FDL Man Charged For Bowling Alley Fire

Last Stop Bar and Lanes had become such a financial burden for owners that they decided to burn it down. That's what the criminal complaint against 46-year-old Lyle Huss contends about the March 3^rd fire that destroyed the 93-year-old building. Huss and Lynda Stiller-Devoe were partners in the business and according to the complaint she entered a room where Fond du Lac police detectives were interviewing Huss last Thursday and said, "Lyle, just tell them." That's when Huss said the two of them had discussed setting fire to the bar because the business had become such a financial burden. Huss admitted trying to start a fire on Monday night March 1^st by setting a plug-in heater on fire. Early the morning of the fire he splashed acetone on the wall and used a lighter from the bar. He thought twice about it and tried to smack the flames out with his hands, but then turned off the lights, locked the doors, and walked out to a van where Stiller-Devoe was waiting. Huss told her it was done. Yesterday he was charged with two counts of arson to a building, one for conspiracy to commit arson. The Fond du Lac County District Attorney will be considering a conspiracy to commit arson charge against Stiller-Devoe. Huss is free on a $5,000 signature bond. He will be back in court for a preliminary hearing on April 8^th.

Bar And Bowling Alley Had Become A Financial Burden

The 46-year-old Fond du Lac man accused of setting fire to the Last Stop Bar and Lanes says the business had become an escalating financial burden. According to the criminal complaint Lyle Huss told Fond du Lac police detectives last week that when he received a letter from the State about back income taxes and losing his seller's permit "it all came to a head." The confession came after his business partner Lynda Stiller-Devoe had entered the room and urged him, "Lyle, just tell them." Huss said an effort to start the business on fire on Monday, March 1^st went awry, but the morning of the fire he used acetone on a back wall to start the fire. He and Stiller-Devoe allegedly had prior discussions about setting the business on the fire. Huss told detectives that as he set the fire he thought to himself how stupid. He then turned off the lights, locked the doors and walked out to a van where Stiller-Devoe was waiting. Yesterday in Fond du Lac County Court he was charged with two counts of arson to a building, one for conspiracy to commit arson. He's free on a $5,000 signature bond and will be back in court for a preliminary hearing on April 8th. Stiller-Devoe is expected to be charged with conspiracy to commit arson.

Train Victim In Fair Condition

The Fond du Lac woman hit by a train Sunday afternoon is in fair condition at Theda Clark Regional Medical Center in Neenah. City paramedics took the woman out to the Flight for Life helicopter base and she was flown from there. The woman told police she intentionally got into the way of the southbound Canadian National Train while out walking her dog. Police Captain Steve Klein says the dog at first wouldn't let anyone near the woman, but a former K-9 officer was able to get it to cooperate. The woman suffered serious injuries to both legs. The Humane Society took custody of the dog. The incident happened in the area of South Military Road.

Plymouth Man Hurt In Sheboygan County Accident

(WHBL-Sheboygan)-A Plymouth man was seriously injured yesterday when his jeep was crushed between two semis.  Sgt. Jason Liermann of the Sheriff's Department said 45 year old Timothy Christensen had to be freed from the wreckage by Plymouth Jaws and was taken to St. Nicholas Hospital.  The accident occurred in dense fog about 8 yesterday morning on County PP just south of Plymouth.  Liermann said one semi, driven by 27 year old Justin Simon of Fond du Lac, stopped to make a turn and Christensen stopped behind it.  A Schwind Trucking tanker driven by 51 year old Steven Guelig of Cascade could not stop and slammed into the jeep, pushing it into the first semi.  Both semis ended up in the ditch and one of them hit a power pole knocking out electricity for about a half hour for 1000 customers on the east side of Plymouth.  The road was blocked off for several hours after the crash and the Hazmat Team was called in to clean up diesel fuel which had leaked from the semis.  Simon suffered minor injuries, but refused medical attention.

Six Arrested For Oshkosh Gun Shop Burglary

Oshkosh police have made six arrests in the Gehrke's Marine and Gun Shop burglary. Three Oshkosh men from 19 to 21-years of age were taken to the Winnebago County Jail. A 19-year-old Oshkosh woman was already in jail, but is now being charged for her involvement in the burglary. Two other Oshkosh men ages 21 and 23-years-old are the subject of charges referred to the County District Attorney's office. The burglary occurred on January 25^th.

Oshkosh Beating Suspects Sought

Authorities in Oshkosh are looking for 4 or 5 black men involved in a beating late last Friday night or early last Saturday morning. A man told police he was walking on East Parkway Avenue towards Jefferson Street when a group of black men approached him and one of them hit him the side of the head. He was then kicked in the leg and fell to the ground. After that he was repeatedly kicked and punched in the face. The victim told investigators the men were all in their early 20's and all of them were wearing red clothing. One man was described as being about 6-foot-3 inches tall and about 400 pounds, he was wearing a gold T-shirt. The victim was treated at a hospital for cuts on his face, neck, and legs. Anyone with information should call the Oshkosh Police Department.

FDL City Council Preview

Fond du Lac City Manager Tom Herre will give the City Council an update tonight on the Management Information Systems Department. Three former employees of the Department are being investigated for alleged embezzlement, which forced the City to put together an interim plan for running the department when the employees were first put on paid leave and eventually fired. The City has been considering its options for future operation of the department and Herre will report on that. Also tonight the Council will have a public hearing on the Park Avenue improvement project and consider levying assessments for the project. Also on the agenda is a conceptual plan for the Frazier Point Pier and Plaza and Industrial Development Revenue Bond financing for the YMCA's building project. The Council meets at 7 p.m. at the City-County Government Center.

