Local News Briefs Wednesday 12/9/15

Traffic Safety Commission Considering Closing Median At 23 And K

The Highway Safety Coordinator for Fond du Lac County says the County’s Traffic Safety Commission will consider a request today to close the median at State Highway 23 and County Highway K. Sheriff’s Captain Rick Olig says anticipating an increase in students they will have with one campus on the Ledge, St. Mary’s Springs Academy officials have requested closing the median. It would effect north and southbound traffic on County Highway K and eastbound traffic on State Highway 23. He says there would be a significant change in traffic and it would also affect people working at Taycheedah Correctional and those who attend two churches in that area. Olig says the commission can only make recommendations, but ultimately it’s a state decision. He says it would be up to the state’s Department of Transportation, which relies heavily on recommendations from local government.

Recent FDL House Fires Could Have Been Worse

The Division Chief of Fire Prevention for Fond du Lac Fire and Rescue says two house fires in the city last week could have been more serious. Troy Haase says one started when a lamp fell over on some clothing and ignited it. People in the home at 115 Rose Avenue thought they put out the fire, but he says the fire was still smoldering and started a bed on fire in a 2nd floor bedroom. He says when a window was open to vent out the room the oxygen fueled the smoldering clothing. He says if you ever have a fire it’s better to call the fire department to make sure it’s out rather than assume it is and run the risk of a more serious fire. The other fire in the 300 block of West 2nd Street involved a vacant home that had just been purchased by a new owner. Haase says there was more damage in that fire because there was a delay in notifying the fire department. It burned through the first floor, but he says they should be able to fix the home. He says fortunately no one was during either fire.

Waupun Woman Charged For Garage Thefts

A 24-year-old Waupun woman is facing theft and burglary charges in Dodge County for a crime spree this past August. Brittany Hopp made her initial appearance this week on charges stemming from theft of power tools and electronics from garages in the City of Waupun. She allegedly told prosecutors she did it to support a heroin habit. Hopp was released on a signature bond, but will be back in court for a preliminary hearing on December 23rd.

NFDL Village Board Opposes Another Unfunded Federal Mandate

The North Fond du Lac Village Board this week decided to send a letter to Congressman Glenn Grothman going on record against proposed mandates wastewater treatment plant regulations. Village Administrator Chuck Hornung says ultimately it has to do with untreated wastewater that eventually makes it into the Great Lakes during periods of heavy rainfall. He says it would put heavy restrictions on those discharges. He says the untreated wastewater that bypasses the treatment process during those heavy rains is usually clear water. He says to avoid heavy fines some municipalities will have to build expensive storage facilities to house that untreated wastewater until it can be treated. He says there are already a number of regulations pertaining to untreated wastewater and the bypass process. He says they feel it’s just another unnecessary unfunded mandate coming down from the federal government.

Congressman Grothman Speaks To Fed Chair About Low Interest Rates

Congressman Glenn Grothman says he recently had the opportunity to speak with the Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System Janet Yellen. Grothman says people can’t understand why interest rates have been so low despite having relatively low unemployment. He says when he looks around Fond du Lac there are a lot of signs for jobs available, and there are tens of thousands of jobs available in the state right now. He says he was disappointed that Yellen doesn’t understand that some people have given up on work and aren’t looking for a job. He says she doesn’t understand that our safety net is encouraging people not to work or not work full time. The federal lawmaker from Glenbeulah says the Federal Reserve has been independent for a long, long period of time and has been doing a bad job of late.

Emilys Story Pathway To Hope

Officials with the Fond du Lac Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope program will tell one of their success stories today to the White House Council on poverty during a telephone interview. Amber Arntz is the coordinator for the Salvation Army program. She says Emily and her found children came to them with her four children and without a home and job. She says they were able to help Emily out with community support. They helped her with housing and financially with things she couldn’t afford like food and clothing for her family. Soon Emily, by the way not her real name, had a full time job and housing. But then she found out she was pregnant and gave birth to a baby girl who weighed only 2 pounds and needed special care. The baby came four months early and Emily had to drive back and forth from Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee for about four months. Once again Pathway to Hope provided the support Emily needed. She now works as the Assistant Manager at the Salvation Army’s Thrift Store. Arntz says Emily is grateful and never imagined she would get so much help. Arntz says they have had two graduates from the Pathway to Hope program and three other families are involved in it now.

Military Care Packages Should Be Mailed By Thursday To Hit Christmas Deadline

If you have a CARE package you want to get to a service member outside the US before Christmas, your time to mail it is running short. Sean Hargadon is with the Post Office. He says you should use priority mail if you’re going to be sending it out by December 10th. If you don’t make the Thursday deadline, you can still use Priority Mail Express Military Service until the 17th. That of course costs more. There are discounts available if you are shipping via Priority Mail to a military address.

Shopping Event Brightens Holidays For Ripon Area Kids

Ripon Police, Ripon Fire and EMS held their annual “Shop with Emergency Personnel” event this week. Police say nearly 50 Ripon community kids participated in the event. Thanks to generous donations for the event the kids were able to shop for family members, wrap presents and enjoy pizza.