AN APARTMENT FIRE HAS LEFT FIVE PEOPLE HOMELESS IN PORTAGE AT THE CORNER OF EAST WISCONSIN AND PAUQUETTE STREETS.  PORTAGE FIREFIGHTERS WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING JUST AFTER 5 AND A REAR APARTMENT WAS FULLY INVOLVED WHEN THEY ARRIVED.  ACCORDING TO THE BUILDING’S OWNER, FIVE SINGLE PEOPLE LIVED IN FIVE APARTMENTS IN THE STRUCTURE AND IT WAS BUILT AROUND 1900.  PORTAGE FIRE CHIEF CLAYTON SIMONSON SAID NO ONE WAS INJURED IN THE BLAZE AND THE CAUSE WAS "CARELESS USE OF SMOKING MATERIALS.”  THE AMERICAN RED CROSS IS ASSISTING THE DISPLACED TENANTS.

SAUK COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HAS IDENTIFIED THE TWO PEOPLE KILLED IN A FIERY CAR CRASH SATURDAY MORNING IN THE TOWN OF DELLONA.  THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS 19-YEAR-OLD JORDAN HILLING AND THE PASSENGER WAS IDENTIFIED AS 21-YEAR-OLD TYLER HENNEHA, BOTH OF WISCONSIN DELLS.  BOTH WERE DECLARED DEAD AT THE SCENE BY THE SAUK COUNTY CORONER'S OFFICE.  SAUK COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT CHIEF DEPUTY CHIP MEISTER SAID THEY WENT OVER THE HILL AT A VERY HIGH RATE OF SPEED, FLIPPED SIDEWAYS AND THEN CRASHED.  THE WISCONSIN CRIME LAB WORKED TO IDENTIFY THEM, AS BOTH WERE BADLY BURNED IN THE CRASH.

A DECISION HAS YET TO BE MADE ON WHETHER TO BRING CHARGES AGAINST A GREEN BAY PACKERS PLAYER ACCUSED OF SEXUALLY ASSAULTING TWO WOMEN IN LAKE DELTON NEARLY THREE MONTHS AGO.  LAKE DELTON LT. JANET KLIPP SAID WEDNESDAY LAKE DELTON POLICE ARE STILL CONDUCTING ITS FOLLOW-UP INVESTIGATION OF THE CASE, AS REQUESTED BY SAUK COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY PATRICIA BARRETT.  TWO WOMEN, AGES 31 AND 33, TOLD POLICE JUNE 5 THAT CORNERBACK BRANDON UNDERWOOD RAPED THEM IN A WILDERNESS RESORT CONDO.  KLIPP SAID SHE DOESN'T KNOW HOW MUCH LONGER THE FOLLOW-UP WILL TAKE.  D.A. BARRETT HAS DECLINED TO COMMENT ON THE CASE.

27-YEAR-OLD JEREMIAH KLEIN OF RIO FACES THREE YEARS IN PRISON AFTER HE TOLD AUTHORITIES THAT HE SELLS MARIJUANA SHIPPED TO HIM IN THE MAIL.  KLEIN IS FREE ON A $2,000 SIGNATURE BOND AFTER AN INITIAL APPEARANCE IN COLUMBIA COUNTY COURT WEDNESDAY.  INVESTIGATORS SAY KLEIN TOLD AUTHORITIES THAT HE HAS ORDERED A TOTAL OF 6 OR 7 POUNDS OF MARIJUANA SHIPPED FROM CALIFORNIA AND TYPICALLY SELLS IT FOR $5,000 PER POUND.  HE IS CHARGED WITH FELONY POSSESSION WITH INTENT TO DELIVER.  KLEIN IS SCHEDULED FOR A PRETRIAL CONFERENCE ON OCTOBER 16.

TRAVEL DURING THE UPCOMING LABOR DAY WEEKEND WHICH STARTS FRIDAY IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR.  TRAVEL AGENTS REPORT STRONG INCREASES IN RESERVATIONS FOR HOTEL, CAR AND VACATION PACKAGES OF ABOUT 10-PERCENT OVER THE SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.  BETH MOSHER WITH WISCONSIN TRIPLE-A SAYS IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE OUT ON THE ROAD THIS WEEKEND, YOU’LL HAVE LOTS OF COMPANY.   SOME GOOD NEWS IS THAT MOST MAJOR HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ARE SCHEDULED TO BEGIN ON TUESDAY, AFTER THE HOLIDAY. 

09.01.10
TWO OF THE SIX SUSPECTS IN THE APPARENT DRUG OVERDOSE OF JASON WEBBER OF REEDBURG ARE STILL AT LARGE AND THE WISCONSIN DELLS POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC’S HELP IN LOCATING THEM.  FELONY WARRANTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FOR 24-YEAR-OLD ANGELIQUE CAMP OF REEDSBURG AND 29-YEAR-OLD CODRILL BAKER OF MILWAUKEE.  BOTH OF THEM, ALONG WITH FOUR OTHERS HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH AMONG OTHER THINGS FIRST DEGREE RECKLESS HOMICIDE IN THE DEATH OF WEBBER TWO WEEKS AGO.  ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON THE WHEREABOUTS OF BAKER AND CAMP ARE ASKED TO CONTACT WISCONSIN DELLS POLICE.

20-YEAR-OLD NICHOLAS SHIER OF PRINCETON FACES 30 YEARS IN PRISON ON CHARGES HE BURGLARIZED KEMNITZ AUTOMOTIVE IN THE TOWN OF HARRIS, NEAR MONTELLO FOUR TIMES IN JUNE AND JULY.  SHIER IS FREE ON A 1000-DOLLAR SIGNATURE BOND AND IS DUE BACK IN MARQUETTE COUNTY COURT FOR A PRE-TRIAL CONFERENCE ON OCTOBER 18.

24-YEAR-OLD ASHLEY BEATON OF WISCONSIN DELLS PLEADED NO CONTEST IN COLUMBIA COUNTY COURT TO A MISDEMEANOR BATTERY CHARGE.  BEATON ALLEGEDLY BEAT A MAN IN THE HEAD WITH A SOUVENIR MILWAUKEE BREWERS BASEBALL BAT.  JUDGE JAMES MILLER SENTENCED BEATON TO A TOTAL OF 90 DAYS IN JAIL FOR THIS INCIDENT AS WELL AS ONE SHE WAS INVOLVED IN BACK IN NOVEMBER.  ACCORDING TO THE COMPLAINT, THE MAN REQUIRED SEVEN STICHES AND WAS HOSPITALIZED FOR TWO DAYS.

26-YEAR-OLD JONATHAN POPPLE OF BARABOO MADE HIS INITIAL APPEARANCE IN SAUK COUNTY COURT MONDAY ON FELONY COUNTS OF POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA WITH INTENT TO DELIVER AND POSSESSING A GUN WHILE INTOXICATED.  THE CHARGES STEM FROM AN INCIDENT LAST SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT A HOUSE IN BARABOO.  CASH BOND WAS SET AT $250 AND POPPLE IS SCHEDULED FOR A PRELIMINARY HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 10.