MARATHON CITY, WI (WSAU) -  Drivers can expect more lane closures starting Wednesday morning on Highway 29 in Marathon County.

Department of Transportation officials say pavement marking is underway at the work zone near Marathon City between Highway 107 and County Highway O. The temporary traffic paint needs to be reapplied so motorists can easily see it.

Motorists are reminded to drive with caution in the work zone and be alert for slow moving vehicles. Weather permitting, the traffic painting will be completed by the end of the day.

MARSHFIELD, WI (WSAU)  -  Marshfield Fire Chief Jim Schmidt will be retiring effective next summer. That surprise announcement was made by Fire and Police Commission president Randy Gershman at Tuesday night’s Common Council meeting.

According to Gershman, “The Fire and Police Commission would like to announce that we have received Fire Chief Jim Schmidt’s retirement notice effective July 1st, 2013. The Commission will place his retirement notice on the next Commission agenda for acceptance. Chief Schmidt has served the city for 31 years, and the last 6 years as our Fire Chief.”

Gershman added that the Commission is already working with the city’s Human Resources Department to start the process of recruitment to find a suitable replacement for Schmidt.

Marshfield’s new state-of-the-art fire station was developed and built under the watch of Chief Schmidt.

WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) -  

Little by little, Governor Scott Walker is letting out pieces of his proposed state budget. He is touring the state with Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen to announce several crime prevention initiatives and the money to support them.

When Van Hollen became Attorney General, he says he became aware of a huge problem with crimes against children being conducted over the Internet.

The Attorney General says crimes involving human trafficking also happen here in Wisconsin, and this budget gives them resources to help stop more of it.

One of the big changes proposed involves collecting DNA samples from suspects upon arrest instead of just upon conviction. Van Hollen says six million of the new budget will help collect and process about 68,000 DNA samples every year.  Van Hollen says DNA is the most definitive piece of evidence that has come along, ever... and samples will allow state and local law enforcement to solve more crimes while saving valuable time to protect citizens.

The Walker budget includes one million dollars to add five full time staff members to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, three million dollars to expand GPS tracking for people on restraining orders, and four million dollars for the Sexual Assault Victims Services to replace dollars that used to be collected from surcharges.

Governor Walker is also planning to move the Office of Justice Assistance from under the Governor’s leadership to the Department of Justice under the Attorney General.

ROTHSCHILD, Wis (WSAU) A man who was changing a tire on the shoulder of Highway 29 was struck by a passing vehicle.

Rothschild police say the vehicle was pulling over to help, when it came too close to the shoulder and hit the tire-changer on the side of the road.

The victim is hospitalized, but is expected to recover. No names have been released. Police are reviewing the case to see if any charges will be filed.

MADISON (WSAU) The former president and CEO of Manson Insurance was sentenced to 5-years in federal prison yesterday. 62-year-old Timothy Mathwich pled guilty last November to bank and insurance-fraud charges. When he's done serving his jail time, he'll be on extended supervision for another three years.

Mathwich and two other Manson employees forged more than $3-million worth of insurance financing notes in the names of their customers. Those notes were sold to River Valley Bank, with Mathwich and his accomplices keeping the money. The embezzlement scheme dates back to 2008. It was uncovered when River Valley Bank bought out Manson Insurance, and contacted the FBI. The Manson Insurance offices were raided by investigators, and computer files and other evidence were taken in 2010.

River Valley Bank was not involved in any wrongdoing.

WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (WSAU) - A Marshfield man will spend the next 6 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 13 year old girl at a party.

21-year-old Corey Sprouse was sentenced on Monday for second degree sexual assault of a child and two counts of felony bail jumping. According to the criminal complaint, Sprouse assaulted the girl at a party after making repeated advances. The girl woke up at the party to find Sprouse having intercourse with her.

At the time of the incident, Sprouse was already on probation in a previous sexual assault case. In that case, Sprouse was convicted of having sex with a 15 year old girl behind Marshfield High School.

