Local News Briefs Wednesday 9/10/14

The state Attorney General’s office has filed a petition requesting that a 41-year-old Mayville man be committed for treatment as a sexually violent person. A probable cause hearing for David Dejanovich is scheduled in Dodge County Court for September 18th.  In April of 1994 Dejanovich was sentenced to seven years of probation on one count of 2nd degree sexual assault of a child. His probation was later revoked and he was ordered to serve seven years in prison.  He was released from the Department of Corrections on August 24th and is now being held at the Dodge County Jail on federal charges. The state’s petition alleges that Dejanovich suffers from a mental condition that predisposes him to engage in acts of sexual violence.  The petition also alleges that Dejanovich is dangerous as his mental disorder makes it likely that he will engage in future acts of sexual violence.

Cedar Grove Man Hurt In Accident North Of Adell

A 44-year-old Cedar Grove man was hurt when his motorcycle struck a deer on Sheboygan County Highway W in the Town of Lyndon Tuesday morning. Sheriff’s officials say Shawn Brock was thrown from his bike and landed in a ditch. Random Lake Ambulance took him to Aurora Medical Center in Grafton with head and rib injuries. The injuries weren’t considered life threatening. Another driver witnessed the accident that was reported at 6:43 a.m.

FDL City Council Preview

The Fond du Lac City Council tonight will be asked to approve the operating plan and budget for 2015 for Business Improvement District. The resolution calls for a tax rate of $2.60 per thousand dollars of valuation or a minimum tax of $150 and a maximum tax of $3,000. The City collects the assessment each year and provides it to the Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership. The Council will also be asked to make a change to an ordinance that would lift the residency requirement for a Fond du Lac County attorney that will serve on the City’s Ethics Board. The Council meets at 6 p.m. at the City-County Government Center.

New Executive Director For Salute The Troops

Salute the Troops of Fond du Lac has a new Executive Director. Alexandria or “Alex” Louis succeeds the original executive director and founder of the group Dan Manning. Louis is a native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She has been guiding the group for about two months. She says while she’s not a veteran as a history teacher she’s come to respect the sacrifices veterans have made for this country. She says the nice thing about Salute the Troops is they can cut through the red tape and provide services to local veterans that are in need in a timelier fashion. Louis says they can take requests for grocery and gas cards, heating during the winter and more. So far this year Salute the Troops has provided over $7,000 in assistance to local veterans. For more on Salute the Troops click here. 

NFDL School District Preliminary Budget Approved At Annual Meeting

A preliminary budget was approved for the North Fond du Lac School District during the annual meeting this week. District Superintendent Aaron Sadoff says they had a deficit going into this school year. He says it’s about $340,000, which they expect to whittle down to under $200,000 during the course of the year. He says their fund balance will support what they want to accomplish while they work on reducing the deficit. He says the school board won’t be finalizing the budget until late October, but it would appear the tax rate for the school district will be about the same as last year, which was $9.61 per thousand dollars of valuation. Board member salaries will also remain the same at $1,800 a year for the president and $1,600 for board members. 

Hubbard Windy Award Goes To C.D. Smith

C.D. Smith of Fond du Lac is this year’s winner of the James C. Hubbard Windy Award. Officials with the Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts in Fond du Lac made that announcement Tuesday. “The award goes to an individual or group of individuals who have made a positive impact on our organization and the Fond du Lac community,” said Kevin Miller, THELMA executive director. He went on to say, “Always a supporter, C.D. Smith was the contractor for the renovation and expansion of THELMA. What stands out is the tireless dedication of the C. D. Smith team, led by Justin Smith.” The Hubbard Windy Award will be given to C.D. Smith at the 14th Annual Windy Dinner THELMA Style Wednesday, October 8.

Fall Prevention Awareness Day Set

The Fond du Lac County Falls Prevention Coalition will be hosting a Falls Prevention Awareness Day on Tuesday, September 23rd. The event will be from 12:30 to 4:30 that afternoon at the Lighthouse Christian Church in Fond du Lac. Sandy Tryon of the Fond du Lac County Aging and Disability Resource Center says a number of businesses will have informational booths. In addition there will be three speakers who will speak on bone health at 1 p.m., community safety at 2 p.m. and medication interactions at 3 p.m. The safety talk will be given by Fond du Lac Assistant Fire Chief Todd Janquart. She says it’s a free event and there will be door prizes. Anyone interested in attending the event or in having an informational booth at it is asked to call the Aging and Disability Resource Center at (920) 929-3466.

Help Needed For Ripon Septemberfest

Organizers of Ripon’s Septemberfest are looking for volunteers to help with the 15th annual event on Saturday, September 20th in Downtown Ripon. Ripon Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jason Mansmith says people are needed for setup, activities, event supervision, and tear down.  He says there will be a variety of activities they will need help with. This year’s event will feature a Pancake Breakfast, Kickin’ Up Kolor Run, Car & Motorcycle Show, Dog Walk, musical entertainment, fire engine rides and more. There will also be an attempt to break a world record for the most people doing the Twist. Those interested in helping out can call the Ripon Chamber of Commerce at (920) 748-6764 or can email chamber@ripon-wi.com.  For more details on the event click here.  

Busy Weekend For Salute The Troops

It was a busy weekend for members of Salute the Troops of Fond du Lac who participated in two separate events. Board Vice President Richard Feustel says they teamed up with the Winnebagoland Musky Club and some others to sponsor a Musky fishing trip to the Three Lakes area of Northern Wisconsin. He says it was a successful event for the eight veterans treated to the trip. They caught 5 musky, 2 smallmouth bass, and a number of northern pike. Salute the Troops also had two booths at the Fondue Fest in Fond du Lac where they sold beer to raise funds. Board member Angela Kalsbeek says also had a chance to talk with some veterans and share information about the services the group provides to veterans in need.

Oshkosh Student State DARE Essay Winner

A 6th grade student at Tipler Middle School in Oshkosh will be honored Thursday afternoon at the Oshkosh Police Department for the essay she wrote about the DARE program. Hannah Helfrich is 11-years-old and was a 5th grader at Roosevelt Elementary when she wrote the essay.  Her mother and her teacher will also be attending the 4 p.m. event. Hannah is one of only five students in the state to receive an award for their DARE essay. DARE stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education.