Local News Briefs Saturday 9/26/15

The former North Fond du Lac fire chief facing a theft charge in Pennsylvania posted a $20,000 cash bond Thursday and is out on bond until an October 7th preliminary hearing. Richard Zmuda is suspected of taking nearly $48,000 from an elderly aunt who entrusted him with money from an insurance policy. Zmuda was taken into custody last week at the North Fond du Lac Village Hall and was extradited last Sunday to Pennsylvania. He began working for the village late last month after 15 years with the Bradford, Pennsylvania Fire Department.

Sheboygan County Death Investigation

Sheboygan County Sheriff’s officials say they are investigating the death of a man whose body was found just south of Evergreen Park in the Town of Sheboygan early Friday morning. The person who found the body and contacted the Sheriff’s Office was a member of the man’s immediate family. The death is not considered suspicious in nature and there is no danger to the public.  The death was reported to the Sheriff’s Office approximately 3 a.m.

Madison Man Bound Over For Trial In Fox Lake Shooting Incident

The 21-year-old Madison man who allegedly fired three shots at another motorist outside of Fox Lake has been bound over for trial. Anthony McCaskill was in Dodge County Court for a preliminary hearing this week. McCaskill believed the other motorist had touched his girlfriend inappropriately at a convenience store in Fox Lake and shot at him from his own car while they were both traveling on County Highway A. No one was hit by any of the bullets during the September 13th shooting.  McCaskill is being held in the Dodge County Jail on a $25,000 cash bond. He will be arraigned on October 14th.  

Thiesfeldt Votes To Defund Planned Parenthood

State Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt of Fond du Lac was one of the state legislators who voted for the defunding of Planned Parenthood in the State Assembly this week. He says taxpayer money shouldn’t be going to an organization that does abortions. He says there are those who say Planned Parenthood does some good in our society in terms of women’s health. But he says if that’s true than they should focus on women’s health and get out of the abortion business. The bill would prevent Planned Parenthood from accessing about $3.5 million in federal funding annually.

Pope Merchandising

A Theology professor at Marian University in Fond du Lac says there’s nothing wrong with the merchandising of Pope Francis’s visit to the U.S. You can buy t-shirts, posters, and a number of items including a bobble head. Dr. David Schimpf says whether the merchandise is tacky or more reverent, it does embody the message of the Catholic Church. He says it’s a reminder of that prescence; the idea that spirit is present in matter and bodies. He says that’s really one of the central ideas of the Catholic tradition. He says the accessibility of the Pope is one of his biggest appeals.

Grothman Loses Staffer To The Military

Congressman Glenn Grothman says he was sad to loose one of his best staffers to the U.S. military. Sergeant Ryan Croft took a leave of absence for a deployment to the Middle East. He says while it’s sad to see him go they are proud of his service to our country. Grothman says Croft may have been his best staff member in Washington, D.C., but he says that’s not surprising because our military is the best. He says while he’s disappointed Croft will miss a year in his office, the military is getting the best going to the Middle East. Croft is a member of the Virginia Army National Guard.