Local News Briefs Wednesday 9/11/13

Fond du Lac Police set up a perimeter in the 100 block of South Berger Parkway Monday afternoon after getting a report of man who had barricaded himself in a residence and had access to firearms. A 28-year-old woman who had left the residence called 911 to say a 24-year-old man was the only one in the residence. While police were investigating the man left the residence and was taken into custody in the backyard. No one was injured during the incident. The woman was arrested on domestic related charges and taken to the Fond du Lac County Jail.  The Fond du Lac Fire Department assisted with the call. 

 

Witness To Animal Neglect Harassed

 

The 46-year-old Fond du Lac woman who complained to police about a neighbor whose puppies were sick and dying was recently the victim of harassment. Police got a call on August 25th about a man who was standing in a driveway across the street from the woman’s home yelling that she was responsible for killing the dogs and tossed beer bottles at her home. The woman’s son filmed the man on his cell phone. According to police reports the driveway the man was standing in belongs to Stacy Checolinski who has animal neglect charges pending against her and has filed a civil suit against the City and Fond du Lac Humane Society for taking the puppies away she intended to sell. Police asked her about a camper that was in her driveway and she stated it was “a friend’s.” She wouldn’t allow police inside her residence saying there was no man staying with her and they needed a search warrant. A couple days’ later police checked with her again and she wouldn’t cooperate. Police considered issuing a disorderly conduct citation against her, but dropped it due to lack of probable cause. Three of the ten puppies rescued from Checolinski’s backyard died of parvovirus at the Fond du Lac animal shelter.

 

FDL Toddler Bitten By Dog

 

A 32-year-old Fond du Lac woman facing animal neglect charges was inadvertently involved in another incident involving a dog last weekend. According to police reports Stacy Checolinski was dog sitting for a friend last Saturday afternoon when she took the dog to the home of an acquaintance on Yacoub Lane. While there the 5-year-old daughter of the homeowner started to pet the yellow lab and the dog bit her on the face. The girl’s father told police the dog held on and swung his head while continuing to bite the girl. She was taken to St. Agnes Hospital where a plastic surgeon helped with her wounds. When police talked to Checolinski she was crying and “broken up about the situation.” The owner of the dog showed up and said the dog had vaccinations, but she didn’t have records for it. It is being quarantined at Veterinary Village in Brownsville for 10 days. That’s where the owner had taken the dog named “Buckley” in the past. The officer taking the report noted the dog was playful and not vicious in nature.

 

FDL City Council Preview

 

The Fond du Lac City Council tonight will appoint Brian Foster to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Councilman Rob Vande Zande. The Council reached a unanimous consensus on Foster’s appointment after interviewing two finalists, Foster and Brian Kolstad, Monday evening. Also during the meeting the Council will be asked to approve a bike and pedestrian plan, refinancing of a water utility bond issue, and early repayment of a wastewater utility bond issue. City Manager Joe Moore will also give the Council a presentation on the 2014 City Budget and the 5-year capital improvement plan. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. at the City-County Government Center.

 

EAB Fight Moved Up

 

The public works director for the City of Fond du Lac says with the emerald ash borer found in both in Fond du Lac and Winnebago Counties they will move up prevention efforts. Jordan Skiff says with the EAB found at the Mauthe Lake Campground in the northern unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest and in the Town of Black Wolf the City doesn’t have as much time. He says more money will be requested in the City budget to remove more ash trees that are unhealthy next year. More information will also be included on the City’s website. Skiff says the City will also be hiring a contractor to treat trees. He says that would cost residents with trees on private property who chose to treat their trees from $5 to $8 per diameter inch, which would equate to about $120 every two years for an ash tree that is 15 inches in diameter. The DNR has scheduled a meeting about the EAB on Monday, October 28th at 4:30 p.m. at the City-County Government Center in Fond du Lac.

 

Tax Levy Approved At NFDL School District Annual Meeting

 

The North Fond du Lac School Board approved a tax levy of $4.6 million during the school district’s annual meeting this week. District Superintendent Aaron Sadoff says the budget won’t be finalized until next month with student count for state aid and property values yet to be determined. He says at this point it looks like they will have 15 to 20 more students this school year. Sadoff says the tax levy will drop about 2.3 percent and will be lower than last year’s rate of $9.86 per $1,000 of assessed value. He says it will range from $9.60 to $9.75. Only one person turned out for the meeting, former District Superintendent Don Kellogg who was there to talk about the busing of parochial students. Kellogg noted during the meeting that he’s been to every annual meeting the school district has held over the last 30 years.

 

Gas Spill Challenging For FDL Fire Dept

 

The Division Chief of Fire Prevention for the Fond du Lac Fire Department says a gas spill at Mercury Marine Monday night presented some different challenges for the department. Troy Haase says they had to work with a confined space a tunnel underneath Plant 15 that ran the length of the building. The tunnel is 10 feet high and 15 feet wide. Haase says flammable vapors extended 400 to 600 feet from where the 50 gallons of gas spilled. He says they didn’t use their Hazardous Materials Team for the incident. He says the gas spilled because a piece of equipment malfunctioned. Mercury had a remediation company clean up the spill.

 

Tenth Year For Chegwin Elementary Recognition

 

For the tenth consecutive year Chegwin Elementary School in Fond du Lac has been honored as a New Wisconsin Promise School of Recognition. District Superintendent Jim Sebert says it’s based on student testing for the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam. It recognizes schools with high poverty rates whose students excel in reading and math. He says only one other school in the state has got the same honor for a longer period of time and that’s located in northern Wisconsin. Sebert says learning knows no boundaries and Chegwin is a good example of that. The school will be recognized along with 166 others during an awards program at the State Capitol on October 8th.

 

Artist Impressed With Thelma

 

An artist who is featured during the Grand Opening Week for Thelma Sadoff Center for the Arts in Fond du Lac likes what he sees. Hap Tivey’s “Sodium Exchange” will be on display until November 10th. The New York artist has a permanent collection in the Guggenheim and for the time being in the contemporary wing at Thelma. He says he’s impressed with Thelma. Tivey works with light sculptures. He says for Thelma he created a frame that controls flow of light in the room. He has three other light sculptures in the exhibit. tonight at 7 p.m. the Center will feature An Exchange with Hap Tivey: Making Light. It’s a free event in the Great Hall.

 

Waupun Pool Ground Breaking

 

Officials in Waupun will break ground at Fond du Lac County Park next Tuesday for a new pool. It’s a nearly $4.3 million dollar project. The pool will be roughly 9,900-square feet. Fond du Lac County committed $1 million to the project. A TIF District and taxpayers will help pay for the rest of the cost. The City’s mill rate will increase 43 cents per thousand dollars of value on a property. City officials hope to have the pool open by June 1st of next year. The groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for 12:30 next Tuesday afternoon.

 

Alliant Energy Foundation Community Grants Awarded

 

Ten non-profit organizations in Fond du Lac County are getting $14,022 through the Alliant Energy Foundation’s Community Grants program.  The program supports specific projects benefiting the community in the areas of arts, education, environment, and human and civic needs. Among those receiving the grants are ADVOCAP, Badgerland Youth for Christ, the Fond du Lac Boys & Girls Club, the Campbellsport Athletic Association, Fond du Lac Adult Literacy Services, the Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, the Malone Area Heritage Museum, Oakfield Public Library, and United for Diversity. Nonprofits across Wisconsin received a total of $150,682 from the Alliant Energy Foundation as part of its summer grant making process.