Local News Briefs Friday 10/3/14

Three Fond du Lac men arrested in a drug raid late last Friday night in Fond du Lac had made their initial appearances in Fond du Lac County Court. Twenty-year-old Dazwan Jones, 29-year-old Miguel West and 39-year-old Quentin Huston were arrested during the execution of a search warrant at 42 South Street. Bond was set at $50,000 cash for West $20,000 for Jones and $3,000 for Huston. They are charged with drug trafficking and bail jumping. On September 9th police were called to the same residence when shots were fired outside the home. A person of interest was taken into custody on un-related drugs charges on September 17th. 

Injury Accident Near Plymouth

Sheboygan County Sheriff’s officials say one person was hospitalized Thursday afternoon in a three-car chain reaction collision north of the city of Plymouth.  It happened about 4 p.m. at the intersection of County J and Highway 57 when a car driven by 24-year-old Jonathan Blundell of Sheboygan rear-ended an SUV driven by 39-year-old Lisa Entringer of Elkhart Lake which was stopped at the stop sign and pushed it into a third vehicle.  Blundell was taken to Sheboygan Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. Entringer suffered a minor injury.

Spontaneous Combustion

Fond du Lac Division Chief of Fire Prevention Troy Haase says they recently had a fire in which the cause is one they rarely see. He says it happened in the basement of a business with some towels that were being cleaned. He says they wash the towels they use for cleaning grease and wiping things off. The towel are washed multiple times then dried in dryer and stacked in a bin. He says the towels ignited from what would appear to be spontaneous combustion. He it may have been from the heat of the dryer and grease still in the fabric of the towels. Haase says they had a similar case at the Holiday Inn a few years ago. He says it was probably 5 or 6 years ago towels sitting on a rack started on fire. He says in the recent fire the towels were quickly put out because someone was around to do it.

County Role In Economic Development

Fond du Lac County’s Executive says the sales tax and County loans to businesses have helped create and retain thousands of jobs over the past five years. County Executive Al Buechel says the County sales tax was created to help retain Mercury Marine, but it also is helping fund a revolving loan fund the Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation uses to help out businesses with expansion and retention efforts. He says last week the County Board approved appropriating another $50,000 to the loan fund, which has already loaned out $2.3 million. He anticipates more will be needed. He estimates it will take about $4.5 million to make the loan fund self-sustaining. The County also loaned Alliance Laundry Systems $6 million in the past year, which is expected to create another 150 jobs on top of a previous effort that created 270 positions. Buechel says they are doing well and another expansion could be in their future. He says overall with Mercury Marine and other expansion efforts 6,000 jobs have been retained and another 2,000 created. He says the economic activity per year in the County as a result is about $500 million a year.

DFP Executive Director Excited About Opportunities For Entrepreneurs

Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership Executive Director Amy Hansen says she’s excited about a couple of new programs designed to help out local entrepreneurs. Hansen says IGNITE! Business Success partners 15 agencies like the Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership to help entrepreneurs develop and market their ideas. She says in the past entrepreneurs became frustrated along the development path and gave up, but with IGNITE they will have someone help shepherd them through the process. She notes that 65 percent of all new jobs in the U.S. are created by small business. Hansen says others programs like the still developing Emergent Technology Center, Emergent Labs and the Imagination Network are all havens for new ideas and technology.

Rollins Served Twice As City Manager

He’s mostly had a roll in development, but Fond du Lac Community Development Director Wayne Rollin had a couple of opportunities to lead the City. Rollin retires today after 34 combined years with the City and County, the last 24 years with the City. He says for the most part it’s been a stable City Government over his time with the City. But twice over the last nine years Rollin was named Acting City Manager. In 2005 Rollin was named Acting City Manager when then City Manager Tom Ahrens resigned and the second time in 2012 was when City Manager Tom Herre decided to retire. Rollin says in both instances the City ended up with strong City Managers the first time with Herre and the second time with current City Manager Joe Moore. Rollin says both times he was Acting City Manager he found it to be an interesting experience.

United Way Update

The Fond du Lac Area United Way campaign has now raised $186,000 of their $745,000 goal. United Way Executive Director Tina Potter says many company campaigns are just getting started, but individual donation and group efforts are also contributing. She says Festival Foods just wrapped up an effort. She says employees at the City-County Government Center also held a vendor fair last week that raised a tidy little sum of money for the United Way. Potter says it came to about $1,000 or more. Potter says once again this year those who give $104 or more will have their names entered into a drawing with a chance to win $500. There are six $500 prizes. She says that is made possible through the generous donation of a benefactor.

Senator Johnson Making Stop At Kondex Corporation Today

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson will be attending Manufacturing Month activities in Lomira this afternoon. He will be at Kondex Corporation from 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. In addition to showcasing one of Wisconsin’s great manufacturing companies Johnson will give his State of the Nation presentation. Johnson will also make appearances at two Milwaukee manufacturers this morning.

Sexual Violence Victim Will Speak At MPTC FDL Campus

Moraine Park Technical College in Fond du Lac will have Katie Koestner, a leader in the movement to end sexual violence, as a guest speaker at on Monday at 2:00 p.m. The event will be held in Room A-112 and is free to the public.  Koestner, a national expert on student safety and wellness issues, was the first survivor of date rape to speak out publicly at the age of 18. She will tell her personal date rape story and provide a general overview of sexual assault, as well as share resources and discuss bystander skills. To register for the event emailssaeger@morainepark.edu   or call 920-924-3101.

NFDL Homecoming Parade Route

The North Fond du Lac High School Homecoming parade at 4 p.m. today is the same route as years past. The entire route will be closed to traffic during the parade. Motorists are encouraged to use alternate travel routes during this time. The parade will line up in the High School parking lot.  From there, the parade will travel east on McKinley Street to Minnesota Avenue.  It will travel north on Minnesota Avenue to Marcoe Street.  The parade will continue west on Marcoe Street to Thurke Avenue.  It will proceed south on Thurke Avenue to Polk Street.  It will travel east on Polk Street to Adams Avenue.  The parade will continue south on Adams Avenue and end in the High School parking lot.