Local News Briefs Tuesday 4/29/14

Sheriff’s officials and the Winnebago County Coroner’s Office have released the name of the 50-year-old Oshkosh man who was killed in a motorcycle accident Saturday night. Steven Singstock was on County Highway F and 9th Street in Omro when his bike went off the road and hit a tree. He died at the scene. The accident happened just before 5:30 Saturday evening.

Sheboygan Man Who Fired Off Gun Charged

The 46-year-old Sheboygan man accused of firing off a handgun during a family dispute has been charged. Jeffrey Nytsch was charged in Sheboygan County Court Monday with 5 counts of 2nd degree recklessly endangering safety, and one count each of possessing a firearm while intoxicated, and strangulation/suffocation. According to the criminal complaint he allegedly threatened to shoot his wife in the foot. During a confrontation in the kitchen of his home Nytsch tried to strangle his daughter and fired off the gun, but no one was hurt. A family member was able to hold him until police arrived. He’s being held in the County Jail on a $15,000 cash bond and has a preliminary hearing on May 7th.

Horicon Man Arrested After Roll Over Accident

Dodge County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 21-year-old Horicon man for driving drunk after the man rolled his vehicle over early Sunday morning. Sheriff’s officials say the accident happened on Highway 33 at County Highway A in the Town of Oak Grove. Adam Schweitzer suffered minor injuries in the crash. A preliminary breath test put his blood alcohol at just over two times (.17) the legal limit for intoxication.

FDL Teacher Compensation Plan Criticized

It will be another five months before the Fond du Lac School Board takes another look at a teacher compensation plan, but it’s not sitting well with some teachers. Fond du Lac High School band director Matt McVeigh spoke to the board about the plan last night saying there are some good things about the teacher compensation model. However he also said that in the transition it had locked 26 teachers in inequitable pay tiers. McVeigh mentioned his wife’s case in particular. District officials have been meeting with teachers at the schools to talk about which tier they fall into on the pay scale.

Hayes Re-elected FDL School Board President

Elizabeth Hayes was re-elected president of the Fond du Lac School Board last evening. Part of the board’s meeting included reorganization following the recent election. Fond du Lac County Judge Peter Grimm swore Julie Nett and Mark Strand into new terms of office. District Superintendent Jim Sebert says district staff has a good board to work with. In addition to Hayes elected as school board officers were Kathleen Nagle as vice-president, Susan Jones as clerk/secretary and Mark Strand as treasurer. The board also decided to keep its compensation for meetings the same for another year with the president receiving $1,800 a year and the rest of board getting $1,600 a year.

Brunswick And Mercury Earnings Down In First Quarter

Harsh winter weather impacted sales for both Mercury Marine and its parent company during the first quarter. Brunswick Corporation recently released its first quarter reported with a 3 percent dip in net sales for the first quarter compared to 2013. Net sales were down by more than $26 million to $969 million. In the Marine Engine segment, which is primarily Mercury Marine sales were down by 3 percent $505 million. Brunswick reported about a $5 million increase in operating earnings for the company ($94.7 million), but the Marine Engine Segment reported about a $10 million loss compared to 2013 ($61.7 million). For the complete report click here. 

Petri On Student Loan Repayment Alternative

Before his days in Congress come to an end Congressman Tom Petri hopes to see the passage of a bill that would make it easier for students to repay their college education loans. The federal lawmaker from Fond du Lac says its called Income Contingent Repayment and payments would be based on income after college graduation. He says a similar system is used in England and the default rate there is only 3 percent compared to about a 20 percent rate in the U.S. He says it’s got bipartisan support. He says a number of education related national organizations have taken a look at it and believe it’s a good idea as well. He says right now it’s part of a reauthorization of federal higher education programs, but he’s considering pulling it out and making it a separate bill.

Stroebel Runs For Congress

State Representative Dewey Stroebel of Cedarburg says federal and state government need more people from the private sector to bring back a realistic approach to change government spending and grow business. Stroebel is one of three Republican candidates running for the 6th Congressional District seat. The others are State Senators Joe Leibham and Glenn Grothman. Stroebel says they are career politicians and that’s not what people need right now. He says he respects what Congressman Tom Petri accomplished, but the district needs a more conservative and aggressive leader. Stroebel was elected to the State Assembly nearly three years ago. He founded a real estate management and development company. For more about him go to his website.

Properly Disposing Of Sharps

North Fond du Lac Police Chief Darren Pautsch reminds residents that they can’t dispose of their hypodermic needles or sharps at drug drop boxes across the County. He says those boxes are to safely dispose of unwanted and old prescription drugs. He says if you have sharps you want to properly dispose of you can do that through the Fond du Lac Regional Clinics and their satellite locations. He says that includes the Fond du Lac Regional Clinic’s main office including their convenient care locations and locations Mayville, North Fond du Lac, Markesan, Campbellsport Fox Lake and Brandon. He says if you’re uncertain call the Fond du Lac Regional Clinic or your health care provider.

Teen Drinking And Driving Survey An Eye Opener

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-Teens may not be leveling with their parents when it comes to drinking and driving.  Nick Jarmusz, Director of Public Affairs for AAA Wisconsin, says parents need to have discussions prior to prom and graduation parties. He says it should be a very honest discussion about what to do when a student is intoxicated or didn’t have a ride home from the party from someone who is sober. A recent AAA survey found a majority of teens believe parents would be relieved if they called for a ride in that situation, only 26 percent said they had done so in the past. The AAA surveyed 744 teens from the ages of 16 through 19 in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.

FDL Woman Recognized For Housing Efforts

Jean Lamers of Fond du Lac, the past Co-Chairperson of the Wisconsin Fair Housing Network, was given a special award during the Network’s Fair Housing Awards ceremony in Waukesha last Friday. Lamers got the Special Recognition Award for her many years of service in advancing and organizing fair housing training, education and information programs, locally and statewide. For more click here. 

Holocaust Survivor Speaks At UW-FDL Today

The UW-Fond du Lac will host “Perspectives of a Holocaust Survivor” at 12:30 p.m. today, in the LGI Room (UC-114).  The public is welcome to the free lecture presented by Bronislaw Josefowski, a non-Jewish Pole who witnessed conditions in the Ghettos and was imprisoned in Auschwitz when he was 10 years old. He will share his observations and experiences of the horror of living through the Holocaust. Michael Thorn, emeritus professor of history and former holder of a fellowship with the Holocaust Education Foundation, and Patricia Roby, emerita professor of English and leader of trips for Holocaust survivors through the Spielberg Foundation and Holocaust Libraries, will host the presentation and question and answer session. The event is part of the Tuesday Talks lecture series on sustainability issues at UW-Fond du Lac.