Sunday State News Briefs: Sparta man arresedted in accident which killed his brother

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TOMAH - Three years after the crash that killed his brother, Monroe County deputies have arrested a 26-year old man.

The Sparta man faces tentative charges of homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle. The crash was investigated in 2009, but authorities couldn’t determine who was driving at the time. Investigators say they have been able to identify a suspect by using DNA evidence and witness statements. The suspect will make a court appearance tomorrow. Authorities say they think alcohol was a factor in the fatal crash in Cashton.

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The highway bill approved by Congress last week includes $719 million dollars for Wisconsin next year. The bill passed easily in the House and Senate last Friday by wide margins and with bipartisan support. Only Republicans Ron Johnson of Oshkosh in the Senate and Jim Sensenbrenner of Menomonee Falls in the House voted against the federal funding measure. Another Republican, Congressman Tom Petri of Fond du Lac, had voted against an earlier version of the bill, but he said this one contained a funding formula much better for Wisconsin. The two-year plan actually includes $1.44 billion dollars for this state.

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One of the two Union Grove village trustees voting against the purchase of seven iPads says they are an unnecessary expense during a bad economic period. By a 5-2 vote, the trustees approved spending four thousand dollars on the tablet computers. Trustees say they will use them to check village e-mail and read village documents. Data plans will be discussed next week and, if approved, the devices should be ordered by next month. One trustee says the average member of the board spends $400 to $500 dollars each year in printing, meaning the $400-dollar iPads will pay for themselves in the first year.

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