Local News
Local News Wednesday 6/5/13
Body Found In Car On Highway 41
Winnebago County Sheriff’s officials are investigating the death of a motorist that was found in a car on Highway 41 northbound near Snell Road Tuesday afternoon. A state trooper stopped for what was thought to be a stranded motorist and discovered a deceased individual in the vehicle. The cause of death is under investigation. The incident was reported at 1:15 p.m.
West Bend Shooting Death
West Bend Police are investigating a shooting death that occurred last weekend at a home on Washington Street. Police say they got a 911 call from a 31-year-old woman’s boyfriend early Sunday morning. He told them she had shot herself. Angela Bence was taken to Froedtert Hospital in Wauwatosa where she died. The couple and their son were the only ones in the house at the time of the shooting. Her boyfriend was taken to the Washington County Jail for questioning. He was later released by request of the District Attorney. Police say the home has no history of police calls. They are investigating the manner of death and are not calling it a homicide at this time.
Teen Pleads To Sheboygan Falls Murder
(WHBL-Sheboygan)-One of the suspects charged in the murder of an elderly Sheboygan Falls woman will avoid trial due to a plea deal. In Sheboygan County Court Tuesday afternoon, 14-year-old Antonio Barbeau changed his plea to 1st degree intentional homicide, party of the crime, from not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect to no contest. This allowed Judge Timothy Van Akkeren to find him guilty for his role in the death of his great grandmother, 78-year-old Barbara Olsen, last September. A sentencing hearing has been set for August 12, where it is expected he will receive a sentence with parole eligibility after 35 years. The other person charged in the case, 14-year-old Nathan Pappe, will still have a jury trial starting June 17th. District Attorney Joe DeCecco says they have subpoenaed Barbeau to testify against Paape at his trial.
Oakfield Man Charged With OWI 2nd Causing Injury
The 51-year-old Oakfield man suspected of driving drunk and causing a two-car accident that injured a 20-year-old Lomira woman has been formally charged. Bryan Novak made an initial appearance in Dodge County Court Monday on an OWI 2nd causing injury charge. A $1,500 signature bond was set and he will be back in court for a preliminary hearing on July 18th. The charge stems from an accident on Highway 49 at Wells Road in the Town of Leroy last Sunday morning. The victim was taken to St. Agnes Hospital in Fond du Lac.
Mayville Man Facing 4th OWI Charge
A 29-year-old Mayville man is facing a drunken driving causing charge for a two-car accident on Highway 28 Sunday night. Dodge County Sheriff’s officials say the accident happened between Mayville and Horicon when Kyle Rach rear-ended another vehicle sending it into a ditch. The driver of that other car, 28-year-old Joseph Klatt of Lomira, was taken to a hospital. Rach was arrested and taken into custody on a probation hold. It’s the fourth OWI charge for Rach.
Roundy’s Stores Fined
Officials at the state’s Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection say Roundy’s Supermarkets, Inc. has agreed to pay a little over $43,000 in fines for overcharging its customers. It comes in the wake of a statewide inspection into price scanning practices at 43 Roundy’s stores including Pick ‘n Save, Copps Food Center and Mega Marts stores over two days last October. As part of the civil forfeiture agreement, Roundy’s did not admit to violating any Wisconsin laws.
Funding For Interchange Was Included In State Budget
Funding for an interchange and north frontage road at Fond du Lac County Highway V and Highway 151 was included in the budget by the Joint Finance Committee. State Representative Jeremy Thiesfeldt says he and State Senator Rick Gudex worked the aisles in the state legislature to make sure it would happen, but he says whether it remains in the budget remains to be seen. He says developers in the southern part of Fond du Lac were originally banking on the interchange when Governor Doyle removed the funding years ago. He says if the project goes through it will begin in 2015 and much of the planning and environmental studies normally done for such a project is mostly finished.
County Not A Contributor To Annual E.coli Problems On Wolf Lake
One of the suspected contributors to E.coli problems that shut down the Wolf Lake Beach every year was eliminated two years ago when a restroom at the Fond du Lac County beach was removed. County Planning and Parks Director Sam Tobias says they knew through testing the E.coli was both animal and human in origin. He says before they removed the open pit toilet they did some further testing. They found the underground concrete block structure had cracks in it. So they filled it with water and put dye in it to see if that would show up in the lake. He says they didn’t find the dye in the lake, but about 18 inches of water was gone from the structure. He says there were E.coli problems last year that closed the beach down, but the County’s open pit toilet septic system had been removed the year before. He says it’s coming from another source on the lake. The County is building a new restroom at the lake with a brand new septic system.
JFC Includes Funding For Sheboygan TB Outbreak In State Budget
(Wisconsin Radio Network)-The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee has approved $4.6 million to cover the costs of a tuberculosis outbreak in Sheboygan County. In April, eight members of an extended family tested positive for active TB, according to State Health Officer Dr. Henry Anderson. Anderson says that one case has inflated the already high costs of drugs to treat TB. Those drugs are administered every day by a health official, and the treatment can take up to two years. Anderson says a TB case could require an average of 50 other people to be tested. All of the active TB patients have been confined to their homes.
DPW Director Applauds Recycling Effort At Walleye Weekend
Fond du Lac’s Public Works Director is applauding a recycling effort at Walleye Weekend this year. Jordan Skiff says when it comes to Walleye Weekend his department mostly supplies barricades and other items that Fond du Lac Festivals needs for the family festival. He says he’s pleased to see the effort the Fond du Lac School District and Mercury Marine partnered on that will supply 55 gallon decorated drums for recyclable items that will be used during the festival. He says recycling efforts in the past at the festival didn’t succeed very well, but with volunteers from organizations overseeing the effort it should work better this time.
Sprinkler System Being Installed In Habitat Home
A residential fire sprinkler system is being installed in the home Habitat for Humanity of Fond du Lac County is building at 16 South Hickory Street in Fond du Lac. Fond du Lac Division Chief of Fire Prevention Troy Haase says every home should have one, but not everyone does. He says state law requires a sprinkler system in any new buildings that will be three stories or larger. Haase says it’s a myth that all the sprinkler heads go off when there’s a fire. He says they are heat activated by temperatures over 130 degrees and only go off in an area of a building where there’s a fire. The first residential sprinkler system installed in a Habitat home in the City was installed in the Nora Wehner home on 4th Street last summer.
Hubbards’ Tribute
The Fond du Lac community will have a chance to say thanks to a family that has been ardent community supporters for 23 years. Jim and Sharon Hubbard will be re-locating to Valparaiso, Indiana this summer. A reception honoring the Hubbards is planned for Friday, June 14th from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Whispering Springs Golf Club. Brief remarks and presentations will be made at approximately 5:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend. There’s no charge. Refreshments and a cash bar will be available. County Executive Al Buechel says, “Jim Hubbard has always been there when the community was in need, especially during time of crisis such as the flood of 2008 and after the tragic death of Police Officer Craig Birkholz. The service of Jim and Sharon to our community has been sustained, selfless and inspirational.”
Waupun Kiwanis Do Good Work
The Waupun Kiwanis do good works and provide the community with some great fundraisers throughout the year. Jeff Homan of the Club says recently they gave out four scholarships to high school seniors in the community. He says they also sponsor a baseball team and three times a year clean up a stretch of highway. He says one thing hits home for him is improvements to a baseball diamond where his grandkids play. To support their efforts they have quite a few fundraisers including brat frys, the pea and bean sale in July, the corn sale near Labor Day, and a candy and nut sale around Christmas time.