Local News Briefs Tuesday 6/16/15

One person was injured in a rollover accident on Highway 41 Southbound just north of West Johnson Street in Fond du Lac Sunday afternoon. The accident happened at 5:22 p.m. Fond du Lac Fire and Rescue officials say one man was taken to St. Agnes Hospital. Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s deputies and firefighters swept up glass and debris from the accident. Officials say traffic was pretty busy on Highway 41 at the time of the accident.

Traffic Enforcement Task Force Formed In FDL County

The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Department and Fond du Lac, North Fond du Lac, and Ripon Police Departments have formed a traffic enforcement task force. It’s funded by a grant from the state’s Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Safety. The departments will be cracking down on speeding, distracted driving, and impaired driving and other traffic offenses on I-41, U.S. Highway 151 and State Highway 23. It’s an effort to reduce the number of preventable traffic deaths to zero in Wisconsin.

Green Lake County Crime Of The Week Stolen Skid Loaders

Green Lake County Sheriff’s officials are looking for two skid loaders that were stolen from the southern part of the County early this month and last month. The first was a 1999 Bobcat that was white in color. The Model #773G and the serial number was #S17612398. It had two pallet forks attached at the time of the theft. The second was a 2008 Bobcat that was white with orange. It was a Model #S185, Serial #530360206. It had a 72 inch snow bucket on it at the time of theft. Both were taken from private farms. Anyone with information is asked to call the Green Lake County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-438-8436.

East First Street Closure

Fond du Lac’s Department of Public Works tells us about the eastbound lane closure on East 1st Street between Portland Street and Marr Street. It will begin Wednesday and will remain closed for approximately two weeks. Access to driveways and local businesses will remain open. The closure is due to contractor work being completed at 54 E 1st Street. The public is asked to find an alternative route during this time. A detour won’t be posted. 

FDL County Board Preview

The Fond du Lac County Board will hear a presentation tonight on the replacement study for the Fond du Lac County Highway garage. The County negotiated the purchase of 37 acres of property near the Highway 151 bypass and included that money in this year’s budget. The current garage is located on Dixie Street in Fond du Lac. The board will also hear a presentation on the county property tax foreclosure process. The board meets at 7 p.m. at the City-County Government Center in Fond du Lac.

FDL County Executives Office Announces Open House For Campbellsport Highway Garage

An open house and dedication for the new Fond du Lac County Campbellsport Highway Garage will be held on Saturday, June 27th.   The garage is a 17,500 square foot facility with a solar panel that powers the facility along with a 3,900 ton salt shed.  The open house will be held at the garage which is located at 284 Industrial Parkway in Campbellsport from 10:00 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. with the dedication program scheduled for 10:15.  The public is encouraged to view this new facility.

Senator Gudex On Transportation Project Borrowing

State Senator Rick Gudex says one of the biggest sticking points in the proposed state budget is a proposal to bond for $1.3 billion for transportation projects. He says the state is already paying a lot for its debt service. He says 19 cents of every dollar the state collects in revenue goes toward debt service and borrowing $1.3 billion would increase that to nearly 25 cents for every dollar. He says since the passing of a constitutional amendment last November preventing raids of the transportation fund people are more willing to see gas tax money go towards road projects. The state lawmaker from Fond du Lac says the more likely scenario would be to borrow $500 million and put $800 million in road projects on hold. He says in this area that would affect the Highway 23 expansion project. But he says that’s already on hold because of a federal lawsuit. He says he’d like to see the road expanded to four lanes, but might be in favor of delaying the project if it means the state borrowing less money.

Alternative Response To Child Abuse And Neglect

Fond du Lac County is one of nearly two-dozen counties in the state now using what’s called the Alternative Response to Child Protective Services. The County’s Social Services Department rolled out the Alternative Response on June 1st. Kay Mety Reinhard is a supervisor with Social Services. She says it’s a new practice addressing alleged child abuse and neglect. She says they work along side families on less-egregious forms of neglect. She says the more egregious cases would still be handled through a traditional response. She says the key is partnering with the families to work things out. She says their case load has grown over the past few years. She says part of that can be attributed to the parents’ alcohol and drug abuse issues. She says the opiate and heroin problem in the community has impacted their numbers significantly. You can read more about the new approach at the County’s website.

Waupun Schools Facility Study Beginning

The firm the Waupun School District hired to do a facilities study begins some of their groundwork this week. District Superintendent Tonya Gubin says they will begin visiting with principals on Wednesday. She says they will meet for about an hour to do an educational adequacy survey. She says the survey will cover a variety of use issues. She says that will include things like the flow of the kids, what parent pick up and drop off look like, and what does bus pick up and drop off look like. Gubin says in the fall the firm will be back to look at things like boilers, windows and more building-related issues. She says the school board has been very active in making sure buildings are up to par and even did a 10 year plan for buildings and grounds.