Local News Briefs Thursday 10/3/13

According to Fond du Lac Police reports an elderly Fond du Lac woman wasn’t injured when she drove through her garage at 144 Arvey Lane late Sunday morning. The 83-year-old woman told police she was entering her driveway and looked up to push the garage door opener and must have hit the wrong pedal. The car went through the closed garage door and back wall of the garage lodging in a hedge. She explained that she sometimes has difficulty driving when she wears large heeled shoes and was wearing them that morning.

Juneau Man Gets Jail Time For Drunken Driving Injury Crash

A 20-year old Juneau man was recently sentenced in Dodge County Court to 15 days in jail for injuring himself and a passenger in a drunken driving accident. Jacob Tillema told police he was playing with the car stereo when he put his car in a ditch last October in the Town of Lebanon. He admitted to having four or five beers. His vehicle crossed over two driveways before striking a utility pole. It came to rest on its roof next to a farm shed. All three occupants of the vehicle were taken to the hospital. Tillema and a 19-year-old passenger suffered cuts, scrapes and bruises to their arms and face. Tillema was also placed on probation for 18 months.

FDL Scott Street Bridge Lane Closures Monday And Tuesday

Fond du Lac’s Public Works Department informs us that lanes will be closed during repairs on the Scott Street Bridge that is over the Fond du Lac River, just west of Brooke Street. The lane closures will be next Monday and Tuesday. Late Monday morning, the northern half of the bridge will be closed and traffic both east and west bound will be restricted to one lane each. At 7 a.m. Tuesday morning the southern half of the bridge will be closed for repairs and traffic will be restricted to a single lane for east and west bound traffic. The bridge will be open to normal traffic by noon Tuesday.

Senator Johnson Limtied Staff During Shutdown

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson has chosen to operate his offices with limited staff during the government shutdown.  He will have one staff member in his Milwaukee office, one staff member in his Oshkosh office, and a few staff in the Washington D.C. office.  In the event constituents have an urgent need – Senator Johnson wants to make sure his staff can offer assistance. Members of Congress are allowed to delegate a number of their staff as essential to work during the shutdown.

Drug Court Funding Making Its Way Through Committee Process

Fond du Lac County is currently going through the process of accepting a $350,000 grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance to establish a drug court. Both the Finance Committee and Department of Community Programs Board have approved a resolution that will be sent to the County Board on October 22nd for approval. The three-year grant would help create a drug court coordinator. County Director of Administration Erin Gerred says the program is for adults and would provide more treatment. She says not everyone would be eligible for the program, there is an assessment process. She believes the program will be a success because it also requires participants to find jobs and change their lifestyle. She says if the County Board approves acceptance of the grant later this month it will take 6 to 8 weeks to find a drug court coordinator. She notes a committee has been putting together the drug court for nearly a year.

Two New Restaurants Will Be Constructed Near Forest Mall

Two new restaurants will be built out at the Forest Mall at the current Hardee’s Restaurant location in Fond du Lac. Fond du Lac Principal Planner Joellyn Dahlin says a Panera Bread and Hardees restaurants will each take up about 4,500 square feet. She says there are also plans for a 2,700 square foot building and an 8,800 square foot building that will have three tenants. She says site plans have been submitted yet that would give them a better indication of when the restaurants would be built. She says the Hardees is expected to be built first. The Panera restaurant construction may start next spring. She says the two restaurants are on the Board of Appeals agenda for next Monday afternoon. She says variance requests will be asked for on building setback, parking lot setback and signage requirements.

Old Glory Flight Veterans Allowed Access To National Memorials?

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-Veterans from World War Two and the Korean War could be in for a major disappointment because of the government shutdown. Old Glory Honor Flight is making a trip to Washington D-C on October 17th and if the shutdown continues the war memorials will be closed. Drew MacDonald is the group’s president. He says the veterans are really looking forward to the trip. He says it’s a last chance for some of the veterans who have been waiting for nearly 65 years. MacDonald says he’s hoping Congress can reach an agreement soon. MacDonald says they’ll make the trip whether the memorials are open…or not. The National Parks Service yesterday said the memorials are officially closed, but veterans on the Honor Flights will be allowed access to conduct First Amendment activities.

Beware Of Phony Listings

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-Buyer beware when it comes to online classified sales on sites like Craigslist. State officials are offering some tips to keep you safe. Consumer protection spokesman Jerad Albracht says one very common scam is listing fraudulent rentals. He says everything may look good, but when you dig into it you find it’s a fake listing that was pulled from a real estate website. If it seems too good to be true, it likely is. Albrecht says you should always make your transactions in person in a public place and never wire money to someone over an online deal.

Monroe Crossing Performance Tonight Benefits SHARDS

Irish and Bluegrass music tonight will benefit a Fond du Lac area non-profit group that helps people reclaim the broken pieces of their lives. Sister Deborah Walter says SHARDS was formed to provide free mental health to those who are uninsured or underinsured. A counselor and a nurse formed SHARDS about three years ago after seeing the need. She says they are currently helping more than 50 people in the area. She says they have two great bands that will be performing at Marian University’s Stayer Center. The Drowsy Maggies will perform in the lobby after the doors open at 6:15 p.m. and Monroe Crossing will play at 7 p.m. Refreshments will be available. Tickets are $20 each and are available at Wegner Office Supply in Fond du Lac. For more on the event click here.

Marian Students Win Rath Scholarship

Two Marian University students were awarded a $10,000 Rath Distinguished Scholarship for the 2013-14 academic year. The recipients include Andrea Fischer, senior nursing major from Chilton and Angela Vis, a senior English major from Campbellsport. Each year, two $10,000 scholarships are offered to students at each of the independent colleges and universities in Wisconsin. Duane Rath was a successful businessman from Wisconsin who pioneered higher education benefits to his employees. The Rath scholarship program recognizes students for academic achievement, community involvement and civic leadership.