Local News Briefs Friday 3/28/14

A Fond du Lac business was evacuated Thursday morning when a forklift operator hit a gas line inside a building. Fire Department officials say it happened at Foam Technologies on Trowbridge Drive just before 6:30 a.m. A small gas leak resulted from the accident. No was injured and the building was ventilated.

FDL Area Association Of Commerce Endorses Four For FDL City Council Seats

The Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce has endorsed all four incumbent City Council candidates. The Association of Commerce is recommending the election of Brian Foster, Lee Ann Lorrigan, Karyn Merkel and Gary Miller to the Fond du Lac City Council. Association of Commerce president and CEO Joe Reitemeier says, “These individuals have proven themselves to have the greatest understanding of the issues facing Fond du Lac, as well as what is needed to ensure the financial security and economic growth of this city.” There are four seats up for election on the Council Tuesday. The fifth candidate for one of those seats is former Councilman Mick Burroughs.

Senator Gudex Says Bill Doesn’t Suppress Voting

State Senator Rick Gudex of Fond du Lac says he doesn’t believe limiting in person absentee voting hours in the two weeks before an election disenfranchises voters. Gudex says he favors absentee voting, but it has changed from being an option for people who had legitimate reasons for not being able to vote on Election Day to one of convenience. He says unlike Milwaukee and Madison not all cities, towns and villages have the manpower to allow people to sign up during extended absentee voting hours. Gudex says that’s why a bill was created limiting absentee voting hours during the two weeks prior to election to weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Governor Walker signed the bill into law yesterday.

Nett Runs For Second Full Term On FDL School Board

Fond du Lac School Board member Julie Nett is seeking a second full-term on the board. Nett was originally appointed to the board in August of 2010 and the following spring won a 3-year term on the board. She says the board has tackled some tough challenges like Common Core, School Vouchers and Teacher and Staff compensation. She notes for the last three years the Fond du Lac School District has been among the Top 30 school districts in the area in terms of compensation. She says a new state law requiring students to take three math and three science classes before they graduate from high school is a good one and the district continues to make progress when it comes to state’s school report cards. Nett says serving on the school board gives her the opportunity to give bck to the community.

Future Of Oakfield School District On The Line With Referendum Vote

Voters in the Oakfield School District have an important decision to make Tuesday. The district is asking voters to allow the school district to exceed their revenue cap to cover operational expenses over the next six years. It amounts to $6.6 million or $1 million each of the first three years and $1.2 million in each of the three years after that. District Superintendent Sue Green says cuts have been made and anything else would compromise the education they can offer students. She says if the referendum fails it could put them in jeopardy of dissolving the district although they have enough funding left to operate for about another year. She says they are proud of the education they can offer the 500 or so students in the district. The tax impact would be an increase of $135 a year on a $100,000 home. More information about the referendum is available on the district’s website. 

Child ID Project Free Service Of FDL Sheriff’s And Police Department

The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Department is offering parents the opportunity to get their children photographed, fingerprinted and videotaped in case they should ever go missing. School Resource Deputy Dean Schelinske says each day in the U.S. about 2,000 kids goes missing. He says the free service they are offering uses the latest photographing, fingerprinting and video technology to record your child the way they are today. The information is then burned to a CD and given to you. He says they can also do the same thing for adults who might be suffering from Alzheimer’s or Dementia. Schelinske says they will be offering the service at some upcoming community events or you can have it done individually by contacting him at the Sheriff’s Department or Officer Steve Olson at the Fond du Lac Police Department.                       

Ballweg Listening Sessions

State Representative Joan Ballweg will be holding listening sessions in three area cities today. She will be at the Montello Municipal Building from 9 to 10 a.m., the Berlin Public Library from noon to 1 p.m., and Ripon College in Bear Auditorium from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. Ballweg represents the 41st State Assembly District.

UW-FDL Scholarship Deadline Extended

Next Friday is the new scholarship application deadline for new, transferring and continuing students who will be attending the University of Wisconsin-Fond du Lac for the 2014-2015 school year. The UW-Fond du Lac Foundation, which annually awards the scholarships, decided to extend the deadline to allow students more time to apply for the scholarships this year, said Executive Director Patty Brandl. There’s still plenty of time to register for the Fall 2014 semester. Students can apply for scholarships before enrolling, but must be registered for at least 12 credits to accept them. Attending UW-Fond du Lac is a good option for a low-cost, high-quality education. Tuition at UW-Fond du Lac is the lowest in the University of Wisconsin System and features low student-to-teacher ratios, top-notch faculty and guaranteed transfer to any four-year University of Wisconsin campuses throughout the state. UW-Fond du Lac offers courses that will apply to more than 250 majors.

Fundraiser For The FDL Humane Society Saturday Night

It’s a part Vegas, part New Orleans and all fundraiser! The Fond du Lac Humane Society’s “Pawsatively Mardi Paws Casino Night” will be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday night. Janet Haak of the Humane Society says it helps offset their operational budget and medical costs for treating the animals that are brought in. She says it costs several hundreds of thousands of dollars to run the shelter each year and they get about 2,000 animals at the shelter annually. Tickets for the event are $40 each and there is a variety of ways to get tickets by calling the shelter, through the Humane Society website or you can pay at the door. There will be casino games, raffles, live and silent auctions and more. WBAY News Anchor Bill Jartz is the emcee and auctioneer for the event. 

SAGES Celebrates National AG Week With Hands-On Opportunity

The Waupun School District’s SAGES Charter School will get a hands-on-look at area agriculture today. During the event at the School for Agricultural and Environmental Studies in Fox Lake 110 kindergarten through sixth grade students will experience some hands-on learning from 9:40 a.m. to 2:10 p.m. related to poultry production, animal nutrition, potatoes/produce, agriculture equipment/technology, sausage making and more. Afterwards they will head to the Culvers Restaurant in Waupun. The effort is part of the school’s participation in National Ag Week.

MPTC West Bend Campus Sponsors Blue Jeans & Board Games

Area residents can experience some fun via Moraine Park Technical College’s Blue Jeans & Board Games at the West Bend campus Saturday. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with games from 7 to 9 p.m. and a silent auction at 9. Dana Knebel is MPTC’s Foundation and Alumni Director. She says the giant games can be quite entertaining. Those participating in the games have a chance to win some nice prizes by earning raffle tickets for those prizes. She says they also have some items lined up for their silent auction. There will also be food and entertainment. The event is a fundraiser for the Moraine Park Foundation, which awards scholarships to students. Last year more than $185,000 was awarded to 190 students. The cost for Blue Jeans & Board Games is $20 per person or $35 for a pair.