Local News Briefs Tuesday 9/1/15

Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Captain Rick Olig says a 76-year-old Oostburg man critically injured Sunday evening when his car was hit by a semi did not go through a stop sign at County Highway G and State Highway 23. A witness told investigators the car stopped at the stop sign then pulled out into the path of a semi that was coming from the Plymouth area. Flight for Life flew James Hinz to Theda Clark Regional Medical Center. Olig says they have no indication alcohol nor speed was a factor in the accident. Olig says plans were to put in a full interchange at that intersection with the expansion of Highway 23 from two to four lanes. He says that type of crash wouldn’t occur at a full interchange at the intersection. The truck driver, 42-year-old Lao Yang of Waupaca, was not injured in the crash.

Drive Sober Or Get Pulled Over Underway

Fond du Lac County law enforcement agencies are participating in the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign running through Labor Day weekend. Sheriff’s Captain Rick Olig says they will target problem areas for enforcement where events are planned that might involve a lot of drinking. Olig says the Sheriff’s Department has gotten complaints about erratic drivers on Highway 41 and Highway 23 East.  He says Labor Day weekend isn’t usually a holiday you would associate with a lot of drinking. He says in fact I-41 got a lot of traffic this past weekend from people returning from vacation spots up north. Participating agencies for the “Drive Sober” campaign in Fond du Lac County include the Sheriff’s Department and police departments in Fond du Lac, North Fond du Lac and Ripon. 

South Park Avenue Park Proposed

Fond du Lac Public Works Director Jordan Skiff says money will be included in the department’s list of Capital Improvements to start a new park on South Park Avenue in 2016. He says the land was donated as part of a development about a decade ago with plans to make it a park around 2016. He says it’s along a railroad corridor and it has some wetlands, but would still lend itself to becoming a nice small park. He says a survey will be conducted to see what people want in the park. He says they budgeted $160,000 to get it started. He says they could put in a small playground and shelter depending on what people want and add to it over time.

Transit Plan Being Developed

A long range plan is being developed by Fond du Lac Area Transit. Transit Manage Lynn Gilles  says they’ve actually been working on a transit development plan for some time. She says they are meeting with about 30 local stakeholders over the past six months and will continue working on it over the next year to determine what the community really wants. She says the stakeholders include anyone who uses their buses or have clients that do. She says that would include businesses, social service agencies, the school district and others. Gilles says the East Central Regional Planning Commission is putting the plan together for them.

Military Awards Certificates Presented To Family Of Local World War Two Hero

For 61 years a St. Cloud man has been trying to get the military records proving why his uncle received awards for his heroism in World War II. Monday Eugene Burg got some closure for the family when military award certificates were presented to him by Congressman Glenn Grothman in Fond du Lac. Burg says the family is proud of Staff Sergeant Herman Burg who died in the Philippines in January of 1945. Burg says Monday brought closure to him and the rest of his cousins and they will down the certificates over the years. He says he got his persistence from his uncle who was a posthumous winner of the Purple Heart and Silver Star. Congressman Grothman says the outcome of World War II shaped the world as it is today. Herman Burg’s military records were destroyed in a fire at the National Personal Records in 1973. A woman living in Minnesota found his Purple Heart medal in a garage and returned it to the family in 2010, but the Silver Star was never located.

NFDL And Waupun Get After School Grants

The North Fond du Lac and Waupun Area School Districts are among 22 locations in the state that will be getting funding from the state for after-school programs. North Fond du Lac will receive a $75,000 grant to start a new program at the Friendship Learning Center. Meanwhile grant funding has been renewed for the Waupun School District to receive a $75,000 grant for a program at the Rock River Intermediate School. A total of $1.6 million in grants was awarded for after-school programs.