Local News Tuesday 5/21/13

Oshkosh Sex Offender Released

 

Oshkosh Police say a 30-year-old sex offender will be living at 1105A Jefferson Avenue starting today. In 2003 John Moore was convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy and 16-year-old girl. In 2007 he was convicted of forcibly assaulting a woman he met in a bar. He will be on GPS monitoring.

 

Oshkosh Man Gets Prison On Drunken Driving Homicide Charge

 

A 33-year-old Oshkosh man has been sentenced to six years in prison and seven years of extended supervision on a drunken driving homicide charge. Jeremy Derks was sentenced in Winnebago County Court.  A year ago today Derks drove through a stop sign at Highway 21 and Reighmoor Road in the Town of Omro hitting another vehicle.  A passenger in that vehicle, 84-year-old Richard Bielinski of Omro, was killed. Three other charges Derks was facing were read into the record and dismissed.

 

Campbellsport Man On Trial For Dog Attack

 

A Fond du Lac County jury trial is underway for a 59-year-old Campbellsport man suspected of having his dog attack an 18-year-old man last August. A jury was selected Monday and opening statements were given in the trial for Richard Lisko, which is scheduled through Friday.  Lisko and 43-year-old Joel Kennedy, Sr of New Berlin are accused of stringing up Kennedy’s 18-year-old son at Lisko’s farm on August 31st of last year and allowing Lisko’s dog to attack him. Lisko believed the youth had stolen 110 morphine pills from him. The dog savagely mauled the victim. This past February Kennedy was sentenced to six months in jail and three years of probation for his role in the attack.

 

Alleged Shower Filmer Motions To Suppress Statements And Evidence

 

The lawyer for a 20-year-old St. Louis, Missouri man suspected of recording women who were showering at Ripon College has made a motion to suppress statements his client made to police. Ken Kratz contends that Ripon Police did not read Demetrious Moll his Miranda Rights. He also says there were issues with a search warrant used to collect computer evidence. Moll is facing 14 counts of Capturing an Image of Nudity. Moll was in Fond du Lac County Court for a plea and sentencing hearing Monday. A hearing on the motions is scheduled for May 31st. According to the criminal complaint there were four victims. Moll allegedly used his cell phone to record the video. Seventeen files were found on his computer containing the videos. Moll has been banned from the Ripon College campus.

 

Advisory Park Board Recommends Trial Period For BMX Bikes

 

BMX bicycle riders may get their wish to share Adelaide Skate Park with skateboarders this summer. The Fond du Lac Advisory Park Board voted unanimously last night in favor of a trial period. It now needs the City Council’s approval at their June 12th meeting. Councilwoman Lee Ann Lorrigan broached the subject asking it to be included on the Council’s agrenda April 24th. More than 40 supporters of the request showed up at that meeting, but the Council referred it back to the Advisory Park Board. The issue now returns to the City Council.

 

FDL County Board Preview

 

The Fond du Lac County Board will begin their meeting tonight a little early with a 6 p.m. tour of the Harbor Haven Health and Rehabilitation facility. The Board will get a first hand look at recent improvements to the facility. During their 7 p.m. meeting the Board will be asked to approve a resolution that supports the state Department of Transportation’s plan for construction of an interchange and north frontage road at Highway 151 and County Highway V. The City Council recently endorsed a similar resolution. Also during the meeting the Board honor former County Public Health Officer Diane Cappozzo for her 38 years with the County and Mary Gellings for the 24 ½ years she spent with the County, retiring as a member of Harbor Haven Health & Rehabilitation.

 

Capital Campaign For Job Marketing Efforts

 

 The Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce recently launched a capital campaign that will pay for efforts to attract skilled workers through the use of social media. Association President and CEO Joe Reitemeier says they need someone who has experience with Facebook and Twitter accounts who also can do general marketing for mobile applications. He says they’d like to raise $1 million over the next five years for the effort. He says the Association, Agnesian HealthCare and Mercury Marine and another company have already made contributions to the campaign. The Association has contributed $125,000. He says Agnesian and Mercury will each contribute over $100,000 over the next five years. Reitemeier says they hope to have what they need in contributions sometime this fall.

 

Archway Repair Underway

 

A leak, ice and water from the winter thaw damaged the historic archway leading from Main Street to the Portland Street Parking Ramp. Fond du Lac Community Development Director Wayne Rollin says plaster from the underside cracked and fell. He says it’s going to need a new roof and some plaster. He says it will cost about $25,000 or a little more for the repair work. The archway dates back to 1874 and was originally part of the Wisconsin Power and Light trolley station. He says they will pay for the repairs with revenues from the City’s parking system.

 

Senator Gudex Would Prefer To Keep Voucher Proposal In The State Budget

 

State Senator Rick Gudex believes some form of the Governor’s proposal to expand the school choice vouchers program will survive the state budget process. The state lawmaker from Fond du Lac had threatened not to vote for the budget if it didn’t include the proposal. Gudex says he and two other Republican Senators did that to keep other party members in line on the issue. He says it could be pulled out of the budget, but he’d prefer to have it kept in the state budget. He says the constituent contacts his office at the State Capitol is receiving on the issue is almost evenly split.

 

Campbellsport School District Allows Students To Bring Their Own Technology

 

The superintendent of the Campbellsport School District says they are trying a blended technology approach instead of opting for a 1-to-1 computing approach like other area school districts. Dan Olson says students are allowed to bring their own device and the district supplies devices for those who can’t afford them. He says it’s too costly with the constant changes in technology so they are trying a more flexible approach. He says kids might actually have more than one device they can use, which makes their approach less restrictive.

 

FDL County Home Sales Down Slightly In April

 

Wisconsin existing home sales jumped last month compared to this time a year ago, according to the Wisconsin Realtors Association, and the industry has seen growth for nearly two consecutive years. Michael Theo is President and CEO of the Realtors Association. In addition to increased sales, a report from the group shows median prices climbed by a solid margin, growing 7.8 percent over the past year to $138,000. Theo says we are in the prime selling season. Sales of existing homes in Fond du Lac County in April were down 4 percent compared to a year ago, while the median price of a home was down nearly 13 percent. Year to date however sales of homes in the County is up nearly 1 percent and the median price of a home slightly. To see the results for more counties click here.

 

FDL City Offices Closed Memorial Day

 

 

City offices in the Fond du Lac City-County Government Center will be closed next Monday in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. The Municipal Center will be closed next Monday for refuse collection and bulky waste drop off. Refuse normally collected on Monday will be collected on Tuesday May 28th along with the normal Tuesday collection. Although, yard waste can still be dropped off during the holiday hours. The Senior Center and Fond du Lac Public Library will both be closed next Monday. City Transit Buses will not operate that day. As always, Police and Fire Departments will be fully operational throughout the holiday period.

 

Waupun Memorial Hospital Sponsors Memorial Service For Babies

 

Waupun Memorial Hospital (WMH) is sponsoring a memorial service and burial of babies delivered before the 20th week of pregnancy during the past year tonight at 6 p.m.  Anyone who has experienced such a loss is invited to attend a special memorial service in the Hospital’s Chapel. The service, which is being arranged by WMH Women & Infants Unit nurses, begins in the Chapel with the Rev. Mike Stock officiating. A short service at Cattaraugus Cemetery will follow. The Hospital sponsors the memorial service with support from Werner-Harmsen and Kohl’s Funeral Homes, and Cattaraugus and Forest Mound cemeteries, which alternate years for the services.