Local News Briefs Tuesday 4/28/15

A 28-year-old Appleton man is dead and a 50-year-old Hilbert man injured after a car ran into a Calumet County street sweeper working on State Highway 114 Monday afternoon. The sweeper was following two graders repairing the gravel shoulder when the car ran into the rear of the sweeper. The driver of the Ford Fusion died at the scene. ThedaStar helicopter flew the highway worker to Theda Clark Regional Medical Center with critical injuries. The accident near Appleton was reported at 1:49 p.m.

Jury Finds FDL Not Guilty Of Sexual Assault Charges

A Fond du Lac County jury recently found a 67-year-old Fond du Lac man not guilty of sexual assault and child abuse charges. Last Friday the jury arrived at that decision in the case of Kenneth Kirchner. According to the criminal complaint he was accused of sexually assaulting the special needs daughters he had adopted. They had been sexually assaulted by their biological father and were removed from that home. The trial ran most of last week.

Teacher And Students Recognized At FDL SB Meeting

The Fond du Lac School Board recognized one teacher and five students during their meeting Monday. Waters Elementary School 1st grade teacher Kathy Parish was recognized as a Kohl Fellowship winner. District Superintendent Jim Sebert says she’s very enthusiastic about education and a good teacher. The board also recognized five Fond du Lac High School students who are receiving Academic Excellence Scholarships. Sebert says they are excellent students, but they have a lot of good students in the district. The students recognized at last night’s meeting were Sarah Amundson, Kelli Cole, Kenan Saleh, Madi Sass, and Zachary Zhou.

Unemployment Rates Holding Steady

The unemployment rate for the City and County of Fond du Lac remained virtually unchanged in March. According to federal labor statistics the jobless rate for the City held steady at 5 percent while the County’s rate dipped slightly to 4.8 percent. According to the state’s Department of Workforce Development those rates were more than a full percentage lower than in March of 2014.

Common School Fund

Public school districts across the state are sharing $35.5 million in Common School Funds. It’s the only state fund specifically designated to for the purchase of materials for school libraries. In Fond du Lac County the Fond du Lac School District received the most $267,250. Other County school districts receiving the funding are Campbellsport ($71,629), North Fond du Lac ($52,625), Oakfield ($17,871) Rosendale-Brandon ($33,940) Ripon ($65,498) and Waupun ($77,266).

Credit Card Scam

Credit card holders are being warned about a scam in which you may unwittingly give the scammer the key to using your credit card. Fond du Lac Police Officer Steve Olsen says it starts with a call in which the scammer poses as someone with the fraud department for your credit card company. They will tell you about a charge that you didn’t make and have you verify it for them. He says they already have your credit card numbers, but what they need is the three-digit security number on back of your card, which they will ask for to verify your card.  He says your credit card company would not ask you for that. He says the scammer will even give you their name and a phone number to call back, but don’t use that one. He recommends calling the one on the back of your credit card to make sure you’re not be scammed.

Senator Gudex On Historic Preservation Tax Credit

State Senator Rick Gudex recently offered an amendment to the proposed state budget that would remove a proposed $10 million total cap on the historic preservation tax credit. The state lawmaker from Fond du Lac says it takes a lot to renovate a historic building and the tax credit helps. He says during the last session the historic preservation tax credit generated economic development and construction jobs. He says over $300 million in projects was generated and it created 78,000 construction jobs. Gudex says no cap is needed for the credit because the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation is the gate keeper for the program and will temporarily pull the plug if there isn’t enough money for the tax credits.

Reservation Deadline Thursday For Night Of Solutions

Reservations are needed by Thursday if you plan to attend a fundraiser for the Solutions Center in Fond du Lac next month. A Night of Solutions will be held Thursday, May 14th at the Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts. Maggie McCullough of the Solutions Center says the event will be catered by a restaurant brand new to Fond du Lac 3 Guys and a Grill. George Koonce of Marian University and a former Green Bay Packer will be the featured speaker. Cocktails are at 5 p.m. with the dinner at 6:30 and the program at 7:30. She says the event it’s a great way to support the shelters and services of the Solutions Center. To make reservations call (920) 923-1743.

Byron And Lomira Groups Sponsor Highground Veterans Memorial Bus Trip

Seats are still available for the upcoming bus trip to Highground Veterans Memorial sponsored by the Byron Historical Society and Lomira American Legion Post.. The all-day event is on May 16th, Armed Forces Day, and is open to the public. Among the many program events scheduled during the day, the Bintzler-Waehler Post will be placing an honor stone at the site. The chartered bus will leave the parking lot at Lomira’s American Legion Post at 8:30 a.m. and return at 5:00 p.m. For reservations and more details about the day, contact Tom Kelroy at 920-539-7710 or Mike Bird at 920-420-1450. Highground is a veterans’ memorial park that pays tribute to military veterans, their service, and their sacrifices.