Local News Briefs Tuesday 11/10/15

Three Hurt In Calumet County Accident

Three people suffered non-life threatening injures in a two vehicle accident near Harrison in Calumet County Monday morning. According to the State Patrol a van driven by 34-year-old Coreen Wettstein of Menasha failed to yield from a stop sign at the intersection of Manitowoc Road and County Highway N and drove into the path of a car driven by Debra Driessen of Kaukauna. Wettstein and two passengers were taken to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Appleton. Driessen was not injured. The accident was reported just before 7:30 a.m.

More Details Released In Train Derailments

More details were released Monday about two train derailments in Wisconsin over the weekend. Residents from about 35 homes in Watertown were given permission last night to return to their homes after 13 cars from a Canadian Pacific train derailed their Sunday night. One of the cars was punctured and spilled about 500 gallons of Bakken crude oil. Canadian Pacific has established a soil remediation plan. Meanwhile Saturday near Alma in Western Wisconsin 32 rail cars from a BNSF Railway train derailed. Five of them were carrying ethanol and about 18,000 gallons of it leaked into the Mississippi River. An evacuation order was also issued for that spill, which has since been lifted.

Clergy Abuse Settlement And Milwaukee Archdiocese Reorganization Plan Approved

A federal judge Monday approved a $21 million settlement plan between the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and 355 victims of clergy abuse. The confirmation of the bankruptcy reorganization plan by Judge Susan V. Kelley includes the settlement and ends the five-year proceeding. Archbishop Jerome Listecki says, “No amount of money can ever restore what was taken from abuse survivors.”

FDL County Board Preview

Fond du Lac County supervisors are expected to approve the 2016 County Budget and tax levy tonight. The proposed tax levy will be nearly $78,000 lower than first proposed or about is $42.2 million. County Executive Al Buechel says that savings will lower the tax rate.  He says the tax rate will be $6.10 or a penny lower than the tax rate for 2015. The five-year capital improvement plan will also be considered for approval. The board meets at 7 p.m. at the City-County Government Center in Fond du Lac.

County Board To Act On Approval Of Bids For Harbor Haven Remodel

The Fond du Lac County Board tonight will be asked to approve the award of the bid for the Harbor Haven Health & Rehabilitation remodel project. County Executive Al Buechel says there will be a change to the budgeting and borrowing for the project because the contractor expects to complete it all in 2016. He says the project will begin next month, but that means borrowing $2.3 million next year instead of over the next two years. He says it won’t impact the tax levy until the County starts paying the debt and he says it will fit within the current debt level so it won’t raise the debt levy. The County Board’s Highway, Airport and Facilities Committee has already given its approval to the bid for the project.

New FDL Police CPO Introduced To KFIZ Behind The Badge Audience

The Fond du Lac Police Department’s next Crime Prevention Officer was recently introduced to listeners on KFIZ’s “Behind the Badge” program. At the beginning of next year Officer Erik Foster will take over the position Officer Steve Olson has held for the last eight years. Foster says he began as an intern at the police department with the Community Service Officer program. After that he worked his way up as a patrol officer over the last nine years. He says the Crime Prevention Officer post appealed to him. And like Officer Olson he has musical talent and performs in an area band the country rock band named Driftwood. Officer Olson will become the new School Resource Officer at Theisen Middle School.

United Way Campaign Continues

The Fond du Lac Area United Way has raised over $361,000 of its $756,000 goal this fall. Executive Director Amber Kilawee says that puts them at about 48 percent of their goal. She says two area companies were among the contributors this past week. She says that includes the Skyport and Joe Schumacher General Construction. She says every contribution is important in helping them to reach their goal. She says they are grateful for companies like Mercury Marine, Fives Giddings & Lewis, Agnesian HealthCare, Holiday Automotive, but also smaller companies because it takes the entire community to help them reach their goal.

Fountain City History Will Be Celebrated By New FDL Café

You can expect a little nostalgia to be served up when a new café opens up at 72 South Main Street on Saturday, December 5th. Annie’s Fountain City Café will celebrate some of Fond du Lac’s history incorporating the Fountain City nickname and some memorabilia. You will see that in the colors and history. Owner Ann Culver says you will be able to enjoy breakfast and lunch at the new café. She says they will even have a blue plate special on Fridays. Hours are 5:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays. Culver says they will also be happy to host birthday parties, bridal showers and group meetings by arrangement. To learn more call 920-948-9393.

Letters To Santa Deadline

Children in the Fond du Lac area have a little less than a month to get their letters to Santa in to the Children’s Room at the downtown Fond du Lac Public Library. The deadline is 3 p.m. on Monday, December 7th.  Through the program kids will get a personalized reply by Santa mailed to their homes before Christmas. Children can write their own letters or fill out the “Dear Santa” forms on hand at the Children’s Desk. No postage is required, but each letter must include the kid’s full name and address so that Santa’s reply arrives at the right place. Just drop letters in the bright red mailbox in the Children’s Room. Letters to Santa is a free program of the Fond du Lac School District Recreation Dept. Letters to Santa mailboxes also are available at the Aquatic Center, 100 W. 9th St., and at the Recreation Dept. office, 85 Morningside Drive. Questions should be addressed to (920) 929-2885.

For more information, visit the Fond du Lac Public Library website.