Local News Briefs Wednesday 8/12/15

The 55-year-old Waupun man accused of sexually assaulting a dog made his initial appearance in Dodge County Court this week. Prosecutors say Ronald Mueller had inappropriate contact with the dog several times last February. He’s facing a felony charge because the assaults on the dog were allegedly committed in front of a teen. He was released on a $1,000 signature bond. Mueller is now in an assisted living facility. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 27th. 

Computer Scam In Oshkosh

Oshkosh Police are advising residents about a “Ransomware” scam. It’s a re-occurring scam that has hit the City again. The way it works is a phone caller says they are working for Micro-Soft and they claim your computer has been hacked and viruses have been installed. They ask for a password to gain entry and hold the computer for ransom. Police say you should not give access to your computer to someone you do not know even if they claim to be from Micro-Soft.

Highway 151 Bridge Inspections

State Department of Transportation officials say bridge decks will be inspected today on a pair of bridges on Highway 151 in Fond du Lac County. The northbound Highway 151 bridge over State Highway 26 will be inspected from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Also the Highway 151 bridge over DeNeveu Creek will be inspected from 1 to 3 in the afternoon. During both inspections there will be lane closures, but the bridge will remain open. The inspections are weather dependent.

Food Trucks Pedal Pubs On FDL City Council Agenda

The Fond du Lac City Council tonight will be dealing with the mobile vending of food and beverages. Community Development Director Dyann Benson says a change to a City ordinance would give food trucks greater freedom to operate in the community. She says the original ordinance limited food trucks to operating in the downtown are only. She says they would not be able to operate within 500 feet of a fair, farmer’s market, festival or special event without permission. They also could operate in City parks unless the City has a vending contract with a concessionaire, such as it does in Lakeside Park, or where there are open concession stands. Benson says a food truck has been operating in the community, but that has been on private property. The Council will also be asked to approve an ordinance change allowing people to drink on quadricycles or so-called pedal pubs. The Council meets at 6 p.m. at the City-County Government Center.

Bill Would Ban Sales Of Aborted Fetal Tissue For Research

State Senator Duey Stroebel is the lead Senate sponsor of a bill that would ban the sale, transfer or use of tissue from aborted fetal remains. Stroebel joined several others Tuesday morning for a press conference about Assembly Bill 305 before a public hearing on the bill. He says Society has to draw the line somewhere and that practice is unethical. But the biomedical research community is speaking out against the bill. Stroebel says he’s reached out to the Medical College of Wisconsin. He says they have some concerns and he and supporters of the bill are working with them. He says if you believe the naysayers sponsors of the bill are opposed to medical research and are going to hold back new developments in medicine. He says research is moving beyond fetal cells to using adult cells and the use of fetal cells is old science. The bill grew out of accusations and videos that imply Planned Parenthood sells aborted fetal tissue, something Planned Parenthood officials deny.

Uncertainty Over UW Extension Cuts

An official with the Fond du Lac County UW-Extension Office says it may be some time before the local extension office finds out the exact impact state budget cuts will have on them. Diana Tscheschlok says how many positions will be eliminated they don’t know yet, but those cuts won’t be as immediate as what the rest of the UW-System is going through. She says it could be a year or two before those cuts hit the UW-Extension. She says they don’t know yet if they will be replacing Crops and Soils Agent Mike Rankin who left this spring after 27 years of service with the local extension office. Fond du Lac County provides 40 percent of the funding for the local UW Extension Service.

Marine Talks About Veterans Suicide Crisis Tonight

A Marine, Toby Flaget, is walking coast-to-coast to raise awareness about the tragic Veteran suicide rate and will be at Schrage’s in Calumetville tonight to give a “Talk of the Town.” Fond du Lac County Veterans Service Officer Rick Patton says the title of the talk is appropriate given the problem. He says the veteran’s suicide rate is 22 a day and Flaget’s talk is entitled “22 is 22 Too Many.” Patton says if you are a veteran who has considered suicide you can get help at toll-free veteran’s crisis line, which is 1-800-273-8255. The event at Schrage’s is from 4 to 9 p.m. and includes a brat and burger fry. Schrage’s is located at N10847 Highway 151.

Fill The Boot Effort Underway

Fond du Lac Firefighters Local 400 is raising money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association through the fill-the-boot campaign the next few days. MDA officials say to look for the firefighters at the intersections of Main and Division, 4th and National, and National and Division during the next three days.