KFIZ News Wednesday 12/7/16

NFDL Fire Truck May Be Taken Out Of Service

North Fond du Lac firefighters will decide whether an aging ladder truck will be taken out of service. Village Administrator Chuck Hornung says in the wake of last month’s failure to pass a referendum to replace the truck they changed the order of response for that truck and the department’s two pumper trucks. He says it used to be second vehicle sent out after their newest pumper, but now it is the third vehicle. He says decisions also have to be made about when to replace fire department vehicles. He feels a truck is useful for 20 to 25 years. He says a pumper is due to be replaced in 2019. He says the Village Board decided to let the fire department decide whether to take the ladder truck out of service, but if they do it will be sold.

Move Over Law Important

The state’s “Move Over” law that protects emergency responders on our roadways becomes even more important during the winter. Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Captain Ryan Waldschmidt says the law doesn’t just apply to law enforcement, fire department and ambulance personnel. He says it also applies to snow plows and tow trucks with their lights on. You are supposed to slow down and move over if you can. Waldschmidt had a close call recently while working at the scene of an accident on Highway 151 in the Town of Oakfield. He says a pickup truck that had rear-ended a manure spreader didn’t have any lights on. The truck was in the middle of the lane of traffic and Waldschmidt was parked with his emergency lights on blocking 1 ½ lanes of traffic and cars were going by him at 70 miles an hour in the pouring rain. Wisconsin State Trooper David Schmidt was at the scene of an accident on I-41 in Washington County Sunday when a motorist hit his cruiser from behind.

FDL Man Sentenced On Sexual Assault Charges

A 23-year-old Fond du Lac man has been sentenced to six years in prison and nine years of extended supervision for having sex with underage teenage girls. Judge Dale English this week sentenced Jason Bunkert on charges he was found guilty of in an August jury trial. Bunkert was sentenced on Monday. 

Oshkosh Man Sentenced For Seventh OWI

A Dodge County judge has sentenced a 42-year-old Oshkosh man to three years in prison for his 7th drunken driving conviction. Daniel Wittrock will be placed on extended supervision for five years after he completes his prison term. The charge stemmed from an incident in March of 2015. Wittrock passed out behind the wheel of his car after parking in a private driveway in the Town of Theresa. The car was running when a sheriff’s deputy tried to wake him. Wittrock was sentenced Monday.

PACE Program Helps Businesses With Energy Project Costs

Fond du Lac County is among 11 counties in the state now participating in the PACE or Property Assessed Clean Energy Commission. The program assists local businesses with financing low-cost long-term loans for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and water conservation projects. County Executive Al Buechel says energy savings help companies pay their loans off. He says the County initially got interested in the program because the new owners of the Hotel Retlaw got interested in it but he says the County would have participated in it anyway. In September the Fond du Lac County Board approved the County’s participation in the PACE program. It will be another tool for economic development.

FDL County Social Services Department Closed For In Service Training Thursday

Fond du Lac County’s Social Services office will be closed Thursday for an agency in-service on Trauma Informed Care. Last April the department was accepted into the Wisconsin Trauma Project. The goal and focus of the project is to assist county departments and staff in creating a more trauma-informed and responsive system of care. County residents needing to apply for economic assistance Thursday may call the Moraine Lakes Consortium at 888-446-1239. To report child abuse or neglect call (920) 929-3202.

Shop With A Cop Coming Up Thursday In FDL

The annual Shop with a Cop program comes up Thursday in Fond du Lac. Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Deputy Julie Flaherty coordinates the program, but she is mentoring Deputy David Tackett to eventually take it over. Tackett says he’s participated as one of the “cops” over the years and it really brightens up the holidays for children who shop for family members’ gifts. Children are given a $50 gift card to shop with at the Walmart in Fond du Lac. They are paired up with a cop during the shopping. Afterwards they will be treated to pizza. Flaherty says the program couldn’t be done with out the generous donations of the community. She says just over 100 officers will be participating and 140 to 150 kids. But it isn’t just deputies and police officers that shop with the kids. Flaherty says they get people from all branches of law enforcement to volunteer.