Local News Briefs Friday 9/4/15

Governor Scott Walker Thursday announced a $333,334 project to purchase snow removal equipment as well as to design and construct a larger building to house the equipment at Fond du Lac County Airport. The funds will provide the airport with a new tractor for snow removal, replacing a piece of equipment that’s more than 20 years old. Additionally, funds will be used to construct a building that will house all of the airport’s maintenance equipment. The Federal Aviation Administration will be paying for nearly 90 percent of the project costs ($300,000) with the state and Fond du Lac County splitting the rest. Work on the project is expected to be completed by fall of 2016.

Friends Of McDermott Park Have Plans

They started out as a loosely-based group opposed to the Winnebago Lutheran Academy proposed lease of land in McDermott Park, but now that group is focusing on improving it. Nancy Sondergard of Friends of McDermott Park says McDermott Park because of its exposure on Johnson Street could be another jewel for the City with some improvements. To that end they’ve come up with a plan called Centennial McDermott 2022 in honor of the 100th anniversary of William McDermott donating land to the City for a park. She says they are still coming up with ideas for the plan, but a small amphitheater could draw people to the park. She says they would also like to add some pathways including one that would link up to the Fond du Lac bicycle loop. Sondergard says they will take their ideas to the Advisory Park Board at the end of October.  Hear the podcast.

Hwy 26 Citations During And After Construction

Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Captain Rick Olig says deputies issued about 400 citations between April 7th and last Friday when a section of Highway 26 under construction was reopened. Those citations went to people who went around the construction barricades. Olig says crews working on the highway needed to be safe. He says they ran into another problem when the highway was reopened. He says people were traveling at some pretty high speeds especially in the passing zones were speeds were 90 miles per hour or more. He says last weekend deputies had 32 traffic stops on Highway 26 and 30 of the drivers were cited.

Camera Upgrades For Portland Street Parking Ramp

The manager of Fond du Lac’s Information Technology Department says they will be upgrading the video cameras they use for security on the Portland Street parking ramp. Dave Zittlow says beyond the constant vandalism problems they are also concerned about people’s safety. He says there’s a lot of activity connected with it. He says they need a quick response if there is some type of assault or a life-threatening situation that develops on the ramp. He says they are starting out with the Portland Street ramp and will likely do something similar with the Macy Street ramp. The City will also be upgrading its video cameras at facilities like the police and fire departments, water and wastewater departments too.

Senator Stroebel Defends Expansion Of School Choice

State Senator Duey Stroebel says when it comes to school choice parents make responsible choices of where they will be sending their children to school.(He says Democrats continue to forget private school students are also Wisconsin children – and their parents are Wisconsin taxpayers also. Stroebel says he’s been in some of those private schools and they are viable choices to public schools. He says these schools are achieving positive results in literacy rates, graduation rates and college admittance. Stroebel was defending Republicans efforts to expand school choice.