KFIZ News Wednesday 8/24/16

One Injured In Interstate 41 Roll Over

One person was seriously hurt in a roll over crash on I-41 northbound south of Fond du Lac County Highway N Monday afternoon. State Patrol officials say a vehicle blew a rear tire and veered into the right ditch and rolled over. The driver was flown to ThedaCare Regional Medical Center in Neenah. Four others were in the vehicle, but refused medical transport. None of them were wearing seatbelts. All five are from the Menasha area. The accident happened about 2:20 that afternoon.

FDL City Council Preview

The Fond du Lac City Council will get its interim report from the Downtown Exploratory Committee tonight. Committee Chairperson Sam Meyer will deliver that report. The Council will also consider approving special use permits for student housing at the UW-Fond du Lac and to improve Herr-Baker Field to bring a Northwoods League team to town. There will also be updates on the 2017 Budget needs of the Community Development and Information Technology Departments. The Council meets at 6 p.m. at the City-County Government Center.

Consultant Finalists For Merger Study Being Interviewed Today

Three consultants will be interviewed today with the successful consultant being asked to develop a feasibility study on the possibility of merging the Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation and Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce. County Executive Al Buechel says after Joe Reitemeier retired as head of the Association they looked at a possible merger or developing a memorandum of understanding to eliminate duplication of efforts. He says that went nowhere. He says after six weeks he suggested bringing in a consultant. He says if they abide by what the consultant comes up with it will still take time to recruit a leader either to lead the chamber as it is today or the new entity they would come up with. He says that will take at least 6 to 8 months. Buechel says even with a merger there would still essentially be two organizations because you would still need the mechanism in place for the FCEDC’s revolving loan fund.

Ripon Common Council Approves Request For Right Turn Lane

The Ripon Common Council this week approved a request from Alliance Laundry Systems to add a right turn lane on the corner of Vermont and Oshkosh Streets. City Administrator Lori Rich says truck traffic will change with construction of Alliance’s new distribution center in the Business Park. She says that lane will help with trucks exiting off Vermont Street that need to make a wider turn. The cost of adding the right turn lane will be $50,000, which will be funded by the Tax Incremental District the City created to help with the warehouse project.

Former Lomira Man Arraigned On Child Abuse Charge

A former Lomira man accused of abusing a three-month-old infant was arraigned in Dodge County court this week. Forty-two-year-old Andrew Freeman of Milwaukee pled “not guilty” to charges stemming from an incident last October. He is suspected of breaking one of the infant’s legs and bruising the baby’s face and tongue. The baby’s mother entrusted him with the infant when she left for work that day. The baby was taken to a local hospital and then flown to Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee. Freeman denies having any physical contact with the baby.

Jackson Police Officer Restored To Duty After Fatal Shooting Investigation

The state’s Division of Criminal Investigation found a Village of Jackson Police officer was justified in his use of deadly force during a domestic disturbance last month. Officer Kyle Henning shot and killed Helmut Wihowski who was trying to slash his girlfriend with a large kitchen knife. Wihowski wouldn’t comply with orders to drop the knife. Henning was one of four officers who responded to a home on Stonewall Drive that day. Henning was on administrative leave during the investigation.

Back To School Safety Reminders

The Division Chief of Fire Prevention for Fond du Lac Fire and Rescue says with kids returning to school it is time to keep some safety tips in mind. Troy Haase says drivers are going to have to get used to school buses and kids walking or bicycling to school again. He says it’s also a good idea to make sure appliances are off before you or you kids take off for work and school, whether you are talking about a fan or a kitchen appliance. He says a fire several years ago likely started that way. He says it happened just a couple blocks from the KFIZ studios. Students return for classes at some of Fond du Lac’s parochial schools today.