News 2008-06-10 Andanh.com

Storm damage causes WI DNR to close some state parks and trails

Cycle-deer crash claims life of Ellsworth woman

PHOTOS: flooding in Fond du Lac and Waupun 2 Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:57:00 CST

Wisconsins Lake Delton nearly empty after overflow Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:14:00 CST
LAKE DELTON, Wis. A 245-acre lake in this resort town overflowed Monday, nearly emptying the lake basin and washing away four homes. The overflow happened as authorities ordered evacuations and sandbagging in a number of towns as rivers and lakes rose across the southern portion of the state. Lake Delton, near the Wisconsin Dells, overflowed and was completely dry by Monday afternoon, said Thomas Diehl, a Lake Delton village trustee. About 100 people started sandbagging at 2 a.m. Monday, but water poured out of the lake, draining into the Wisconsin River after a highway embankment failed, state and village officials said. Its horrible. Theres no way we could stop it, Diehl said. The breach is between 300 and 400 feet wide. The volume (of water) was just so great there wasnt anything anyone could do. About 20 resorts surround the lake, which was about 10 feet deep. Brenda Ketelhut, the secretary at Lake Delton Elementary School, where village officials opened a shelter, said she stopped to see the lake Monday. Its unbelievable. Youd never believe it would happen, Ketelhut said. I saw where the earth gave way and Lake Delton flowed out over County Highway A. ... Its a wonderful area, but Mother Nature let it rain too much. Dell Creek Dam on Lake Delton did not fail, said Laurel Steffes, spokeswoman for the state Department of Natural Resources, but state officials worried about other dams that were overflowing or near failure. A couple thousand people in Columbia County about 30 miles north of Madison were urged to evacuate below the Wyocena and Pardeeville dams, said Pat Beghin, a spokesman for the countys emergency management. The Wyocena Dams spillway had washed out, and workers were sandbagging to try to save it, Beghin said. The Pardeeville dam also was overflowing, he said. The Upper Spring Dam in Palmyra was failing, state emergency management officials said. But only one house in the rural area was in danger, Palmyra town chairman Stewart Calkins said. The Department of Natural Resources was checking out other dams in western Wisconsin, said Mike Goetzman, a spokesman for Wisconsin Emergency Management. The DNR was flying over dams in Vernon County and sending engineers to other counties including Columbia, Dodge, Sauk and Jefferson to assess dams there, Goetzman said. Gov. Jim Doyle had declared 30 counties in a state of emergency by noon Monday, and at least 130 inmates from the Department of Corrections were helping sandbag throughout the region. The Danville River Dam in Danville overtopped on Monday, causing officials to evacuate more than 100 people from an apartment complex, condo building and several homes with airboats, mayor Nancy Osterhaus said. Officials released water from the Fall River dam to keep it from failing, but that exacerbated the flooding already going on, she said. They were totally cut off, there was no way to get to them, she said. Both ends of the street had flooded. We got everybody out of there. In western Wisconsin, state troopers were asked to help with evacuations in Elroy and Wonewoc, Goetzman said. The water is rising and its still a very serious situation, he said. Forecasters expected the rain to stop Monday and possibly return Tuesday, said Jessica Brooks, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in La Crosse. Heavier storms could come Thursday, leading to even more flooding, she said. Roads throughout the state, including at least 32 state highways, were closed Monday, Goetzman said. A no travel advisory was issued for Crawford, Richland and Vernon counties. In Vernon County, the damage would likely surpass the $60 million done by floods in August, said Linda Nederlo, the public information officer at the Vernon County Emergency Operations Center. This flood is much more severe, extensive than the flood in 2007, Nederlo said. Ontario, Hillsboro, La Farge and Viola were hardest hit this time around, she said. In Ontario, the Kickapoo River left waist-high water on the villages baseball diamond Sunday and backed up sewers, forcing water up through manhole covers. The river, which runs directly through town, swept through Driftys Canoe Rental, setting canoes adrift. On Monday morning, about a half-dozen sat overturned on the rivers banks. Damage from the weekends flooding was much worse than the village of 475 suffered last August, Fire Chief Kevin Knoll said. August was a six, he said. This is a 10. Bill Hagerman, 53, spent Monday morning trying to vacuum mud out of his business, Precision Physical Therapy. The flood sent sewer water and mud about a foot-and-a-half deep rushing into his office, coating his weight machines and patient table with muck. Hagerman managed to get his couch up on a jack and clear out his patient files and computers before the worst struck. I got hit hard, he said. Yesterday afternoon, it seemed to rain all afternoon, hard. It just seemed like forever. Hagerman said he had applied for flood insurance a month earlier but didnt think he was covered. He said he hopes the government will offer some help. Still, Russell Bolden, 84, of Ontario, said hes seen worse. Im used to this, he said, noting the Kickapoo Brush Creek and runoff often cause flooding. It all bottlenecks right here, he said.

