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Aniwa man skips plea hearing on animal abuse charges

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A judge issued a warrant for an Aniwa man’s arrest Wednesday after he failed to show up in court for a scheduled plea hearing to resolve two criminal cases. The judge also ordered 37-year-old Randy Diels Jr.’s $5,000 signature bond be forfeited, court records said.

Diels and 44-year-old Kimberly Lawrence were both charged with 20 mostly misdemeanor counts of animal mistreatment, including four counts of “intentional dognapping or catnapping,” in November after deputies responded to a complaint of animal abuse. A felony count alleges mistreatment of a three-week old puppy so severe that it was euthanized because of its “deteriorated condition.”

Diels pleaded not guilty to those charges in January. That same month, Lawrence was placed on three years probation after being convicted of seven misdemeanors in a plea deal.

Investigators found 23 dogs, three cats and a pot-bellied pig living in unsafe conditions at their home, according to a 22-page criminal complaint. The animals were kept in wire kennels with blankets soaked with urine or covered in feces.

Lawrence, who described herself to deputies as a dog trainer, said four golden retrievers in the home were found by Diels and he found them loose on a road, the complaint said. The dogs were traced to a woman who lives nearby who said they “went missing three months ago.”

Diels is also facing separate charges for a felony count of participating in a burglary from last October. That was also supposed to be resolved during Wednesday plea hearing.

WSAU

Little Chute HS teacher charged with sexual assault

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A teacher at Little Chute High School is facing a felony charge in Marinette County on accusations of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl.

Forty-five-year-old Jason LaVigne is on administrative leave from the school district.

Prosecutors say the girl went with LaVigne’s family to the Crivitz area last weekend. They say LaVigne gave her several vodka and lemonade drinks while they were boating, and he assaulted her after they stopped at a sandy beach area.

LaVigne is charged with third-degree sexual assault. He’s been a business and computer teacher. The school district says the 16-year-old girl is not a Little Chute student.

WHBY

Three killed in Taylor County crash

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Speed and alcohol are believed to be factors in a crash that killed three people in northern Wisconsin Monday night. The Taylor County Sheriff’s Department said 49-year-old William Juneau and a passenger, 51-year-old Sandra Haff, were killed on impact when Juneau lost control and crashed into a large piece of logging equipment.

An eyewitness said the vehicle driven by Juneau was traveling at 70-80 miles per hour prior to the collision. Another passenger, 28-year-old Tyler Flores, was airlifted to a Wausau hospital in Wausau, where he was pronounced dead.

WSAU

 

Walker unveils new dairy task force

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A task force will work to come up with recommendations on ways Wisconsin dairy farmers can remain viable and profitable in a tough marketplace.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection and the University of Wisconsin System will provide experts to sit on the panel.

During a stop in Wausau on Tuesday, Governor Scott Walker said the group will focus on everything “from opening up more markets across the county and the world to trade and looking at ways we can keep cost down for our dairy farmers.”

Walker said he would like those discussions to also include ways to help grow the next generation of dairy farmers.

The dairy industry is struggling to deal with falling milk and commodity prices. An abundance of product on the market has kept prices low for the last three years. Wisconsin dairy herds are down about 20 percent from five years ago and 500 dairy farms went out of business last year.

WSAU

‘Heat Awareness Day’ in Wisconsin

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Many people look forward to warmer temperatures during the summer months in Wisconsin. But it’s also important to remember that hot conditions can turn dangerous quickly.

In the last five years, 39 people have died in Wisconsin,and thousands of residents have fallen ill or been hospitalized due to heat-related conditions. Nationwide there are an average of 618 deaths in the U.S. each year caused by extreme heat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Many victims of heat-related deaths are socially isolated, maintaining little contact with family and friends. “It’s important to check in on those who are at greatest risk” said Andrew Beckett with Wisconsin Emergency Management and ReadyWisconsin.


Those most vulnerable include very young children, the elderly, and people with heart disease or high blood pressure. Individuals who are overweight or on certain medications may also be more susceptible to illnesses during extreme heat events.

June 6th is “Heat Awareness Day” in Wisconsin.

DNR reports ‘no immediate toxicity’ from sludge spill

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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources reports early test results find no harmful chemicals after a spill of sludge last month. The problem bgan at the Hi-Crush mine when a bulldozer slid into a pond in western Wisconsin.

Rescuers emptied 10-million gallons of water from that pond at a fracking operation, in order to save the opertor. Thick sludge drained into the Trempealeau River and eventually reached the Mississippi. No fish kills have been reported and oxygen levels are good. The preliminary test results show “no immediate toxicity.”

 

The last (plastic) straw at new Bucks arena

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Wisconsin’s deer will have nothing to fear, from the new Milwaukee Bucks arena. Plastic straws will not be offered at the new Bucks arena. Officials with the new Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center say they will only use compostable food packaging during events at the arena.


It joins a growing list of companies and restaurants that are doing away with non-compostable packaging and plastic straws, which accumulates in the environment and poses hazards to wildlife and human health.

Mount Pleasant declares land for Foxconn ‘blighted’

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The Village of Mount Pleasant is declaring land earmarked for the future Foxconn complex as “blighted.” That would clear the way for the village to seize the land from property owners. Village Trustee Gary Feest voted against the blight designation, although he says he supports Foxconn.

“Even though I agree with the advantages, I did not agree with the methodology,” Feest said, adding that the village is stretching the definition of blighted “to further their agenda of handind the properties over to Foxconn.” Village leaders maintain they would prefer that hold-out landowners sell their properties.

Assembly candidate’s nominating signatures being investigated

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An investigation is underway, into Republican complaints that a Democratic candidate for state Assembly forged at least 15 signatures on her nomination papers. Caroline Dematropolous said she’s a Democrat, but she won’t vote for Charisse Daniels. “As a woman, I would have definately supported her,” Dematropolous told Fox 6 News. “That’s not my signature.”

The incumbent is Republican state Representative John Jagler.

Rudy Voight is one of 15 people whose names are on Daniels’ petition, who say they never signed. “That’s not a person who should be representing anybody,” he said.

Watertown police and the Wisconsin Elections Commission are investigating.

‘Suck the Muck’ project to improve Dane County lakes

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Crews will spend the summer cleaning sediment on the bottom of streams that feed Dane County’s lakes. They plan to remove 870,000 pounds of phosphorus from 33 miles of tributary streams. The $12-million initiative is called “Suck the Muck,” and County Executive Joe Parisi says it will mean cleaner lakes in the future.

“This is what we refer to as ‘legacy phosphorus,'” Parisi said. “It’s been here a long time, it’s in the streams, and it’s continuing to impact our water quality.” A study concluded that if nothing is done now, it would take 99 years for Madison-area lakes to reach current water quality standards.

WIBA