KFIZ News Wednesday 6/29/16

Watertown Man Pleads To Misdemeanor Hit And Run Charge

A 44-year-old Watertown man who struck a child on a bicycle and left the scene pled “no contest” to a reduced charge in Dodge County Court this week. Watertown Police say the child suffered large cuts on his elbows and forearms, nose and the rest of his face. The kid was trying to cross the street last October when Michael Werner hit him. The child’s caretaker told police Werner smelled like alcohol.  Werner was ordered to pay fines and court costs.

FDL District Policing Has Success

Fond du Lac Police Captain Aaron Goldstein says they have had success with their district policing program. The city is broken up into East, Central, and West Police Districts. He says the program was kicked off five years ago and he feels they have a better feel for the problems facing the community. He says they have used data-driven material to provide better resources to the community. He says it has been an incredible journey since Chief Bill Lamb arrived in 2011. Goldstein says there is a lot of what he calls buy-ins by different types of officers and through different types of programs. For example the newest officers, investigations, crime prevention, and community service officers. He says the new right-turn only lane being put in at the southern entrance to Walmart grew out of a concern about traffic accidents at that entrance to the store’s parking lot which is in the West District.

MPTC Shared AG Program

The Associate Dean of Trades at Moraine Park Technical College says the shared agribusiness program with Lakeshore Technical College in Sheboygan has completed its first year. Stephen Horvath says agriculture is one of the backbones of the area economy so they already had a potential audience for the Agribusiness Science and Technology program. Horvath says 12 people took part in first year of the program, which offers up to 43 credits. He says 16 of those credits are business courses. He says the rest of those courses are geared toward teaching production skills. He says there are larger farms now, which requires people specializing in certain areas of farming. He says that is where a program likes theirs’ fits the bill. Horvath says they have accepted ten students for the second year of the program and six more applicants are pending. If you would like to know more call 920-924-3129.

New Use For Zimmerman Building

The former Zimmerman Building at 131 South Main Street is finding a new use. Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership Director of Communications and Special Events Dusty Krikau says people probably know it better as the former Cool Beans & Bagels site, but now it has been developed into a nice apartment complex. She says they are having open houses during the Farmers Markets. She says it has 19 apartments, 9 one-bedroom, 9 two-bedroom, and one three-bedroom apartment. She says prices vary depending on the size of the apartment. She says one-bedrooms go for $600, 2-bedrooms $800, and the three-bedroom is $1,500 a month. She says you get an idea of what the apartments look like at BlueFrog Management.com. There are stainless steel appliances and a new elevator with a security feature.

NFDL Schools Booth At Walleye Weekend Was Successful

North Fond du Lac Schools Superintendent Aaron Sadoff says they did very well with the booth they had at Walleye Weekend. He says they have a booster club this is active throughout the year. He says they’ve already raised over $50,000 this year. He says the booster club doesn’t just support sports. He says they also support the arts, classes like prom and post-prom events, an ice fishing club and a variety of endeavors. Sadoff says the booth at Walleye Weekend would not have been possible without help from a number of people. He says that includes A&W owner Jim Brajdic who let them use his equipment and over 100 volunteers. He says it made the effort outstanding.

Thousands Attended Breakfast On The Farm

More than 2,600 people attended the Fond du Lac County Breakfast on the Farm at the J&J Pickart Farm in Malone this past Sunday. Brenda Gudex is the Director of Agricultural programs for the Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce. She says despite the rain that began the day many people enjoyed the breakfast and tours of the farm. She says over 2,600 people were served breakfast. She says the 2017 Breakfast on the Farm will be on Sunday, June 25th and will be hosted by a farm in the Brandon area.