KFIZ News Tuesday 1/17/17

State Representative Michael Schraa On Sex Offender Placement Legislation

State Representative Michael Schraa says he will be introducing legislation this session to clear up an issue with the placement of violent sex offenders. He says a bill during the last session talked about returning sex offenders to their county of origin. He says State Representative Mark Born introduced a bill and he offered an amendment to it that would have sent those offenders back to their county of origin. He says unfortunately when legislative counsel got a hold of the bill they changed one word, which allowed judges to get around placement issues. He says that’s why there have been issues with proposed placement of out-of-county violent sex offenders in the Town of Eldorado. He says his new bill would fix that problem. He says the bill will protect constituents, but also fulfill the constitutional duty to release those offenders.

Dodge County Ice Accidents

Dodge County Sheriff Dale Schmidt says his department responded to two separate incidents involving vehicles breaking through the ice on County lakes Sunday. A 20-year-old driver and 18-year-old passenger were able to get out of a car that broke through the ice on Lake Sinissippi. The two Washington County residents walked to shore where a family allowed them to stay in their home until help arrived. A few hours later a 55-year-old Fox Lake man went through the ice of Fox Lake with a pickup truck. The man and his dog were both able to escape the vehicle and sought help on shore. A Sheriff’s deputy arrested the man for his 5th drunken driving offense.

Four Taken To Hospital Following Beaver Dam House Fire

Authorities in Beaver Dam say four people had to be taken to a hospital with minor injuries after a weekend fire in the City. Among the injured was the homeowner Brett Hanson, two other residents of the home, and a firefighter. The fire at 215 Parallel Street was reported shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday morning. Both levels of the home were damaged by smoke and flames.

FDL County Board Preview

The Fond du Lac County Board tonight will be asked to approve the appointment of John Rickert to fill a vacancy on the board. Rickert is a Town of Taycheedah resident and will fill the seat Brenda Schneider left when she became County Treasurer. The Board will also be asked to appoint him to a committee assignment and approve appointing Supervisor Ken Depperman to the Finance Committee to fill the seat Schneider served on that committee. In closed session the board will discuss an economic development opportunity with the owners of the Retlaw Hotel. The meeting is at 6 p.m. at the City-County Government Center.

Residential Windows Damaged In Ripon

Ripon Police are looking for information about a person or persons that have been using a BB or Pellet gun to damage windows in local residences. During the first week of January the Ripon Police Department got several calls about damage to windows. Police say the damage appears to be random and in different areas of the City. Anyone with information is asked to call the police department at (920) 748-2888.

Winning Badger 5 Ticket In FDL

There was a Badger 5 winner in Fond du Lac Saturday night. State lottery officials say that winning ticket and another sold in Madison will split the $179,000 jackpot from that night. Officials did not say where the ticket was sold in Fond du Lac.

Elder Fraud Victimizes Thousands Of Wisconsin Residents

An administrator with the state’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection says elder fraud continues to be a concern to many consumer advocacy organizations. Frank Frassetto says a number of state and federal groups got together last month for a common ground conference. One of the panels reported on elder fraud. He says as many as 35,000 senior citizens may be victims of financial fraud each year and even more disheartening more than 60 percent of the perpetrators are family members. He says the number of victims might be higher because the victims are afraid to report the financial abuse. He says they may be afraid that reporting it will lead to a loss of independence. He says examples of elder fraud include the tech support scams, sweepstakes and prizes scams, home improvement and security, and romance scams.

Law Enforcement In Service Training A Success

The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s office last week hosted in-service training for 134 law enforcement officers from around the County. Sheriff’s Captain Ryan Waldschmidt says it is something the Fond du Lac County Law Enforcement Executive Committee offers. He says that way a number of topics can be covered in one setting. He says the District Attorney’s office gave officers an update on some of the changes in law. He says it included an update on the new drunken driving law. He says they also got information on domestic abuse, violent sex offender placements, and about dealing with those who have mental health issues. He says there were some significant changes to Wisconsin law concerning emergency detentions last July. Waldschmidt says every year officers have to receive 24 hours of training.

Smoke Alarm Initiative Would Place 13,000 Smoke Detectors In Wisconsin Homes

An official with the Wisconsin chapter of the American Red Cross says they will continue an initiative this year to supply smoke detectors to families that need them. Barb Behling says it was a nation wide initiative they launched more than a year ago. She says they send out three person teams to install the smoke detectors. She says one person installs it, one person trains the family on its use, and the third takes care of the documentation. Behling says unfortunately a lot of deaths in house fires can be attributed to the people having no warning of the fire. There were 40 fire deaths in Wisconsin last year.