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News 09.22.16

22 September 2016 News


The Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the theft of multiple items following a house party. Chief Deputy Mark Putzke says a party was held at a home on Princeton Road in the Town of Princeton on August 20th and 21st. Following the gathering, personal property was found to be missing. Putzke says the items taken include an antique gold pocket watch, a larger antique gold pocket watch, an African Djembe drum, and a brown blow up chair. The drum is described as four feet tall, white and cream colored with brown, and shaped like an hour glass. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office or Crimestoppers at 1-800-438-8436.

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A motorcycle operator killed in a crash with a deer this week in Dodge County has been identified. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department says 52 year old Charles Thompson of Reeseville was killed in the crash Sunday night on County Highway C near Highway 151 in the Town of Trenton. Thompson was eastbound when his motorcycle struck a deer that was crossing the roadway and was thrown from the cycle. He was not wearing a helmet. The accident remains under investigation.

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The state veterinarian is issuing a special order to control the rise of an infectious disease that threatens the health of dogs in Wisconsin. Dr. Paul McGraw’s order prohibits dogs that aren’t spayed or neutered that are bought or obtained at an auction outside the state without proof of a negative brucellosis test and an import permit from the state. The brucellosis bacteria can cause a variety of health issues, including reproductive failure in dogs, particularly those kept in kennels for breeding purposes. The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection says thousands of dogs are transported into Wisconsin from other states annually, in some cases are bringing the bacteria into previously uninfected facilities. The bacteria can infect humans, but its severity can vary and is difficult to diagnose in people.

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The state Department of Transportation wants to manufacture cheaper IDs for voters that couldn’t be used for any other purpose. Wisconsin law requires DOT to give people free photo IDs for voting. Agency officials say as a result fewer people are paying the $28 fee for an ID card, causing a drop in revenue. DOT officials included a plan in their 2017-19 budget request to Gov. Scott Walker to begin producing IDs stamped “voting purposes only” with fewer security features that are found on other ID cards. The plan says the agency hopes that will encourage people to pay the $28 for a full-fledged card, generating additional revenue for building and maintaining roads.

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The Legislature’s audit committee approves a sweeping review of conditions at a veterans nursing home in northeastern Wisconsin. The push to look into conditions at the Wisconsin Veterans Home in King has intensified since the Capital Times published a story in August raising questions about substandard care, medical errors and staffing shortages. The committee voted unanimously Wednesday to order the state auditor to analyze the number and needs of residents over time; complaints about care; compliance with state and federal regulations for nursing homes; staffing levels and training; revenue trends; and fund transfers from the state veterans homes’ surplus. State Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary John Scocos told the committee before the vote that he welcomed the audit, saying it will show the King facility is one of the best in the country.

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Recent data from the National Centers for Environmental Information says Wisconsin’s average rainfall this summer is among the highest ever. About 16 inches of rain fell statewide from June to August, which is about 4 inches above average. State Climatology Office director John Young says that makes this summer the fourth wettest on record. The northern part of the state experienced heavy flooding this summer that caused millions of dollars in damage. Young attributes the increase in heavy rains to an increase in humidity. He says the state may experience more major flooding since wetter summers are expected to happen more often.

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