News 05.05.17
5 May 2017 News
A 23-year-old Waupun man charged following a vehicle chase and dragging a Sheriff’s Lieutenant is arraigned. Matthew Ellcey pleaded not guilty to charges resulting from the March 21st incident. The Sheriff’s Lieutenant had stopped Ellcey on Highway 49, near Shamrock Road, in the town of Chester. While the Lieutenant’s hand was inside the vehicle, Ellcey took off. The Lieutenant sustained minor injuries and was treated at Waupun Memorial Hospital and released. Ellcey was eventually apprehended at a residence in Waupun after crashing his vehicle and fleeing the scene.
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The Fond du Lac County Veterans Service Office is warning local veterans about a phone scam. Veterans Service Officer Rick Patton says a phone line has been set up by an unknown party to mimic the Veterans Choice Program phone line. Patton says the imposter phone line may be intended to reach veterans who inadvertently dial the VCP line incorrectly. He says they ask for credit card information, offer a $100 rebate, and act as if they’re taking information for the Veterans Choice Program. Patton says the correct VCP phone line is for veterans to check their eligibility and ask questions about the program.
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All charges have been dismissed against a Fond du lac man accused of running a prostitution ring, but the charges could be re-filed at a later date. At the request of the District Attorney’s Office Fond du lac judge Gary Sharpe dismissed all 22 counts against 27 year old Beau Brown including human trafficking, soliciting prostitutes, running a place of prostitution, sexual assault, strangulation/suffocation, battery and disorderly conduct. The charges carried a maximum life prison sentence. Fond du lac County DA Eric Toney says the investigation into the case is continuing and the charges could be re-filed. Brown was accused of repeatedly sexually assaulting, and beating and strangling his girlfriend. He was also accused of posting ads on Craigslist for sex including naked pictures of the alleged victim and him. The alleged victim told police men would show up at their North Butler Street residence every other weekend, sometimes multiple times a day. She says Brown charged the men $250 to $400 a piece depending on how old the man was. The alleged victim said she participated because she was in fear and did not want to lose her son. Meanwhile, in a separate case, Brown was convicted of felon in possession of a firearm, and domestic abuse related battery and disorderly conduct. He was placed on probation for two years, and credited for 45 days spent in the county jail.
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Big box stores in Wisconsin are being targeted in a pair of bipartisan-backed bills circulating in the state Legislature. The bills unveiled Wednesday set up a fight pitting retail giants like Menards, Lowe’s and ShopKo against Wisconsin cities and villages. The issue is how the value of the operating stores is determined for property taxes. The stores have been successfully arguing that their value should be based on the underlying real estate, so nearby empty big box stores can be taken into account. But municipalities call that a dark-store loophole that artificially lowers the value of the operating retail stores, shifting the property tax burden to smaller retailers and homeowners. The powerful state chamber of commerce is opposed to the bills, saying the proposed changes would be bad for business.
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Gov. Scott Walker says there’s no way state lawmakers will repeal a law blocking public schools from starting classes before Sept. 1 this session. Walker made the remarks during a stop at Lemonweir Elementary School in Tomah on Tuesday. That school will start a year-round schedule this July. School boards in Tomah and La Crosse have gone on record opposing the Sept. 1 start date. But Walker says legislators have no desire to repeal the start date, which has been on the books since 2000. He says the state’s summer tourism industry needs the later start date to ensure it doesn’t lose days of potential revenue and state gains millions in sales tax revenue by extending the tourist season.
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Wisconsin Assembly Republicans are proposing cutting the state’s gas tax by 5 cents a gallon, applying the 5 percent sale tax to fuel purchases and cutting income taxes as a move toward a flat tax. The tax changes are part of a complex plan Republicans unveiled Thursday to pay for roads in the state. It’s an alternative to Gov. Scott Walker’s much-criticized proposal to borrow about half a billion dollars and delaying construction projects. Walker has vowed to veto any gas tax increase. His spokesman says Walker is reviewing the new proposal. Republicans who control the Legislature and Walker are trying to agree on a plan to plug the state’s projected $1 billion roads funding shortfall as part of the $76 billion budget. Assembly Speaker Robin Vos calls the plan a starting point.
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