Local News Briefs Wednesday 7/2/14

With the upcoming 4th of July holiday and recent hot weather Fond du Lac County Health Department officials are warning residents to be on the look out for blue-green algae blooms on Lake Winnebago. Public Health Officer Kim Mueller says it looks like mats or paint on the surface or water, but its toxins can make you or your pets sick. She says it’s especially dangerous for animals or pets that are more likely to ingest it. She recommends thoroughly rinsing yourself and your pet off when you swim in a lake or water body. She says blue-green algae can cause skin irritation and other more serious problems if you ingest it. Such as vomiting, diarrhea, itchy eyes and skin. It also gives off a sewage or manure like smell when it piles up along shore and begins to decompose. If you do accidentally ingest it and begin experiencing problems call your health care provider or the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.

Country USA Accident Update

Oshkosh Police continue their investigation in conjunction with the State Patrol into the accident in which three people were hit by a pickup truck after leaving the Country USA grounds. Police say 23-year-old Brian Mancl of Wautoma has been upgraded to general care at the UW-Hospital in Madison where he was transferred after first being flown to Theda Clark in Neenah. Twenty-year-old Bobbie Kay Bush of Eureka and 22-year-old James Neitzel of Neshkoro were both taken to Mercy Medical in Oshkosh where they were treated and released. The accident happened in the 3100 block of South Washburn Street on Tuesday, June 24th at 10:05 p.m. The 17-year-old Oshkosh man driving the pickup was cooperative with the investigation and submitted to a blood test. Toxicology results from the crash are still pending.

Washington County Stop That Led To Oshkosh Meth Lab Bust

Washington County Sheriff’s officials have released more information about the traffic stop that led to a tip about a methamphetamine lab in Oshkosh and several arrests. A deputy went to a gas station in Allenton to check out a report about a possible stolen vehicle. The vehicle wasn’t stolen, but the deputy saw multiple signs of drug use in the vehicle. During a search 125 pseudoephedrine pills were found on the 32-year-old Oshkosh man. A small bag of what appeared to be meth was also found.  He was later arrested for possessing materials to manufacture meth. A 33-year-old Oshkosh woman was also arrested for party to a crime of possession of materials to manufacture meth.   When questioned, the woman that people were cooking meth at her home. Deputies alerted Oshkosh Police, who went to the home on Friday and did find a meth lab operating out of the garage of her home.

FDL City-County Government Legislative Chambers Get Audio And Video Makeover

There will be no gavels falling in the Fond du Lac City-County Government Center’s legislative chambers this month signaling the beginning and end of City Council and County Board meetings. That’s because the chambers are going through an audio and video system upgrade. Fond du Lac Information Technology Manager Dave Zittlow says there have been problems with the audio and video system over the years that people watch proceedings at home on Charter Cable probably noticed. He says the audio will be improved and they will use high definition cameras to broadcast meetings. He says people entering the chambers probably won’t notice much after the upgrade with the exception of the big flat screen TVs. He says they will also be able to directly input anything that’s displayed through a power point presentation in the broadcast to people’s TVs without the aid of a camera. There will also be a new voting system for Council and County Board members. County Clerk Lisa Freiberg says the next big thing for the County will be streaming meetings on the County website. It’s something the City currently does, but on about a 10 minute delay. Zittlow says they are trying to move to more of an on-demand type of platform with residents more accustomed to that type of viewing at home.

DFP Receives 2014 National Main Street Accreditation

The Downtown Fond du Lac Partnership has been designated as an accredited National Main Street Program. The DFP met the commercial district revitalization performance standards set by the National Man Street Center®, a subsidiary of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. DFP Executive Director Amy Hansen says it’s a feather in their cap for their continuing efforts to create a vibrant downtown. She says it’s a nice way for the City to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Main Street program. She says private investment in downtown Fond du Lac during that time has been $86 million. She says over those 10 years they won quite a few awards from the state’s Main Street program including recent awards for Trinity Restaurant for best adaptive reuse of a property and Trinity Town homes for best new building downtown. She says this year they will submit for several awards including one for the Sadoff Center for the Arts. She says the Main Street program has been great for the downtown and one City leaders lobbied very hard to get.

Waupun School Board Approves Preliminary Budget

(WBEV-Beaver Dam)-The Waupun School Board approved the preliminary budget for the upcoming school year Monday night. Director of Business Services Timothy Stellmacher says the preliminary budget represents a “snap-shot” in the budget development process for the upcoming school year. The total budget is comprised of nine separate funds but the focus of this preliminary budget is on one specific item. Stellmacher says the most important number is the operational fund budget which is “Fund-Ten.” Stellmacher says the early numbers indicate a deficit of just over $82,000 dollars. He says the specifics will change as the budget unfolds. However, to keep their budget balanced Stellmacher says the district can be judicious about how they use their money. He says the district has a print management initiative in place and they hope to reduce the total expenditures in the amount of $125,000 just by printing less and making better use of electronic devices. The preliminary budget will be updated over the next four months and the final budget will be presented in late October.

Weather Apps Nice Way To Stay Informed On The Go

Fond du Lac County Communications and Emergency Management Director Jim McNabb says weather apps for smart phones are a nice way of keeping up if you are on the go during potential severe weather. He says they are geographically-based so if you’re traveling through an area your unfamiliar with they are helpful. He says he still prefers working with local radio stations like KFIZ where the public can get more specific details about the weather and the problems it may be causing, but the weather apps are another way of keeping the public informed.

FDL County Veterans Service Office Out Of Milwaukee Zoo Tickets

Fond du Lac County Veterans Service Officer Rick Patton says his office has run out of the tickets for the Milwaukee County Zoo for Veterans on Sunday.  He says with the 4th of July weekend they were unable to get more tickets in time. He says any veterans and military service members who still need tickets for Sunday, can be picked them up in person Wednesday and Thursday at the Milwaukee County Veteran Service Office at 6419 W. Greenfield Avenue in Milwaukee.  They are the host county for the tickets and they have tickets available for anyone willing to make the drive to their office.  Patton also reminds those veterans who picked up 6 to 10 tickets to keep in mind that the only vehicle that gets free parking will be the one the veteran/military member is in.  If you take separate vehicles, all vehicles after the veteran’s will have to pay for parking. 

WRL Executive Director Serves Last Day As Agency’s Head

It was a mixed day for Wisconsin Right to Life Executive Director Barbara Lyons Monday, her last as the agency’s head. Lyons fielded calls from the media about the Supreme Court’s so-called Hobby Lobby decision, which her agency favored. As for her 40 years with Right to Life the last 27 as executive director she says it’s time for someone else to take over. She says the past year has been a tough one for her family’s health including the death of one of her sons. She says she will be with the organization until the end of the year helping to train her successor Heather Weininger the Legislative and PAC Director for the group.