Inmates, prison staff help bail out waterlogged FdL County Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:58:00 CST
MADISON Department of Corrections (DOC) staff and supervised minimum-security inmates have been deployed to eight Wisconsin communities -- including Fond du Lac County -- to assist in sandbagging dams and cleanup as part of Wisconsin Emergency Managements coordinated response to the widespread flooding and severe storms throughout the state. More than 120 minimum-security supervised inmate workers have been deployed to the communities of: Fond du Lac, Baraboo, Columbus, Soldiers Grove, Gays Mills, Monona, Fall River and Hustisford. The DOC crews are working alongside other agencies and organizations under the Wisconsin Emergency Management umbrella. Governor Doyle has declared a state of emergency for 30 counties due to severe storms and flooding. The counties include: Adams, Calumet, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson, Juneau, Kenosha, Lafayette, LaCrosse, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Ozaukee, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sheboygan, Vernon, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, and Winnebago Counties. The State Emergency Operations Center remains activated.

McDonalds, Taco Bell, others pull tomatoes over salmonella concerns Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:28:00 CST
The grocer Winn-Dixie Stores said it was also taking some tomatoes off its shelves. Other restaurant and supermarket chains reportedly halted some tomato sales as federal health officials worked to trace the source of the outbreak. McDonalds Corp., the worlds largest hamburger chain, stopped serving sliced tomatoes on its sandwiches as a precaution until the source of the salmonella is known, according to a statement Monday from spokeswoman Danya Proud. McDonalds will continue serving grape tomatoes in its salads because no problems have been linked to that variety, Proud said. Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. said it was voluntarily taking tomatoes involved in a Food and Drug Administration warning off its shelves. The Jacksonville, Fla.-based retailer operates 521 stores in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia and Mississippi. The source of the tomatoes responsible for the illnesses in at least 16 states has not been pinpointed. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said at least 23 people have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. The FDA is investigating the source of the outbreak, FDA spokeswoman Kimberly OAK BROOK, Ill. McDonalds said Monday it has stopped serving sliced tomatoes in its U.S. restaurants over concerns about salmonella food poisoning linked to some uncooked varieties. Rawlings said in an e-mail. The FDA said Saturday the outbreak was linked to certain varieties of raw tomatoes including red plum, red Roma and red round. In Pittsburgh, KDKA-TV reported that Giant Eagle supermarkets have removed several kinds of tomatoes from their shelves. Fast-food chains Taco Bell Corp. and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. also have halted serving tomatoes, the Los Angeles Times reported. And supermarket chains Ralphs, Vons and Albertsons have stopped the selling red plum, red Roma or round red tomatoes cited by the FDA, the newspaper said.

Streets closed while crews seek source of natural gas smell Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:20:00 CST
Alliant Energy was on the scene early this afternoon, and streets were cordoned off in the Danbury Park area in the southeastern portion of the city because of the smell of natural gas in the sewer system.

Six injured in 4-vehicle Sunday collision Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:59:00 CST
TOWN OF FRIENDSHIP Heavy rain, flood conditions and alcohol could be to blame for a 4-vehicle crash on Highway 41 near County Trunk OO on Sunday night that sent four people to the hospital. A full-size SUV traveling southbound on Highway 41 failed to slow for stalled traffic ahead and rear-ended a smaller SUV, which sideswiped a third vehicle and then rear-ended a fourth vehicle, according to a press release from the Fond du Lac County Sheriffs Office. Traffic had stalled during a heavy downpour where the road had flooded and cars were moving slowly through the standing water in a construction zone. All three people in the full-size SUV were injured, including the driver Crystal Babbits, a 21-year-old Neenah woman, who was taken to St. Agnes Hospital. Passengers Rex Zemialkowski, 32, and Michael Ellington, 38, both of Neenah, were also injured but not taken to the hospital, according to Sheriffs reports. The three passengers in the smaller SUV also suffered injuries in the collision and were transported to St. Agnes Hospital. Driver Stephanie Rolon, 29, of Beloit, was taken to St. Agnes and later to Froedtert Hospital, where she remains in satisfactory condition, according to a hospital spokeswoman. Passengers Nydia Eichelt, 3, and Melvin Alicea, both of Beloit, were both treated and released from St. Agnes Hospital, according to hospital officials. All seven passengers of the vehicle sideswiped by the small SUV escaped injury, as did the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle rear-ended by the small SUV, according to the press release. The collision snarled traffic in the area more than an hour. Traffic was detoured at County Trunk OO will the scene was investigated and cleared. Sheriffs deputies continue to investigate the collision.

