Fitchburg police think an apartment dweller put a hot charcoal grill in an outdoor storage area. About 40 people who live in the 26 units in the apartment building have lost most or all of their belongings. As some of them were returning home Friday night from fireworks shows they report hearing a loud explosion. Flames were coming from the second-story balcony where the storage unit was located. Damage from the fire has been estimated at more than three-million dollars. Most of the people whose apartments burned do not have renter's insurance, according to the American Red Cross.
Parades - Fireworks Mark the 4th
7/5/08 - There were numerous reports of fireworks complaints, a couple of fireworks warnings issued and a lot of fireworks confiscated but for the most part – aside from some spooked cattle – it was a quiet Independence Day with no major pyrotechnic-related injuries. Thousands lined the streets of Columbus for their annual 4th of July Holiday Parade. Organizers say that well over 100 entries strolled the streets of downtown Columbus where just weeks ago flood waters once stood. As many, if not more, spectators – and a few mosquitoes -- turned out for the evening’s fireworks display at Fireman’s Park. Columbus 4th of July Festival activities continue today with a carnival midway, tractor pull, Columbus American Legion baseball and music on the main stage by Phase Two this afternoon at Beatles cover band The Britin’s tonight. The 4-day festival wraps up tomorrow. Pictured: Members of the Beaver Dam Area Community Theater Tell-A-Tale production of “Annie Jr.” which takes to the stage this coming Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
FEMA Numbers Continue to Climb
7/5/08 - As of Thursday, 27.351 Wisconsin residents in 29 Wisconsin Counties have registered for individual assistance because of damage from last months flooding. That’s according to Federal and State Emergency officials who say those people had received a total of $23.3 million dollars. Close to 23,000 homes have been inspected and all of those numbers are expected to continue climbing as water levels recede. To report flood-related damage you can still register by calling 800-621-FEMA or going to www.fema.gov.
BDCH To Add Satellite Clinics
7/5/08 - The Beaver Dam Community Hospital plans on opening two satellite clinics in Dodge County. Vice President of Marketing Amy Nyberg says the Fast Care Clinic will provide convenient and economical health care services to the general public for many basic health conditions. The cost for a clinical visit will be $45, which is initially paid for by the patient but can then be billed to the patient’s insurance carrier for reimbursement. The clinics will be open at the Beaver Dam ShopKo on July 14 and later this summer in the Mayville Marshland Pharmacy.
Juneau Man Arrested Following Gun Incident
7/5/08 - A 25-year-old Juneau man was arrested early yesterday following an incident in a convenience store with a gun. According to police reports, Christopher Skalitzky allegedly had a gun in his possession while he was arguing with another man in the Juneau Kwik Trip just after 5:30am yesterday. Skalitzky later barricaded himself in at his residence. The Juneau Police Department obtained a search warrant, gained access to the residence, where they reportedly uncovered the gun along with some marijuana.
Pickhardt Bound Over for 7th OWI
7/5/08 - A Waterloo woman was in Dodge County court this week for her 7th OWI. Barbara Pickhardt was arrested following a rollover accident on County Road TT in the Town of Elba on the afternoon of April 5. The 45-year-old is also said to have been involved in a hit and run accident just minutes before the rollover. Pickhardt was partially pinned underneath her vehicle; a bottle of vodka was nearby. When asked how much she had to drink, Pickhardt reportedly told authorities that she “drank a ton.” If convicted, Pickhardt faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, and loss of her license for between 2 and three years. She could also have her car seized or an ignition interlock device installed. Pickhardt was bound over for trial and has arraignment scheduled for July 23.
Fondy Worker Charged With Fondling
7/5/08 - Charges have been filed against a 47-year-old worker in a Fond du Lac group home for the mentally disabled. Jeffry Dichraff is accused of sexually assaulting a female patient who can't walk or talk. He's charged with touching her inappropriately as he helped her shower. Co-workers say he had previously pulled her from her wheelchair, leaving her lying on the ground. They also say he sprayed the same patient with cold water once. Dichraff is charged with second-degree sexual assault and patient abuse.
Flood Fish = Fertilizer
7/5/08 - You could look on this as a source of free fertilizer. When the Rock River came out of its banks last month it was devastating for residents nearby. Now, they're dealing with the fish left behind when those flood water receded. The Department of Natural Resources reminds you: you can't throw those dead fish back into the river. You should wrap them completely, then put them in the garbage. Carp are particularly rich in phosphorus and nitrogen, so, if you can stand the smell, you can use them in your composting -- or bury them in your garden.
Fireworks Used to Spook Gulls
7/5/08 - Fireworks may draw thousands of Wisconsin residents to the various shows around the state this holiday weekend. They are also used to drive some visitors away. Green Bay city officials say they're trying to force the sea gulls nesting on top of downtown buildings to do their home-making somewhere else. Green Bay thinks it has about 15-hundred birds there. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has given the city a permit to use firecrackers to drive the unwelcome visitors away.
Golfers Robbed Again
7/5/08 - Don't blame golfers if they slip a little personal protection into their golf bags before hitting the course. Two times in less than a week golfers have been robbed at gunpoint in the Milwaukee area. The latest happened yesterday at Tripoli Country Club in Brown Deer. A group of seven golfers and caddies were confronted by an armed man at the club's third hole. They say he showed them a gun, then demanded they put their valuables on the green. There is no official word how much the robber might have been able to get away.
Heart Attack Faker Charged
7/5/08 - When he hears his sentence, 52-year-old Richard Farnam of Waukesha may really have a heart attack. He's accused of faking heart attacks to avoid paying his bills. He reportedly took a cab to a small last week and pretended to have an attack. The cab driver left without collecting his fair. Then, police say, Farnam had a 23-dollar steak dinner at Applebee's. This time his acting was interrupted when paramedics arrived and took him to the hospital. He's evidently tried this several times in recent weeks -- and a doctor at Wisconsin Heart Hospital recognized him. Farnum was charged Thursday. He could spend up to nine months behind bars.