News 10.13.16
13 October 2016 News
Fond du Lac County law enforcement officials say state Sen. Rick Gudex shot himself to death. The county sheriff’s office and medical examiner’s office said Wednesday that Gudex “died of what appears to be a single gunshot wound to the chest.” The release says the preliminary investigation indicates the wound was self-inflicted. Police say the body was found around 1:30 a.m. in the town of Eden. The Republican state senator was elected in 2012 and was not seeking re-election this year. Gov. Scott Walker, lawmakers and others who worked with Gudex all expressed their condolences with news of the 48-year-old’s death. There will not be a special election to fill the seat which will be vacant until January.
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One person is seriously injured following a one vehicle accident in Fond du Lac County. The accident happened Tuesday morning around 11:45am on County Highway C, near Palm Tree Road, in the Town of Marshfield. Investigation shows the driver and lone occupant of the vehicle, 72-year-old Jack G. Johnson of Waldo, was driving westbound on County Highway C and failed to negotiate a curve. The vehicle traveled off the highway and rolled over when Johnson overcorrected the vehicle. Johnson was ejected. He was flown to Theda Clark Regional Medical Center in Neenah for treatment of serious injuries, where he still remains.
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A dead crow found in Dodge County has tested positive for West Nile Virus. The Dodge County Human Services and Health Department says it’s the first bird to test positive for the mosquito-transmitted virus this season in the county. West Nile is spread to humans through the bite of an infected mosquito. Mosquitoes get the virus by feeding on infected birds. County Public Health Officer Jody Langfeldt says a bird testing positive for West Nile means residents need to be more vigilant in their protective measures to prevent mosquito bites, like avoiding being outside during high mosquito activity, wearing pants and long-sleeved shirts, and using an effective mosquito repellent. Eighty percent of people that are infected with West Nile do not get sick. Those who do become ill usually experience mild symptoms such as a fever, headache, or rash. Less than one percent of people infected get seriously ill.
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Police say a video apparently showing a captive woman is a fake and not connected to the disappearance of a 15-year-old Wisconsin girl. The video shows a man talking to the camera about his new girlfriend, then shows a crying female, apparently bound. Kayla Berg, of Antigo, went missing a couple of months before the video was posted online in 2009. Antigo Police Chief Eric Roller says a tip from the public led his investigators to a man on the East Coast who admitted he produced the video. Roller says the man didn’t know the video had received so much attention and has apologized. The video had about 940,000 views on YouTube before it was taken down Tuesday. Roller says the video also generated about 250 tips.
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Large manufacturers in Wisconsin want action taken on high electricity prices that they say drive up their costs and threaten the state’s economic development efforts. Data from the Wisconsin Public Service Commission, which regulates the state’s utilities, shows the state’s electricity rates are highest in the Midwest and higher than the national average. Trade groups encouraged the commission this year to investigate opening up its power market to competition, as Illinois and other states have. The commission says increases have leveled off in recent years and the agency is working to bring rates down in some cases. Agency spokeswoman Elise Nelson says that in 2015, utilities sought increases totaling $144 million, and the commission ended up approving a rate decrease of $5 million.
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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources says the state’s growing wolf population or increased hunting activity may have contributed to a significant increase in the number of hunting dogs killed by wolves during the bear season. At least 40 hunting dogs were confirmed killed by wolves at the end of bear season Tuesday, exceeding a previous record of 23. Some hunters blame the end of the state’s wolf hunt for the burgeoning number of wolves. Others say bear hunters could protect their dogs by avoiding areas where wolves are known to roam. DNR carnivore specialist Dave MacFarland says the increased number of hunting dogs killed could also be an anomaly. The estimated winter population of wolves grew 16 percent to about 900 this year.
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