PHOTOS: Waupun area flooding Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:07:00 CST

$10,000 Powerball ticket sold in Campbellsport Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:06:00 CST
Wisconsin reported one $10,000 winning ticket in Saturdays Powerball drawing, according to state lottery officials. The winning ticket was sold at Dins Garage Mini Mart, N3006 St., Highway 67, in Campbellsport. Since no ticket matched all five numbers plus the Powerball, the jackpot for Wednesday, June 11, is estimated at $25 million.

Stalled car struck by train in Oshkosh overnight Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:04:00 CST
No one was injured in a car/train crash late Sunday night in Oshkosh. Oshkosh police reported a stalled car was on the tracks at East Parkway Avenue and Broad Street and was struck by a train at 11:23 p.m.

PHOTOS: Weekend storm, flood damage in Wisconsin Mon, 09 Jun 2008 06:01:00 CST
Storms continued across Wisconsin in the early hours Monday after the state was pelted with heavy rain, tornadoes and damaging wind over the weekend.

Flooding continues throughout state Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:54:00 CST
GAYS MILLS Storms continued across Wisconsin in the early hours Monday after the state was pelted with heavy rain, tornadoes and damaging wind over the weekend.

Windhover Wednesdays return this month Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
Windhover Wednesdays will return this summer with music, food and discounts.

Rifle turns out to be toy gun Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
JUNEAU A 66-year-old Juneau man contacted the Dodge County Sheriffs Department on Thursday night to report a suspicious person aiming a rifle at a Juneau tavern at about 8:22 p.m.

City Council to hear update on radium removal project Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
The Fond du Lac City Council will get an update on the status of the costly radium removal project and could approve industrial bonds to help MAG Giddings Lewis with a potential expansion at its next meeting.

Man accused of cockfighting to stand trial Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
A 27-year-old man accused in a cockfighting operation will stand trial.

Ripon man to stand trial on gun charge Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
A 52-year-old Ripon man whose home became the scene of an accidental shooting death earlier this year will stand trial on a gun charge.

Discolored water possible Tuesday in northwest FdL Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
Fond du Lac Water Utility customers in the northwest section of the city are asked to be on the alert for the possibility of discolored water conditions from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, June 10.

Road work disrupts traffic Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
Several road construction projects are disrupting traffic in the Fond du Lac area.

Charges sought in Waupun vandalism spree Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
WAUPUN Two Waupun teens are being referred to Dodge County Juvenile Intake in connection with several vandalism incidents in Waupun on June 2.

FdLs Maass remains in running for Green Bay schools leader job Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
GREEN BAY The Green Bay School Districts next superintendent will come from Northeastern Wisconsin.

Goals, not skin color, matter in 2008 election Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
College students were asked how they feel about experiencing a presidential election in which one of the candidates is, for the first time, a person of color, and how it might impact their lives.

Locals poised to campaign for presidential election Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:06:00 CST
The end of a long-and-drawn-out primary campaign trail has given weary candidates a break and signals local political party organizers that its time to ready Fond du Lacs campaign headquarters.

Storms prompt flood warnings Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:05:00 CST
Fears of funnel clouds on Saturday gave way to widespread flash flooding Sunday in Fond du Lac and Dodge counties.

Walleye tourney fishermen battle elements on Lake Winnebago Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:05:00 CST
Two Fond du Lac natives battled wind and rain to win the Mercury Marine National Walleye Tournament at Walleye Weekend Sunday.

Walleye Weekend washed out Sun, 08 Jun 2008 20:03:00 CST
The mood was as gloomy as the weather Sunday at Walleye Weekend.

PHOTOS: Fond du Lac area flooding Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:24:00 CST

PHOTOS: Pink Metal Harley ride Sun, 08 Jun 2008 13:24:00 CST

bPHOTO COLLECTION:/b Walleye Weekend 2008 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 06:47:00 CST

Repeat champ dethroned Sun, 08 Jun 2008 01:41:00 CST
It was a race to the finish for Danny Buechel and Henry Dennis.

Appleton woman takes 5-mile run Sat, 07 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
The heat was on during the womens races at the 29th annual Walleye Run.

Haase on the road again Sun, 08 Jun 2008 01:44:00 CST
For the record, four is not Dave Haases lucky number.

Girls State Soccer: Huskies edged in shootout Sun, 08 Jun 2008 01:44:00 CST
MILWAUKEE Today, tomorrow, the next day and forever, the girls on the New Holstein soccer team will feel pretty good about what they accomplished on a sunny Saturday at Uihlein Park.

State Softball: First inning dooms Oakfield in semis Sun, 08 Jun 2008 01:45:00 CST
MADISON Only once in 24 games had an Oakfield opponent scored more than one run off an Oakfield pitcher.

