Local News Briefs Wednesday 2/26/14

The Fond du Lac City Council tonight will consider two special use permit requests. One of the requests would allow the construction of a Hampton Inn on the former Dartmoor Motor Inn site at 77 North Pioneer Road. The other would permit construction of a Kwik Trip convenience store on South Hickory Street near the Highway 41 and Hickory Street interchange. Also during the meeting the Council will hold a public hearing for improvements on East Arndt, 15th and West 2nd Street and assessments for homeowners’ share of the costs of those improvements. The Council will also be asked to approve a resolution for the construction of curb and gutter work on those streets. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the City-County Government Center.

Fatal Fire In Sheboygan

(WHBL-Sheboygan)-One person died and three were injured in a mobile home fire in the city of Sheboygan early this morning.  The Sheboygan Fire Department was dispatched to the Indian Trials Mobile Home Park on Cheyenne about midnight.  Shift Commander Dean Klein said one person died in the fire and three others were hospitalized.  He said the mobile home was destroyed.  The State Fire Marshall was on the scene this morning and is assisting in the investigation.

BD Woman Charged With 1^st Degree Intentional Homicide

Columbia County prosecutors have charged the 38-year-old Beaver Dam woman suspected of killing her 42-year-old boyfriend and leaving his body alongside a county highway 13 years ago. Bond was set $500,000 cash when Leah Walhart made her initial appearance Monday. Curtis Wyleski was found dead in a ditch near Fall River in 2001. He died of an apparent cocaine overdose but without the presence of cocaine in his nostrils, investigators cannot say for certain how the drug was ingested. A witness came forward when the cold case was re-opened in 2012 and told investigators that Waldhart confessed the murder saying she gave him cocaine to kill him and pushed him into a ditch when he collapsed. Waldhart has a pre-trial conference on April 4^th.

Caller Tries “Grandparent Scam” On Waupun Woman

Waupun Police recently took an attempted fraud complaint involving the grandparent scam. Police say a man called a woman in Waupun claiming to be her grandson and said he was in jail in Las Vegas and needed $3,000. The phone died before the man could make his pitch on where to send the money. The woman checked and found out her grandson was fine. Police warn information obtained on the internet can make those types of calls seem legitimate, but you should never give out personal information over the phone or send money to an unknown location. The woman was told by the caller that she should keep it a secret.

State Supreme Court Considers Voter Photo ID Law

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-Several members of the state Supreme Court are questioning a state law that requires voters to show a photo I-D at the polls. During oral arguments on the case Tuesday, Justice Patience Roggensack raised concerns about the fact that some people may be prompted to purchase a state I-D card so they can cast a ballot. She says it’s still a payment to the state to be able to vote, which bothers her. The voter I-D law being challenged does include a provision that provides free state I-D cards for the purposes of voting, although those challenging the law argue people may still need to spend money to obtain the birth certificate that’s required to get an I-D. For more click here.

Petri Legislation Would Expedite Propane Deliveries

Wisconsin Congressman Tom Petri joined Pennsylvania Congressman Bill Shuster Tuesday introducing legislation that would help expedite propane deliveries during the cold season. The federal lawmaker from Fond du Lac says the propane shortage has been a huge problem in Wisconsin and the Midwest jeopardizing families’ ability to heat their homes during below zero temperatures. The legislation would extend the current declaration from the U.S. Department of Transportation to allow tank truck operators carrying propane to drive beyond the current hours-of-service limits through May 31st, in order to speed up delivery in affected states.   Current exemptions expire after 30 days. Petri says, “This important legislation provides certainty for suppliers and will expedite the ability for propane to reach homes that are running low or have already run out.”

Former Solutions Center Executive Director Says No Hard Feelings

The former executive director of the Solutions Center in Fond du Lac says the decision to replace her at the center is a move that’s beneficial for both her and the organization. Lindee Kimball says it’s something that was a long time coming and the center wasn’t the only one who needed to take a change in direction. She says her husband suffered an aneurism last year and they nearly lost him. She says she needed a change and will focus on leadership development through her business, which is an extension of the Life Leadership program. Kimball says she’s been working with nonprofits for a number of years and this will give her the opportunity to help out even more people and businesses. Kimball says there are no hard feelings and she wishes only the best for the Solutions Center. She says it will also give her opportunity to visit her daughter in Australia.

Resurfacing Work Scheduled For State Highways 49 And 23 In FDL County

The state’s Department of Transportation will be resurfacing about 11 miles of state highway in Fond du Lac County this year. Kim Rudat of the DOT says a little over 7 miles of Highway 49 from Waupun to Brandon and 4 miles on Highway 23 from Fond du Lac to Plymouth will be resurfaced. He says the work being done on Highway 23 is not part of the eventual expansion project. He says project bids have not been let yet so they don’t have any cost estimates for that work, but $270 million will be spent on state highway projects in Northeastern Wisconsin this year. He says both highways will remain open during construction, but a section of Highway 49 in Brandon with a railroad crossing will be closed for about 20 days. The Highway 49 project is from County Highway MMM to Clark Street and the Highway 23 project from Log Tavern Road to east of the county limits.

Gudex Tax Credit Transfer Bill Goes To Governor’s Desk

A bill authored by State Senator Rick Gudex that allows the transfer of certain tax credits between businesses is on its way to the Governor’s desk. The state lawmaker from Fond du Lac says it’s proven more difficult for the WEDC to give out tax credits to businesses locating to the state or expanding in it because there is no tax liability.  He says the bill allows the businesses to use the tax credits in lieu of money to pay for other costs. He says for instance a new Information Technology startup could use it to offset a lease, rent, pay for equipment or reconstruction on a building. Gudex says there is total transparency in how those credits will be used. The bill received bipartisan support in both the Senate and Assembly.

Cardinal Time Provides Time For Improvement And Enrichment

For some kids in the Fond du Lac School District one of the most important parts of the day is a 40 minute block used for intervention and enrichment efforts. District Superintendent Jim Sebert says at the high school it’s known as “Cardinal Time” and it’s an opportunity for re-teaching, for extra help and enrichment. He says that could include time for club work and more as well. He says it’s used district wide and has worked well for the district. He says it’s a great example of how when teachers work together as teams and look at data they can see trends, regroup kids and use the extra time to give kids the extra help and support and enrichment that they need.He says at the high school it is known as “Cardinal Time,” but it has different names at different schools in the district. He says for example at Theisen it’s known as “Tiger Time” and at Sabish it’s known as “KIP Time” or Knowledge is Power Time.