Thursday, 9.30
The Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence reports that domestic violence homicides reached a 10-year high in 2009, with 52 people killed and 15 killers committing suicide. Milwaukee County led the death toll with 12, while Dane County had seven.
The state Supreme Court restores the law license of former state Sen. Gary George, convicted in 2004 of taking $270,000 in kickbacks. George's law license was suspended that same year. The court ruled that George has been punished enough.
Friday, 10.1
County Executive Kathleen Falk proposes cutting 14-1/2 positions and raising taxes by 2.9% in her 2011 budget proposal. It would be the smallest tax hike in her 14 budgets.
The lawyer for a 12-year-old Florida girl badly injured in a fall at Extreme World amusement park in Wisconsin Dells says he's reached a settlement with the park but provides no details. On July 30, Teagan Marti was dropped from a free-fall attraction before a safety net was properly deployed.
The Associated Press reports that Wood County District Attorney John Henkelmann was allegedly caught viewing pornography and masturbating in the business lobby of an Osthoff Resort in November 2009. At the time, a Sheboygan County sheriff's deputy told him to return to his room but did not file charges. The employee who complained about Henkelmann was fired. Sheriff Mike Helmke says he'll reopen the investigation. What's with Wisconsin DAs?
Sunday, 10.3
Bicycle taxi driver Alex Jacobs discovers one of his two bike rickshaws - worth $2,500 - was stolen from West Johnson Street where he locked it up.
Richard Epperson, 52, and Susanne Burgaz, 47, allegedly taunt a mixed-raced couple and their children outside the City-County Building downtown. Police charge them with disorderly conduct as a hate crime.
Monday, 10.4
County Executive Kathleen Falk surprises the county by announcing she'll step down mid-term next April (see story by Joe Tarr).
Tuesday, 10.5
Mayor Dave Cieslewicz releases his $247 million operating budget, which calls for a 3% increase to the tax levy and a 4.8% increase to property taxes.
Kendrick Biggs, 17, pleads no contest to reckless homicide for his role in the shooting death of 17-year-old Karamee Collins in June 2009. Under a plea agreement, prosecutors ask that Biggs be given no more than 10 years in prison, but Dane County Circuit Judge Sarah O'Brien hints at a longer sentence. Biggs will be sentenced in two months.
Wednesday, 10.6
The Wisconsin State Journal reports that Dane County has agreed to pay $118,000 to settle a lawsuit the paper and three other media outlets brought over the release of 911 records regarding a mishandled emergency call made by Brittany Zimmermann before her 2008 murder.
Compiled (in part) from local media
