State News

 6/15   Deputies responded to an altercation that occurred at a rural De Soto business, in the Town of Wheatland.  The caller reported three males had been in the business and pushed an employee and had also put their hands on them.  The investigation is ongoing.

6/15    A deputy responded to Wildcat State Mountain Park to assist a driver with gaining entry to their vehicle.  The vehicle owner’s dog was locked inside the vehicle. 

6/15    Deputies responded to a call reporting that a motorcycle had been stolen from a residence on County Road UU in the Town of Wheatland.  The motorcycle was found a short while later in Victory.  A male from Onalaska was arrested for Criminal Trespass to Dwelling, Drive or Operate Vehicle w/o Consent as well as other charges.

6/16    Damage to a bathroom on the boat landing side of Sidie Hollow Park was reported by park employees.  A sink was ripped from the wall in the men’s bathroom and resulted in an estimated $500 in damage.  The investigation continues.

6/16    A Vernon County Detention Center inmate with work-release privileges failed to return to jail after being allowed out for an approved appointment.  An arrest warrant was obtained. 

6/17    A Stoddard resident called to report a female lying along the roadway near Windwalker Trail off State Highway 35 in the Town of Bergen.  A deputy responded to the area but did not locate the female anywhere from Genoa to the county line.

6/18    Dispatch received a call regarding a kitchen fire at a business in the Village of Ontario.  The fire was quickly knocked down with the use of a fire extinguisher. It was reported that everyone was safely out of the building and no injuries were reported. Ontario Fire and EMS assisted at the scene.

6/19    Dispatch received a call from a homeowner regarding 5-6 milking cows in their yard. It was reported that the animals had been roaming the area of Runningen Court in the Town of Bergen for about a week.  The owner of the cows was identified and stated they would attempt to get the cows back on their property.

6/19    Dispatch received multiple calls regarding a motorcycle crash on County Road T in the Town of Kickapoo.  The motorcycle slid on gravel and went into the ditch.  The cyclist reported injuries and was transported to Vernon Health. Readstown Fire and EMS assisted at the scene.

IF YOU HAVE INFORMATION ON AN ABOVE CRIME, OR ANY CRIME, CALL THE VERNON COUNTY CRIME STOPPERS AT 608-637-8477 OR 1-800-657-6868 OR SUBMIT AN ONLINE TIP AT WWW.P3TIPS.COM 

Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), today announced counties and municipalities across the state received more than $108 million for General Transportation, Connecting Highway, and Expressway Policing Aids to help repair, maintain, and improve local roads and highways in every corner of Wisconsin. This announcement builds upon Gov. Evers’ efforts over the last six years to fix Wisconsin’s local roads and infrastructure to ensure the state has the 21st-century infrastructure that residents, businesses, and visitors depend on. Since 2019, the Evers Administration has improved or repaired more than 8,600 miles of road and 2,000 bridges statewide. Wisconsinites could drive from Wausau, Wisconsin, to San Diego, California, and back—twice—on the number of miles of roads fixed.

“Over the past six years, we’ve been working hard to fix the darn roads and repair more than 8,600 miles of road while investing in our state’s local roads and highways so folks can get from Point A to Point B safely and we can get product to market,” said Gov. Evers. “Fixing our roads and bridges must continue to be a top priority for our state, it’s why my budget plan makes the investments we need to continue our work building the 21st-century infrastructure Wisconsinites need and deserve.”

The 2023-25 budget signed by Gov. Evers provided a two percent increase in program funding for municipalities and counties in both calendar years 2024 and 2025—providing the highest level of funding in state history for the program. The governor’s 2025-27 Executive Budget continues this precedent with an additional three percent increase in the General Transportation Aids program in calendar years 2026 and 2027. Total funding for all WisDOT local programs, including General Transportation Aids, makes up almost one-third of the state’s transportation budget. For calendar year 2025, in total, local governments will receive more than $540 million in General Transportation Aids to support transportation-related projects over the course of the year.

“A safe and efficient transportation system starts with quality roads,” said WisDOT Secretary Kristina Boardman. “We are working with local leaders across Wisconsin to improve the first and last mile of everyone’s trip, whether it’s a school pickup or drop off, doctor’s office visit or grocery store run, we’re committed to delivering infrastructure improvements that impact safety and strengthen our economy.”

The second quarter payments, made on April 7, totaled $108,293,793.76 and included:

• General Transportation Aids – $103,779,044.68 to local units of government;
• Connecting Highway Aids – $4,258,774.08 to eligible municipalities; and
• Expressway Policing Aids – $255,975 to Milwaukee County

General Transportation Aids help cover the costs of constructing, maintaining, and operating roads and streets under local jurisdiction. Connecting Highway Aids reimburse municipalities for maintenance and traffic control of certain state highways within municipalities. Expressway Policing Aids help the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department with the costs of patrolling expressways within the county.

Quarterly payments for cities, villages, and towns are made in four installments on the first Monday in January, April, July, and October. County payments are made in three installments, with 25 percent of the total annual payment on the first Monday in January; 50 percent on the first Monday in July; and 25 percent on the first Monday in October.

A complete list of the second-quarter aid payments is available here.

A six-count indictment was unsealed today charging a Viroqua, Wisconsin, man for allegedly selling firearms and related parts without a license to buyers in Saudi Arabia, shipping the prohibited items, and then lying to federal inspectors about it.

According to allegations in the indictment, Mark John Buschman, 60, conducted an illegal export conspiracy for more than five years, lasting from about February 2019 to about December 2024. Buschman obtained firearms and firearms parts in the U.S. and advertised the items for sale on eBay and other online marketplace-style websites. When buyers in Saudi Arabia expressed interest in the items for sale, he agreed to sell and ship the items out of the country to them. Throughout the course of the conspiracy, Saudi Arabian-based buyers paid the defendant approximately $398,000.

Court documents indicate that serial numbers from some of the firearms and firearms parts were removed before he shipped the items. The defendant then prepared the items further before shipping them, by concealing the firearms and firearm parts inside of common household appliances and tools such as toasters, coffee makers, space heaters, fans, and landscaping edge trimmers. For example, the defendant concealed rifle barrels in items such as car axles, and smaller pistols inside of toasters. Using a fake return address, the defendant shipped the items through the U.S. Postal Service to freight forwarders, which are companies that specialize in the logistics of shipping items from one country to another. The defendant allegedly shipped the items to freight forwarding companies that operated out of Ohio, New Jersey, Oregon and elsewhere, without declaring that the shipments contained firearms and firearms parts.

Buschman is charged by indictment with conspiracy to smuggle goods from the United States; attempted smuggling of goods from the United States; transporting and shipping firearms with removed, obliterated, or altered serial numbers; mailing firearms as non-mailable prohibited items; unlawful dealing in firearms without a license; and making false statements to law enforcement.

If convicted on all counts, Buschman faces a penalty of 42 years in prison and fines of up to $1.5 million. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Cleveland Office, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Cleveland Office (of the Pittsburgh Division), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF). Elements of the Office of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) also assisted HSI.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Shepherd and Jerome J.  Teresinski for the Northern District of Ohio. Trial Attorney Christopher Cook of the Department’s National Security Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan of the Western District of Wisconsin U.S. Attorney’s Office, assisted during the investigation of this case.

An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.