Local News Briefs Thursday 4/3/14

Thirty Wisconsin soldiers at Fort Hood are safe. Wisconsin National Guard spokesman Major Paul Rickert says the members of the 32nd Infantry Brigade Combat based in Camp Douglas were there to train for deployment. Rickert didn’t know exactly where the Wisconsin soldiers were located on the compound at the time of the shooting, but he says all are safe and accounted for. The Wisconsin National Guard also posted a message on Facebook, saying the members of the Red Arrow Brigade are safe. The 32nd is preparing for deployment to Afghanistan to conduct airlift missions. Three people were killed and 16 others wounded in the shooting.

FDL Man Arrested After Backing Into Oshkosh Squad Car

Oshkosh Police arrested a 30-year-old Fond du Lac man Wednesday morning after he backed into a squad car and tried to flee the scene. The man was arrested in the 2100 block of West 20th Avernue for driving drunk and resisting an officer. Police got an anonymous call about a vehicle with front end damage that had pulled into a business driveway. Officers weren’t able to wake the driver, but when he came around he cursed them and backed his vehicle into a squad car. An officer broke the man’s driver’s side window to prevent him from getting away. The man was taken to Aurora Hospital for a blood sample and later to the Winnebago County Jail.  He was driving a blue 2000 Chevy Impala. There is damage to the driver’s side front quarter panel and it had been driven with no front, driver’s side tire for some time prior to the confrontation with police. Anyone with information on property that may have been damaged by the car is asked to call Oshkosh Police at (920) 236-5700.

FDL School Board Takes Up Teacher Compensation Plan During Special Meeting

The Fond du Lac School Board will hold a special meeting today to approve the teacher/professional educator compensation plan. The board held two workshops on the plan, but only five of its seven members were present for the last workshop. School Board member Mark Strand says it’s something they’ve been working on a while. He says a committee that includes teachers has also been working on the compensation issue. District Superintendent Jim Sebert says the plan will raise teachers and educators to a higher level of pay. Strand says still teachers and educators may not get all they want through the new compensation plan because the district may not be able to afford it. The board meets at 5 p.m. at the District Administration Center Board Room.

Goldapske Wins NFDL School Board Seat With Write-In Votes

With no official candidates for a vacant North Fond du Lac School Board seat, it came down to write-in candidates in Tuesday’s election. The Board of Canvassers released the results Wednesday morning. Vicki Goldapske won the seat with 61 votes. Mike Streeter and Paula Stettbacher each received 58 votes. Three others grabbed the remaining 24 votes. Benny Skaer received 22 and Jennifer Pfeiffer and Paula Streblow each got one vote.

Meat Recall

State agriculture and consumer protection officials say Griffin Meat Sales, located in Manitowoc, is voluntarily recalling its beef sticks, summer sausage, bologna and wieners of varying flavors. They may contain a potential allergen that is not listed on the label. The products contain soy grits, a binding agent used to hold product together, which can cause serious reactions in people with an allergy or severe sensitivity to the ingredient.  No illnesses have been reported from consuming these products.  The following products containing soy grits were sold over the counter in one-pound vacuum-sealed packages; Bologna, Wieners-Cheddar and Regular, Beef Sticks of varying flavors, and Summer Sausage both Garlic and Plain.  All products were sold at the company’s retail store in Manitowoc and were purchased by consumers on or before April 2nd.  Consumers who have any of the products may return them to Griffin Meat Sales or discard them. Anyone with questions about the recall can contact store owner Bill Griffin at 920-775-4580.

NFDL Middle And High Schools Go To Modified Block Scheduling

The North Fond du Lac School Board recently approved a modified block schedule for the middle and high schools for the 2014-2015 School Year. District Superintendent Aaron Sadoff says there will be a regular schedule three days of the week Monday, Tuesday and Friday and block scheduling the other two on Wednesday and Thursday. He says on Wednesdays and Thursdays when they have the block scheduling they will also have a 45 minute period for intervention and enhancement. Sadoff says it will work out nicely for the students who need extra help. He says the period will also allow clubs to meet during the day. Sadoff says the new block scheduling should benefit students.

Strand Pleased To Be Reelected To FDL School Board

Mark Strand says he’s pleased to have won reelection to the Fond du Lac School Board this week. He says now he can turn his concentration back to issues before the board. He says he appreciates the community’s support. Strand says he’s glad that fellow incumbent Julie Nett also won reelection to the board. He says the district has a lot to be proud of.

