Local News Briefs Wednesday 12/16/15

Van Dyne Man Sentenced On Child Porn Possession Charges

A 37-year-old Van Dyne man has been sentenced to a year in prison and five years of extended supervision for possessing child pornography. Fond du Lac County Judge Peter Grimm this week sentenced Jason Clark to the prison term, extended supervision and eight years of probation. In October Clark pled guilty to three counts of possession of child pornography. Seven other counts of child porn possession were read into the record and dismissed.

Waupun Police Warn About IRS Scam

Waupun Police are warning residents about a scam involving using the IRS as a threat. Detective Brian O’Donovan says a person will call and ask for information on you. Usually the caller says there’s a problem like back taxes owed the IRS. They ask you to give personal information and send money. O’Donovan says it is a scam. He says you should never give unsolicited information or money especially over the phone.

Oshkosh Corporation Resuming JLTV Production

Oshkosh Corporation has gotten the go ahead from the U.S. Army to resume work on Joint Light Tactical Vehicles. Tuesday the U.S. Government Accountability Office dismissed Lockheed Martin’s protest based on Lockheed’s notice that it intends to file a protest in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. Shortly after that the U.S. Army lifted its stop work order on the JLTV contract. Oshkosh will begin delivery of the vehicles within the next 10 months producing a total of 17,000 vehicles, as well as kits and sustainment services over an eight-year period.

Changes Downtown Not All Bad

The president of the Fond du Lac Area Convention and Visitors Bureau says the closing of the Retlaw Hotel isn’t all bad news. Craig Molitor says he does feel bad for the employees who worked there and the people who scheduled events there. He says there have been a few closings in the downtown, but he believes things are turning around. He says there have been a lot of positive moves over the past year or so. He says that includes Marian University moving their nursing school downtown, Agnesian putting some of their offices there, and Commonwealth moving their offices downtown. Molitor says it seemed inevitable there would be a change in ownership from the current owner of the Retlaw and people have been involved in that effort for a while. He says he and Amy Hansen of the Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership and others have been looking for the right ownership group.

Red Kettle Campaign Needs Donations

The Fond du Lac Salvation Army needs donations for their red kettle campaign. Captain Steve Wilson says they are at 52 percent of their $150,000 goal or about $78,000. He says donations are off partly due to the rainy weather of late. He says snow puts people in the Christmas spirit and reminds them of the services the Salvation Army provides. He says the money they make from the red kettles helps them out throughout the year. He says it helps with their rent assistance and utility assistance programs, the food pantry and other services they provide to the community. He says the annual KFIZ Bucket Brigadge held earlier this month with an $8,000 match from the Michels Corporation raised $14,413 or nearly 10 percent of what they need. There are about two weeks left in the fundraising effort.

Pets Like Christmas Ornaments And Trees Too

A local veterinarian says pets like Christmas trees and ornaments too. Dr. Marty Greer of Veterinary Village says a pet’s fascination with those things may be for others reasons. She says for instance cats like climbing Christmas trees so whether you have a real one or artificial if you have a cat make sure the tree is anchored at both the top and bottom of the tree. She says you can get material to cover extension cords so cats and dogs won’t chew through them. She says to run the cord through the plastic corrugated material you can get at office supply or home improvement stores.  She also recommends putting valuable or fragile ornaments at the top of the tree. She says she puts others on the bottom with bells so she will know when a pet is messing with them. Dr. Greer says its okay to put a few candy canes near the bottom of the tree because if a puppy gets a hold of one it won’t harm them.

Holiday Scams

The chairperson of SALT or Seniors And Law enforcement Together says in addition to some regular holiday scams there are a few others you should watch out for. Jaime Roth says one involvements advertisements online for temporary holiday help. She says people are looking for extra money for the holidays and sometimes take temporary jobs. She says scammers know that. She says they might ask for your information or for money up front for an ID badge or something related to the employment. She says it’s better to call or apply in person. She also recommends watching out for people who ask for unusual forms of payment. She says if they ask for a pre-paid card, gift card or to wire money it’s probably a scam. Roth also recommends keeping track of packages you are having delivered to your home because thieves may be following a delivery service. She says one way to protect yourself is to have the package shipped to an address where you know someone will be around to accept it.