Local News Briefs Tuesday 5/26/15

A 35-year-old Oshkosh man was killed in an ATV accident in Oconto County over the Holiday Weekend. A motorist came upon the crash Saturday night. The victim was taken to a hospital where he died of his injuries Sheriff’s officials say the man crashed into a large group of trees when he failed to make it around a curve on Old 64 Road in Mountain. It appears speed and alcohol both were factors in the accident. The Sheriff’s Office and DNR are continuing their investigation into the crash.

Cascade Woman Reaches Plea Agreement In Dogs Death

Sheboygan County prosecutors have reached a plea agreement with a 40-year-old Cascade woman let a dog die by abandoning it. Kimberly Fidlin pled no contest to charges of intentionally abandoning an animal, intentionally failing to provide food for an animal, and not providing proper shelter for an animal.  Several similar charges were dismissed. She was charged this past February when a a mortgage company found an eight-year-old beagle-mix dead in a home she had owned that was being foreclosed on.  Fidlin told investigators she could not afford veterinary care for the dog. She will be sentenced on June 4th.

I 41 Construction Begins In Dodge County Today

Construction begins today on 7.3 miles of Interstate 41 in Dodge County. Two lanes of traffic will be maintained in each direction with overnight single-lane closures. The $9.7 million project will resurface the highway, install cable and beam guard, and replace pavement markings and signs. The project is scheduled for completion by November 10th.

FDL School Board Consider Hiring New Principal For Chegwin

The Fond du Lac School Board will be asked today to approve the hiring of a principal at Chegwin Elementary School and the resignation of an assistant principal at the high school. Katie Moder was one of more than 30 applicants for the Chegwin job. She has 19 years with the District, 15 years as a special education teacher at Rosenow and the last four years as a special education support teacher through Pupil Services. Meanwhile after two years with the district Anthony Pizzo is leaving the high school for an administrative opportunity closer to home and family. The board meets at 5 p.m. at the District Administration Center Board Room. 

Grothman And Johnson Introduce Identity Theft Legislation

Congressman Glenn Grothman and U.S. Senator Ron Johnson have introduced legislation aimed at cracking down on identity theft. Grothman introduced the house version. He says they want the IRS to inform people if their identity is being compromised. The legislation would also require the Social Security Administration notify employers who have employees with mismatched Social Security numbers in their employment records.  Grothman says he’s acquainted with people who have been victims of identity theft. He says quicker notification to potential victims would help and the IRS and Social Security Administration could at least provide that. He says the legislation also creates stiffer penalties for those who commit identity theft.

TIF Committee Puts Out 8 Bills

State Senator Rick Gudex says he’s excited with what a legislative committee on TIF Districts he chaired was able to do. He says Fond du Lac Director of Administration Hal Wortman was one of those who served on the committee. He says as a former Fond du Lac City Council President he knows that tax incremental finance districts are the only economic tool municipalities have to grow the local economy. He says their goal was to make sure TIF statutes are useable and to make sure taxpayer money is being used responsibly. He says in Fond du Lac you are able to see all the growth that’s occurring because of the economic development the City and County pressed for. He says it’s evident from all the cranes in the air in Fond du Lac and it’s exciting. The TIF committee came up with 8 bills, which Gudex says have all had public hearings and made it through executive committee in the Senate.

State Patrol Inspector Shortage Leads To Weigh Station Closures

A State Patrol Inspector says they simply don’t have enough inspectors to keep all the weigh stations in the state open. Scott Hlinak says you will see some in the state that are closed because they have less than 2 inspectors each for all 72 counties in the state. He says in fact they have about 110 inspectors. He says the State Patrol tries to man its bigger weigh stations, which includes the Fox Valley and in Kenosha and by La Crosse. Hlinak says they’ve also lost some inspectors who have gone on to different jobs. He says they did request 30 to 40 more inspectors through a recent State Patrol class, but the funding wasn’t available. State Trooper pay hasn’t increased since June of 2009 and there are currently more than 30 vacancies.

Boater Safety

With the Memorial Day Weekend came the unofficial start of the boating season and a reminder to practice boating safety. Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Deputy Aaron Rauls says life jackets are a boat’s version of a seat belt. He says they look for some of the same things on the water that they do when they are patrolling highways. He says that would include speeding, equipment violations, expired registration etc. Rauls says there are also areas on the water where you’re not allowed to create a wake and they are usually posted. The same drunken driving laws also apply on the water. Rauls says if you were born after January 1st, 1989 and you plan to operate a boat you need to take a boater safety course. He says it’s too late to take the one their office offers each year, but you can take an online course through the DNR’s website.

MPTC Hired Before Graduation

Moraine Park Technical College President Bonnie Baerwald says she’s excited about a new marketing feature they showcased on their website prior to graduation. She says “Hired before Graduation” showcases students from throughout the MPTC District that were hired before they graduated. She says you can learn more about the students and the fields they are going into. It gives the degree they received, the company they are employed by and their job title. She says students from all their different programs are spotlighted on the MPTC website. She says it’s a wonderful marketing tool.