Local News Briefs Thursday 3/23/16

Convicted Arsonist Sent Back To Jail

A 31-year-old Mount Horeb man convicted of arson in Fond du Lac County has been sentenced to 18 months in jail for failing to live up to terms of probation. Judge Dale English recently sentenced Jamie Schwartz to the jail term. In October of 2008 Schwartz was sentenced to 18 months in prison, 2 years of extended supervision and 6 years of probation. In June of 2007 he set a fire at Merz RV Center in Fond du Lac. The fire destroyed two RVs and damaged a pole shed.

Plymouth Woman Hurt In Accident

A 47-year-old Plymouth woman is facing drunken driving charges after an accident in the Town of Plymouth Tuesday morning. Investigators say she hit a mailbox on Pioneer Road and eventually went off the road where her vehicle went airborne and went through some trees. She was thrown from the vehicle and was flown to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee with serious injuries. She was cited for her third drunken driving offense and failure to wear a seatbelt.

Kewaskum Woman On Trial For Fatal FDL County Accident

A 27-year-old Kewaskum woman involved in a fatal Fond du Lac County traffic crash is on trial this week. Heather Cleveland is charged with homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle. She was heading west on June 25th of 2014 on Highway 23 in her SUV when she ran into the back of a pickup truck that was stopped to make a left turn onto Willow Road. The impact caused the pickup to travel into the eastbound lane and it collided head on with a vehicle driven by 63-year-old Linda Trotter of Ripon. Trotter died at the scene. Cleveland suffered some broken bones in the accident. The pickup driver was treated at the scene for minor injuries. Cleveland was texting on her phone minutes before the accident.

Oshkosh Muslims Condemn Brussels Attack

Oshkosh Muslims are condemning the terrorist attack in Brussels. Ahmed Khan is with the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. He says their community is openly condemning the terrorist act. He says they are calling it a barbaric act against innocent civilians. He says they stand behind the Belgium people and pray the perpetrators of the act are brought to justice swiftly. He says their community is involved in the True Islam national campaign. He says it has 11 points and the top point is no tolerance for terrorist acts of any kind. He says the Quran also categorically rejects and condemns terrorism.

FDL County Storm Ready

The National Weather Service recently recognized Fond du Lac County as a StormReady Community. The County successfully completed the requirements to get that designation including establishing a 24 hour warning point and emergency operation center. County Communications and Emergency Management Director Jim McNabb says right now however the last big snow storm of the season is on people’s minds. He recommends if conditions are bad; avoid traveling if you don’t have to. Next month will bring Severe Weather Awareness Week and simulated tornado drills. McNabb says they will actually have two drills on Thursday, April 14th. He says one drill will be during the early afternoon and the other at night.

NFDL School Board Hires Director Of Teaching And Learning

The North Fond du Lac School Board this week approved hiring Adam Broten as Director of Teaching and Learning. District Superintendent Aaron Sadoff says it’s a new position that will oversee all the educational components of learning including data, testing and curriculum for early learning through 5th grade. He says Adam Broten, the Bessie Allen Middle School Principal, was interested in the position. Sadoff says that opens up the Middle School principal position and they have 39 people who have already applied for it. Sadoff says he’s interested to see who their next middle school principal will be. Broten got a two-year contract as Director of Teaching and Learning.

Boelter Takes Interim Position As State Director Of Arc

The Executive Director of the Arc of Fond du Lac says his new role as Interim Director of the State Chapter is not something he wants to do permanently. David Boelter was asked by the Chief Executive Officer of the National Chapter, Peter Burns, to take the interim role. He says at the state level there has been a lack of political action in supporting their cause and mission, but more importantly in providing support for Arc chapters in the state. He says one of his roles in the interim will be to develop a strategic plan and really begin being much more responsive to the other 14 Arc chapters in the state in helping them grow. He says the state headquarters for Arc will be temporarily located to Fond du Lac to make his role easier, but he says their leadership team will also have a role in the process. The Arc provides services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Home Sales Down In February In FDL County

Sales of existing homes in Fond du Lac County dipped by 5 percent last month compared to February of 2015. According to the Wisconsin Realtors Association the median prices of a home in the County increased by 16 percent compared to the same time last year. Home sales in Fond du Lac County for the first two months of the year were only down by 1 percent. Statewide the WRA says home sales were up 4 percent last month and the price of those homes rose nearly 7 percent.

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Treffert Center Open House Next Month

Agnesian HealthCare will be hosting a public open house to showcase its Treffert Center facility next month. The open house will be on Sunday, April 10th from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the center at 371 E. 1st Street in Fond du Lac.  Participants will be able to tour the facility, meet the providers and staff, and also learn about Dr. Darold Treffert, a world-renowned autism and savant syndrome expert. The Treffert Center features the Treffert Library, Treffert Academy, and Agnesian Autism, Behavior and Communication Center.

Two Restaurants Helping Out Big Brothers Big Sisters

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Fond du Lac County has a couple of ongoing fundraisers. Today from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Casa del Tequila in Fond du Lac will be donating 10 percent of their sales to Big Brothers. Lisa Warntjes of Big Brothers says they will even have some of their staff and board members chip in and help from 5 to 8 p.m. Jennifer Smith of Big Brothers says Papa John’s Pizza this month is chipping in 20 percent of their sales to them if you use the right code when you order. She says the code is Big Bros Big Sis.