Local News Briefs Monday 1/27/14

A Wisconsin State Trooper was investigating a crash in Winnebago County late Sunday morning when he and his squad were hit by a second car. It happened just before noon on Highway 41 southbound at County Highway II near Menasha. The trooper was getting equipment from the trunk of his car when a car lost control and struck the trooper and rear of the squad car pinning him in between the vehicles. He was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries. The other driver wasn’t injured.

Beaver Dam Man Hurt In Hit And Run

Dodge County Sheriff’s officials are looking for a dark-colored sedan that struck a 33-year-old Beaver Dam man while he was walking on Madison Street early Sunday morning. The victim was taken to Beaver Dam Community Hospital and then transferred to the U-W Hospital in Madison with life-threatening injuries. A witness saw the accident that occurred around 2:30 a.m. The car came up from behind doing 40 to 45 miles per hour when it hit the man. There might be damage to the right front corner of the vehicle and windshield. Anyone with information should call the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department at 920-386-3726.

Meth Lab Suspect Bound Over

The 39-year-old Fond du Lac man arrested earlier this month after the discovery of a meth lab in the 200 block of North Lincoln Avenue has been bound over for trial. Peter Demmerle Jr. recently appeared in Fond du Lac County Court for a preliminary hearing.  During an arraignment he pled not guilty to two felonies, which included amphetamine trafficking. Thirty-year-old Jacob Tynan of Fond du Lac is also charged in connection with the meth lab and has a preliminary hearing on February 14th.

Name Of Man Found On Frozen Retention Pond Released

Beaver Dam authorities have released the name of the person found dead on a frozen retention pond last Tuesday. He was 51-year-old Robert Freund who was renting storage units in the area where his body was found. An autopsy was performed, but toxicology results are pending so the exact cause of death may take several weeks to determine. Police say hypothermia may have played a roll in Freund’s death, but they are still trying to determine why he was on the retention pond.

Senator Gudex Supports Legislation Combating Heroin Drug Deaths And Addiction

State Senator Rick Gudex says he basically supports a package of bills aimed at reducing Heroin deaths in the state. In 2013 Fond du Lac County submitted over 30 heroin-related cases to the state crime lab for testing, putting in the top 14 for the state. Gudex says he’s all for making sure drugs don’t rob kids of an opportunity to grow up and make a contribution to society. In particular he favors the “911 Good Samaritan” bill that grants limited immunity to a person who calls for help for someone who has overdosed. He believes the four bills will pass. The other three bills allow those who are properly trained to administer naloxone to counter the effects of an opiate overdose, another promotes safe drug disposal programs for prescription and over-the-counter medications, and another requires proper ID when picking up certain types of medications.

Teaming Up To Prevent Falls In The Home

The Fond du Lac Fire Department and the Aging and Disabilities Center are teaming up to help people who suffer falls in their homes. Division Chief of Fire Prevention Troy Haase says they respond to a number of calls a year in which a person has fallen and needs help getting up. He says they get about 150 calls a year. He says each time they go one of those calls they will give the person a pamphlet from the Aging and Disabilities Resource Center and the person will be given an option to sign up for a follow up home visit from the center for a safety inspection and tips. He says it’s hoped that this will help people stay in their homes longer and avoid having to be put in a nursing home and need assisted care. He says in return center employees that do the home visits will be asked to let the fire department if there are working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in the home.

Senator Leibham Wants To Eliminate Phone Tax

(WHBL-Sheboygan)-State Senator Joe Leibham of Sheboygan wants to eliminate a bogus phone tax and establish a fairer way to pay for emergency communications.  Leibham has introduced legislation to get rid of taxes on phone bills amounting to 35 to 75 cents per month per device which was supposed to fund 911 services.  Leibham says that money has been diverted to the state’s general fund, and he says that’s dishonest.  He would also get rid of a phone tax that counties can institute, which in Sheboygan County is 24 cents per month on a landline phone.  Instead, Leibham’s plan would institute a 40 cent monthly fee on all telecommunication devices to establish a statewide 911 emergency program.

MPTC Foundation Gourmet Dinner Will Feature Kentucky Derby Theme

The Moraine Park Foundation’s gourmet dinner this May will feature a Kentucky Derby theme. Dana Knebel MPTC’s director of college advancement says mint juleps will be served and food to match the theme. There will also be a wine cork-pull, silent auction and entertainment with money going to student scholarships. There will even be mock horse racing with raffle tickets going into buckets for the opportunity to win some nice prizes. She says anyone interested in purchasing tickets for the dinner should contact her at 924-3225. Corporate table sponsor and VIP corporate table sponsors are available for $800 and $1,000 respectively with individual tickets at $100. Culinary arts students will prepare and serve the meal. The gourmet dinner is scheduled for May 2nd.

Winter Takes Its Toll On Road Signs

A new report finds road signs along Wisconsin highways don’t come cheap. Road signs in Wisconsin are feeling some pain this time of year. Especially in the winter time the number of road signs being hit because of slippery road conditions increases. Matt Rauch of the state DOT says about 4,000 road signs have to be repaired or replaced each year in Wisconsin. The cost to motorists can range from $250 for a speed limit sign, to $10,000 for the biggest green signs along the Interstate. Rauch says insurance will usually cover the bill.