Local News Briefs Saturday 6/14/14

Fond du Lac County Clerk Lisa Freiberg says she was disappointed to hear this week that the state Attorney General was considering having county clerks who issued marriage licenses to same sex couples prosecuted. Freiberg says they got very little guidance from the state in the wake of a federal court decision striking down a ban on same sex marriage. Freiberg says after consulting with County Corporation Counsel Bill Bendt a decision was made to issue the licenses with a 5-day waiting period. Freiberg says as of Friday morning no same sex couple had recorded their marriage with the County’s Register of Deeds Office. 

Washington County Sheriff’s Deputy Saves Chase Suspect’s Life

A Washington County Sheriff’s deputy is being credited with saving the life of driver who only moments before was trying to elude the deputy during a high speed chase. Sheriff’s officials say it began as a call Thursday night about an erratic driver in West Bend. The Sheriff’s deputy located the suspect’s vehicle on Highway 33 but quickly lost sight of the suspect vehicle. The Deputy headed to Allenton and located the suspect vehicle, which was involved in a head-on collision with a pickup truck.  A fire had begun in the engine compartment of suspect vehicle. The Deputy cut the seatbelts of the driver and passenger of the suspect vehicle and was assisted by some bystanders in removing them from the vehicle.  The driver and passenger of the suspect vehicle were taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in West Bend with serious injuries.  The driver was later transferred to Froedtert Hospital via Flight for Life.  The pickup truck driver was taken to Aurora Medical Center in Hartford with minor injuries.

Three County Boat Pass Launched

Boaters on Lake Winnebago will have a much easier time navigating the boat launch system this summer, thanks to a three-county boat pass pilot project. Boaters who regularly access Lake Winnebago from Winnebago, Fond du Lac or Calumet county launches will only need to acquire one boat launch parking permit for 2014. The 2014 Annual 3-County Lake Winnebago Boat Landing Parking Permit will provide access in the 2014 season to boat docks at Osh-O-Nee, Asylum, Black Wolf, Highway 45 Wayside, Columbia, Brothertown, Stockbridge and Calumet County Park. The three-county permit costs $50.00 and is available for purchase at the Fond du Lac County Planning and Parks Department, Winnebago County Parks Office, Calumet County Parks Office and County Clerk’s Offices. The three-county permit is separate from both the Winnebago County Annual Parking Permit Program and the Multi-year Boat Trailer Parking Permit. Users are invited to give feedback on the three-county permit at www.WinnebagoWaterways.com

Fondy Food Pantry Helps With Student Meals During Summer School

Fond du Lac Schools Superintendent Jim Sebert says he’s grateful for a Fondy Food Pantry program. Sebert says during the school year a number of kids qualify for their free and reduced meals program. In fact according to state figures 42.6 percent of the students in the district qualified for those programs this past school year. He says those children might be going hungry otherwise given the financial means of their family. He says the Fondy Food Pantry supplies kids with meals who attend the district’s summer school program.

Bike Loop A Plus For The Community

Fond du Lac Convention and Visitors Bureau President Craig Molitor says the bike loop in Fond du Lac is a real plus for the community. He says it’s another positive thing they can promote to attract visitors to the community. He says it really didn’t take too much work to connect up the various trails or to promote it. Signage was recently put in guiding bicycle enthusiasts using the loop. Molitor says it compliments efforts like the Commonwealth Classic Bike Race that will be held in downtown Fond du Lac on Friday, June 27th.

Ripon RV Ordinance Changed

The Ripon Common Council this week approved a change to a City ordinance that will allow the “storage” of recreational vehicles for up to 24 hours on City streets. Ripon City Administrator Lori Rich says before RVs were restricted to parking on City streets for 6 hours. She says some residents had spoken to Council members about changing the ordinance so visitors to the City could park their RVs on City streets longer when visiting friends and relatives. She says the ordinance will be a little more visitor friendly. She says if people plan to have the RVs on the street for more than 24 hours they should contact the police department and let them know.

Browser’s Lab Thursdays This Summer At The FDL Public Library

Kids 6 to 12-years-old are invited to participate in a hands-on science program for four weeks this summer at the Fond du Lac Public Library. It’s called “Browser’s Lab” after the library’s mascot Browser and fits in with the summer reading program theme “Reading is Brain Food.” Youth Services Coordinator Sarah Newton says it will be fun, but will also be something kids can learn from. Sign up is the Monday before a program. You can sign your children up Monday for the first program “Color-Coded Science,” which will he held next Thursday at 1 p.m.