Local News Briefs Saturday 3/19/16

Former Wayland Academy Teacher Bound Over For Trial On Sexual Assault Charge

A former instructor at Beaver Dam’s Wayland Academy suspected of having sex with a student has been bound over for trial. A Dodge County judge ordered the courtroom closed Thursday when the victim testified in the preliminary hearing of 23-year-old Adam Hechimovich of Mayville. The victim is a 16-year-old boy. An arraignment has been scheduled for April 20th.  

Dodge County Department Head Files Complaint

Dodge County officials are involved in an employee grievance issue. The County’s Human Services and Health Director Janet Wimmer had filed a written grievance after she was placed on a weekong, unpaid suspension. County Administrator Jim Mielke (MILL-kee) claims she put in for a gas reimbursement she was not entitled to and missed a day of work last December. Wimmer says the gas reimbursement was an honest mistake and she can document being at work for five hours on that day in December. She says Mielke gave her a choice of resigning or being fired.  Milke also denied a written grievance in which Wimmer claimed she was a victim of gender discrimination. She is now filing a complaint of discrimination and retaliation with the State of Wisconsin Equal Rights Division and the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 

Go To the Video Tape To See Who Took The Tape

Beaver Dam Police simply went to the video tape to see who took a missing tape measure from the lobby of the department. Support Staff Supervisor Don Rindfleisch (rind-fly-sch) says he was working on a wooden display case when he was called away to another task. When he returned the tape measure he had been using disappeared. He quickly pulled up video surveillance and discovered that a 59-year-old Beaver Dam woman – who had been in the lobby to file a complaint about a stolen television – had stolen the tape measure. When police contacted Rosemary Barajas she admitted to taking it. She returned to police department and told her story. She said she moved the tape to sit in a chair, but the video tape showed otherwise.  She was issued a municipal citation for $313.

Sheboygan County Active Shooter Drill Scheduled

The Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Office will be hosting an active shooter drill in May. It will be at the Howards Grove High School on Saturday May 21st from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.  The mock active shooter incident will include personnel from local law enforcement agencies, emergency government, local fire department personnel, and ambulance and hospital staffs. Local school officials and high school students and teaching staff will be involved in the exercise as well.

Jurgella Runs For Another Term On FDL School Board

Mark Jurgella is running for another three year term on the Fond du Lac School Board next month. He’s one of three candidates with three open seats on the board. Although the school board isn’t looking at a referendum he believes they would have handled things differently than the Oshkosh School Board, which has already taken actions on $7.4 million in cuts if a $28 million referendum doesn’t pass. He says he doesn’t like the drama of saying “or else.” Jurgella would also like to see the Fond du Lac School District pull back on athletics and try and attract more top teachers. He says it would be great to make Fond du Lac top notch in the classroom also. Also running for the School Board are incumbent board member Elizabeth Hayes and newcomer Peggy Briester.

Private Rooms Will Be Feature Of New Addition At Waupun Memorial Hospital

The chief operating officer for Waupun Memorial Hospital says the 21 new patient rooms that will be part of a $23 million addition will be similar to the modern rooms seen at other Agnesian HealthCare hospitals. DeAnn Thurmer says they will be private and include the newest technology. She says they will be similar to the rooms you see at St. Agnes Hospital or the Ripon Medical Center. She says they will be consistent and high quality. Work on the new addition begins next month and the facility will open for patients in the fall of next year.

Pulling People To The Fair

The manager of the Fond du Lac County Fair says their some attractions to the fair each year that draw people from all over. He says they are fortunate to get 150 or so tractors for the tractor pull every year. He says it’s great to see the rivalries that have developed over the years. He says it’s also a good way to get people from the community involved in the fair. He says over the years the horse pull has gained in popularity, a truck pull has fans, and the demolition derby is always a crowd pleaser.