Local News
Local News Friday 6/14/13
Milwaukee Man Bound Over For Trial In Drug Death Case
The 34-year-old Milwaukee man suspected of supplying the heroin that led to the overdose death of a Fond du Lac woman has been bound over for trial. Roy Whitelow was in Fond du Lac County Court for a preliminary hearing Thursday afternoon. Roy Whitelow is charged with 1st degree reckless homicide and heroin trafficking for the February 12th death of 27-year-old Heather Fugate. Whitelow is also facing a battery to a law enforcement officer charge for a struggle he put up while a DNA sample was being taken at the County Jail in February. DNA evidence is part of the reckless homicide case against Whitelow. He remains in the County Jail on a $1 million cash bond.
Five Hurt In Winnebago County Crash
Five people were injured in a 4-vehicle chain reaction crash on Highway 41 northbound in the Town of Menasha yesterday afternoon. Winnebago County Sheriff’s officials say it happened on the ramp to Highway 10 eastbound just before 5 p.m. when 71-year-old Orphie Hamilton of Neenah was changing lanes and crashed into another vehicle. That started a chain reaction involving two more vehicles. As a result of the accident five people were taken to local hospitals with non-life threatening injuries. Alcohol was not a factor in the crash.
Four Hurt In Sheboygan County Crash
Four people, including two children were injured in a two-vehicle accident in the Town of Holland late Thursday morning. Sheboygan County Sheriff’s officials report it occurred around 11:37 a.m. at the intersection of county roads RR and KW west of Cedar Grove. Twenty-nine-year-old Tony Ernisee of Port Washington was driving a pickup truck and 58-year-old Sharon Crivello of Hingham a car that collided. Ernisee had his 2-year-old son in the pickup and Crivello her 9-year-old grandson in the car. Flight for Life flew the 9-year-old to Milwaukee Children’s hospital. The other three were taken by ambulance to area hospitals.
Two Hurt In Sheboygan County Accident
Two people were injured when two vehicles collided at the intersection of State Highway 32 and Sheboygan County Highway A in the Town of Holland yesterday afternoon. County Sheriff’s officials tell us the accident happened at 2:15 p.m. when one car pulled out from a stop sign and the other struck it sending both vehicles into a ditch. Flight for Life flew one of the drivers to Aurora Grafton Hospital and the other was taken by ambulance to Aurora Sheboygan Memorial Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Car Fire
Fond du Lac firefighters responded to a car fire at 132 Trowbridge Drive late Wednesday night. Fire officials say the vehicle was parked in the parking lot at Mid-States Aluminum and belonged to an employee. The fire was restricted to the engine compartment of the car. No one was injured fighting the blaze. The time of the fire call was 10:37 p.m.
Police Impersonator
Green Lake County Sheriff’s officials are looking for a man who posed as a police officer and pulled a vehicle over west of the City of Berlin late Wednesday night. The man was wearing a dark uniform with a badge, but no name tag. He had a duty belt on and was driving a Black Ford Crown Victoria with “Police” on the side and “911” on the rear quarter panel. The vehicle had red and blue lights on the inside dash. The resident was pulled over on County Highway E and was followed by the police impersonator east into Berlin after the stop and to the west end of Oshkosh before the impersonator turned his vehicle around and headed west.
Bridge Replacement Project Beginning In Town Of Waupun
Construction will begin next Monday on the Oak Center Road bridge replacement project in the Town of Waupun. Oak Center Road will be closed to traffic between Banner Rd and Church Rd from Monday until approximately mid-late August. There will not be a signed detour route during the project. The project includes the replacement of two structures spanning the West Branch of the Rock River and complete reconstruction of the roadway for a short distance on both sides of the structures.
Funding For Highway 151 Bypass Interchange And Overpass In State Budget
State Senator Rick Gudex had some good news for the Fond du Lac City Council when he gave them a state budget update this week. The former Council President says there is money included in the state budget for an interchange at Fond du Lac County Highway V and the Highway 151 bypass and an overpass at County Highway T and the bypass. Gudex says it’s one of the things he wanted to accomplish when he was elected to the state legislature. He says he and State Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt fought hard to get the funding included for the projects. Gudex says the resolutions the City Council and County Board passed asking for the funding for the interchange to be included in the state budget is appreciated.
