Local News Briefs Monday 6/22/15

Sheboygan County Sheriff’s officials say no one was hurt when an airplane made an emergency landing in a Town of Wilson farm field Sunday. Federal Aviation Administration officials in Milwaukee notified them around 11:35 a.m. about the crash. The pilot, a Cleveland, Wisconsin man, called Sheriff’s officials a short time later. He told them his plane lost engine power. He was forced to make an emergency landing in a field near County Road A. He was the only one in the plane and wasn’t injured. The plane landed intact. The FAA is investigating.

Redgranite Drowning Victim Identified

Redgranite Police have identified the 18-year-old woman who drowned in the Redgranite Quarry Friday night. She is Alaya HuaChee Lo of Appleton. Police got a call shortly after 6 p.m. about a person who had been swimming in the quarry and hadn’t surfaced. Several Waushara and Green Lake County agencies responded to the scene. Lo’s body was discovered about an hour later. The quarry is about 6 acres and over 160 feet deep.

FDL Man Charged For Domestic Violence Incident

A 44-year-old Fond du Lac man who allegedly choked his wife and used a hammer to destroy things in their home has been charged for the incident. Michael Retzlaff was charged in the Fond du Lac County Court last Friday with strangulation, battery, criminal damage to property, and disorderly conduct. The incident allegedly happened early last Thursday morning at a home in the 1300 block of Primrose Lane. Bond was set at $500 cash. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for August 6th.

Fire Damages Lakeland College Apartment Building

Firefighters in Sheboygan County responded to a fire at Lakeland College in the Town of Herman early Sunday afternoon. Sheriff’s officials say when firefighters arrived, smoke and flames were billowing out of the windows of the apartment building and there was a roof collapse. The residents of the building had safely evacuated and there were no injuries reported. The fire on Reineking Court was reported at 12:37 p.m. 

Oshkosh Corporation Contract

The Oshkosh Corporation has landed a 5-year contract with the U.S. Army to rebuild trucks and trailers. The contract to rebuild 1,800 trucks and 1,000 trailers begins this year and is worth up to $780 million. Oshkosh Corporation is recalling 425 people who were laid off in recent months and is also posting 100 salaried job openings. 

State Representative Born Considers Brownsville Sex Offender Placement A Failure

(WBEV-Beaver Dam)-Two Dodge County state legislators are looking to change the way violent sex offenders are released back into society.  State Representative Mark Born of Beaver Dam says he and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald of Juneau are working on the matter after a recent case in the County that they feel was mishandled.  Twenty-nine-year-old Jonathan Miller and 57-year-old Robert Larson have been living at a residence on Highway 49 in Brownsville since they were released nearly three weeks ago.  They are living within several hundred feet of two twin 11-year-old girls.  Born says the Department of Health Services is acting on their concerns. A letter was sent to judges in the cases informing them about the girls and other issues that weren’t considered when the offenders were placed. Born says he and Fitzgerald are working on a bill to change the way sex offenders considered sexually violent are released. He views the Brownsville placement as a failure.

MPTC Has New Institutional Plan

The Moraine Park Technical College District Board last week approved an institutional plan. MPTC President Bonnie Baerwald says the 5-year strategic plan is called Innovation 2020. She says that includes four strategic priorities, which fold into her goals as president. She one includes making MPTC an employer of choice. She says a task force was also formed. She says it’s looking at enrollment and recruitment strategies for students. She says the task force should wrap up its work this summer and there will be initiatives coming out of that. Baerwald says they are also looking at career pathway work with area high schools, transfer agreements, and information technology. She says they’ve also developed new mission and vision statements.

Swenson Move Will Help Other FDL County Manufacturers

The president of the Fond du Lac County Economic Development Corporation says the move of a Washington County manufacturer to the Campbellsport Industrial Park will benefit other companies in the area. Steve Jenkins says they were happy to help make the move possible for Swenson Tool & Die. He says it was a move that will help the company. He says most of their workforce already came from Fond du Lac County. He says it will help other manufacturers in the County because Swenson makes products for other manufacturers so it will be a support service for those companies. The move will bring 21 to 29 new jobs to Campbellsport.

FDL County Office Hours Announced For Fourth Of July Weekend

The Fond du Lac County Executive’s Office has released the holiday schedule for County employees for the 4th of July weekend. All County offices in the City-County Government Center, the Sheriff’s Office lobby window, the Department of Social Services, including the offices in the Portland Street Annex, the Veterans Service Office, and the Highway Department will be closed all day on Friday, July 3rd in observance of Independence Day.

Green Lake Festival Brings Two Concerts To FDL

The director of the Green Lake Festival of Music says they will be bringing two special concerts to Fond du Lac next month. Laura Deming says the Bergonzi String Quartet will perform Peter and the Wolf at the Fond du Lac Public Library at 2 p.m. on Thursday, July 16th. She says it will be real treat for kids. But first the Green Lake Chamber Players will perform at the Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, July 10th. She says the theme of the Festival is called “A Musical Feast” and the concert at Thelma will be called “Little Tastes.” She says there will be a special guest for that concert Lori Skelton from Wisconsin Public Radio will host the event. For more information about the Festival go to their website.

Kitchen Basics Offered

Agnesian HealthCare is inviting area residents to learn about “Kitchen Basics.” Mike Wetzel, St. Agnes Hospital Food & Nutrition Services chef, will give an overview of kitchen basics that include cross contamination, proper food temperature, chicken, poultry and ground beef safety tips and more! In addition, Wetzel will discuss how cooking is easier and faster with the right equipment. “Kitchen Basics With Chef Mike” is scheduled for Wednesday, July 8 from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Fond du Lac Regional Clinic West Demonstration Kitchen, 912 S. Hickory Street, Fond du Lac. Preregistration is required. For cost of class or for more information, call Journeys at (920) 926-4960 or visit us on-line at agnesian.com/cooking-class.