KFIZ News Monday 1/2/17

Inmate Death At Dodge Correctional

State and Dodge County officials are investigating an inmate death at the Dodge Correctional Institution in Waupun. Justin Kestner, an inmate from Iowa, was found unresponsive in his cell December 21. Prison staff reportedly attempted life-saving measures on the 26-year-old but were unsuccessful and the results of an autopsy are not yet available. Kestner was serving a 20-year sentence for the 2009 robbery of a Sioux City gas station. He had 15-years added to that sentence after being the first inmate in a decade to escape from Iowa’s maximum security prison Fort Madison in July of 2015. In October, reports say Kestner assaulted a prison officer in Anamosa, Iowa with a piece of metal — and as a result, he was transferred to Waupun.

FDL Man Arraigned On Assault Charges

The 22-year-old Fond du Lac man suspected of assaulting a 19-year-old woman at a Fond du Lac apartment complex last month was recently arraigned in Fond du Lac County Court. Not guilty pleas were entered on behalf of Jeremy Walton. When police arrived at the apartment in the 300 block of North Peters Avenue on December 19th no one would answer the door, but the victim yelled for help and officers forced entry. Walton jumped off a 2nd floor balcony to escape, but police used a K9 to track him and found him in a storage unit he allegedly broke into. He faces two felony charges of intimidating a victim and false imprisonment and five misdemeanors.

Oshkosh Sex Offender Moving

A 40-year-old sex offender is moving to 1105A Jefferson Street in Oshkosh today. Xeng Lo will be on electronic and GPS monitoring. He is under extended supervision until May 2nd, 2020. Lo’s victims were 12 and 15-year-old girls. He was convicted of 2nd degree sexual assault in both 1998 and 2003.

Office Closings For The Holiday

City and County offices in Fond du Lac are closed today for the New Year’s holiday. The Fond du Lac Senior Center is closed and Fond du Lac Area Transit will not be running buses today. Those who normally put out their refuse and recycling for collection on Mondays are asked to put it out tomorrow morning for collection along with Tuesday’s normal collection.

Hicken Could Be Next FDL County Emergency Management Director

The retirement of Fond du Lac County Communications and Emergency Management Director Jim McNabb last month, although not unexpected, was a surprise to county officials. County Executive Al Buechel says McNabb was getting to that age where people consider retirement. Communications Operation Manager Bobbi Hicken was appointed the interim Director. Buechel says he would like to make that appointment more permanent, he says she is certainly qualified for the Director’s position. Buechel says he will meet with the administrative review board this month about filling the position and Hicken is very capable of filling that role. He says she ran dispatch and Hicken is well versed in all the technology they use and where the department needs to go in the future.

Grothman On The Wall

Congressman Glenn Grothman is looking forward to seeing what President-Elect Donald Trump will do about immigration including building that famous wall. Grothman says there are some people who shouldn’t be allowed into our country. He says he spoke to a close friend of Trump’s who serves in the House who assured Grothman that the wall will be built. Grothman says we do need immigrants, but we can not have the wrong immigrants. He says the wall will put an end to the Bush/Obama/Clinton policy of not really caring who comes to the United States.

Program Goals For Whisper Hill

The founder of Whisper Hill Clydesdales Special Needs says he would like to implement some new programs for the disabled if they are able to get the new location they are seeking. The non-profit organization that provides therapy through it horses and other animals for people with disabilities is trying to raise $1.5 million for a new location since their current location will no longer be available after next fall. Tim Wiskow says the new location would allow them to do a program in which people confined to wheel chairs who have the upper body strength would be put in a cart with a driver and would be able to steer a wagon pulled by horses. He says it would give people self confidence and motivation to exceed. He says he would also like to create a program that benefits wounded warriors.