Local News Monday 5/6/13

Pedestrian Hit By Oshkosh Police Car

 

A 22-year-old Oshkosh man who tried to cross a street in the middle of a block while talking on his cell phone was hit by an Oshkosh police car Friday night. He suffered minor injuries. Winnebago County Sheriff’s officials are investigating the accident that happened about 11 p.m. in the 800 block of Jackson Street. The man had been drinking and didn’t see the police car. He could get citations for failing to yield right of way while not crossing at a crosswalk.

 

Stabbing In Sheboygan

 

Sheboygan Police say a 36-year-old man was stabbed in the neck Friday night. It happened when two men got into a fight in the 1000 block of St. Claire Avenue. Police says the suspect ran away from the scene, but was caught a short time later. The victim was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Alcohol was a factor in the confrontation.

 

Warehouse Fire In Plymouth

 

Fire crews from Plymouth and surrounding fire departments put out a warehouse fire in Plymouth early Saturday morning. The fire was in the 200 block of Cold Storage Street. It took fire crews about two hours to bring the blaze under control. The building was a total loss. No injuries were reported.

 

Group Says It Spent More Than $325,000 On Gudex Campaign

 

News came to light over the weekend that a group advocating for school choice bragged in a recent brochure that it spent more than $325,000 to help Senator Rick Gudex get elected last fall. The American Federation for Children apparently made the boast in a brochure. That news brought quick criticism from the watchdog group Wisconsin Democracy Campaign. Mike McCabe of that group says they are looking into filing an election complaint. He says the American Federation for Children says in its own literature that it had spent nearly twice as much helping Gudex as is reported to state officials. An official familiar with the American Federation group says the organization abided by Wisconsin election laws and a complaint would be frivolous. Gudex wasn’t available for comment over the weekend, but in a recent Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Article said the group didn’t buy him and didn’t persuade him. Gudex told the Journal Sentinel the American Federation for Children didn’t persuade him about school choice and he was talking about the subject in Fond du Lac before he decided to run for office.

 

Interchange At County Highway V And Highway 151 A Priority

 

At the very least local officials would like to see an interchange at Fond du Lac County Highway V and the Highway 151 Bypass. County Executive Al Buechel says they also would have liked an interchange at County Highway T or 4th Street Road as well. He says there will be an overpass, which will close off access to the bypass with a long term plan to close off access at Rienzi Road and Highway 45. Meanwhile State Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt says he and State Senator Rick Gudex are trying to make sure there will be funding for the County Highway V interchange. He says that should have been included in the original plans for the bypass. This week the Fond du Lac City Council will be asked to approve a resolution asking the state to include construction of an interchange and north frontage road at Highway 151 and County Highway V in the state Department of Transportation Budget.

 

FDL City Council Asked To Approve Extension With J.F.Ahern For Land Option

 

The Fond du Lac City Council Wednesday night will be asked to approve an extension of an agreement with J.F. Ahern. Community Development Director Wayne Rollin says it’s for an option and first refusal for 50 acres of land in the Fox Ridge Business Park. If Ahern decided to buy the land they would have to pay $1.1 million, otherwise they pay $10,000 a year to continue to have that option. Rollin says Ahern would have the option to buy the land first if someone came along and offered the City money for it. He says the two year option the City had with Ahern for the land expires in June. He says extending the option is a good move for the company and the City.

 

Johnson Won’t Support Online Sales Tax Bill

 

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-The U.S. Senate is expected to take up a bill today that would give states the authority to enact sales taxes on Internet purchases, and Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson plans to vote “No.” Johnson says he had hoped to offer amendments. He says brick and mortar retailers are at a competitive disadvantage because their online competitors don’t have to charge a sales tax. However, he says because Senator Harry Reid closed debate without taking any amendments to improve the bill that he won’t support the bill. Johnson says the way the legislation is written is “too intrusive,” when it comes to one state demanding sales tax revenue from another, for Internet purchases.

 

Record Number Apply For Ripon College Enrollment

 

Ripon College President Zach Messitte says they received more than 1,300 applicants for enrollment from potential college freshmen. He says that will result in about 240 to 260 new students in the fall. He says those applicants came from all over the country and some international locations. He says the majority come from Wisconsin, with a good group from the East and West Coasts. While those new students won’t be arriving until the fall, the Senior Class of 2013 will be graduating this Sunday during Ripon College’s 147th Graduation Exercises.

 

Beefed Up Tour

 

Moraine Park Technical College President Sheila Ruhland will be taking he Wisconsin Beef Council’s Farm to Fork Tour today. It starts and ends at the MPTC campus in Fond du Lac. Ruhland says they have a great culinary arts program at the school and they are working with the Beef Council. She says it will be an educational opportunity for her because she doesn’t know much about agriculture even though it is a strong part of the area economy. Stops along the way include several beef farms, Brandon Meats & Sausages, a session at the college on new lean beef culinary applications, and beef ‘n beer and artisan bread pairings.

 

Gudex And Thiesfeldt Hold Listening Sessions Today

 

Both State Senator Rick Gudex and State Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt will be holding listening sessions in the area today. Gudex will be at the Fond du Lac Public Library from 9 to 10:30 a.m., the Waupun Public Library from 12 to 1:30 p.m., and the Fond du Lac City-County Government Center from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thiesfeldt will be at the Fond du Lac Senior Center from 2 to 3 p.m.