Local News Friday 5/3/13

$1 Million Bond Set For Peshtigo Man

 

The 48-year-old Peshtigo man suspected in the stabbing death of his long-time girlfriend Patricia Waschbisch made an initial appearance in Marinette County Court Thursday on a 1st degree intentional homicide charge. The judge set bond for Brent Kaempf at $1 million cash. The hearing was then adjourned to May 10th. Kaempf is accused of killing Waschbisch late Saturday or early Sunday morning at her home. Her daughter discovered her body there Sunday. The couple allegedly got into an argument at a friend’s home Saturday night then left. A Wauwatosa police officer found Kaempf sleeping in his car Monday morning.

 

Germantown Man Charged With Possessing Improvised Explosives

 

Bond was set at $25,000 cash for a Germantown man suspected of making explosives in his home. Bodie Witzlib made an initial appearance in Washington County Court Thursday on four felony counts of possession of improvised explosives. Witzlib told the judge he was the “CEO of G. I. Explosives.” In fact authorities recovered 600 to 700 M-80 type of explosives and some even larger ones from the home when they searched it Tuesday and Wednesday. Witzlib waived the time limit for a preliminary hearing and a hearing was set for May 29th.

 

Berlin Man Facing Drug Charges

 

A 32-year-old Berlin man is facing three drug charges; the result of a search of a tattoo parlor in Ripon. Michael Brajdic is charged with possession of narcotic drug second and subsequent offense, possession of cocaine, and possession of drug paraphernalia. All three of those charges carry a repeater enhancer. Charges stem for a search Ripon Police conducted at his tattoo parlor in May of 2011. In February the police department got results from the state crime lab showing that items seized during the search tested positive for the presence of cocaine and heroin.

 

Racine Man Arraigned On Dodge County Drug Death Charge

 

The 26-year-old Racine man suspected of supplying the heroin that caused the death of a 23-year-old Town of Portland man was recently arraigned in Dodge County Court. Willie DeGroot pled not guilty to the charge of 1st degree reckless homicide stemming from the death of Joshua Loewen last August. Text messages between the two led to a search warrant and investigators found DeGroot in possession of the same type of heroin that led to Loewen’s overdose death. DeGroot is currently serving an 18 month prison sentence for a Racine County drug possession charge.

 

Bank Robbery Suspect Pleads

 

The 23-year-old Beaver Dam man suspected of robbing the US Bank in Horicon of $1,900 has pled “no contest” to several charges stemming from the January robbery. Eric King recently entered the pleas in Dodge County Court to felony charges of armed robbery and 2nd degree recklessly endangering safety. A felony fleeing an officer charge was read into the record and dismissed. After leaving the bank King was subsequently involved in a high-speed chase during which he rolled his vehicle over and was arrested at gunpoint. He told investigators he had a heroin problem and owed his drug dealers money. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for June 28th.

 

Clean Sweep This Weekend

 

County residents are invited to take advantage of the Clean Sweep that’s being held to collect old household and agriculture chemicals this weekend. The first two are today from 9 to 11 a.m. at the County Highway Garage in Brandon and from 2 to 4 p.m. at the public works garage in Campbellsport. The other is Saturday from 9 a.m. to Noon at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds Expo Building. Noreen O’Brien of the County U-W Extension Service says they would appreciate a call if you are a business owner or farmer that will be bringing in a lot of chemicals. You can call 929-3171. There is a $5 cost per vehicle. She says they won’t be taking some items like ammunition, smoke detectors, propane tanks, fire extinguishers, latex paints, or fluorescent bulbs.For more about the Clean Sweep click here.

MS Walk Saturday In FDL

 

The annual MS Walk will be held at Marian University in Fond du Lac Saturday morning. Dave Blahvat has Multiple Sclerosis and is involved in the walk. He says the UW Madison did a study and found a way to slow the progression of the disease. He says most of the money for Saturday’s walk will go toward research or to help out local people with MS. They are expecting from 400 to 500 people to participate in the walk. He says that kind of support really touches him. Registration for the walk begins at 9 a.m. with the walk stepping off at 10 a.m. beginning and ending at Marian. It’s a 5K or 3.1 mile walk. There’s also a way to register online.   

 

MPTC Auto And Motorcycle Show Sunday

 

The Moraine Park Technical College Auto Tech Club will host their annual car and motorcycle show this Sunday at the Fond du Lac campus. The show runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. MPTC President Sheila Ruhland says if you bring in two non-perishable food items you can get in for free otherwise there’s a $2 cost. She says about 300 vehicles will be participating in the show. Last year’s show was cancelled because of inclement weather.

 

Bike Rodeo Sunday

 

The Fond du Lac Safety Council will host the first annual Fond du Lac Bike Rodeo on Sunday. It will be from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Fond du Lac County Fairgrounds Expo Building. Tammy Young is the Director of Programs and Services for the Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce. She says it’s basically a bicycle safety clinic for kids. The event is free for both children and adults. To register visit the chamber’s website or call (920) 921-9500. Those who pre-register will be entered to win a brand-new bike. Young says while educational, it will also be a fun event. The event is being sponsored by Agnesian HealthCare, Mid-States Aluminum Corporation, the Fond du Lac Police Department and the Fond du Lac Area Safety Council.   

 

Project GRILL Unveiling Moved

 

The unveiling for the 5th Annual Project GRILL has been cancelled and moved to Friday, May 17th. The event will be held from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. that day in the Festival Foods parking lot in Fond du Lac. This year’s Project GRILL features partnerships between 8 area high schools and 8 area companies. Those partnerships include Campbellsport High School and Mid-States Aluminum; Fond du Lac High School and Nemisis Metals; Horace Mann High School and J.F. Ahern Company; Laconia High School and Mercury Marine; Lomira High School and Kondex Corporation; Mayville High School and Mayville Engineering Company; Oakfield High School and Manowske Welding; and Winnebago Lutheran Academy and MAG Giddings & Lewis. The change in schedule was made to give students a better opportunity to showcase the fantastic grills they’ve crafted.

 

Highway 23 Improvements In Green Lake County Subject Of Meeting

 

The state’s Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting in Green Lake next Tuesday to discuss improvements to State Highway 23. The improvements would be for a stretch of the Highway between the west intersection of Green Lake County Highway A to Arcade Glen Road in Fond du Lac County. The construction is slated to begin in spring 2014 and end that fall. The meeting is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Brooklyn Town Hall, at N5988 County Road A, Green Lake. A brief presentation is scheduled to begin at 5:15 p.m. The reconstruction will be done in two stages. The highway will be closed and detoured during each stage. The State Highway 49/Green Lake County Highway A intersection will remain open to traffic with a four-way stop during all stages of construction.