Local News Briefs Friday 3/20/15

Starting next Monday the North entrance of the City/County Government Center will be closed and not accessible to the public or government employees. Construction will begin to upgrade the North entrance of the City/County building.  The upgrades will include an elevator and vestibule area to create a more handicapped accessible entrance.  With the North side entrance closed as a result of the construction, alternate public and employee entrances can be found on the East (Macy St.-handicapped accessible) and West (loading dock) side of the building. Additionally, a section of the North side public parking lot will be blocked off, which will result in the loss of 12 parking spaces. Alternate free public parking may be found along Macy and 2nd Streets during construction.  The Payment Drop Box at the North entrance will be removed during the upgrade, however; the Drop Box on the East side (Macy St.) of the building will still be available.  The upgrade is scheduled to be completed near the end of July, at which time the North side entrance will reopen. 

FDL Fire Chief Urges Residents To Be Careful With Their Cigarettes

Fond du Lac Fire and Rescue Chief Peter O’Leary is cautioning residents after two fires involving cigarette smoking last weekend. One involved a bed that started on fire inside an apartment. He says it’s best not to smoke in bed or on a couch if you’re tired or inebriated. He says you should smoke outside. He says common sense would dictate that people would be careful especially when they are smoking indoors, but he says that is not always the case. The other fire last weekend involved someone who was smoking on an apartment balcony and threw the butt in a canister. But the canister was full of old cigarette butts that had dried out and started a fire, which was put out with an extinguisher.

Seventy Mile Per Hour Speed Limit Bill Advancing Through Legislature

The co-author of state legislation that could raise the speed limit to 70 miles per hour on some of our highways is pleased to see it advancing through the legislature. Senator Devin LeMahieu of Oostburg says with the recent passage in the Assembly the bill now advances to the Senate. He says the average speed on 65 mile per hour highways is from 74 to 76 miles per hour and the change to 70 miles per hour would level out those speeds and make it safer. He says neighboring states saw a reduction in fatal accidents after raising their speed limits. LeMahieu says if the bill is passed into law raising the speed limit to 70 on highways would be at the discretion of the Department of Transportation.

Drug Summits Scheduled

Drug information summits will be held in Green Lake and Winnebago Counties over the coming weeks. A Parent and Community Presentation on Heroin and Other Drug Abuse will be held at the Winneconne Middle School on Tuesday, March 31st. It will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Large Group Lecture room. A similar summit will be held at the Markesan High School on Wednesday, April 15th. It will be held in the Middle School Gym from 5 to 8 p.m. From 5 to 6 p.m. there will be a chance to connect with resources and professionals, then from 6 to 8 p.m. there will be a presentation.

Senator Johnson Staff In Area Today

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson’s staff will be doing some mobile office hours in the area today. The will be at the Calumet County Building in Chilton from 9 to 10 a.m. and the Combined Locks Village Hall from 11 a.m. to Noon. In the afternoon they will be at both the Omro City Hall and Altoona City Hall from 1 to 2 p.m. The mobile office hours allow constituents to meet with the senator’s staff to request assistance with a federal agency or regarding other federal matters.

Silent Disco Event Benefits The Volunteer Center Tonight

You can dance to your own beat and benefit the Volunteer Center of Fond du Lac County at the same time tonight. A Silent Disco will be held at Marian University’s Hornung Student Center. Volunteer Center Executive Director Nancy Zompolas says it’s a fun way to benefit the work that they accomplish. The silent part comes in because each person attending will be given a set of headphones each one has three channels providing music. There will be a youth dance from 4 to 6 p.m. and an adult dance for those 18 and older from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets can be purchased using PayPal on the Volunteer Center website or in advance at the Action Reporter offices, Fox Valley Savings Bank and the Volunteer Center office. Zompolas says you need to get tickets in advance to make sure a headphone is reserved for you.

YPF Bubbler Awards Deadline Coming Up Soon

The Young Professionals of Fond du Lac (YPF) has put out a call for nominations for the 2015 Bubbler Awards. The awards go to the best places to work for young professionals. Nominations will be accepted until next Tuesday with winners being announced on Monday, March 30th. The Bubbler Awards presentation will take place on Saturday, April 11th at the Jefferson Street Inn in Wausau as the launch of the fourth annual YPWeek. For more information and to submit a workplace, please visit: www.ypweek.com

Rosenow Scholarships Available

The Rosenow Elementary School PTO is offering three scholarships of $500 each to graduating seniors who have attended Rosenow Elementary School and who plan on continuing their education at either a college or technical school.  Applications may be obtained from the Fond du Lac High School, WLA, and St. Mary’s Springs guidance departments, or from the Rosenow School office. Applications must be submitted to the Rosenow School office by the end of the school day on Friday, April 10, 2015. Please contact the Rosenow School office at (920) 929-2996 if you have any questions.