Local News Briefs Thursday 7/25/13

The 59-year-old Campbellsport man who turned his dog loose on a teenager he suspected of stealing pills from him will be sentenced in Fond du Lac County Court this afternoon. In May a jury found Richard Lisko guilty of 1st degree reckless injury and false imprisonment charges in the August 31st attack on the 18-year-old son of Joel Kennedy at Lisko’s farm. When the teen arrived at his home that day with his father, Lisko punched the boy and when he fell to the floor had his pit bull attack him. Later the two strung him up from a wooden beam on the front porch and the dog continued to attack. When a neighbor later intervened the boy was let down and Sheriff’s Deputies were called.  Joel Kennedy was sentenced for his role in the incident Tuesday. He was given a year of conditional jail time and 18 years of probation.

 

Dog Attack Victim Wanted On Arrest Warrant

 

The victim of a vicious dog attack at a Campbellsport farm last August is himself facing some legal problems. Joel Kennedy Junior’s father was sentenced in Fond du Lac County Court Tuesday for his role in the attack. Assistant District Attorney Dennis Krueger mentioned the victim wasn’t in court for the sentencing in part because he was embarrassed by his father’s actions. But Joel Kennedy Senior’s lawyer, John Swimmer, said the reason was more likely that the younger Kennedy was facing a misdemeanor disorderly conduct by use of a dangerous weapon charge in Waukesha County and an arrest warrant had been issued for him. The incident the charge stems from happened three days before he was attacked by a dog at Richard Lisko’s farm in Campbellsport. The arrest warrant was issued after Joel Kennedy, Jr. failed to make a court appearance on the charge.

 

Slinger Man Hurt In Motorcycle Accident

 

Washington County authorities say an 18-year-old Slinger man was severely injured when he failed to stop at the intersection of Highways 33 and 144 and his motorcycle was hit by a vehicle last night. Witnesses told Sheriff’s deputies that the teen was northbound on Highway 144 and was struck by an eastbound car on Highway 33. He was ejected from the bike, but was wearing a helmet and eye protection. An ambulance took him to St. Joseph’s Hospital in West Bend and a Flight for Life helicopter flew him to Froedtert Hospital in Milwaukee. He had severe, but non-life threatening injuries. The 46-year-old West Bend man driving the car wasn’t hurt. The accident was reported just before 8:30 p.m. 

 

FDL City Council Notes

 

The Fond du Lac City Council last night approved a resolution asking the Department of Transportation to include a park and ride lot at the intersection of Highway 151 and County Highway V when they construct an interchange there. Public Works Director Jordan Skiff says eventually Camelot Drive will not connect up with Highway 151 and parking won’t be allowed on that street.

 

The Council unanimously approved a special use permit that will allow Con-Way Freight to install two 20,000 gallon above-ground diesel storage tanks at their facility in the Fox Ridge Industrial Park.

 

No one spoke during a public hearing on the Industrial Revenue Bond financing the City is sponsoring for the Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts Expansion.

 

City Council President Sam Meyer presented Frank Jozefowski of Festival Foods with a proclamation thanking Festival Foods for sponsoring the 4th of July fireworks at Lakeside Park. Meyer said they were breathtaking and patriotic. Jozefowski said it was “truly a pleasure to do this for the community that we value so much.”

 

Senator Baldwin Won’t Support Student Loan Deal

 

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-Senator Tammy Baldwin balks at supporting a student loan deal.  The Senate is set to vote on a bill which will mean lower rates now, but increases later, perhaps as soon as in the next two years. She says it fails to close tax loop holes, doesn’t ask the wealthy to pay their fair share, and burdens students who can least afford it with deficit reduction. Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat, says there were a number of amendments offered which deserved consideration. She says she’s disappointed that they have reached the point where debates about the future of college affordability are less about the lives of students and their families and more about protecting loopholes for corporations and the wealthy. The White House has been urging Senate action on the deal. Student loans rates effectively doubled on July 1st, to six-point-eight percent.