Fond du Lac County Board Schedules Special Meeting

The Fond du Lac County Board will hold a special meeting next Tuesday at 7 p.m. During the meeting the board will act on amending language to a resolution approved at the March 18th board meeting, which set salaries for the Sheriff’s and Clerk of Courts positions. The salaries have to be set before nomination papers are circulated for the elected positions, which begins April 15th.  An increase in pay for the Sheriff’s positions for the final year of the four year term was wrong and needs to be amended. Following the meeting an orientation will be held for the 25 supervisors who will make up the board over the next two years.

Juneau Woman Arraigned On Raceway Theft Charges

The 54-year-old Juneau woman who allegedly embezzled $32,000 from the Beaver Dam Raceway maintained her innocence when she was arraigned in Dodge County Court this week. Roxanne Siedschlag  pled “not guilty” to the three felony charges she’s facing. Prosecutors say she was supposed to make three bank deposits for the raceway, but instead lost the money playing slots at the Ho Chunk Casino in Wisconsin Dells. She allegedly confessed to the thefts when she talked to investigators.

Sheboygan Falls Mayor Wins Reelection

The City of Sheboygan Falls re-elected Randy Meyer to a sixth term in office.  In the first mayoral race in ten years, the incumbent defeated Alderman Dan Krueger by 404 votes.  Meyer thanked the voters for their support, and also hopes to work with Krueger as he still remains on the city council. Meyer, who has been mayor since 2004, also thanked his wife for her assistance in his re-election campaign.

Dodge County Sheriff’s Dept Crash Investigation Team Gets New Equipment

The Dodge County Sheriff’s Office has purchased new equipment and software that will allow them to reconstruct traffic crashes in half the time with a single officer. The Sheriff’s Office’s Crash Investigation Team will use the new robotic total station and software to collect data at crash and crime scenes and transfer it to a computer aided diagram program to reconstruct the scene. Sheriff Pat Ninmann credited Land Resources and Parks Department Director Joyce Fiacco who provided the funding for the new equipment and expertise in obtaining it. The effort took more than a year and will replace the 10 year old equipment the Crash Investigation Team has been using. Last week, the Crash Investigation Team received 24 hours of training on the new systems. 

In the photo the new equipment and Crash Investigation Team members Deputy Jaime Buelter and Detective Ted Sullivan

Cheers For Volunteers Winners Announced

Nine recipients will be honored during the Cheers for Volunteers Dinner on May 1st at the Holiday Inn in Fond du Lac. Nancy Zompolas is the executive director of the Volunteer Center of Fond du Lac County. She says tickets are available by calling 926-1414. She says it’s a great way of recognizing volunteers and the work that they do. Winners get money they can in turn give back to their favorite charity. Each winner receives $1,000 from the sponsor of the award category.

This year’s winners are:

Carl W. Tonjes Volunteer Award: Steve Leaman

Outstanding Board Volunteer Award: Jeff Puhlman-Becker

Outstanding Service Club Volunteer Award: Gary Ring

Outstanding Agency Volunteer Award: Dylan Palmer

Outstand Rural Volunteer Award: Richard Vander Velde

Outstanding Senior Volunteer Award: Mike Gannon

Rising Star Award: Max Wydeven

Spirit of Compassion Award: Spring 2013 MPTC Intro to Sociology Class

Cheers Choice Award: Carol and Paul Hahm

For more click here. 

Spring Fish And Wildlife Hearings Scheduled

State wildlife biologists are inviting anyone interested in the status of their local deer herd to attend the annual spring fish and game hearings at 7 p.m. on Monday, April 14th. In the future deer will be managed at the county level. The springs fish and game hearing will be held simultaneously in all 72 counties. In Fond du Lac County that hearing will be at the Theisen Middle School in Fond du Lac. The Webster Stanley Middle School in Oshkosh will host the Winnebago County hearing and in Calumet County the hearing will be held at the County Courthouse in Chilton.

Documentary On “Miss Representation” Featured At FDL Public Library

A must-see movie for all teen-aged girls and women, “Miss Representation: You Can’t Be What You Can’t See,” will be shown and discussed in a free program at 6 p.m. today at the Fond du Lac Public Library. The program is sponsored by Soroptimists of Fond du Lac. The public is invited; refreshments will be served. The award-winning documentary examines mainstream media’s under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America and how it affects young women. Stories from teen girls are interwoven with interviews with leaders such as Condoleezza Rice, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rosario Dawson, Dr. Jackson Katz and Gloria Steinem.