Local News Briefs Monday 6/8/15

The 27-year-old Fond du Lac man who allegedly entered unlocked homes while he was nude has been found competent to stand trial. Lucas Leffel is being held in the Fond du Lac County Jail on a $250,000 cash bond. According to the criminal complaint Leffel entered the homes on Fond du Lac’s southeast side to touch sleeping women for his own sexual gratification. He’s charged with four counts each of Burglary to a Dwelling and 2nd Degree Sexual Assault of an Unconscious Victim. The home entries on the southeast side of the City occurred last June, July and August. In one case the home was that of a police officer who chased him out and down a street before he got away. A plea and sentencing hearing is scheduled Thursday.

NFDL School Board Vacancy

During a special meeting Tuesday night the North Fond du Lac School Board will consider filling the vacancy created by the resignation of board member Ryan Pelot. Four people have applied for the seat. They they are Sherrie Degner, Diane Mand, Melissa Will and Ronald Margis. The board will interview each of them and select one of them to fill Pelot’s term, which runs until next April. The meeting is at 6 p.m. in the District Meeting Room.

DPI Head Says Coping With Funding Will Be A Struggle

The State Superintendent of Public Instruction says even though money was restored to the state budget for public schools there will be less money for schools over the next two years. Tony Evers says costs go up so even a zero percent increase means school districts will have to tighten their belts. He says districts like Fond du Lac still have to deal with cost increases for utilities, transportation and other areas. He says educational funding now has to be divided up between public schools, voucher and charter schools which means less for the public school districts. He says it will be a challenge for educators and students. He says there will be larger class sizes and fewer opportunities for kids to engage in technology moving forward.

Brown Bag Lunch Program Lauches 22^nd Season

The Fond du Lac Salvation Army’s Brown Bag Lunch program kicks off its 22nd season tomorrow. Director of Social Services Ron Jacobson says they are expected to provide 13,000 free lunches during the program that runs through August 27th. He says it fills a gap for students who qualify for the free and reduced lunch programs during the school year. He says their distribution on Tuesdays and Thursdays compliments other programs held during the week. Loaves and Fishes provide meals on Mondays and Wednesdays, and Broken Bread on Fridays. He says they appreciate the donations made by area businesses and agencies for the program. Jacobson says they also appreciate Barb Thill coordinating the packing and assembly over at least the last eight years. Distribution is at 11:15 Tuesdays and Thursdays at Lakeside Garden Apartments, Maplewood Commons and the Church of Peace, and 11:30 those days at the Salvation Army Community Center on North Macy Street. For more information call (920) 923-8220.

New Dodge County 911 Equipment Will Be Installed Over Next Few Months

In the next few months the Dodge County Sheriff’s Department will install new 911 equipment in its dispatch center. Sheriff Dale Schmidt says that will include equipment that allows dispatchers to send and receive text messages. He says after the equipment is installed dispatchers will learn how to use the equipment. He says the texting equipment will allow them to receive 911 messages from someone who can’t speak or doesn’t want to give away their location because they might be in imminent danger. He says it’s a feature they are looking forward to implementing.

Waupun Superintendent Enjoyed Trip To Japan

Waupun Schools Superintendent Tonya Gubin says she enjoyed being one of the chaperones for a group of eighth graders who recently took a trip to Japan. She says they have two sister schools in Japan and each fall the district hosts about 20 students from Japan. Recently Waupun students traveled to Japan. She says the first few days they saw some of the sites and after that the students paired up and stayed with host families. She says the 16 Waupun students go completely embedded in the culture of Japan for the 10 days they were there. She says they eat typical Japanese foods, attend classes and even gave a couple of performances. She says the kids learned a few Japanese words for the trip, but language isn’t a barrier for the kids whether they were in Japan or back home hosting Japanese students.

Back To School FDL Registration Underway

Back to School FDL, a one-day annual shopping opportunity for students needing help getting school supplies, will be held on Saturday, August 22 at the YMCA/Fond du Lac Boys and Girls Club site at West Second Street.  Registration application forms are now available at any of the four area agencies and paperwork will be accepted through August 7. To qualify, schedule an appointment to complete paperwork at one of the following agencies: The Salvation Army, 237 Macy Street, 923-8220; Big Brothers Big Sisters, 448 S. Military Road, 922-8200; Family Resource Center, 104 S. Main Street, 923-4110; or Solutions Center, 39 N. Sophia Street, 923-1743. Families are asked to bring along proof of residence in the form of a current utility bill, rent receipt, government or W-2 document, or driver’s license/ID and proof of household income in the form of current pay stub(s), bank statements, free or reduced lunch paperwork. Qualifying families will be assigned a specific time on August 22 for children to “shop” with a volunteer for school supplies. Donations to support the free distribution can be mailed to Back to School FDL, PO Box 1747 • Fond du Lac WI 54936-1747. All donors will receive a thank you note and a statement that their donation is tax deductible.

Forage Meeting Scheduled

The Dodge and Fond du Lac County Forage Councils will hold their annual joint Twilight Meeting later this month.  The event is open to all interested producers and Forage Council members and will feature a presentation titled “The Current Economic Status: Impact on Dairy and Forage Enterprises” by Vita Plus Dairy Development Manager Gary Sipiorski.  There is no charge for the meeting which will be held on Wednesday, June 17 beginning at 7 pm at the Clover Hills Dairy Farm LLC in Campbellsport.