News 06.29.16
29 June 2016 News
A Fond du Lac jury has told the judge they cannot reach a verdict in a cold case murder trial, but the judge told the jury to continue their deliberations. After more than ten hours of deliberations since Monday, the jury sent judge Gary Sharpe a note stating they were deadlocked. Dennis Brantner is on trial in the 1990 murder of Berit Beck in Fond du Lac County. The judge let the jury re-hear audio clips from an interview between Brantner and police detectives and then instructed the jury to continue to try and reach a verdict. It will be up to Sharpe whether or not to declare a mistrial.
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A slightly smaller school district referendum could end up on the Waupun School District’s voting ballot this November. District Superintendent Tonya Gubin says the Facilities Advisory Committee gave their final recommendations to the School Board last week. She says they were able to trim $1 million from the original proposal, leaving the new total at $35.8 million. A special meeting will be held in July for the board to consider the recommendation, while the regular July meeting will be used to to either accept the recommendation or revise it. Gubin says if the referendum passes, it will be tax neutral and the district would refinance the final two years of the high school debt.
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A Clyman man accused of driving around with the body of a woman who overdosed on heroin before seeking help is now facing a more severe charge. Dodge County District Attorney Kurt Klomberg has amended the charge against 29 year old Gabriel Joseph Brandl from hiding a corpse to first degree reckless homicide. According to a criminal complaint, a detective was called to Watertown Regional Medical Center May 31st to investigate the death of 41-year-old Holly Nehls, who had overdosed on heroin at Clyman Park. Brandl and the woman were in the park the day before and bought heroin from their dealer. Nehls passed out, and Brandl says he later realized while driving around with her that she was dead. He brought her body to the hospital about 10 hours later. The criminal complaint alleges that Brandl helped Nehls inject herself with the heroin. Brandl is facing a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison and 100 thousand dollars in fines. An arraignment hearing has been scheduled for July 13th.
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A report from the Institute of Research on Poverty says the poverty rate in Wisconsin remained flat between 2013 and 2014 despite an increase in jobs. Researchers for the study say the state’s poverty rate held steady at around 10.8 percent between 2013 and 2014. According to the study, Milwaukee County has the highest poverty rate of 17.3 percent, while Waukesha County has a poverty rate of 6.4 percent. Unlike the federal government’s official poverty measure, which is based on pretax cash income, the study’s measure accounts for family income and government benefits. Researchers noted in the study that the effects of government programs are starting to shrink due to changes in the food assistance program, payroll taxes, medical expenses and work-related expenses.
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Gov. Scott Walker is calling on his state Department of Transportation secretary to deliver a full two-year spending request earlier than usual. Walker tells Secretary Mark Gottlieb in a letter that his budget request should not include any tax or fee increases and bonding should be held to a “reasonable level.” Walker also says that proposed spending on megaprojects in southeast Wisconsin should be minimized. Gottlieb has said he won’t ask for any major tax or fee increases, but such a move would delay road expansion work and upkeep on heavily traveled highways. Walker says he wants to see DOT’s full budget request by Sept. 15 to allow for a full public discussion. Typically DOT doesn’t submit all of it until November.
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According to Triple A, a record number of Americans will travel this 4th of July weekend. About 43 million people will travel to celebrate Independence Day. That’s a half million more than last year and an all time record. Thirty-six million are expected to drive, with 3.3 million expected to fly. Others will go by bus, train, or take a cruise. The holiday travel period is Thursday, June 30 – Monday July, 4. Peak driving teams will be Friday and Monday afternoons. Wisconsin Director of Public Affairs for AAA, Nick Jarmusz, recommends getting an early start and leaving in the morning. The lowest gas prices in 11 years are driving these record travel numbers, according to AAA. The organization says drivers will pay the lowest July 4 holiday prices since 2005. Also, airfares for the top 40 domestic flight routes are coming in about $20 less than 2015.
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