Under the conditions of his conviction, Sprouse will have to register as a sex offender, will not be allowed to have contact with minor females, and will have to undergo treatment. He'll also spend 6 years on extended supervision once released.

PLOVER, WI (WSAU) -  About 240 customers were without natural gas service in Plover for several hours Wednesday. 

Wisconsin Public Service officials had to repair a broken gas line after a contractor damaged it at about 3:15 p.m.

Kelly Zagrzebski from WPS says the line was repaired and customers were back in service by 11:30 p.m. the break was near Ashwood Drive and Golden Road, which is a residential area north of Springville Pond in the Village of Plover.

TOWN OF MAINE, Wis (WSAU) Marathon County sheriffs deputies are on the scene of a triple-fatal accident on Highway K north of Wausau in the Town of Maine at Decator Drive.   It happened around 8:45 Thursday morning when a vehicle lost control and skidded into oncoming traffic.

The initial vehicle had a driver and three passengers inside. It was struck by an oncoming vehicle, occupied by a driver and a passenger.

The victims have been identified as 34-year-old Roy Kato, his wife 34-year-old Jenny Kato, and their son 13-year-old Joshua Kato. The driver of the second vehicle, Cliff Clendenning, is in critical condition. The 5-year-old daughter of the victims has been treated and released to relatives.

The three fatalities are the driver and two passengers from the initial vehicle. The fourth passenger and the other driver of the other vehicle were taken to Wausau Aspirus Hospital. Their conditions are not known. The victim’s names have not been released.

Poor weather and slippery road conditions are likely factors in the accident. The State Highway Patrol sent an accident reconstruction team to the scene. 

These are the first traffic fatalities in Marathon County in 2013.

WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) -  A member of the Wausau School Board is calling for the resignation of four fellow board members. 

Pat McKee says the candidate forum hosted by the Wausau Education Association Tuesday raised serious ethical issues. That’s because Board President Michelle Schaefer provided the planned questions in advance to the three incumbents, Theresa Miles, Jane Rusch, and Dale Lawson... but not to challenger Matt Young. When the issue was pointed out, WEA tossed out the questions and came up with new ones.

Schaefer believes McKee’s allegations are baseless, and questions his motives. McKee says he can’t think of a more unethical situation.

Board President Michelle Schaefer allegedly received the questions from a WEA member accidentally because she was on a mailing list, and she shared the information with three of the four candidates.

STEVENS POINT, WI (WSAU) -  Aspiring nurses can now get their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree through UW-Stevens Point. The UW Board of Regents approved the degree program last week, enabling the Stevens Point campus to offer in person, online, and hybrid courses for licensed registered nurses to take their education to the next level.

Sue Raab is the head of the School of Health Care Professions at UW-Stevens Point. She says, “In the last five years we have already had 100 pre-nursing degree students attending classes here, and we expect substantial growth with the new program.”

For more information, visit the BSN@Home program.

WESTON, WI (WSAU) -  Village of Weston officials are seeking input from residents to help them prepare for budget shortfalls in 2014.

The village is dealing with a deficit in excess of $800,000 this year, and Administrator Daniel Guild says they know 2014 will not be easy so they’re seeking input to help guide them on upcoming tough decisions.

The open letter to residents explaining their financial situation and a separate letter describing a satisfaction survey for the Village is on the Village of Weston website.

Open letter link

Satisfaction Survey link

CHICAGO, IL (WSAU) -  A Wausau area girl with a terminal illness had her wish come true Wednesday. Kayleigh Gurzynski is 5 1/2 years old and has a terminal and inoperable heart condition. She also has a love of music... especially songs by Lady Gaga.

Little Kayleigh wished she could meet the singing star. WIFC Radio personality Tony Waitekus made a few phone calls last year, and to everyone’s surprise, Lady Gaga’s management team contacted the Gurbynski family to arrange for Kayleigh’s wish at the Chicago show.

