KFIZ News Thursday 1/12/17

Cooking Fire

Fond du Lac firefighters were called to a kitchen fire at the River’s Edge Apartment building at 478 West Scott Street Tuesday night. Fire Captain Joe Maramonte says someone left cooking oil unattended on a stove in one of the apartments. The fire was contained to the kitchen area, but there was damage to a few cabinets. The people living in the apartment stayed with family members in another section of the apartment complex for the night. The time of the fire call was 9:15 p.m.

Threat Against Two Oshkosh High Schools

Oshkosh School District officials say the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Department got a message regarding Oshkosh North and West High Schools. Although district officials didn’t term it a threat they say the information was passed along to Oshkosh Police and school officials, extra officers and patrols were assigned to both schools as a precaution. Officials say they do not believe the messages have any credibility.

Horicon Man Charged With Burglary

A 25-year-old Horicon man faces a burglary charge for allegedly stealing from family members. Dominick Kaiser was charged this week in Dodge County Court. The break-in occurred last August. Items were taken from a safe and were later found in Kaiser’s possession. He also described where other missing items could be found. A $50,000 signature bond was set and a preliminary hearing has been scheduled for February 23rd. 

Randolph Man Suspected Of Hitting Police Chief Pleads NGI

The 21-year-old Randolph man suspected of punching the Randolph Police Chief in the face was arraigned in Dodge County Court this week. Brandon Washburn pled “not guilty” and “not guilty by means of insanity.” Charges stem from an incident in May of last year when the police chief was taking Washburn to Winnebago Mental Health Facilities. The chief was placing him in handcuffs when Washburn hit him. A scheduling conference is set for the case next month.

Oshkosh Fire Investigation

Oshkosh Police are investigating a house fire that happened in the 300 block of West 6th Avenue Tuesday. The only injury was to a man who cut his hand while trying to get himself and his children out of the home. He was treated by paramedics and released. Eight people were in the home when the fire broke out. The fire is considered suspicious. The Red Cross is assisting the family that was displaced by the fire.

Marian Dr Martin Luther King Jr Breakfast Next Monday

The Senior Vice President of University Relations at Marian University says his mother raised him by the example set by Martin Luther King Jr. Marian’s annual Martin Luther King Day breakfast is next Monday from 7 to 8:30 a.m. at the Stayer Center. George Koonce says Fond du Lac Police Officer Keywon Brown will give the keynote address and they will give out the annual Spirit Award done in Dr. King’s memory. Bishop Haywood and his wife Beverly will be presented with the award. Koonce says Dr. King believed education was the great equalizer and his mother saw to it that he got a good education. Koonce says he had some athletic ability and got an athletic scholarship, eventually going back to school to get a PhD. He says it all goes back to the teachings and leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King. Koonce played linebacker for the Green Bay Packers in the 1990s winning a Super Bowl with them in 1996.

DFP Annual Meeting Coming Up

The Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership will feature several speakers during their annual meeting on Thursday, February 2nd. DFP Executive Director Amy Hansen says their new board president will be one of the featured speakers. Alan Hathaway is the owner of Brown Boots Interactive and started as DFP Board President on January 1st. They will also be hearing from the two men who will be running the Hotel Retlaw. Steve Frantz and Dennis Doucette of Legendary Hotels will be talking about plans for the hotel and the relationships they will be establishing with downtown businesses. Sam Meyer, the chairman of the Downtown Exploratory Committee, will also give them a brief overview of the work they’ve been doing.

Thrivent Members Will See Increase In Dividends

Eligible members of Thrivent Financial will receive an estimated $319 million in dividends in 2017. The figure represents a 2-percent increase from last year’s dividend distribution of approximately $312 million. The 2017 dividend scale was recently approved by the organization’s board of directors.

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Nominations Being Accepted For 2017 Bubbler Awards

Nominations are being taken for the NEWaukee Bubbler Awards. Last spring two Fond du Lac businesses were named among the Top Ten Best Places to Work for Young Professionals. Wisnet ranked fifth and Society Insurance eighth to place them among the award winners. Jenny Knuth of Wisnet says they submitted their application for the awards last February. She says they were surprised and grateful to be acknowledged along with Society as one of the winners. She says having a great working environment benefits the company and the community. Among the things Wisnet does to create a better working environment is by having a flexible vacation policy and doing work place challenges. Nomination for the 2017 Bubbler Awards can be submitted online through Tuesday, February 28th. Winners will be announced on Monday, March 6th.