Local News Briefs Tuesday 3/11/14

The 32-year-old Markesan man accused of officiating youth sports in spite of being a convicted sex offender is pleading insanity. Aaron Schreiber is also accused of calling in a series of bomb threats after his refereeing license was suspended. The 32-year-old recently entered a plea of “not guilty by reason of insanity” when he was arraigned in Dodge County on 41 felony charges. Schreiber was a regular official for baseball, softball and basketball at school districts in Beaver Dam, Mayville and Waupun. In November, the first of 15 phony bomb threats was made at a restaurant in Waupun. He’s also facing five felony counts of child sex offender working with children in Fond du Lac County. He has a preliminary hearing in that case on April 11th. 

Search On For UWO Shooter

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-The search is on for the person who fired a shot inside Reeve Memorial Union Saturday night on the U-W Oshkosh campus. Campus Police Chief Joseph LeMire says investigators believe there’s only one suspect, but they’re also trying to find anyone who was with the suspect that night. He says investigators believe the suspect is a black man with short hair and he’s about five-foot-nine. LeMire says U-W Oshkosh officials are also working on improving the Titan Alert system so news of emergencies gets out sooner. It took nearly two hours for an alert to go out following Saturday night’s shooting.

Competency Hearing To Be Scheduled For Former Dodge County Supervisor

Bond conditions have been modified to allow a former Dodge County supervisor accused of beating his wife to have contact with her. Eighty-three-year-old Donald Gunderson faces battery and disorderly conduct charges for the January 16th incident that left his wife with a bloody nose. The victim suffers from Alzheimer’s. Gunderson himself had a “dementia incident” last July. A competency hearing is being scheduled in the case. He’s currently being cared for at the Clearview Nursing Home in Juneau. Gunderson served on the County Board for 40 years.

Five Hurt In Sheboygan County Accident

(WHBL-Sheboygan)-Five people were hospitalized, including three children, as a result of a two vehicle collision Monday afternoon just east of Cedar Grove.  The Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Department says it happened about two o’clock when a car driven by 77-year-old Edwin Winters of Brookfield pulled out from a stop sign at Highway 32 and collided with an SUV driven by 33- year-old Maria Granda-Avila of Random Lake.  She and her three children suffered apparent minor injuries.  Winters was also hospitalized with more serious, but non-life threatening injuries.

Service Station Victim Of Second Robbery In Three Months

Washington County Sheriff’s officials are investigating the armed robbery of the Lake Five Service station on County Highway Q in the Village of Richfield. Authorities say a man entered the store wearing a ski mask, displayed a handgun and demanded cash from the clerk. The suspect reached over the counter and took the contents of the cash register before leaving on foot. He then got into a waiting car, which was a red 2-door hatchback that fled west on County Highway Q. Lake Five was also the victim of a robbery in January.  Anyone with information relating to the robbery is encouraged to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 262-335-4420 or through the WE Tip line 1-800-232-0594

Prayers And Patience Needed During St. Lawrence Recovery

The Rector and President of St. Lawrence Seminary High School says they are regrouping following a fire that destroyed St. Joseph Hall this past weekend. Father John Holly says they are scheduling classes in other buildings as clean up efforts continue in the main building, which did have some smoke and water damage from the fire. He says some musical instruments were destroyed by the fire. St. Joseph’s Hall housed the music department and offices and some administrative offices. Father Holly says fortunately some musical instruments were saved because the musical director had them packed in a vehicle for a competition at Kohler this weekend when the fire broke out. The competition at Kohler was to determine who would go on to state. Father Holly says they thank the community for their efforts during the fire on the campus in Mount Calvary, but what they need most know is time to recover.

St. Lawrence Seminary Music Fund Established

Donations are being taken to replace musical instruments students at St. Lawrence Seminary High School lost in Saturday’s fire. St. Joseph Hall was the home to the school’s music classes and offices. Fire destroyed the building. National Exchange Bank locations are taking donations to replace those instruments. Donations can be made to the St. Lawrence Seminary Music Fund.

Plans For Boutique Hotel In Downtown FDL Changed

Commonwealth Development is abandoning the idea of a boutique hotel for the former Retlaw Theater site, but still plans on developing the site. Community Development Director Wayne Rollin says in a memo to the City Manager that the recent announcement of a Hampton Inn and other activity in the local hotel market effectively eliminated that option. Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership Executive Director Amy Hansen says the company is still interested in developing the old theater site, but for offices and market- rate apartments. They would house their corporate offices there and renovate it for that and to put in 10 market-rate apartments, which she says are desperately needed downtown. She says the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation did a study on downtown living in Fond du Lac and found a need for about 69 apartments. She says Commonwealth employees also wanted to keep their corporate headquarters downtown. The Fond du Lac City Council Wednesday night will be asked to approve a resolution that would allow submission of a grant application to the WEDC for a $500,000 grant to assist in the project.

Community Can’t Afford Being Apathetic About Heroin Problem

Fond du Lac Police Chief Bill Lamb says it would be easy for people to dismiss the heroin problem in the City as something that won’t affect them. Lamb says part of the prevention efforts are educational programs like the Heroin Summit that will be held at Marian University’s Stayer Center tonight from 6:30 to 9 p.m. He says people who are hooked on heroin aren’t able to hold onto regular jobs and resort to crime or whatever it takes to maintain their habit. He says if you’re fortunate no one you love will ever become a heroin addict, but they could become a crime victim of someone that is. He says they are hoping Fond du Lac residents will respond to problem the way they have to other problems that has confronted the community before. Lamb will be a presenter at the Heroin Summit.

FDL School Board Notes

A pay increase for educational support professionals, summer school budget, and new high school graduation requirements were some of the things the Fond du Lac School Board approved yesterday. District Superintendent Jim Sebert says secretaries, instructional assistants and interpreters who are there educational support professionals will receive a 1 percent increase in pay. He says with the diversity of students they do have a need for some interpreters. A summer school budget of $333,290 was also approved. This year’s summer school will run from June 12th to July 2nd, with the Jump Start program for students who need help before school starts running for two weeks in August. The new graduation requirement is the result of a new state law that requires students to take three math and three science courses before they graduate. Sebert says that’s a good thing.

Ballweg Bill Gives More Time For IoH Issues To Be Worked Out

State Representative Joan Ballweg of Markesan has introduced legislation that would give farmers temporary relief from a complicated permitting system for operating heavy implements of husbandry on roads. She says with a new season coming up farmers needed time while concerns about the new requirements are sorted out. Her bill would allow an exception to the permitting for weight limits allowing equipment not exceeding 92,000 pounds to operate on highways for the next 18 months. She says that 18 months gives farmers a couple of seasons to voice their concerns. She says it also gives legislators time to work out the issues. Ballweg says those legislators face re-elections efforts this fall and the state budget at the beginning of next year.

Baldwin Rep In FDL And Oshkosh Today

A regional representative for U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin will be holding office hours in Oshkosh and Fond du Lac today. That representative will be at the Oshkosh City Hall at Room 406 from 11 a.m. to noon and in Room F of the Fond du Lac City-County Government Center in Fond du Lac from 2 to 3 p.m. Constituents will have the chance to meet with staff and request assistance with federal agency or discuss other federal issues. No appointment is necessary.