Madison officer helps homeless man

Thursday, April 18th, 2013, 8:32pm

Tuesday morning Madison police received a call about a man who had been sitting on the curb of the Capital Square for what the caller said appeared to be two days. Upon arrival, the officer found a 61-year-old double amputee out in the cold.

"I wasn't there to chase him away," the officer said, "but to find out if he needed help." Madison police said the man was homeless and the officer offered to give him a ride to a free clinic. The man declined.

Police said the man wore prosthetic legs and did not have a cane. The officer asked the man what would help. "A wheelchair would help," he said. The officer told him he would make some calls to help find a wheelchair.�

The report said St. Vincent de Paul offered to donate a chair, which the officer delivered to the shelter where the man had been staying and wrote the man's name on the back of the chair.

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Boater helps police find body in Lake Monona

Submitted by Channel3000 Web Staff

Thursday, April 18th, 2013, 7:07pm

A man's body recovered from Lake Monona Wednesday is that of a Kaukauna man reported missing in January.

The Dane County Medical Examiner said the man is identified as 26-year-old Charles Geurts. The medical examiner's office said more results from an autopsy are needed before determining the cause of death, but there is no evidence to suggest criminal activity.

Guerts went missing while staying at a hotel near Lake Monona on Jan. 26. He was in Madison with co-workers for a trade show at the Alliant Energy Center.

Madison police said K9s were able to pick up Geurts' scent off trees near the lake shortly after he went missing. A cadaver dog led police to an area on the ice where investigators drilled holes and used cameras to unsuccessfully search for Geurts' body.

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Crazylegs, other marathons react after Boston explosions

Submitted by Channel3000 Web Staff

Thursday, April 18th, 2013, 5:57pm

Wisconsin marathon organizers are planning to step up security in light of the deadly Boston Marathon explosions.

Organizers of the Crazylegs Classic in Madison discussed security during a meeting Tuesday that was scheduled before Monday's bombings. Security will be increased for the event on April 27, but organizers would not discuss specifics.

UW police Sgt. Aaron Chapin said participants might notice a greater security presence. He said they're reviewing their plans for responding to an incident.

"We also really want to make sure that we can do everything that we can to be able to have intelligence, to be able to prevent something like this," he said.

Chapin said they're asking participants to be vigilant and report suspicious activity.

The Pine Line Marathon in Medford is expecting 300 people to its marathon and other races April 27.

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Traces of 'probable carcinogen' found in Madison wells

Submitted by Channel3000 Web Staff

Thursday, April 18th, 2013, 3:34pm

Traces of a chemical listed as a probable carcinogen have been detected in four of Madison's city wells, prompting the city to conduct further testing.

Madison city officials said the chemical 1,4 dioxane is a man-made chemical often used as a stabilizer for a solvent.

Testing for the chemical wasn't required in Madison in 2015, according to EPA standards, but city officials said the water utility wanted to conduct the testing early.

The tests revealed trace amounts of 1,4 dioxane at the following levels measured by parts per billion:

? Well 9 (Spaanem Avenue): 0.12 ppb
? Well 11 (near east side Woodman's): 0.39 - 0.63 ppb
? Well 14 (University Avenue near Whitney Way): 0.29 ppb
? Well 15 (East Washington Avenue near Lien Road): 0.17 ppb

State's that have set guidelines for 1,4 dioxane set limits ranging from 2 ppb to 30 ppb.

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Floodwater continues to rise in Madison, Rock County

Submitted by Channel3000 Web Staff

Thursday, April 18th, 2013, 3:23pm

Floodwater in Madison and Rock County areas along the Rock River continued to rise Thursday. With more rain in the forecast, city officials are offering sand and sandbags to residents in flood-prone areas.

The Rock County area remains under a flood warning and the National Weather Service is indicating that the Rock River is at major flood stages in the Lake Koshkonong and Newville areas, and moderate flood stages in the Afton area.

The Rock River at Lake Koshkonong was at 11.93 feet Thursday afternoon with forecasts of water levels to reach 13 feet by Tuesday. The record water height for that area is 15.1 feet, officials said.

In Madison, city officials said Lakes Mendota and Monona were already exceeding their summer target maximum levels as of Thursday afternoon, too.

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Motorists team up to stop drunken driver on Beltline, police say

Submitted by Channel3000 Web Staff

Thursday, April 18th, 2013, 11:57am

A group of concerned motorists teamed up to stop a suspected drunken driver on the Beltline Highway Wednesday afternoon, according to Madison police.

Witnesses told police they spotted a car in the eastbound lanes of the Beltline, weaving and speeding up and slowing down in traffic on the Beltline. The car rear-ended another vehicle before driving against the concrete median near Rimrock Road, according to police.

A tow truck driver told police he turned on all of his truck's lights to keep motorists away. Police said the tow truck driver and the driver of a minivan worked together to box in the suspect's car. A woman jumped out the minivan to the suspect's car and put it in park, according to witnesses.

Police said a group of motorists then got the man out of the car and pushed the car to the right shoulder.

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Utility company requests rate freeze through 2014

Submitted by Channel3000 Web Staff

Wednesday, April 17th, 2013, 4:02pm

After raising electric rates 3.8 percent and gas rates 1 percent for 2013, Madison Gas & Electric has filed a request with the state to freeze rates through the end of 2014.

The average homeowner is paying $4.55 a month, or $54.60 a year, extra for gas and electric compared with a year ago, according to data on the utility's website.

The utility, in its application to the state Public Service Commission, credited its own "belt-tightening" and other factors that make a rate freeze possible.

The state commission still has to approve the freeze.

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