Local News Briefs Saturday 8/1/15

A 19-year-old Washington County man admits he threw away an opportunity to avoid substantial jail time for a sexual assault and is now headed for prison. Brandon Urbaniak of Jackson was sentenced this week to three years in prison and five years of extended supervision after his probation was revoked. Urbaniak was convicted for having sex with a 16-year-old girl who was intoxicated. He failed to live up to terms of probation and while serving a short jail term at the County Jail failed to return from a work release program.

Dodge County Inmate Gets More Time For Hitting Another Inmate

An inmate at the Dodge County Jail has had the time he was serving doubled after assaulting another inmate. Twenty-eight-year-old Donald Jones of Madison was serving a 9 month sentence when he punched another inmate in an argument over a fan. Racial taunts were also exchanged. Jones was given another 9 months for the incident. The other inmate suffered non-life threatening injuries. 

Records Release For Trooper Casper Shooting Difficult For Those Involved

Fond du Lac County District Attorney Eric Toney says he wasn’t involved in the decision to release hundreds of records, photos, video and audio of the Trooper Trevor Casper shooting. Toney released his report last week finding Trooper Casper was justified in his use of force in the shootout with bank robber Steven Snyder in March in Fond du Lac. Both men were killed in the exchange of gunfire. Toney says the State’s Department of Justice made the decision about the records release this week. Toney says hearing the audio from the dispatch center and dash cams is difficult for everybody involved not just the families, but the officers and troopers that were there. He says the law enforcement community is a family and it goes beyond blood.

Well Water Survey Sent To More Byron Residents

A well water survey sent out to private well owners included all the well owners in the Town of Byron. Diana Tscheschlok of the Fond du Lac County U-W Extension Service says the reason for that is because the township has had a history of contamination events that have been more severe than elsewhere in the County. She says they wanted to get the opinions of township residents on their well water use and testing history. She says they were curious if those residents knowledge of water is different than in other places. Altogether 2,300 surveys were mailed out.

Cookie Daze Future

Is this weekend’s Cookie Daze event in Ripon the last for the community? It’s a question that’s popped up with ConAgra Foods closing one of the two cookie plants in Ripon. Cookie Daze celebrates its 20th anniversary today with festivities from 10:30 am. To 1 p.m. at Barlow Park. Ripon Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jason Mansmith says they’d like to continue the Ripon Cookie Daze tradition, but that’s a discussion that has yet to be held. He says if they can continue with committee members and sponsor support they would be able to continue it, but that’s something they will evaluate after the current event. The ConAgra closing in Ripon will affect 285 positions.

Eating Wings For The United Way

Area residents are invited to help out the Fond du Lac Area United Way by dining at Buffalo Wild Wings in Fond du Lac Sunday. Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. those who have voucher from the United Way website can get 10 percent of their bill donated to the United Way. Brenner Tank is one of the pacesetters for the campaign and is hosting the event. Dave Hodorff is the Vice President of Operations for Brenner and the Honorary Campaign Chairman for the United Way. United Way Interim Director Amber Kilawee (KILL-ah-way) says part of Hodorff’s duties as chairman is to be at special events and he will be there for this one.