FDL City Councilman Withdraws Sales Tax Resolution

A Fond du Lac city councilman has withdrawn his resolution asking the County Board to sunset its half-percent sales tax. Jeremy Thiesfeldt says after learning the County Board will likely take action next week to repeal the tax at the end of 2021 he decided to withdraw his resolution from Wednesday night's City Council agenda. His resolution asked the same from the County Board. Thiesfeldt says while the tax helps with Mercury Marine incentives it's a disadvantage for businesses. He says it was enacted to help keep Mercury Marine in Fond du Lac and shouldn't continue after its original purpose. Thiesfeldt says he's not against a sales tax concept, if other taxes were done away with.

Appeal On Sones Book During FDL School Board April 12^th Meeting

Following its regular meeting on Monday, April 12^th the Fond du Lac School Board will consider an appeal from a Theisen Middle School parent who wants a book removed from the school's library. Ann Wentworth had asked that the Sonya Sones book One of Those Hideous Books Where the Mother Dies be removed due to what she says is sexual content that's inappropriate for middle school students. The District's Reconsideration Committee recommended keeping the book on library shelves and District Superintendent Jim Sebert agreed. He says during the April 12^th meeting the School Board will consider Wentworth's appeal of his decision. He says it's the first time they've gone through the reconsideration process. Wentworth would like to see some other books removed and would prefer to have a committee formed to review material that's considered for school libraries.

Waupun 4-K Program Needs More Discussion

(WBEV-Beaver Dam)-The Waupun School District will push off creating a four-year-old kindergarten program until next year.  Superintendent Randy Refsland says their current budget situation won't allow for the program to start this fall but he's optimistic that it could be up and running by the 2011-2012 school year.  Refsland says around 80-percent of districts statewide have a program and there are some legislators pushing for it to become mandatory. When the first discussions about a 4-K program took place in 2007 Refsland said the idea would be to collaborate with existing daycare facilities.  However, that is no longer possible as there is just one registered daycare now in the district.  Instead the program would most likely be run out of Rock River Intermediate School. More discussion is expected later this spring. 

Funding For FDL County Children's Dental Program Included In Federal Bill

Fond du Lac County Executive Al Buechel says he's pleased money was included in the Federal Omnibus Bill for the Children's Save a Smile Dental Program managed by the County. The $400,000 will allow the County to get to some of the 104 children on a waiting list for dental services and add several hundred more children to the program. The program is for children on medical assistance and during a typical month more than 4,000 children in the County are eligible. The process of funding the program is ongoing. Buechel says the County's Director of Administration Ellen Sorensen is in Washington for a conference where she's touching base with Wisconsin's congressional delegation about having program included in the next federal budget as well. Five hundred children are currently enrolled in the County's program.

Man Drives Recklessly To Get To Baby's Birth

A number of different citations were issued to a 24-year-old Rio man who drove recklessly to St. Agnes Hospital where his girlfriend was having a baby. Fond du Lac police were looking for the man after Fond du Lac County Sheriff's deputies tried to pull the man over on March 4^th.  A Fond du Lac Police officer drove into an oncoming traffic lane to get the man to stop, but when the officer got out of the car Justin Schultz nearly struck the officer going around the police car. The officer then followed the Schultz to the hospital watching him drive through three flashing red lights. The officer turned emergency lights on for the squad car to alert other drivers. Eventually Schultz was taken into custody in the hospital parking lot. He was cited for four violations in the city including reckless driving-endangering safety and three more in the County. Schultz will make his initial court appearance on County traffic charges on March 22^nd.

FDL City Councilman Runs For Reelection

Fond du Lac City Councilman Jeff Ruedinger is the only incumbent councilman seeking reelection this spring. Three others have reached term limits or decided not to seek reelection. He's a Fond du Lac native who has worked for the school district for 14 years in their tech services department. Ruedinger says the city has an opportunity to look at restructuring its Management Information Systems Department, which he says could be a good thing.  As for creating more jobs Ruedinger says if the city can keeps taxes down that might attract more business. He also likes the Downtown Development Plan and its concepts, which he says could draw more people to downtown businesses. You can hear more of our interview with Ruedinger under the Morning Show section of the podcasts tab on KFIZ.com.

Deer Management Meeting

Area outdoorsmen and women can attend a Wisconsin Deer Management Information meeting next Monday night in Campbellsport or Tuesday night in Oshkosh. The meeting in Campbellsport will be 6:30 p.m. at the Ice Age Center at N2875 Highway 67. The one next Tuesday night in Oshkosh will be at the J.P. Coughlin Building on County Road Y. Each meeting will start with a 15-minute video hosted by Scott Craven of the University of Wisconsin. A discussion will follow on emerging harvest patterns, unit-specific management, hunter surveys and a CWD update. Other information will be passed along on preliminary deer population estimates, possible deer hunting season structures for this year and more. The meeting in Campbellsport will be for Deer Management Units 68B, 69, 69C, 77C, 77D, 77E, and 77M.  The meeting in Oshkosh is for Deer Management Units 66 and 68A.

NFDL Candidates Forum

All four candidates for North Fond du Lac Village trustee seats have been invited to participate in a candidates' forum following a Village Board meeting on Monday, March 29^th. That meeting will be at 6 p.m. with the forum immediately following. The four candidates for two seats on the board are incumbents Jim Scharf and Keith King, and challengers Mark Beveridge and Tammy Keller. The forum will be televised on Charter Cable Channels 21 and 980.

Funding For Obesity Battle In Schools

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-Federal funding is coming our way in the fight against childhood obesity. Wisconsin will be getting a "sizeable" federal grant to fight obesity among children, according to Jon Hisgen with the state Department of Public Instruction. He says kids are packing on the pounds because they're not active enough. The federal grant will be used in Wisconsin to help 20 school districts set up programs to get kids more physically active during the day, and after school.