Voter ID By 2014
(Wisconsin Radio Network)-The speaker of the state Assembly vows Wisconsin will have a voter I-D law in place before the 2014 elections. The Assembly voted this week on an election reform bill that originally included provisions to address court challenges blocking Wisconsin’s voter I-D law. The language was dropped before it went to the floor, which Speaker Robin Vos says was done because of the ongoing legal process. Vos is leaving the door open for acting on the changes later, saying they could come up again this fall as a stand-alone bill. A state appeals court recently overturned an injunction issued in one lawsuit against voter I-D. An appeal of a second case is still pending, along with two federal lawsuits.
Hubbard’s Tribute
Windhover Center for the Arts Executive Director Kevin Miller says he’s pleased he could be involved in the planning for a tribute to Jim and Sharon Hubbard at the Whispering Springs Golf Club Friday afternoon. Miller says people know about Jim’s contributions when the community was recovering during the 2008 Flood and when the Police Department needed him following the tragic shooting of Officer Craig Birkholz, but also has played an important role in the Windhover’s progress. Miller says Jim Hubbard did so much for the community and he and Sharon will be missed when they move to Indiana. The public is welcome to attend the tribute that runs from 4 to 7 p.m. with brief remarks at 5:30 p.m. Refreshments and a cash bar will be available.
North Fondy Fest
The Village Park in North Fond du Lac hosts the annual North Fondy Fest today and Saturday. Laurie King tells us money raised from the event goes right back into improving what the community has to offer, usually something connected with the park. There will be softball and kickball tournaments, food, carnival rides, music, children’s activities, a parade Saturday at noon and a raffle with a grand prize drawing for $5,000. Raffle tickets are available at PDQ, The Classic Cut, Korneli’s Express and the Village offices. Red Fish will play from 2 to 7 p.m. and Road Trip at 8 p.m. Saturday. For a more complete list of activities visit the Village’s website.
Ripon FFA Alumni 26th Annual Country Breakfast Sunday
More than 2,000 people are expected to attend the Ripon FFA Alumni’s 26th Annual Country Breakfast this Sunday east of Markesan. Kathy Roeder of the Alumni says it will be held at the Cotterill Farm on Highway 44 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. She says it’s a working dairy farm with about 225 cows and has been a dairy farm since 1948. She says the event is a fundraiser for the FFA Alumni, which she says is very active in agricultural education activities. She says they will be serving up a great breakfast. There will also be animals, coloring books for kids, and old tractor display and more. Tickets $6 in advance or $7 at the door with kids 5 and under admitted free. Advance tickets are available from FFA Alumni members, the Green Lake Chamber of Commerce, BMO Harris in Ripon, Housel’s East Side Country Market in Ripon, Ripon Drug, United Coop in Pickett, Schmitt Lumber in Ripon, Farmer’s State Bank in Markesan, The Diedrich Agency in Ripon, Brandon Bank, Bohm Implement in Berlin, and the Markesan State Bank. The farm is located at W615 Highway 44, watch for the signs.
FDL School District Gets AODA Grant
Area school districts are among those across Wisconsin receiving state grants to help reduce or prevent the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs among students. The Fond du Lac School District is getting a $25,000 grant, the Horicon School District a $13,000 grant, and the Lomira School District a $13,000 grant. According to the state’s Department of Public Instruction nearly $950,000 in Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Program grants were awarded across the state to 87 school districts for 53 projects serving students.
AT & T Improves Mobile Internet Network Coverage In Area
AT&T yesterday announced the availability of its mobile Internet network along the I-39 and Highway 151 corridors from Madison to Stevens Point and Fond du Lac; including the communities of Portage, Beaver Dam, Columbus, Westfield, Plainfield, Hancock, Plover and Waupun. The construction of 11 new cell sites and upgrades of 23 existing sites extends access for advanced mobile services, devices and feature-rich audio and video content to customers in the area. The company invested nearly $725 million in its Wisconsin wireless and wireline networks from 2010 through 2012, with a focus on improving the company’s mobile broadband coverage and overall performance of its networks.