Wisconsin State Journal from Madison, Wisconsin • 3

scoNsn 'Tuesday, May 14, 2002 Wisconsin State Journal WI Digest led yoiwei TOIilSp Plan would cost $242 million, take 5 years to build "If Stoughton wants to have express bus service, let them contract for it," he said. Rodney Kreunen, the state railroad commissioner, called the plan "a fantasy." "We're never going to be able to compete with other metropolitan areas for federal dollars," he said. Kreunen suggested the committee cut costs to $25 million and then pay for it with state and local money. Madison Aid. Ken Golden, 10th District, committee co-chair, said a final proposal will be done by the end of June.

By Lisa Schuetz Wisconsin State Journal After paying $1 million to a consultant and spending more than two years on planning, the Transport 2020 oversight committee presented its draft regional transportation plan to the public Monday night. About 100 people, including Madison Mayor Sue Bauman and Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, attended the hourlong presentation at the Alliant Center given by consultant Stephanie Eiler of Parsons Brinckerhoff in Minneapolis. in a regional transit vision that includes future streetcar service and extensions of commuter rail service to oudying areas," said David Trowbridge, Transport 2020 project administrator. Half of the money for construction would come from the federal government, Eiler said. The rest would be split between state and local governments.

Operations, including running Madison Metro, would cost almost $40 million a year. After the presentation, some attendees voiced skepticism that the plan would work. "There is no service along the Beldine or Highway 51," said Madison resident Eric Goodman, adding that many poor people live near those highways. Jerry Bridgman of Madison argued that the plan wouldn't improve city congestion. He also opposed regional funding for transporting residents from oudying areas to Madison.

The plan Eiler outlined would cost $242 million and take five years to build if a high-speed rail system through Madison is not implemented. That price tag includes a park and ride system, express bus service to a few villages and cities outside Madison and startup of a commuter rail system taking riders through Madison from East Towne to Middleton near the Beldine from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. "This system is the first step JANESVILLE Suspect's bond reduced to signature Bond was reduced for a man charged with hiding a woman's corpse after it was learned that his co-defendant had written a note indicating he alone killed the woman. Christopher Beauleau, 33, is charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the April 2001 death of Donna Richardson, 47, of Janesville.

Her body was found across the street from an apartment occupied by Beauleau and David Tracy, 33. Tracy, charged with concealing a corpse, had told police he helped hide Richardson's body after Beauleau strangled her and then threatened to kill him if he didn't help. But Beauleau told police Tracy and Richardson were fighting when she suffered a seizure and later died. Rock County Assistant District Attorney Tom White said Beauleau passed a threatening note to Tracy in jail indicating Beauleau was solely responsible for the slaying. Tracy, who has been jailed on a $600 cash bond since last May, was released on a signature bond.

Tracy is scheduled in court Aug. 30 while Beauleau is scheduled for trial July 23. Painters find Body found in Lake Monona Muscoda morel festival is alive -r-- s- i "V- By Terry Morgan For the State Journal MUSCODA Residents of this Grant County community have rescued the local Morel Mushroom Festival, which ran the risk of being canceled after about 20 years. The festival takes place STEVE APPSWSJ Investigators look at the body of John Sebastian of Madison who was found Monday in Lake Monona near its south shore. Sebastian, 42, had been reported missing in November.

Foul play is not suspected, officials said. On the dock at 2410 Waunona Way are, from left, Deputy Randy Wiessinger and Sgt. Dave Ritter of the Dane County Sheriff's Office recreation patrol, Dane County Deputy Coroner Peter Thorpe and Sgt Lorie Wiessinger of the Sheriff's Office. this weekend, with most events on Saturday and Sunday. "It's a lot of work," said village Tourism Committee chairman Bob Korbas of organizing the event.

He said the Chamber of Commerce had originally run the festival. Another business group, the Civic Pride Organization, took over for a while. When the Civic Pride Organization decided not to run this year's festival, Korbas, a village trustee, stepped forward. Laura Faga, the village deputy clerk, said that calls about the festival have come from as far away as California and Florida. "People are actually planning their vacations around it," she said.

In southern Wisconsin, the edible morels are found in pastures and woodlands from late April through May. Morels for the festival are collected privately from hills around Muscoda and elsewhere. "People love those mushrooms," Korbas said. New events have been added to the festival this year, including helicopter rides, an antique tractor pull and a hovercraft demonstration north of town on the Wisconsin River. Along with sales of raw and sauteed morels, the event will include two days of craft and garage sales, fireworks Saturday evening and a parade Sunday at 2 p.m.

More information is available online at be in his late teens or early 20s, was about 5-foot-8, 103 pounds and had dark medium-length hair. He had a small tattoo of a blue dot on his left hand, and his right eyetooth was hooked. He was wearing dark pants, a black leather belt and shoes, and a blue-and-white-striped polo shirt with a yellow collar. He also was wearing a UW-Green Bay Phoenix basketball T-shirt on which MCC Champs '96 was printed. Officials at UW-Madison and UW-Green Bay have not been able to identify the man.

State Journal reporter Naomi R. Patton contributed to this report The fishermen went to a lake-front home to call police. Sebastian was identified by tattoos on one of his arms, said Sgt. Lorie Wiessinger of the Dane County Sheriffs Office. Monday's incident marks the second time this year that the body of a man has been found in the lake.

