Local News Tuesday 6/18/13

Oshkosh Woman Pleads To Vehicular Homicide Charge

 

A 46-year-old Oshkosh woman has pled to several charges for an incident last September in which she was driving drunk and ran over a pedestrian with her car before fleeing the scene.  Tina Trepanier was recently in Winnebago County Court where she pled no contest to homicide by negligent use of a motor vehicle and a drunken driving charge. Trepanier was driving drunk early the morning of September 7th when she ran over 53-year-old Gina Micheln with her SUV. Micheln was later hit by a second vehicle, but investigators say she was already dead from the impact with Trepanier’s vehicle. Trepanier will be sentenced on August 12th.

 

Murder Trial Underway In Sheboygan County

 

(WHBL-Sheboygan)-Day one of the Nathan Paape trial is complete.  The 14-year-old Sheboygan teen faces a first degree murder charge for the death of Barbara Olsen at her Sheboygan Falls home last September. Olsen’s daughter told the jury how she found her mother covered by a blanket in her garage the morning of September 19th.  One person who testified was Nathan’s mother, Bobbie Jo Paape.  She said she did take Paape and 14-year-old Antonio Barbeau to Sheboygan Falls two days before Olsen was found dead.  Also entered into evidence was surveillance video from a Pick n’ Save showing two people, alleged to be the suspects, buying cleaning wipes and latex gloves. Barbeau has already pled guilty to a murder charge connected to this case, and the prosecution will try to get him to testify in this trial.  The prosecution will continue calling their witnesses today.

 

Woman Injured In Fall From 2^nd Story Porch In Sheboygan

 

Sheboygan Police say a Grafton woman was seriously injured in a fall from a porch in the City Sunday night and a Sheboygan woman is in custody for the incident.  Police say a 43-year-old woman suffered serious internal injuries from the two-story fall. She was taken to a Green Bay hospital for treatment.  Investigators learned that a 38-year-old woman was involved and may have caused the fall.  She was arrested on a charge of reckless injury. Alcohol was a factor in the incident.

 

Home Sales Up In FDL County Last Month

 

Sales of existing homes and median prices for those homes were both up in May in Fond du Lac County. According to the Wisconsin Realtors Association home sales were up nearly 19 percent in the County compared to last year and the median price of a home ($124,500) was up 13.2 percent. Year to date in Fond du Lac County the median price of a home is up by 3.5 percent and home sales are up 6.3 percent. Statewide in May the sale of existing homes was up 18.2 percent and median prices were up 4.3 percent. May was the 23rd straight month that sales of existing homes were up in the state. To see more click here. 

 

FDL County Board Preview

 

Fond du Lac County supervisor’s tonight will consider revising a policy regarding naming of any county-owned building after any individual living or deceased. An effort is underway to rename a transitional housing unit for young adults after the late Director of the Social Services Department Kim Mooney. To do that the board will have to tweak the policy. The board will also be asked to request that the state’s Department of Transportation consider widening State Highway 67 from Campbellsport to Dundee to accommodate bike and pedestrian traffic on the shoulders of the road. The board meets at 7 p.m. at the City-County Government Center in Fond du Lac.

 

Evers Education Budget Falls Short, Opposes School Choice Expansion

 

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-Republicans in the state Legislature are being called on to change education provisions in the state budget. As the Assembly gets set to open debate on the proposal, state Superintendent Tony Evers is urging majority Republicans to reject plans to expand private school vouchers statewide and create a tax credit for parents who pay private school tuition. Evers says plans to increase per pupil spending by $150 also fall short, considering cuts made under the last state budget. Evers and Democrats want Republicans to increase per pupil spending by $275 and remove the private school voucher expansion plan from the state budget. The state budget debate begins today, with the Assembly considering the bill first.

 

Deputy Overtime Costs Paid For By Race Organizers

 

Those Fond du Lac County Sheriff’s deputies directing traffic during summer running and bicycling events aren’t being paid for by taxpayer dollars. County supervisors last month approved the blocking off of traffic for four different events with each resolution stipulating that race organizers have to pay overtime for extra deputies needed during those events. Sheriff’s Sergeant Jeff Bonack says that may be something the public doesn’t realize. Bonack says he works the Race the Lake each August, which last year had about 2,400 bicyclists. He says it requires about 10 to 11 deputies because they have to handle traffic at the intersection of Highway 151 and County Highway WH. He says they hear a few snide comments from passing motorists, but again race organizers are the ones footing the bill for overtime.

 

Breakfast On The Farm

 

About 4,000 people will be served breakfast during the Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce Agri-Business Council’s annual Breakfast on the Farm this Sunday. Association President Joe Reitemeier says the 3-D Dairy owned by the Diedrichs families near Mount Calvary will host the breakfast from 8 a.m. to Noon.  He says people can find out how technology has affected dairy farming. Reitemeier says there will be a number of celebrity chefs cooking up the breakfast or working the serving line including Wisconsin’s newest U.S. Senator. The farm is located at N8148 Schaefer Road in Malone. Signs will be posted. Tickets are $6 in advance, $7 the day of with children under 5 eating free. Tickets are available at the Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce Office on North Main Street or through an Agri-Business Council member. Culver’s custard sundaes will be $1 with proceeds of the sale benefitting the Fond du Lac Agricultural Ambassador program. For more information click here.  

GDL Eases Teens Into Driving

 

For the new teen driver getting their driver’s license this summer, taking the car to school or work is exciting — but it also carries responsibilities and risks. Nationally, teen drivers are involved in fatal crashes at four times the rate of older drivers. Terry Stark is with the Wisconsin Division of Motor Vehicles. She says the Graduated Driver Licensing law restricts the number of passengers new drivers can carry and puts limits on the time of day they can drive, particularly night-time driving. Stark adds that parents or guardians play a crucial role in teen safety by enforcing GDL restrictions and stressing the need to abide traffic laws.

 

Last Tanzanian Trunk Show In FDL

 

The 8th and final Tanzanian Trunk Show will be held at the First Presbyterian Church at 1225 4th Street in Fond du Lac today. Sister Stella Storch has been in on organizing the event each year, which raised money for the Aids Orphans Sewing Project in Tanzania, East Africa. She says this year there will be 23 graduates who will receive sewing machines so they will have a way to make a living and avoid human trafficking. She says the project will be going online out of Africa and funds for the project will be raised through online sales of products made by the women. She says this is the final year for the Trunk Show in Fond du Lac. Sister Stella says she made a trip to Tanzania in 2009 and talked to 2007 graduates of the school about what kind of an impact the project was having on their lives. She says they are able to make a living from what they’ve been taught. The Trunk Show is from 4 to 6:30 p.m. and will features sales of hand-made African clothes and bags, Just Fair Market Fair Trade items, live music, and authentic Masai jewelry. Supper and dessert will be available from the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

 

Blood Drive Wednesday In FDL

 

Area residents are invited to join Agnesian HealthCare associates, volunteers and physicians and donate an hour of time Wednesday to give blood to The Blood Center of Wisconsin. Blood donations will be accepted from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the St. Agnes Chapel at 430 East Division Street in Fond du Lac.  To make an appointment you can call 926-4961. Walk-ins are also welcome.