KFIZ News Saturday 12/31/16

Illness Limits Visitors At Oshkosh Prison

Visitors are not being allowed at the Oshkosh Correctional Institution due an increased number of inmate illnesses. Department of Corrections spokesman Tristan Cook says other operations are also being limited. Cook says movement throughout the institution is being curtailed to minimize contact between inmates and allow inmates to recover before resuming normal operations is part of the department’s effort to mitigate the spread of illness.

Milwaukee Man Who Threatened FDL County DA Bound Over For Trial

A 27-year-old Milwaukee man who threatened to kill the Fond du Lac County District Attorney has been bound over for trial in Milwaukee County Court. Michael Shea also allegedly told an official at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Milwaukee he was going blow up the Fond du Lac County Courthouse. The Milwaukee judge Thursday denied a motion to reduce Shea’s $5,000 cash bond, but ordered a competency hearing. Shea was allegedly upset with Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney who laughed when Shea’s competency was brought up during a hearing on a burglary charge. The threat was made to the VA Hospital official shortly after the Fond du Lac County Court appearance.  Shea will be back in Milwaukee County Court on January 30th to hear a doctor’s findings on his competency.

Area State Senators Will Chair Committees

Several State Senators from the area will be chairing or co-chairing committees during the upcoming legislative session. Senator Luther Olsen will chair the Education Committee. New State Senator Dan Feyen will chair the Economic Development, Commerce and Local Government Committee. Senator Duey Stroebel will chair the Government Operations, Technology and Consumer Protection Committee and Senator Devin LeMahieu will chair the Elections and Utilities Committee. State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald announced the appointments this week.

NFDL Would Benefit From Railroad Overpass On County Highway N

Although the Village of North Fond du Lac has no financial stake in a proposed railroad overpass over County Highway N, village officials would like to see it happen. Fond du Lac County has included the County’s share of its costs for the project in its five year capital improvements plan. It would be built north of North Fond du Lac and south of Van Dyne. North Fond du Lac Village Administrator Chuck Hornung says although the village isn’t expected to share in the costs it would benefit from the project because the railroad would be able to park trains on the overpass, which would lead to less blocking of crossings they need to get through for emergency calls. He says that would especially help in the Lakeshore area.

Candidate Supports Protecting Teachers In The Classroom

A candidate for State Superintendent of Schools says we have to better at supporting our teachers in the classroom. John Humphries says teachers are being physically assaulted in classrooms by some students. Humphries says he’s in favor of legislation State Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt is proposing that would help teachers with classroom discipline. Humphries says teachers need to get the reinforcement they need to have a classroom that is respectful. He says better decorum starts with expectations across the school, but also holding kids accountable for their behavior. Thiesfeldt is on Humphries campaign team.

MPTC Car Show

An automotive instructor at Moraine Park Technical College says he would like to see the MPTC Car Show return some day. Tim Moy says he helped implement the show and it went well for about 4 or 5 years, but he says there were a couple of reasons they discontinued the show. He says when a new addition was built at the Fond du Lac campus it put a crimp in where they had the show. He says they also didn’t get the student help they were hoping for in staging the show. He says the instructors where doing all the work organizing the show while the students were reaping the benefits. Moy says they also had issues with rainy weather for a couple of the shows.

Big Cheese Drop In Plymouth Tonight

The Plymouth Arts Center will host the 10th annual Big Cheese Drop tonight to welcome in 2017. To make the event more family friendly the Cheese will be dropped at 10 p.m. There will be music starting at 8:30 p.m. and free smores and pudgie pies at the bonfire from 9 to 10 p.m. Music will continue in the building until 12:30 a.m. with a free champagne toast at midnight and a free Cheese appetizer table donated by the Sartori Company.