Steven Schroeder says his back still hurts from injuries he got in a carnival ride accident in August, but he's doing much better and has returned to work.

"I still have some discomfort in my back and I'm still trying to build my muscles in my back up, which is why I'm still in physical therapy," Schroeder said. "But all in all, (I feel) pretty good."

Schroeder, of Verona, was thrown from a spinning Octopus ride after the tub he was in fell to the ground at the Price County Fair in Phillips. He sustained an exploded vertebra. His daughter, Mary, was also on the ride, but she was not seriously injured.

The accident occurred not long after a Menasha teen fell to her death in July on a thrill ride and after state officials announced they would review the state's amusement ride inspection program.

Schroeder, the technical director for the Overture Center for the Arts, said he wore a back brace until mid-November. He still undergoes physical therapy to repair the muscles that had atrophied, and he's not supposed to lift more than 20 pounds.

He returned to work part-time in October and has been working full-time since mid-December.

His health insurance provider has covered all of his medical bills, but he said he suspects the insurer will want to recover their costs. He has hired a lawyer, but has not filed a lawsuit over his injuries, he said.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission talked to him about the accident, he said, but he hasn't heard any results from their investigation.

Schroeder said he and his wife recently had a chance to buy into a time-share near Disney World in Orlando, Fla., but turned it down. His daughter said she wouldn't want to go on the rides near the theme park, he said.

Whatever happened to ... Look for Catching Up on Saturdays in the Local section. Send your ideas to: justaskus@madison.com; 608-252-6192; Just Ask Us, P.O. Box 8058, Madison, WI 53708.