Local News Briefs Thursday 2/4/16

NFDL Village Board Weighs Sex Offender Placement Ordinance

The North Fond du Lac Village Board is considering a village residency requirement for violent sex offenders that might be placed in the village. North Fond du Lac Village Administrator Chuck Hornung says they are considering the same type of thing that neighboring towns Eldorado and Friendship did with their ordinances requiring that sex offenders placed in the towns have ties to the towns or the county. This week the village board had Nicole Johnson of the state’s Department of Corrections and Eric Gross of Probation and Parole give presentations about sex offenders. Hornung says there is also legislation in the state legislature that could revise the guidelines for sex offender placement. North Fond du Lac Police Chief Darren Pautsch says he’s glad the board is taking its time on the issue. Hornung says they won’t make any decision until they have all board members present and one was unable to attend Monday night’s meeting.

Sharing Sales Tax Monies Not Practical

Some town officials in Dodge County have been discussing the possibility of sharing in the County’s sale tax, but Fond du Lac County Executive Al Buechel says that wouldn’t work here. He says with the sales tax due to sunset early in the next decade it would not be worth the effort. He says you also have to consider that 30 percent of the sales tax is going towards economic development including the credits for the Mercury Marine loan. He says the County is also paying for some of its road projects with sales tax money. He says that amounts to almost $3 million plus there are other capital projects, which the County doesn’t have to borrow for. He says if the County were sharing sales tax monies with the townships they would lose that money as well when the sales tax sunsets. He says it would create a hole in the budgets of townships that would be receiving a share of the sales tax monies.

Fitchburg Man Not Competent To Stand Trial For BD Fleet Farm Shooting

The 18-year-old Fitchburg man suspected of shooting a Beaver Dam Fleet Farm employee outside the store last July is not competent to stand trial. A Dodge County judge reached that conclusion about Jared Spencer this week based on a court psychiatrist’s report.  However it was also determined that he is likely to become competent.  He has been committed to a state mental health institution in an effort to restore his competency.  The Fleet Farm assistant manager and a store security employee confronted Spencer in the parking lot of the store about ammunition he stole last July 15th.  Spencer fired a handgun once striking the 31-year-old assistant manager in the left wrist and shoulder. The victim suffered non-life threatening injuries. Spencer will get credit for the 203 days he has served in jail.  A scheduling conference is set in April.

Fatal Fire Reminder To Have A Plan

The Division Chief of Fire Prevention for Fond du Lac Fire and Rescue says he can’t imagine what firefighters went through during a house fire last week that claimed the lives of three children. Troy Haase says he’s fortunate he has not been involved in a fire that claimed a child’s life. He says he has fought fires where adults have died. He says he can’t imagine what firefighters went through searching for those children. He says the 11-year-old girl who went back in to the home to search for siblings was brave, but it’s something they tell students during their fire prevention program not to do. Haase says parents do need to talk with their children about what to do if there is a fire. He says you can buy chain ladders for upper floors it fire makes escape on a stairs impossible. He says parents should also have a place the family can meet outside the home if there is a fire.

Arc Of FDL Will Participate In Wings For All

The Arc of Fond du Lac will be participating in a unique program this May. Arc Executive Director David Boelter says the local chapter is one of 15 chapters out of more than 700 Arc programs across the country selected to participate in the Wings for All program. He says it will give families of people with special needs the chance to see what their loved ones would face if they were going to participate in air travel. He says flying can be stressful for the average person, now try and imagine what it might be like for someone with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He says some families who have loved ones with special needs choose not to travel because of the stress. The Wings for All program will be held at Appleton International Airport on Saturday, May 14th. Delta and United each have provided a jet for the training. The Airport Director and TSA agents are also on board for the program. Boelter says it’s a unique opportunity.

Baldwin Rep Speaker At Marian Event

The regional representative for U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin will be a featured speaker a pre-academic symposium event at Marian University next week. Jennifer Garner will be the featured keynote speaker for, “Clash of Extremes: A Political Perspective.” It will be held in the Sadoff Auditorium in the Stayer Center at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 10th.  During the presentation, Garner will discuss the impact that extreme viewpoints have on decision-making and public policy.  Garner has worked as an advocate and lobbyist for more than 30 years in Michigan and Wisconsin. The pre-symposium event is free and open to the public.

Kids From Wisconsin Auditions

The Kids from Wisconsin will be holding auditions for their 48th season.  Auditions will be held across the state February 26th through the 28th in Eau Claire, Wisconsin Rapids, Monona and Milwaukee. Twenty singer/dancers and 13 instrumentalists will be selected during the auditioning. Applicants must be 15-20 years of age. Applications are available online or you can call 414-266-7067.  During their summer tour the Kids from Wisconsin will be performing at Buttermilk Creek Park in Fond du Lac on August 17th.