 

Unemployment Rates Up In June

 

Unemployment rates in the City of Fond du Lac and Fond du Lac County both jumped in June. According to state Department of Workforce Development figures the City’s jobless rate went from 7.5 percent in May to 8.2 percent in June and the County’s rose from 6.4 to 6.8 percent. The jobless figures for the City and County are slightly lower than last June. Unemployment rates in most Wisconsin cities and counties rose last month as more people entered the workforce.

 

FDL Chosen To Test Pilot LED Street Lights

 

Alliant Energy will be replacing approximately thirty streetlights in Fond du Lac over the next few weeks with light-emitting diode (LED) units as part of a pilot project to test the performance of LED technology. Once installed, the LED streetlights are expected to last longer and increase the lighting quality compared to the units now in use.  “We have chosen Fond du Lac as one of twenty Wisconsin communities where we will install and test LED streetlights,” said Kathy Leifer, Alliant Energy Key Account Manager. “We will monitor their energy usage, as well as the quality of light they emit, to see how they work under everyday traffic and weather conditions.” The new streetlights are being put in along Martin and Fond du Lac Avenues near the County Fairgrounds. The location was chosen to test the performance of the lights in a higher-traffic area and one that includes dense residential development. The current streetlights in Fond du Lac are high-pressure sodium streetlights. The majority of these lights feature a 100-watt or 150-watt equivalent, or class of bulb. The new LED streetlights are 80-watt units and tests of similar wattage bulbs have shown that they use considerably less electricity and produce a higher-quality light for the roadway.

 

West Nile Virus In Winnebago County

 

Winnebago County health officials say two dead crows were tested and found to have the West Nile virus. The virus is carried and transmitted by mosquitoes. A dead crow in Fond du Lac County found on July 10th also tested positive for the virus. The state also recently had its first human case of West Nile virus confirmed. That person lives in Dane County. Only 20 percent of those who get the virus display symptoms and only 1 percent become seriously ill. Symptoms include fever, headache, or rash.

 

Preparing For 2014 Elections

 

One thing you haven’t heard mentioned as much this year is elections, but Fond du Lac County Clerk Lisa Freiberg says that will change with an even-numbered year next year. She says in fact her office will begin preparations next month. All 25 County Board of supervisors are up for election next spring and nomination papers can be circulated starting December 1st. There are also a couple of elected County positions that voters will decide on in November of 2014. Those seats are for Sheriff and Clerk of Courts. She says there’s also a possibility of an Oakfield School referendum earlier in the year.

 

LaClare Farms Opens

 

Several parts of LaClare Farms new state-of-the-art 35,000 square foot farmstead dairy plant in Pipe are open to the public. Larry and Clara Hedrich of Chilton own the facility that includes a dairy plant, retail store and café, along with a milking parlor with housing for 600 milking goats. Larry Hedrich says the café will feature their award winning goat cheese. Their Evalon cheese won the U.S. Cheese Championships Best in Show award in 2011. He says it’s hard to keep that on the shelf. He says they’ve already gotten a lot of visitors to witness their milking operations. He says they milk at 6 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. They are located on the north edge of pipe at the corner of Highway 151 and Fond du Lac County Highway HH. The retail store offers specialty cheeses, craft beers, wines, other Wisconsin favorites and Kelley Country Creamery Ice Cream.

 

Marian University Ranked As A Good Return On Investment

 

AffordableCollegesOnline.org (ACO) has identified Marian University within the top 15 of the Greatest Lifetime Return on Investment (ROI) in Wisconsin Colleges list. Marian University ranks no. 12, and is rated among all public and private Wisconsin colleges and universities. “Marian University strives to offer a quality, affordable education option, and continues the legacy of success in assisting students in reaching their potential and achieving their personal and professional goals,” said Stacey Akey, vice president for enrollment management and marketing. ACO provides prospective college students and their families with information and resources to help them manage the cost of obtaining an education, and is the first website to offer comprehensive lists of “Most Affordable Colleges” in different categories.

The complete listing is available by clicking here.

http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/online-colleges/wisconsin/.