Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

Published - Saturday, September 06, 2008

Head of Dane County 911 system resigning

MADISON (AP) — The head of the Dane County Public Safety Communications Center when a 911 call from a murder victim was mishandled resigned Friday.

County Executive Kathleen Falk issued a news release saying the center's director, Joe Norwick, will step down Sept. 19.

Falk praised Norwick for initiating upgrades in the 911 center and coordinating the establishment of a $30 million emergency radio center.

But Norwick also was in charge at the time University of Wisconsin-Madison student Brittany Zimmermann was slain in her off-campus apartment.

Authorities said a 911 call came in from Zimmermann's cell phone around the time she was attacked, but a dispatcher lost contact, didn't call back and didn't send police to investigate.

The murder remains unsolved.

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