Local News Briefs Monday 5/11/15

Three people were hurt in a single-vehicle accident on Winnebago County Highway FF near County Highway E in the Town of Omro Sunday afternoon. Sheriff’s officials say two adults and a child were taken to area hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. The accident was reported at 1:30 p.m.

Sheboygan Strong Armed Robbery

Sheboygan Police say a man walked into a convenience store late Sunday morning assaulted a female clerk and robbed the store. It happened just before 11 a.m. at the Pig Store convenience store on North 15th Street. The suspect took money out of a safe and left the store. No weapon was displayed. The suspect was 5 foot 7 to 5 foot 10 inches tall. He was wearing a “NIKE” hooded sweatshirt and jeans. The hood of the sweatshirt was pulled up over a hat with a visor, possibly a baseball cap. Anyone with information should call Sheboygan Police at (920) 459-3333.

Trooper Will Be Remembered At FDL Ceremony

The Fond du Lac Police Department’s annual National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Ceremony will include a tribute to a state trooper killed in a shoot out with a bank robber in March. Trooper Trevor Casper died on March 24th after exchanging gunfire with Steven Snyder who also died in the gun battle. The ceremony will be at 2 p.m. Friday at the Police and Fire Memorial at Hamilton Park. Three Fond du Lac Police Officers have died over the years, the latest being Craig Birkholz who was killed during a standoff on March 20th, 2011.  You can read more about the history of the Memorial ceremony here at KFIZ.com.

Trestle Trail Shooting Survivor In Good Condition

The Neenah mother shot three timeson the Trestle Trail in Menasha is now in good condition at Theda Clark Regional Medical Center. Thirty-two-year-old Erin Stoffel helped get two of her children off the bridge after she was wounded. Her 33-year-old husband Jon and 11-year-old daughter Olivia were killed in the random shooting. Doctor Ray Georgen is the lead trauma surgeon at Theda Clark in Neenah. He says she did well with her final surgery. He says now it’s a matter of improving physically and dealing with the other issues from the tragedy, but so far, so good. Georgen says they’re getting Stoffel “up and around” and she’s working with physical therapists. He says she’s got “great spirit” and wonderful support from family and friends. Georgen says the family is very appreciative of the community’s support.

Arndt Street Bridge Closure

Fond du Lac’s Public Works Department tells us the Arndt Street Bridge between Satterlee Street and Lincoln Avenue is closed. The bridge will remain closed until after the temporary emergency repairs are made today. Additionally, Arndt Street between Brooke Street and Satterlee Street will be closed starting Thursday. The street will remain closed until Wednesday, May 20th. The closure is due to Canadian National making repairs to the railroad tracks. 

Landfill Encroachment Issue Tackled

Fond du Lac County officials are trying to work out an encroachment problem at a County landfill. The landfill is located along the west frontage road and Military Road in Fond du Lac. County Executive Al Buechel says the problem is Merz RV Center has some vehicles parked on landfill property and he says if they are parked their long enough they could lay claim to the property through adverse possession. He says it affects about an acre and a half, which is valued at about $187,000 given property values in the area. He says they are also concerned about a pile of stuff on the property also put there from the business. Buechel says County Planning and Parks Director Sam Tobias will try and work things out with the business owner. He says they have options including selling the land, renting it or having the businesses vehicles moved off the property.

State Representative Thiefeldt Introduces Opt Out Bill

State Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt has introduced legislation that would allow parent or guardians of children in grades 3 through 12 to opt out of statewide testing like the Badger Exam, the WKCE and ACT tests. He says there’s been confusion over the opt-out especially with the Badger Exam, which some districts interpreted only 4th, 8th and 9th through 11th graders could opt out of. He says he became aware of the problem through the plight of a 7th grader who tried to opt-out of testing in Fond du Lac and was eventually allowed to get out of. He says there’s been an opt out movement across the nation on tests associated with Common Core. Thiesfeldt’s bill would also provide to parents a comprehensive written summary describing all the formative and summative tests given to students. It would also remove the penalty on school report cards for districts that fail to test 95 percent of students. State Senator Duey Stroebel is the lead on the bill in the State Senate. 

YScreen Helps FDL County Youth

A mental health screening program has helped thousands of children in Fond du Lac County since its introduction in 2002. The YScreen program, formerly TeenScreen, has screened close to 9,000 youth in the County, and connected approximately 1,600 youth with services. Psychologist Matt Doll says those connected with the program have helped out a lot of youth getting those who needed help with depression, substance abuse issues or displayed early warning signs for suicide early intervention. He says it’s a confidential screening program available to high school freshman throughout the County. He says if there is a positive screening there’s an opportunity to continue with an interview with a mental health professional to see if there is a need for further treatment. He says they are working on screening tools for younger people possibly middle school students. He says there is a website available for accessing mental health resources in Fond du Lac County.

Salvation Army Open House Today

The public is invited to the Fond du Lac Salvation Army’s Open House today at their offices at 237 North Macy Street. It’s part of the their 125th anniversary celebration this year. Captain Steve Wilson says you can find out more about the services they provide and see their facilities. He says that includes the game room, fellowship hall and the food pantry. Captain Telinda Wilson says cake will be served and the first 100 people will get a brown bag lunch, which allows them to find out what they put in those bags for their brown bag lunch program. Captain Steve Wilson says they will also have some former officers on hand including Paul and Sue Moore who were with the Fond du Lac Salvation Army from 1988 to 1995. Hours for the open house are 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Stamp Show In FDL This Weekend

The 84th convention and exhibition of the Wisconsin Federation of Stamp Clubs will be held this Saturday and Sunday at the Retlaw Plaza Hotel in Fond du Lac. Hours for the show are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. The show is open to the public and admission is free. The show features 15 dealers, stamp exhibits, free stamp collection appraisals, free stamps and activities for youth and beginning collectors. There will also be hobby talks, a silent auction, door prizes, a U.S. Postal Service booth and special pictorial cancel commemorating Wisconsin’s circus heritage.