Local News Briefs Thursday 3/13/14

By a 5 to 2 vote the Fond du Lac City Council voted against approving a liquor license for a proposed night club at 239 West Scott Street. The vote last night came after the Council heard from one of the owners of the proposed Mexico Lindo Night Club. Addressing concerns about inexperience in running such an establishment Neptali Hernandez said they were going to hire an experienced manager and someone would train their security. He also said he had gotten certification for bartending. But the Council also had concerns about Hernandez omitting a drug conviction from his application. In 2002 felony drug delivery charges were dropped down to misdemeanor cocaine and marijuana possession charges. Hernandez said he made a mistake not including that on his application. He said he was working with a lawyer to have the charges expunged from his record because the conviction was over 10 years ago.

TIF 18 Project Plan Approved By FDL City Council

The Fond du Lac City Council last night unanimously approved the project plan for creating Tax Incremental Finance District 18. The new TIF will aid in the Holiday Inn project. The $10 million project includes the construction of a new Holiday Inn Express, and improvements to the current Holiday Inn including the expansion of its conference center. Community Development Director Wayne Rollin said once it’s operating the new hotel will generate enough tax increment to pay the City back for its development of the TIF.              

One Killed, One Injured In Winnebago County 3-Vehicle Crash

An Oshkosh man was killed and another man seriously injured in a three-vehicle accident on State Highway 76 at Winnebago County Highway G Wednesday afternoon. Sheriff’s officials say a 36-year-old Oshkosh man was slowing or stopping to make a turn onto County Highway G from northbound Highway 76 when his vehicle was struck from behind. His vehicle was pushed into the southbound lane where it was hit by another vehicle. He died at the scene and the 40-year-old Oshkosh man in the southbound vehicle was taken to Theda Clark Regional Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. The driver who rear-ended the turning vehicle suffered minor injuries, but wasn’t transported to a hospital. Alcohol was not involved in the accident. The accident was reported at 4:30 p.m.               

Horicon Man Sentenced For Thefts

The 49-year-old Horicon man who stole from two non-profit organizations will spend 10 days in jail and two years on probation. Guy Willett was sentenced this week in Dodge County Court for thefts from the Kekoskee-Williamstown Historical Society and for taking money belonging to a Kekoskee baseball concession stand. The historical society thefts involved the draining of checking and savings accounts of more than $2,500 and the $200 in baseball money was in a box kept in the home of a family member. Willett admitted blowing the money on cocaine. He was also ordered to pay $2,500 in restitution and perform 100 hours of community service.

Tax Roundtable In FDL Tonight

Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch and Revenue Secretary Rick Chandler will be in Fond du Lac tonight for a roundtable discussion on tax reform. The event will be held at the UW-Fond du Lac in Room 113 of the University Center from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Attendees will be welcome to provide comments on Wisconsin’s current tax climate and their ideas for tax reform. Kleefisch will also be a guest on the Morning Show this morning at 11:30 a.m.

Dodge County Town Hall Meeting On Drug Abuse

Dodge County authorities will hold a town hall meeting tonight on prescription drug and heroin abuse. Similar to the Heroin Summit in Fond du Lac this week the town hall meeting will have a panel of experts including physicians, a pharmacist, a drug recognition expert, district attorney, judge and local law enforcement as panelists. The meeting will be held at the Dodgeland School in Juneau and will get underway at 7 p.m. A question and answer session will be held at 8:30 p.m. The meeting is open to all parents and community members.

Pinning Ceremony For New FDL Police Officers This Afternoon

The Fond du Lac Police Department will have a “Pinning Ceremony” for three new officers this afternoon. The ceremony is a way to welcome Officers Jarid Pfalzgraf, Phil Gourdine and James Darnell to the department following their successful field training. The public is welcome to the ceremony that will be held at 5:30 p.m. in Meeting Room A at the Police Department on North Main Street.

Jump Start Program Expands In FDL Schools This Summer

Once again this summer elementary school students will be able to “Jump Start” there education just before school starts in the fall. District Superintendent Jim Sebert says it’s a way of combating the so-called “Summer Slide” students suffer who haven’t been engaged in learning activities during the summer. He says the “Jump Start” program is part of their summer school effort, but takes place in August. He says the program began at Chegwin Elementary School two years ago and expanded to three schools last summer. Those schools were Chegwin, Riverside and Parkside Elementary schools. Sebert says this year they hope to offer the “Jump Start” program in even more of their elementary schools.

Political Unrest In Ukraine Didn’t Effect Coverage Of Winter Olympics

A Wisconsin sports writer says despite the political unrest in the Ukraine covering the Winter Olympics in Sochi wasn’t too difficult. Gary D’Amato has covered 9 Olympics for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; four summer games and five winter games. He told Bob Hoffmaster on KFIZ’s Morning Show that security was tight, but not that bad. He says it wasn’t until the final days of the games that they began to become aware of what was going on in Kiev, but most television coverage there didn’t focus on the protests. D’Amato says he did become concerned about the flight home, which took him through Kiev, but the airport is Kiev is 30 miles away from the downtown area. He says the Russians did a pretty good job of hosting the Winter Olympics.

Baldwin Regional Rep In Waupun And Watertown Today

A regional representative for U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin will be holding office hours in Waupun and Watertown today. The office hours in Waupun will be at the public library from 10 to 11 a.m. and in Watertown at the public library from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Constituents will have the chance to meet with staff and request assistance with a federal agency or discuss other federal issues. No appointment is necessary.

Dine Out For Disaster This Month

The Red Cross will be getting a boost from diners later this month. The annual Dine Out For Disaster program will be held at participating restaurants on Thursday, March 27th. Lisa Stanchfield of the Fond du Lac office says it’s a nice way of replenishing funds they need to respond to disasters. She says generally participating restaurants that day donate a portion of their foods sales to the Red Cross. Participating restaurants in Fond du Lac will include the Backyard Grill and Bar, Boda’s, Friar Tucks, Gilles Frozen Custard, Salty’s, and Sebastian’s. March is Red C