Local News Briefs Tuesday 6/3/14

A 12-year-old girl is fighting for her life, after being lured her into a wooded area and stabbed 19 times. Shockingly, the suspects in custody are also 12-year-old girls, arrested soon after Saturday’s incident in the city of Waukesha. Waukesha County D-A Brad Schimmel says it was a shocking incident. Investigators say the young suspects plotted the stabbing for months and were reportedly interested in a Web site with stories about horror and death. Allegedly, one girl held the victim down while the other stabbed her on her arms, legs, and torso. She managed to crawl out of the woods to a street where she was found by a passing bicyclist. The victim was rushed to a hospital, where she was listed in stable condition Monday.

Two Injured In Winnebago County Crash

Two people were hurt in a two-vehicle crash near Oshkosh Monday afternoon. According to the State Patrol the accident happened on State Highway 44 at Burr Oak Road in Winnebago County. A 35-year-old Oshkosh man was heading east on Highway 44 when his car crossed the centerline and collided with an SUV driven by a 61-year-old Ripon man. A Theda Star helicopter flew the Oshkosh man to Theda Clark Regional Medical Center with life threatening injuries. The Ripon man was taken to Mercy Medical Center in Oshkosh with non-life threatening injuries. The accident was reported at 5:12 p.m.

Oshkosh Drug Death Investigated

Oshkosh Police are investigating the heroin overdose death of a 22-year-old Oshkosh woman. A 22-year-old Oshkosh man was arrested on a probation hold during the investigation. Police were called to the 1700 block of Glenwood Drive last Friday night when the mother of the woman couldn’t contact her inside the home. When police arrived they found the woman dead inside her bedroom. The man was arrested the following evening. No charges have been filed yet in the death. Police are asking anyone who knows about drug dealing going on their neighborhood to give them a call at (920) 236-5700.

Markesan Fire Damages Three Structures

Fire damaged two residences and a garage Saturday afternoon in Markesan. Grand River Fire District officials say the fire started on the porch of a residence at 165 W. Manchester Street, but strong winds fanned the flames and soon engulfed the home. The intense heat caused severe damage to a garage at a home at 185 W. Manchester Street and broke its windows. The fire then spread to a residence at 149 W. Manchester Street. A 28-year-old man suffered knee and ankle injuries when he had to jump from a second story window in the residence at 165 W. Manchester Street. No one was at home at 149 W. Manchester Street during the fire. Several firefighters from the six fire departments that battled the blaze were also treated at the scene for heat-related ailments. The cause of the fire is being determined.

Washington County Officials Arrest Three For Heroin Trafficking

A Washington County Sheriff’s deputy arrested three people suspected of heroin trafficking during a traffic stop last Thursday. The 20-year-old and 41-year-old men from Kewaskum and a 24-year-old West Bend woman were arrested during a traffic stop on Highway 45 near West Bend. The three were the subjects of an on-going drug investigation by the County Drug Enforcement Group. During the investigation they had sold heroin to an undercover officer in the City of West Bend, and Villages of Jackson and Kewaskum.

Stevens Point Plane Crash Victim Identified

The pilot who was killed while performing aerial stunts during the Stevens Point Air Show Sunday afternoon has been identified. He was 47-year-old William Cowden of Menomonie. Cowden was a commercial aviator who also flew in the military. His plane crashed in a wooded area about 1,000 feet east of the Stevens Point Municipal Airport. Federal investigators are trying to determine what caused the crash.

Race For FDL County Sheriff

Fond du Lac Police Detective Bill Ledger will be opposing Fond du Lac County Sheriff Mick Fink in the August 12th primary for sheriff. The deadline to file nomination papers was Monday. At least 500 signatures were needed to be placed on the ballot. Ledger got 748 signatures and Sheriff Fink 962. Fond du Lac County Clerk of Courts Ramona Geib got 541 signatures and will be the only candidate on the ballot for Clerk of Courts this fall. A drawing for ballot placement in the Sheriff’s race will be held Friday morning.

No Swimming, Fishing Allowed In Parks Affected By Manure Spill

Fond du Lac County Planning and Parks Director Sam Tobias says they have been advising campers and users of two county parks not to go into the water near where 50,000 gallons of manure spilled. He says the spill at the Lake Breeze Dairy in Malone is only about 1 ¾ miles from Lake Winnebago and Columbia Park and Shaginappi Park are along about half of that. He says last Wednesday and Thursday when he went through the parks the spill and its impact on Pipe Creek was very noticeable. He says there was dead fish and the water was manure brown. He says it’s more diluted as you get closer to Lake Winnebago, but they are still having their campground hosts advise people against swimming, fishing or allowing their dogs to go into the water. He says he made an offer to the Department of Natural Resources to allow access along in the roads in Shaginappi Park if they want to get a vacuum truck in to suck up the dead fish and manure silt.

Private Well Drinking Water Not Affected By Manure Spill

Fond du Lac County Public Health Officer Kim Mueller says she sent out letters last week warning adjacent property owners about the manure spill in Pipe Creek. She says the letters and signs that were also posted warn residents to avoid swimming, wading or other water activities, and fishing in or drinking the water. She says the good news is they tested the wells at two County parks in the area and manure spill did not make it into the ground water so private well owners should be safe. She says if your well water smells funny or is discolored it should probably tested and you can get information on how to do that by calling the health department at 929-3085. It’s estimated up to 50,000 gallons of manure was spilled at the Lake Breeze Dairy in Malone making its way into Pipe Creek Memorial Day morning. 

Detour Changed For Hwy 49 Project In FDL County

State transportation officials say a detour route has been modified for an upcoming project on State Highway 49 in Fond du Lac County. The change became necessary when the start date was moved to earlier than originally planned and the original detour route would conflict with county road construction occurring at the same time. The project will begin late this month or early next month. About 7.3 miles of State Highway will be resurfaced from Fond du Lac County Highway MMM or County Park Road in Waupun to Clark Street just south of Brandon.  During construction, the railroad crossing south of Brandon will also be replaced and updated.  For most of the project, the road will remain open with lane closures and flagging operations.  It will be closed and detoured for 20 working days to allow for the railroad crossing to be repaired.  During the closure the signed detour route will be northbound Highway151 to State Highway 26 to State Highway 23 to State Highway 49. Southbound would be the reverse.

Summer Bus Passes Give Students A Break On Costs

Fond du Lac Transit Manager Lynn Gilles says this summer youth will be able to take advantage of a special rate to use the bus. She says for different reasons those riders from 6 to 17-years-of-age don’t use the bus as much once school is out. She says so those youth can get a break with a summer pass that will cost $35 for unlimited rides instead of the usual cost of $32 a month student pass. The offer is good from June through the end of August. She says sales of the summer passes have been good in the past few weeks. The passes can be purchased at the City-County Government Center, the Transit offices at 530 N. Doty Street or from a bus driver.

Fire Dept Will Have Presence At Walleye Weekend

Once again the Fond du Lac Fire Department will have a presence at Walleye Weekend. Division Chief of Fire Prevention Troy Haase says they will have their command post there, a bike patrol and their 6-wheel ATV. He says they will also be selling gyros to make money like other service groups who benefit from Walleye Weekend. He says their own charitable arm of the fire department has given out over $100,000 over the years to community efforts. He says if they do need to help one of the festival goers they try and treat them at the scene then get them to an ambulance. He says over the years they have been fortunate that they haven’t had too many crises to respond to during the weekend. Haase says it’s important that people driving in the area of the park during the weekend watch for pedestrians.