Local News
Local News Briefs Monday 10/5/15
Grants Help Aggressive Driving And Drunken Driving Enforcement Efforts
Two state grants awarded to the Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Department will help catch aggressive and drunken motorists. Sheriff’s Captain Rick Olig says the department has received a $13,000 grant for an 11 week effort on Highway 23 East of Fond du Lac and a $68,000 OWI grant that runs through next September. He says both Fond du Lac and Sheboygan County Sheriff’s deputies will be patrolling a stretch of Highway 23 through part of December looking for aggressive drivers. He says they’ve seen more than 20 accidents on that stretch of highway through the first nine months of the year. He says two people were killed and 19 were injured in those crashes. The $68,000 grant will be used by Sheriff’s deputies and police departments from Fond du Lac, North Fond du Lac, Ripon and Waupun to catch impaired drivers. He says they hope to get additional grants to continue those extra patrols in the future.
Time With UW FDL Coming To An End For Dean John Short
Dr. John Short’s time as UW-Fond du Lac Dean will be ending soon with the selection of a new Northeast Regional Executive Officer and Dean. Martin Rudd the UW-Fox Valley CEO and Dean will take over that role on January 1st and Short’s position will end the day before that. Short says he is tenured in political science and is working with the UW-System to create a new position. But he says that could be anywhere in the UW-System and it would be a full-time teaching position. Short says he likes teaching, but will look at other opportunities as well. He says that might be anywhere in the country for positions he finds interesting or might be a good fit for. Short remains upbeat about his time in Fond du Lac saying the campus is a great resource for the community. He has been very active in the community as well recently serving as chair of the Lakeside Park Exploratory Committee.
Grothman Says Walker Needs To Rebuild Public Trust
Congressman Glenn Grothman says Governor Scott Walker’s run for president probably did affect his approval rating among likely voters in the state. A recent Marquette Law School poll put it at 37 percent. Grothman says when he does have a chance to talk with Walker he will advise him to rebuild the trust state residents have in him. Grothman says state residents may feel the Governor to some extent abandoned some of his duties during the presidential run. He says people feel if you run for governor you should devote all of your time to it. Grothman says it’s too early yet to determine if Walker has a solid shot at a third term as governor. He says Walker needs to work hard, get a good budget through and then see what the public thinks about a third term.
Survey Cost Included In NFDL Schools Budget
North Fond du Lac School District officials have included $10,000 in their budget for a facilities needs survey. District Superintendent Aaron Sadoff says it is part of their long-range facilities planning process. He says they are working with Bill Foster of Slinger who works for School Perceptions who are well know for their work on facilities planning. He says the survey will be conducted with stakeholders throughout the school district next February or March. He says they will ask things like what do you expect out of the school district? He says they have some building needs and investing in them would improve the schools and make them more cost efficient. He says if they do make some improvements the debt on the high school will soon be retired so the tax impact on the community might not be as great.
Waupun Facility Presentation Tonight
The Waupun School Board and district officials will learn the findings of a Facility Study during a meeting tonight. The meeting will be held at the Rock River Intermediate School in Waupun at 7 p.m. No action will be taken on the study during the special meeting.
United Way Board Member Enjoys Role
The vice president of the Fond du Lac Area United Way Board of Directors says he’s enjoying his time on the board. Marty Chy has been with the board since June of 2013. During the day he’s the store manager of Festival Foods in Fond du Lac. Chy says Festival has a philosophy of giving back to the community so helping the United Way fits right in with that. Chy says the United Way has found an appropriate way to use his skills. He says he serves on the Board’s Marketing and Fundraising Committee. He says it’s been fun to be involved in things like the brochure, videos and campaigns. He says one of their most important roles comes during Allocation Day when they decide which agencies get funding and how much. He likens it to the NFL Draft in the way they prepare for it.
Waupun Community Services Open House
The City of Waupun is hosting a Community Services Open House tonight at the Fire Station. Fire Chief B. J. Demaa says it’s in honor of Fire Prevention and Public Power Week. He says it will involve the police and fire departments, Life Star Ambulance, public works, and Waupun utilities. Hours for the event are from 5 to 8 p.m. He says as part of the activities the Fire Department will conduct a side-by-side burn with 8 foot rooms, one without a residential sprinkler and one with. There will also be prize drawings and demonstrations. Demaa says it’s a good way to be introduced to the services City workers provide.