Local News Briefs Thursday 1/22/15

Calumet County Sheriff’s officials say a missing Darboy woman was found safe at the Appleton Medical Center Wednesday. Fifty-nine-year-old Margy Durbin was reported missing. She suffers from several mental disabilities and had last been seen walking from her residence on Mile Long Road about noon yesterday before she was reported missing. Sheriff’s officials issued a physical description and description of what she was wearing in the alert they issued. 

Wisconsin Residents Reminded To Cash LCD Claim Checks

The State Attorney General’s office is reminding state consumers who filed valid claims in connection with the purchase of LCD laptops, monitors and TVs to make sure to cash their checks.  The claims administrator for the LCD antitrust case says that roughly a half-million dollars worth of checks to Wisconsin consumers and businesses remain un-cashed.  For every computer monitor or laptop claimed, the claimant will receive $43.49 and $86.98 for each LCD TV.  Wisconsin consumers, businesses and public entities will receive a total of more than $27 million dollars from the settlement.  The state of Wisconsin also has received $1.5 million in civil penalties, which already has been paid. Those who believe that they should have received checks but have not, should contact nfo@lcdclass.com or call the toll-free hotline at 855-225-1886. Wisconsinites may also contact the Attorney General’s office at (608) 266-1221.

Congressman Grothman On State Of The Union Address

Congressman Glenn Grothman says he came away from his first State of the Union address somewhat disappointed. He says he was hoping President Barack Obama could have come up with more constructive ways to get a hold on spending. He says the president’s idea about paying for the first two years in technical college for those who want to attend sounds good, but how are you going to pay for it without increasing government spending or taxes. He says putting more of a tax burden on the wealthiest Americans isn’t right given that a few years ago a deal was reached in which they raised taxes on the very wealthy. He says the country’s corporate tax and tax on business is some of the highest in the industrial world. The federal lawmaker from Fond du Lac also felt it was unnecessary for the president to threaten vetoing any legislation that would attempt to repeal Obamacare. Grothman says he has to realize the legislation was flawed.

FDL County Jail Busy In 2014

The Fond du Lac County Jail had an average daily population of nearly 300 inmates in 2014. Chief Deputy Sheriff Mark Strand says 3,812 people were booked into the jail last year and they had an average daily population of 297 inmates. Strand says they have a number of different sections housing inmates depending on the severity of their crimes plus they have medical cells and camera cells.He says it’s been a great training ground over the year for people who moved up through the ranks of the sheriff’s department. He says it teaches them how to deal with different people. He says at one time they made quite a bit of revenue off housing inmates for the state, but now average about 32 state inmates a day. Strand says they are making revenue off their juvenile detention center housing inmates from other counties in addition to Fond du Lac County’s own.

Senator Gudex School Accountability Bill

State Senator Rick Gudex says he’s not sure where he stands on the school accountability bill introduced by State Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt. He says he’s not sure if it necessarily serves the purpose they are trying to achieve and the State Senate has its own version. He says both the Assembly and Senate should have worked together on one version last summer so there was a bill that both agreed to when it was introduced. Gudex says there were critics when Thiesfeldt held a public hearing in the State Assembly’s Education Committee last week. Thiefeldt chairs that committee. He says those who favor school choice seem to be supporting the Senate’s version. He says in general there seems to be more support for the Senate’s version. The Senate will hold a hearing on their version next week.

Youth Fire Prevention Program

The Fond du Lac Fire Department has a program for youth who set fires. Firefighter/ Paramedic Jason Roberts says the Youth Fire Intervention Program is designed to help out youth before their fascination with setting fires leads to something serious. He says usually someone is referred to the program. Along with their efforts they team up with a doctor who addresses the behavioral issues. He says Dr. Klausen handles the fire behavior aspects while the fire department concentrates on the fire education and prevention efforts.  Roberts says usually there is some underlying issue in the child’s home that leads to fire-setting. He says in 2013 damage from fires kids set in Fond du Lac resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars. He says 14 kids went through their program that caused over $200,000 in damage not including personal possessions that were lost due to fire. Over 20 kids across the nation have been killed in fires this year so far including a recent death in Wisconsin.

NFDL Board Considers Senior Center Fee

The North Fond du Lac Village Board this week held a brief discussion about whether they should charge a membership fee for the senior center. In the City of Fond du Lac there is a small membership fee, but North Fond du Lac Village Administrator Chuck Hornung says that’s not something the village does now for its center. He says the board asked him to conduct a poll of senior center users because they don’t know how many of the people using the center are non-residents. He says even if the board should decide on an annual fee they would have to determine how to implement it because they don’t have a senior center director to keep track of such things.

Oshkosh Airport Products Contract

Oshkosh Airport Products, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation company, has been awarded a contract to build 16 new Oshkosh® Striker® aircraft rescue and fire fighting vehicles for the United States Air Force.  The purchase includes seven 4 x 4 and nine 6 x 6 Oshkosh Striker apparatus. The first units will be deployed beginning in July at key air bases around the globe – including those in the U.S., South Korea, Japan, and Turkey.