A diving instructor working with the Sheriffs Office dive team found a body in January under the ice in about 10 to 15 feet of water near Monona Terrace. No trauma was found, and an autopsy showed the man, whose identity is still a mystery, drowned. The man, who appeared to Officials said it is unclear how long Sebastian's body was in the water or what led to his death. Madison Police Sgt. Jim Dexheimer said Sebastian's blue 1989 Toyota Corolla station wagon was found on Nov.

29, with the keys in the ignition, behind Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1021 Spaight overlooking Lake Monona. The car was towed and destroyed after being unclaimed for several months. Sebastian was found at about 12:15 p.m., floating about 200 yards from shore, by two fishermen near the 2400 block of Waunona Way. He was identified as John Sebastian, who has been missing since November. By Barry Adams Police reporter The body of John Sebastian of Madison, missing since November, was found Monday in Lake Monona.

Sebastian, 42, was last seen before Thanksgiving. The cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy, conducted Monday, but foul play is not suspected, said Dane County Deputy Coroner Peter Thorpe. child pornography Painters doing some work in a vacant apartment last week found a box of photos showing a nude man with young girls, police said. Police arrested Thomas Hassinger, who was identified by the landlord as the former tenant. Hassinger, 40, was charged Monday in Rock County Circuit Court with possession of child pornography.

A criminal complaint alleges that the photos show Hassinger and the two girls, ages 8 and 9, in sexually graphic poses. Hassinger told police he was baby sitting for the girls last spring and they wanted to have their pictures taken that way, the complaint states. He was released on a signature bond and is due back in court May 29. Police find cameras; man is charged A 32-year-old Janesville man charged after police found an elaborate setup of secret cameras and videotaping equipment in his home pleaded guilty Monday in Rock County Circuit Court to possession of child pornography. Steven Palmer was charged in December after a teen-age girl found a pinhole camera hidden in a bedroom.

Police found other pinhole cameras and a videotape machine in the basement. Sentencing is scheduled for July 29. Palmer could get a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $40,000 fine. MILWAUKEE Show brings leads about missing girl Police received some leads after a national program broadcast the story of a missing 7-year-old girl, but Alexis Patterson was still missing. The crime fighting show "America's Most Wanted" on Saturday featured Alexis' story and led to some leads, said Capt Paul Stuhmer.

He declined to comment on whether any of the leads were promising. The girl has been missing since the morning of May 3, when her stepfather walked her to a crosswalk outside her elementary school. Police have set up a command post, sent investigators around the neighborhood and used divers to search nearby waterways. A team of around 100 volunteers is also searching for the girl on foot and bicycle, and volunteers have distributed posters to businesses around the city. WSJ staff and wire reports Freed sex offender may go back to jail, state says Children's deaths result in charges against mothers I Prpcc 1.

i i Press Associated a reduced charge of felony third- Two Brown County mothers have been charged with misdemeanor child neglect in separate incidents. Associated Press GREEN BAY Two Brown County mothers have been charged with misdemeanor child neglect following the deaths of their young children in separate incidents, court records said. A De Pere mother was accused nearly a year after her daughter was found dead in month-old Tianna Rupar was found dead at her home July 10. Investigators said the bedroom's temperature varied from 91 to 1 12 and the thermostat was turned past 90. The rest of the house was air-conditioned at 77, the complaint said.

In the other incident, Jennifer Heiser, 24, of Green Bay was charged Friday with child neglect, marijuana possession and possession of drug paraphernalia, all misdemeanors. Four-month-old Hunter Heiser died Jan. 12, a criminal complaint said. His mother told investigators she placed him in a crib about noon and checked on him 90 minutes later. When she checked at 4 p.m., she found him lying on his back, not breathing, the complaint said.

Several days earlier, the child had been diagnosed with a mucus plug, which affected his breathing, and had been prescribed two medications, the complaint said. The mother said the child had not received either of the drugs on the day he died, the complaint said. The baby was supposed to have each four times a day, the complaint said. degree sexual assault He was credited for time served and sentenced to five years of probation. The attorney general's office filed its appeal of the overturned conviction one business day too late on Aug.

18, 2001, instead of Aug. 17. Officials said they will ask an administrative law judge during a June 18 hearing to revoke Gogin's probation, which would send him back to jail to serve a 50-month sentence. Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher said the latest developments were good news for the victim. "I guess there is justice after all," Bucher said.

"But it still doesn't do much for the pain and suffering that the victim had to go through." Gogin, a church lector and religious education teacher, claimed in his 1999 trial that he and the 36-year-old woman had consensual sex. The woman said Gogin raped her. a bedroom where a heater thermostat had been turned as high as it would go in the middle of the summer, court records said. WAUKESHA A sex offender who was released from prison because the state attorney general's office missed an appeal deadline has violated his probation and may be sent back to jail, the state Department of Corrections said. The department said it moved to revoke Thomas Gogin's probation after discovering he had a firearm, knives, ammunition and sexually explicit material in his Delafield home.

Gogin, a 61 -year-old businessman, has been held in a Milwaukee County jail since a probation officer visited his home April 11 and found the banned materials, said Avery Gould, a DOC field supervisor. Gogin served 21 months of a seven-year prison term before a state appeals court overturned his conviction and sentence last July for falsely imprisoning and sexually assaulting a woman in August 1998. To avoid a second trial, Gogin pleaded no contest in December to A Green Bay mother was accused after her son died in January of sudden infant death syndrome and investigators found dirty, cluttered conditions in her home, including a baby bottle half full of a white liquid and green fungus growing on top of it Shannon C. Rupar, 20, of De Pere was charged in Brown County Circuit Court Friday with child neglect Also charged was her live-in boyfriend, Darell Smart, 21. According to a criminal complaint, 18-.