Local News Briefs Wednesday 10/22/14

A 25-year-old Town of Erin woman is in critical, but stable condition after an accident in Washington County’s Town of Hartford Monday night. Sheriff’s officials say the woman was ejected from her vehicle after it went off of County Highway K, went into a ditch where it struck an embankment and became airborne. The vehicle came to rest on its roof after hitting a tree. Flight for Life flew her to Aurora Hospital in the Town of Summit. Speed and alcohol were factors in the accident. She was arrested for her second drunken driving offense. The accident was reported at 10:16 p.m.

Plymouth Trucking Firm Ordered To Pay Damages In Fatal Accident

(WHBL-Sheboygan)-A Plymouth trucking firm and one of its drivers has been ordered to pay $7.3 million for causing a crash that killed a state D-O-T supervisor in Connecticut.  A Superior Court jury in Hartford awarded the damages to Daniel DiNardi’s family, which filed a wrongful death suit against Gina Davies of Janesville and her employer, P-T-X Services of Plymouth.  The 41-year-old DiNardi was hit by Davies’ semi-truck on the right shoulder of northbound Connecticut Highway-Eight on March 22nd of 2012.  DiNardi had just parked his state-owned truck, and it had its emergency lights on.  Davies was sentenced last year to two years in prison on a criminal conviction for misconduct with a motor vehicle.

Chilton Game Farm Owner Gets Probation For Selling Snow Goose Sausages

The owner of game farm in Chilton has been ordered to serve five years of probation and pay $5,000 in fines for selling snow goose sausages. A federal judge ordered probation and the fine for 50-year-old Todd Doughty the owner of Thunderbird Game Farm. Doughty killed hundreds of snow geese in Nebraska in 2007. They were brought back to Wisconsin and processed into sausage. He sold 53 pounds of the sausage in May of 2010. Investigators also purchased other sausage products from him made out of snow geese and other game. Doughty will also have to forfeit two shotguns and sausage making equipment and will be barred from hunting and fishing for five years.

Kewaskum Woman Suspected Of Selling Oxycodone

Drug charges were recently filed in Washington County Court against a 38-year-old Kewaskum woman suspected of trafficking Oxycodone in the Villlage, West Bend and other areas of the County. On five separate occasions the woman sold a total of 97 Oxycodone pills to an undercover officer with a street value of close to $2,000. When she was arrested during a traffic stop on August 18th she had an additional 44 Oxycodone pills and nearly $650 in cash. The drug investigation started after Kewaskum Police received anonymous information that she was selling illegal drugs from her residence.

FDL City Council Preview

The 2015 City Budget and tax levy and helping Marian University relocate its nursing school are on the Fond du Lac City Council’s agenda for tonight. The Council will consider approving a $22.8 million tax levy for the 2015 City Budget, which works out to a tax rate of $8.93 per thousand dollars of value on a property and increase of 45 cents. The Council will also consider approving a resolution to authorize up to $255,000 in additional funds for economic development to help Marian University redevelop the former A. C. Nielsen Building on South Main Street. The project could bring up to 400 plus people into the downtown on a regular basis by 2016. The Council meets at 6 p.m. at the City-County Government Center.

Judge Richard Nuss Seeks Another Term

Fond du Lac County Judge Richard Nuss says he’d like to serve another six years on the bench if voters will support him next spring. Between general trial practice, serving as a Family Court Commissioner and his 12 ½ years of experience as a circuit court judge, Nuss has over 40 years of legal experience in the community. He says he cherishes that and still has a passion for what he does. He says he’s had some high profile trials during his time with the circuit court. That’s included presiding over intentional homicide, reckless homicide and sexual assault trials. Since returning from law school in 1972 Judge Nuss has also served on a number of local and state organizations, which he says is part of his commitment to civic affairs. Judge Nuss is a native of Fond du Lac. He and his wife Toni have been married for 48 years and they have 3 children and 10 grandchildren.

Changes Being Seen With New Eviction Law

A Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s deputy who stands by when renters are evicted says they are starting to see a change since a new law went into effect last March. Renters who signed a lease after March 1st are subject to the new law, which allows landlords to keep a renter’s property if arrangements haven’t been made when the renter is evicted. Deputy Tom King says some renters signed their lease before March 1st and aren’t subject to the new law yet. King says they can tell when they serve eviction notices when they may have a problem evicting someone and need extra help. King and Sheriff’s Secretary Cheri Anthes say landlord fought for the change in the law. The new law also shortened the notice of eviction in small claims court from 8 days to 5 days and renters also have less time to challenge the eviction through a jury trial.

Home Sales Up In FDL County

Home sales in the state were basically flat last month, down two-tenths of a percent from September of last year. That from Dave Clark of the Wisconsin Realtors Association, who says prices were up 3.1-percent. He says it’s a good sustainable number that is not growing too fast, but is keeping up with inflation. The statewide median price for a home last month was $149,000. In Fond du Lac County home sales were up by 5.8 percent in September and the median price of a home improved by 9.6 percent. For more on how local counties did click here.

MPTC Registration Only Weeks Away

Spring may seem like a long way from now, but it won’t be long before registration deadlines for spring courses at Moraine Park Technical College come up. MPTC President Sheila Ruhland says by now area residents should have received a copy of their available spring classes in the mail. She says registration for those courses begins next month with registration for returning students the week of November 4th, with registration for new students the week of November 11th. She says registration will be open through December 2nd. She says the next semester will actually start on a Friday January 16th, but many classes will start as early as Monday, January 5th. Ruhland says there are always opportunities for their community or enrichment courses, but those classes such as the holiday baking classes fill up quickly.