Dane County Odds and Ends

It appears that not even having one's own helicopter or stable of horses is a key to happiness and neighborly good will:

(From the CAPITOL TIMES)

Neighbor feud brings more criminal charges

Mike Miller — 1/22/2009 7:31 pm

Flying his helicopter over a neighbor's property has landed John F. Dohm in more trouble with the law.

Dohm, 54, was charged Thursday with misdemeanor bail jumping for allegedly flying the helicopter over the town of Oregon home of Dr. Robert Shillingstad, 44, on Dec. 29, 2008.

The neighbors have been at odds for some time, apparently over Dohm doing some landscape work that resulted in damage to Shillingstad's property.

Dohm was charged with disorderly conduct and bail jumping after an episode on Sept. 19, when he apparently went onto the Shillingstad property with a pellet gun and a thermos, then climbed into the tree house of the Shillingstad children.

Robert Shillingstad went out to investigate the incident, the criminal complaint in that case says, and saw the pellet gun and thermos on the ground while Dohm was in the tree house. He escorted Dohm off the property, while Dohm condemned him with a round of profanities, the complaint says.

Later Dohm filed a civil suit against Shillingstad.

Now Dohm stands charged with a second criminal misdemeanor for his helicopter journey.
According to the latest criminal complaint, Dohm was at the property of another neighbor, Linda Holmes, earlier in the day on Dec. 29 with his helicopter. Dohm would have to have flown over Shillingstad's property to get back home.

Dohm admitted to Dane County Sheriff's Deputy Michael Zach that he flew over Shillingstad's property twice that day. Both Shillingstad and a housekeeper said they saw Dohm's helicopter fly at a low altitude over the property. The helicopter spooked Shillingstad's horses, they said.
Dohm's previous criminal charge as well as the civil case he filed against Shillingstad are both pending, with the criminal case scheduled for trial in March.

Mike Miller — 1/22/2009 7:31 pm