Local News Briefs Thursday 1/16/14

Fond du Lac firefighters responded to a call at ACH Foam Technologies yesterday afternoon about a fire in a heating unit. Employees were evacuated from the company’s facility at 90 Trowbridge Drive while firefighters put the blaze out. The fire was contained to the heating unit. No injuries were reported. Fond du Lac Fire Dept photo.

Speedway Robbery Suspects Charged

Two men suspected of the armed robbery of the Speedway gas station in Fond du Lac have been charged in Fond du Lac County Court for their roles in the robbery. Fifty-nine-year-old Paul Tennis Jr. of Fond du Lac who is suspected of the actual robbery is charged with armed robbery. His bond was set at $1,000 cash. Thirty-six-year-old Jeremiah Owens of Marion, Wisconsin who is accused of acting as a lookout was charged with being party to the crime and his bond was set at $5,000 cash. Their preliminary hearings are scheduled for Friday, January 24th.

Second Meth Lab Suspect Charged

The second man arrested after the discovery of a meth lab in the 200 block of North Lincoln Avenue last week has been charged. Thirty-nine-year-old Peter Demmerle Jr. of Fond du Lac was charged in Fond du Lac County Court Wednesday with two felonies including amphetamine trafficking. Bond was set at $1,000 cash and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for next Thursday. Thirty-year-old Jacob Tynan of Fond du Lac was charged earlier this week for his role in the meth lab.

Two Accidents Reported

Fond du Lac firefighters and paramedics responded to two traffic accidents about the same time Wednesday morning. One person was taken to St. Agnes Hospital from a four-car accident at National Avenue and Johnson Street. Assistant Police Chief Steve Thiry says a 16-year-old Fond du Lac girl was trying to turn left from Johnson Street to National and was hit by westbound traffic. In an accident at Scott Street and Peters Avenue a 26-year-old Fond du Lac woman hit and knocked down a traffic control signal trying to avoid another vehicle. She bumped her head during the mishap, but refused medical attention. Fond du Lac Fire Dept photo.

FDL Man Injured In Hwy 41 Accident Released From Hospital

The 20-year-old Fond du Lac man hurt when his pickup truck was struck by semi-truck on Highway 41 at State Highway 26 Tuesday afternoon has been released from a Neenah Hospital. Arthur Dietenberger was treated at Theda Clark Regional Medical Center and released. The State Patrol says he lost control on the snow-covered roads hit a median barrier and went across the southbound lanes of Highway 41 before being hit by the southbound truck. The truck driver wasn’t hurt.

Richfield Armed Robbery

Washington County authorities are looking for a person who held up the Lake Five Mobil in the Village of Richfield Wednesday night. Sheriff’s officials say they got a call from an employee of the service station at 6:18 p.m. saying they had just been robbed by someone wearing a mask with a gun. The suspect was described as a wearing ski mask, grey sweat shirt and grey sweat pants, under sweat shirt was lime green shirt. Anyone who may have information about the robbery is asked to call the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.

Sheboygan County House Fire

Several volunteer fire departments were called to the scene of a house fire on Sheboygan County Highway F south of Waldo Wednesday morning.  The call came in shortly after 6:30 a.m. of a fire in an electrical box in the basement.  The Waldo Fire Department responded and then called in departments from Cascade, Plymouth and Silver Creek.  A half hour later the fire was out and the call for aid was cancelled.

School Bus Driver Hurt In Dodge County Accident

A school bus driver suffered minor injuries, but no students were hurt in a Dodge County accident Tuesday afternoon. The bus collided with a car on Provimi Road and County Highway K in the Town of Shields about 4 p.m.  Thirteen students were on the bus at the time, but weren’t injured.  Transportation Services of Watertown owns the bus.

Arson House Will Be Demolished

The foreclosed home on North Hickory that a former owner of the home allegedly set on fire last month will be torn down. Fond du Lac Community Development Director Wayne Rollin says a federal guaranteed loan was used to purchase the home, which had been foreclosed on by a bank and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. He said HUD will be responsible for demolishing the home and cleaning up the property. There’s a chance the property may be redeveloped if HUD should offer the property to the City. Rollin says they will take a look at whether they can do something with the property that would be good for the neighborhood including building on the site again. He says sometime the property is offered to the neighbors especially if the homes are close together.

Fundraiser For FDL Infant Suffering From Rare Form Of Cancer

A fundraiser will be held in Fond du Lac Friday to benefit the family of an infant girl suffering from a rare form of cancer. The benefit is for Olivia Fieck who is almost 16 months old. She is the daughter of Tara Wuest and Lucass Fieck. Sara Redeker is a close friend of Tara’s. She says Olivia was born with a rare form of cancer that affects the adrenal glands (Andrenocortical Carcinoma), which has spread to her lungs. Olivia’s father is now out of the picture and her mother is trying to take care of medical bills, everyday expenses and getting Olivia to Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee for chemotherapy treatments. It will be another 8 months before doctors even consider Olivia being in remission. The fundraiser starts at 2 p.m. at the Backstage Bar and Grill Friday with Road Trip taking the stage at 9 p.m. There will also be raffles, silent auctions and more. There’s no cover charge, but there’s a dollar for a wristband to drink beer and donations are welcome. Among the items to be raffled off will be an autographed 2013 Packers football and a guitar autographed by Foreigner.

Common Core Bills Hearing

(Wisconsin Radio Network)-Bills relating to the state’s common core standards for education are being considered at the Capitol. One measure, from Republican Representative Dean Knudson, would require more public input on the drafting of any new standards. Steve Kestell of the Assembly Education Committee says that was lacking in the process which led up to implementation of current standards. Sheila Briggs with the state Department of Education says the agency is willing to work on getting more input – but it’s a challenge. A Democrat on the panel, State Representative Fred Clark, says if DPI is guilty of anything, its not knowing there would be a campaign to establish Common Core conspiracy theory. The bill is opposed by DPI and is one of three developed by critics of the standards following a series of public hearings held late last year.

New Ripon Area Chamber Of Commerce Director Pleased With The Opportunity

The Ripon Area Chamber of Commerce’s new executive director says he’s pleased to get the position. Jason Mansmith has been the interim Executive Director the past six months, but the Chamber’s Board of Directors decided to promote him and remove the interim title. He says it was unexpected, but he was interested in the opportunity and the challenge. He says it was a team effort over the past six months and will continue to be during their future endeavors.  Listen Ripon Area Chamber of Commerce updates from Mansmith each Thursday morning at 8:20 a.m. on News-Talk 1450 KFIZ.

Ripon Council Approves Use Of Recycled Asphalt With Limits

The Ripon Common Council this week approved a change to an ordinance that would allow the use of recycled asphalt for long term parking and storage areas. City Administrator Lori Rich says it’s a way for businesses to save costs in constructing parking lots or storage areas. She says the Board of Zoning Appeals has granted the use of those materials before and the Plan Commission thought it might be something they could make an acceptable product with their approval. She says the materials would be limited to use in industrial zoned districts and would be subject to Plan Commission approval.

Open Enrollment Begins February 3^rd

Beginning early next month the open enrollment period begins for public schools. Open enrollment runs from February 3rd to April 30th. Fond du Lac Schools Superintendent Jim Sebert says it’s for those who want to enroll within the district or outside of it. Sebert says several hundred students a year go through the open enrollment process in the district. He says they do have to consider class size at schools when someone applies for open enrollment at a school. He says those who want more information about open enrollment should contact Wendy Burgess the Secretary of Attendance, Transportation and Enrollment at 906-6524.