Just one problem. Waitekus says Lady Gaga’s tour was cancelled yesterday due to her own illness. “She can’t do the show due to joint pain. She can barely walk herself, and in spite of the fact that there’s no show, she made an effort to meet Kaylee. I’ve never seen that happen in my history of being in radio.”

It turned out Kayleigh Gurzynski was the only fan to see Lady Gaga in Chicago.

Waitekus compliments the singing star, because whether you appreciate the songs, or the outlandish costumes, Lady Gaga did the right thing. “It just goes to show that no matter what you say about some of these high-falutin artists, many of them do have huge hearts and put them to good use sometimes, and that happened here. She did the right thing, and she did it because she wanted to do it. I just can’t say enough about her for doing that.”

Lady Gaga has synovitis, or extreme inflammation of joints and a hip injury. Kayleigh Gurzynski has a hypoplastic left heart and Turner’s Syndrome. Kayleigh is already the longest living child with those conditions ever treated at Milwaukee Children’s Hospital.

MARSHFIELD (WSAU) - Marshfield’s school board meeting ended with a great deal of criticism after the district’s recent discovery of overpaying Superintendent Peg Geegan due to an accounting error. Questions still remain, and the board promised steps would be taken to prevent such things in the future.

The board failed to address the matter as an agenda item, but comments from residents like Marshfield businessman John Nikolai made it clear that it’s not being forgotten. According to Nikolai, “School district business director has provided conflicting information to numerous inquiries regarding district expenditures, and has told this taxpayer that the business director is not required to detail expenditures.”

When asked if he had a response to the public comments, school district business director Pat Saucerman declined comment.

Board president Tim Deets said that a plan for repayment of the superintendent’s overpayment should be worked out within the next 30 days.

By unanimous vote the board renewed the superintendent’s contract for another year, with “no substantial changes” according to Deets.

ANTIGO, Wis (WSAU) A former teacher from Antigo who was implicated in a marijuana distribution ring is in trouble with the law again. 46-year-old Mark Incha was cited for illegally operating his snowmobile too close to a state highway, and for refusing to take a breathalator test.

Incha plead no contest to a marijuana possession charge last September. He received a deferred sentence, meaning he'll serve no jail time if he stayed out of trouble.

The Langlade County DA's office says the snowmobile charges are not felonies or misdemeanors - only violations - and will not send Incha to jail. He will be cited for operating a snowmobile while intoxicated.

RHINELANDER, WI (WSAU) - A Three Lakes man accused of using hidden cameras to capture nude images has been sentenced.

81-year-old Elmer Goetsch made a plea bargain with prosecutors today in Oneida County Court. Under the agreement, he will serve 6 months in jail and three years on probation. Prosecutors say Goetsch recorded nude movies of interns working in his house.

In addition to the jail time, Goetsch will have to perform 200 hours of community service each year, pay court costs in the case, and write letters of apology to each of his victims.

RHINELANDER, WI (WXPR) - A former Rhinelander surgeon has been sentenced to 90 days in jail for possession of child pornography.

52 year old Bruce Jacobson could spend another 90 days in jail in Calumet county if the state thinks that would be needed.

Jacobson was arrested in 2011 after an investigation by state and county officials at his home. He had pled guilty to one charge of possessing child porn. 26 images were found in his home.

During sentencing in Oneida County Circuit Court, substitute Judge Jay Tlusty said Jacobson had done substantial work since his arrest to go into treatment for an addiction. He said Jacobson had no prior record was not a pedophile and was not a threat to the community. Tlusty ruled, “The court does believe that the three years of probation being recommended to the court is appropriate, and the court does adopt that joint recommendation. The court is going to withhold sentence, and place the defendant on probation for a period of three years.”

As one of seven conditions of probation, Jacobson was ordered to spend 90 days in jail, with a conditional additional 90 days. He also was forbidden to access the internet and must continue treatment and do 240 hours of community service. He will have to register as a sex offender.

