Local News Briefs Tuesday 9/9/14

The Fond du Lac School Board Monday approved a $106 million preliminary budget for the 2014-15 School Year. District Superintendent Jim Sebert says improvement in enrollment numbers have been increasing slightly each year, which helps in funding from the state. He says in the second year of state budget aid to the district is doubling from $75 per student last year to $150 a student this year. Sebert says the budget this year will be very productive for the district and the community. He says there will be no reduction in programs, services or staff. A budget hearing will be held at the board’s September 22nd meeting. Property values will be obtained in early October and state aid in mid October. The board will approve the final budget by the end of next month. 

FDL Hickory Street Electric Substation Complete

Alliant Energy has completed rebuilding the Hickory Street Substation in Fond du Lac. It will significantly improve the reliability of electric service for residents and businesses in the City. The Hickory Street Substation is located near the intersection of South Hickory Street and Western Avenue, just south of the Fond du Lac River. The $2.1 million rebuild was needed because of the advanced age of the equipment. The new equipment will boost the capacity, increase reliability and add to the useful life of the substation. “The Hickory Street Substation has performed well for many years but it was reaching the end of its useful life and needed an upgrade to meet the electric load in the area,” said Greg Ardrey, Alliant Energy’s Manager of Project Management – Substations. To read more click here.

Charges Dismissed In Plymouth Sex Trafficking Case

(WHBL-Sheboygan)-Charges have been dismissed in the Plymouth child trafficking case, but will be re-filed.  Twenty-four-year-old Arin Ames-Clark and 25-year-old Sean Lewis were scheduled to go on trial last week in Sheboygan County Court, but charges were dismissed due to the filing of a last-minute motion.  District Attorney Joe DeCecco said since there was no time to address the motion, he moved for dismissal but intends to re-file the charges.  Ames-Clark and Lewis were arrested last January after a 16-year-old girl was found wandering the streets in Plymouth.  Ames-Clark has admitted he brought the girl to Plymouth to have sex, but thought she was 19, and he denied trafficking her for sex.  Lewis is currently in prison on a separate matter while Ames-Clark remains free.

South Main At 15th Closed In FDL

South Main Street in Fond du Lac is closed at the 15th Street intersection. The closure started Monday and will be in place through Wednesday. MCC Inc. will be excavating and paving the intersection. Motorists are encouraged to follow the posted detour route utilizing 9th Street, South Park Avenue and East Pioneer Road.

Highway 23 Construction In Green Lake County

Road construction crews reopened a stretch of Highway 23 in Green Lake County Monday morning that has been under construction for most of the summer. The section between State Highway 49 or County Highway A east to Arcade Glen Road or Ripon is now open, but motorists will encounter flagging operations while construction continues on the western section of Highway 23 in Green Lake County.  Traffic is detoured via State Highway 73, County K, County A. Local access to properties and businesses located on the project will be maintained. Work is scheduled for completion in late November 2014. Ripon Police Department photo.


Avoid Contact With Bats

Fond du Lac County Public Health Officer Kim Mueller says given a rash of recent reports about bat contact between bats and pets or people it’s important to make sure your pet is up-to-date on rabies vaccinations. She says if you or your pet has had contact with a bat they’d be happy to field your call to them at (920) 929-3085. She says to date they have tested 58 animals, mostly for bats and one bat tested positive for rabies. She says that’s compared to 65 for all of last year. She says three bats did test positive for rabies last year. Mueller says making sure your pets are vaccinated could save them from quarantine and painful shots or worse if they were bit by a rabies-infected bat. She says it’s usually recommended that pet be euthanized. She recommends avoiding any contact with bats if at all possible.

FDL Fondue Fest Well Attended

Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership Executive Director Amy Hansen says she was happy with the turnout for last Saturday’s Fondue Fest in downtown Fond du Lac. She says attendance does vary each year depending on the weather, but this year the weather was perfect for the annual event.

She says there’s no real way to gauge the exact attendance, but it was likely between 20,000 to 25,000 people. She says that’s good for downtown merchants, non-profits involved in the event and those who enjoy it. K107.1 hosted the Fondue Fest Finale; a performance by Copper Box at the Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts Saturday night.

Kwik Trip In FDL Fills A Void

The opening of a Kwik Trip Store fills a void at one of the busiest intersections in Fond du Lac. Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership Executive Director Amy Hansen says the former Walgreen’s Store site at the corner of Johnson and Main sat vacant for seven years. She says it’s the second busiest intersection in the City of Fond du Lac and she’s thrilled the Kwik Trip is open. She says more than 25,000 people travel through that intersection each day. She says that’s a lot of potential customers. Hansen says only the stretch of street in front of the Forest Mall is busier on a daily basis.

Drive Slow In School Zones

A Fond du Lac Police Officer who sat at some school crossings last week says people need to slow down. Officer Steve Olson says with the start of school last week he saw people travel through school zones at faster than the 15 miles per hour required by law. He says he warned some of those people. Olson says drivers need to realize they have to yield to pedestrians in a crosswalk especially in school zones. Olson says on the other hand parents need to make sure they have a safe plan for dropping off and picking up their kids from school and that their kids follow that plan.

UW-FDL Hosting Conference

The UW-Fond du Lac will be hosting a free conference “Understanding Socioeconomic Inequality” from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday, October 16th.  Marian University, Moraine Park Technical College, Ripon College and the UW-Fond du Lac – are collaborating on the event supporting diversity and inclusion. Students and staff from those institutions and members of the Fond du Lac County community are invited to attend. The keynote speaker is Terie Dreussi-Smith, co-author of “Bridges Out of Poverty; Strategies for Professionals and Communities.” The workshop will focus on frameworks for better understanding poverty and the hidden rules of economic class. There is no fee for the workshop but advance registration is required online at www.marianuniversity.edu/hedit.  Bussing from Ripon College and Marian University is provided and information can be found during online registration.