Local News Briefs Tuesday 4/21/15

Oshkosh Police arrested a 33-year-old Oshkosh man last Friday who is suspected of being involved in a heroin overdose death in the City in February. An autopsy determined the victim, a 31-year-old Red Granite man, died of heroin toxicity on February 13th. A 1st degree homicide charge is being sought against the suspect who was arrested in Larsen last Friday and was taken to the Winnebago County Jail.

Reckless Homicide Charge In Childs Death

Charges are pending in a home related accident Friday that killed a Sheboygan County child. Sheboygan County Sheriff’s officials say the four year old boy passed away after receiving injuries in the accident.  A man was taken into custody for reckless homicide because the injuries the child received may have been intentionally inflicted.  The accident occurred at a home on County Road W in the Town of Mitchell north of Beechwood.  The child was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph Hospital in West Bend, and then flown to Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee for treatment.

FDL City Council Organizational Meeting Tonight

The Fond du Lac City Council will hold its annual organizational meeting tonight at 6 p.m. Greg Giles, Brian Kolstad and Catherine Block, who recently won election to the Council will be sworn into office. The Council will also elect a new president and vice president. The Council will also assign members to various boards, commissions and committees. The Council meets at 6 p.m. at the City-County Government Center.

FDL County Board Preview

The Fond du Lac County Board tonight will honor the late Anita Anderegg for service to the County including her time as County Executive. Anderegg was honored by the City Council two weeks ago. Also tonight the Board will consider giving permission to apply for DNR grants for ATV and Snowmobile trail maintenance. The Board will also be asked to approve applying for Stewardship grants to purchase a section of the former Chicago and North Western Railroad in the village of Rosendale and to help pay for a splash pad at Riggs County Park near Ripon. The Board meets at 7 p.m. at the City-County Government Center in Fond du Lac.

Highway 26 Detours Could Cause Headaches

One of the biggest highway projects in Fond du Lac County will be the improvement of Highway 26 in the western portion of the County. Sheriff’s Captain Rick Olig is also the County’s Highway Safety Coordinator. He says the impact will be mostly for those traveling through the County on Highway 26 from Highway 151 to the north County line. He says the detour is Highway 151 to Highway 41, which he says is actually quicker for those heading north. Olig says that detour shouldn’t be a problem. He says what is will be the southbound traffic that will be going through the Eldorado area trying to take a shortcut. He says people will also try to come down County Highway M to get through Waupun. He says the State Highway 26 project will be getting started next week.

Volunteers Needed For River Clean Up Effort

It’s not too late for volunteers to sign up for the River Clean Up at Lakeside Park West this Saturday. Paul Tollard is the Fond du Lac County Conservationist. He says it’s about the 15th year they’ve done some locally. The County Land and Water Conservation Department is teaming up with the Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance on the effort. He says they will provide a few snacks before the 8:30 start that morning and all that you need for the clean up effort. Tollard says volunteer groups will be designated to areas of the Fond du Lac River of Lake De Neveu. He says if you would like to volunteer for the effort you should call the Land and Water Conservation Department at 923-3033 extension #3 or you can register online at the County’s website. He says they found more than just paper and other litter in the rivers. In the past they’ve found car parts, air conditioners and even refrigerators.

Meeting On Highway 26 Controlled Access Project

The state’s Department of Transportation will be hosting a meeting on the Highway 26 controlled access project tonight in Rosendale.  The meeting is from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Rosendale Village Hall. There will be a very brief introduction to the project at 5:15 p.m. The purpose of the meeting is to gather public comment regarding access controls on the highway.  There was another public involvement meeting on April 9th in Rosendale for construction starting in 2015 for both State Highways 23 and 26. That meeting and the construction projects are separate from this access control study. The Highway 26 access control project is approximately15 mile in length beginning about 1.25 miles north of the US151 intersection and ending at the north county line. The portion of Highway 26 within the Rosendale village limits is not a part of the project. Maps and exhibits showing the proposed access control will be available for review. The public is encouraged to attend. DOT staff will be available to explain the project and answer questions.

City Computer Upgrades Temporarily Change Billing Options

The City of Fond du Lac will be doing a major system update and conversion starting this Wednesday and running through next Monday. While this is going on some of the some payment options such as online water payments made through fdl.wi.gov using Click2Gov will not be available while the upgrades are taking place.  Cash, check, and credit card payments in-person and checks by mail will continue to be accepted without interruption.  City officials also ask that if you come to pay a bill in person that you have your billing statement or complete account number along to ensure proper credit of any payments.  

FDL County Natural Beauty Council Dinner Reservations Needed

Area residents are invited to the presentation “Niagara Escarpment: Walk Back Into History” during the Fond du Lac County Natural Beauty Council’s 33rd Arbor Day Dinner and Program. It will be held on Wednesday, April 29th at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Fond du Lac.  Registration will be from 5:30 to 6:30 that evening, with dinner being starting at 6:30. The program will follow. It will feature local educator and conservationist Ted Eischeid.  He teaches science at Theisen Middle School and serves as an elected Fond du Lac County Board Supervisor. The dinner and program are open to the public.  The menu includes Chicken Cordon Bleu or Vegetarian or Gluten Free, including dessert and beverage.  Please indicate the choice of dinner (chicken, gluten free, or vegetarian) when making reservations.  Reservations are required by Wednesday, by contacting the UW-Fond du Lac Extension Office at 929-929-3173 or emailing gloria.kelroy@ces.uwex.edu.

Tickets On Sale For Samaritan Health Clinic Cash Raffle

Tickets are on sale for the Samaritan Health Clinic raffle. Michele Ries is an event coordinator with the Agnesian HealthCare Foundation. She says they will be drawing for 25 cash prizes including the top prize of $100,000. The drawing will be held at noon on Wednesday, May 13th in the lobby of the St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac. She says the clinic serves those who might otherwise come up short financially when it comes to their health care need. She says there are 90 health care service vouchers given out monthly for physician follow-up visits, vision or dental care, and medication assistance. There are a number of businesses selling the tickets including Agnesian facilities and there’s a ticket hotline, which you can reach at 926-4959.  For more information click here.