KFIZ News Friday 6/24/16

More Than A Rollover

Two members of the State Patrol that worked a fatal accident on I-41 in Fond du Lac Wednesday say they had no idea how serious it was until they got to the scene. Sergeant Luke Newman says when he got there he quickly found out it was more than a rollover accident. In fact a semi-truck and two cars were involved in a crash that resulted in the deaths of a 26-year-old man and 8-year-old boy from Neenah, and three others were injured. Inspector Scott Hlinak says unfortunately the best witnesses were also the injured who were quickly transported from the scene. He says other drivers stuck behind the crash also saw it, but not in as much detail. He says other elements were the huge backup of traffic it caused on I-41, trying to reconstruct the accident and also manage traffic flow. Hlinak says the scene was a bit chaotic. 

Operation Dry Water This Weekend

The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Department will be participating in Operation Dry Water on Lake Winnebago this weekend. It’s part of a nationwide initiative to reduce alcohol and drug-related accidents and fatalities on the water. Operation Dry Water begins today and runs through Sunday. The Dodge County Sheriff’s Department is also participating in the enforcement effort.

Horicon Man Solicits Sex Online

Oshkosh Police arrested a 29-year-old Horicon man Wednesday night who set up a meeting with a 14-year-old girl, who was actually a police investigator. The two chatted online and arranged to meet in Oshkosh where the suspect would sell her marijuana and have sex with her. The man is facing possible charges of using a computer to facilitate a child sex crime and possessing with intent to deliver marijuana.

Governor Pleased With Low Unemployment Rate For The State

During a stop in Fond du Lac this week Governor Scott Walker said he was pleased with the state’s unemployment rate of 4.2 percent, the lowest since March of 2001. He also says the state has one of the highest number in the nation in terms of the percentage of people that are working. He says the labor force participation rate is almost 69 percent putting the state among the top ten in the nation in terms of the number of people employed. Over 3 million people are employed in the state. Last month the City of Fond du Lac’s unemployment rate was 3.5 and the County’s 3.3 percent.

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State Supreme Court Applicants Down To Three Finalists

The three finalists have been named for the seat on the State Supreme Court that will become available when Justice David Prosser retires at the end of next month. Those three are Appeals Court judges Mark Gundrum and Thomas Hruz, and attorney David Kelly. During a stop in Fond du Lac this week Governor Scott Walker says he has a panel that narrows down choices for all judicial appointments he makes. The three finalists were chose from 11 people who applied. The Governor will make his appointment within the month.

State Representative Introduces Legislation Concerning Concealed Carry Defense

A state representative says Wisconsin needs a “Disarmed Citizen Compensation Act.” If a person is injured or killed by a shooter in a place labeled a gun free zone, the victim would be able to sue the owner of that location. That’s the idea behind a piece of legislation unveiled Thursday morning by Republican State Representative Bob Gannon of Slinger. He says under the legislation if a business posts a sign that says “no weapon” and someone is harmed by a concealed carry weapon the business would be liable. He says his motivation is to encourage businesses to allow concealed carry license holders to defend themselves and others. Gannon says the legislation will be formally introduced when the Assembly goes back in session in January.

Good Things Cooking At MPTC Saturday

Good things will be cooking at Moraine Park Technical College’s Fond du Lac campus Saturday. Moraine Park President Bonnie Baerwald says the Culinary Arts program will be opening its kitchen to the public from 8:30 a.m. to noon. There will be behind-the-scene tours and a chance to watch some small-scale production. She says Bakery Instructor Tom Endejan wanted to do a demo on things related to cakes, breads, and other baked goods. She says the demos will be from 9 to 9:30, and 11 to 11:30 a.m. Associate Dean of Trades Steve Horvath says their instructors are always trying to find different ways of engaging students and the public.The event is free, but visitors are asked to park in the B-parking lot on the north side of the campus and enter through the Park Terrace restaurant entrance.