Dells business owners gearing up for busy season

Monday, May 14th, 2012, 6:53pm

Despite the recession and the slow economic comeback during the past few years, business owners in the Wisconsin Dells area largely say that 2011 was a surprisingly strong year for their attractions.

So how are they preparing for what they hope will be an even busier 2012? Business owners said that they're still hopeful.

As proprietors get ready for their money-making season, some are counting on veteran parks and attractions to continue their success, while some are rolling out new or largely untested ideas.

For example, the company that runs the original Wisconsin Ducks is in just its second year of a new spooky excursion called "Lost Voyage." Assistant manager Amanda Glime said it has been a challenge marketing the new spin-off.

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DOJ to focus on human trafficking at summit

Submitted by Channel3000 Web Staff

Sunday, April 29th, 2012, 11:33am

Wisconsin Department of Justice officials plan to focus on human trafficking at the agency's annual law enforcement summit in June.

The summit is scheduled to run from June 6 through June 8 at a Wisconsin Dells resort. The agenda includes human trafficking talks by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, detectives from the Milwaukee Area Human Trafficking Task Force and crime victim specialists.

Also on the agenda is a discussion of Wisconsin's concealed carry law.

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Police investigate Baraboo armed robbery

Submitted by Scott Beedy, Channel 3000 Community Editor

Thursday, April 26th, 2012, 4:05pm

Police investigate Baraboo armed robbery

Police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred at the Spin Shack in Baraboo on Thursday morning.

Authorities said a man walked into the Spin Shack on Third Street in Baraboo about 11:45 a.m.

He showed a gun and then left the store with an undisclosed amount of cash, police said.

The store clerk provided a description of the man to Sauk County dispatch, which relayed the information to officers.

A Baraboo Community Service Officer involved in parking enforcement in the area, recognized the suspect description and was able to provide a vehicle description and a direction of travel, police said.

Shortly after the description was given out, a Sauk County deputy saw a vehicle matching the description at a gas station in Merrimac.

The officer made contact with the man, later identified as Chase E. Thistle, 23, of Lodi.

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Teens learn dangers of texting while driving

Submitted by Channel3000 Web Staff

Wednesday, April 25th, 2012, 7:42pm

Hundreds of Wisconsin students are getting a lesson about the dangers of texting while driving.

More than 600 teens from across Wisconsin gathered this week in Wisconsin Dells for the Family Career and Community Leaders of America Summit, where they learned about the dangers of distracted driving.

Students from Oak Creek High School's FCCLA chapter created an interactive obstacle course. It includes traffic signals, pedestrians and a talkative passenger to demonstrate the dangers of distracted driving.

"It was very confusing. I tried to get it as perfect as possible, but it just wasn't possible," said Jackie Bedtka, of Stuben, one of the students who attempted to navigate the roadway on a bicycle while sending a text message.

As one student leader put it, the message is simple -- "there's no text worth dying over."

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800 teens to gather about texting, driving in Dells

Submitted by Channel3000 Web Staff

Monday, April 23rd, 2012, 2:25pm

Nearly 800 teens from throughout Wisconsin will gather in Wisconsin Dells this week to talk about the dangers of texting while driving.

Oak Creek High School students along with the Wisconsin State Patrol, the Wisconsin Family Career and Community Leaders of America and AT&T Wisconsin organized the first-ever "Teen State Summit."

The students were chosen last fall to participate in the National Teen Distracted Driving Summit in Washington, D.C., and then tasked with holding the meeting in 2012.

They hope to reinforce the message that text messages should wait until after driving.

The summit Tuesday will feature a documentary called "The Last Text" about lives altered or ended by texting and driving and an obstacle course presentation that demonstrates how difficult it is to text and drive.

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Bidding continues for Great Wolf Resorts

Submitted by Channel3000 Web Staff

Thursday, April 19th, 2012, 10:50am

The bidding war isn't over for Great Wolf Resorts and its 11 indoor water parks.

The Madison company said on Thursday KSL Capital Partners has increased its offer to $7.25 cash per share. The offer comes a day after an affiliate of Apollo Global Management, K-9 Acquisition, raised its bid from $6.75 to $7 a share.Apollo and KSL have been submitting escalating bids since Great Wolf went on the market.

A shareholder lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in Madison last month to prevent Great Wolf from being sold to Apollo for its initial offer of $5 a share, plus assumption of debt. The plaintiffs said the $5 a share offer was "woefully inadequate."

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1 killed in fatal crash in Sauk County

Submitted by Scott Beedy, Channel 3000 Community Editor

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012, 3:17pm

A driver was killed after losing control of his vehicle, crossing the center line and striking a pickup truck Tuesday night in the township of Dellona.

Sauk County Sheriff's Department officials said that Locksley Draves, 18, of Wisconsin Dells, drifted onto the gravel shoulder of Highway H near South Avenue at about 9:45 p.m.

Draves lost control of the car and struck a truck driven by Seth Murnane, 26, of Reedsburg, authorities said.

Draves was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from his vehicle, officials said. They said he suffered life-threatening injuries and was transported by helicopter to University of Wisconsin Hospital where he was pronounced dead as a result of the injuries sustained in this crash.

Murnane was wearing a seat belt and suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

The incident remains under investigation by the Sauk County Sheriff’s Department, but officials said alcohol was not a factor.

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