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Wind Lake man is arrested for allegedly punching and kicking a plow driver who
asked him to move his truck.TOWN OF NORWAY -- A report released by the Racine County Sheriff's Department describes the brutal beating of a snow plow driver simply because he was trying to do his job.
"You don't expect it, and you don't want to ever see it happen again," said Scott Laux, public works foreman. According to the sheriff's report, Laux was plowing roads just before noon on Christmas Eve when he got out of his vehicle and told a resident to move a truck parked on Church Street.
The sheriff's report says Daniel Lecus responded with an obscenity and "just started swinging."
The sheriff's report says Lecus punched Laux "in the face with a closed fist several times causing Scott to fall to the ground... kicked him several times in the head and torso... placed both hands around Scott's neck"... and said "I'm going to kill you." The report says the 24-year public works employee suffered contusions, cuts, a bite mark and a concussion.
The report says Lecus told officers "he pushed me so I pushed him back." The report says Lecus' sons told officers they saw the plow driver push their father.
The report says Laux denies pushing Lecus.
Because of this incident and past harassment of highway workers, Town of Norway chairwoman Jean Jacobson says she is working with a state legislator to pass a new law to make it a felony to assault a public works employee, as she says it is to assault a police officer, a fire fighter or a bus driver.
"There is no excuse for someone to attack a snow plow driver with such force as was done to Scott Laux," said Jacobson. The sheriff's department says Lecus was arrested and released on bond. The district attorney says he will make a decision about charges next week.
CBS 58 talks with victim's family
FARMINGTON -- Family members of a local volunteer firefighter
killed by an alleged drunk driver say they are grateful charges have finally
been filed against the suspect, about six weeks after the crash.
The victim's sister said she saw no remorse by Jason Jacobs as he was released
on a signature bond in Washington County Court Monday, after facing charges
he killed Tim McKee while driving drunk.
Tim's father Ken McKee still breaks down in tears as he remembers when his
boss relayed the news that his 25-year-old son had been killed in a car crash
on his way to work on November 14.
"It was tough, and every day just seems to be getting tougher for us,"
said Ken. Authorities say 34-year-old Jason Jacobs was traveling south on
Orchard Valley Road in his SUV when he went flying though a stop sign at County
Road H in Farmington and slammed into Tim's Saturn, killing him instantly.
The sheriff says three hours later Jacobs' blood measured .07 for alcohol,
but the lab said that means he would have been .11 at the time of the crash.
After a six-week investigation, authorities arrested Jacobs over the weekend
and charged him with homicide by intoxicated use of a motor vehicle. "I'm
mad," said the victim's wife, Jenni McKee. "I know accidents happen,
but it took away my whole life."
Jenni had just married Tim in October after a six-year courtship.
"I got to spend a wonderful month married to him, but I wish I had many
more. We had a lot of plans."
Tim's plans included teaming up with his dad to farm the land where he and
his bride just moved. He spent the night before his death harvesting corn.
"I worked with Tim on the farm morning and night. A son, a partner, a
buddy of mine is gone."
Tim's love of farming and tractors was matched only by his love for his family
and his fellow firefighters at the Fillmore
Fire Department, where he volunteered since he was 16.
"He was always here -- fundraisers, whatever he could do to help,"
said Fillmore Fire Chief Jeff Steinert.
Tim's devotion convinced his sister Melissa McKee to also volunteer for the
department.
"He liked to give and help people," said Melissa.
"Any parent would love to have a son like that," said Tim's mother,
Shirley McKee. The family has set up a scholarship fund to carry on Tim's
name.
Anyone interested in donating to the Tim McKee Memorial Scholarship Fund can
send a check to Keys Inc., P.O. Box 124, Kewaskum, WI 53040.
The tax-deductible donations can also be sent to Tim's uncle, Richard McKee,
8719 Hwy 144, Kewaskum, WI 53040.
For more information on the fund, Richard McKee can
be reached at 262-692-2920.
About 600 auto workers in Kenosha will get reduced
paychecks during the holidays.
KENOSHA -- Chrysler says the economy forced it to put the brakes
on production at all 30 of its manufacturing plants across the country for
one month beginning Friday.
Workers say they're not surprised. "It's a no-brainer when you see car
sales dropping every month. You better not be spending everything you're bringing
in," said electrician Kevin Ellis, who has worked at the Kenosha plant
for 15 years. Though he says his family is prepared, "They'll be a lot
of people that'll be pushed to the edge."
Union leaders say 600 hourly employees will get full holiday pay for two weeks
plus unemployment benefits equaling 85 percent of take-home pay for the other
two weeks.
"Will it be hard on people? It will take longer to get unemployment checks,
but most people have been living through this for a year," said United
Auto Workers Local 72 president Glenn Stark.
Chrysler blames the credit crunch for its latest decision, saying dealers
have lost up to 25% of their sales volume because buyers just can't get loans.
That's why the company says it has to slow production and conserve cash now.
Chrysler says it's nearing the minimum level of cash it needs to run operations
and will have trouble paying bills in January.
Despite a commitment from the union to cooperate with the automaker on cost-cutting
measures, many still think the temporary shut-down is a sign of a bumpy road
ahead for Chrysler.
Saturday's start to gun deer season seems unaffected
by sluggish economyRICHFIELD -- Gun deer season officially begins Saturday, but sporting goods stores are already making a killing on a hobby that doesn't seem phased by recession.
Wisconsin retailers are aiming for another profitable season and say hunters aren't letting anything steer their sights away from the prize -- including a sluggish economy.
"So far we haven't had any difficulties with matching last year's numbers or even exceeding last year's numbers," said Cabela's retail sales manager Josh Lind.
Hunters say dwindling 401-Ks and fears of job loss just don't matter when it comes to spending money on their passion.
Lind says the lower price of gas also helped keep this season on target. He says some hunters told him they would have adjusted their plans if gas had stayed at $4 a gallon.
"Instead of going all the way up north, they would've stayed closer and maybe used their shot guns more instead of their rifles," said Lind.
Despite the economy, Lind said Cabela's actually sold more than expected.
On Wednesday, the Richfield store sold out of most sizes of heavyweight blaze orange.
"Wisconsinites are always excellent at one thing -- deer season," declared Lind, who has worked for stores in other states.
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) says it sold more permits this year than last year.
"It's more of a family-oriented outing, and I suppose when times are tough some of those things are recession proof," said DNR wildlife biologist Brian Glenzinski.
The DNR is also enticing hunters to hit the road with new rules allowing them to take more bucks in many areas where the herd is overpopulated.
"In the CWD (chronic wasting disease) zone, it's unlimited earn-a-buck this year, which means you can shoot a buck for every antlerless deer you shoot," said Glenzinski.
The bucks are certainly flowing at businesses that depend on the $1 billion in revenue that's generated across the state from the annual nine-day tradition that refuses to be shot down by financial woes.