Local News Briefs Wednesday 8/21/13

A 20-year-old Plymouth woman was taken to St. Agnes Hospital with non-life threatening injuries following a four-vehicle accident in Fond du Lac last night. It happened on Highway 23 at Whispering Springs Drive shortly before 6 p.m. A vehicle waiting to make a turn onto Whispering Springs Drive was hit from behind. Another vehicle tried to avoid the accident, but hit another car that was stopped and waiting to turn onto Highway 23.

 

Five Injured In Town Of Greenbush Accident

 

Five people were hurt in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday afternoon in the Town of Greenbush. Sheriff’s officials say 28-year-old Kristina Christopherson of New Holstein was heading east on State Highway 67 and 19-year-old Blia Yang of Sheboygan was going north on County Highway S when the two vehicles collided. Plymouth Ambulance took Christopherson, 34-year-old Jesse Christopherson of Kiel and a 5-year-old passenger to St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan. Flight for Life flew Yang to Theda Clark Regional Medical Center and one of her passengers 17-year-old Padee Yang or 21-year-old Julie Yang of Sheboygan was taken by ambulance to St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan. The accident was reported at 4:12 p.m.

 

Drunken Driving Accident Hurts Two In Sheboygan

 

Sheboygan Police say two people were hurt Monday night when an alleged drunk driver lost control of his car and took out a parked vehicle and an oncoming truck on City’s north side.  Police said it happened about 9 o’clock.  A 23 year old Sheboygan man lost control of his car and hit the parked vehicle, causing his car to roll several times, striking an oncoming pickup truck.  The 61-year-old truck driver suffered minor injuries.  The alleged drunk driver was freed from his vehicle and taken to a hospital.  He was cited for drunken driving causing injury and reckless driving.

 

Columbus Woman Pleads To Theft Charges Involving Church

 

Sentencing has been set for October 15th for a 54-year-old Columbus woman who stole large sums of money while she was a bookkeeper for St. Jerome Parish and School in Columbus. Susan Droessler pled guilty to one felony theft count in Columbia County Court this week. During an investigation Columbus Police learned Droessler had used parish and school funds to pay for various personal and family expenses. That included buying more than $5,000 worth of items at a Walmart, putting more than $17,000 on various credit card accounts in her name, and enrolling herself in full-time family health and dental benefits totaling in excess of $88,000.

 

Couples Fight Escalates Into Burning Clothes

 

A tumultuous night for a Fond du Lac couple ends up with both the police and fire departments arriving at their home. According to police reports the couple who are in their late 20s got into a fight Saturday night after he went through her cell phone and found she’d been talking to an ex-boyfriend. They decided to go to dinner and talk about their marriage. On the way home she told him she didn’t love him anymore and wanted a divorce. When they got back at home they began arguing over possessions including a couch and television and the fight got physical. He allegedly pushed her into a wall, put a forearm to her neck and after she slapped him he pushed her to the ground. She decided to take their 4 and 6-year-old kids and stay at her mother’s for the night. Later she began getting pictures on her cell phone of clothes that were being burned in a fire pit in their back yard. When police arrived they found 30 to 40 pieces of her clothing still on hangers being burned in the fire pit. Since it was after 11 p.m. the Fire Department was called to put out the fire. The incident happened in the 200 block of Marquette Street. Charges may be referred against the man.

 

Suspicious Incident In Plymouth

 

(WHBL-Sheboygan)-The Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department and Plymouth Police will increase patrol in an area near Faith Christian Academy in Plymouth following a suspicious incident there Monday morning. The sheriff’s department says a young woman was checking her vehicle for a defect on Superior Avenue near Krumrey Street around 9:15 a.m., when a middle aged man driving a black SUV-type vehicle stopped by her.  Though nothing unlawful happened, the female felt very uncomfortable when the male grabbed her arm as she tried to enter her vehicle.  The male, described as six feet tall with a short goatee, wearing a dark baseball cap and sunglasses, left when another vehicle approached. As of now, authorities do not believe this incident poses a significant threat to the community.

 

County Board Denies Breaking Bread Request

 

Funding for a second publishing of the Breaking Bread in the Holyland travel guide will have to come from a different source. The Fond du Lac County Board needed a two-thirds vote to approve spending $2,500 to fund publishing of a second printing of the travel guide that highlights the history and information about the churches and supper clubs in the Holyland region of Calumet and Fond du Lac Counties. Seventeen votes were needed last night, but the vote was 15 to 8. Calumet County officials had already approved their portion of the funding. Some supervisors felt funding a tourism-related effort would put other requests before the board. The board did however approve spending $145,000 for the purchase of a digital X-ray unit for the Medical Examiner’s Office. County Medical Examiner Dr. Douglas Kelley said the current equipment is no longer working and they had to basically rent equipment for their needs. The County makes revenue from the autopsies it does for a number of other counties. The Board also passed resolutions in honor of former County Register of Deeds Patricia Kraus who died on June 3rd and expressing gratitude to 18 retirees who worked a total of 456 years for the County.