WAUSAU, Wis (WSAU) Even though the project won't be eligible for federal funding, a Wausau committee voted to move forward with widening Thomas Street to four lanes. The city will have to cover all of the costs for the project.

The street maintenance and capital improvements committee said it can offset some of the costs by applying for federal dollars for other road projects, and then shifting those savings to Thomas Street. The Feds pulled block-grant funding because Wausau didn't follow the rules. People whose land was bought up weren't told they could appeal the purchase price and could get extra money to help them relocate.

The city still needs to acquire more land for the project. Construction wouldn't begin until 2015.

The committee turned down two less-expensive options. One was a three-lane road with additional turning lanes. The other was to widen only parts of Thomas Street, leaving the rest as a two-lane street. The committee's four-lane decision still needs city council approval.

DARLINGTON, WI  (WRN)  -  An Argyle man accused of setting a fire that killed three of his children and severely burned his pregnant wife has agreed to a plea deal.

The state Department of Justice says Armin Wand III pleaded guilty on Friday in Lafayette County circuit court to three counts of first degree intentional homicide, one count of attempted homicide, one count of arson, and one count of felony murder of an unborn child.

The Court dismissed but read-in two counts of attempted first degree intentional homicide.The charges stem from an arson fire Wand was accused of setting in September of last year, as part of a plot to kill his family and cash in on life insurance policies. The fire claimed the lives of three of his sons and severely burned his pregnant wife, who later lost the baby. Wand’s wife Sharon was able to rescue the couple’s two-year-old daughter.

There was discussion of having a Marathon County jury hear Wand's trial due to heavy publicity in southern Wisconsin, but that will not be necessary.

Wand’s brother Jeremy, who is accused of helping set the fire, is still facing charges. Armin Wand III will be sentenced on April 17th.

MIAMI, FLA (WSAU) A new document was made public Friday afternoon which indicates closer ties between Milwaukee Brewers’ slugger Ryan Braun and a Miami clinic suspected of selling performance-enhancing drugs.

E-S-P-N’s “Outside the Lines” show revealed a handwritten list of four players, including Braun, purportedly written by clinic founder Tony Bosch last April. The network cited a source saying the four received performance-enhancing drugs from Bosch and they owed him money. That list included Braun, Alex Rodriguez, Melky Cabrera and Francisco Cervelli. The list had the number 15-hundred beside it. E-S-P-N said it was the amount of money Braun owed Bosch.

“Outside the Lines” said the list is not definitive proof that Braun received or used P-E-D’s. Either would draw a new suspension. Braun was first tied to Bosch’s clinic in a recent Yahoo Sports report in which his name was on a different document that did not tie him to performance-enhancing drugs. At that time, Braun said the clinic owner wanted 20-to-30-thousand dollars as a consulting fee – and there had been a dispute over that fee.

Braun reported to spring training yesterday. And before the E-S-P-N report came out, Braun had refused to answer questions about his earlier statement on his dealings with Bosch.

Celebrity attorney Martin Singer of Los Angeles told E-S-P-N that Braun’s name is on the new documents only because Bosch was asked to be a consultant in Braun’s appeal from last year. Two attorneys who represented Braun in that appeal – David Cornwell and Chris Lyons – refused to comment.

Braun repeated that he would cooperate with any investigation into the matter. Major League Baseball is conducting a probe.

IOLA, WI (WSAU) An Oklahoma man has been bound over for trial in connection with a sexual assault case from 23 years ago. Glen Gouker was extradited to Wisconsin last week. He will face first-degree sexual assault charges in Waupaca County Circuit Court.

Prosecutors say Gouker sexually assault a woman who was 20 years old at the time in November 1990. The assault allegedly happened in a park in the village of Iola. Prosecutors say they used DNA evidence to link him to the attack.

He will be arraigned February 27th. Gouker is also listed as a person of interest in a double murder case which is more than 20 years old, but he hasn’t been charged in that one yet.