Local News Briefs Monday 7/6/15

Fond du Lac County Executive Al Buechel says it’s just a matter of time before the County will have to do a jail expansion project. He says then county supervisors will have to give some thought to whether to bond for it or to keep the county sales tax going. He says they would need to put up a building on Western Avenue across the street from the Sheriff’s Office where employee parking currently is. He says a parking basement would be put into the Sheriff’s building to accommodate employee parking. He says inmate populations continue to grow with stricter sentencing guidelines and more crime. He says with the jail project they’d like to maintain close access to the courtrooms.

FCEDC Revolving Loan Fund Changes

The Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation (FCEDC) has made some changes to its Fond du Lac County Revolving Loan Fund program.  These funds are available to qualifying businesses located in Fond du Lac County, except for business that are located within the City of Fond du Lac limits which are funded by other loan sources.  Beginning this month businesses may qualify for rates as low as 1%.  Interest rates on these loans will begin at 4% and companies may qualify for a rate reduction based on factors that include: tenure of the business, credit risk of the business, and low to moderate income hiring levels.  The revolving loan funds are typically loaned out at the rate of a maximum of $20,000 per LMI individual hired but this amount may vary.  For manufacturing related loans, the loan amount may be at up to $50,000 per job.  For more information on the program and what services FCEDC may provide for you, call FCEDC at (920) 929-2928.          

Working Out Issues Over McDermott Park Proposal

Fond du Lac Public Works Director Jordan Skiff says a proposal by Winnebago Lutheran Academy to build two softball fields, a soccer and football practice field, and a parking lot in McDermott Park is on hold. He says it would obviously have advantages for the school but also the City if the City allowed WLA to lease the land. He says it would improve the not very laid out and not well drained fields and would improve parking for the public. He says quite a few people spoke against the project during a recent Advisory Park Board meeting. He says concerns were expressed about the parking lot and lighting, and loss of green space. He says the board asked City staff and WLA officials to get together to work on addressing those issues. He says the parking lot seemed to be the clearest hurdle.

Protecting Yourself Against Bats

Fond du Lac County Public Health Officer Kim Mueller says if you or your pets encounter bats this summer try and let the professionals handle them. She says they have a way of getting into your home so carefully inspect your residence for holes or gaps they might be able to crawl in through. She says if you do find bat droppings its one indication they are around your home. She says if you do find bats in your home or yard give the health department a call for some advice on how to protect yourself or your pets. She says if you do get bitten have a professional catch it for testing to see if it does have rabies. She says rabies is transmitted through a bat’s saliva. She says the last case human rabies case in Fond du Lac County was in 2010, although the best known case was the survival story of then teenage Jeanna Giese in Fond du Lac in 2004.  The Health Department’s phone number is (920) 929-3085.

BBB Official Advises Keeping Track Of Your Credit

An official with the northeast regional office of the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau advises people to carefully monitor their credit. Susan Bach says no matter how careful you are about identity theft at some point someone might be able to gain access to your personal information. She says it’s just a matter of time. She says the hacking of Anthem Insurance, Target and even the federal government are examples of how people could get a hold of your information. She says information could also come from your employer or even people you applied for jobs with it if they are hacked. She advises going to annual credit report.com to find out the status of your credit.

Rest Area Survey

It’s been over 30 years since Wisconsin has done a comprehensive review of the needs and trends impacting the state’s rest areas. Dan Mulder is head of the Department of Transportation’s Roadside Facilities Section. He says rest area customers will be surveyed over the next couple busy travel months to help the department better understand how and why travelers are using the state’s 30 rest areas. He says the surveys will take about five minutes to complete. A hard copy is available at rest areas that can be mailed in once they are completed, but Mulder says you can also take an online survey at the DOT web site. You can also scan the QR code on rest area posters with your smart phone. Mulder says Wisconsin’s rest areas play a vital role in public safety, providing about 17 million visitors each year a safe, convenient place to unwind and refresh.

State Fair App Available For Smart Phones

Wisconsin State Fair officials are excited to announce the Official 2015 Wisconsin State Fair mobile app for the second consecutive year. The app is FREE and available for download on the App Store and Google Play Store for mobile devices with iOS and Android operating systems. The Wisconsin State Fair app was created to help Fairgoers stay updated on entertainment, food, directions, events and more during the 2015 Wisconsin State Fair, presented by U.S. Cellular®, Thursday, August 6th through Sunday, August 16th. For more click here.