Local News Briefs Friday 1/8/16

Convicted Murderer Gets Probation On Drug Charges

A Dodge County judge Thursday sentenced a convicted murder to five years of probation and a year of conditional jail time for selling crack cocaine to undercover agents in April of last year. Judge Joseph Sciascia also imposed and stayed 16 years in prison, should 37-year-old Gary Campbell of Waupun failed to successfully complete his probation. Campbell was four months out of prison when he sold cocaine to undercover agents. He had served a 10 year prison sentence for 2nd degree reckless homicide and hiding a corpse charges he committed in Milwaukee in 2004. He was still on extended supervision when he made the five sales to the agents.  District Attorney Kurt Klomberg argued for a 15 year prison term saying Campbell had been in and out of custody since he was 12-years-old. The judge cited Campbell’s positive achievements while in prison.

Jury Trial Postponed For Waupun Man

The two-day jury trial scheduled for a 27-year-old Waupun man facing a 1st degree sexual assault charge has been postponed. The Dodge County trial for Robert Moungey was originally scheduled for January 25th and 26th. But Moungey’s lawyer asked the trial be adjourned because he hadn’t received discovery for two new charges of possession of child pornography that were brought against his client. An arraignment has now been scheduled for February 12th on the sexual assault charge. Moungey allegedly sexually assault a three-year-old boy. He’s facing a similar charge in Green Lake County Court.

Search Continues For Fourth Victim In Walworth County Fatal Canoe Incident

The DNR has temporarily closed Mill Pond — the Lake Beulah area of Sunday’s fatal canoe incident in Walworth County — for the purposes of the ongoing investigation. The dive searched resumed Thursday morning for the body of a fourth Illinois man involved in the January 3rd incident. The bodies of three other men were recovered Sunday and Monday.  DNR Recreational Safety Warden Jason Roberts says they are using sonar and the freezing and thawing of ice has made recovery efforts a challenge.

Second Democrat Announces Run For 18^th State Senate Seat

An Oshkosh native has announced his candidacy for the 18th State Senate seat. John Lemberger, a Democrat, will make his official announcement in Oshkosh Saturday night. He says he will focus his campaign on reuniting Wisconsin. He says, “We want to make Wisconsin’s government work for everyday people again and not just for the elite 1% who have purchased our government and reshaped our laws to work only for themselves.” Lemberger is the second Democrat to announce for the seat. Winnebago County Executive Mark Harris announced last spring. The only Republican candidate to announce so far is Fond du Lac County Republican Party Chairman Dan Feyen. Incumbent Republican Senator Rick Gudex announced last fall he would not be seeking another term.

United Way Contributions Needed

The Fond du Lac Area United Way still has a few weeks to make its fundraising goal for 2015. United Way Executive Director Amber Kilawee says they are at 90 percent of their $756,000 goal. She says they’ve raised a little over $682,000. She says they have up until Thursday, January 21st to reach that goal. She says it’s not unusual for United Way campaigns to stretch into a new year. She says individual donations are nice, but company and corporate campaigns also have a huge impact on their fundraising efforts. You can give at their office at 74 S. Main Street, Suite 201 in Fond du Lac or on their website.

Quitting Smoking

The program coordinator for the 5 Counties for Tobacco Free Living says if quitting smoking was one of your New Year’s resolutions you should have a plan. Sandy Bernier says a lot of smokers to want to quit and this time of the year there’s a larger percentage who want to quit. She says 70 percent of smokers want to quit and about 40 percent pick this time of year to try. She says there are two things you should consider if you’re going to try and quit. She says you should consult your health care provider to see if medication will work and also consider counseling. Bernier a former smoker says she looked at videos at the CDC website of people who had successfully quit. She says one of them said to keep busy and expect there to be bumps in the road. Bernier says the best way to start is to call the Wisconsin Quit Line at 1-800-784-8669. She says you can also get a Quit Tobacco folder with helpful information through her office at the Fond du Lac County Health Department.

For more help click here.

App Allows Tracking For FDL Transit Buses

Fond du Lac residents who use the city buses can now keep track of where they are on their smart phone. Transit Manager Lynn Gilles says it’s simply a matter of putting an app from the Ride Systems program on your phone. She says it’s simply a matter of putting the QR codes on your iPhone or Android. She says you can go to the App Store or just use the QR Code. Those with a Blackberry or on Windows phone can visit the Ride Systems website to pick up the free app. She says when you get there choose Fond du Lac. She says it’s a great way of tracking where the buses are in the city. Gilles says she has the app on her computer and uses it to answer questions she gets about where the buses are. Wi-Fi is also available on city buses now as well.

http://www.fonddulac.ridesystems.net/

MPTC Partnership With Herzing University Announced

Students with an associate of applied science degree from Moraine Park Technical College will have an option to achieve a bachelor’s degree thanks to a partnership announced with Herzing University. Through the DEGREE UP program students will take their courses from Herzing University online or at one of Herzing’s three Wisconsin-based campuses, allowing them to stay and finish their bachelor’s degree in state. The end result is a bachelor’s degree from Herzing University in as little as four years.   “We are very pleased to be partnering with Herzing University to offer our students the options the Degree Up program provides,” said Moraine Park Technical College President Bonnie Baerwald. “Whether they want to take classes in the traditional classroom setting or online, this partnership ensures our students who are interested in earning a bachelor’s degree, are able to do so efficiently by maximizing their transfer credits without retaking coursework.”