Bush rocked in Colorado Sat, 07 Jun 2008 23:00:00 CST
DENVER Brad Hawpe hit a grand slam, Ian Stewart launched a solo homer into the third deck and Greg Reynolds got his first major league win in the Colorado Rockies 7-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night.

bUpdate: /bRohloff selected as Oshkoshs next city manager Sat, 07 Jun 2008 17:28:00 CST
Mark Rohloff, town administrator in Grand Chute, has been named as Oshkoshs next city manager.

Obama to visit Fox Valley on Thursday Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:46:00 CST
KAUKAUNA Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama plans to make a campaign stop Thursday through the Fox Valley. Obama, a U.S. senator from Illinois, will visit Kaukauna, state Rep. Tom Nelson, D-Kaukauna, said Monday. Details about the time and place were not immediately available. Obama was scheduled to visit Kaukauna in February but had to cancel because of a snowstorm.

End of school means change of pace for Oshkosh teachers Mon, 09 Jun 2008 19:20:00 CST
For many teachers having summers off is one of the big perks of the job. But for others, summer is a great time to head off to another job either to make some extra cash or just to stay busy. As summer approaches, some teachers in the Oshkosh school district will teach summer school here in Oshkosh, others will head to different cities, even different countries, to do teaching-related jobs and some will just lounge and relax. About 200 of the nearly 850 teachers in the Oshkosh school district will teach summer school within the district, said Patti Vickman, executive director of administration. Others will head a little further away to teach. See the full story in Tuesdays Northwestern.

News update, photos: Lake Delton overflows, sweeps away four homes Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:05:00 CST
LAKE DELTON, Wis. (AP) - A 245-acre lake in this resort town overflowed Monday, nearly emptying the lake basin and washing away four homes.

School board to consider keeping Gray in Oshkosh Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:26:00 CST
The districts deputy superintendent of finance is expected to start as Waukesha superintendent in July.

Trial cancelled in bathroom peeping incident Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:10:00 CST
A jury trial was taken off the court calendar Monday for a Pulaski man accused of watching two female University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh students while they were showering.

Six injured in 4-vehicle Sunday collision on Highway 41 Mon, 09 Jun 2008 13:03:00 CST
TOWN OF FRIENDSHIP Heavy rain, flood conditions and alcohol could be to blame for a 4-vehicle crash on Highway 41 near County Trunk OO on Sunday night that sent four people to the hospital. A full-size SUV traveling southbound on Highway 41 failed to slow for stalled traffic ahead and rear-ended a smaller SUV, which sideswiped a third vehicle and then rear-ended a fourth vehicle, according to a press release from the Fond du Lac County Sheriffs Office. Traffic had stalled during a heavy downpour where the road had flooded and cars were moving slowly through the standing water in a construction zone. All three people in the full-size SUV were injured, including the driver Crystal Babbits, a 21-year-old Neenah woman, who was taken to St. Agnes Hospital. Passengers Rex Zemialkowski, 32, and Michael Ellington, 38, both of Neenah, were also injured but not taken to the hospital, according to Sheriffs reports. The three passengers in the smaller SUV also suffered injuries in the collision and were transported to St. Agnes Hospital. Driver Stephanie Rolon, 29, of Beloit, was taken to St. Agnes and later to Froedtert Hospital, where she remains in satisfactory condition, according to a hospital spokeswoman. Passengers Nydia Eichelt, 3, and Melvin Alicea, both of Beloit, were both treated and released from St. Agnes Hospital, according to hospital officials. All seven passengers of the vehicle sideswiped by the small SUV escaped injury, as did the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle rear-ended by the small SUV, according to the press release. The collision snarled traffic in the area more than an hour. Traffic was detoured at County Trunk OO will the scene was investigated and cleared. Sheriffs deputies continue to investigate the collision.

Rohloffs total package to be more than $135,000 annually Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:14:00 CST
Oshkoshs new city manager will be paid $135,800 annually -- when base salary, car and cell phone allowances, and retirement compensation are factored in.

bPhotos:/b Walleye Weekend 2008 Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:27:00 CST

New London man held in attack of stranger Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:27:00 CST
NEW LONDON A 50-year-old New London man was jailed on allegations he broke into an apartment early Saturday and sexually assaulted a woman.

Rohloff: Development, vision first priorities as new city manager Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:27:00 CST
Oshkoshs new city manager said Sunday that his first priorities are going to be spurring development and creating a vision for the city.

Fire department staffing for Algoma topic of Tuesday session Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:27:00 CST
TOWN OF ALGOMA Its way too early for Fire Chief Bill Heidemann to know if hed accept the job of full time chief for the town of Algoma.

Study could be starting point to enhance citys image Mon, 09 Jun 2008 08:27:00 CST
Oshkosh community leaders are hoping that a less than glowing report on the citys impression on visitors can be a starting point for a discussion about how to enhance the citys image.

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