February 12, 2012

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Kuenzi in court on ’04 OWI death

December 10, 2009 By

A Weyauwega man who gained statewide notoriety for his involvement in the slaughter of five deer with snowmobiles last winter made his initial appearance Thursday afternoon in Waupaca County Circuit Court, for a hit and run death from 2004.

Rory A. Kuenzi, who’s currently jailed on a probation violation, is charged with hit and run causing death, and causing death by drunk driving. Prosecutors say the 25 year-old Keunzi was behind the wheel of a pickup truck which struck and killed 20 year-old Kevin McCoy on the night of October 23rd, 2004. According to the criminal complaint, both men had attended an underage drinking party that night, and McCoy was struck from behind as he walked along a road. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Crime & Courts Tagged With:

Scocos details legal action

December 10, 2009 By

John Scocos at Capitol press conference

John Scocos at Capitol press conference

As expected, the state Board of Veterans Affairs is being sued, in the wake of a controversial decision to fire the secretary of the state agency which oversees services to veterans. Flanked by member of veterans advocacy groups, dismissed Wisconsin Veterans Affairs Secretary John Scocos said his firing by the board, shortly after his return from Iraq, was “a shame and dishonor” to the state and its veterans. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Military

EOC adjusts from snow to freezing

December 10, 2009 By

After beefing up personnel to deal with record breaking snowfall in some parts of Wisconsin, the Emergency Operations Center has returned to normal staffing so says spokeswoman Lori Getter. The EOC been transferred back to the standard 24 hour duty officer system but they are monitoring potential problems, such as icy roads, in light of a freezing temperatures in the state.

[Read more...]

Filed Under: Weather

Digging out continues

December 10, 2009 By
As much of Wisconsin continues to dig out, the National Weather Service has recapped the winter storm which
Heavy equipment removes snow in Madison

Heavy equipment removes snow in Madison

dumped up to 17 inches of snow on some locations, and that knocked out power to thousands of households.

According to the NWS, the heaviest band of snow fell north of La Crosse into the Winona, Minnesota area, southward through La Crosse and into northeast Iowa to near Oelwein. As the storm system approached, it also strengthened producing strong northwest winds that gusted to 45 mph at times leading to significant drifting and blowing snow. Visibility were reduced to near zero, especially in open and higher terrain where blizzard conditions prevailed. [Read more...]

Filed Under: Weather

Booze and belts crackdown underway

December 10, 2009 By

Police across the state are kicking off holiday efforts to help keep drivers safe.

Over 200 law enforcement agencies in Wisconsin are taking part in the annual Booze and Belts campaign, which is aimed at encouraging drivers to stay sober and buckle up. The state Bureau of Transportation Safety’s George Silverwood says both continue to be a major issue in the state and are factors in many traffic crashes each year.

In 2008, nearly 40-percent of traffic fatalities in the state were alcohol-related. Nearly 55-percent of those killed in traffic accidents weren’t wearing a seat belt.

Silverwood says Christmas and New Years are still a few weeks off, but many holiday parties have already started. He says many drivers think about how to get home after parties on the holidays, but not always about the office cocktail hour where they may just “have one” on an empty stomach.

Tickets for seat belt violations have increased, thanks to the state’s primary enforcement law. However, Silverwood says many drivers still aren’t buckling up. Silverwood says everyone riding in a vehicle should be wearing a safety belt, even if they’re riding in the back seat.

AUDIO: Andrew Beckett reports (1:10)

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Filed Under: Transportation