KFIZ News Tuesday 6/7/16

Thiesfeldt Says Highway 23 Expansion Project Will Get Done But How Long Will It Take

State Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt feels the State Highway 23 expansion project between Fond du Lac and Plymouth will get done, but it is a matter of when. He says he’s glad to see the state Department of Justice is appealing a decision by a Federal judge that stopped funding for the project. He says residents want to see a four-lane road and don’t feel the project should be scaled back. The state lawmaker from Fond du Lac says the project will get done, but he hopes it won’t take as long as the Highway 151 bypass took to get the road done right. He says if the appeals court reaffirms Judge Lynn Adelman’s decision it may take 15 or 20 years to get it fully expanded to four lanes. The group that filed the lawsuit that prompted the judge’s decision is 1000 Friends of Wisconsin. Thiesfeldt says it’s a test case for the group and if they win they will file more lawsuits to stop other road projects in the state. He says with the increasing levels of traffic on Highway 23 there are safety concerns on the road.

More Car Deer Accidents In June

Be on the lookout for more deer on our highways this month. Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Captain Rick Olig says it may not seem like it, but deer are out and causing problems for drivers. He noticed a few on a recent trip to Madison. He says he was coming back from the trip that night and he saw deer three different times on the shoulder of the road getting ready to run across it. He says he later read in a law enforcement trade magazine that deer do run this time of year. State Department of Transportation officials say this is the time of year when does look for places to give birth, and fawns separate from their mothers. Over Memorial Day weekend there were seven car-deer accidents in the County and last weekend another five. Last year, Wisconsin law enforcement agencies reported nearly 20,000 deer-vehicle crashes. 

Bryant Names Oshkosh Defense President

Oshkosh Corporation has promoted John Bryant to president of Oshkosh Defense and senior vice president of Oshkosh Corporation. Prior to his promotion, Bryant served as senior vice president of Defense Programs for Oshkosh Defense. As Oshkosh Defense president, he will lead all aspects of the Company’s global defense segment. He joined Oshkosh Defense in 2010 as vice president and general manager of Marine Corps Programs. He is a retired Marine Corps Colonel with 28-years of distinguished service.

Quad Graphics Will Sponsor Fireworks At Walleye Weekend

There will be a fireworks show in Lakeside Park for Walleye Weekend. QuadGraphics is sponsoring the fireworks Saturday night at 10:15. Fond du Lac Festivals Board President Karyn Merkel says, “The fireworks were such a hit last year, and people felt it was a great way to end a fantastic day at Walleye Weekend.” The festival begins Friday and runs through Sunday at the park in Fond du Lac.

FDL Native Wins Sixth Tropical Vacation On National TV Show

A Fond du Lac native recently won her sixth tropical vacation on a national TV show. Janet Christine of Beaver Dam won a trip to Saint Croix in the Virgin Islands through a contest on ABC’s “Live With Kelly” last week. She was able to correctly answer a question about musician Gloria Estefan. It had to do with the fact that Estefan’s mother used to double for Shirley Temple in the movies. Christine says she had been thinking about that particular bit of trivia the night before. Since 1999 she’s participated in contests for tropical vacations on the various incarnations of the “Live!” show, first with Kathy Lee Gifford and Regis Philibin, then Kelly Ripa and Regis and later with Kelly and Michael Strahan. Five times before she won trips, but last year after she won a trip to Mexico the show’s producers wised up and now limit winners to one win per year. She says she’s still shocked and doesn’t know why her name keeps coming up in the contests. She says she’s just lucky. She moved to Beaver Dam in 2011 to be closer to where her mother lived and husband worked.

Nominations Being Accepted For Natural Beauty Council Awards

The Fond du Lac County Natural Beauty Council is accepting nominations for outstanding efforts by homes, businesses, farms, institutions, and churches that contribute to beautification and preservation through landscaping and outside property improvements in Fond du Lac County. Area 4-H clubs can be nominated for planting flowers and shrubs. Eligibility for a Beautification Award is every 10 years. Nominations will be accepted until Monday, July 11, 2016. To submit a nomination, call the University of Wisconsin Extension Office at (920) 929-3173 or send a written nomination to Beautification Awards, UW-Extension, 227 Admin/Extension Building, 400 University Drive, Fond du Lac, WI 54935. Please include your name and phone number, as well as the name, address, and phone number of the nominated site.