Milwaukee

Bus driver sentenced for abusing 9-year-old

A school bus driver caught on a hidden tape recorder threatening to beat a 9-year-old boy with Down syndrome was sentenced to six months in jail.

Brian Duchow, 29, pleaded guilty in May to one count of child abuse that intentionally caused great harm after a criminal complaint said he admitted slapping the boy and cursing at him on the bus.

Jacob Mutulo’s parents had placed a voice-activated tape recorder in their son’s backpack because of concerns about how the boy was behaving on the bus.

On the recording, Duchow can be heard telling the boy to “stop before I beat the living hell out of you,” among other threats.

California

Fire nearing vineyards

A 14,000-acre wildfire burned out of control Saturday in Sonoma County’s wine country, as another fire in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada destroyed 11 homes.

The fire, the largest burning in California, raced to within a few miles of vineyards by Saturday afternoon, and threatened as many as 200 homes.

“It’s blown up,” said Dana Cole, a division chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. “Right now we have no control on the head of the fire.”