 

SMSA Officials Pleased Over Dismissal Of Lawsuit

 

A lawyer for St. Mary’s Springs Academy in Fond du Lac says school officials are pleased over the dismissal of a civil lawsuit brought in federal court by the mother of a former sixth-grader who was bullied by classmates. Sam Hall works for the Crivello Carlson law firm. He says the school is grateful the court recognized the difficulties schools can have in policing bullying outside of the school and through social media. Judge J. P Stadtmueller in his 23-parge decision also recognized the school wasn’t deliberately indifferent to the boy being bullied. Hall says the school does investigate complaints about bullying, holds parent-teacher conferences about it and it is part of the school’s curriculum. He says guidance counselors go into classrooms and give presentations on bullying and cyberbullying. He says once a year the school also brings in a nationally recognized speaker to give a presentation on bullying topics to students, teachers and parents. There is a 30-day window for the judge’s decision to be appealed.

 

Animal Shelter Needs In Wake Of Parvo Outbreak

 

Those who would like to help out with the Fond du Lac Humane Society shelter’s battle against a parvo virus that has hit the shelter are welcome to donate some much needed items. Shelter Manager Renee Webb says they need towels, newspapers, blankets, garbage bags and exam gloves. The highly contagious canine virus has claimed the lives of seven of 19 sick dogs most of them puppies. The virus doesn’t affect humans or cats, but can be fatal for dogs. Webb says the disease attacks growing puppies and older dogs with weakened immune systems. She says they’ve had parvo outbreaks at the shelter before 9 or 10 years ago and back in the 1990s.

 

Thiesfeldt Pepper Spray Bill Gets Hearing

 

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-Lawmakers hold public hearing on loosening the regulations on pepper spray. Pepper spray is a non-lethal alternative to firearms for self-defense, so says state Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt of Fond du Lac. Wisconsin has concealed carry and Castle doctrine laws, and the Fond du Lac Republican tells members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that it’s logical to revise the pepper spray regulations. Thiesfeldt says by making pepper spray canisters easier to obtain, and with a higher percentage of active ingredient, the incidents of firearm-use for defensive purposes would be reduced. He says citizens should have defensive options where concealed carry is restricted such as public buildings. Thiesfeldt argues pepper spray is often just as effective as a gun in stopping an attack, but without causing serious injury. A member of Senator Frank Lasee’s staff describes current regulations as over-reaching, over the top, and burdensome. Thiesfeldt says citizens should be able to choose what size and potency they want to purchase. He says it would only be allowed in self-defense, couldn’t be used against a peace officer or in commission of a crime. He says Wisconsin is one of only two states in the country putting a limit on the potency of the spray. Nobody testified against the measure.

 

Dodge County Sheriff’s Department Has Drug Drop Off Box

 

The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department now has a drug drop box for old and unused prescription drugs. Sheriff Pat Ninmann says they will properly dispose of the drugs that they collect through the drop box. She says Lieutenant Brian Drumm will be overseeing the drug drop box. She says he’s the expert on it and coordinated getting the box. She says he took the lead on moving it forward. Sheriff Ninmann says people can find the drop box inside the Sheriff’s Department in Juneau on the lower level. She says there are fewer stairs to get to the lower level providing residents with easier access to it.

 

Snowmobile Bill Would Help Pay For Trail Maintenance

 

State Senator Rick Gudex of Fond du Lac is looking for co-sponsors for a bill that would try to encourage membership in snowmobile clubs and maintain the trail system in the state. He says they are finding that the base for snowmobile club memberships is eroding, which makes it hard to maintain the trail system. He says a fee in the bill would help pay for trail maintenance. He says the fee for a trail pass would be paid when snowmobilers pay for the registration of their snowmobile. The trail pass would cost $35, which goes to the DNR and would be divided up among snowmobile clubs. Gudex says the bill has the backing of the Governor’s Council on Snowmobiling and Wisconsin Association of Snowmobile Clubs. He says Michigan and Minnesota already have something similar in place.

 

Sheriff’s Officials Urges Drivers To Give Roundabouts A Chance

 

Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Captain Rick Olig urges residents to give the new roundabouts a try on Pioneer Road before writing them off as an inconvenience. About three-quarters of the Morris Street roundabout is open, in the north and south direction and from the east, but the west section is still closed for construction of the underpass. Olig says the entire project should be completed by November 8th. You can get more information on the Morris Street roundabout and roundabouts in general at the County’s website.

Cancer Care Charity Open Raises Nearly Quarter Of A Million Dollars

 

Patients and families of Agnesian HealthCare’s Hospice Hope and Community Cancer Care are the big winners in this year’s Agnesian HealthCare Foundation Hospice Hope Cancer Care Charity Open. More than $241,000 was raised to support those vital healthcare services. Raffle winners included: Margaret Terlinden, Campbellsport, grand prize – 2013 Chevy Cruze or a $15,000 cash; John Stoffel, Fond du Lac, second prize – $5,000 cash; and Anne Pierce, Kim Schmitz and Harry Schneider, all of Fond du Lac, third prize – $2,500 cash. This was the 25th year for the event, which was held at the South Hills Golf & Country Club in Fond du Lac Monday night. This year’s event raised about $40,000 more than last year’s event.

 

Buttermilk Concert Tonight

 

Contrary to the announcement at the Music Under the Stars Concert on Monday night, there will be a concert this evening at Buttermilk Creek Park. The Fond du Lac Symphonic Band will close the 2013 season with ‘A Night in Old Vienna’ with pre-concert entertainment at 6 p.m. followed by the band concert at 7:15 p.m.