Local News Briefs Wednesday 8/27/14

Oshkosh Police have arrested a 23-year-old Oshkosh man suspected of selling heroin to a 22-year-old woman from the City that led to her overdose death. She was found dead at a residence in the 1700 block of Glenwood Drive on May 30th. An autopsy determined she died of acute heroin intoxication. Dexter Charles was arrested on a probation hold the following day. An investigation found he sold the heroin to her. Charles is being held in the Winnebago County Jail on a charge of 1st degree reckless homicide. His initial court appearance is scheduled for September 15th. Oshkosh Police are asking if you have information regarding the incident, to contact Detective Brett Robertson at (920) 236- 5723.   

Sheboygan Women Charged In Heroin Overdoses

Two Sheboygan women are facing charges for providing heroin to two women killing one of them and nearly killing the other. Twenty-three-year-old Abbey Miller is charged for allegedly selling heroin to her mother that nearly killed her. She also allegedly sold heroin to Monica Sanchez, who was driving 26-year-old Nadine Rothering around looking for drugs. Miller cautioned Rothering not to use it all at once because her mother had nearly died of an overdose using heroin. Rothering died of an apparent overdose. Miller is charged with delivering heroin and recklessly endangering safety and the 26-year-old Sanchez for delivering heroin.

Pranks Calls In Dodge County Leads To Warning By Sheriff

Dodge County Sheriff Pat Ninmann is reminding residents it’s against the law to place a prank 911 call following two incidents Monday. That morning a 6-year-old child called the Dodge County Human Services Department to report a house fire in the Town of Elba. The information was relayed to the Sheriff’s Communications Officers who dispatched police and fire only to learn from a parent of the child that there was no fire. That afternoon a call posing as an elderly woman contacted the communications center asking for toilet paper and asking a series of random questions. It’s believed similar calls were placed to other dispatch centers. Sheriff Ninmann reminds residents that prank calls can lead to fines and even jail time if they persist. She says it’s a drain on valuable resources.

FDL City Council Preview

The Fond du Lac City Council tonight will hear information about an agreement with the state for a turn lane on Rolling Meadows Drive into the south Walmart driveway. The lane is expected to reduce traffic accidents at the site. The Council will also hear overviews on the Police and Fire Department budgets for 2015. The Council will also honor Police Detective Pat Primising on his retirement. The Council meets at 6 p.m. at City-County Government Center in Fond du Lac.

Waupun School Board Approves Teacher Pay Increase

Waupun teachers will be getting a raise for the first time in several years. The Waupun Area School Board this week approved the increase which is capped at the consumer-price-index as outlined in the Act 10 bargaining limits adopted by the state three years ago. Superintendent Tonya Gubin says the district spent the last three years working to erase red ink. Waupun finished last year $150,000 in the black and Gubin says the decision was made at that time to budget a 1.46-percent increase for this school year. She says the teachers deserve it and have been working very hard through years of frozen salaries. The Waupun Area Education Association had previously ratified the one-year contract.

Local Superintendents React To ACT Testing

Some local schools superintendents are proud of how their students did on the ACT college entrance exam. The composite score for the state was 22.2, which was second only to Minnesota. Students at the Fond du Lac High School had a 22.5 composite score. District Superintendent Jim Sebert says it appears that schools throughout the County did well on the testing. In North Fond du Lac the composite score was 21.3. North Fond du Lac Schools Superintendent Aaron Sadoff says they have great students, but some of them don’t test well. Next year all high school juniors will have to take the test.

Historic Preservation Tax Credits Creating Jobs

State Senator Rick Gudex says he’s pleased to see the impact increasing the tax credit for historical preservation efforts has had in the state. The state lawmaker from Fond du Lac authored several bills that increased the tax credit from 5 to 20 percent. He says it amounted to a job creation bill. He says it also created incentive for historic preservation efforts because he says it’s cheaper to put up a new building. Gudex says he knows from talking with those in the construction industry that it did lead to more jobs. In fact there was so much demand for the credit that the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation put a moratorium on applications for the credits lifting the moratorium last month.

Crossbow Use For Deer Hunting Will Increase Interest In The Sport

The owner of a local outdoors sporting goods store is expecting the use of crossbows for deer hunting to increase interest in the sport. Tuffy Monson of Tuffy’s Outpost in Fond du Lac says previously the disabled and those 65 years of age or older were the only people allowed to use a crossbow to hunt deer during the archery season. The crossbow deer hunting season will run concurrent with the archery season and having a gun deer license will also allow the use bow and crossbow use. Tuffy says that will bring some younger hunters to the sport. He says it will also allow families to enjoy the sport together. He says fathers and sons and daughters or their guardians will be able to enjoy the seasons together.

Ripon City Offices Closed Labor Day

City offices in Ripon will be closed on Monday for the Labor Day holiday. The garbage collection normally done on Mondays will be picked up on Tuesday due to the holiday. Residents are asked to have their cans out early.