Local News Briefs Monday 5/12/14

A lightning strike while thunderstorms were moving through the area early this morning left a number of people in the Peebles area without power. Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Sergeant Paul Rottscholl says they got a report of a lightning strike just north of Fred’s Fastrac Sales.

Two Hurt In Washington County Motorcycle Accident

Two Town of Wayne residents were injured when the motorcycle they were on hit a deer last night. Washington County Sheriff’s officials say a 42-year-old man was traveling on County Highway WW just north of Beaver Dam Road when a deer crossed the road in the path of the motorcycle. When the bike hit the deer it overturned ejecting the man and the 45-year-old woman riding with him. He was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital in West Bend for facial injuries. She was taken to Froedtert Hospital with head injuries. Neither of them was wearing a helmet. Alcohol was not a factor. The deer was killed by the impact of the crash. The accident was reported at 9:30 p.m.

Berlin Standoff Ends Peacefully

Berlin Police say a standoff incident in the 200 block of Canal Street ended without incident early Sunday morning. Police initially got a report that a 29-year-old pregnant woman at the residence had been battered. She was complaining about injuries to her stomach area. Nobody responded when police arrived and tried to make contact with those inside the home. Police learned the 36-year-old man suspected of the battery may be armed. Eventually police were able to contact the woman and she, her 18-month-old child and the woman’s mother exited the home. All three were examined by paramedics. The suspect Rico Vasquez surrendered after police contacted him by phone. He was placed on a probation hold and domestic abuse charges are being forwarded to the Green Lake County Sheriff’s Office. He is being held in the County Jail. Several nearby homes were evacuated during the incident.

FDL School Board Preview

The Fond du Lac School Board today will be asked to approve the resignations of two principals and a 1 percent increase in pay for administrators’ salaries. High School Principal Jon Wiltzius and Lakeshore Elementary Principal Lori Loehr are resigning. Wiltzius will be running a campground in the Eden area and Loehr will be taking a job with CESA 6. The increase in pay for administrators’ salaries are for 28 administrators and range from a low of about $79,000 up to just under $158,000 for Superintendent Jim Sebert’s salary. Overall the increase in salaries for the current school year will amount to an increase of just over $26,000. The board meets at 5 p.m. at the District Administration Center Board Room on West 9th Street. For a list of administrators’ salaries click here. 

FDL City Council Candidates Interviews Today

The Fond du Lac City Council holds a special meeting this afternoon to interview the four people who applied for a vacancy on the Council. The meeting will begin at 4 p.m. in meeting room H of the City-County Government Center. The four candidates for the vacancy created by the resignation of Councilman Dan Manning are Jeffrey Ruedinger, Sarah Feltes, Greg Giles and Mark Jurgella. The Council will appoint a new council member at their meeting Wednesday and the new member will be sworn into office during their May 28th meeting.

Tourism Spending Growth In FDL County Increases 41 Percent Since 2010

For the second time in the past few years Fond du Lac County is among the top five counties in the state in terms of tourist spending growth. Fond du Lac Convention and Visitors Bureau President Craig Molitor says visitors spent $119 million in the County last year, which puts the County at number five in terms of tourist spending growth. He says since 2010 when tourism spending was at $84 million that’s an increase of 41 percent. He says only a quarter of that spending by visitors is for hotel and motel rooms. He says you also have to remember that the money visitors spend is turning over in the community being spent again by those whose jobs are supported by that tourism. Tourism spending in Fond du Lac County jumped 7.55 percent in 2013.

Senator Johnson On Defense Spending

U.S. Senator Ron Johnson says he’d like to see a complete audit of defense spending. Johnson says it would be naïve to think that Al Qaeda is a diminishing threat. He says the threats we face are real. Some candidates running for Congress this fall have suggested that Defense spending should be increased especially considering the impact it has had on local employment such as with the Oshkosh Corporation. However Johnson says first our strategic needs should be assessed.

The federal lawmaker from Oshkosh says Defense spending doesn’t necessarily need to be increased, but an audit would determine what spending is necessary and should be prioritized.

Marriage License Reminder

Fond du Lac County Clerk Lisa Freiberg reminds couples not to wait too long to pick up their marriage licenses. She says they usually ask that couples pick them up at least 2 to 3 weeks before their wedding. She says you will need a certified copy of their birth certificate, which can add a little to the pre-wedding stress sometimes. She says even the state is requiring the use of a certified copy of a birth certificate when people get their driver’s licenses now. She says they charge $100 cash for the marriage license. She also says if you’re getting remarried they need a copy of your divorce papers and if you’re a widower the death certificate. She says the waiting period is different for those two reasons, 6 months for divorce and the day after for death of a spouse.

Free Admission To Thelma Membership Exhibit

The Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts in downtown Fond du Lac is currently featuring its first Membership Exhibition with free admission through the run of the exhibit that ends on June 22nd. Thelma Executive Director Kevin Miller says those attending the exhibit are invited to select your favorite or Viewer’s Choice.Twenty pieces were selected for the exhibit and the Viewer’s Choice will be announced during a Street Party on Thursday, June 12th that gets started at 5:30 p.m. The event will feature music by two local bands. Jacqui Corsi of Thelma says they began new hours at Thelma at the beginning of the month. She says they are open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays.

Waupun Summer School

Waupun Schools Superintendent Tonya Gubin says they would like to see more kids participating in their summer school offerings. She says they do have a little larger participation this year. She says it will be for four weeks and will be held at their three schools in Waupun. She says they offer remedial classes and enrichment classes during the summer school, but it’s a good way to battle the so-called “summer slide” when students suffer a little learning loss because they aren’t keeping up on their reading and math. She says it’s also a nice break for parents who don’t have to worry about who is watching their kids during those summer school hours.

Agnesian Named Great Place To Work

Agnesian HealthCare is featured in the Becker’s Healthcare 2014 list of “150 Great Places to Work in Healthcare.” Becker’s Healthcare has been compiling a list of Great Places to Work in Healthcare annually since 2011, but this is the first year non-provider organizations were included on the list.  In fact, Agnesian HealthCare was named as one of the top 100 Best Places to Work in Healthcare as part of the 2011 Becker’s Hospital Review/Becker’s ASC Review. Sue Edminster, vice president of Human Resources at Agnesian HealthCare says “The honor of being recognized externally as a top 150 Great Places to Work in Healthcare provides validation of the work we do to provide associates with the skills, tools and rewards to be successful in delivering Simply the Best service and care to our community,” The complete list can be read here: http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/150-great-places-to-work-2014/full-list.html.