Local News Briefs Wednesday 1/14/15

The 33-year-old Berlin man suspected of murdering his estranged wife and her boyfriend in September was arraigned in Green Lake County Court Tuesday. Nicholas Tunistra pled not guilty to the two counts of 1st degree intentional homicide. He is suspected of murdering Melissa Tunistra and Justin Daniels, both 28-years-old, at their apartment building in Berlin. Nicholas and Melissa Tunistra had filed for divorce the week leading up to the murder. The shootings occurred the night of September 27th. A status conference in the case is scheduled for March 17th.

Waupun Police Warn Of Scam

Waupun Police are warning residents about the Green Card or Green Dot Card scam. They say they have gotten number complaints about the scam in which a caller states that you have won an amount of money. They then ask you to go to Radio Shack or Walgreens to purchase a green card. Once you have the green card they will call you back and ask you to scratch off the back of the card to supply them with the pin number. That money will now be theirs and you won’t get it back. It is non-refundable! Police say these people are not legitimate and are not your friends. They have also told people that your cell phone will be locked up if you don’t follow their instructions. Police that’s not true and don’t be tempted to fall for the scam.

Oshkosh Files Civil Lawsuit Against Organizer Of Pub Crawl

The City of Oshkosh has taken the organizer of a pub crawl to court suring him for more than $6,000. Named in the lawsuit is Joseph Kubiak who the City alleges organized the bi-annual pub crawl. The City contends he didn’t pay a $1,000 special events permit for the crawl last October. The also claim he ignored an invoice for more than $5,000 in other associated costs like extra police enforcement and barricades. Kubiak’s will be in court on the matter on February 4th. The pub crawl has been around since 2008.

County T Remains Closed

The Fond du Lac County Highway Department informs us that County Highway T or 4th Street Road near National Avenue will remain closed today for sanitary sewer work.  The same detour will be posted from today’s closure.

Thiefeldt Pleased Over Governors Comments In State of State Address

State Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt of Fond du Lac, chairman of the Assembly Committee on Education, expressed his support for Governor Walker’s plan shared in the annual State of the State Address, specifically his comments addressing school accountability and Common Core Standards.  “I appreciate Governor Walker making his beliefs clear that all parents and taxpayers deserve a level of accountability for all schools.  Parents should have as much information as possible to determine what school best fits the needs of their children. Assembly Bill 1 provides a solid start for discussion to make this a reality.  I look forward to the public hearing on this bill so we can hear what the public has to say,” Represenative Thiesfeldt stated. The Committee on Education has scheduled a public hearing on AB 1 for 10 a.m. this morning at the capitol in room 413N (GAR).

FDL City Council Preview

The Fond du Lac City Council meets for the first time in the New Year tonight. During the meeting the Council will consider two preliminary resolutions for street improvement projects. One of the projects involves work on West 11th Street and the other is for work on Walker Street, West 12th Street, Cedar Street and West Division Street. Police Chief Bill Lamb will also give an update on the Police Department. The meeting is at 6 p.m. in the legislative chambers of the City-County Government Center.

Supplies Needed To Take Care Of Rescued Cats

The manager for the Fond du Lac Humane Society Shelter says rescuing dozens of cats from a trailer in the Campbellsport area means an extra burden for the shelter. Up to 40 cats were rescued from the trailer on Country Aire Drive. Shelter Manager Renee Webb says they were pretty confident they had gotten all the cats, but just in case asked neighbors to keep an eye out. They got a warrant from a judge to set live traps to catch the one remaining cat neighbors had spotted at the trailer. As for supplies to take care of the cats she says as luck would have it they got a big donation for both cats and dogs from Pet Smart and Festival Foods is doing something too. She says they can always use towels and other items like cat liter, exam gloves, liquid hand soap and sanitizer. She says gift cards to purchase those types of items are also welcome. The shelter is located at 652 Triangle Road in Fond du Lac.

Flu Hitting Harder This Year

Fond du Lac County Public Health Officer Kim Mueller says both the flu and stomach flu are making the rounds in the County. But what distinguishes the flu is the respiratory illnesses it causes. She says with the flu symptoms will include a cough, runny nose, headaches, fatigue, achiness and fever. She says this year’s flu vaccine isn’t providing as much protection as in the past, but will lessen the effects of the flu if you get it. She says more than 120 people had tested positive for the flu in the County by January 3rd. She says 308 were tested, 124 tested positive for influenza A and 3 positive for Influenza Type B. She says that‘s about three times more than last year when 119 people were tested and 42 had the flu.

Work Force Partnerships Need To Continue

Lt. Governor Rebecca Kleefisch says it’s important to continue to find funding for worker training programs for technical colleges. She says there is a need for skilled workers who have at least a two-year degree. She says grants supplied over the past few years through the Department of Workforce Development need to be continued to have a skilled work force. She says technical colleges including Moraine Park Technical College have been wonderful at collaborating with the private sector. She says she would like to see those types of partnerships that create curriculum to benefit employers filter down to K-12 schools and up to the UW System.

New FDL County Sheriffs Deputy Learns The Ropes

The Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s Department has a new deputy that will be patrolling County roads. Alex Volm is a Campbellsport native. He graduated from Campbellsport High School, got a bachelor’s degree at the UW-Oshkosh, and graduated from a law enforcement academy. He also worked for the City of Menasha Police Department as a community service officer, which gave him some experience in handling less serious calls and whetted his appetite to become a police officer. Volm says he also worked in the County Jail, which gave him experience in dealing with people who have problems. Volm has been working with veteran Deputy John Dille on his field training the past few weeks.