Local News Briefs Friday 3/4/16

Motion To Withdraw Plea In FDL Shooting Denied

A Fond du Lac County judge this week denied the motion of a Fond du Lac man who shot another man in the leg. Judge Peter Grimm denied a motion made on behalf of James Tucker to withdraw his “guilty” plea to a 1st degree reckless injury charge. Judge Grimm last March sentenced Tucker to 11 years in prison. The 24-year-old Tucker based his motion on ineffective counsel, which did not sway the judge. He was seeking a trial.  The shooting incident happened at the Hometown Harbor Apartment complex on September 28th of 2014. The victim was taken to St. Agnes Hospital where he was treated and released.

FDL Sheriff Office Gets Two State Grants For Traffic Safety Enforcement

The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Office has received two state grants totaling $76,000 to make roadways in the County safe. A $36,000 grant will be used for seatbelt enforcement and a $40,000 grant will be used to provide extra patrols on Highway 23 east of Fond du Lac for traffic safety enforcement. The grant for Highway 23 enforcement is the continuation of a state grant. Both grants run through September 30th.

Baldwin Opioid Treatment Bill Voted Down

A bi-partisan measure introduced by US Senator Tammy Baldwin that would have provided emergency funding to deal with the nation’s opioid epidemic has been rejected by Senate Republicans. The funding plan was an amendment to the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act being considered by the Senate.  Baldwin says that Act doesn’t go far enough fast enough. She says it’s an epidemic and the current resources aren’t up to the job. Baldwin says treatment needs to be available for addicts when they are ready for it. She says when someone is motivated to seek treatment we need to make sure they aren’t put on a long waiting list or are told that there are no resources available to help with the treatment.

Wisconsin Primary Impact Questioned

Wisconsin’s Presidential Primary is set for April 5th. There is some question as to whether Badger state voters will have an impact at that point. State Senator Duey Stroebel is the Wisconsin coordinator for the Ted Cruz Presidential campaign. He says there’s not much 10 days before the Wisconsin primary or ten days after. He says Wisconsin really is on an island out there and there is a really good chance that there will be a big focus on Wisconsin given where the race is at today. In 2012, Mitt Romney’s Wisconsin primary win ended Rick Santorum’s race for the White House.

Ag Showcase Saturday In FDL

Fuel Up With Agriculture is the theme for Saturday’s Fond du Lac Agricultural Showcase. It will be held at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds Recreation Building. It in it’s 13th year and hours from this year’s show are from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Brenda Gudex is the director of agricultural programs for the Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce. She says one of the big appeals is the taste sampling that goes on. She says you can sample cheeses, sausages, beers and wines from Wisconsin. In addition to fueling up on food you can fuel your mind with different presentations and displays. Gudex says “The Cooking Mom” Amy Hanten will give demonstrations at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. and she is always a popular draw. Admission is just $3. Last year’s Ag Showcase drew over 2,500 people.

SAGES Community Open House Saturday

The Waupun School District’s SAGES charter school will have a community open house Saturday in Fox Lake. It will feature school tours, student presentations and more. Guided tours will be student-led. There will be hands-on learning activities like hearing from famous people in the SAGES Wax Museum. The community open house is from 9 a.m. to noon. The school is located at 200 South Depot Street in Fox Lake. SAGES is an acronym for School for Agricultural and Environmental Studies. More than 130 students attend the K-8 school.