Local News Briefs Wednesday 4/6/16

Good Turnout In FDL County Voting

Fond du Lac County Clerk Lisa Freiberg says more than 60 percent of eligible voters in the county cast their ballots Tuesday. She says things went pretty well, but some people were confused about voting one party. Voting in the county reflected statewide voting for the Presidential candidates and State Supreme Court race. Ted Cruz won the GOP primary and Bernie Sanders the Democratic primary. Justice Rebecca Bradley defeated State Appeals Court Judge JoAnne Kloppenburg in the State Supreme Court race. Nearly 30,000 votes were cast in the County.

Interview with Lisa Freiberg.

FDL Fire Rating Now Class 1

The City of Fond du Lac’s fire rating has been increased to a Class 1 rating. The Insurance Services Office has awarded that rating to the City of Fond du Lac. The City is one of only 180 out of 48,000 cities in the country to get that rating. It’s the second in the State of Wisconsin to get the rating and the only one that also has international accreditation. A press conference will be held at Fire Station #1 late this morning where more will be explained about what the rating means for the City. 

Current FDL Police Chief Comments On Former Chiefs Passing

Fond du Lac Police Chief Bill Lamb says former Police Chief Mel Heller’s life should serve as a model for us all. Heller died over the weekend. During his life Heller served in the Army during WW II, was with the Fond du Lac Police Department for 41 years, and put in about 20 years on the Fond du Lac County Board. Chief Lamb says he was impressed with Heller’s post-retirement work and his commitment to mental health and substance abuse advocacy work. He says Heller had a passion for helping people who were struggling in life. Lamb says Heller continued to show up for meaningful law enforcement functions even as he was nearing 90. Lamb says Heller was there when Lamb’s received his pins and became Fond du Lac Chief of Police and turned out Last May for the Law Enforcement Memorial ceremony that had added meaning with shooting death of State Trooper Trevor Casper.

NFDL Ladder Truck Purchase Will Be On The November Ballot

The North Fond du Lac Village Board decided this week to place a referendum before voters next November on the purchase of a new ladder truck for the fire department. They felt there would be a greater turnout in the November election and more people would have a say then on the referendum. Village Administrator Chuck Hornung says they still have to put the question together and arrive at the amount they want to ask voters for. He says typically they only borrow for 10 years or less. He says they may ask permission to raise the tax levy above the levy limit to pay for the truck over 7 to 10 years. He says he may use the Oshkosh Schools Referendum as a model for what they will ask voters. He says both are similar questions, but the village has a different reason for the funding.

FDL Backdrop For Pierce Manufacturing Photo Shoot For New Ladder Truck

Fond du Lac Fire Chief Peter O’Leary says the City of Fond du Lac had the honor of being the backdrop for photos of Pierce Manufacturing’s new ladder truck. He says the photo shoot was last year ahead of the annual Fire Department Inspectors Conference in Indianapolis. He says pictures were taken in several locations. He says the photos were featured on the Jumbotron at Lucas Oil Stadium during the Inspectors Conference last April. He says he thought he’d pass the word along after he learned the company had a record number of orders for the 107-foot ladder truck. An impressive photo near the Lighthouse in Lakeside Park was also featured in a company calendar and in a firehouse.com post.

Republican History Moving To Ripon

Ripon has received some exciting news concerning the National Republican History Museum.  The museum which is schedule to begin construction in the spring of 2017 will showcase the grassroots political movement that shaped this nation.  Daniel Zimmerman who serves as the non profits foundation president said that a big piece of Republican History will now be housed in the city of Ripon. He says after nearly a year of negotiations with the Republican National Committee they landed their archives and will be moving it to Ripon and that will be happening soon. Private donations will finance the project.  Zimmerman says the National Republican History Museum will be similar in looks and feel to that of a Presidential Museum or Library. It has a price tag of around $15 million.

For more information click here.

County Deer Advisory Councils Setting Recommendations

The County Deer Advisory Councils have released their recommendations for 2016 antlerless deer harvest quotas, permit levels and season structure.  The public comment period is open through April 17th.  The Councils will be meeting the week of April 18th to make their final recommendations. The Fond du Lac County Deer Advisory Council will hold their meeting on Thursday, April 21st from 7 to 9 p.m. at the City-County Government Center in Fond du Lac.

For more click here.

Lomira School District Hosting Transition Fair

The Lomira School District will be hosting the Dodge and Fond du Lac County Transition Fair Thursday night from 5:00 to 8 p.m. at the Lomira High School.  The fair is designed for high school students, parents, teachers, or anyone who works with or is interested in learning about key resources that can support adolescents and adults with disabilities.  There will be mini-presentations and over 40 agencies will be represented at booths, providing a range of information.  Food, child care, and door prizes will be available. 

Marian University Chamber Singers Tour Green Bay Area

Marian University chamber singers will be traveling to Green Bay to collaborate on a performance of the Mozart Requiem with the Green Bay Civic Symphony. This performance will take place Sunday, April 17 at 3pm at the historic Meyer Theater in downtown Green Bay. Marian students will join collegiate singers from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay and St. Norbert College, as well as singers from the community, in a massed choir of nearly 300 for this cornerstone work of the 18th century. In addition to the Mozart performance, the Chamber Singers will perform concerts at three Catholic high school partners: Xavier High School, Appleton; Lourdes Academy, Oshkosh; and Roncalli High School, Manitowoc. The tour rounds out with musical leadership at two masses in the Green Bay area: Saturday, April 16, 4pm at The Cathedral of St. Xavier in and Sunday, April 17 at Sts. Peter and Paul at 10am.