Local News Briefs Saturday 4/30/16

Fire At FDL County Jail

Fond du Lac firefighters responded to the Fond du Lac County Jail for a report of a fire in a Huber laundry room on the second floor early Friday morning. Captain Jim Knowles says they got the call just before 1:30 in the morning. He says there was a small fire in a laundry dryer that had malfunctioned. It was quickly put out. No injuries were reported.

Reeseville Man Charged In Weapons Bust

Bond was set at $100,000 cash for the 56-year-old Reeseville man arrested in a weapons and drugs bust in the Town of Lowell this week. Kirk Lupton was charged in Dodge County Court with felon in possession of a firearm. During the execution of a search warrant at Lupton’s home Sheriff’s investigators and the Federal ATF (Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms) found 35 firearms, thousands of rounds of ammunition and possible drugs. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for next Thursday.

Smaller Littering Cases Will Be Prosecuted In Municipal Court

The Fond du Lac City Council this week approved an ordinance amending the City Code to adopt three state statutes regarding littering. Police Chief Bill Lamb says the statutes have to do with littering on public and private property, throwing litter from moving vehicles, and littering concerning larger items like appliances people might leave on the side of a road. He says by approving the ordinance it allows the City to prosecute smaller littering cases through Lakeside Municipal Court. He says for instance the state wouldn’t waste its time prosecuting someone who threw a soda can from a car window.

Buechel Recalls Battle Over Smoking Ban

Long before Fond du Lac County banned smoking from its buildings there was a battle over smoking in a county facility. Fond du Lac County Executive Al Buechel recently recalled the battle while celebrating his 40 years in County Government. He says it occurred when someone proposed banning in the legislative chambers of the old County Courthouse. He was a County Board member at the time and says people who normally were on different sides of issues banned together to prevent the smoking ban from being enacted. Buechel was elected to the County Board in 1976. The current City-County Government Center wasn’t moved in to until 1981. He was elected County Executive in 1993 a position he has held since then.

Marian President Will Be Active In The Community

Marian University’s new president says he will be active in community functions. Andrew Manion recently completed his fourth week as Marian University’s new president. He says he likes the Fond du Lac community so far and he will be getting involved in it beyond his duties as Marian President. He says it would be doing a disservice to Marian University if he didn’t do that. He says a community this size recognizes whether a person is genuine and a part of the community. Prior to the Marian position he spent 17 years at Aurora University in Aurora, Illinois in a variety of roles including acting president and more recently as executive vice president.

NFDL Superintendent Says Shooting At Northern Wisconsin High School Unacceptable

North Fond du Lac Schools Superintendent Aaron Sadoff says a shooting at the Antigo High School prom last weekend really isn’t acceptable. He says naturally people are going to have a reaction to it, but he says we need to create an atmosphere where kids and adults are valued and a culture where something like that isn’t acceptable. He says it involved a disgruntled person and the bottom line is people hurt people. He says there are a lot of people go through difficult things and don’t resort to violence. He says we have to get to the point in this country where violence and lashing out at people isn’t sociably acceptable.